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The Idea Of Honor In Homer's Iliad

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The concept of honor plays a major role in Homeric society as it drives the actions of the characters to the point of dictating their decisions. In Homer’s Iliad, there are many concepts that are explored related to this idea of honor, the most important being kleos, geras, timê, and aretê/aristeia. Kleos is the glory that is won on the battlefield that lives on after death. It is related to the idea of “dying nobly” as it allows the person who gained Kleos to be remembered and recognized after life. Geras is the prizes that are awarded to a warrior based on their worth as a warrior. In other words, it is a symbolic depiction of how much “honor” and value a warrior has. Timê is essentially the “honor” and the central virtue and worth of a warrior. …show more content…

After Agamemnon declares that he will be taking Achilles’ prize, Achilles is immediately enraged and refuses to fight in the war any longer. Achilles shows his refusal to fight when he declares that “With my hands I will not fight for the girl’s sake, neither/ with you nor any other man, since you take her away who gave her” (Il, 1.298-299). This declaration to not fight any longer really shows how much of a role honor plays in Homeric society due to the idea of losing honor. Achilles essentially was stripped of his geras, his prize, and instantly feels disrespected. He shows this when he tells Patroclus “Now the son of Atreus, powerful Agamemnon,/ has dishonoured me, since he has taken away my prize and keeps it” (Il, 1.355-356). Achilles’ reputation as a warrior is now being treated as less because he is not even able to keep his geras after the fight on the battlefield, to the point of driving him to pray to his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus to punish the Achaians for disrespecting him (Il, 1.364-412). This example really shows just how much honor played a role in driving the …show more content…

Agamemnon essentially declares the war to be a failure and his giving up. However, Nestor urges Agamemnon that with enough begging and gifts, Achilles could potentially be swayed back to the battlefield when he says “even now think how we can make this good and persuade him (Achilles) / with words of supplication and with the gifts of friendship” (Il, 9.112-113). As a result, Agamemnon starts to believe and Phoinix, Aias, and Odysseus is sent to tell Achilles about the proposal and the gifts. However, Achilles response can be summed up with his quote, “But I will speak to you the way it seems best to me: neither/ do I think the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, will persuade me” (Il, 9.314-315). Achilles is still angry from the way that Agamemnon had dishonored him (Il, 9.646-648) and refuses to accept the gifts. Achilles chose the path of a long-life lacking glory over the short lived life that would’ve helped him achieve Kleos. A warrior in Homeric society essentially fights to attain Kleos and become immortalized throughout time so Achilles choosing the path that would bring him no Kleos shows just how much a role

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After his death, Achilles contradicts the ideal of dying honorably and obtaining kleos. Achilles states that he would rather “slave on earth for another man--/some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive --/ than rule down here over all the breathless dead” (11.555-558). Achilles believes that life is more precious than immortal glory. Achilles contradicts the supreme value of kleos in the Iliad. Initially, he once believed that glory was more much important than life.

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Achilleus, who considers himself a greater fighter than Agamemnon, does not believe that he should be taking orders from Agamemnon, and becomes angered when Agamemnon takes his prize, Brisies when he has to give up his prize, Criseis. Achilleus asks Agamemnon how “Anyone of the Achaians readily obey you” (79) and looses his temper. Achilleus becomes so enraged that he turns on his

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Because of Achilles’s immunity, he was a well-known warrior, something significant in his culture since many had been fighting in the war for the past ten years. Achilles wept to his mother when Briseis was taken away from him. Not only did Achilles value the love between him and Briseis, but he also valued the trust he had in his mother to let her know what he felt and what he needed help with. Trust is an important value of culture, especially during the period of war between the Trojans and Greeks. Alongside trust, Achilles valued his loyal friend, Patroclus, who Hector killed in battle.

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Homer’s unveils to man in his marvelous Greek epic, The Iliad, that one can acquire eternal glory only through the stories about them, for only words have the power to live forever. Throughout the epic readers know that Achilles wants above all else eternal glory and for his name to be remembered by all. We learn in rhapsode IX, that Achilles already receives great honor and respect from his fellow comrades in battle and that his name in praised by the Greek soldiers. Even King Agamemnon admits that Achilles is “worth more than many thousands” of Greek soldiers (Iliad.IX.104). However, beyond the field of battle, Achilles’s name in all but unknown.

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These men fight for Kleos, which is an eternal glory. They fight for their glory to live on and their names remembered even long after they are dead. They earn this glory through being renowned for their bravery and courage, as well as their strength and victory in war. To attain Kleos is valued highly to the ancient Greeks and worth the consequences of war, even death.

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This is an example of how honor played a central role in Homer’s works, but this time showing how the desecration of honor can lead a hero down a dark

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In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.

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If I stay here and fight before the city of Troy, there will be no home- coming for me but my fame shall never die; if I go home to my native land, there will be no great fame for me, but I shall live long and not die an early death.” (Homer 110) This shows that he is selfishness and fearful at the same time of losing and dying in the war. In the very beginning of the Iliad, King Agamemnon and Achilles have an argument for a couple of different reasons. After, the Achians won a battle against a city that was allied with the Trojans each of them received a prize consisted of a young woman from the war.

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Achilles is seen to be full of wrath in the beginning of the book. This wrath is not caused only because Agamemnon takes his prize of war. He is angry at the system which allows Agamemnon to play around with other people’s honors and the system which allows him to decide who gets how much honor. In other words, Achilles does not like the idea that someone else can decide what happens to his honor, despite him deserving most of the honor in relation to how much he contributes in war. As the story proceeds, Achilles seems to contradict himself a lot, and the concept of honor helps us understand this better.

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Achilles is maddened and appeals to his goddess mother saying, “If I am to die soon, shouldn’t I have what I want?” Feeling only sorrow for her son, Thetis requests Zeus to cause to Greeks to lose until Achilles fights again. Slowly the Greeks are pushed back farther and Agamemnon pleads with Achilles, offering Briseis back. Achilles declines due to his pride and the Trojans come close to burn the Greek ships. Even when a ship was burning, Achilles refused to fight and instead sends out Patroclus.

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