Ancient Greek Perception of War, Role of Women and...

In the Iliad, the oldest and greatest of the Greek epics, Homer tells of the wars fought between the Greeks and the Trojans. Much of this books main focus takes place during the Homeric period in which the Trojan War began. In a pre industrial society, Homer describes the way mortals and immortals sought their existence throughout the Trojan War. Homers style of writing in Iliad enables a modern reader to perceive how the Ancient Greeks thought of warfare, of religion, and of the role of women and children. The Helladic Greeks valued fighting as a way to settle disputes. There was a significant degree of religious activity that took place during the Trojan War. Homer also allows a modern reader to grasp an idea of the role†¦show more content†¦It was Menelaus turn now, and as he rose I his bronze he prayed to Zeus. (Homer 61) Around the Homeric period, it was typical for Helladic warriors to fight in a gruesome manner. In the following passage, an atrocious fight bet ween two warriors, Meges and pedaeus, enables a modern reader to grasp a sense the warriors extreme brutality. Now Meges got close enough to him to send his spear through the tendon at the back of his neck and on into his mouth, cutting away the tongue at its root. He fell into the dust, his teeth clenched on cold bronze. (Homer 85) This is the following remark made by Diomedes, after being painfully wounded by an arrow. Son of Capaneus, get down from the car and pull this arrow out of my shoulder. (Homer 86) Not only did the Helladic warriors value fighting as a way to settle disputes, they also valued the intervening of Helladic gods and goddesses. Numerous religious activities takes place in Homers Iliad. For example, when Menelaus comes close to killing Paris in a duel, Aphrodite, a goddess whos in favor of the Trojans, saves Paris by whisking Paris away from the fight. But Aphrodite whisked Paris away with the slight of a goddess, enveloping him in mist, and lofted him into the incensed air of his vaulted bedroom. Then she went for Helen, and found her in a crowd of Trojan women high on the tower. 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