The Iliad is a poem of war which incorporates multiple ideas relating to the celebration of warriors and Greek and Trojan life. Warriors are portrayed as the heroes and fighting is ideal of the culture. The epic focuses mostly on war and has a few instances regarding a life of peace. The poem both celebrates and condemns the actions taken by both Greek and Trojan cultures through certain characters actions. The Iliad seems to celebrate war heroes based on their bravery in battle and combat finesse. Achilles, the greatest warrior alive, rejects living an uneventful peaceful life and chooses to die in battle in order to gain glory and prestige. Achilles states that all men are going to meet the same death in the end whether they choose to fight
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Homer illustrates that both the Greeks and Trojans suffer greatly and even the greatest warriors face fear and experience pain. Both sides have a reason to fight and war is considered the best way to resolve the dispute over Helena. In The Iliad troy is destined to lose the war and all of Priam’s children will die. Homer recognizes the humanity of the Trojans when Hector says to …show more content…
(Book 22)
Achilles defeats Hector in combat and in an enraged state he desecrates his body by dragging behind a chariot as he circles Patroclus’s tomb. Achilles disrespects both Greek and Trojan by defiling the corpse of another warrior even though he was avenging the death of Patroclus. The gods are upset by Achilles’s actions and Apollo creates a barrier for Hector’s rotting body. Apollo "sent a dark cloud from heaven to earth, which gave shade to the whole place where Hector lay, that the heat of the sun might not parch his body" (Book 23). This shows that the gods honored the humanity of the Trojans by providing protection to Hector’s body so he could be properly buried.
Both the Greeks and the Trojans find meaning in death and life since they will honor the dead through ritualistic burial. Priam risks his life going to Achilles to recover Hector’s body so that he can properly bury his son. Achilles realizes that his actions were dishonorable and lacking virtue towards the Trojans. Priam asks for Hector's corpse and Achilles says:
What daring brought you down to the ships all alone, to face the glance of the man who killed your
Homer illustrates that both the Greeks and Trojans suffer greatly and even the greatest warriors face fear and experience pain. Both sides have a reason to fight and war is considered the best way to resolve the dispute over Helena. In The Iliad troy is destined to lose the war and all of Priam’s children will die. Homer recognizes the humanity of the Trojans when Hector says to …show more content…
(Book 22)
Achilles defeats Hector in combat and in an enraged state he desecrates his body by dragging behind a chariot as he circles Patroclus’s tomb. Achilles disrespects both Greek and Trojan by defiling the corpse of another warrior even though he was avenging the death of Patroclus. The gods are upset by Achilles’s actions and Apollo creates a barrier for Hector’s rotting body. Apollo "sent a dark cloud from heaven to earth, which gave shade to the whole place where Hector lay, that the heat of the sun might not parch his body" (Book 23). This shows that the gods honored the humanity of the Trojans by providing protection to Hector’s body so he could be properly buried.
Both the Greeks and the Trojans find meaning in death and life since they will honor the dead through ritualistic burial. Priam risks his life going to Achilles to recover Hector’s body so that he can properly bury his son. Achilles realizes that his actions were dishonorable and lacking virtue towards the Trojans. Priam asks for Hector's corpse and Achilles says:
What daring brought you down to the ships all alone, to face the glance of the man who killed your