2. The Iliad: Wallace Gray
The subject of the epic seems to be the
Trojan War
Indeed, it is among the first pieces in the
genre of War Literature
Much of the action surrounds battle and
the psychology of war (fear, sorrow,
courage, Adrenaline)
3. The Iliad: Wallace Gray
Gray’s argument
The epic is not about war, but rather about
the Hellenic Heroic Code and
The Greek hero, Achilles
Moreover, the work is actually a
representation of the effects of war on men
and women.
Homer’s message, Gray believes: “War
brutalizes men and women, wounds their
bodies and minds, enslaves and kills them.”
4. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
A closer look, then, at the Gray’s definition
of the Greek Heroic Code:
A hero is one who willingly and eagerly
confronts death. Three Greek words
embody the heroic code:
Áristos
Aretē
Aristeía
5. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Áristos: being the best at whatever is
called for by the situation (in wartime,
killing, in peacetime, husbandry…)
Achilles slays Penthesile.
6. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Aretē: merit. It can only be bestowed by
others, not by oneself.
Priam Asking Achilles
to Return Hector's
Body. Alexander
Ivanov, 1824. The
Tretyakov Gallery,
Moscow.
7. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Aristeía: exploits which gain for the warrior
the prestige of having comrades consider
him possessed of aretē (merit)
Anger of Achilles
8. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
A final note on the Greek Mindset:
What the world thinks of you is far more
important than what you think of yourself
(indeed it is what you think of yourself)
Moreover, fame and glory (kléos) can only
be achieved through action.
9. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Achilles and Áristos:
Effectively, there exists no other
character within The Iliad who is the
physical match for Achilles, and none
can speak of the "joy of battle . . ." so
convincingly (Homer 19.168).
10. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Achilles and Aretē:
Achilles' prowess, in fact, is greater than
anyone else’s in the conflict. This forces the
Trojan hero Hektor, a hero himself, to
declare to Achilles, "I am far from being a
match for you" (Homer 20.449-500).
Summarizing the view of the gods, Zeus
declares "Suppose Achilles takes the Trojans
on / alone: not for a minute will they hold
him . . ." (Homer 20.30-31).
11. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
Achilles and Aristeía:
Typical scenes attributed to Achilles
include. "Prince Achilles struck his head /
square in the middle, and it split in two";
"Achilles / killed a second man . . . He hit
him on the temple through the helmet /
fitted with bronze cheek-pieces, and the
metal / could not hold . . ."; and, "Next he
took on Laogonos and Daradanos, / . . .
[he] forced them from their chariot / one
with a spear-cast, one slashed by the
sword" (Homer 20.438-532).
12. The Iliad: The Greek Heroic
Code
TheGreek Heroic code, as Gray illustrates,
shows us a way to understand Achilles’s
withdrawal from battle:
Briseis is not just a woman; she is a symbol of
his Áristos (literally she is Aretē for she has
been given to him)
Her removal robs Achilles of Aretē, making
his Aristeía (or exploits) meaningless
Only her return, plus “damages,” can make
him whole
13. The Iliad: Modern Views
Modern view of this code:
“Show me the money!”
Athletes and money
Stock options
CEOs
The Award Show
Actors and awards
The GPA
Students
In all of these instances, the award, money, listing all indicate
the merit being bestowed upon by others as a result of the
exploits—right?
Moreover, all work in this system precisely because it is the
system.
