The Anti-War Iliad

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While reading the Iliad, there were several instances, I noticed, in which Homer, the author, chose to word certain ideas and events in a very specific way. Throughout the poem, my belief that this way of storytelling was not just coincidental only grew stronger. Homer was trying to tell us something. War is not something to be glorified and should not be approved of by anyone.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many verses that prove this poem is anti-war. The most obvious of these are the ones in which Homer talks about the death of a soldier. Firstly, he usually describes their ends very graphically. A reader could easily imagine all of the blood and guts that he mentions. Secondly, Homer virtually always gives more than a brief eulogy of the recently deceased warrior. He talks about who they were related to and who their parents were. He also uses many adjectives to describe these people, as well. Many readers might think that these are excess, unnecessary pieces in the poem. What readers may not realize is that this is Homer’s attempt to humanize these warriors. This is a poem about war. Therefore, it is hard to see these soldiers as living, breathing human beings. Instead, hearers might often see them as one thing only, as killing machines. By softening the image of these men and giving them a family and loved ones, we can see that Homer is really making an effort to declare that war takes these precious things away from us. There are several mentions of family members and friends crying for a lost one, especially in the events of Hector and Patroclus’ deaths. Never again will these men see the relatives described ever so carefully at their death. All war does, in Homer’s opinion, is takes away the priceless gift of life.
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...y-hungry killers. Once they realize it, it is already too late and impossible to change back and want something more than arête, and we only get a quick glimpse of their humanity when their loved ones die. Although they will always mourn their lost one, Homer shows us that war turns their grief into hardness and brutality.
Homer’s overall idea of war is clearly to avoid it altogether. It only brings ruin and grief. There is nothing more important than friends and family, even if the characters try their hardest to make it seem as though arête is more impressive. When it comes down to it, they care more about their loved ones staying alive than anything. In Homer’s depiction, there is no point to life if it does not include those who you want to live it with. War only hardens the souls of those involved through death and anger. This is why Homer’s Iliad is anti-war.

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