Iliad Research Papers Samples For Students

The Iliad is a lengthy poem that tells the events of the Trojan War. The Trojan War is a legendary war that pitted the Trojans against the Greeks (Janko and Kirk 1). The Iliad despite being a very long poem, has a basic structure. Achilles withdrew from the Trojan War after he had quarreled with chief Agamemnon over Briseis (Abel Media, n.p). Achilles was regarded the hero of the Greeks, and his premature withdrawal meant that the Trojans had a chance to defeat the Greeks. After Achilles had withdrawn, disaster befell his companions, and this did not sit well ...

Introduction

The ancient city of Troy is perhaps one of the cities that have generated waves of disputes over time, as to whether it has been an actual city or a legendary one. However, due to extensive archaeological research, Troy is a city that indeed existed, and maybe its remains do not bring back pictures of its old glorious days, yet, there is so much to learn from its passage through time. In greater detail:
Ancient Greek epic poet wrote in his infamous epic “The Iliad”: “Generations of men are like the leaves. In winter, winds blow them down to ...

In ancient Greek culture, the notions of masculinity were diverse. Possession of these ideals meant that a person acquired a heroic stature. In the conflicts pitting Achilles and Agamemnon, the basic ideals of masculinity emerge. In the Iliad, Hector profoundly lays bare the inherent Greek obsession with emasculating each other in competitions. In both situations, superiority in athleticism, sexual virility, and performance in speech, possession of materials and wealth, and physical attractiveness are aptly used to express masculinity. Moreover, winning battles and fighting off enemies symbolized a warrior-like characteristic which was also a definition of masculinity. The analysis of sections of the Iliad ...

Honor and glory were central themes in the Iliad, this was displayed by how the readers are to perceive the heroes in the story. Heroic warriors were the ones who were brave, fought well and defended their name. Whatever it was they were fighting for, they had their own cause which they would demonstrate through their actions, speech and loyalty (Kraft, Kayan and Luce 163). These things were not given freely as seen in the Iliad, honor and glory were gained through years of fighting and experience. Battles, conquering lands and even the ownership of women were opportunities for ...

The paper is devoted to the problem of ruining the site which is believed to be the ancient city of Troy. In particular, the paper studies historical archaeological evidence of the conflict resulting in the fall of the empire comparing it to mythological description of the war called Trojan in classical epics.
The legend of the Trojan War – the Bronze Age severe conflict between the kingdoms of Mycenaean Greece and Troy, – reflecting Greek invasion on Troas (present North West Turkey), has been striding through the mythology and history of ancient Greece, inspiring the greatest men of letters of ...

In The Iliad, the author sets warfare as the most important aspects of the society. It is necessary to note that the current war in the poem is not at the action and plot in the text, but war is one of the detectable social forces in the poem. Men in the poem who fail to respect the warrior character of the society or fail to take part in the ongoing wars are ostracized and criticized. Declining to engage in battles or war or being labeled a coward are the worst ways that a man can be defined, since the man ...

The Old Testament and the Epic of Gilgamesh both share stories about floods. However, the emphasis and morals derived from the stories tend to contradict each other. In the epic of Gilgamesh, the floods occur as a punishment to the people for the noise they made (Jason Colavito). However, instead of letting humankind to be wiped off by the flood, one of the god’s Ea reveals to Utnapishtim what to do to survive the flood. He is granted the opportunity to start over without the knowledge of the other gods. This depicts the need to do what is ...

Sometimes, it only takes one great act in history, or one great story for a hero to emerge. Such is the case with the Greek story Iliad, and the historical events in Jerusalem during the time of the crusades. To say that the heroes of these stories do not have anything in common, is a denial of the natural order of things. Both have somehow made a stamp in history, and both are touted as heroes, even up to this day.

Achilles is one of the many heroes in the Greek story Iliad. According to the story, he was recruited by Odysseus ...

Homer, the celebrated Greek literary artist penned the seminal epic, Iliad, to document the heroic tales of the great warriors of the land. His literary works have become immortal and still enjoys great popularity all over the world. The characters of the epic have been immortalized in the history of literature and the quintessence of artistic expression has awed readers and critics alike. The tales of war and glory have been given superhuman status owing to the expression of the epic.
The character of Agamemnon is one of the most pivotal ones in the course of the epic. ...

