The Iliad Essay

The Iliad, by Homer
The Iliad written by Homer in the days of Ancient Greece has become one of the most epic poems
of all time. It is a poem that has been debated for centuries. Within the tale of Achilles and the wrath
of war lies a magnificent object that is shortly mentioned in Book 18. The brief section in Book
XVIII, lines 505–660, described the shield that Achilles would carry into battle. However, it also
tells us something about the nature of Achilles and his heroic image full of rage and anger. In order
to understand the significance of the Shield of Achilles, one must closely look within the different
layers of the shield itself. Each layer of the shield symbolizes apart of the story at large. Even though
its fragment within the poem is...show more content...
Another essential layer of the shield was the King's estate. Book XVIII describes the King's estate
as reapers working in the harvest field preparing for the delicious meal ahead. The image of a
vineyard loaded with grapes and as beautiful as gold creating this wealthy and pleasant environment.
Homer's idea of the King's estate closely resembles the representation of Agamemnon. Agamemnon
is described in the Iliad as the King of the Achaeans, while Achilles is the best warrior of the
Achaeans. Homer begins to foreshadow the fall of Troy in expresses this estates full of peace
and joy. The imagery that Homer expresses throughout The Iliad only becomes glorified when the
shield of Achilles is forged. Homer portrays the images on the shield as the story of Achilles as
well as foreshadowing the outcome at the end of The Iliad. The Iliad is known mainly for the
glorification of war as well as the rage of Achilles. The shield naturally not only symbolizes the rage
and passion for war shown through Achilles, but his ultimate downfall. While forging the shield,
Hephaestus wanted to help Achilles in seeking revenge for Patroclus death. Though, he knew that
just because he forged one of the greatest shields ever made doesn't been that it will spare his life.
Throughout a majority of The Iliad, we see this denial of salvation from the Gods interfering within
human existence. Hephaestus couldn't favor Achilles in sparing his
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Essay on The Iliad
The Iliad
Central to any study of the humanities is the human condition – our nature, which has historically
shown that it is equally capable of both good and evil deeds – and the problem that arises from it;
specifically, why do humans suffer? Many philosophies and religions have their own account for this
aspect of humanity, and we find that what the accounts have in common is each explains the human
condition in terms that are similar to how that institution of thought explains the true nature of reality.
Homer's The Iliad is an extravagant account of the Trojan War which describes many behavioral
similarities between the gods and people. The name of Book 14: "Hera Outflanks Zeus" epitomizes
the...show more content...
"...Apollo knocked the helmet off his head and under his horse's hooves it tumbled... / Disaster
seized him–his fine legs buckling–he stood there, senseless... / Hector... came rushing into him right
across the lines and rammed his spearshaft home, stabbing deep in the bowels..." (Homer, 438–439)
Patroclus' death is devastating to the Achaean armies' morale and, more central to the story, it further
disrupts Achilles' already unbalanced sophrosyne. The torment that Achilles endures here epitomizes
the human condition.
After reading Homer's text, we realize that while it contains fine poetic history it is in fact about
the human condition and how it affects people, Achilles primarily. The reality for people in the
world of The Iliad is that they live under many gods, and that they can not please all of them;
indeed, the gods are at odds with each other and to support one means to upset another. While the
ideal condition for the Greeks is to possess sophrosyne, in reality there are too many uncontrollable
external pressures to do so. Just as the gods who influence men are not harmonious, therefore, we
find this quality also in the explanation of the human condition for Greek cultures.
In the case of Christianity, we first consider how the human condition appears in The Book of Job,
an exemplary text in this instance which tells the story of Job, a pious, righteous man who is
relentlessly tormented by God. In several rounds of discussion

