Illiad

"I too shall lie in the dust when I am dead, but now let me win noble renown"


            God-like Achilles knew of his two fates before the war had even begun; one was to earn eternal glory and honor forever, but live a short life and die far away from home in Troy or to live a happy, long, prosperous life at home in Greece.
            For the Greeks, earning eternal fame was far more important than living a full happy life because no matter who you are or what you do on earth, everyone shares the same fate-- to go to Hades. No matter how God-like or gifted you were, you could never become a real God on Mount Olympus. The only way to gain immortality was to create a lasting legacy through your name that will carry on for ages, which is what Achilles sought after. They did not believe in reincarnation or eternal salvation so after death you were bound to the underworld forever. This made honor and respect even more necessary on earth.
             Throughout the war novel, honor was held in such a high standard. Achilles was outraged because he was blatantly disrespected in front of the Greek army by Agaememnon. Later Achilles would note that Zeus would restore his honor and he alone had the authority to do that. 
             A brief side-note on that. The other day I was talking to my boyfriend about a recent confrontation he had been. We were at my friend's house and the neighbor came out and yelled at him for having his music on too loud in his car. My boyfriend, Sterling, apologized, but the neighbor continued to scream at him which angered Sterling and he ended up yelling back. I personally thought he should of swallowed his pride and walked away, but Sterling said that he wasn't going to let someone disrespect him like that. Likewise, I thought Achilles should of swallowed his pride for his fellow soldiers and earn his honor on the field. Maybe it is because I'm a woman and don't understand male insecurities and trying to be all tough and macho. Or I thought maybe it was because of how I was raised. I am a first generation Vietnamese-American and Asian culture in general teaches you submission to authority. While Sterling is a African-American and he explained that it is often hard for him to be submissive because he finds he is treated differently because of his race. 
            Just thought that was an interesting connection but back to the Iliad. Not only did one's personal honor play an important role during the novel, but honoring prior hospitality or friendship ties. For example Diomedes of the Greek Army and Glaucus fighting for the Trojans realized that their Grandfathers hosted each other back in the day so their families had vows of friendship. They therefore exchanged their armors to symbolize this truce and did not cross spears during the battle. Diomedes also mentioned that anytime Glaucus was in Greece he would entertain him and likewise if Diomedes was in Lycia. 
            This shows how the war was still somewhat civilized. The Greeks still had enough respect for the Trojans as honorable men to uphold their original truce. Also, the war was not about sneak attacks and tricks (well at least until the end). It was originally a war where it was the Greek's best men and the Trojan's best faced each other in head on combat and the country with the best men will prevail. So they would break for lunch and at night and resume in the morning. That was considered an "honorable war." While I was reading the Iliad, I stopped to watch the movie Centurion, which was about the Roman army trying to conquer the northern British isles where the Picts were defending their land. It has nothing to do with the Greeks, but the theme of "honorable war" came to me during this movie. The Romans were frustrated because this was not a traditional head on war, but a war of trickery and savagery. The Picts would hide in the woods and use the land to their advantage to ambush the Romans. No burial rights were upheld and it was basically a no rules war. 
            Just as the Romans cared deeply for the burial rights of their soldiers as did the Greeks and Trojans. Achilles decided to finally honor Hector's death and give the Trojans time to grieve. The burial and grieving process was so sacred to both the Greeks and the Trojans. Both sides wanted proper burial for their men so that they may enter Hades in good standing. Patroculus wakes Achilles in his sleep to ask him why he hasn't sent him to the underworld yet and tell him that he is tired of wandering in front of the gates of Hades. Priam, Hectors father and King of Troy, was in desperation to attain his son's body so that he can give him a hero's funeral because it gives him a better standing in the underworld. I think that is why it was so demeaning to have Hector's body dragged across the plain and later to be eaten by the dogs because his honor would be destroyed and he would have no place in the afterlife.
            I think also the visual evidence of the body and death make it easier on the family and loved ones to cope with the passing of someone they loved. It's like in Law and Order: SVU where cases go cold because they can't find them missing body. Families can't find closure because the death of their loved ones isn't real to them without the body. When they finally do find and and are able to make peace with the death then they can move on. Priam pleaded to Achilles to give him Hector's body out of respect for him as a soldier and pity for Priam as a poor old King. Then Priam and all of Troy were able to have closure of their heroes death.