The Lordly Savage Rends the Panting Prey, Homer’s Iliad Book III
What we see at the beginning of Book III is your first look at the Trojans. Their army and allies gathered outside the walls of Troy ready to mount their defense. Homer takes the time first to describe Paris, the man who caused the Trojan War by his taking of Helen. It’s a very interesting description. He’s very much one of BAP’s handsome Thursday pictures he poasts, but Homer makes the point to show how he is not like the warriors around him:
“When, to the van, before the sons of fame
Whom Troy sent forth, the beauteous Paris came :
In form a god! the panther's speckled hide
Flowed o'er his armour with an easy pride;
His bended bow across his shoulders flung,
His sword beside him negligently hung;
Two pointed spears he shook with gallant grace,
And dared the bravest of the Grecian race.” -Homer
“His sword beside him negligently hung.” Yes, Paris may look the part, but his dress betrays him. I believe veterans can see this too when they look at civilian “larpers.” Now this isn’t an attack on larpers. You should be preparing for war, rather this is an attack on the FAKERS. Those that want to look the part, but don’t want to BE the part. He struts out ahead of the army arrogantly, catching the eyes of his enemies and it brings joy to the heart of his nemesis: Menelaus, the brother of Agamemnon and rightful lord of Helen.
“Him Menelaus, loved of Mars, espies,
With heart elated, and with Joyful eyes:
So joys a lion, if the branching deer
Or mountain goat, his bulky prize, appear;
In vain the youths oppose, the mastiffs bay,
The lordly savage rends the panting prey.” -Homer
Part of the experience of reading the Iliad is Homer’s similes. The comparison of Menelaus to a mighty lion is powerful for a Spartan king. Menelaus is another character from the recent Troy movie that gets a bad rap. Sure, he’s a fighter in the movie, but they do such an injustice to the kingly brothers. Now this very well is just a result of the culture the movie was born of. We must apply our values to everything, especially if you’re marketing to your own.
You must realize in this ancient world, if a man is a king, he is a king because he is a warrior OR if he is wise like Priam, who was a warrior before age took him out of the fight. The heroes of the Iliad are tall muscular bodybuilders. Agamemnon, as we find out later, is the tallest of these heroes. He stands a head over Odysseus, who himself is taller than the men he leads into battle. These men are kings because of their battle prowess and in the ancient world, this meant being strong of arm. The sight of Menelaus terrifies Paris who retreats back to his brother, Hector.
“As godlike Hector sees the prince retreat,
He thus upbraids him with a generous heat :
‘ Unhappy Paris! but to women brave !
So fairly formed, and only to deceive!
Oh, hadst thou died when first thou saw'st the light,
Or died at least before thy nuptial rite !’” -Homer
“‘Thy father's grief, and ruin of thy race;
This deed recalls thee to the proffered fight;
Or hast thou injured whom thou darest not right?
Soon to thy cost the field would make thee know
Thou keepest the consort of a braver foe.’” -Hector, Homer
Another victim of modernity in the Troy movie is the Trojans’ attitudes toward Paris. He’s universally despised by not only his fellow Trojans but Hector himself. No, Hector would not have stopped Menelaus from killing his little brother as shown in the movie. He would rather it be over. Nine years of bloodshed the Trojans and Greks suffered over a girl. Is he a bad brother?
You must understand the aristocratic mind. The men of this time went to war for plunder, women, and immortal fame. Hector has been put in position of city’s defender, over what, his brother stealing another man’s wife, when he should be raiding. His stern talking to Paris helps him regain some confidence, however, as the prince decides to challenge Menelaus for Helen and her treasure. This pleases Hector who marches out into no man’s land to issue the challenge to Agamemnon and the Greks.
“‘Prepare, ye Trojans! while a third we bring,
Select to Jove, the inviolable king.
Let reverend Priam in the truce engage,
And add the sanction of considerate age;
His sons are faithless, headlong in debate,
And youth itself an empty wavering state :
Cool age advances, venerably wise,
Turns on all hands its deep-discerning eyes;
Sees what befell, and what may yet befall,
Concludes from both, and best provides for all.’” -Agamemnon, Homer
Hector gets much praise. He’s up there with Achilles in the level of praise he gets. He’s seen as the modern soldier. A patriot willing to die for his country, but what is this? Agamemnon won’t even deal with the “great” Hector. He demands they fetch Priam if they want to deal. He doesn’t think either of Priam’s sons are honorable enough to make such truces. “Faithless,” he calls them. How does this make you feel?
Priam, the aged king, watches from the walls and asks Helen to identify the men of power he sees among the Grek army. I want you to read how he describes Agamemnon. You must wipe clean from mind the actor who plays him in movie.
“‘Around whose brow such martial graces shine,
So tall, so awful, and almost divine?
Though some of larger stature tread the green,
None match his grandeur and exalted mien:
He seems a monarch and his country's pride."
Thus ceased the king, and thus the fair replied :” -Priam, Homer
What?! Agamemnon appears as “his country’s pride?” How can this be? Priam goes on to ask about Odysseus and Ajax, as well. Old he may be, but he knows what men to watch out for. Priam is summoned to the field to seal the oath. He gives very nice speech to the gods. Once the libations are drunk, Paris faces off against Menelaus. Paris gets the first spear cast which embarrassingly bounces off Menelaus’ shield. On Menelaus’ turn, he gives powerful prayer to Zeus which I want to share:
“‘Atrides then his massy lance prepares,
In act to throw, but first prefers his prayers:
"Give me, great Jove! to punish lawless lust,
And lay the Trojan gasping in the dust ;
Destroy the aggressor, aid my righteous cause,
Avenge the breach of hospitable laws !
Let this example future times reclaim,
And guard from wrong fair friendship's holy name.’” -Menelaus, Homer
THIS is what you pray to God for. You pray for the strength and power to put destiny on your shoulders. You pray as a man of action. You don’t ask God to lighten your load or some miracle like winning the lottery. You ask him to help YOU conquer your enemies. And Menelaus does this. He dominates Paris, but before he can deliver the finishing blow, Paris is spirited away from the battlefield by Aphrodite who then summons Helen to look after him.
What’s interesting about Helen in all of this — as this is a pre-feminist work — is that she is embarrassed and shamed about the whole thing. She sees Paris get dominated by Menelaus and doesn’t want to go to him when summoned by Aphrodite. Aphrodite chastises her for this. In the Lombardo translation, I believe she calls her a bitch. In Pope’s translation, Aphrodite threatens to make her the ugliest creature to ever walk the earth if she doesn’t obey. Book III ends with Helen going to bed with Paris.
“What if we had sexors while Greks and Trojans fight outside the walls?”
Great work! I will definitely aspire to the lion of Sparta at the gym