Luke Normile

September 9, 2010
Iliad Commentary

The Nature of the Epic Hero

"The majestic king of Troy slipped past the rest/ And kneeling down beside Achilles,

clasped his knees/ and kissed his hands, those terrible, man-killing hands/ that had slaughtered

Priam's many sons in battle" (24.559-562). So begins Priam's appeal to Achilles to release the

body of his son Hector. In this final book of The Iliad, Homer uses the encounter between Priam

and Achilles to reveal the full character of Achilles and the tragic truth of the effects of war.

After kissing the hands that had killed his greatest sons, Priam begins his recourse to

Achilles, "Remember your own father, great godlike Achilles-/ As old as I am" (24.570-571).

Instantly, Achilles' heart softens and he becomes a different man than the one whose "mighty

heart was erupting... with slaughter" as he chopped twelve young Trojans to pieces at Patroclus'

funeral (23.202). Homer writes that the words of Priam "stirred within Achilles a deep desire/ To

grieve for his own father. Taking the old man's hand/ He gently moved him back. And

overpowered by memory/ both men gave way to grief" (24.592-594). Thus, only by remembering

the years before he took his place as the greatest Achaean warrior can Achilles contain the rage

which has channeled his overwhelming strength throughout the poem.

Because memory of the days before the war is the only thing that makes Achilles human

again, Homer reveals in this passage one of the tragic truths of war: the dehumanizing effect it

has on its participants, especially the greatest fighters. During his attack on the Trojans, Achilles

does not cease his slaughter even to eat, but is instead given the ambrosia of the gods. He is, in

fact, more like an immortal god than a human in battle, using sheer power to impose his will on

the Trojans, never considering the men he kills. This is exactly what is needed to win the war, but

has the tragic effect on Achilles of making him a slave to his own rage. As he becomes more of a

god, the warrior becomes less of a human. But when Priam appeals to Achilles' memories, he is,

if only temporarily, brought down to the level of the mortals, and shares a feast of mortal food with

his enemy. Thus, by showing us the human side of Achilles, Homer reveals the terrible effect that

war has had on him, and has on all warriors.