Achilles' heel

“Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage, black and murderous, that cost the Greeks incalculable pain, pitched countless souls of heroes into Hades’ dark, And left their bodies to rot as feasts for dogs and birds, as Zeus’ will be done” (1:1-8). These are the first few lines of the book and we are already given dark imagery such as “black and murderous” and “incalculable pain” to explain the war to come. This remains a constant theme throughout the story which signals the act of war, and the death it…

Austin Groshens Ben Beshwate HIST 103- Western Civilization I: Exam 1 28 September 2017 Section Two: Essay One The Greek city states of Athens and Sparta have many similarities and differences. Due to the geography of Greece each poleis developed differently. Athens became the center of intelligence and Sparta became the center of military might. Both greatly influenced western civilization. Athens brought science, math and art to the world while Sparta left great impact on military…

Tragedy about Heroes Fighting for something or someone you believe ranges from unbearable like when you stand utterly alone to simplistic like the moments when others fight with you. Regardless we share our true colors and ideals in the midst of hardship. Those moments define character for instance I refused to passively sit back during any hardship whether it be friends or family. As much as I have been hurt by the ordeals that I have gone through they also offered insight and perspective.…

In Norman Maclean’s text, Young Men and Fire, the reader is revealed an emotional and heart-wrenching tale of 13 smokejumpers that lose their lives on a seemingly ordinary day of wildfire fighting. The choice of recounting this tale in a Greek-story format shows us the academic, intellectual prowess of Maclean and his want to not only talk about the historical facts and testimony, but to meet the reader in his heart and express emotions that fill the empty factual spaces. Maclean says, “A…

In the story of “The Iliad” by Homer’s, Agamemnon is a king and a warrior. Priam is also a king, but is not a warrior. Agamemnon has a bit more power than Priam only because he can get a little taste of what both experiences of being a king and a warrior is like. In my opinion, Agamemnon may have more power but is his strength as strong as Priam strength. If Priam strength is stronger, there is a slight chance that Priam can destroy Agamemnon. For example, Smart vs. Strong. It is most likely the…

Imagine being the queen of a country, but not having any power. This is what life is like for the women in The Odyssey. The Odyssey, which was written by Homer, tells a story about the hero Odysseus trying to return to his family after fighting in the Trojan war. This story takes place long long ago in a society that treats women very differently than they are treated today. Throughout the story the reader can see how the women are treated and what their role in the society is. Most…

Revenge as a means of Obtaining Justice in The Odyssey The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus, the hero, traveling home after a 10-year war in Troy. Throughout the story revenge as a means of obtaining justice is a prominent message. Homer describes the extents, limits and nature of revenge as well as obtaining justice through it. He dos this with Odysseus revenge on the suitors and maids in his house, Helios revenge on Odysseus and his men, Poseidon's revenge on Odysseus and the suitors…

How are the Odyssey’s themes applicable today even though the culture at the time it was written is so separated from the culture of the 21st century? The Odyssey is one of two ancient Greek poems written by Homer. Written in the 15th century, the way The Odyssey portrays women and their values greatly differs from the way society views women today. In “The Great Rooted Bed,” Eurycleia, the nurse of Penelope rushes up to Penelope’s quarters to tell her that Odysseus has returned home. As much as…

The tale of Odyssey involves many moments of disguise and revelation. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and diplomacy, uses deception in a couple of events like Telemachy and after Odysseus lands on Ithaka. Interestingly, disguise is one of the alluring characteristics of Odysseus as well, which helps him make his homecoming journey a success. A warrior wins a war by strength, but Odysseus disguise and revelation portrays how most battles in life can be won by wisdom and prudence. Athena visits…

There were three great tragedians in Greek Society: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. (1) Sophocles’s works were between Aeschylus and Euripides. Sophocles had written 123 plays during his life is the information we can get from Suda, a 10th-century encyclopedia. However, only seven of the plays were completely being saved. One of the plays that were being saved is Oedipus at Colonus, which was the last play Sophocles wrote. (2) Sophocles’s life experiences had influenced how he wrote his…