Western Canon

A Father and a Son

Anger is the mover of things in war. It is the anger of Menelaus at the theft of his bride Helen, the spite of Hera and Athena at Aphrodite, and, of course, the “rage of Achilles” that is sung in the song of the Iliad. It is the latter ire …

The Death of Hector

It is only in his final chapter that Hector's constancy of character begins to falter. This occurs when Achilles is approaching Troy and ready to engage Hector in battle. After having already ignored his parents' pleas to return to the safety of the city, Hector reconsiders his position and debates …

Resolution?

Before Achilles can go out to meet Hector in battle he must rouse the other Achaean troops. This preempts a meeting and reconciliation with Agamemnon. Achilles is in no mood for words. He briefly calls for an end to the feud and for a mobilization of the troops. Agamemnon, however, …

Rage Redirected

Before Hector meets his fate in front of the walls of Troy he will first attract the ire of Achilles. This is when Patroclus, Achilles’ closest friend, becomes the centerpiece of the action. After a glimpse of the battle convinces him to take up arms, Patroclus asks Achilles if he …

Hector: Loved by the Immortals

While Paris is the shame of the Trojans, his brother, Hector, embodies all that is noble. In fact, Hector's admirability shines even when juxtaposed with the prime movers on the Achaean side, Achilles and Agamemnon. The Greeks are soaked in selfish pride, valuing their own grudges above the lives of …

Collateral Damage

It is rare that a feud confines its impact to the participants. Countless works of literature, from Romeo and Juliet to A Tale of Two Cities, are built on this fact. The Iliad is not an exception. Homer's initial description of the rage of Achilles, a rage directed towards Agamemnon, …

Balancing the Scales

Coming from a Christian perspective the most relatable image of a deity is Zeus. Less fickle than the other gods, Zeus actively balances the scales of most outcomes. He never clearly takes a side in the war nor does he consistently back any particular god. Yet, oddly like the Old …

Strife in the Heavens

This early feud sets off a chain of events that reels the main members of the pantheon into the conflict. Thereby a recurrent theme is established: the gods as participants in human drama. I struggle with the inconsistencies and oddities of the Greek deities. Growing up immersed in a Christian …

The Quarrel

Even a story as foundational as the Iliad assumes some knowledge of the reader (or should I say listener?). Figures like Achilles and Agamemnon were comparable to Napoleon or Churchill. They required little introduction. As such, they received none. We are thrust into the story “when the two first broke …

Where the West was Born

The term "foundational" is overused. It too often assigns significance to works that have, for good reason, been forgotten. However, in the case of the Iliad it could not be more appropriate. Western culture has two equal origins: the Hebrews and the Greeks. While the Torah resides at the base …