Discussion- The Iliad

Overview:

A Greek leader must think about his reputation and in this day and age, i.e., the Bronze Age, your reputation is directly connected to how much material wealth you possess. That material wealth includes those women being called prizes of honor. Note especially what Agamemnon says to Achilles: "I will come to your hut and take your prize of honor. Then you will understand how much more powerful than you I am and, in days to come, no other king will argue with me and treat me as his equal."

Instructions:

With this in mind, can we view the behavior of Agamemnon or Achilles as appropriate for heroes? How does the characterization of Hector help define heroic behavior for early Greeks?

Make sure to judge these Mycenaean heroes by their own standards rather than modern standards. Their pride and their need for prizes et al. may seem selfish or even childish in our eyes, but are necessary in their world. There is a very good section on the Homeric hero on pgs. 119-122 in our text. Please refer to the information on the Homeric hero carefully when assessing the "heroic" nature of these warriors.

Please cite specific episodes from the story.