Eternal Glory

Achilles in the Social Media Era

Hello and Welcome dear Reader, to another Dropout Classicist newsletter! Today, I bring you an essay about Achilles, and what we can still learn from him today. Following that, I have a short personal update section. Enjoy!

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The Iliad’s title, when translated into English, means something close to ‘Troy Story’. This is deceptive, as anyone who reads the poem will know, because the titular city often fades into the background. The Iliad’s primary focus is Achilles and his anger, demonstrated in the very first line:“μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος” - “Sing, Goddess, of Peleiadian Achilles’ wrath”.

Yet the poem, if its primary focus were just Achilles, would be called something like the Achilleid, akin to how the Odyssey is eponymous to its central protagonist. We can read this titling choice as Homer choosing, through Achilles’ anger, to demonstrate a wider story. This is crucial to any reading of the Iliad; it is as much a story of many themes as of many heroes. To me, the most predominant theme, and one ever relevant, is that of κλεος/kleos — a word which we render in English as ‘glory’.

Glory is the driving force of the very plot of Homer’s great work, and the very fuel for the lives of his heroes. Every action they make is to greaten their own glory. Most do not fight specifically for treasure or to kill, though often their greed and bloodlust do act as a secondary drive, but to greaten their name. Though the central conflict of the Iliad revolves around Agamemnon taking Achilles’ war prizes, which may at first seem simply caused by petty greed, this action is unquestionably tied to glory, and its close intertwinement with honour. Materialistically, Agamemnon is bickering with Achilles over war-brides, but the prizes they take from battle are allotted according to their statuses. These statuses are inevitably boosted by glory, and it is dishonourable to go against such. Therefore, when Agamemnon must let Chryseis return to her father, he views it as a slight against his honour and his glory. As the primary speaker who suggested the return of Chryseis was Achilles, Agamemnon then enacts the same slight against him.

The Wrath of Achilles, Rubens

The proof that both these men are not driven solely by greed and petty revenge is a little more buried, but the best example comes a lot later. When the oft frustrating Agamemnon finally realises his army will be beaten without Achilles and his Myrmidons, he sends a party of Greek kings to make an offer to Achilles of many great gifts. Initially, we must note that this is certainly not an apology — Agamemnon is certainly too egotistical to stoop to that level — but almost an attempt at bribery. Achilles does not accept, and we can read him almost as taking it as an affront. This response from Achilles removes any doubt that he is solely motivated by accumulating prizes. After all, Agamemnon has offered him much more than he could ever hope to win for himself. Why then does he refuse and resume his lengthy tantrum? Well, Agamemnon has not repaired the assault against his honour, thus it would not be glorious for him to continue fighting in subordination to a king who has slighted him. His honour is at stake, so he cannot be bribed.

Achilles as a character is very interesting to examine, especially when it comes to this heroic aspect of glory. Most other heroes do not have as interesting dynamic when it comes to it as Achilles does. Why is this? Well, a prophecy. Achilles has been informed that, should he choose to fight at Troy, he will die young but he shall live on in glory forever. However, should he choose not to fight, he shall live a long but insignificant life. He, unlike many of the other Greeks, knows his death is certain. But, equally, he gets to choose the certainty of his glory. It is this glory that causes him to fight initially, and it being injured that makes him reconsider. To an extent, he never recovers from such a slight, as it is only the death of his beloved Patroclus that makes him rejoin the fray, albeit also granting him his initial wish of glory in the process.

Homer and his Muse, Baxter

At first, his motive of glory seems so foreign to us. When we examine the culture in which the Iliad was composed though, it becomes a whole lot more understandable. It is commonly agreed that the Iliad was composed orally, designed to be told by a (likely illiterate) poet. It is a product of the ‘dark ages’, and a tradition of folk storytelling that culminated in Homer’s works. Thus, in an illiterate world, it is incredibly difficult to go down in history. Leaving a lasting legacy is the only way a human can come close to immortality, and in a world without writing it is incredibly difficult to live on beyond your time. This real world problem, likely felt by Homer and his audience, has some subconscious influence on Homer’s heroes. They live in a world of gods, and their easiest way to join the ranks of the immortals is to be remembered forever. Though not a literal promotion to the ranks of Olympus, it is the best most mortals can achieve. This mentality is no doubt a product of the combination of the oral tradition mingling with the incredibly human and sympathetic fear of death being the end. We seem to like a satisfying ending, and often death does not provide us that. However, a song does.

Nowadays, we may initially struggle to relate to Achilles and Homer’s other heroes. Their attitudes to war, to women, their systems of wealth and class, and their practices, are quite distant to us. However, I feel that if we think about their motives and priorities, we may certainly find common ground. The desire to be remembered, to have many know your name, is something still felt widely today. In a world of social media, it can often feel so incredibly hard to be unique and individual. Equally, we can see a million modern day Achilles, people who choose the short and glorious life over the obscure. In a way, our modern culture of trend and disposability seems to promote this more than ever. It is now easier than ever to have your moment in the spotlight, to have your name on everyone’s lips. So, perhaps Achilles’ prophecy is not so irrelevant after all.

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Some Updates

You made it to the end! And what’s more, there’s now over 1000 of you subscribed to this newsletter - WOW!

Many of you may have noticed the recent infrequency of posts, for which I can only apologise. Amidst miscellaneous illnesses and university applications, I have rarely found time or motivation to write. However, the new year is coming, hopefully with some exciting changes! First, I will be participating in Archaeological Training. Second, I will hopefully make a return to academia. Thirdly, and most relevantly to you, dear reader, I have plans for this newsletter! I would love to hear your thoughts, on everything from topics you would want covered, to recording audio for my articles, to potential monetisation (do not worry, I plan to keep as much of my writing free as possible), I shall open the discussion to you, dear readers!

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Sources

• The Iliad - Homer

• The Odyssey - Homer

• Homer and his Iliad - R.L. Fox

• Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens - R. Waterfield

• The World of Odysseus - M. Finley