Analysis Of Achilleus In Homer's The Iliad

As Homer’s The Iliad begins, Achilleus, a god-like mortal and the greatest among all warriors, comes into light as a lead character; one whom brings about the complex issues within the poem. The poem forms while illustrating different overlying ideals such as anger, honor, greed, destruction, forgiveness, and others. Characters come and go, displaying the ideals and warlike lifestyle housed by the warrior-like men of ancient Greece throughout the text; however, Achilleus’ character develops portraying new and different values and beliefs of a soldier of his stature. Modern culture relates much of its development to the ancient Greek societies; still, the two eras do differ individually. Throughout the text, the idea of honor reigns as the

Homer creates Achillues as the only character in the poem to challenge the warrior code: “fate is the same for the man who holds back, the same if he fights hard. We are all held in a single honor, the brave with the weaklings” (9. 318-319). Immediately after opposing Dekay and refusing Agamemnon’s offerings, Achilleus again challenges the typical code and denies that one man can gain more honor than another man. Achilleus evolves in a mysterious way in comparison to other men in the poem; he begins as the typical warrior whom seeks honor and glory, yet as the text progresses his attitude alters completely. Achilleus again tests Dekay after killing Hektor in battle and proceeding to drag his body across the ground from his chariot: “But rather than giving back the corpse to the Trojans, in his continuing rage over the loss of Patroklos he drags it each day around the city, bound by the feet of his chariot” (Martin 13). Throughout the text characters often strip warriors of their armor and leave them for the birds to eat, but never do they abuse a dead body by dragging it under their chariots, especially not men of such high stature like Hektor. When men of great stature perish, they are often retrieved and given a proper burial. Again, contrary to common practice, Achilleus contrasts greatly from the rest of the men in the poem. Similar to other men, however, he does allow his anger to get the best of him, but he manages to remain unique by elevating his anger to a larger extent than all other