A Conversation on The Iliad

The Poem of Force

2011-06-04T14:30:00.000-04:00

From Simone Weil and the Iliad Today:

Lee Hoinacki--

Many believe that Simone Weil's essay, 'The Iliad, Poem of Force," published in Cahiers du Sud (Marseilles) in December 1940 and January 1941, is her most impressive writing; through Mary McCarthy's translation it was also her first work to reach the English-speaking world.

In a sense, Simone Weil herself sums up her interpretation in the essay's first paragraph:

The true hero, the real subject, the core of the Iliad, is force. That force which is wielded by men rules over them, and before it man's flesh cringes. The human soul never ceases to be modified by its encounter with force, swept on, blinded by that which it believes itself able to handle, bowed beneath the power of that which it suffers. Those who dreamt that force, thanks to progress, belonged henceforth to the past, have been able to see its living witness in this poem: those who know how to discern force throughout the ages, there at the heart of every human testament, find here its most beautiful, most pure of mirrors.

According to the opinion of her friend and biographer Simone Petrement, the principal concern of Simone Weil was to understand the Iliad. Throughout the essay comments are interspersed with her translation of Homer's Greek verses. Petrement believes that no translation had ever before adequately grasped the human tenderness and pity that pervades the Iliad. Further, Simone Weil strongly emphasized the "incurable bitterness" of the poem. As she wrote:

It is this which makes the Iliad a unique poem, this bitterness, issuing from its tenderness, and which extends, as the light of the sun, equally over all men. Never does the tone of the poem cease to be impregnated by this bitterness, nor does it ever descend to the level of a complaint. Justice and love, for which there can hardly be a place in this picture of extremes and unjust violence, yet shed their light over the whole without ever being discerned...

What did Zeus do that was so Wrong?

2010-02-18T10:12:00.003-05:00

I was thinking about our conversation in class and started wondering why everbody is ripping on Zeus. He does cheat on Hera with many mortal women, but if thats the only thing he really does thats wrong. What is he supposed to do for eternity? Then his acts as the leader in the war were not perfect but he is trying to keep his promise which he had to make because he owed Thetis for saving him. He also seems to care about what the other gods think when Sarpedon is about to die he is considering saving him and Hera tells him , if you save him then all of the gods will lose their respect of you. All of what Zeus does makes sense in the situation.

Achilles: How Attitude Varies in Warfare

2010-02-17T13:15:00.003-05:00

Achilles is portrayed as a very strong, defiant fighter, and in many ways he is. He's an incredibly skilled battleman, and his contributions were missecd dearly when he wasn't on the battlefield. However Achilles as a person, not a warrior, lacks confidence. I believe he feels he can compensate for his lack of confidence in his personal being with his overconfidence in his fighting skills. Achilles thought no price was to large for him to come back. In fact, when Hector even considered, "Yes, I could promise to give back Helen, yes...", it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough for him to come back until he found a way for him to prove himself in battle.
But when he did he was more than pleased to accept the challenge. On the field is where he is most confident, feels the most comfortable with himself, since he knows he is the best.

Zeus: Both Loved and Hated by Gods and Mortals

2010-02-17T13:04:00.002-05:00

Everybody, Gods and mortals alike know that Zeus is the mightiest creature in the skies or to ever touch land. And when they need it most, they turn to him for light or help. However if something were ever to go wrong, they are quick to turn on him. Likewise to any public figure, success can be overshadowed by missteps. No matter all the wonderful things that Zeus will do for his side. Nevermind the efforts he puts forth to ensure their success. When something goes wrong, the wrath and hatred aimed at Zeus is immeasurable. "And all were blaming zeus with his storming black clouda…because the farther had to decreed to hand the trojans glory..." With great power comes great judgement, and Zeus revieved plenty of it.

Complicated Roles of Women

2010-02-17T00:03:00.003-05:00

While reading the Iliad I have been simply perplexed by the various roles of women in the book. On one hand, women are treated as trophies with little to no value while on the other hand women are extremely powerful and influential characters. To make it even more complex though, even women of high power, such as Hera, still feel objectified and use seduction as methods of getting what they want. I find Hera's passive aggressiveness and use of sexuality in book 15 to be very interesting. While she is the wife of the most powerful God and is extremely influential and has more rights than most women in the book, she still feels the need to seduce Zeus into giving her what she wants. This section of the book also shows a lot about what marriage is in the Iliad and what it means. In this case, Hera is fighting with Zeus on purpose for the benefit of Achilles and often times in the conversation she mentions Zeus's many infidelities. Situations like this in the Iliad really make me wonder what marriage means to the characters. I feel like love is often confused with lust, leading to lots of happiness in the beginning of the marriage, but as the gods are immortal and there is no divorce in the Iliad, lots of unhappiness and fighting is bound to happen down the road.

