My face drips with sweat while riding the chariot across the velvet-colored muddy dirt. My heart was pounding quickly and constantly, almost jumping out of my chest. With the swing of my blade, my opponent drops to his knees, eyes rolling back. One Trojan slaughtered, many more Trojans to kill. This isn’t the end; this is far from the end. It’s time I prove myself to Akhilleus, breaker of men; it’s time I show him that I am worthy of wearing his armor. The only blood to touch this armor is the blood of Trojan soldiers and the brave men that fight beside me. With the swing of my sword, I slice the throat of another tired soldier. His eyes thanked me for dismissing him from the prolonging war. Next, my blade meets Pronoos’ chest, skimming past his shield; he crashes against the cold ground. Now sleep will comfort him, for sleep is the cousin of death. My time will come to meet with death, but not until I’ve finished what I came for! A smile unravels across my face while my chest continues to pound; the taste of blood is still fresh in the air. Meeting with Enop’s son, Thestor, a shaken boy, I quickly end his horror and agony. With a clean jab of my spearhead, his world was no more. One by one, more men met their fates by my hands; never hesitating until I’ve lost count. But why must Sarpedon, the grandson of Bellerophon seek me? He has underestimated me in his action to seek me, and therefore, will also meet his fate. I jump off my moving chariot screaming until my head has nearly burst. Oh Thrasydemos, I once believed that you were tough, yet you fall so quickly with my blade’s piercing to your underbelly. Sarpedon, king of Lycia, why must you be a drunken fool of the court!? Why the son of Zeus and Laodamia is merely flinging his... ... middle of paper ... ...the ground beneath my feet were no longer in balance. But I have come too far to retreat! I falter and suddenly the armor starts weighing my entire body down as I unsuccessfully gasped for air. I am now the game and the hunters are cornering me. My throbbing ears exploded with a continuous drumming sound. I pray for Athena’s assistance as I retreat with a panic. Hektor lunged at me with great force, knocking my entire body limp. My body is no longer responding back to my mind. My mind is yelling, almost begging to fight back and defend myself as Hektor stood above my body, glorifying over his weak moves. The words from his mouth jeered at me, why must he continue to curse me as I die? With all the air left within my lungs, I proudly reply, pronouncing that my death will eventually lead to his future death. The world turns black as I spoke and the light was gone.
In this paper, I will argue that although the surface meaning of this passage is the slaughter of the suitors by Odysseus and his men, the deeper meaning of the passage is the
“Hector far in the lead, bristling in all his force like a hound that harris a wild boar or lion- hot pursuit, snapping quick at his heels, hindquarters and flanks but still on alert” (8.384-387) gives a sense of alarm and urgency to the scene. The ferociousness of Hector is compared to that of a predator and symbolizes the fact that, like a predator, nothing can stop it from destroying its prey. Pathos is invoked towards Hector’s victims and towards the overall carnage of the Trojan
“THUD!” I woke up with a big jump. My Greek mythology book was lying on the ground. The next day, my class was having a test on the Trojan war. Of course I had procrastinated and left the studying for the day before the test. My mom then called me up from the basement to eat breakfast, when I saw a shiny object hidden under some dirt. I dug it up and that’s where my story begins.
In the book The Trojan War, by Bernard Evslin, Ulysses and Agamemnon both contribute to the Greek’s victory. Many considered Ulysses to be the real brains behind the Greek forces. Although Agamemnon was the leader of the Greeks, many would say he was not a good one. Even though Agamemnon did some good deeds during the war, many of his actions caused problems, and Ulysses often had to come to his rescue.
Many battles within the war have been fought over the bodies of dead allies. Perhaps most notably, Achilles is brought back into battle when he hears of Patroclus’ death. For a long time, many of the Greeks’ most powerful fighters battled over protecting and retrieving Patroclus’ body. These actions are paralleled when Hector’s body is being held captive by Achilles, and, out of desperation, Priam travels to the Greek camp and begs for the body of his son. Both Achilles and Priam are willing to do anything to retrieve and honour the bodies of their beloved dead—including risking their lives. Dying for those who are already dead may seem meaningless, but Homer may be suggesting that seeking justice for the those close to us and honouring our dead is superior to standing by. The repetition of these instances solidifying the importance of honouring the dead, and even jeopardizing our lives to do so. In addition to honouring the bodies of fallen allies, we see that the living are equally desperate to ensure honourable treatment of their
The Iliad, in that it is more about the Greek hero Achilles than any other particular person, portrays the Achaean in surprisingly shocking light at times throughout the story. In his encounter with Lycaon, who had previously been taken prisoner by Achilles long ago, Achilles demonstrates the extents to which his warlike demeanor can go. Yet it is equally surprising that he is capable of impressive compassion, as is depicted elsewhere in the Iliad. What seems to be an almost unbelievable fluctuation in attitude and mood is far from unexplained or contradictory, however. In fact, there is a well-defined regularity in Achilles' actions and demeanors, to the point of being capable of systematic classification. Achilles is not a loose cannon or an unpredictable firebrand. The method to his madness can be applied to his encounter with Lycaon as it can with any of his episodes in the Iliad.
