A Sophomore Classic: the Iliad

Why is the Iliad so special?

If someone walked into the LB common room last week, they would think LB was hosting a sophomore gathering at 10pm Tuesday night. In a sense, it was. We were fortunate enough that Dr. Jenny was on duty that night, so we all brought our computers and the notorious Iliad to trudge downstairs for much-needed assistance. I remember seeing the sophomores last year morbidly hauling their copies of the Iliad to the cage, reluctantly walking to take their midterm exam, which tested much of their understanding of the ancient text. 

Depicting the epic of the Trojan war by focusing on the heroes Achilles and Hector, the Iliad illustrates the complex and unique individual experiences each character encounters when faced with challenges or dilemmas. The poem revolves around conflict among the gods and between the Achaeans and Trojans, when Paris, the most handsome man on earth, declares Aphrodite the most beautiful goddess after she bribes him with the hand of Helen, the most beautiful mortal woman. However, Helen is married to Menelaus, king of Mycenae and brother of Agamemnon, and the theft of Menelaus’s wife provokes Agamemnon to declare war against the Trojans.

Meanwhile, Homer also portrays the power dynamic in Greece with the king of kings, Agamemnon, meeting his match against the greatest Achaean warrior, Achilles, in the ten years war while besieging Troy. Many sophomores explored the motives and complexity of these two characters within scenes depicting their interdependent dynamic. Agamemnon requires Achilles’ superior battle skills in combat while Achilles needs Agamemnon’s armies to accomplish his goal of defeating Troy. The poem depicts all characters as acting for their own self-interests, addressing a crucial, inherent property of human nature and the extent of which all people act for themselves, ultimately making people ponder the motives behind any action. Are all human decisions driven by self-interest? If not, what are they driven by? Is self-interest considered greed?

Whether or not sophomores would like to admit it, the Iliad accurately portrays truths about general human nature, even if centuries old. At first glance, Hector, Achilles, and Agamemnon are simply three characters from a poem that we all cannot wait to get over with, but in reality, a small part of each one of us is reflected in these characters’ actions.

Michelle Cai