Summary
Summary The Iliad - characterization and themes
Notes on the key themes in the Iliad with examples - concept & behaviour of a hero, life in Troy & the Greek camp, portrayal of war, death & mortality, menis and reconciliation
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The heroic world – characterization and themesWhat makes a Homeric hero
- Must be of noble birth – heroes often referred to using a patronymic (name of father given
with/instead of name of character – son of Peleus for Achilles)
Some heroes have a divine parent – Sarpedon is son of Zeus
- Must be mortal – because they can lose their life it is the ultimate opportunity to prove their glory
- Attract the attention of the immortals – gods support only heroes
Help from an immortal is not a sign of weakness – evidence of divine patronage and heroic status
Both sides have divine assistance
Immortals even look after the bodies of those they support
Some heroes are persecuted by immortals – Hera and Athena determined to destroy hector &
troy
- Have epithets that reflect their heroic qualities – ‘swift-footed Achilles’ ‘hector of the glinting helmet’
- Fighting is an obligation to one’s family ancestors and community – heroes represent their homeland
Matter of honour for homeland that they should return as heroes
Heroism of ancestors enhances a hero’s pedigree – Odysseus wars a boar tusk helmet that has a
long provenance
o Appears to take on some of glory from previous owners when wearing it
- Heroes fight for their own glory as individuals – Achilles is there to win himself kleos (hero’s fame &
reputation)
Heroes often fight in duels against people who have wronged them – Menelaus fights Paris
They are never seriously wounded – would prevent them from pursuing kleos
If they die they usually have enough time to make a speech – Sarpedon
- Should be courageous
- Look impressive – huge of stature and strength
Sarpedon – likened to an oak tree being felled when he dies
Imposing appearance particularly evident when being armed before battle
Armour is a reflection of greatness – Achilles’ armour is made by Hephaestus, only he can lift his
spear, his horses are immortal
- Ferocious when they fight – anima, imagery often used (lions, bulls, boars, hunting dogs)
Fight with equal determination in sporting contests – respect opponents but winning & getting
reward is the objective
- Formula is often followed when hero enters battle
Hero puts armour on – each piece is described
Hero fights valiantly – kills a number of named individuals
Panic amongst enemy
Hero calls upon gods – sometimes swears an oath
May be a duel with prominent member of the enemy
Hero makes a speech of triumph over enemy
Spoils taken – particular reference to opponent’s armour
- Often skilled with words – appealing to public opinion and gaining support enhances their reputation
Main weapon of odysseys in his pursuit of glory
Using words to frighten an opponent before battle & mocking them is acceptable
- Self-control – limits to which a hero should observe
Patroclus exceeds his brief – not destined to kill hector and take troy and seems presumptuous for
trying
Achilles loses all restraint in his determination to avenge the death of Patroclus
- Honour amongst heroes – agreement that the dead hero’s body will be returned to his family for
burial
Achilles explicitly says he excuses himself from that custom
, Heroes abide by laws of Zeus – xenia (guest friendship – agreement between host and guest
where a host looks after and respects the guest and the guest respects the host) can override
killing in battle
o Diomedes and glaucus
- Maintain civilised behaviour – communal eating as a mark of civilisation (associated with gods and
sacrifice)
Achilles having a meal with Priam – sign of his return to civilised behaviour after the anger which
had led him to inhuman action
- Showing emotions is heroic – the greater the hero the greater the capacity for feeling powerful
emotions
Achilles not diminished by extreme grief at death of Patroclus
Timē
- Timē – honour
- Hero will measure their status through the number and value of gifts he receives
To a Homeric hero gifts were a tangible measure of the honour owed to them
- Agamemnon as commander-in-chief gets first pick
Being forced to return Chryseis is a blow to his public honour
Causes the wrath of Achilles by inflicting the same public humiliation – taking Briseis
- B23 – public honour and valuable prizes are the goals of the competitors
Different attitudes to in b1 – Antilochus and Menelaus are willing to give up their prizes &
Odysseus and ajax accept the decision of a draw
- Achilles’ own timē is o his mind even though he is not prepared to fight
- A hero who feels belittled/that their reputation is being questioned will act derisively to retrieve their
honour since public honour is so crucial
Kleos
- Kleos – glory
- Without kleos a heroic status is impossible
- Performing deeds that will earn kleos is something that a hero will have a conscious aim of
- Fame is important – with great fame comes immortality
Achilles choses a short famed life over a longer life lived in obscurity
Life in troy
- View of physical appearance of troy is limited – homer more intent on portraying the families and
state of mind of those who inhabit it
- Trojan heroes have same values as the Greeks and worship the same gods
- Trojan allies – likened to ewes in a rich man’s farm waiting to be milked and bleating
Ewes of simile bleat incessantly because they can hear their lambs – reflecting the vulnerability of
women and children who the men are trying to protect
- Dolon says that the allies sleep without watchmen since they have no families to protect
- City walls – represent the only thing between life in the city and the Greeks
Only thing between life and death
Walls are high – serve as a vantage point
- Going into walls – synonymous of getting the latest news
- Walls feature in dramatic death scenes – fighting takes place outside the gates
Patroclus killed by hector in b16
Similar scene in b22 when hector is killed
- Walls feature in b24 – Cassandra sees Priam approaching with hector’s body
- Homer presenting a picture of domesticity within the walls – imminent destruction more shocking if
life continues with a daily routine
- Not much said about the trojan men – either heroes or part of the indiscriminate hordes
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