Meaning of the Epic

Finally we come to an end of the Iliad. Many events have already been foreshadowed to happen. Troy will burn, giving the Greeks the victory, and Achilles will die in battle. I notice an interesting motif within the opening and closing of the epic. In the beginning, we are introduced to a theme of rage. The entire story of Achilles concerns with his build-up of rage over the loss of Patroclus, and his return to battle to exact revenge. When the epic ends, the scene is more compassionate and the motif is lamentation. So, I come up with the question, ‘is this what the epic is suggesting; the idea of rage leading to lamentation? According to what scholars define as an epic poem, epics ought to illustrate a moral lesson for a targeted audience, or provide metonymies to illustrate a fullness of culture. Perhaps the epic is intended to give the Greek account of the Trojan War, utilizing the character Achilles as a national hero or legend. Achilles is used to portray the emotions of rage and the subsequent lamentation and destruction it can create. I believe this can teach or show the readers a moral example of the consequences of rash human decisions. Beyond that it simply showcases the atrocities of war, to demonstrate how brutal humans can be without their mental reasoning. The Iliad is a very compelling story that offers more and more insight as one analyzes the text, making this truly deserving of the epic genre.

Power of Supplication

Traditionally Greek warriors are not to show signs of cowardice. So when we read about a scene in which one person supplicates to another it is not considered a sign of cowardice. Rather, we should interpret it as a peacemaking. Since the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ rage denies him from accepting his victims’ supplication. His rage is so intense that he won’t spare anybody at this point. We get scenes such as, “Tros [clasping] his knees / In supplication, [and] Achilles [shoving] his sword / Down into his liver.” (p. 401) Upon Priam’s entrance into Achilles’ home, he opens with “Remember your father, godlike Achilles.” (p. 482) I think this is a wise thing to open with, considering the fact that Achilles is boasting with rage and arrogance. Priam calls him ‘godlike’ to show his respect and to announce his supplication. This allows Achilles to feel a sense of royalty as if he is the king instead of Priam. Also, Priam relates himself to Achilles’ father. This may be done in order to extract whatever compassion Achilles has left because Achilles respects his own father and should likewise respect Priam. For a person as sadistic as Achilles is in his rage, Priam acknowledges his greatness while giving him a boost of ego: “I am more pitiable […] I have kissed the hand of the man who killed my son.” (p. 483) Priam claims that Achilles has nothing to gain from killing him since Achilles has taken everything from him. This is powerful enough to convince Achilles to spare him and release Hector’s body.

Achilles on Fire

Homer does it again with this brilliant imagery. This time, the imagery of fire is associated with Achilles’ rampage and killing spree. The River god halted Achilles’ destruction by fighting against him, trying to wash him away. Unfortunately, Achilles with the help of Hephaestus subdues the River, making the River promise not to intervene with Achilles’ vengeance. “Tortured by the heat Hephaestus concocted[…] the River itself burned, and pleaded with the god” (p. 413). Looking further into the meanings of fire, my search results come up with synonyms of: intensity, fervor, energy, and blaze. Metaphorically the word fire can take on meanings of destruction, ruin, or devastation. Achilles’ rage is certainly symbolic of those words. On the contrast, water is associated with life, nourishment, or healing. The fight between Achilles and the River illustrates a battle between natural forces of fire and water. This is like a fight between peace and vengeance. The River god wants to create resolution and calmness by extinguishing Achilles’ destruction and killing. Logically, this wouldn’t happen. Fire doesn’t defeat water; it needs oxygen as fuel, which is why water is used to suffocate the flame. It is interesting that Achilles is associated with fire because this foreshadows that Troy will be burned down. Actually there is direct foreshadowing of this in the River’s words to Hera: “I will swear / not to ward off Ilion’s doom / on that day when Troy goes up in flames” (p. 414).

