The Iliad, Books 916

1
The Iliad, Books 9-16

• ART/CNE 430
• 9/7/04

2
Another View Triadic Structure

• The Iliad also breaks into 3 main parts
• Books 1-7 the traditional picture of the Greeks
  as aggressors against and the Trojans as
  defenders of Troy.
• Books 8-17 the depiction of Achilles alienation
  and its consequences raises moral intellectual
  issues that go beyond anything in the poetic
  tradition (reevaluation of the heroic code).
• Books 18-24 Achilles aristeia.

3
Part 2 Books 8-17

• The major heroic action is the aristeia of
  Patroklos in Book 16, in which, by assuming
  Achilles armor and persona, he loses his own
  identity and characteristic gentleness (enêês a
  word used only of him).

4
Part 3 Books 18-24

• Achilles aristeia is untraditional in
  comparison with Diomedes, Achilles stands out as
  a deadly and daemonic force of destruction barely
  acknowledging his human limits.
• With the results of Achilles aristeia - the
  death of Hektor, Achilles own impending death,
  and the fated fall of Troy, the poem returns to
  the traditional mythology of the Trojan War.

5
Large Narrative Pattern

• The 3 stages of the poem, marked by the aristeiai
  of Diomedes, Patroklos, and Achilles, are
  progressive stages leading toward this death and
  destruction.
• Each of the 3 parts includes near its beginning a
  crucial action of Achilles his quarrel and
  withdrawal in Bk. 1, his refusal of Agamemnons
  gifts in Bk. 9, and his decision to die at once
  if he can avenge Patroklos in Bk. 18.

6
Divine Patterns

• Bk. 1 Zeus promises Thetis he will honor
  Achilles by granting victory to the Trojans.
• Bk. 8 Zeus goes into more detail, telling Hera
  that Hektor will rout Greeks until Achilles
  rouses Patroklos to fight Hektor will kill
  Patroklos after P. has killed Sarpedon Achilles
  will then kill Hektor in revenge, after which
  Troy will soon fall.

7
Zeus Prophecies

• Zeus promise and prophecies unfold his plans as
  the poem unfolds.
• They set Achilles actions, and all human
  actions, in a divine perspective that imparts to
  them an ironic and tragic dignity.
• Each of his statements is in response to Heras
  actions or statements in support of the Greeks
  the repeated motif of their divine quarreling
  gradually clarifies the movement of the poem
  toward its tragic conclusion on the mortal plane.

8
Smaller Narrative Patterns The Embassy to
Achilles Bk. 9

• Secondary Plot Point
• Here we see how Achilles anger has changed him
  and the way that he sees the world.
• Defeatist Agamemnon declares that Zeus lied,
  wants the Greeks to return home.

9
Nestors Role

• In contrast to the False Dream in Bk. 2, no one
  runs. Diomedes chastises Agamemnon for weakness.
• Captains withdraw into council, Nestor addresses
  Agamemnon.

10
Agamemnons response

• When Nestor accuses Agamemnon of causing all this
  because of his having dishonored Achilles,
  Agamemnon agrees, blaming atê (madness, an
  outside force that takes away good sense).

11
Agamemnons offer

• While he does not admit personal responsibility,
  Agamemnon offers Achilles many prizes (geras) to
  restore his timê, including the untouched Briseis
  and the offer of one of his daughters in marriage.

12
The Embassy

• Three men carry the offer to Achilles tent
  Odysseus (a strange choice), Ajax, and Phoinix
  (Achilles old tutor).
• Achilles plays the aoidos, singing the great
  deeds of heroes.

13
Odysseus speech

• Repeats Agamemnons words verbatim but leaves out
  the final insult.
• Achilles response
• I hate dissemblers
• No need for timê, since merit isnt always
  rewarded. Death awaits the brave cowardly
  alike.

14
Re-evaluation of Heroic Code

• They have come to Troy to avenge bride-theft yet
  Agamemnon has stolen his bride.
• Doesnt want geras, his life isnt for sale.
• Achilles choice short but glorious, or long but
  inglorious.

15
Achilles Choice

• Tells O. that his father has lots of land
  wealth. Achilles will sail home in the morning,
  to marry and have a family - a long, inglorious
  life.

16
Summary

• Achilles cannot accept Agamemnons offer because
  he has rejected the values that the offer
  presumes, those by which he had lived until
  Agamemnon showed him how empty they were.

17
Phoinixs Appeal

• A member of Achilles oikos, Phoinix appeals to
  his sense of moral behavior, since Odysseus
  appeal to his love of glory failed.
• If you are harmed, accept recompense and let it
  go. If you dont, you too are being unjust.
• Myth of Meleager dont follow this example.

18
Achilles Reply to Phoinix

• I dont need Agamemnons timê -
• I get my honor from Zeus.
• In Achilles extraordinary claim to indifference
  about what people think of him, his rejection of
  shame culture, we see the moral genius of Homer.

