Homer

throughout the world today, there are so many acts of violence and brutality taking place. To add on, movies, books, and more are projecting these cruel scenes. Similarly, in ancient greek times violence was also a part of many stories. In The Odyssey, by Homer, there are multiple scenes of violence shown. The story of Odysseus tells the tale of an Ithacan king named Odysseus who is out at sea on a wild 20 year journey before being able to return home. During his struggle home, Odysseus faces…

that the famous are the ones who experience the greatest misery because they are trapped by public opinion. In the Iliad, Homer subverts the ancient Greek trope that legacies are crucial to a fulfilling life. One of the most complex characters in the novel, Hector is at first a man of honor and nobility, but eventually gives way to his dark legacy. One of the first glimpses Homer gives of Hector is when he chastises Paris and declares him a “curse to your father, your city, and all your people”…

of the sirens is there voices. “All that the Greeks endured, and all the ills inflicted by the Gods of Troy, we know”(Homer). There voices seem to have a magic touch and when they sing their compliments to the men it grabs their attention to where they don't know what they are doing. “My feet and arms with strong coercion bound of cordage to the mast-foot well secured” (Homer) When the sirens see the boat their attention goes directly toward the boat.…

By looking at the various archaeological and historical evidence, we can determine the historical reality of the so called, Trojan War. I contend, that whilst the main source of information, Homers Iliad, is largely mythological and written not for history but for entertainment, there are still some archaeological factors suggesting there was some form of conflict between Greece and Troy. Thus, the categorisation of the Trojan war as a myth, warrants critical evaluation. I propose the reality…

he must not be jealous of him begging in the palace as well, as “Prosperity is up to the gods” (Homer 2007, 162). This conveys the belief that the gods have control over their lives, and that if they do not respect them, their lives could easily be ruined. This argument is furthered earlier in the text, as Melampus explains that “he was shackled by Fate” and that the “will of Zeus was fulfilled” (Homer 2007, 104). Fate is determined by the gods and so it is…

Homer dichotomizes the brutality of war against the peacefulness of family in The Iliad. As Book 6 opens, Homer states that the Greek and Trojan armies “spread like hemorrhage across the plain” (Homer 69). The Trojans are so brutal, that the Greek armies pull back because it seems as if “Some god had come from the starry sky/ To help the Trojans” (Homer 69). Utilizing these similes, Homer makes it clear that the war is bloody and violent. Later in Book 6, Homer’s tone shifts to dichotomize the…

It is likely that Homer originated from Western Asia Minor. He was an bard, who in the custom, spoke orally, and so he was a rhapsode. Rhapsodes performed before audiences in real time. And like other rhapsodes, he played a vital role in terms of history and the entertainment world. Though there is the belief that Homer had no sight (was blind), it was however, more likely that it was based off how the culture of the Greeks often used it as a metaphor for exceptional perception. Homer’s works…

The animosity of men within the Iliad is omnipresent. The entire epic takes place nearly a decade into a period of violent warfare; one which Homer portrays with a sickening level of realism. Large portions of this epic consist of morbid accounts of the battle fatalities. Within these macabre descriptions of action, however, focus of the reader is redirected to the men involved and, consequently, to the humanity within the actual warfare. Of the mere six-line description of the death of Xanthus,…

purely stating the events of the Trojan War, Homer uses its characters as platforms from which he can add his own perspectives regarding the true value of honor. Homer uses Achilles’ discussion with Patroclus in The Iliad to ridicule fighting for honor; by equating Achilles’ grudge against Agamemnon with the larger purpose of the Trojan War, Homer casts war, glory, and honor in a light that both exposes their vacuity and proves their uselessness. Homer parallels the Achaeans’ conflict against…

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer describes the speaker’s reaction to Homer, the translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey by George Chapman. The “realms of gold” and “godly states and kingdoms” (line 1-2) the speaker refers to in the first stanza describes the many poems he has read in his lifetime. They were rich in culture, meaning and intellectual thought. His idea of travel alludes to the Iliad because it recounts the process it was for the Greek to siege the city of Troy in the Trojan…