The first part of a trilogy, in Agamemnon a cyclical path of retributive justice is set in motion. * As his characters move through the play, the plot to murder Agamemnon is discussed, both as an evil and as a justified act. To Clytemnestra, her actions are decided on the day her daughter is sacrificed by her husband. “…the death he dealt/our house and the offspring of out loins,/Iphigeneia, girl of tears./Act for act, wound for wound!”Just as Agamemnon’s choice to sacrifice his daughter is forced on him by a perception of the gods’ desires, Clytemnestra feels she is driven to her actions by a “savage ancient spirit of revenge.” Her co-conspirator, Aegisthus, is claiming retribution for wrongs that were per...
The story of the Iliad portrays a vial battle between the Greeks and Trojans that has been ongoing for over 9 years. The Greeks ultimately triumph in the war, but not without bloody conflict with the Trojans. The Greeks and Trojans each have positive characteristics that bolster their glory throughout the Iliad and lead to a tense fight between the two sides. Unfortunately, their emotions overpower them and hinder their beneficial traits. The emotional struggle that both sides confront throughout the story constructs contrasting personalities and clashing ideals in battle. The Greeks and Trojans each display positive characteristics, such as the Greeks being strategic, and the Trojans being
It was cold outside, where a man lay. This man lay here because he had no home. His name was Chryosis. Dishonored by his family, dishonored by his friends. Dishonored, he claimed, by the Gods of Olympus themselves. He slept outside of a rich man’s house, for the man didn't care for his well being. He didn't know the man's name, nor did he care. He just needed money. So young, Chryosis was, when he his family left him, when his friends ignored him and now, for many years, He has been working for the rich man, whom he hated and, once again, didn't bother to remember the name of. So he stayed against the dying tree, where he would soon die also, or so he thought…
The driving force toward facing their enemies is ignited by anger. On learning the death of Patroclus, Achilles is mad with grief and vows to take revenge on Hector (Jonathan, pp 56). When Achilles slays Hector he does it with anger; Hector pleads with Achilles to return his body for a proper buri...
Throughout the Iliad the warriors' dream of peace is projected over and over again in elaborate similes developed against a background of violence and death. Homer is able to balance the celebration of war's tragic, heroic values with scenes of battle and those creative values of civilized life that war destroys. The shield of Achilles symbolically represents the two poles of human condition, war and peace, with their corresponding aspects of human nature, the destructive and creative, which are implicit in every situation and statement of the poem and are put before us in something approaching abstract form; its emblem is an image of human life as a whole.
"The Iliad is a poem that celebrates the heroic values war imposes on its votaries (27)." Homer himself describes war as "bringing glory to man." War is a huge part of both the Achaeans and the Trojans' lives. Characters gain glory through their performances and bravery in battle. Furthermore, Homer persuades the reader that war is the glorious way to settle a dispute. For example, Hector and other Trojans scorn Paris for backing down from Menelaus. On the other hand, Achilles acquires glory by deferring the option of a long, peaceful life in order to fight and become an epic hero. The characters in The Iliad value honor and glory to such a degree that they are willing to give up life itself in order to possess it.
Victories in battle gained the Homeric hero honour in the eyes of their fellow aristoi; however, this was not enough to exhibit their triumphs. ‘… [T]here appears to be a close equation between honour… and the possession of a ‘prize’… ’ (Block 1, p. 50), as success in battle could be forgot, the heroes materialised these victories within the prizes taken as the spoils of war. These prizes provided a lasting symbol of their achievements; therefore, their importance was immense. We see this importance demonstrated in the way Agamemnon is determined to retain Chryseis, his ‘trophy’, saying to her father, ‘The girl I will not give back…’ (Iliad, 1.29). She is the embodiment of his honour, manifested in the flesh. When forced to give her back to her father, Agamemnon’s symbol of honour is gone and his pride is wounded. This dishonour may even jeopardise his position as leader of the Greek army and explains why he demands another man’s ‘prize’.
• In the first choral ode the chorus establishes it’s identity within the play, provides a time lapse to allow the watchman to inform Clytaemnestra of the news of the fall of Troy and directs the audience by informing them that it has been ten years since Agamemnon set out for Troy. The reason for this war is Paris’s betrayal of the laws of hospitality by stealing Helen from Menelaus.
Unlike those that dwell in Olympus, the mortals demonstrate the immense significance of their loved ones. The Trojans and Greeks would do anything to protect their families, including go to war and suffer innumerable losses. As aggressive and heartless as the warriors seem on the battlefield, their softer sides are revealed when thei...