Importance Of Relationships In The Iliad

Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated: “If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.” Roosevelt makes a robust statement here about the importance of relationships, which brings up the question ‘why are relationships important?’ People have a plethora of relationships, from the relationship with one’s family to their relationship with their God(s), and each has significance. Each of these relationships impact one’s life in many ways; they shape who someone is, and who they will become. From relationships people draw hope, courage, and inspiration; but they may also bring hurt, defeat, and despair. Strong relationships …show more content…
On one side, the Achaean’s vastly benefited from Achilles’s relationship with Patroclus. Not only did Achilles train Patroclus, thus making him a powerful force during the war, but Achilles also only returned to the war upon hearing of Patroclus’s death. Motivated by his love for his friend, Achilles went on to wreak havoc on the Trojan army. However, on the other hand, the Achaeans were devastated due to Achilles’s relationship with Agamemnon. Their dispute was the reason the Achaeans decided to attack Troy; it was also the reason that the Zeus-backed Trojans were able to defeat so many of the Achaeans. Homer does a tremendous job of showing both the potential benefits and the potential problems that may arise from the relationship between men throughout the Iliad.
The relationship between men and women in the Iliad serves as the driving force of the story. Both the Achaeans and the Trojans objectified women. The entirety of the nine year Trojan War was fought simply because Paris stole Helen, supposedly the most beautiful women on the planet, from Menelaus, her husband. Although understandable, this seems like a trivial reason to fight a …show more content…
Apollo warns Patroclus not to make an attempt to invade Troy; however, Patroclus ignores his warning and tries anyway. As a result, Apollo confronts him and injures Patroclus enough to where he enables Hector to kill him. This was all due to the fact that it was not Patroclus’s fate to bring down Troy. Another example occurs when Zeus jokes with Athena that he will spare Hector from Achilles, and she rebukes him, saying it had long been Hectors fate to die at the hand of Achilles. This passage demonstrates that the Gods enjoy toying with men. Hector himself knows he cannot control his fate, saying to Andromache, his wife, “… No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man’s hour is come, be he brave, or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born.” These events all seem to imply that although men have some free will, the Gods limit it, particularly if it regards an event or decision with large