Why People Fight In The Iliad

In almost all instances of war the cause has been related to greed, or the gaining of land and possessions. Greed is presented in the very first book of Homer’s “The Iliad.” It isn’t displayed by the cowards, but the “heroes” of the war such as Agamemnon, Achilles, and Pandarus. The entire cause of the Trojan War is the result of the greedy and cowardly behavior of Paris. There are many factors that had sparked the war, including the interference of the gods; however, the main factor to be blamed for the war is greed.

In Homer's epic, The Iliad, there are many great characters, both mortal and immortal. However, no characters seem to match the greatness and importance of Achilles, the mightiest of the Greeks and Hector, Trojan prince and mightiest of the Trojans. Although they are the mightiest of their forces, their attitudes and motives for the Greek-Trojan war are completely different.

(A Discussion on Scenes of Violence in the Iliad and Their Effect on the Text as a Whole)

It goes without question to state that various times in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, violence occurs. Violence is typically thought of as it relates to physical violence, war, a way to resolve a conflict, yet is open to various other interpretations. In addition, it is arguable that multiple types of violence occur within that classical piece of literature. The most obvious type being physical violence, but including, yet is not limited to, psychological, emotional, sexual, and linguistic violence. Emotional violence is one that pairs easily within the other types, yet is equally as important. These types of brutality all contribute to the major theme of fate versus free will. This epic poem allows for readers to question whether people are truly free or if everything that happens is due to fate. If there is such a thing as determinism, then it would be safe to say nothing that happens in someone’s life is a free choice. In Homer’s, The Iliad, multiple scenes of violence support the central theme of fate versus free will.

Throughout The Iliad, an epic poem written by Homer, there were numerous warriors and other characters that could be looked upon as heroes; some of these heroes included Achilles, Ajax, Diomedes, Hector, and Glaucus. All of these individuals were heroes because of their remarkable mental and physical strength: they were courageous and were better fighters in war than other ordinary men. The trade of battle was a way of life to the Greeks back in Homer’s time. Children were raised to become great servicemen to their country, and warriors lived to fight for and defend their nation with pride and valor. The heroic code was a strict morality that dealt with matters relating to honor and integrity in battle.

In Ancient Greece, tensions were always high as city-states competed for resources and territories, which led to constant battles between city-states in an attempt to steal resources or territories. There are also periods where city-states banded together to fight a common enemy, like the Persians, the Trojans, or other city-states. This means that warfare was an integral part of life in ancient greece. This meant that warfare frequently appeared in classic greek literature, such as the Iliad and Ajax, although different authors have different interpretations about warfare which is shown through their work of literature, with the Iliad having warfare as a glorified battle, while Ajax is about an uncompromising hero who turned mad which driven him to commit suicide.

The Iliad seems to celebrate war and the idea of worthy combatants. The men that aren’t successful as warriors are ridiculed in the text, men that don’t take to the idea of fighting. Consequentially these men’s families and/or lovers look down upon them as lesser beings. On the other hand, Achilles is glorified to no end considering that he would rather fight at any chance possible rather than sit back. The text appears to give these fighters a champion status. It gives an idolized view of deities like Athena and pokes fun at others such as Artemis and Aphrodite. These beings are used as comic relief. The point that the Iliad attempts to make is that honor can’t be proven without battle; that one cannot exist without the other. To avoid battle

Warriors of ancient Greece were considered heroes by following the Heroic Code of excellence. They achieved this by acquiring a kleos; establishing fame, glory and a positive reputation. It was not an easy task to become a Grecian hero. Building and maintaining kleos meant that a warrior must be brave and strong, be “a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.” The solider had to protect his friends and harm his enemies, respect the gods and his elders, and most of all value his honor over his life. To die in battle, and be spoken of after death was the most important act of honor for a hero. The Greek tragedy, Iliad, attributed to Homer, portrays Achilles as the most gallant hero of the Athenian army. The story tells of Achilles, who develops into the greatest hero of the Trojan War. While the end of the end of the poem does portray Achilles as the solider that the story foretells throughout the poem he does not act like that. Many times in the story Achilles actions are perceived as unheroic but ultimately they shape the course of the few weeks of the Trojan Wars described in the Iliad, the Achaean’s final victory at Troy and his emergence as a hero.

