On The Iliad
Around two weeks ago, I finished Homer’s The Iliad. It was an interesting read and a story that resonates through the halls of history. Before I begin with my review, I would like to note two things: 1) I used the Penguin Classics edition translated by Robert Fagles. 2) This post serves as a brief summary of the podcast.
The Story
The story of The Iliad is one that nearly anyone knows. Many people in high school, including myself, read Homer’s The Odyssey. The main characters of the story is Achilles and Hector. There are some people who refer to The Iliad as the tragedy of Hector and Achilles; however, I think it is the tragedy of Achilles.
Achilles, throughout the story, is commonly referred to as being doomed to a short life. Hector, on the other hand, pursues glory and defends Troy to his dying breath. As famed literary critic, Harold Bloom, states in The Epics:
“The epic is the tragedy of Achilles, ironically enough, because he retains the foremost place, yet cannot overcome the bitterness of his sense of his own mortality. To be only half a god appears to be Homer’s implicit definition of what makes a hero tragic.” (p. 21)
The story begins with the division between Achilles and the lord of men Agamemnon. (Agamemnon is referred as that in the story). Achilles, in his enraged state, refuses to help his people. He calls upon his mother, Thetis a goddess, to persuade Zeus to bring his honor and glory back. This desire will lead to Achilles doom and the entangled Fate between him and Hector.
Throughout the epic, the various gods and goddesses war between each other. They desire to bring glory to either Troy or the Aegeans. This battle between the gods serves as a subplot to the main plot of the Trojan War. Ultimately, Achilles pays the price for his honor and glory with the death of his best friend, Patroclus.
What is the Main Idea of the epic?
In my opinion, the main idea of the epic is the nature of war. We must beware the toils war brings. War is hell. Throughout the whole of human history, there has been war. Regardless of the technology, war means death, pain, and suffering. This is what we read in The Iliad. In various parts of the epic, we see each character, god, and goddess, suffer.
I find Harold Bloom’s comments the most compelling:
“Hector’s “ecstasy of power” would produce “remembered pain” for Achilles, as power must come at the expense of someone else’s pain, and ecstasy results from the victory of inflicting memorable suffering. Memory depends upon pain, which Nietzsche’s fiercely Homeric analysis of all significant memory.” (p.25)
The way I have read this story, I have felt the pain of the characters and strived to understand the rage of Achilles. Achilles and the gods try and fight against Fate and her thread, yet, they are unsuccessful. Our mortality is something we all must wrestle against in life. This mortal coil holds many sufferings. Are we Fated to eternally lose against Providence or Fate?
Above is my favorite quote from The Iliad. It is the most evocative sentiment in this epic. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3. “A time to live and a time to die.” It is a haunting reminder of our mortality on this green firmament.
How Did I Enjoy The Story?
Overall, I found the story rather enjoyable. I think there were parts of the story that made it difficult to read. There are many people who are killed in battle by the Aegeans and Trojans, which made it difficult to immerse myself in the story. My favorite of the characters was initially Achilles; however, as I have reflected over the characters, I prefer Patroclus. He was a noble and loyal friend, which made his death all the more tragic.
My favorite of the gods and goddesses was Athena. Grey eyed Athena was a wise and impassioned goddess who wished to bring glory to Achilles and favored him greatly. She and Hera were quite the clever and humorous bunch. My favorite aspect of Greek mythos is how human and faulty the gods and goddesses are in story.
Overall, I rate The Iliad a 74/100. Not my favorite, but it is an iconic story. I encourage you, dear reader, to take arms and read it for yourself.
What did you think? Did you enjoy The Iliad? Have you read it?
Read deeply, my friends.