Is it Zeus' Fault that the War is so Gruesome?

2010-02-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

Zeus makes many decisions throughout The Iliad that suggest that he intensifies the war and causes more bloodshed then is necessary. In book 1 of The Iliad, Zeus "bows his head" and promises Thetis that the Achaeans will be punished. This is his first flaw. If he had denied Thetis' request, the Achaeans would not have been slaughtered so badly. Zeus is the almighty leader and decision maker in the world. It is clear that Zeus is a very inward thinker, however, his decision to go along with Thetis' desires lead to more bloodshed then necessary. He could have denied her request, possibly saving some lives, but he felt that he owed her, so he opened the floodgates and many Achaean lives were lost.

Zeus as well as the other gods always seem to back up Achilles. Achilles is the most fearsome warrior in the world. If Zeus truly cared about human life, he might have restricted Achilles in some way, not let him lose to kill many people. In book 20, line 532, the author states, "Achilles slits open his liver." Achilles is a killing machine and Zeus is the one who essentially let him loose. Is this right? Should Zeus have restrained Achilles? What could Zeus have done to lessen the bloodshed and death? It is possible that Zeus is not to blame. However, leaders need to take responsibility and the reason why this war was so bloody and gruesome is because Zeus made decisions that caused the death and suffering.

Zeus's Promise to Achilles

2010-02-16T20:40:00.002-05:00

Zeus is an interesting character as well as Achilles but the most interesting thing about them is the promise made between them. This promise is interesting because it is very demanding and gruesome to even say let alone wish, on Achilles part and then for Zeus to carry through with the promise all of the way to the end of the book is despicable. Back in book one, Achilles cries to his mother saying, “…pin the Achaeans back against their ships, trap them round the bay and mow them down.” (Book 1: 487). This I think is the main reason that the war takes place as far as it does and would have been shorter if Achilles wasn’t such a cry baby. But the thing that really gets me is still, in book 15 Zeus even says, “I will not permit a single immortal god to save the Argive forces, not till Achilles’ prayer has been fulfilled. So I vowed first, I bowed my head in assent that day the goddess Thetis clutched my knees, begging me to exalt Achilles scourge of cities.” (Book 15: 90). It is amazing that a god has created this much death and gore and pain on people all for one man to become glorified at the end of the war and all because he wants to get back at his king for taking his girl.

Helen and Briseis

2010-02-16T18:21:00.002-05:00

At the end of Book 24, Helen mourns over Hector's corpse. She says very familiar things to him like Briseis said to Patroclus. Maybe not the exact same things but quite similar. When Briseis is mourning over Patroclus she says, "you would not let me weep, not when swift Achilles cut my husband down... you vowed you would make me godlike Achilles' lawful, wedded wife... So now I mourn for your death-I will never stop- you were always kind," (Book 19, Line 349-357). Briseis is basically saying that Patroclus kept her sane even after Achilles' had killed her close family. When Helen is mourning over Hector, she says, "never once did I hear from you a taunt, an insult... Now there is no one left in the wide realm of Tory, no friend to treat me kindly," (Book 24, Line 900-911). Helen here is saying that Hector was the only one who was KIND to her... similar to how Patroclus was kind to Briseis... Another thing is, Patroclus and Hector were these women's friends. They actually treated them like people instead how other women are treated.

Are the Gods Always Good?

2010-02-16T14:39:00.001-05:00

Many aspects of the Iliad make me wonder if the Gods in this epic are actually wise and make the correct decision. Are the Gods in the Iliad like the Gods in other various epics? From what I see in the Iliad the Gods usually if not always make decisions based on what is best in their situation. For example, most of the Gods choose a side that they are biased to and help that side during the war. That is different from many other epics that we have read such as the Ramayana which clearly indicates that the Gods are all on Rama's side. Another example is when the Gods just treat all the humans like chess pieces and that their lives are nothing to them because they are immortal. Hera, the wife of Zeus makes a huge mistake when she tricks Zeus who is on the opposing team to sleep with her just so her side can gain the advantage without his help for the other team. They believe that they have this power over the mortals because they are immortal, but I find that other than that the Gods in the Iliad are very similar to the humans. They both have their fate predetermined, they both make mistakes, and they both act in ways that may be good for only themselves. I believe that the Gods in the Iliad are no more honorable and trustworthy than many of the humans in the epic.

