The Homeric Hero
Andrew Jones
The Iliad is an epic poem, arranged into 24 books, set during the Trojan War about the rage of Achilles, as we can see from the very first line: ÂRage – Goddess, sing the rage of PeleusÊ son AchillesÊ 1 . Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, is an intriguing and complex character, perhaps even Âthe only character in the poem to be explored in any depthÊ 2 . In any case, in this essay I will try to show the extent to which Achilles is different from the other Greek heroes with regard to heroic status by looking at what sets him apart from his peers. After all, Âthe Iliad is not an AchilleidÊ 3 and so there are many other heroes with whom Achilles can be compared. The first example of AchillesÊ anger is in the first book of the Iliad. In fact, at the start of the scene Achilles is courteous and responsible as he summons the assembly of heroes to address the problem of the plague which Apollo has sent upon the Greeks. Achilles and Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, have a heated argument about appeasing Apollo which results in AgamemnonÊs snatching of AchillesÊ slave- girl, Briseis. This causes Achilles to withdraw from fighting the Trojans because of his hatred of Agamemnon, an absence which will last for about two thirds of the poem. The quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon is a key part of the IliadÊs story and gives us a taste of AchillesÊ hot temper and self-destructive tendencies. Indeed, AchillesÊ pride and willingness to stand up to AgamemnonÊs overall leadership markedly distinguishes him from the other Greeks who would not have the boldness to bear a 1 All translations are taken from Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. London: Penguin, 1991. 2 Silk, M.S. The Iliad. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 3 Rutherford, Richard. Homer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
grudge for so long nor to hold out against AgamemnonÊs subsequent overtures.
However, his argument with Agamemnon reveals similarities between Achilles and the rest of the Greek heroes. For example, Achilles complains that he fights Âlong and hardÊ and yet Agamemnon receives the lionÊs share of the plunder, a grievance presumably common among the Greek fighters. Most interesting, though, is when Achilles, after marvelling at AgamemnonÊs rapacity, argues that Âit wasnÊt Trojan spearmen who brought me here to fightÊ. This raises the issue that many of the Greek soldiers are not fighting for any cause of their own but for MenelausÊ reclamation of Helen at the summons of his brother, Agamemnon. The fact that Achilles has a divine mother, the sea-nymph Thetis, influences the narrative and the development of the story as well as lending an unusual aspect to AchillesÊ character. It creates a connection between gods and men and, as is shown by her to-ing and fro-ing between immortals and mortals, Thetis is bound up with the human world as the other gods are not. No other Greek has direct divine parentage 4 and we can see Achilles using it to his advantage straight after his quarrel with Agamemnon. Achilles complains that the gods should at least give him honour if he is destined to a short life. In answer to this, Thetis goes to Zeus to beg him to honour Achilles. Later in the poem, Thetis has Hephaestus, god of smithing, make Achilles a set of armour before he re-enters the war. In book 22, the goddess Athena gives Achilles help even when he is in a duel with Hector. This seems particularly unfair and unnecessary given that Achilles is clearly the better
4 The obvious Trojan example is Aeneas whose mother is Aphrodite, the goddess of love .
134
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker