Achilles: Emblazoned On The Sun

This simile compares Achilles to a star, associating him with heavenly, majestic, and even god-like characteristics. This makes sense considering his Olympian lineage, with Zeus as his father. It also distinguishes Achilles from other humans in the poem, “surging over the plain … far outshining the countless stars in the night sky” (22.31 - 34). Yet, while Achilles is “brightest of all” (22.34) with strength unmatched by any other human character in the poem, “a fatal sign emblazoned on the heavens” (22.35) determines his destiny. This line still associates Achilles with the heavens and gods, but this time connotes his impending fated downfall “emblazoned on the heavens” (22.35) - even Achilles himself cannot prevent it. While most of this passage refers to the heavens, Homer pulls the reader back to Earth when he writes “rears at harvest” (22.32).

This imagery reminds the reader that despite Achilles’ excellence, he is still mortal thus will succumb to a mortal fate. This is, in part, due to his rage. Earlier in the text, Homer uses fire as a simile to describe Achilles’ rage. This passage also includes verbs which conjure images of fire - like surging, flaming up, and blazing. These verbs remind the reader that although Achilles’ fate is to perish in battle, his rage is partly responsible for his downfall. This passage demonstrates the role of fate in Achilles’ life. While he comes from divine descent, Achilles himself is a mortal, and Zeus’ destiny for him is stronger than his own personal strength. Homer uses celestial imagery in Book 22 as the vehicle in his simile to emphasize Achilles’ divine lineage, but also his fate’s immovability. This Homeric simile contrasts Achilles with other characters in the poem and highlights both his strength and his