Achilles goes too far

2010-02-15T17:25:00.002-05:00

Achilles is the most powerful and most feared warrior in all the land. However, since he is too busy pouting, he does not actually fight until much later in the epic. When Patroclus reaches his ultimate demise, Achilles is sent into an uncontrollable rage. When he first hears the unfortunate news he lets loose a scream that kills twelve people. Then he drops his feud without gaining anything. He does not make Agamemnon pay him anything, nor is his honor truly restored. Rage is possessing him and making him loose sight and it only gets worse.

Before Achilles enters battle the author describes, "A sound of grinding came from the fighter's teeth, his eyes blazed forth in searing points of fire, unbearable grief came surging through his heart, and now bursting with rage against the men of Troy, he donned Hephaestus' gifts" (book 19:430-436). Once Achilles enters the battle he is a madman cutting down any Trojan he sees. In book 20 line 515 the author states, "Then Tros, Alastor's son, crawled to Achilles' knees and clutched them, hoping he'd spare him, let Tros off alive, no cutting him down in blood, he'd pity Tros, a man of his own age--the young fool he'd no idea, thinking Achilles could be swayed! Here was a man not sweet at heart, not kind, no, he was raging, wild--as Tros grasped his knees desperate, begging, Achilles slit open his liver." Although this is war, one would think a soldier would have some sense of respect and decency. However, Achilles is emotionless and revengeful. Another example of Achilles going too far in battle is when he duels with Hector. Hector requests the some conditions will be put in place for the loser of the battle. Achilles is too angry to even consider and he states, "No love between us. No truce till one or the other falls and gluts with blood" (book 22 line 313). Even though Hector killed Patroclus, Achilles does not even respect the laws of war. Once he kills Hector as Zeus predicted, he ties Hectors ankles to the back of his chariot and drags his body around, instead of returning the body to Hectors parents. This is not right, even though this is war, Achilles should show some honor and decency. This is why Achilles is not the protagonist, he is too violent and has hardly any human emotions. He is a killing monster and he makes it hard for anyone to like him or root for him to destroy Troy.

The Funeral Games for Patroclus

2010-02-15T12:02:00.003-05:00

Are the funeral games for Patroclus a sick way to mourn, or a beautiful way to overcome grief? At first, when I read this book I thought that it was kind of wrong for them to hold competitions, with prizes, and gifts, gold, money, women, and pottery in such a time of grief, but it does kind of make sense after reading it. The games represent several things. Firstly, it takes the edge off of the funeral; they have been grieving their dear friend for many days, and now, to overcome this grief, they are celebrating, feasting, competing, sporting, and in general having fun, and sharing in each other's company. It is also a way to celebrate the life of Patroclus. He was an honorable man, loved by all, and at the end of their mourning period, after mourning his death, they hold a competition to celebrate his life, and all of the wonderful things he did, in and out of battle. Finally, it is a way for them to pay respect to Patroclus. They hold these competitions in his honor, and each man who competes is not just battling for some petty prize; they are battling in honor of a fallen warrior, a comrade, they are battling in honor of Patroclus. I think that the joy and the spirit in this book would be somewhat gruesome if it were not in such contrast with the previous books that showed so much pain, anguish, and devastation over the loss of their friend. However, since it does follow the lamentations in previous books, I think it shows Greek spirit, and their respect and love for their lost friend.

The Fate of the Gods

2010-02-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

Although at some times it seems that the gods control fate, and at other times it seems that fate is not controlled by a specific force, it is almost never shown that the gods are affected by fate. Although at some times they are forced to do things in order to keep the fate of the humans, it never occurred to me that the gods themselves have their own fate. The humans are each fated to die at a certain time, that is their fate, but the gods, since they are immortal, have a different sort of fate. Apollo points this out to Achilles, bragging, "Why are you chasing me? Why waste your speed?- son of Peleus, you a mortal and I a deathless god. You still don't know that I am immortal, do you?- straining to catch me in you fury! Have you forgotten? There's a war to fight with the Trojans you stampeded, look, they're packed inside their city walls, but you, you've slipped away out here. You can't kill me- I can never die- it's not my fate!" (22:9). Although fate can be analyzed in more complex terms, it is essentially this: the fate of the mortals is to die, and the fate of the gods is to live. It's not that they are more special, or different; it's just their fate.

