Homer Hickam

affect thousands of lives. In Book II The Iliad states “45 kings and princes from 29 areas who lead the crews of a total of 1,186 ships”. Not only are all of these soldiers fighting for Helen affected, but also all the families left behind, which Homer portrays when Hector’s wife “bemoans the fate of a widow and the orphan, unprotected in a world of violence”. By kidnapping Helen, Paris unintentionally kills thousands of men and leaves even more in grief. Another theme remains apparent halfway…

Life is meaningless, humans often search for clarity. Sisyphus was shown as an absurd hero, he was the wisest and most prudent of the mortals. Although he was labeled as such a noble person, Sisyphus often questioned the meaning of his life and existence. “There is only one real philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Deciding whether or not life's worth living to answer the most fundamental questions of philosophy.” It was found that our existence has no true meaning. We look for things…

Between both epic poems by Homer; The Iliad and The Odyssey, the reader is able distinguish a variety of themes that set both stories apart. But there are also multiple instances where the themes of the poems overlap and actually build off of each other. This is where Homer is able to help the reader fully understand both stories by implementing themes through both poems and a multitude of characters and situations to help his message get across. One of the biggest similarities between both…

However, some people believe in very different outcomes. One being that she was stolen by Paris away from her home with Menelaus her husband. And some say that she was in love with Paris and she willingly ran away with him. Nonetheless the way that Homer told it was that she was stolen…

One common expression which we hear very often is “to open a Pandora’s box.” Now, you might have dismissed it as just another proverb, but this saying actually has a story behind it. The Greek myth of Pandora’s box eventually lead to this common saying. The main character of this myth, Pandora, is culturally significant and shows how the Greek population viewed the world. Pandora is a Greek mythical character who illustrates Greek values and culture through her actions in the myth, Pandora’s box…

guided by his emotions and not but his brains. “You wine sack, with a dog's eyes, with a deer's heart. Never once have you taken courage in your heart to arm with your people for battle” (Homer, Book 1, 225-227). Even though he…

important themes about the presentation of the Afterlife in Greek mythology during Homeric times. In Book XI readers see another step and obstacle that Odysseus must overcome to return home. In this book Homer formally introduces The Underworld, the place where the souls of people who die end up. Homer suggests that…

by Homer depicts a destructive war between the Achaeans and the Trojans as a criticism to the collective social norms and tradition that war promotes. Throughout the epic, the idea of war is championed by the both the Achaeans and the Trojan as the most formidable form of solving their dispute. However, this form of problem solving involves a social-Darwinian scenario where the strongest survive, while those who survive the war receive honor and praise from their people. Nevertheless, Homer…

that the famous are the ones who experience the greatest misery because they are trapped by public opinion. In the Iliad, Homer subverts the ancient Greek trope that legacies are crucial to a fulfilling life. One of the most complex characters in the novel, Hector is at first a man of honor and nobility, but eventually gives way to his dark legacy. One of the first glimpses Homer gives of Hector is when he chastises Paris and declares him a “curse to your father, your city, and all your people”…

From this passage in the Iliad, Homer actively surveys the relevance of fate by using dialogue, imagery, and shifts of focus in the order of events. In context, Menelaus had just confirmed the duel between himself and Paris. Leading Iris the messenger goddess to spread the news to unsuspecting Helen in the form of Helen’s sister-in-law “the wife of Antenor’s / son, whom strong Heliakon wed, son of Antenor” (3.122, 123). Although Homer is describing a female, the repetition of the phrase “son of…