“It is to the strength of this amazing invention we are to attribute that unequalled fire and rapture, which is so forcible in Homer, that no man of a true poetical spirit is master of himself while he reads him.” -Alexander Pope There are certain books you must return to, again and again. Since I started writing on RESAVAGER, I’ve only been shown my own LACK of an education(thank you public schools) and I have been forced to read too many books. Some of these books, however, I keep returning to. The
The opening lines talk about "countless" Achaeans dying for the sake of Achilles' anger. This is an expression of aristocratic morality in which the quantity of individuals does NOT matter but only the quality of the individuals involved. As you rightly say, the notion that one man could be worth more than thousands is very difficult for most to even consider.
Since the story of Gilgamesh came about 1200 years before Homer was born, and all great authors and historians have acknowledged that not only Homers themes but the themes of every major religion have come from the ideas put forth in the Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps it would behoove anyone wanting to better Grok the Iliad and the Odyssey, to first read Gilgamesh?
Thanks for inspiring me to reread the Iliad. But as I recall, wasn't one of the central points of dispute between Agamemnon and Achilles over the apportioning of women captives as spoils of war? And Achilles was certainly placing his own interests first in refusing to fight because of the affront he suffered. Wasn't that point of honor also a quarrel over loot?
Subscribed, and looking forward to more such interesting pieces.
The opening lines talk about "countless" Achaeans dying for the sake of Achilles' anger. This is an expression of aristocratic morality in which the quantity of individuals does NOT matter but only the quality of the individuals involved. As you rightly say, the notion that one man could be worth more than thousands is very difficult for most to even consider.
Since the story of Gilgamesh came about 1200 years before Homer was born, and all great authors and historians have acknowledged that not only Homers themes but the themes of every major religion have come from the ideas put forth in the Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps it would behoove anyone wanting to better Grok the Iliad and the Odyssey, to first read Gilgamesh?
Thanks for inspiring me to reread the Iliad. But as I recall, wasn't one of the central points of dispute between Agamemnon and Achilles over the apportioning of women captives as spoils of war? And Achilles was certainly placing his own interests first in refusing to fight because of the affront he suffered. Wasn't that point of honor also a quarrel over loot?
Subscribed, and looking forward to more such interesting pieces.
How do you feel about the Epic of Gilgamesh? Which is the best translation. I just ordered a copy of the Stephen Mitchell translation.
Gilgamesh is great, but it’s separate from the Iliad.
I think Homer’s Contest by Nietzsche is good intro to the Greks.
For me, BAM helped me understand it more as well.