Hector's Death

2010-02-13T12:32:00.003-05:00

The death of hector really affects Troy. Because of Hector's death, the city falls. Hector was the protector of the city and without him, the Greeks will take over the city and kill everyone inside it. When Achilles drags Hector's body around on the back of a chariot, this drives King Priam to go get his son back. "Let go my friends! Much as you care for me, let me hurry out of the city, make way, all on my own, to Achaea's waiting ships! I must implore that terrible violent man. . . Perhaps-who knows?-he may respect my age, may pity an old man. He has a father too, as old as I am" (Book 22, Line 489-495). Priam knows that he is risking his life to go done to Achilles to retrieve his son back. When Priam goes into his tent, Priam is risking his life. However, Priam knows he is old and he is going to die sooner or later so he might as well try to get his son back. Another thing is, Priam says, "he has a father too". Priam is hoping that Achilles would want Peleus to come beg for Achilles if he were killed by Hector and taken back to Troy. Also, when Hector's wife finds out about his death, she completely just falls apart. She says, "O Hector-I am destroyed! Both born to the same fate after all! You, you at Troy in the halls of King Priam" (Book 22, Line 560-563). Then she continues ranting on about how their son will be teased because he has no father and all of these terrible things, but that is really the happy ending because in the end, Troy is destroyed and her son is brutally killed. Over all, Hector's death is the death of all the other Trojans and they know it.

Achilles Made the Right Choice

2010-02-12T11:48:00.008-05:00

It is accurate to say that all Achilles really wants is revenge, glory, and respect, but you also must understand that his other options are to live in obscurity and most probably poverty. Nobody would respect him if he ran away from the battle. So, when you are analysing some of the ruthless, strange, and often uncharacteristic moves that Achilles makes towards the end of the epic, consider this; If you are going to choose one path to walk down, you need to walk down it until you hit a dead end (death for Achilles). Consider the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost;

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Consider some of these line, "And sorry I could not travel both...And looked down one as far as I could...Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back...I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." I believe that Achilles made the right decision to take the road less traveled, and I believe it did make all the difference because he regained his respect, his strength, and his glory and put his whole heart and soul into it.

Ongoing Cycle of Wars

2010-02-10T18:54:00.002-05:00

I find it interesting to observe the conflict occuring in the novel from an onlooker's point of view. In other words, it is fascinating to think about how someone overlooking the fighting from above would react to what was happening in the epic. Personally, I find it amusing how in the story there are two wars going on. There is the war between the gods, and the war between the mortals. Now, as one would presume the god's actions greatly affect the fighting between the mortals. This is evident in book eight, when Iris exclaims, "Let Zeus decide the fates of the men of Troy and men of Argos both...." (Book eight, 494-496). In this case, the mortals are told to literally let Zeus decide their fates. Nevertheless, it becomes very clear throughout the epic, that how the mortals react to the gods actions greatly affect how the gods act in the future. The idea that the gods have their own fights is demonstrated when Homer expresses after Achilles decides to go back into battle, "So immense the clash as the war of gods erupted" (Book 20, 80). What I found interesting when comparing the two different wars, the mortal war and the god war, is that each of these fights drives the other. When chaos erupts in the mortal's war it is usually becuase of a god's action, whether it be regarding fate, or favoritism. On the other hand, when tension is brought to the gods it is because how mortals react to their fate or gods' favoritism, like when Achilles decides to go back into war. This is an everlasting cycle, which until one of the two parties decides to stop fighting, I believe the two wars will never end.

Achilles complex motives

2010-02-10T18:20:00.004-05:00

It is interesting throughout the iliad how it seems that most men do not understand or comprehend the simplicity of Achilles motives. He is out for revenge, glory, and to prove that his people need him and must give him the respect that he believes he deserves. What is strange is that often throughout the later part of the text when the Greeks reach out to Achilles to get him back, they do not understand that he isnt looking for material objects and possessions. It is for this reason that no one but time fate can persuade him back into the battle and finish off the Trojans and Hector. Near the End of the reading in Book twenty two, Hector debates in his mind possible ways out of a face-to-face fight with Achilles. He thinks, "Why i could promise to give back Helen, yes, and all her treasures with her, all those riches Paris once hauled home to Troy in the hollow ships-- and they were the cause of all our endless fighting." He believes that the reason for Achille's rage is the simple, common one of desiring wealth and women. When Phoenix, Odysseus and Ajax go to persuade Achilles back to battle with orders from Agememnon to bribe him with all of the possessions and wealth any man could want. It is because he does not desire those things that the embassy fails to retrieve Achilles.

