The Idea Of Honor In Homer's Iliad

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.

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

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