Iliad

The Iliad is a piece of epic poetry written by Homer in the ancient Greek time period. Concepts of war are seen throughout the poem and are practically the main topic of the whole story. In comparison to today’s view of war we can see many differences. Even modern Americans have mixed perceptions of war and soldiers. Despite the fact that ancient Greece and modern America have very different views of war, they both see some sense of glory in the battlefield. The Iliad is about the Trojan war.…

The Iliad; “the first great book about the suffering and loss of war”, stated by Rachel Bespaloff in On the Iliad. “Its subject is war; its characters are men in battle and women whose fate depends on the outcome.” One may ask why does Homer writes about this and why it is so gruesome like. It’s to catch the human eye, with in-depth descriptions and brutality which is nearly a copy of what everyday life on this planet is today. There’s always murder, battles, and war occurring for food,…

Honor is very prevalent throughout The Iliad. The text demonstrates that honor is necessary to Greek heroes because it is the foundation of society and family in Greek history. In The Iliad, honor guides peoples actions, decides the fate of themselves and others and their responses and homer gives us the perfect example of that. The author of The Iliad, Homer, places special value on the importance of proper burial. This is because it shows a strong sign of honor to the deceased and the…

The Iliad, a classic epic poem by Homer, presents one of the most famous interpretations of Ancient Greek culture. Mainly, the poem suggested commentary on the way Ancient Greece saw fate and free agency. These ideals, when paired with historical insights of that society, create an elaborate understanding of the culture. The Iliad presents fate as the most powerful and inevitable force over humankind. At one point we meet a seer, Calchas, who knew “all things that are past and all that are to…

Throughout The Iliad, Achilles, son of mortal Peleus and Goddess Thetis, demonstrated the Greek concept of Arête, which means excellence and virtue. Achilles exemplified Arête, as well as heroism, through his ability to fight; he was the fiercest, most skilled warrior in the Greek army. The level of Achilles’s skill was demonstrated when Hector, the leader of the Trojan and allied armies, was faced with the challenge of battling Achilles. As Achilles approached Hector in this scene, Homer…

violent, self-centered and consistent character throughout The Iliad. Although he keeps these features through most of the epic, he develops new characteristics to his personality as well, causing him to act differently than from how readers think he would toward the final scenes of the book. Achilles is able to be a vengeful and assaulting warrior whilst also obtaining feelings of sympathy, compassion, and equitability by the end of The Iliad. Achilles proves his feelings of sensitivity yet…

The Iliad is a Greek story of courage and heroism in the most certain dangers of war. Men on both sides fight for honor for their countries and their families. However, even the greatest heroes are still human, and still have flaws that make them human. What makes us human isn’t necessary the physical strength that we may or may not possess, but rather the strength that lies within us. Emotions are both seen as good, or may also seen as detriment to our successes. In Book XXII, Hector stands…

The Iliad opens up with an argument between Agamemnon and Achilles. Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus’ anger, doomed and ruinous, and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead men-carrion for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done. Begin it when the two men first contending broke with one another- The Lord Marshal Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, and Prince Akhilleus. (Fitzgerald, 5) Achilles’ pride has been wounded because Agamemnon has taken his bride, Briseis,…

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…

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…