Guest Post: Sean Meade Reviews The Illiad
The Illiad by Homer
Sean Meade, in addition to being my good friend, is the Web Editor for Aviation Week’s defense and space content and is the former longtime webmaster/editorial assistant/right-hand of Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett. Sean blogs at ARES for Aviation Week and at his personal blog, Interact:
ON THE ILLIAD
by Sean Meade
What makes ‘The Iliad’ a classic? Why is it classic?
I think the primary answer is simple: it’s the characters. If you can hang tough through all of the idiosyncratic flourishes and ornaments and repetitions, the characters are compelling: Achilleus, his anger and character; the comparative nobility of Hektor and Patroklos (both of whom we know are doomed); the vagaries of the gods and their adolescent machinations; the supporting cast of Agamemnon, Menelaos the wronged, two very different men named Aias (Ajax), Diomedes, Aeneas, Odysseus, Nestor, Paris, Helen and Priam. Take these characters and others and mix them with an interesting story and you have a classic that reaches out to us from about the eighth century BC (when it was likely ‘composed’ (with heavy use of previous, oral sources) by Homer), maybe from as far back as the 12th century BC (maybe the original setting of what has come down to us as The Trojan War). ‘The Iliad’ still resonates with us today.
One reason ‘The Iliad’ can still move us is that Homer has done a masterful job of relating the ‘accidents’ of life. ‘Time and chance happen to all men’, and people who lived 3000 year ago couldn’t deceive themselves about their ability to control life the way we ‘modern’ people do. Human experience and emotions are often inscrutable. ‘Love’ (baldly called ‘lust’ by Homer) can easily destroy. When it occurs in the most influential levels of society, it can draw whole nations into its whirling vortex. Even the love between men in ‘The Iliad’ can seem illogical (no matter where you come down on the homosexuality question): why does noble Patroklos honor Achilleus literally to the death?
‘The Iliad’, of course, focuses a lot on war in ways that have become shockingly remote for most of us. Nothing is so susceptible to ‘luck’ as war. One ‘good’ soldier gets hit by stray friendly fire and dies instantly. Another ‘bad’ soldier comes through the whole war unscathed. Consider the hazards of love, life and war in ‘The Iliad’. Consider them in our own experience. It makes more sense than many theories to conclude that arbitrary and capricious gods can powerfully affect us.
My final guess (for the purposes of this mini-review) at why ‘The Iliad’ is a classic is that the poetry is timeless. This is, of course, nearly impossible to take in from one read-through in translation. My friend, Jason, listened to the abridged version and talked about its power. The commentators discuss it quite a bit, from what I can tell. Most of us (who aren’t going to pay the price to really test it) are going to have to take this on faith and rate it as we will. Poetry is a dying art, and poetry appreciation is probably in an even worse state.
I wonder what role foreknowledge plays in ‘The Iliad’. Many of us know the broad outline of the story going in. If we don’t, Homer spills it in short order. Does knowing Achilleus dies shortly after this episode in The Trojan War change our view of him? Do we cut him more slack? How does knowing that Hektor and Patroklos die within the bounds of this story affect us? Or that Odysseus lives? Or that Agamemnon will be murdered in his bath by his wife (he had it coming ;-)?
Something else that stands out about ‘The Iliad’ is the graphic war imagery. Homer’s descriptions almost seem gratuitous when he goes into detail about how one soldier killed another, where the spear penetrated and where it came out, what muscles were severed, what happened to the bowels, teeth or brain. It’s probably distasteful to many of us in the 21st century, but I think we can just chalk that up to cultural differences.
My second big question is: what does ‘The Iliad’ mean? I’m very snobbish about exegesis, especially concerning the Bible (my training, as a former pastor), but including any suitably worthy literature (with concomitant training in British Lit and Analytic Philosophy). Exegesis, in principle, is simple: what was the author trying to communicate to the audience? (So why is good exegesis so hard to find? 😉 If we are to make any meaningful connection to the original work, this is where we have to begin. You can deploy your Reader Response Theory on ‘Twilight’ or some such drivel, but keep it off my Homer (I told you I’m a snob ;-).