Achilles Transcendence

I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion in this class because we encounter a transformed Achilles. He has just learned of the death of Patroclus at this point in the story, and his “grief is too great.” (p. 383) So when the Achaeans begged him to eat, Achilles refuses. Odysseus, wanting to be practical, urges Achilles to rest and eat in order to give the soldiers a break from fighting. “Don’t send our men out to fight the Trojans / Without any food in their stomachs.” (p. 379) This is normal; nobody can fight all day without nourishment. Achilles responds by suggesting that warriors eat “when the sun goes down” after “[their] shame [has been] avenged.” (p. 380) Seeking revenge for Patroclus’ death can only satisfy Achilles’ heart. Odysseus reply is one of many quotes that inspired my final paper for this class. “There’s very little to reap after Zeus decides / The price in human lives with a tip of his scales.” He continues by adding, “we have to bury all our dead, / Steel our hearts, and mourn them for a day.” He’s telling Achilles to harden his feelings and to move on from his loss. But, we observe a transcendence of Achilles. His physical body and mind have left the mortal world, as symbolized by his loss of appetite. His mental state transcends the human plane, losing all human feelings and desires. This is similar to becoming a spirit or ghost, who has accepted his fate, and seeks to haunt the Trojans for the death of Patroclus. This restless spirit of Achilles is driven by something much more important than eating, drinking, or resting—he wants to exact revenge, an ultimate feast for his heart.

Hector v. Achilles

In Book 6 we encounter Hector’s family. He spends his time before returning to battle by talking to Andromache. From their conversation, we acquire some insight into the personality of Hector. He appears extremely brave. He admittedly considers his own men above himself, demonstrating his selflessness. Hector claims that he would die fighting for his men, and he can’t bear the shame of showing cowardice. In comparison, Achilles fits the archetype of a ‘lone wolf’ or ‘loner.’ We feel a sense of hostility in Achilles’ speech, blaming his mother for conceiving him with a mortal father. He fits another archetype of the ‘man against the world,’ showing sometimes no regard for his superiors, including the gods and goddesses. Achilles doesn’t answer to anybody, he is confident in his fighting abilities, but refuses to fight over a war that he feels is pointless. Achilles is by no means, cowardly. His selfish attitude toward returning to the scene of battle may show this, but he values his mortal life over fighting in a war that was started by the abduction of Helen by Paris. In this way, Achilles can almost be regarded as a ‘bad’ guy, or the warrior with a ‘bad’ attitude. So, comparing Hector and Achilles illustrates to the reader a fight between good and bad. However, we gain insight into each character’s personal life, which reveals that these two rivals share similar traits and qualities. I think this is why the reader encounters certain conversations between characters as a means of gaining insight or perspective, instead of choosing to side with one character or another.

God of War

We’ve talked a lot about how the disputes between the gods and goddesses in the Iliad are much like a war within a war. But, I notice a significant appearance of Ares in which he is physically fighting in the Trojan War. “The bronze sky paled. Ares, who was everywhere / At once now, covered the battle with night[.]” (p. 99) Normally, we attribute the gods and goddesses as divine inspiration for the acts of the Greeks and Trojans. This means that it is not the gods and goddesses ‘wielding the sword,’ or ‘firing an arrow;’ rather, it is the human who is inspired by the gods and goddesses to perform the action. However, the god of war, Ares, makes an appearance on page 99 where he is actually fighting in the war against the Greeks. I feel this is an interesting significance because it is a symbolic representation of the fact that the Greeks are fighting against the will of the god(s). By fighting the god of war himself, the Greeks are battling against a divine being. This is why I think Ares’ appearance is used as a metaphor to describe how the Greeks are fighting against fate itself. Observing the internal struggles within Achilles can draw this conclusion. He is fighting against his own fate—his mortality. Upon reading about Ares’ appearance in the battle scene, I conclude that it is symbolic of Achilles’ fate. Achilles is fighting his destiny by avenging Patroclus, just as the Greek warriors are fighting against the divine force of Ares.