19
Aiass (Ajaxs) Appeal

• Camaraderie. Achilles is hard and doesnt
  remember that friends affection wherein we
  honored him by the ships. . . Pitiless. . .
  Respect your own house, we who desire beyond all
  others to have your honor love.
• Achilles acknowledges this appeal, but his menis
  remains too strong to yield.

20
Achilles Subtle Concession

• Contrary to his declaration to Odysseus that hed
  sail home the next day, Achilles now says he will
  remain, but wont fight until Hektor and Trojan
  fire reach his ships.

21
The Greek Reaction

• Odysseus tells Agamemnon that Achilles rejects
  both Agamemnon and his gifts he is filled with
  rage more than ever and threatens to sail home
  tomorrow (omits Achilles reconsideration).
• All of them stayed stricken to silence in
  amazement at his words.
• Diomedes speaks, rebuking Achilles pride, but
  asserting that he will fight again whenever the
  time comes that the heart in his body urges him
  to, and the god drives him. (702-703)

22
Song of Dolon (Book 10)

• Story of a night raid against the Trojans.
• Has a cut-throat mood shows us a side of the war
  weve not yet seen the clandestine operation
  across enemy lines through oceans of corpses to
  kill still more men and gain intelligence.
• Provides a respite from main wrath story, must
  give heart to depressed Achaians.

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Wounding of the Captains (11.1-595)

• Fighting breaks out at dawn, spurred on by the
  gods. The Greeks fight like lions all the way to
  the Skaian Gate.
• We now see Agamemnon in action (arming scene
  first, 11.15-46), a splendid aristeia.
• Finally Agamemnon is wounded and withdraws from
  the field. Hektor now takes center stage.
• Diomedes is wounded Odysseus has a mini-aristeia
  before he is wounded as well. Aias kills many
  until he too is driven back.

24
Plan of Nestor (11.596-848)

• Paris wounds Machaon, the army doctor, so Nestor
  carries him out of fray in his chariot. Achilles
  notices this, sends Patroklos to find out what is
  up.
• Nestor receives Patroklos and offers him the Cup
  of Nestor - after telling long tales of his own
  exploits as a young man, Nestor suggests that
  Patroklos put on Achilles armor to psych out the
  Trojans, to make them think he has returned to
  battle.

25
Battle at the Wall (Book 12)

• Homer flash forwards to the fall of Troy, when
  the gods Poseidon and Apollo will destroy the
  wall protecting the Greek ships (12.12-18).
• Hektor forces the Greeks back behind their ships
  the Trojan horses balk at crossing the staked
  ditch. Trojans break into infantry contingents
  and prepare to attack.

26
Zeus Portent

• The imagery Homer uses is that of the sacking of
  a city, not the taking of a defensive wall (ex.
  12.256-64).
• Portent an eagle drops a blood red snake.
  Although this indicates a short-lived Trojan
  victory, Hektor rejects the omen with a snarl -
  such atê is expected in a man doomed to
  die/defeat (12.322-8).

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Why fight?

• Sarpedon sums it up if one could somehow escape
  death altogether, war would make no sense but
  since no man escapes death, you might as well
  behave honorably.
• Hektor breaks the gates bolts with a stone - the
  gates swing open and the Trojans pour into the
  Greek camp.

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Battle at the Ships (Book 13)

• Having told the gods not to interfere, Zeus turns
  his shining eyes away from the battle.
• But Poseidon pities the Greeks, takes on form of
  Kalchas stirs them up.

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Battle at the Ships, cont.

• Poseidon
• Yet even though it be utterly true that the son
  of Atreus the hero wide-powerful Agamemnon is
  guilty because he did dishonor to Peleus son,
  still there is no way for us now to hang back
  from the fighting. (13.111-114)

30
Battle Behavior

• 13.197-205 the Aiantes cut off Imbrios head,
  throwing it like a ball through the battle throng
  until it came to rest at Hektors feet.

31
The Brave vs. the Cowardly

• Idomeneus delivers a speech on bravery vs.
  cowardice (13.275-291).
• By the end of the book, nothing has changed since
  Hektor smashed the gate (except many have died,
  of course).
• Homer has delayed the narrative.

32
The Deception of Zeus (Book 14)

• Homer now presents a sequence of scenes that take
  place at the same time as the events in Book 13.
• The wounded captains talk Agamemnon suggests
  leaving Troy (3rd time!), Odysseus rebukes him
  Diomedes suggests they return to battle.

33
Divine Interlude

• The disguised Poseidon pauses by the wounded
  captains.
• Hera favors Poseidons efforts to help the
  Greeks distracts Zeus by seducing him with
  Aphrodites help.
• With Zeus asleep, Ajax and Hektor duel.
• Ajax smashes Hektor with a rock.