We come to ‘The Iliad’ at a loss because Homer’s values are very different from ours. His presuppositions are vastly different from ours. I have touched on some of these already. The gods can show up at any time and throw any wrench in the works for almost any imaginable reason. We have to take the role of the gods seriously to take Homer seriously. What did their role say about the responsibility of people? Humans retain some responsibility, almost paradoxically. Helen isn’t completely off the hook for running away with Paris. Achilleus does not get a complete pass for his anger that causes the deaths of so many Achaean comrades. Agamemnon is not excused for his overbearing pride that contributed to the disagreement with Achilleus. And even noble Hektor faces bouts of inaction and cowardice for which he is not wholly exonerated.
Another value we find hard to understand is the ancient Greek concept of nobility. It’s just born there. If you’re a shepherd who’s not the natural-born son of King Priam and Queen Hekabe, that’s all you’ll ever be: a shepherd. The main characters are noble; many are first-generation half-deities and most (all?) have divinity in their bloodline somewhere. From our standpoint, Achilleus behaves like a monster, especially in his repeated attempted-desecration of Hektor’s body (the gods protect Hektor’s body and Achilleus’ ultimate honor by preserving Hektor’s corpse inviolate in almost the perfect proverbial deus ex machina). He’s sacrificed any claim to nobility as far as we’re concerned. Not so for Homer and the ancient Greeks; Achilleus retains his nobility, though it is clouded by sins. He receives partial pardons and rationalizations. From our perspective, we view him as maybe the original anti-hero. Homer’s view is much less ambivalent, and Achilleus gets away with things for which lesser men would go straight to Tartaros without passing ‘Go’. It’s a far cry from our 21st century Western concept of nobility and our love of ‘rags to riches’ fables. It’s only riches to riches here (though maybe no one knew through the rags that you were really rich).
So what is Homer’s message? The conclusion of my barely-better-than-cursory reading is: Given that nobility and greatness are natural, almost literally gifts of fate (the Fates); and that humans are subject to the whims of the gods; it is best to be brave and seek glory (within reason–with a glance forward to Aristotle’s middle-way ethic). How’s that going to help you with your job or family? Not much. It’s fodder for thinking about societal values and a long way from whether or not to stick it out in your mediocre, going-nowhere job. (It might possibly apply to whether or not you should run away with your neighbor’s spouse.)
For most of us, ‘The Iliad’ is probably a test in proper exegesis more than someplace we should or will go to look for meaning. But maybe that’s just my soap box 😉
September 11th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Hi Sean,
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"Achilleus retains his nobility, though it is clouded by sins. He receives partial pardons and rationalizations. From our perspective, we view him as maybe the original anti-hero. Homer’s view is much less ambivalent, and Achilleus gets away with things for which lesser men would go straight to Tartaros without passing ‘Go’. It’s a far cry from our 21st century Western concept of nobility and our love of ‘rags to riches’ fables. It’s only riches to riches here (though maybe no one knew through the rags that you were really rich)."
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I thought that was very interesting.
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How does Achilles as a character then stack up against Milton’s Satan? (Or the Illiad vs. Paradise Lost, if you prefer).
September 11th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
What is the theme of the Illiad?Achilles’ wrath, to Greece the direful spring
Of woes unnumber’d, heavenly goddess, sing!A hero’s single flaw brings sorrow to many. With great power comes great responsibility.
September 12th, 2010 at 12:09 am
The timing of this review could not be more fortuitous; I’ve several Greek classics, including the Iliad in the queue. As Charles Hill said in his recent book, Grand Strategies, there is much to learn an era from good works of literature; and what I have learned is how little man has changed.
September 12th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Thanks again, Mark.
Milton’s view is much closer to what we would think of as ‘nobility’. IIRC, Milton was a fairly traditional, orthodox Christian. Satan is a pure anti-hero. Interestingly, both protagonists are very compelling, probably what they have most in common.
What do you think?
DS: But he can’t escape his fate. I don’t think we should view it purely as a character flaw and its results. Doesn’t that make it too much of a morality play?
September 12th, 2010 at 1:33 am
Nicely done! I’m sort of with you, I think. Taking useful morality lessons from the Iliad requires distortions that old-fashioned English majors like you and me can’t make without wincing 😉 But I’m still moved by Priam’s appeal to Achilles, which I once heard explained as "civilization’s last, desperate appeal to humanity’s savage core," or something of that sort. That’s taking it a bit far, but if Achilles had turned Priam away, I do think we’d read Hektor’s defeat differently, don’t you? If epithets weren’t always chosen merely for their syllabic values, then maybe it’s no accident that the last one in the work is "breaker of horses"–i.e. the one who brings order to wildness.(fwiw, the version I listened to was unabridged. Which made those catalogs looooooooong. On the same trip, we also listened to Heart of Darkness in one sitting–exactly as Marlow’s listeners would have.)
