Homer’s Iliad: gods, heroes and the authority of ancient Greece

Homer's 'Iliad'

Iliad (binary/octet-stream)

Caption: : “Triumph of Achilles,” 1892, Franz Matsch. Achilles drags Hector's body around. “

‘Ceasefire’ by Michael Longley

'Ceasefire' by Michael Longley was published on 3rd of September 1994 in 'The Irish Times', on the front page. Longley was an Irish writer, born in Belfast, and lived in the 1990s. For the Irish, the title and subject matter of the poem would have a special resonance. 'Ceasefire’ was written amid rumours that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was on the verge of declaring a cessation of hostilities at a time when the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland were the focus of considerable public and political attention. The IRA ceasefire came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, 31 August 1994, prompting The Irish Times to publish Longley’s sonnet in its Saturday edition.” - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 230

'Ceasefire' took its inspiration from Homer's 'Iliad' In the episode of the 'Iliad' Longley took inspiration from, Piram, King of Troy, travelled in secret across enemy lines at night to huny a Greek who fought in his city, Achilles, the great warrior-hero. Achilles had killed Piram's son, Hector, and mistreated his corpse, which was Achilles revenge for the killing of Patroclus, Achilles beloved companion. Piram pleads for Hector's body to be returned. Achilles is preoccupied with his own fate as he knows he will soon die at Troy, away from home and his father.

The Iliad – Book 24: Priam and Achilles

The 'Iliad' was composed in Ancient Greek.  The Ancient Greek Language still has a lot in common with the language of Greece and Cyprus. Working with the poem today means that you have to work with a translation. The most common translation selected with by Ian Johnston which has been praised for its clarity and liveliness.

Homeric Poetry and the literary canon

The ‘Iliad’ was composed towards the end of the eighth century BCE (predicted to be c.720-700 BCE, or maybe slightly later). The ‘Iliad’ is widely believed to be the earliest surviving work of European literature. The age gives it a unique place in the western canon of literature. The age also adds to the authority of the text. “Despite many later traditions concerning who ‘Homer’ was, very little is known about the author – including, as a matter of fact, whether the composition of the poems can really be attributed to one individual. This is largely because the poems date from a period in Greek history about which we know relatively little and from which few written records survive” - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 238 It is most likely that Ancient Greek poems were composed without writing, likely a product of the oral composition. ‘Which in turn has consequences for how we talk about them: Homer is a ‘poet’ or ‘author’, not a ‘writer’; and students of Homer talk of the Iliad and Odyssey as having been ‘composed’, not ‘written’.’ - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 238 The ‘Iliad’ is 15,000 lines. While Homer isn’t the first western poet, his is the oldest poem to survive.

The subject matter of the Iliad

 The ‘Iliad’ is set in the Trojan War. It is generally believed that the ‘Iliad’ was written several hundred years after the war. The generally believed date for Troy’s destruction is 1184 BCE. The Trojan War lasted for ten years, which the Greeks won after destroying the city of Troy.  ‘Troy is thought to correspond to the site of Hissarlik in modern-day Turkey – a town which, as modern archaeologists have discovered, met a violent end at roughly the time in question (c.1220 BCE).’ – Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 242 It had been widely debated between modern scholars whether the Trojan War was fact or fiction, but for Ancient Greece, it was an important part of their past. The Ancient Greek Audience of the ‘Iliad’ would have known the complete mythology of the Trojan War, which is taken for granted in the poem. ‘Rather than tell the story of the Trojan War from beginning to end, the action of the poem spans only 50 days and focuses on just a handful of days’ fighting.’ - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 242 The ‘Iliad’s main action focus was the fighting and battle scenes, since they take a large amount of the narrative. A constant theme of the effects of war (devastating and disruptive) is present throughout the poem. War being a way for the fighters on both sides to win honour and glory (E.G. by killing the enemy) and battle is also presented as a gripping exhibition itself.  ‘Homeric society also has a clear pecking order: the central characters of the poem are not the ordinary soldiers but rather the elite Greek and Trojan leaders who, in this mythical past, are presented as stronger, braver and more beautiful than any men who have lived since.’ - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 243 The major and minor deities the ancient Greeks worshipped also featured as characters throughout, playing key roles in both the fighting and in weighing in on both sides of the war. Fate also has an important role in the ‘Iliad’.    

Homeric Similes

Similes are a notable feature of Homeric poetry. 'Similes are, of course, common in our everyday speech and are introduced by words such as 'like', 'as', and 'just as'.' - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 250 Homeric similes are long in length. 'Homeric similes serve to glorify war by underlining its spectacle.' - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 252 'These similes give the impression that the poet knows what the war at Troy looked like, what people behaved like.' - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 523 'Extended similes also betray a knowledge by the poet of other realms as well, beyond the scope of war.' - Ideas of Authority (A105) P. 253.