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Fire at the Ships (Book 15)

• Zeus awakens, angry. He asserts his divine
  authority to Hera et al., then summarizes the
  plot of the epic (15.61-77).
• In a nutshell, Hektor will kill Patroklos,
  thereby driving Achilles back into the fighting.
• Hera returns to Olympus and stirs up the other
  gods.
• Apollo revives Hektor turns back the Achaians to
  the ships by means of the aegis.

35
Death of Patroklos (Book 16)

• Kind Patroklos is distraught at the armys
  plight, criticizes Achilles for his lack of
  compassion for his comrades.
• Achilles admits this, but says he is helpless
  before his rage/grief.

36
Patroklos Request

• Achilles declines to return to battle, but agrees
  to Nestors plan.
• Torn between anger sympathy, Achilles gives
  Patroklos most of his armor warns him not to go
  to the walls of Troy.

37
Patroklos Aristeia

• Patroklos kills many, pens up the Trojans, and
  throws others into the ditch before the wall.
• He fights Sarpedon, leader of the Lycians, son of
  Zeus.
• Zeus considers saving his son against fate weeps
  tears of blood.

38
Death of Patroklos

• Only 2 major heroes die in the Iliad Patroklos
  and Hektor.
• Patroklos, blinded by atê, forgets Achilles
  warning and attacks the walls of Troy.
• Apollo himself pushes Patroklos back from the
  walls strikes off his armor leaves him naked,
  surrounded by Trojans.
• Hektor finishes him off with a cut to the stomach.

39
Battle over Patroklos Corpse (Book 17)

• Homer allows Hektor to capture the armor
  (Achilles) but not the body.
• This scene may have evolved from the epic
  tradition of the fight over Achilles body. Since
  Homer does not narrate Achilles death, he can
  use it here, where it serves to foreshadow
  Achilles death.

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More foreshadowing?

• Eerily, Achilles divine horses weep inconsolably
  when Patroklos dies. A hold over from the epic
  tradition of Achilles death, or an
  acknowledgement that Achilles will now choose to
  fight, and so die?

41
Fight Over Patroklos Corpse,Continued

• When Patroklos falls, Menelaos stalked through
  the ranks of the champions . . . And bestrode the
  body, as over a first-born calf the mother cow
  stands lowing (3-5).

42
Menelaos Gets Help

• Hektor turns toward Menelaos, who considers with
  himself (17.90-105).
• Menelaos reluctantly leaves the body to get Aias.
  Aias approaches just as Hektor is about to cut
  off Patroklos head give his body to the dogs.

43
Battle for Patroklos Corpse

• Aias covering the son of Menoitios under his
  broad shield stood fast, like a lion over its
  young, when the lion is leading his little ones
  along, men who are hunting come upon them in
  the forest (132-135).

44
Retrieval of the Corpse

• Homer interweaves simile after simile into the
  battle, comparing the ravages of war to the
  depredations of animals or their hunting by other
  animals or humans.
• Finally Menelaos and Meriones get up the naked
  body while the two Ajaxes (the Aiantes) hold back
  Hektor and the Trojans.
• Antilochos is sent to tell Achilles the bad news.

45
van Wees Homeric Warfare

• It is hard for modern readers to appreciate the
  battle narratives. To help us, he wants to
  recreate the ancient experience by helping to
  clear up confusion and reconstruct what is going
  on.
• He also looks at it for historical reasons -
  Homeric combat reflects battles as they were
  fought by early Greek armies.

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Key Terms in Homeric Army

• hetairos the egalitarian companion
• therapôn the hierarchical follower (attendant)

47
Military Structure

• No cohesive, exclusive military units
• Battle is conducted by mobile and changing
  clusters of warriors based on ties of
  companionship and personal subordination.

48
Homers Narrative Technique

• Constructs battle scenes much as a modern film
  director would.
• Opens with a panoramic images of forces drawing
  up advancing, then zooms in on the action.

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Formation

• Densely packed, heavily armored troops seems the
  ideal.

50
Initial Clash

• The mass remain out of missile reach promakhoi
  fight at close range, moving in and out of the
  mass.
• Not massed hand-to-hand combat.

51
Problem

• Opening scenes combine in an awkward manner 3
  distinct elements open order combat between
  promakhoi, close order hand-to-hand fighting,
  mass exchange of missiles.

52
Solution?

• We may be jumping to conclusions at his
  descriptions. It could be that all battles begin
  with the promakhoi, until a breakthrough is
  achieved.

53
Stages of Battle, Continued

• Flight, pursuit, and rally
• Intensification of Battle
• Exhortations to fight
• Homeric duels? Hit and run attacks?

54
Historical Implications

• Homers armies and battles are given in a
  consistent picture.
• All are expected to fight at least occasionally
  all expected to be promakhoi occasionally.
• Homer goes beyond this in 3 respects heavy
  armor, chariots, massed formations.

55
van Wees Conclusions

• We may be witnessing an embryonic hoplite phalanx
  in the process of development, circa 700-650 BC.
• Still, Homer reflects an aristocratic p.o.v.
  agrees with Morris re ideological outlook.