The animosity of men within the Iliad is omnipresent. The entire epic takes place nearly a decade into a period of violent warfare; one which Homer portrays with a sickening level of realism. Large portions of this epic consist of morbid accounts of the battle fatalities. Within these macabre descriptions of action, however, focus of the reader is redirected to the men involved and, consequently, to the humanity within the actual warfare. Of the mere six-line description of the death of Xanthus, a description of his “broken-hearted” father occupies five of those lines (96). Through this hierarchy of focus in the recounts of battle, with anthropocentric descriptions often overshadowing the acts of brutality, Homer underlines the interconnectivity
…show more content…
The comparison of individuals to animals, especially predatory species such as lions and wolves, begins within the first book (27) and continues throughout the epic with unceasing repetition. Homer often uses animal imagery in the violent context of war, such as the comparison of Menelaus to a “hungry lion” at the prospect of battle with Paris (64). Just as frequently, however, this motif appears in a neutral or even positive context; When Achilles dashes out the door “like a lion” to retrieve Hector’s body for grieving Priam (452), Homer portrays an act of compassion, yet animal imagery is still present. The connections between man and animal is very clearly outlined by Homer multiple times throughout the Iliad, yet the situations in which these connections appear are of widely varying contexts. Because Homer does not correlate animal nature to any specific trait of humans, but, rather, to all aspects of humanity, he underlines the fact that, in essence men are still animals, no matter the outward societal differences. Homer further blurs the line between man and animal through a personification of the animals. Horses are described as crying hot tears that “ran from their eyes to the ground as they mourned for their lost driver,”(327) displaying that compassion is not a trait limited to man. Homer 's use of multiple ties between man and animal acts …show more content…
Despite the integral role of supernatural ‘immortals’ in the epic, throughout the text, Homer frequently undermines their actual power. Although the gods were thought to be impervious to death, within the Iliad Homer states that the “Chambers of Decay [...] fill the gods themselves with horror.” (368) Along with this anthropocentric fear of death, the gods display an uncharacteristic level of human flaws, many times making rash decisions “in fury.”(24) Thus, Homer blurs the line between man and god. This lack of distinction between the two serves as a constant reminder to the reader that the gods are created by, and thus flawed like, men. In this presentation of gods as anthropomorphic beings, humanity attempts to gain a level of control over the natural world. Both the Fates and the gods, two controlling factors in the outcomes of the lives of men through the Iliad, are presented in human form. Although often times the individual men within the play have little control over what happen to them, so much so that even they seem content to let the “gods decide”(407) their fate, humanity as a whole retains control. By creating anthropomorphic beings that have power over the uncontrollable aspects of the universe, especially natural forces such as weather or death, humans are attempting to themselves, not as individuals, but as a
The comparison of individuals to animals, especially predatory species such as lions and wolves, begins within the first book (27) and continues throughout the epic with unceasing repetition. Homer often uses animal imagery in the violent context of war, such as the comparison of Menelaus to a “hungry lion” at the prospect of battle with Paris (64). Just as frequently, however, this motif appears in a neutral or even positive context; When Achilles dashes out the door “like a lion” to retrieve Hector’s body for grieving Priam (452), Homer portrays an act of compassion, yet animal imagery is still present. The connections between man and animal is very clearly outlined by Homer multiple times throughout the Iliad, yet the situations in which these connections appear are of widely varying contexts. Because Homer does not correlate animal nature to any specific trait of humans, but, rather, to all aspects of humanity, he underlines the fact that, in essence men are still animals, no matter the outward societal differences. Homer further blurs the line between man and animal through a personification of the animals. Horses are described as crying hot tears that “ran from their eyes to the ground as they mourned for their lost driver,”(327) displaying that compassion is not a trait limited to man. Homer 's use of multiple ties between man and animal acts …show more content…
Despite the integral role of supernatural ‘immortals’ in the epic, throughout the text, Homer frequently undermines their actual power. Although the gods were thought to be impervious to death, within the Iliad Homer states that the “Chambers of Decay [...] fill the gods themselves with horror.” (368) Along with this anthropocentric fear of death, the gods display an uncharacteristic level of human flaws, many times making rash decisions “in fury.”(24) Thus, Homer blurs the line between man and god. This lack of distinction between the two serves as a constant reminder to the reader that the gods are created by, and thus flawed like, men. In this presentation of gods as anthropomorphic beings, humanity attempts to gain a level of control over the natural world. Both the Fates and the gods, two controlling factors in the outcomes of the lives of men through the Iliad, are presented in human form. Although often times the individual men within the play have little control over what happen to them, so much so that even they seem content to let the “gods decide”(407) their fate, humanity as a whole retains control. By creating anthropomorphic beings that have power over the uncontrollable aspects of the universe, especially natural forces such as weather or death, humans are attempting to themselves, not as individuals, but as a