Family Dynamics in Homer's Iliad

Throughout the Iliad , Father to son relationships is something that we see often dthe during the story. This type of relationship is one that is extremely important for many people in the world,going back to the beginning of time. Personally, my relationship with my father has been one that has been one that has helped shape me to the person that I am today. Without my father, I would not have someone who is a mentor for me . There has been countless different things I have learned from him

It is inferred that the parents should take care of their children and have their best interest at heart. This however, is not the case in Greek and Roman mythology. The killing of ones own children, or filicide, was not viewed as negative upon in their era. The contemporary times contrast with the ancient Greek and Roman’s because it was justified to use any means necessary to obtain a higher status. The Greeks and Romans valued keeping a high social reputation and having respect for those of great power. The motherly union between their children conflict with the reality that the father strives to retain or gain control. These circumstances cause a tense bond between the members of the family. The strained parent to child relationship in

In The Iliad, Homer offers incredible insights into the themes of human interactions. While the epic narrative moves forward, these dynamics are kept intertwined with the devastating battlefield. One of the prominent themes is the father-son relationship and this Iliadic father-son dynamic is focused mostly between Priam and Hector. Looking at scenes featuring both characters, their interactions feature mutual feelings of love, concern, and, most importantly, interdependency. Priam cares for Hector, imparts values tied to the heroic code, and carries expectations for his son. On the other hand, Hector aims to meet Priam’s expectations and repay his father for all that he has done for him. In the background of this relationship, Homer

The influential feminine strain in the Odyssey also has important effects upon the whole flavor of the poem. Many other early epics are characterized by coldness, morbidity, and brutality, caused by the subjects with which they deal. The virtues, such as courage and martial prowess, which are seen in the Iliad are impressive, but they are undistinguished and limited, for they exist in a world of mas-culine competition and warfare. It is only in the Odyssey, among early Greek works, that such familiar ideas as love, family loyalty, and devotion, and other such important ethical attitudes, are both illustrated and advocated. It is the presence of these unconscious moral lessons that makes the Odyssey so unique in its genre and produces its humanitarian and optimistic outlook.

The idea of kleos otherwise known as glory in Greek, and honor is one of the most essential motifs of the Iliad. For many warriors depicted in the Iliad, honor was vital and personal. For many, Glory earned in battle was more important than one’s life. Glory or the lack of, was remembered long after one’s life. Possibly the greatest fundamental part of honor to the fighters of the Iliad was courage in battle as shown throughout multiple books. Throughout the course of this book we can see how different characters display these traits and how they influence the course of the war. Even though the Achaeans and Trojans are enemies they display a similar view, the acquisition of glory is more significant than life

The Key to Life Essay “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s lives”- Richard Bach. Family is a place where one feels safe and loved. Without family, one would not know real strength, happiness, love or trust. Family is the key to living a happy and successful life because in both the Odysseus and Calypso, when people feel loved they have a motive to become successful and persevere through hard times.

I have learned a lot of our family and about father on my trip. (1) Athena stumbled upon me to hurry home, so I will be by your side in no time. She told me to watch our valuables before those darn Suitors take everything. (2) Menualues was so kind to me while I stayed at his palace. He is a prime example of Greek hospitality. I left his house with a gift from everyone. My favorite was the the robe that Helen gave to me, she wove it herself. (3) I’m so lucky to have been told a prophet by Helen too. An eagle clutching a goose in its talons came along as Helen told me the prophecy that Odysseus, my father, will come home and take revenge on the suitors. Isn’t that so exciting? (4) Mother, I have finally found the man in me while partaking on

Thucydides and Homer, though they lived a relatively short 300 years apart, wrote about very different Greek cultures. While the Greeks who Homer wrote about in The Iliad were, in many respects, dissimilar to the Greeks in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, this stands in marked contrast to the profound similarities that exist between contemporary cultures and those that Thucydides wrote of. There are, however, similarities between modern cultures and those in Homer’s writing, as well as differences between modern ones and those in Thucydides’ writing. Thucydides’ history is, therefore, a relational bridge between the cultures of ancient Greece and modern ones.

