The Epic Tale of Troy: Homer's Iliad - Essay Sample

The Iliad is an epic poem written by Homer, an ancient Greek poet. The poem recounts some of the notable events that occurred during the last weeks of the Trojan war. The poem also narrates the siege of the city of Troy by the Greeks. The Iliad was written in the mid-eighth century BCE, and it is one of the most famous and loved narration of all times. According to Nicolson, Iliad is also one of the earliest works in western literature. Through the Iliad's portrayal of the Trojan war, the bloody scenes in the battle, Achilles' wrath and god's constant interventions, the story explores themes of wrath, homecoming, fate, and glory. The Iliad also reflects the contrasting themes of war and peace, and suffering and understanding. The contrasts mentioned above are also revealed in the current world. This paper discusses the dichotomies of peace and war, and understanding and suffering in the Iliad and relate them with the current situations in the world.

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In the Iliad, the Olympians are demonstrated as non-arbitrary in their quest for peace or war. The Iliad portrays the Olympians as people with a preference for cities. In the story, the people show devotion to the cities. For instance, the Zeus' are affectionate for the Trojans. The Olympians lack respect for the gods, making them lose their wrath. The goddess and the gods also have their reasons for helping some people. For instance, in Book 4, Aphrodite gives her powers to Paris to enable him to keep Hellen in her charms (Lattimore, 64). Man in the Iliad undergoes war and its suffering before they can enjoy peace. The battle is demonstrated as a cleanser that precedes goodness and peace. For instance, the war and peace reflect the Olympians' wrath and desire to show mercy.

The Iliad also portrays the dichotomy of suffering and understanding. Firstly, pain appears to be one of the primary themes of the Iliad. Everybody suffers the negative impacts of the war. The women experience loneliness as their men, whom they are not assured that they will ever come back, engages in the war. The Iliad connects people’s suffering with their understanding. The warrior’s sufferings are magnified by their understanding of whether they choose to desert or continue with the war; their integrity and honor are in danger. Hellen, the leading cause of the battle and hence suffering, understands her faults in the tragedies the women and men are will suffer. "You are the one hit the hardest by this fighting, Hector/ you more than all – and all for me, slut that I am, /and this blind mad Paris. Oh, the two of us!" (VI: 287-289).

There is an evident connection between the Iliad story and the current global issues. For instance, the contrast of the suffering and understanding is reflected in the ISIS. Nicolson shows that all the Islamic State activities were pre-figured in the Iliad. The typical activities include the cruel acts of destruction, contempt for enemies, and the belief that death is necessary. A closer look at the ISIS videos reflects events demonstrated on the Iliad. There is longing for peace, yet we live in a cruel world; similarly, the Iliad poem shows the inescapability of the cruelty. The Iliad and the current situations show that the suffering is everlasting. Nicolson shows that “this is how things are. This is how things have always been. This is how things are going to continue to be.”

To conclude, the contrasts of war and peace and suffering and understanding, as demonstrated in the Iliad, significantly relates to the current global issues, particularly the ongoing wars and attacks by ISIS. As both accounts show, the sufferings are repetitive and everlasting, and they should be told in detail. The understanding of suffering can only be done through engagement with dominance and submission, and pain and sorrow.

Works Cited

Lattimore, Richmond, ed. The Iliad of Homer. CUP Archive, 1962.Nicolson, Adam. Homer and ISIS. Slate U, 29 December. 2014, https://slate.com/culture/2014/12/homer-and-isis-what-the-iliad-tells-us-about-the-modern-middle-east.html. Accessed 17 August 2020.