Athena and the Trojan War

Odysseus moves away from the wartime method of gaining glory throughout his journey. At the start of Book 9, Odysseus and his crew often “pillaged the towns” nearby. Instead of relying on xenia to exchange and receive gifts, they “killed all the men” and took the treasures by force. Throughout the books, Odysseus gradually restrains the “toxic heroism” of a “marauder”, acting instead as a friendly guest who, through his “winged words” and noble gestures, wins the respect of his hosts. In his visit to Aeolia and Scheria, Odysseus gains through his good speaking skills and great xenia on his part as a guest the similar kleos he would have gained by conquering. The shift from wartime mode of conquering to peacetime acts of friendly exchanges reflects the context in which the Odyssey was written. After the war (presumably the Trojan War), the Achaean societies shifted away from warrior codes favored during the Iron Age as they settle down into agricultural lifestyles, where trade and hospitality are emphasized. Thus, the changes in Odysseus’s characteristics mirror the changes in social structures and conventions in the ancient world.

*This post answers Question 4 of Book 12

Can the villain become the hero, or at least express traits of heroism? This idea is fearful, for it breaks the boundaries of morality. Joel’s blogpost on Sententiae Antiquae— “A School Massacre and Toxic Heroism”—discusses how actions and traits traditionally held as glorious can be dangerous.

While most heroic characters do not lie on the center of controversy like the example of Kleomêdês in the blogpost, many of them do tend to do harm while being heroic. In keeping his honor, Achilles prays to the deities—his mother and Zeus—to cause more Achaean casualties, which sacrifices his closest friend Patroclus. Achilles’ son Neoptolemus also has qualities associated with toxic heroism. In the Aeneid, he slaughters a Trojan prince in front of the king Priam, and then kills Priam at the altar. According to the warriors’ code, such acts make him a great warrior. But from a moral perspective, Neoptolemus’s acts could be regarded as both ruthless and sacrilegious. While we hail the bravery of Achilles and Neoptolemus, we often forget that their successes were built upon by the blood of victims.

A specific argument Joel makes about heroism I particularly agree on is the emphasis of “excess”. The fact that Greek heroes “kill excessively” makes their actions fall from righteous warfare to immoral slaughter. Today, this excessiveness manifests itself in the commercial market. The goals of many companies are to occupy a huge amount of the market share in order to be “honored” in the market, that is to say having a great amount of control over the prices set in the market.

A major conflict in Book 6 of the Iliad lies between Hector and his wife Andromache. Andromache wants Hector to quit the war, but Hector explains to her why he has no choice but fights on. The discourse gives light to the roles of warriors and men in society. Through Hector’s speech to Andromache, Homer depicts Hector as a paradigm, embodied both as a warrior and a man.

Being A Warrior

Compared to the Greeks, Hector fights pessimistically. He knows his fate “too well”. In his heart, Hector can foresee the day “when holy Ilion will perish”. But despite his pessimism, Hector fights on.

Hector’s persistence follows the warriors’ code of defending honor. He confesses to Andromache that his greatest fear is to see her “dragged away” as a slave by “some bronze-armored Greek”. Such acts, by the honor code, give him aidos (shame). This resistance against shame does not equal resistance against fate. Hector believes in his fate. He knows that he will not be sent to death before his time, while acknowledging that “no one has ever escaped his fate”. In this light, Hector’s actions are existentialist. While embracing his fate, he does what he can to preserve his honor as a warrior. Hector shows qualities of being both pious and brave.

Being A Man

The argument between Andromache and Hector shows that they have different viewpoints. While Andromache’s stance is domestic, Hector sees a greater responsibility beyond his home. Hector’s care for family could be seen in his prayers for his little boy. As a man, he has the responsibility to defend his family. By fighting, Hector is also defending Andromache’s freedom, so that she would not be forced “against your will” by the Greeks. Hector’s deny of quitting the war also shows his selfless concerns. As a man, Hector also takes on social responsibilities. He thinks not only for himself and his wife, but also all “the Trojans and their wives”. Though “fighting in the first ranks” is against the will of his family, Hector defends all the families in his country.

Hector’s defense of his actions summarizes the gender roles in Greece. While women rules the household—“the loom and the shuttle”—men are expected to defend their families and their nation, as reflected in Hector’s statement “war is the work of men”. Hector’s readily take of a man’s responsibilities makes him a moral character.

This is a response to Iliad Book 5-6, focus question 8.