Comparison between Ramayana and the Iliad

2010-02-08T19:20:00.003-05:00

An epic that is very similar to the Iliad is Ramayana. It is similar because, for one, the war in Ramayana was started by a woman, Sita, being stolen from a powerful man, Ravana, because her beauty was irresistible. In the Iliad, the war was started by a woman, Helen, who was also stolen from a powerful man who is the king's brother, Menelaus, because of her beauty. Also, the war in Ramayana kills several people. The war is ended by the city, Lanka, being overthrown by Rama, and Sita is returned home. The war in the Iliad also kills more than several men, from both sides, and at the end, Troy is overthrown and Helen is returned home. Another thing that is similar between both epics is that you see the hero being glorified. The hero in the Iliad is Achilles and the hero in Ramayana is Rama. These two heros don't really prove they are heros until the end of the epic. But in the beginning of the epic, they are stuck up warriors who are known for doing well in fighting and don't prove it until the very end. However, there are many differences between these two epics. One is that in the Iliad, the war is being controlled by the gods. The gods also get into the war themselves and do not just watch from Olympus. In Ramayana, there are gods, but the gods are not physically being there and do not talk in the epic. Ramayana also has magic in it. There are various illusions in the epic. For example, Ravana sends his servant to portray as a bejeweled golden deer to trick Sita to going in to the woods so Ravana can steal her. There is no magic in the Iliad. The gods are the magical part of the war. But I do not consider it magic when a god saves a warrior because the opponent realizes that it is a gods doing. Overall, there are many comparisons between the Iliad and Ramayana.

Achilles and Gilgamesh: How they deal with loss

2010-02-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Achilles of the ancient Greek epic of the Iliad, and Gilgamesh from the ancient Sumerian epic have many similarities as mighty god-like heroes who both must experience the loss of a dear friend and comrade. For Achilles it's Patroclus, and for Gilgamesh of course, Enkidu. Both heroes experience great anguish and grief for their losses. Homer describes Achilles' reaction to the death of Patroclus by saying, "Both hands clawed the ground for soot and filth, he poured it over his head, fouled his handsome face...Overpowered by all his power, sprawled in the dust, Achilles lay there, fallen (468)." After this extended episode of mourning, Achilles decides to resolve his anguish by vengeance when he says, "Despite my anguish I will beat it down, the fury mounting inside me, down by force. But now I'll go and meet the murderer head on (471)."However Gilgamesh, instead of seeking vengeance for his loss, decides to directly attempt to bring Enkidu back to life from the dead. Could this possibly illustrate that Gilgamesh might have a different emotional connection to Enkidu than Achilles with Patroclus? Does this mean that because Gilgamesh is willing to actually attempt to resurrect Enkidu that he developed a deeper, more meaningful bond? Regardless, the above passage recited by Achilles demonstrates the common theme of force and conflict that we see in Greek literature in the expression and coping with grief. Also, I believe that Achilles already understands mortality in the sense that he attempts to avenge the death of Patroclus instead of resurrecting him. In some ways, this may make Achilles more mature when it comes to mortality than Gilgamesh because Gilgamesh had to go on a journey to discover the meaning of mortality and the many complex layers of immortality. But the common ground for both heroes is what I would call the "grudge factor." Both Gilgamesh and Achilles (from what we've heard) hold on to this grief (Gilgamesh) and rage (Achilles) for their loved ones and in both epics we see this factor blind both men as they hold on to death and loss.

Extended comment: Human-like Gods

2010-02-07T21:22:00.002-05:00

I completely agree with Nalini's post about how human-like Gods can be, but I'd like to take it a step further. Think of some of the main ways the Gods and humans are similar in The Iliad. They feel the same emotions, use the same tricks, have some of the same behaviorisms, and make the same mistakes. Now think of some of the main differences between the two. Humans are mortal while Gods are immortal. But think of it this way; are the Gods really that superior to humans? Of course, they are immortal, but it has been mentioned countless times in the book humans can become 'immortal' in other people's eyes by being selfless heroes of war. It seems as if the Greek definition of immortality is not to be a God, but to be held as a respected figure in your countrymen's minds. It was also exemplified in an earlier book that humans can injure the Gods (when Diomedes cuts Aphrodite's wrist). So what is the difference between the Gods and humans, if ,in reality, they are not different at all? I believe that it is the fact the the Gods are one small step closer to the mysterious power that directs the fate of the universe than the humans are. If the humans in this story weren't so clueless as to how this power works, I believe that some humans, like Achilles, would be almost God-like in their glory.