The Hero-Warrior Ideal in Western Literature

Stories of the hero-warrior in literature trace the progress of Western civilization and the inexorable influence of Christianity. The heroic ideal is one in which the accomplishments and legacies of great warriors have been passed on in stories originating in ancient populations, who adopted the virtues of the hero as their own. In this way, the moral and physical worthiness of a tribe or nation could be traced to the exploits of a mighty forbear. The Romans, for example, exhibited this phenomenon in their claims to have preserved and carried on the martial greatness of Troy. Heroic qualities of courage and ...

Quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon

The squabble between Achilles and king Agamemnon is of great significance as it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the Trojan War. Prior to the argument, the Greeks and the Trojans had been in war for around ten years (Pope, 7). After the argument, the war lasted less than a year. This argument precipitated events that played a major role in the changing the focus and reason for the war. Its significance is attested by the fact that even though the true cause of the greater war is not clearly highlighted by Homer, but the poet attributes the end of ...

This paper intends to analyze homer’s Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid in order to find out similarities as well as differences between the descriptions of underworld and afterlife as portrayed in the two literary works. Further, Homer and Virgil two great ancient authors along with their reputed works are compared to know about their views on underworld and afterlife. It is interesting to see that what makes these two literary works similar to each other is what makes them different from each other.
A number of scholars believe that homer made considerable influence on religious views of ...

The Mask of Agamemnon

There are a lot of artworks that will always contain some secret concerning its true origin and authenticity. One of such sculptures is definitely the case with the Mask of Agamemnon. This artifact from the Greek Bronze Age was discovered by distinguished German archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, in Mycenae dated 1876. After the stunning discovery of the real location of the legendary Troy, Schliemann was next planning to find the final resting place of Agamemnon, the famous king of ancient Mycenae who headed the Greek troops during the Trojan War. All his grand triumphs and tribulations are eulogized in Homer’ ...

Abstract

Nowadays, the importance of studying the ancient literature becomes an actual question. From year to year, an amount of worth studying contemporary literary works increases and a lot of students complain that they do not want to read and analyze literary works of the ancient authors. However, they forget that the ancient literary works were the first examples of literature in the history of humankind. They contain information about life and environment in the preceded days and inspire a lot of young writers. The aim of this paper is to prove that the ancient literature is a basis for ...

Introduction

Throughout the history the issue of gender inequality was one of the main topics of debates in different cultures, especially in such areas as art, literature and, of course mythology. In most cultures men were portrayed as very powerful and strong, while women played a role of subservient creatures. The purpose of this research paper is to discover in a deeper detail the place and the role of women in Greek mythology. Despite the fact that historically women were always portrayed in a negative light and usually accompanied men, in Greek mythology female characters were as important as male ...

Analysis of biographical similarities of Jesus and Zeus made scientists think about their identity. In accordance with some contemporary sources Zeus could be a prototype of Jesus. Other researchers argue that Zeus’ biography was copied from the Jesus’ one or even vice versa. This paper objective is to reveal if there is any resemblance between Jesus and Zeus if there is any.
Zeus (Jupiter) was a supreme god who ruled in Olympus and ranked high in the pantheon. Zeus was the son of Chronos and Rhea. His siblings were swallowed by his father Chronos to remove the threat of his ...

Your

The works of JRR Tolkien have found a loyal following among people from all walks of life, across continents and from a diverse age group. Yet, the author has been panned by literary critics as being unworthy of being included in the Modern Literary Canon. This paper will argue why the works of the author should in fact find a place in the canon and should be part of recommended readings at an academic level. The paper will evaluate the arguments of various critics and provide a debate in response. It will also take a brief look at the life of JRR Tolkien and ...

One of the social institutions that play a very vital role in the Oddessy by homer is the family, the importance of the family and home are highly emphasised in this work of art, and the main character Odysseus really demonstrates the role of home and the family. The main theme in this epic novel is reunification of the family and this is illustrated by the attempts of the protagonist to return home and reunite with his wife and son. The entire novel highlights various examples of families (Stubbings 89). There are good families that prosper and there are bad ...