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Some Very Ancient History
Written by me. Inspired by Brad Pitt.Homerâs poem The Illiad begins with the words, "The Wrath of Achilles is my theme, the fatal wrath which ... brought the Achaeans so much suffering." Achilles was the best leader in the Achaeansâ army, and so the story mostly intends to describe his wrathâs consequences on his own army â not on the enemy Trojansâ army. Achillesâ wrath culminated in a war crime. After Achilles killed the Trojan leader Hector in a duel, Homer wrote, "The next thing that Achilles did was to subject the fallen prince to a shameful outrage." Achilles tied the dead Hector to his chariot and dragged the body across the ground back to his camp. Achilles dumped the body there and declared he would let it be eaten by dogs. During the following eleven May 16, 2004days, however, the gods kept the dogs away and prevented the corpse from rotting. When Achilles again dragged the corpse behind his chariot, the gods protected its skin from damage. "This was the shameful way," Homer wrote, "in which Achilles in his wrath treated Prince Hector." On the twelfth day, the god Apollo spoke to the other gods thus: "Achilles, like the lion, has killed pity. And he cares not a jot for public opinion, to which most people bend the knee for better or worse. .... He kills Prince Hector first and then he ties him to his chariot and drags him round the tomb. As thought that were an honorable thing, or were going to do him any good! He had better beware of our godly wrath, great man though he is." The disagreement among the gods about this outrage was appealed to Zeus, who sent the goddess Thetis, Achillesâ own mother, to inform him that his outrage had displeased the gods. She instructed Achilles to return the corpse to Hectorâs father, Priam, and he did so. At this meeting, Priam asked Achilles to observe a twelve-day truce so that he could bury his son properly, and Achilles agreed. Achilles wrath was dissipated by his conversation with Priam, and they both wept together. Achillesâ bravery and success was based on the supernatural invulnerability of his entire body â except for one small area of one heel. Inevitably, though, an arrow struck him in exactly that one vulnerable spot and killed him. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-05-16 |
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