Agamemnon

Homeric and Hellenistic Epics and Tragedy are two genres distinct from one another in many ways. Tragedy is more compact than Epic, not wasting time on repetition or embellishments. They also differ in that the purpose of Tragedy is to show the downfall of great heroes and royalty, but Epic focused more on the heroic code and the glory of heroes. One of the things that both genres showcase though, is fate is important in everyone’s lives. Although Greek society’s ideals of heroes have changed…

recall whether or not they from Mt.Olympus have sufficiently warned Aegisthus about the possible consequences for his sinful actions. Indeed, Zeus had sent Hermes to forbid Aegisthus from “murdering [Agamemnon]” and “courting [Agamemnon's] wife, [Clytemnestra]”. Aegisthus, fully-knowing that killing Agamemnon would result in “his own total ruin”, acted on his own will. Thus, the gods, by meeting in assembly, come to acknowledge that Aegisthus had earned his death in full. This instance of…

should be incapable of such extraordinary capabilities, but as an epic hero he “addressed the blurred and breathless dead” (Homer 402). Another important interaction happens for Odysseus during his journey to Hades when he sees the shade of Agamemnon. Agamemnon suggests that in order to protect himself from those who would seek to harm him he should land his “ship in secret” when he arrives in Ithaca and to “give no warning” (Homer 414). This plants a seed of mistrust in Odysseus and we will…

In the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad, friendship plays an integral transformative role. When Enkidu and Patroclus die, the surviving friends, Gilgamesh and Achilles become better people by exposing their vulnerability through the grieving process. This results in a lifelong transformation. This kind of everlasting friendship is also illustrated by Oeneus and Bellerophon,whose friendship lives on through their grandchildren,after their death. In this paper, I will claim that the Epic of…

In Aeschylus’ The Oresteia and Sophocles’ The Oedipus Cycles, the division between public and private life is related to the distinctions between man and woman and reason and emotion. Tragedy attempts to deal with these binaries by discussing the relationship between the state in combination and traditional gender divisions. In The Oresteia and The Oedipus Cycles, women have seemingly contradictory roles of power and influence, only to be marginalized by the dominant men of law and reason. These…

In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles’s rage is a major element of the plot, as he withdraws from battle based on spite, essentially, when the Achaeans desperately need his help. Agamemnon therefore sends an embassy consisting of Ajax, Phoenix, and Odysseus to convince him to return. Odysseus in particular is often described by Homer as a “tactician,” or one who is generally calm and logical. His speech does contain fairly methodical rhetorical strategies, such as appeals to emotion and the ancient desire…

Achilles had several tests like when Agamemnon stole his war prize, a women, and cause Achilles to withdraw from fighting over pride. They both felt superior cause conflict and Achilles refused to fight. Achilles had a few prominent allies like Patroclus and Odysseus. Another test was during…

We see Achilleus struggle with the image of his honor through much of the Iliad. In book one we closely analyzed the actions of Agamemnon and how he stripped Achilleus of his prize and honor. This event leads to Achilleus' internal struggle which provides a glimpse into what Achilleus feels is important. Achilleus becomes so angry with Agamemnon he pleads to the gods to intervene with violence. Yet we see that the reasons he does not fight and stays loyal is, again, this idea of honor. “Nor,…

(Homer 184). Heroes was always afraid of disgrace. Disgrace was not taken lightly in Homeric culture. The hero such as Achilles though of disgrace as a sign of weakness. When Patroclus took Briseis over to the enemy, Achilles cried onto his mother, “Agamemnon, son of Atreus, has done me dishonor.”(Homer 132) Heroes always feared that the community would not judge them in a good light, if they have been disgraced. The hero always was about the acceptance of the people, not his personal gain, nor…

Final Essay Rough Draft: The Question of Virtue The question of virtue is addressed differently in the ancient Greece and Rome, later classical Greece and Rome, and in Christianity. In the Ancient Western virtue is the honor code, and in the later classical Greece and Rome world virtue was seen more as an internal orientation. Then, later on, in Christianity, virtue was something received by God’s grace in which was gifted when one seeks the right relationship with God and believing in Jesus…