Iliad Essay
The Iliad and The Odyssey are two epic poems with both similar and different styles to the structure
of the poems, as well as each poem having the same gods incorporated into the stories intervening
with the day to day lives of the mortals.
Greek poetry before Homer was all composed orally; therefore it is assumed that Homer's works
are the first written works of art (Joachim Latacz, page 15). Scholars who have spent extensive time
researching the origin of Homer's work cannot verify a specific time the Iliad and the Odyssey were
written (Latacz, 24). Many who have tried, usually run into a dead end, but it seems most have came
to the conclusion that the poems were produced in the late eighteenth century (Latacz , 59).
There are several...show more content...
There are two obvious structure similarities in each of the stories. The first structure similarity is that
Homer made each of the poems twenty–four books long. The second similarity is that each story
begins with a short prologue.
Prevalent in each poem is the presence of gods. In both The Iliad and The Odyssey, gods are a
fixture within the stories and are shown congregating on Mount Olympus or in some way
interacting with the mortals. The gods are also showing favoritism and hatred in each the poems.
Favoritism by the gods is shown quite often in the Iliad. For example, in book two Zeus carries out
Thetis's wish to grant Achilles prayer to her. Zeus helps the Trojans in the battle by coming to
Agamemnon in a dream during book two and tricking him into attacking the city of Troy's walls in
a full on attack (The Iliad, 1–15). An example of pure hatred comes throughout the poem from
Athena who is consistently helping the Achaean forces in battle. In The Odyssey favoritism is less
noticeable throughout. Most all the gods during the poem want to see Odysseus return to Ithaca,
which is shown by their agreement to make Calypso release him from her island (The Odyssey,
31–180). The most noted of the gods helping Odysseus is Athena. She is very active in helping
Odysseus survive. Hatred in the Odyssey is shown by mainly one god throughout, Poseidon.
Throughout the poem he does all he can to delay Odysseus from returning to his

The Iliad Essay
Divine Intervention is a "direct and obvious intervention by a god or goddess in the affairs of
humans". In various myths such as the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and Herakles, divine
intervention was called upon in order to restrain a hero's destructive or too powerful forces. Although
the divine intervention was used to impair different heroes, the purpose to constrain was the same in
all the narratives.
Homer's The Iliad: Book XX features a battle between the Trojans and Achaians, shortly after
Patroklus' death (Lattimore Book XVI), where the gods must intervene in order to restrain
Achilleus' destructive nature that becomes amplified due to the grief and wrath as a result of the
loss of his cousin/lover. The divine foresaw an early...show more content...
It plays a main role in the beginning with the creation of Enkidu, the middle with Ishtar, and the end
with the destruction of Enkidu. The gods first intervene when Gilgamesh's subjects call for help to
them for the sake of the young women oppressed by the "lord's right". The Great Mother Goddess
creates Enkidu to stand up against Gilgmesh to stop his destructive nature that has terrorized his city
(Dalley 39–50). Gilgamesh domesticates Enkidu and they create a friendship which turns Gilgamesh
less destructive towards his citizens, thus limiting his destructive power and also focusing the
remaining towards monsters; but together they make some wrong choices and their destructive
natures are portrayed during the Cedar Forest incident and the killing of the bull of heaven (Dalley
83,102). For retribution of killing the bull that Ishtar had sent due to her rejection, Enkidu is
destroyed by the gods; warning Gilgamesh that he isn't exempt from this fate if he continues being
uncontrollable and tyrannical (Dalley 120–125).
Euripides' tragedy, Herakles, consistently portrays divine intervention as if it's a direct challenge
between a divine figure, Hera, and a hero, Herakles. Hera's hatred for Herakles stems from his
parentage, Alcmene and Zues (Hera's husband), making Herakles an offspring created by his
unfaithfulness towards her (Sleigh 12). Hera also dislikes the fact that he has godly

