The Iliad of Homer

1004 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism of Homer the Odyssey

The Iliad of Homer
Honor is something men and women have fought for century after century. Even now, thousands of American and British men are fighting in Iraq, near to where the Trojan War was to have taken place. These men fight for the greater good. They fight for those in Iraq who are unable to fight for or otherwise defend themselves. They fight for honor. The characters in the Iliad are motivated by their own form of honor, or arete, known similarly as the Homeric Code. And it is because of this code that the Trojan War began. The characters in this story are shown to possess arete, but some have different ideas as to how vastly and to what rate it should be respected. And because of this, many a man’s honor is disturbed.
The Homeric Code can be defined as “unwritten rules that guide the conduct of the Homeric Heroes.” For the Homeric Heroes, success means survival and greater honor; failure means death and removal from the struggle for honor. What the Heroic code means is that honor is more important than life itself. It is obvious throughout the books that the characters of high honor are the ones that ignore warnings to stay away from danger, battles, and the like. Courage, physical abilities, and social status are also important contributions to the Homeric code. To truly understand this code and the true dedication to it as told by Homer, means becoming accustom to the values kept by those in this story.
...

Show More
Related

  • 3 Reasons Why Thomas Was Put In The Maze

    268 Words  | 1 Pages

    I think that Thomas was put in the maze because he is smart, curious, and outgoing. Here are my three reasons why I think that:

    Read More

  • Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

    1529 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...tactile ruptures of his memory. Oskar gave Thomas a purpose to being alive, and though he can never fully recover from the past recollection of his traumas, he can keep living, keep thinking, and continue to survive.

    Read More

  • Homer’s The Odyssey

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    In book eight of Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is on the island of the Phaeacians and is waiting to return home to Ithaca. Meanwhile, Alcinous, the Phaeacian king, has arranged for a feast and celebration of games in honor of Odysseus, who has not yet revealed his true identity. During the feast, a blind bard named Demodocus sings about the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. The song causes Odysseus to start weeping, so Alcinous ends the feast and orders the games to begin. During dinner after the games, Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing about the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy. This song too causes Odysseus to break down and cry. Homer uses a dramatic simile to describe the pain and sorrow that Odysseus feels as he recalls the story of Troy.

    Read More

  • Homeric Hero: Honor, Glory, and Immortality

    448 Words  | 1 Pages

    The World of Homer is home to many ideals and values, primely, the idea of the Hero and what makes one a Hero. A Hero of Homeric society places personal honor above all else, including one’s home, kin, and life itself. The Hero’s reputation meant everything, and if he was insulted or had his honor called into question, he would defend it to his death. Moreover, The Hero amassed glory though the most honorable act of Homer’s World, which was battle. Engaging in combat and putting one’s life on the line was not only considered a duty, but was the only possible way to bring about such great glory and fame that one could achieve a form of immortality. Additionally, The Homeric Hero’s honor code held the notion of respect and justice very high,

    Read More

  • Family Dynamics in Homer's Iliad

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Iliad is not only a story of war, but a story of relationships and family connections through respect and honor. Sons don’t seem to question their duties to their family. They go to battle and fight until the end, maybe even until their death. They do not search for love from their fathers, but for the respect and desire to follow just as their fathers did, to be dignified warriors and proud of their ancestral accomplishments.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion Thomas is portrayed as a heroic, caring and compassionate character. Thomas proves he is heroic when he risked his life to save both Minho and Alby. He also proves to be caring when it comes to his young friend, Chuck, by acting as a brotherly figure. Minho is portrayed as a brave and intelligent character throughout the novel. Minho can be seen as intelligent when he deceived the entire council of Gladers into agreeing to make Thomas a runner. He is also perceived as a brave character when he ran toward the cluster of grievers, risking his life so he can figure out where their camp is.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner Quote Analysis

    313 Words  | 1 Pages

    of Thomas's friends and Thomas have the virus but they much go through the scorch trials to

    Read More

  • Honor in the Iliad and Antigone

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...

    Read More

  • Hubris the Curse in Ancient Greece

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the birth of early Greece each city-state had a distinctive style a rather religious, social, and political viewpoint. Homer is considered the earliest example of a writer, whether or not he composed the Iliad and the Odyssey, as a whole remains a question to many scholars. Honor and glory remained as the most prevalent ideas during the time period. It was a moment in history in which honor defined a man and glory allowed for success. A glorious man was one like “Hector” heir to throne of the city of Troy. He was a man that fought his opponent with every inch of strength and willingness to protect his city. Hector is a true hero, and when he dies fighting for his city against the mighty Achilles; he sets the standards of what defines a hero.

    Read More

  • Religion and Ethics in Homer’s Iliad

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    Homer clearly and precisely depicts the religion and the ethics of the Achian and Trojan societies in The Iliad. During the time of the Trojan war, religion played an important role in the societies. Sacrifice, prayer, and rituals were all equally significant, and the superiority of the gods and the fates above humans was a standard of society. The gods were sacred deities to whom one had to bestow honor and respect. Within the society, honor, glory, and fame were desperately sought by warriors striving to achieve enduring notoriety. One's word represented a considerable commitment to be acted upon. Religion and ethics are prominently displayed in the characters throughout The Iliad due to their importance in Greek and Trojan society.

    Read More

  • The Whitechapel Murders

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas hatched a plan. He wanted to make the squad more successful so he could find the Whitechapel murderer and kill him; reaping the fame and making a name for himself. He wrote a letter which he titled From Hell to George. Thomas attached the kidney he took from Catherine onto the letter to make it more convincing. Upon receiving the letter, George not wanting to properly investigate it so, he denounced it as a fake. Thomas knew matters should be taken into his own hands he needed to track down the killer himself...

    Read More

  • How To Write An Essay On The Scorch Trials

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    The major characters in the novel are Thomas, Newt, Teresa, and Minho. James Dashner doesn’t describe Thomas in the novel, he lets the readers decide

    Read More

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Rhyme Scheme

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas uses very specific language to build feeling and connection to all that is good. He uses

    Read More

  • The Iliad and the Odyssey

    1521 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the Odyssey are through two major gods and they affect the plot as Poseidon versus Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus.

    Read More

  • The Iliad

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first existential theme in The Iliad is Akhilleus’ conflict between options. In book nine of The Iliad, Akhilleus confronts options that will ultimately decide his future. He states:

    Read More

More about The Iliad of Homer

Open Document