The "Embassy" Section of The Iliad

Friends, who are leaders of the Argives and keep their counsel:

Zeus son of Kronos has caught me badly in bitter futility (IX.17-18).

The central issue in this book turns on the attitude of Achilleus. He has been smarting from Agamemnon's actions and is a sympathetic figure because it is clear Agamemnon was wrong. Now, however, he rejects the reconciliation offered to him and places his wounded pride above the safety of other Greeks, insisting that he will not join the fight and will take his men and sail home. There is thus a shift here as the delegation seeks reconciliation and is rebuffed.

Revenge is a strong motivating force in a wide variety of ancient, and indeed, revenge is one of the prime motivations for heroes and villains alike. There is little agonizing over the righteousness of revenge, which usually stands as a given, and accomplishing the act of revenge is often seen as a matter of fate--the hero is destined to accomplish this deed in service of the higher powers and for the glory and security of his people. The primary difference

. . .
venge. He feels great dishonor at having failed his friend, though in truth he has also failed all the Greeks by brooding rather than by fulfilling his destiny as a warrior. In Book IX, as noted, Agamemnon is about to give up and go home. He sends a messenger to try to assuage Achilleus and bring him back to the fight because he is sorely needed, but Achilleus will not relent. The leaders of the Greeks agree that they should never have appealed to anyone as conceited as Achilleus and that they must fight the Trojans without him. After the death of Patroklos, however, Achilleus will attack the Trojans as if he would defeat them single-handed. He is motivated by the desire for revenge, coupled here with a need to justify himself, and when he kills Hector, he goes too far by dragging Hector's body behind his chariot and by refusing to allow the body to be buried. This necessitates an even greater act of revenge and leads to Achilleus' death. Revenge in these stories is a back-and-forth matter, with each side trying to be the last to get revenge. It is rather like a feud in this respect--the one who commits the final act of revenge is declared the winner. In Book IX, the excesses of Achilleus' character are made apparent.
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
IX Embassy, Book IX, Achilleus Odysseus, Athena Achilleus, Patroklos Achilleus, Trojans Achilleus, Iliad Homer, IX344-345 Achilleus, Trojans Greeks, IX249-250 Odysseus, act revenge, book ix, tragic hero, sending messenger, revenge sought, iliad homer, fight trojans, desire revenge,
Approximate Word count = 1289
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

More Essays on The "Embassy" Section of The Iliad