The Iliad Essay
The Iliad
The Iliad is the first written document, of anything. Never before the Iliad was the tool of writing
used to such an extent. The Iliad is a marvelous piece of work. Great in its fame and content, the
Iliad was used as the first historical text, philosophical writing, and storybook. Historians use it for
an account of an era. Philosophers use it as one of the basis of human thought. To children, it is a
wonderful story of battles between man and their gods. It is a writing of many uses. One such use of
the Iliad is that it is an illustration of humanity. It is an illustration that a man or womans life exists
with conflict. The Iliad illustrates that it is human nature to create and live with conflicts, whether by
...show more content...
The suppliant at the beginning of the book is such an example. Agamemnon affronted Chryses. He
could have by choice given up the woman Chryseis with no loss to his honor for the assembly
agreed to return her, but he chose not to. He may even be revered as wise if he had chose so. His
action eventually led to the suffering and deaths of his men for he had enraged Apollo. After having
lost Chryseis, Agamemnon, foolish as he was, chose to enrage Achilles by taking Briseis.
Agamemnon claimed that Ate had blinded him. Even if that was so, it was he took Achilles
woman, thus dishonored Achilles and brought about his wrath. This wrath led to Agamemnon and
the Achaean armys near total defeat at the hands of Hector in which an enormous amount of
Achaean lives was lost. Besides external conflict, man causes his own internal struggles as well.
In Book IX, Achilles was offered prizes to quench his anger and fight for the Achaeans once again.
He, in his speech, refused to accept. In that speech, he showed his internal turmoil in the matter. He
stated that he had two options: one, fate would endow him with a long, happy, peaceful, but
monotonous life if he returned home and forgot about Troy; or two, he could fight with all his
might for his fellow Achaeans but fate would then cut his life short. He felt despair for he can gain
no glory or honor in either choice. This is because even if he fought, he would not get his revenge on
Agamemnon. He

The Iliad Essay
The Iliad
The Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War, which lasted 10 years. The Grecians eventually won the
war, but the outcome could have very easily shifted due to a quarrel between King Agamemnon
and Achilles. Pride and anger is what the two men were fighting about. This story is a very good
example of how those two simple emotions can lead to tragedy.
Agamemnon was King of Argos. He was also the chief king among the Grecians. He was angry
because his brother, King Menelaus of Sparta, had his wife, Helen, stolen by Paris of Troy. He called
all the Kings of Greece and Isles of Greece to come together and make war upon the Trojans and
bring Helen back. Among the many was Achilles.
Achilles was the son of Thetis, a sea nymph. He...show more content...
King Agamemnon angrily stated that he did not want to give up his prize, for then he would be the
only Grecians without one. Yet, because he would rather his people live, he would return the girl if
she was replaced with another.
Achilles told him that all the prizes had been awarded. But if Agamemnon was to return the girl,
the gods would be in their favor and they would win the war. When they won they would replace
Chrysies three or four times. Agamemnon would not hear of this. His pride would not allow for
himself to have less then the next man. He said that he would send the girl back, but she would
have to be replaced or he would come after Achilles' or Ajax's or Ulysses'.
This angered Achilles, and thus began the quarrel that almost cost the Grecians the war. "You are
steeped in insolence and lust of gain," said Achilles. He also called him a "wine bibber" and "with
the face of a dog and heart of a hind." He spat out that he never receives such a large share or as
good a prize of that of Agamemnon, even though he is the one doing most of the fighting. "We
have followed you, Sir Insolence, for your pleasure not ours," he stated, "and now you threaten to
take my prize which I have been awarded!" Then he went on to say that he should return home for
he would not stay here to be dishonored by an insolent fool.
Agamemnon was furious that Achilles would speak to

Essay On The Iliad
The Iliad is an Ancient Greek epic poem written in dactylic hexameter that is commonly attributed
to a Greek man named Homer. An epic poem by definition is "An epic poem is a long, narrative
poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet.
Many ancient writers used epic poetry to tell tales of intense adventures and heroic feats" ("Epic
Poetry: Definition, Heroes & Stories" E). This is the equivalent to the way one would describe the
Iliad. The poem is comprised of twenty four books that tell the story of the ninth year of the Trojan
war. The war was waged against Troy in 12th century B.C.E by the Achaeans, also known as the
Greeks.This was because Paris, son of Priam and prince of Troy,...show more content...
First to be expanded upon, are the Divine Interventions from book 1–4 of the Iliad. Previously stated,
Achilles is the son of a Goddess. This provides him with incredible pull in the world of the Gods.
The first example isn't directly attributed to Achilles but it definitely helped to provoke his rage in
some way or another. Towards the beginning of the novel Apollo invokes a plague upon the Achaean
army. This was to force Agamemnon to release his prize, the beautiful woman Chryseis. This is what
prompts Agamemnon to take Achilles prize, the equally beautiful woman Briseis. Without this event
of divine intervention the rage of Achilles would have never been seen to its fullest potential like it
was in the