According to Homer’s the Iliad, a leader shares power between those above and below him in status. Many years into the Trojan War, the Achaeans ravage a small town and claim two lovely maidens, Chryseis and Briseis, as prizes for Agamemnon, “lord of men,” and “brilliant” Achilles (I. 8). Tensions escalate when Agamemnon refuses to return Chryseis to her father, Chryses, who is a priest to Apollo, bringing about a devastating plague on his army. This pivotal event tests the delicate balance of power between the king, his people, and the gods to the test, which Agamemnon clearly fails. To begin with, Achilles – not Agamemnon – calls an assembly to discuss their options. While Agamemnon rambles on about receiving his “prize,” Achilles attempts

The narrator of Homer’s Iliad is obsessed with patrilineal heritage. It is embedded in the very DNA of the epic, embodied in epithets concerning the connection between fathers and sons and even influencing the very cultural values around which the epic centers. Through the patrilineal structure of ancestry, the reader gains insight regarding the evolution of generations (or lack thereof) that has led to the institution of certain cultural customs. One such moment is Glaukos’ conversation with Diomedes in Book 6, in which he compares the birth and death cycle of generations to the blooming and dying of leaves throughout the seasons. One can view this metaphor as a synecdoche of sorts, a microcosmic look into the immortally continuous yet

The shield of Nestor can be viewed as representing the importance of familial bonds and cooperation betwen generations and embodies this role which Nestor plays for the Achaians (Atchity 148-49): “So he [Nestor] spoke, and took up the wrought shield of his son / Thrasymedes, breaker of horses. It lay in the shelter / al shining in bronze. Thrasymedes caried the shield of his father” (book 14, lines 9–11). Nestor is the oldest and one of the wisest of the Greeks fighting in Troy. Although his physical strength has waned in his old age, he stil embodies the spirit and bravery of a great warior. He inspires the younger generation to go courageously into batle. The younger wariors honor and respect Nestor. This cooperation betwen generations is exemplified by father and son exchanging armor as they take on the enemy. Odyseus and Telemachos provide another example of father and son arming together as they prepare to fight the suitors in The Odysey.

Have you ever been faced with fear, where your life has been in danger? Or could you imagine having to prepare daily, for life-and-death risks of going into battle. Personal honor, duty, reputation and bravery is not only the main idea in the epic the Iliad, but all these characteristics are very powerful throughout the poem. This code of ethics, the key elements in the Iliad has several different causes for many of the situations that occur throughout the epic. Several of the characters have different interpretations of this code and just what lengths they will go to insure its quality. Most of these heroic men have had this exceptional ability and powers handed down to them from the Gods.While is apparent that the hero always stands for what he believes in weather is right or wrong, the main way for these heroes to gain great honor and glory is through their fearless, intrepid effort while in combat doing what they believe is right. Power and domination are both major factors in the hero's life. In fact these heros value honor above their own lives. The Homeric hero is devoted to his family and his city, but above all the most important is his community and reputation. Although the hero's family

The Iliad opens in the predicament of the Greeks who have somehow incurred the wrath of the gods. It is here that Agamemnon, supreme commander of the Grecian army, demand that Achilles give up his “prize” (Briseis) to replace his own “prize” (Chrysies) which he has to give up to appease the gods. Agamemnon has to

The Iliad is a story about the war between the Trojans and the Greeks. They believe that if you fight in a war, this is how you prove ones honor and integrity, but to not fight would show cowardice or fear. During this time, the males were trained from a young age to assume a major role in the war efforts (Rosenberg, 1999, p. 119).

Many cultural aspects of Greece around 1250 BCE can been found throughout the stories of Homer, Iliad. Cultural aspects of social hierarchy and philosophy are prevalent in Homer’s stories (Sakoulas).