Violence has a way of changing the course of both someone’s actions and thoughts. In the famous Greek literature, The Iliad, by Homer, Agamemnon, the commander in chief of the Achaean forces, does not like his possessions being taken away from him. This would be somewhat understanding, only if that possession wasn’t a beautiful girl named Chryseis, whose father is a priest of the god Apollo. When Agamemnon agrees to finally give up the girl, he feels like he needs something to replace her, a prize of some sort. Achilles is angered at his proposition, and fights with the chief. Achilles refuses to fight anymore, so Agamemnon responds by taking his girl, Briseis, by compensating for his loss of Chrysies. Even though the fighting has temporarily

In the Homer’s Iliad, Homer portrays men as the strong figure in the family; they fight to protect their family and country. From text, “For I must head home quickly so that I may see my beloved Andromache and my infant boy, and my domestic servants, since I am ignorant if ever I will see them again, or if my fate ordains my now to fall by Grecian hands. (Homer, 345-368)” Hector does not fear the war, but he is also a husband and father. He had the responsibility to take care of his family. The text shows Hector wants to go back home to see his wife and children before he goes to war, because he is not sure if he can come back or just died in the war. Later in the Homer’s Iliad, even when Andromache tells Hector to not go to war, Hector explains to his wife “…because far greater is the sorrow I would have when the Greeks take you away crying, and take away your freedom. (Homer, 427-451)” For the men in the society, they are strong, they must be brave to fight war, not just protect their family, and it’s their role to protect their country. They do not want to see their enemies take away their homeland, freedom, and destroy their family stated in the text. Even men died from the war, they will still feel the honor that they did what they did to protect their home. Then in the Homer’s Iliad, Homer wrote, “War belongs to man; to all men; and of all who first drew vital breath in Troy, and most of all to me. (Homer, 478-497)” This shows a strong view on how the respective role of men was like in the society. Wars are for men. If the men show fear of the war, society will see him as not strong, then men will be not respected in that society. According to these texts, we see the respective

An Iliad displays bravery in their soldiers because of the loyalty to their country, however, The Trojan Women shows how women are not brave, therefore, the women will not live in happiness anymore. Bravery is shown in An Iliad especially when Patroclus wear Achilles’s armor. He is confident and eager to fight in the Trojan War. His actions establish how he is loyal to his country because he would sacrifice himself to fight in the war. Additionally, bravery is again shown in the book when Priam approached Achilles, who has anger towards Priam when Hector killed his good friend, Patroclus. Priam is especially brave and confident when he approaches the Achaeans. Priam is loyal to the Trojans by bringing back Hector’s body. Moreover, bravery is

Book 22 of the Iliad (Death of Hector) extensively explores the need for bravery in the face of impending danger. In the contemporary world, different parts of the world have experienced situations that require people to stand up for the country. As seen recently in Europe, there has been a wave of terrorist attacks in major cities in Germany and England and in response, gallant soldiers have fought to keep the terrorists at bay, to avoid a repeat of the same. Citizens have also shown their humane side by coming out in large numbers to help where they could by offering material or any other kind of support. In this case, the focus is on how Hector valiantly stood up for his city, to fight for it despite knowing that Achilles might probably

The Iliad was written by the Greek poet Homer in which he recounts some of the events during the final weeks of the Trojan War. It tells the story of Achilles, and how his anger affected the fighting in the great war. Though the experience of war is personally unfamiliar to a majority of today’s readers, the ancient Greek audience, however, would have been very familiar with all the references Homer makes to past events. Like many epic poems of this time, The Iliad was not meant to be read but rather performed and recited to an audience.

      The Iliad is a story of rages of Achilles and the War of Troy. Thanks to the techniques of the author, Homer, The Iliad is very colorful, romantic, and it makes the readers imagine the ancient Greeks and their times of war. Homer is believed to be the author of epics other than the Iliad, although their authorship remains uncertain. Historian believes that Homer probably lived in the eighth century, B.C.1 (Discovering World History). However, there are very few things that we know about him. Some historians think Homer's birthplace may have been on an island on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea, or perhaps in a city on the nearby coast, but they don't have evidence to

The first words of the Iliad sets the scene of the major characters, the conflicts, and the themes of the epic. The single word “rage” the story begins with embodies the main subject “that cost the Achaeans countless losses” (I. 2). This rage derives from Achilles, the protagonist, which is focused on the war between the Trojans and the Argives and also the clash between him and King Agamemnon. His wrath is invoked by the injury of his pride from the king. Losing his honor and his love Briseis, he abandons the army and will not return to war unless his reputation as the greatest warrior of the Archaeans is restored. The emotions of Achilles manipulates not only the war, but also higher beings; his anger compels “will of Zeus”, who is regarded