September 12th, 2010 at 11:40 am
JS: glad it was timely.
thanks, Jason! leave it to you to be moved by the human element 🙂
interesting take on civilization’s appeal. let’s think of it as a happy synchronicity. i could have sworn you told me you listened to the abridged version. i don’t think i would have had the patience to listen!
September 12th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
"So what is Homer’s message? The conclusion of my barely-better-than-cursory reading is: Given that nobility and greatness are natural, almost literally gifts of fate (the Fates); and that humans are subject to the whims of the gods; it is best to be brave and seek glory (within reason–with a glance forward to Aristotle’s middle-way ethic)."
This ignores completely the passage in the Odyssey in which Odysseus encounters Achilles in the Underworld. In response to Osysseus’ statement that he, Achilles, is the most famous of all Greeks, Achilles responds by stating that it is better to be a "pthete," ( a social position lower than that of a slave ) but alive than the greatest of all the dead.
Achilles is a man confronting is own mortality. This gives rise to stresses between life and death, social order ( represented by Agamemnon ) and individual striving ( which he represents ), fortune and misfortune ( represented by the aging Priam. ) Such are the generations of men, that they grow forth like leaves, spread, and then whiter.
As for the differences between Ancient Greek and modern morality, this includes the usual twaddle about how different and more enlightened. In point of fact the contemporary United States has very little actual social mobility and anyone who has seen a video game knows that blood and gore are a significant part of current culture. In this decade alone, the United States has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.
September 12th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
In this decade alone, the United States has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. Document, please. If you’re referring to Iraq and the Lancet report, nearly all of the deaths reported there were Iraqi on Iraqi violence rather than U. S. on Iraqi.
September 12th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Reading the comments reminded me of one of Hill’s observations w/respect to Milton and The Iliad: "Epic poems often begin in medias res, in the middle of things, and Paradise Lost is no exception. The Iliad begins in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Accordingly we too may begin not with Milton’s book I but with book 5, because that is where the story really starts, with God." (page 98, Grand Strategies)
September 12th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
If you’re referring to Iraq and the Lancet report, nearly all of the deaths reported there were Iraqi on Iraqi violence rather than U. S. on Iraqi.
Of course I am referring to Iraq. A "war of choice," for which the United States bears full responsibility.
That so many Americans woudl shirk responsibility for the consequences of their own actions does distinguish them from the heroic Homeric ethic even though their conduct is at least as bloodthirsty. It is no wonder that the rest of the world is now dismantling the esrtwhile American empire.
September 12th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Ah, Mercutio, I’m not sure the world has much to teach America about acceptance of responsibility. Examples of mea culpa out there seem to be few and among great powers, still fewer.
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Sean, I think while anti-heroic, Satan was both far greater a persona than Achilles and also less free. Milton’s concepts of fate, choice and divinity differed considerably fromn Homer’s. I am due for a re-read of the Illiad though as it was 25 + years ago. Paradise Lost was only a little more recent 🙂
September 12th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
"Poetry is a dying art, and poetry appreciation is probably in an even worse state."
*
Poetry will never die out, because life moves as energy and poetry is the first-responder to energy as it "moves".
September 12th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Ah, Mercutio, I’m not sure the world has much to teach America about acceptance of responsibility. Examples of mea culpa out there seem to be few and among great powers, still fewer.
If by "the world" you mean the balance and harmony that underlies the universe, then the world has much to teach America about the meaning of the words moira and hybris.
As for the punishment of overweening power and its abuse, Homer’s discussion of Agamemnon says much.;
September 13th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Mercutio,
Re: hybris.
This lesson might be useful not only to America but to other powers blinded by their new found strengths.
P.S.: Enjoy your updates on news from the peripheries.
September 13th, 2010 at 2:03 am
"If by "the world" you mean the balance and harmony that underlies the universe…."
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Nothing so metaphysical, simply the society of states whose behavior is with regularity, unbalanced and disharmonious, not to mention special-pleading.:)