Ben Myers Group B Blog Post 1: The Iliad

In The Iliad, heroes with immense power determine the fates of the common people.

 The epic begins with Agamemnon, King of the Achaians, holding a woman named Chryseis captive. Her father Chryses offers a ransom. Chryses is a priest of Apollo, so angering him is unwise. "All the... Achaians cried out in favor that the priest be respected," but greedy Agamemnon rejects the ransom offer, knowing full well that Apollo's will "make the Danaäns pay"(The Iliad, Book One, Line 42).

Agamemnon and the Achaians set off to take Troy, but he tests his army's dedication by pretending to change his mind, saying "let us run away with our ships" and return "to the beloved land of our fathers"(Book Two, Lines 139-140). Unfortunately, his trial works too well, the Achaians "cleaned out" their ships and "made for home"(Book Two, Lines 153-154). The war seems like a lost cause, until Odysseus, inspired by Athena, goes through the chaotic, fleeing army preaching his message of patience and listening. "Sit still and listen," he tells the panic-stricken people, and one by one he gets them back into their positions. (Book Two, Lines 200-210). Once they are all back in assembly, he delivers a powerful speech and inspires everyone to take the "great citadel of Priam"(Book Two, Line 332).

In the Trojan war, Priam brings his army back into the city, and the battle boils down to a one on one conflict between Hektor and Achilleus. In the first line of his epic, Homer describes The Iliad as the story of Achilleus' devastating anger, which brings "pains thousandfold upon"(Book One, Lines 1-2) whoever it is directed at. If Hektor can kill Achilleus, Achaia will be forced to retreat. If Achilleus kills Hektor, Troy will lack their greatest warrior, and Achaia will have a chance. Even before their battle begins, both of these men clearly have tremendous influence on their world, no one else is important. 

Achilleus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Patroclus, Hektor, Priam, aren't heroes in today's definition. They lack supreme morality, and are imperfect. Their abilities to effect tremendous change in their world makes them heroic. 

The Iliad is the story of a human conflict, but the "Gods set them together in bitter collision"(Book One, Line 8).

When Agamemnon angers Chryses, a problem only arises because Chryses is a priest of Apollo, who brings "pestilence" upon Achaia (Book One, Line 10). When Achaians start dying, it is Apollo, not Chryses or Agamemnon, who looses "a tearing arrow against the men" of Achaia (Book One, Line 51).

Athena tells Odysseus to step up and motivate the army, he did not come to this conclusion alone. She warns him that Agamemnon is just making a "trial, but soon will bear hard on the sons of the Achaians"(Book Two, Line 193) for failing this test. Odysseus decided himself to follow Athena over Agamemnon, and he executed her message perfectly, successfully inspiring the Achaian army, but Athena gave him the necessary push.

Even Achilleus did not kill Hektor alone, Athena voluntarily worked for him as a double agent. Disguised as Hektor's brother, she told him they could defeat Achilleus together, then she betrayed him, and guided Achilleus' spear into Hektor's throat. Achilleus probably would have chased Hektor down eventually, but it is impossible to know if he could have defeated Hektor alone.

The Iliad has people with tremendous abilities, and extremely powerful gods. When a god decides to interact with one of these brilliant people, they become heroes who can create monumental changes in their world.


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