Examples Of Greed In The Iliad

Greed and Folly in the Iliad

In the Iliad by Homer human folly is rampant, beginning with Agamemnon the Greek king and commander, who thoughtlessly insults Achilles, fails to apologize and then abruptly decides to test the courage of his army. After announcing the end of the fighting the king is surprised that the troops are eager to flock back to the ships. The muster of the Greek cause seems lost. Until Thersites steps forth. Thersites is a mysterious character that not even Homer knows. Thersites is the single speaker in the Iliad that is not identified by place of origin or rank. He is reputedly the most unattractive man in Troy. Thersites is described by his sheer repulsiveness. So it is doubly shocking when this shunned man publicly

berates Agamemnon for his greed and lust. But it is not only the humans in the Iliad that have character flaws.
In the Iliad the gods intrude on mortal problems in two ways.

The first way is that they act as an external strength in events involving humans, such as when Apollo sends a plague down on the Achaean army. Secondly, the gods also act as an internal force; for example Athena, the goddess in control of wisdom, holds Achilles back from attacking Agamemnon with a sword and convinces him to cut him with words and insults instead. Both of these obstructions were the gods’ direct influence on the mortal world. While the gods provide an important function in helping determine human matters of life, death peace and violence they also provide a sense of comic relief in the Iliad. Their squabbles, double dealings and inane arguments seem incredibly petty compared to the mass slaughter that is sweeping the mortal realm. I believe that Homer used the strife between Zeus and Hera as a divine [parallel to the enraged argument of Achilles and

Agamemnon.
Indeed, in their yielding to base appetites and petty grudges the gods often show that they are just as susceptible to human folly as the human characters. Zeus only agrees to help the Trojans because he owes Thetis a favor not because of any actual moral consideration. Furthermore, the hesitation he shows in making the promise is not because of his desire to not get involved in fate but out of concern of annoying his wife. It turns out to be a valid concern because Hera does get angry and the only way Zeus is able to quiet her is by threatening to strangle her. The instances of hurt feelings and strife within the domestic household aid in portraying the divine in the Iliad as a bit more human and relatable to mortal struggle.
While the gods were battling with their own follies the Greek army was engaging in its’ own battles of greed among its ranks.

Patroclus, best friend of Achilles, is an excellent example of greed leading to destruction, a common theme in the Iliad. Achilles was unwilling to lead his men, the Myrmidons, to battle. He wanted to punish Agamemnon for taking his war prize Briesis. However, Patroclus was more than willing to lead Achilles men into battle. Wearing Achilles armor made him appear to be the fierce warrior and this ruse was used in hopes of scaring the Trojans into retreat. Achilles ordered Patroclus to return to the ships after the battle but drunk with power Patroclus decided to push forward after his victory in pursuit of Hector. Apollo tried to intervene and thrice he warned Patroclus to back down but with Achilles brave men behind him Patroclus continued to pursue Hector. Patroclus unknowingly attacked Apollo after Apollo attempted one more time to stop Patroclus from almost interfering with Achilles fate. Patroclus, who was so engrossed in battle and reaching Hector, did not even realize it was a god he attacked even as Apollo landed the killing blow from

behind.
Patroclus was cocky and greedy. There are many characters in the Iliad that share these characters flaws, not even the gods are exempt from these erroneous characteristics. Human folly also ran rampant throughout the work. The Iliad does help highlight that succumbing to these character flaws will inevitably lead to the destruction of even the strongest warrior. It also shows that greed and folly are so fundamental that no one can completely resist, not even the divine.