How Is Homer And The Poetic Elevation Of Man

Homer and the Poetic Elevation of Man In Richard Martin’s introduction to the Richmond Lattimore translation of The Iliad he writes, “The Iliad is about heroes as humans, and what constitutes humanity.” (p. 2). This is an intriguing assertion for a piece of poetic work that deals with historical violent conflict. However, through an increasingly complex interplay between the moral quandaries of man and Gods, as well as the talented execution of poetic devices and style, Homer, arguably, is able to transcend the landscape of violent conflict into a poetic elevation of humanity and the definition of a man. Before one can understand what Homer has done poetically, it is important to understand what the poet starts with. The poem itself begins, “sing, goddess, the

In this simile, Homer reminds the reader of the young life that is lost in this battle. In doing so, he provides a glimmer of the mortality that is so central to the makeup of man. In contrast, the Gods of Homer’s epic have an immortality that protects them from ever knowing loss in the same manner as man. Apollo exhibits this in Book 5, “Take care, give back, son of Tydeus, and strive no longer to make yourself like the gods in mind, since never the same is the breed of gods, who are immortal, and men who walk the groundling” (Homer 5.440-442). The Gods have no long standing ramifications for their actions and thus have no concern for loss or need for kleos to keep their story