Discover more from Fandom Pulse
10 Reasons Why The Iliad Rests At The Heart Of Western Civilization
The Iliad is better than the Odyssey. It is a story of rage, fate, human excellence, and man’s fraternity under death.
Let’s look at 10 reasons why the Iliad is such a great text and rests at the heart of Western civilization.
1. The Iliad is the first great book of the West.
Without the Iliad, there is no Odyssey. There is no Aeneid or countless other books. The story of civilization starts with the Iliad. It is the story of Rome, Europe, and the West.
2. The Rage of Achilles
Achilles has the spirit to be the new Zeus, the new king of gods and men, trapped in a mortal frame. He is the thumotic incarnate and no character is Western literature has surpassed him in this. He is a man of rage, fate, power, glory, and death.
READ: Mel Gibson Shares Story About How He Almost Died On The Set Of 'Braveheart'
3. The Heroism of Hector
It was not Achilles but Hector who became the hero of the West. He was the "first of the nine worthies" in the medieval mind. Virtue (arete) coupled with a deep piety toward his family, the polis, and the gods.
4. The Iliad tells of the story of Rome
No one wants to be Greek. Everyone wants to be Trojan. The Iliad starts the story of Rome (and with it the West) by telling us of Aeneas, a Trojan, and his special destiny. Virgil tells us later how he founded Rome.
5. The Iliad is the Book of War.
“The Iliad is a poem that lives and moves and has its being in war.”
The Iliad gives the grim reality of war and has been studied time and time again for its portrayal of the psychological effect of war upon man. War brings death and glory.
READ: Sylvester Stallone, David Ayer, And Jason Statham's 'A Working Man' Expected To Rake In Profits
6. The Question of Excellence
The contrast between Achilles and Hector is the question of what it means to be an excellent (arete) man. Is it reducible to prowess in war? Or is human excellence something more encompassing, like piety to family, polis, and the gods?
7. The Shield of Achilles
Hephaestus, god of fire, makes Achilles a new shield, and upon the shield is a picture of an ordered, balanced cosmos. It is one of war and peace, planting and harvest, labor and celebration. Reality is intelligible.
8. Fraternity under Death
All men are fated to die. Why then should we fear death? Look how glorious and handsome Achilles is! And even he must die. Man shares a fraternity under death and must learn to live his life with excellence regardless. Death is an opportunity for glory.
9. The Force of Fate
The Iliad is a story of fate and free will. Is man free to elect his own destiny or only what is allotted to him by fate? Are even the gods free from fate or are they its servants too? Is Zeus' will distinct from fate? The Iliad weaves these together.
10. Hospitality
The Hellenized world operated under "guest-friendship" (xenia), in which the host welcomed his guest as kin - an intimate social bond lorded over by Zeus. It is at the heart of the Iliad with Paris absconding with Helen, Menelaus' wife.
You can read the Iliad with Ascend: https://t.co/mu85U1ITqC
This article was originally posted as a thread to the Ascend: The Great Books Podcast on X and has been republished with permission.
Agreed on all points. Another often overlooked message in the Iliad are the dangers of gynocentrism. The entire war started because a woman couldn't keep her oath to her husband and decided to run away. Thousands of lives lost and a destruction of a civilization because of a foolish romance. Funny how the entire conflict started with an apple.