Human like Gods

2010-02-07T21:05:00.003-05:00

In many cultures, Gods or supreme beings act extremely different from humans. They are usually more all knowing and responsible, not making mistakes, they always do the right thing. However, in the Iliad it seems like the Gods act more like humans. The only difference it seems is that the Gods are immortal and have more power than the humans. But, for example, when Hera tricks Zeus into sleeping with him and making Sleep put him asleep, she is knowingly doing something that she knows is wrong for her benefit. Also, the Gods show many human like emotions. This, as far as I know, doesn't usually happen, because the Gods are almighty and powerful and always act fairly and properly. However, in Book 15 line 45, it says " Her eyes wide, Queen Hera shuddered before his thunder". This quote is showing that fear that Hera had of Zeus, which is different because Gods are generally not the type of people to be scared of something or someone. Another example is later in Book 15, Poseidon is asked to help in the war by Zeus. He is angry at Zeus and, it seems, slightly jealous when he says "What outrage! Great as he is, what overweening arrogance! So, force me, will he, to wrench my will to his. I with the same high honors?" (Book 15, line 220-223) Most of all the Gods we have met so far have had these human like characteristic that make the Iliad different from all texts. The line between Gods and Humans is still there, but is is blurred by the Gods actions and emotions.

Thetis/Women

2010-02-07T17:29:00.002-05:00

In book 18 once again Thetis needs to help her son Achilles by getting a favour from Hephaestus. This would be to make him some magnificent armour. It all seems normal for her to just ask for a favour from him, but when Hephaestus gets into this little speech about how he will do anything for her since she saved his life, page 480 lines 460-480, it seems as if their might be a conspiracy behind Thetis's actions. Thetis is played as a caring motherly role, but how is she able to get what she wants so easily? It may be from her harmless disposition as a female role that she is able to do so. It wouldn't be as noticeable if it wasn't for the fact that Thetis has done this before. The time when Achilles came crying to her, she was able to convince the all-powerful, head of Olympus, highest ruling god, to do what she wanted. And how? By one of those, "You owe me." So does Thetis actually have a plan, or is she acting impulsively or without motivation. It seems the female characters tend to have these situations where the end up surpassing the male figure. Like Zeus and Hera, she uses her gender to seduce Zeus and then she uses their marriage to lie about seducing Zeus. So from this passage, it seems the female roles are not acting on chance, that they seem to be very witty and deceptive. To watch them as they continue in the book, suspicion rises about what they are actually thinking.

Homer's Views On War Through Similes

2010-02-07T14:03:00.006-05:00

I believe that if we look at many of the similes in the Iliad and pay close attention to much of the dialogue, we are given insight on Homer's opinions about war. From looking at these, I think that Homer does not like war and gives it a negative connotation in his book. An example of this is through one of the similes that we read in our most recent reading. Homer states, "Like a bearded lion whose pride of cubs a deer-hunter has snatched away, out of some thick woods, and back he comes, too late, and his heart breaks but he courses after the hunter, hot on his tracks down glen on twisting glen-where can he find him?- gripped by piercing rage...So Achilles groaned, deeply, crying out to his Myrmidons..." (18.369). This simile is equating something happening in the actual war to something gruesome in nature, a war in nature if you will. Homer does this often; he uses similes to represent the wars of everyday natural life, and equates these gruesome events to the war at hand. I think that in doing this, he is saying that war is gruesome, and it is like all of the bad things that happen in the natural world. Homer shows us that everything bad and brutal in our lives is some branch of war.

