Honor and Justice in the Homeric Iliad - Essay Example

Honor and Justice in the Homeric Iliad Number Honor and Justice in the Homeric Iliad The sophisticationof the Achaean Wall as presented by Homer is evident in the hidden meaning of the historical feature. Ancient readers and contemporary minds alike have been lured to the fine details of the phenomenon both its role in slowing the pace of the plot and its highly disorienting qualities. As Strabo airs his discontent at the timing of the efforts at building the wall, which is a decade into the war, raises some sense of disorganization on the builders, especially with regard to their proximity to Troy where they have been lying vulnerable for all that period of time. It is upon this Achaean Wall that the quest for honor and justice prevails. Notably, “death in ten thousand shapes hangs ever over our heads, and no man can elude him: therefore let us go forward and either win glory for ourselves, or yield it to another” is a quote which basically means the determination of the warring armies around the legendary phenomenon to claim honor and justice for perceived past injustices as evident in Homeric Book XII. The place of timeh is the Achaean Wall. The attack on the Achaean Wall In the quest to die of honor if such a fate so reaches his army, Polydamas asks Hector to mobilize the soldiers and pass through the trench and the contested territory controlled by the Achaean army. Hector buys the idea, and all of the Trojans descend but for one senior member known as Asius (Moon, 2014). The army’s forward advance is driven by the determination to die of honor, and true to their mission, the enemy forces pin them down in the brutal confrontation. Their attempt to conquer the rampart with relative ease is thwarted. As the Trojans advance towards the enemy forces, they notice a rather important communication; above them, they come across an eagle holding a huge snake. The reptile confronts its captor fiercely, prompting the injured eagle soaked in blood to abandon the serpent. Polydamas interprets this sign to the effect that even though the Trojan army is superior to their enemy any attempt by them to storm the Achaean vessels with fire would result in their defeat. The resulting situation will force the Trojans into hasty retreats with heavy casualties. Hector disregards the sign and rebukes Polydamas saying that the army should construe the bird sign positively and seek justice for their country or retain their honor in death if they all die pursuing the noble cause (Presgonzlez, 2005). The two patriots and agents of justice move across the ramparts, mobilizing the soldiers. In the meantime, the Trojans led by Sarpedon and Glaucos mount a powerful attack on their enemy’s fortified outposts (Moon, 2014). Whilst they are under pressure to stop the attacking forces, Menestheseus sends for reinforcement from the Aeantes and Teucer, the legendary fighter. Great Ajax acts on the orders, commanding Oilean Ajax to defend their positions, with Lycomedes providing the support needed, before the comeback of Great Ajax. Great Ajax advancing side by side with Teucer move to battlefield to provide the necessary reinforcement that Menestheus needed to mount a successful defense of the rampart. Glaucos suffers injuries from an arrow shot by the Teucers army, incapacitating him. Sarpedon fights on, cutting a space into the wall without any tool. The fight is bitter, with either side unable to tip the scale in their favor to claim the honor. Eventually, Zeuss advice hands the greatest honor to Hector. He yells at the Trojans not to relent, and they assault the wall with renewed vigor, while breaches the gates personally with a block, and with his orders of support, his fighters storm the compound through the wall (Presgonzlez, 2005). The Achaeans are neutralized and sent scampering for their safety in all directions. Importance of honor and justice As Presgonzlez (2005) has suggested, the quest for honor and justice led to the confrontation at the Achaean Wall. Luck and human agency have conspired to take a significant role among the theme in this battle, as the determination of Zeus defines what is achievable and it that is beyond their attainment. Even though the Lycian army put a brave face in the wake of the war with substantial ferocity against their enemies, Homer repeatedly alludes to the fact that Zeus’s achievements and honor are eventually enjoyed by Hector and not himself, which then raises the issue of a denial of justice. Either way, he was part of the honor that his army had earned in the aftermath of the battle. Hector’s courage prompts him to lead the troops by breaching the enemy’s protection in the perimeter wall and claim the much needed honor for himself, his troops and his community in general. The text reveals that the breach of the wall is no ordinary assignment for any soldier. Conversely, it would be inappropriate to argue that Hector takes the entire honor among other Trojans merely because Zeus prefers him. Still it can be argued that Zeus prefers Hector owing to his greatest role in the Trojan championship. Nonetheless, either argument is close to the reality (Presgonzlez, 2005). In most cases, the forces of heroism will overturn any element of fate and liberty by sieving through difficult situations in a forceful, sometimes ironical ways. This sophistication presents itself when Hector as a Trojan champion opts to disregard the bad luck interpretation of Zeus. Zeus plans to achieve honor by defeating the Trojans, and still he deploys a sign to caution them against being careless in the battlefields (Moon, 2014). When Hector opts to disregard the sign of bad luck, it is arguable that he commits an injustice by subjecting his people to martyrdom. On the other hand, this kind of sacrifice shows a man’s determination to gain honor and book his place on the right side of history. The sign in the sky appears like it was intended to be disregarded, but then the reason for its sending may have been some kind of warning to the soldiers about the ferocity of the battle that awaited them ahead, more so if they intended to claim honor for their country. It is notable that the honored Asius and his overzealous but hapless soldiers provide the readers with a clear picture of what greets persons who feel excessively honored before a major battle (Moon, 2014). Strategic soldiers would rather concentrate on tricks that would deliver a decisive victory and real honor to them than celebrate before the D-day. Refusing to descend from military assets and defensive hideouts and advance on foot, which he previously thought would work in his favor leaves Asius in a disadvantaged position; he is bogged down in a ferocious confrontation that spells doom for his men and denies them the honor. This fatal mistake also reveals that constructing the walling defenses somehow limited the defenders’ vulnerability to attackers. To breach the wall, the Trojans have to employ an array of strategies and a high level of force. Asius honor, massive, head-on attack is akin to the needed ferocity, but force per se is inadequate for a successful breach of the wall (Presgonzlez, 2005). Hector, strategic enough to buy Polydamas counsel, becomes the commander with the acumen to achieve the breaching of the fortification. His eventual show of courage and energy to execute the plan reclaims his honor. This massive honor was somehow affected when he conceitedly ignores the gods’ message of the omen and Polydamas analysis. Hectors conduct in Book 12 reveals with deep detail how conceit is both positive and negative. Polydamas is right as well understood by the readers (Presgonzlez, 2005). The omen is a reality, and it is in line with the misfortunes that might greet the soldiers in the battlefields. Yet, Hectors reaction is arguably one of the most notable lines in the Homeric Iliad. The champion underrates the sign and opts to pursue his preference for Troy and his quest to guarantee his people justice by defending them against aggression becomes his top priority. Had Hector obeyed Polydamas he would have won massively and retained the entire honor in the assault on the Achaean Wall (Presgonzlez, 2005). Conclusion Generally, the deaths in thousands of shapes that hung over the Trojans’ heads and which no man would elude symbolizes the bad omen of the fighting in the sky that Homer came across but chose to disregard, leading to massive casualties. Hector’s main aim was to secure dignity and justice for his people and the toughness of the battlegrounds required massive preparation and the right set of mind to claim the victory and honor that comes with it. Hector eventually earns the honor but at a cost as predicted by the gods. References Moon, K.H.S. (2014). Homers Iliad and Modern IR. Polity, 46(1), 143-149. Presgonzlez, J.D. (2005). The Iliad of Homer by Samuel Butler (Knowledge Management Edition). New York: Lulu.com. Read More