The Banquet Scene In The Iliad
The Iliad is the quintessential epic. It is full with gods, goddesses, heroes, war, honor, glory, and the
like. However, for just short while near the very conclusion Homer avoids all of those epic qualities.
The banquet scene in Book XXIV is the most touching, the most "human" scene in the entire poem .
In the midst of the dreadful gulf of war and anger there occurs an intimate moment between two men
who ironically have much in common below the surface.
Priam, old and fragile, makes his way to the camp of the enemy 's greatest warrior late at night. He
bears what little treasures have not been exhausted by the ten–year conflict and plans to plead for the
rightful return of his son 's body. This is his final heroic endeavor. And
...show more content...
Recall in Book III his kindliness towards Helen. This perception of Achilles as a vision of Hektor is
also a reaction to Achilles ' his newly developed warmth and tenderness. And in fact, not overlooking
what Achilles has done, Priam cannot deny that he is a great strong warrior and has brought much
glory to the side of the Achaians.
By reaching out to Priam, Achilles, for a moment, brings these two bitterly warring nations into a
zone of peace.
. There is no pretty ending; Troy, we know, will soon be destroyed. The scene is
uncompromisingly tragic: Patroklos is dead, Hektor is dead, Priam will soon be killed, and Achilles
will soon be killed. Yet somehow, in the midst of suffering, moral beauty survives.
Though the human lot he portrays is grim, his actions show a human decency that somehow softens
our sense of what it means to be human
NOTE: Observe how the plot structure of the Iliad completes itself. In the first book, a father
(Chryses) comes to Agamemnon to plead for the return of his child but is refused. In the last book,
a father (Priam) also pleads to Achilles for the return of a child; this time pity is shown. Though
this symmetry is surely there, Homer is an artist who permits complexities and contradictions. As
you begin to sum up your feelings about the Iliad, test all the threads. The question is not simply is
Achilles right or wrong, or are the Trojans or Argives the real heroes. Homer values both

The Iliad Essay
Homer's epic The Iliad, is a great tale of war and glory. It takes place during the last year of the ten
year Greek–Trojan war. The Greeks have been fighting with the Trojans for quite some time, and just
when peace seemed like a possibility, the youngest prince of Troy, Paris, acts out selfishly and steals
the beautiful wife of Menelaus, Helen. This instigates the fighting again. Throughout The Iliad,
Homer tells of two heroes, both similar, but also very different in their character; the great and
powerful Greek, Achilles, and the strong, loving father, Prince Hector of Troy. In Homer's The Iliad,
Hector and Achilles differ as heroes in regards to pride, duty, and family love, the latter being
self–centered and prideful, while the...show more content...
Lay your commands on others, don't order me about, for I do not think I shall obey you anymore"
(Homer, 10). Again, pride can be defined differently; arrogant, like Achilles, or like Hector, full of
dignity and self–worth. Though Hector still has character flaws, arrogance is not one of them.
Furthermore, because of the fact that Hector fights in his homeland, Homer is able to fully
illustrate the pride he has for Troy and his family. Unlike Achilles, Hector praises and respects the
gods, asking them to watch over his son. "O Zeus and all ye heavenly gods! Grant this my son be as
notable among our people as I am, and let him be as strong" (Homer 93).
When it comes to fighting, Achilles is the best. No man can best him, and any army with him in
their ranks has very good odds of winning. On the other hand, his sense of duty is overshadowed by
his arrogance. He fights for the Greeks, but doesn't obey King Agamemnon as a subject. When
Agamemnon steals his prize, Briseis, he gets upset and doesn't fight, causing a loss in the Greek
army. Achilles declares, "What a worthless, burnt–out coward I'd be called if I would submit to you
and all your orders, whatever you blurt out. Fling them at others, don't give me commands!" (Homer,
104) Though Achilles is the mightiest warrior alive, he is unreliable, compulsive to every whim and
feeling of discontent. Hector, on the contrary, is

The Iliad Essay

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The Iliad Essay