Examples Of Propriety In The Iliad

After finishing reading the Iliad, a few themes emerged. Primarily, that of honour and propriety in battle and furthermore, divine intervention.

In brief, the Iliad follows the battle between Troy and Achaea, commonly known as the Trojan War. It begins by introducing Achilles having a conflict with Agamemnon, which leads to Achilles quitting the army, and refusing to fight for Achaea. He flees to his mother, who, despite her opposition, requests Zeus to make the Achaeans suffer during war, to show them they needed Achilles. What follows is a very evenly-divided battle which lasts a while, concluding with Hector’s death and proper burial. In between, each side receives much help and blessing from different various gods, create plans to advance

This is portrayed on several occasions, from the codes of conduct silently followed (and outwardly acknowledged at times), to trading items out of respect to your opponent. Firstly, it is evident there is a certain set of rules which all the soldiers abide to. No matter what side one fights for, or who is winning, each person recognizes these rules and consider breaking them dishonourable. For example, during the individual battles, such as that between Menelaus and Paris, none of the soldiers intervened- this wasn’t due to cruelty, but rather the respect to the fact that the two men must fight each other themselves. Moreover, following one-on-one battles, items out of regard are exchanged, such as between Hector and Ajax, who trade a sword for a girdle. Another aspect highlighted by the Iliad was the necessity for proper burials and honouring the dead. Whenever any soldier died, each side ensured to preserve the body so they can receive a proper burial. In fact, a key element of conflict at the end was Achilles’s extremity in that he was unwilling to return Hector’s body to Priam, his father. Ultimately he did, however, the fact that Hector initially wasn’t able to have a proper burial was considered a great