Trust in Zeus

2010-02-07T10:45:00.003-05:00

Throughout the first half of the Iliad it is clear that the characters place a lot of trust in Zeus and even when it might be known that Zeus is altering the outcome of something, no one flat out blames Zeus. If the characters have bad thoughts or feelings towards Zeus, they are kept to themselves. Although, as the story goes on, it seems as if characters are almost getting fed up with all of Zeus's power and there thoughts on him begin to change. We see the first signs of Zeus being blamed in book 11 when it was stated, "And all were blaming Zeus with his storming dark clouds, because the Father had decreed to hand the Trojans glory." This passage blatantly shows how people are getting irritated with the amount of influence Zeus can have over the outcome of the war, especially when it is not in their favor. Once again, in book 15, Zeus gets very involved in a particular battle between Teucer and Hector and he "tore the glory right from Teucer's grasp." Right after that, Hector even calls Zeus out on getting so involved and then goes on to talk about how Zeus tends to give very unfair aid. I find it really interesting how characters views on Zeus are always changing and how he almost seems to alter a bit with every book. I feel like as the battle goes on, characters feel as if they just want the fighting to be done with and dont want the gods to continuously get involved and start yet another conflict.

Dolon, the Cowering Idiot

2010-02-07T10:37:00.002-05:00

Because Homer was on the Greek side of the war, the Iliad has a very anti-Trojan bias. Homer accentuates the flaws of the Trojans in as many ways as possible. He dwells on their lack of reason for war, and other less than amiable qualities. He also reminds that the reason for their downfall is because of the broken truce, and their lack of honesty and adherence to the "rules" of war. One character that may or may not have been imagined by Homer, and even if he was not, it is most certain that his character was strongly enhanced to make him appear unfavorably. Dolon captures all of the negative qualities, of which Homer attempts to portray of the Trojans. First, Dolon shows himself to be egotistical and boastful when Hector is searching for a spy. He says, " "I'll infiltrate their entire army, I will, all the way till I reach the ship of Agamemnon! That's where the captains must be mapping tactics now, whether they'll beak and run or stand and fight." How he bragged..." (10: 378). He also exhibits greed in this passage when he agrees to go on Hector's offer of a "princely gift" (10:356). He then commits more acts of falsehood by attempting to spy on the Argive armies. This is something that Homer attempts to portray as pure evil, (and punishable by death), and something that the Argives would never do. Then he shows that he is a coward when he is captured by Odysseus and Diomedes, "He burst into tears, pleading, "Take me alive! I'll ransom myself! Treasures cram our house, bronze and gold and plenty of well-wrought iron- father would give you anything, gladly, priceless ransom- if only he learns I'm still alive in Argive ships!" " (10:441). He then shows his disloyalty to the Trojans by telling them everything they want to know if they might spare him. But it is of no use; he is killed anyway. Homer gladly proves that those that are dishonorable are fated to die- like Dolon did, and the rest of the Trojans will.

Ajax: One of the most intriging characters in the Iliad

2010-02-06T09:31:00.003-05:00

Throughout the Iliad I have been following the character Ajax. I started following him because the professor who came to speak to our class told us he was an interesting character, so I figured I might as well keep an eye out for what Ajax is doing. This has not been difficult. Ajax is a tremendous character who apears many times throughout the Iliad. Ajax is selfless, honest, brave and a cunning warrior. In book 9 when they were trying to persuade Achilles to take up arms and fight, Ajax realizes that their efforts are futile. Ajax states, "There's no achieving our mission here, I see, not with this approach. Best to return at once, give the Achaenas a full report, defeating as it is" (9: 360). This shows that Ajax is very brave. Achilles is the most feared warrior in the world, but Ajax tells Achilles how he truly feels because Achilles is being selfish and unreasonalbe. No other soldiers would have said this to Achilles. Ajax is also very skilled in battle. In book 7, Ajax is battling the most powerful Trojan, Hector. Ajax is beating Hector and the narrator states, "And Hector's fine knees buckled, flat on his back he went, his shield crushing down on him swept him off his feet" (7: 312). Hector is very poweful, but Ajax puts him on his back. Interestingly, Ajax lets him live because Hector injects that the sun is setting so they must continue the battle later. Ajax does not seem to mind. It seems that

Ajax knows he is skilled enough to defeat Hector again. This situation also shows Ajax's honor. It is true that once the sun has set one is not supposed to fight. Ajax followed the rules of war and let Hector live. The other soldiers even acknowledge the fact that Ajax is a great warrior. Patroclus states, "Ajax, Ajax! Come, now thrill to fight as before, brave among the brave." (16: 650). Obviously, Ajax is thought to be the very best there is.

Ajax is an interesting character in the Iliad. He has great honor, dignity, is a great warrior, and is one of the most valuable members of the Greek army. Without Ajax within the Greek ranks, the Trojans would have destroyed them much easier.