The Epic War By Homer - 915 Words

The Iliad may be seen as an account of circumstances that really change the life of one man, Achilles, one of the greatest Achaeans warriors. The loyal war hero is the main character in the Iliad. It is his storyline that creates the essence of the epic war written by Homer. When the poem is first read it seems as though the main theme is about the dominance, gruesomeness, horror, and plain destruction of Troy, however this is not the main focus. We see Achilles transform from youth to adulthood and go through fundamental personality and character changes from a ferocious warrior in the beginning to a more reserved and hospitable man by the end of the poem. Nine years after the start of the Trojan War, the Achaeans attack Chryse, a small town allied with Troy. During the battle, the Achaeans capture two beautiful maidens, Chryseis and Briseis. Agamemnon, the forces leader, takes Chryseis as his prize, and Achilles claims Briseis. For their selfishness Apollo sends a plague on the Achaeans’ camp. Many die from the plague, so Agamemnon turns to the prophet Calchas to determine the cause of the plague and learns that Chryseis is the cause, so he gives her up and demands Achilles’ war prize, Briseis. Furious Achilles returns to his tent and refuses to fight the war and instead wants to take revenge against Agamemnon. Agamemnon, who is pleased to have the prize says to Achilles â€Å"But here is a threat: in the same way as Phoesbus Apollo is robbing me of Chryseis, whom I proposeShow MoreRelatedHomer: The Most Famous Greek Poet751 Words   |  4 Pages Whether Homer was real or not, a group of people, a boy or a girl; one thing we are sure of is that â€Å"Homer† wrote two of the best epic poems. The Iliad, which was based on the tenth year of the Trojan War and the Odyssey, which was about a guy named Odysseus who goes on many adventures as he tried to get home to his son and his wife. From what we know Homer was the most famous of all Greek poets because of his written works, his legendary history, and his influential work. â€Å"Hateful toRead MoreThe Era Of Homer By Homer911 Words   |  4 PagesThe Era of Homer Although we cannot be sure of when Homer lived, we know he played a significant role in the formation of the literature of ancient Greece. Researchers believe that he probably lived somewhere around 8th century BC and was possibly one of the first literate authors. Other theories suggest that he only spoke his epics and they were put into writing by others. Homer’s stories show us the first glimpse of documented information of Greek myth and religion. Most important was theRead MoreEpic Heroism And Values Of The Iliad1030 Words   |  5 Pages DWC 101: Paper 1 November 1, 2017 Epic Heroism and Values of the Greek and Roman Culture The image of Achilles killing Hector and the image of Aeneas killing Turnus classify them as epic heroes. 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Homer is a name that needsRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Iliad 1382 Words   |  6 PagesRyan Doerhoff History of Greece Dr. Kirkland September 5, 2014 Document Analysis The primary documents that will be focused on in this analysis come from Homer’s Iliad. Homer is venerated today as the greatest of Greek epic poets, as his works had a colossal impact on the history of literature. Through his epics, Homer brings us first hand into the culture of the Greek world in the eighth century B.C. It is important to note that at this time very few had the privilege of an education, and lackedRead MoreIliad Overview 1298 Words   |  6 PagesAn epic poem outlined by the Oxford English Dictionary says that its a â€Å"lengthy poem, usually one derived from ancient oral custom, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the historic previous of a rustic† The aim of the poems is to know the time of antiquity during which an epic poem depicts many things and readers can derive many causes from the poems. The Iliad of Homer, throughout which several things are, derived from the compilation of twenty-4 books, models theRe ad MoreAnalysis Of The Iliad And The Odyssey785 Words   |  4 PagesThe epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer have been thought of as works of fiction, but there has been data proving otherwise. What if these epics could be scientifically proven to have actually happened? 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