ipl-logo

Achilles's Greed In The Iliad

129 Words1 Pages
First, the greed of the epics’ heroic characters alters the journey and fates of the mortal characters. For example, in the beginning of The Iliad, Achilles is dishonored when his war prize, Briseis, is stolen by King Agamemnon. In turn, Achilles goes to his mother, Thetis, to utilize her immortal influence to help the Trojans defeat the Achaeans; “Let [Zeus] give help now to the Trojans. Let them drive the Greeks in among their very ships on the sand, killing them there” (Homer 43). In doing so, Achilles intends the Greeks will realize how important he is, and regret taking away Briseis. Essentially, Achilles’ prayer demonstrates how his greed for honor and respect is valued above the lives of his comrades, leading to the loss of many Achaean
Open Document