The Greeks and The Illiad Essay examples - 1378 Words

The Greeks and The Illiad The Iliad was a masterpiece of a work, which entertained and gave a description of how the Greeks lived out their lives in battle and at peace. The Iliad, by Homer, is an epic classic set in Ancient Greece. The story ,in its own, contained the use of epic characteristics, which reveal further characteristics of the Greeks. A large influence on the book, was the Greeks religious and mythological stance along with their strengths and weaknesses that were also displayed. The Greeks, with both their strengths and weaknesses, reveal the overall character in Homers tale.. The story of the Iliad takes place in ancient Greece, Troy to be precise. Where a small scuffle has escalated into a war,†¦show more content†¦Many Greeks have such matter in them, as like Achilles in the description, who was no mere mortal among his people. Zeus once predicted, Achilles is a man of great power and thought, he will slay the brave Hektor and bring honor to his people....(236) Achilles was a Greek, so forth he was to bring honor to his people. There was much use of epic characteristics in the Iliad. The Iliad had enormous battles that were fought constantly between the two opponents. Homer writes in description to Hektors fighting, Hektor in the huge pride of his strength rages irresistibly, reliant on Zeus, and gives way to no one neither god nor man...(204). Th e characters fighting for the Greeks or Trojans all were eventually given some kind of supernatural ability to fight such incredible battles. The hero of the story, Achilles, contained superhuman strength beyond that of any other man. In description of his strength, ...and the door barred to his room took three men to open it, but Achilles himself alone could close it.(488) The mother of Achilles was Thetis making him half god, half man. That enabled him to have such powers beyondShow MoreRelatedThe Trojan War : History Not Myth1545 Words   |  7 PagesHistory not Myth The Trojan War is described as one of histories most legendary battles. This battle is told to have lasted ten years, resulting in the eventual collapse of Troy, under the siege of Greek forces. Modern knowledge of the Trojan War has survived mainly through the account given in Homer’s Illiad, and while having proved to be a rich source of inspiration for other writers, artists, and even filmmakers in recent history, much speculation still exists surrounding his account. I will analyzeRead More Achilles in The Illiad is not a Hero Essay1009 Words   |  5 PagesAchilles in The Illiad is not a Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the introduction of the Essential Illiad given by Sheila Murnaghan, Achilles is labeled as â€Å"the greatest of the Greek heroes†. In classic mythology a hero is a person of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits and is often the offspring of a mortal and a god. Achilles was the greatest fighter among the Greeks or Trojans and feared no man in battle. He was also the offspring of a mortal and a god so by classic mythology definitionRead MoreThe Trojan War - Fact or Fiction?1674 Words   |  7 Pages The Trojan War. Confined totally to the pages of Homers The Illiad, the indulgent fantasy of a Greek poet who lived over two and a half thousand years ago- or a historic fact at the centre of the most famous quarrel ever? The Illiad is the ancient tale of a mighty city called Troy that lay at the edge of Asia Minor whose prince abducted Helen, the most beautiful woman of all time, from the king of Greek Sparta, causing the Greeks to send a n army in a thousand ships to attack and lay siege to TroyRead MoreJacques Louis David, Andromache Mourning Hector1145 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluent to the latter Romantic movement, blends various elements and allusions of Homeric times to his artwork, encapsulating important Homeric textual and philosophical references. Masterfully, David engages audience with four central themes of the illiad; the rage of Achillies, Hectors death a metaphor for the fall of troy; and most importantly, the human impact of War. The ominous, heart-breaking family portrait not only enhances Homers’ text, but also ‘paints’ David’s own time; a steady shift intoRead MoreThe Fury of Achiles in Homers Illiad and Ovids Metamorphoses1066 Words   |  4 PagesAchilles Through the stories in both Homers Illiad and Ovids Metamorphoses one can see the power and the fury of Achilles, one greatest Greek warriors in the Trojan War. In Homers Illiad, Homer illustrates the battle between Achilles Hector, who was the Prince of Troy. In Ovids Metamorphoses, Ovid illustrates the battle between Achilles and Cycnus, who is the son of Neptune. In both battles, the outcome is the same both warriors are slain by Achilles. While both stories have the same endingRead MoreAnalysis Of Xenia And The Odyssey 889 Words   |  4 PagesYour Name Your Professors Name Course Number †¨Date The Significance of Xenia in the Works of Homer: Hospitality in the Illiad and the Odyssey The concept of Xenia was extremely significant in ancient Greek culture. As such, it played a prominent role in the works of authors, most specifically Homer. In fact, some of the most significant information we have about the concept of Xenia, as it relates to cultural norms come from the work of Homer, and the examples of hospitality demonstrated inRead MoreAdvent of the Trojan War Essay544 Words   |  3 PagesWashington University says â€Å"The archaeological and textual evidence indicates that a Trojan War or Wars took place and that Homer chose to write about one or more of them making it into a great ten-year-long saga†. In the Illiad the Trojan War was fought around 1200-1100 BC. The Illiad was writing by the blind poet Homer around 750 BC. Helen of Sparta was married to king Menelaus of Sparta. The Mycenaeans had recently formed a peace treaty with Troy. However this was all to change when Paris a princeRead MoreCharacteristics Of A Hero In The Illiad979 Words   |  4 Pagesto think about Superman, Batman or anything in between. People tend to think about unrealistic heroes who wear crazy outfits and capes and have a different they hide behind, but during the time of the Ancient Greeks, they had slightly different thoughts on heroes. When it comes to The Illiad by Homer, one of the biggest things focused on is the image of the hero. Homer never directly gives the answer to the question â€Å"What makes a good hero?†, but he does write about many heroes, and through the writingsRead MoreThe Heroic Code1182 Words   |  5 Pagesdecisions often affect the lives of others as well. They need the heroic code to guide them in their decision making. In this essay, I will describe the heroic code and share its applications in the stories of Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Noah, and The Illiad, as well as my other personal experiences. I will start with the story of The Man of La Mancha, which is a play based on the story of Don Quixote. In this story, you have a rather deranged man on a quest to become a knight. In order to become aRead MoreTheme Of Glory In The Iliad774 Words   |  4 PagesAndy Dai Term Paper 1 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