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Iliad Essay, Research Paper

An Examination of Similes in the Iliad – and how homers use of them

affected the story

In the Iliad, Homer finds a great tool in the simile. Just

by opening the book in a random place the reader is undoubtedly

faced with one, or within a few pages. Homer seems to use

everyday activities, at least for the audience, his fellow

Greeks, in these similes nearly exclusively. When one is

confronted with a situation that is familiar, one is more likely

to put aside contemplating the topic and simply inject those

known feelings. This would definitely be an effective tactic

when used upon the people of Homer’s day. From the heroic efforts

in the Iliad itself it is clear that the populace of his time

were highly emotional creatures, and higher brain activity seems

to be in short, and in Odysseus’ case, valuable, order.

It is also wise to remember that history is written by the

winners. In the Iliad, there seems to be relatively little

storyline from the Trojan’s side. We are regaled with story upon

story of the Greeks, their heroes, and their exploits, while the

Trojan’s are conspicuously quiet, sans Hector of course. It could

almost be assumed that throughout time most of the knowledge of

the battle from the Trojan side had been lost.

Considering the ability to affect feelings with similes, and

the one-sided view of history, Homer could be using similes to

guide the reader in the direction of his personal views, as

happens with modern day political “spin”. These views that Homer

might be trying to get across might be trying to favor Troy. It

could easily be imagined that throughout time, only great things

were heard about the Greeks mettle in war, and that Homer is

attempting to balance the scales a bit by romanticizing the

Trojan peoples, especially Hector, and bringing to light the

lesser-heard tales of Greek stupidity.

Shortly into Book Two, Agamemnon gives the speech to his

assembly about his plan to rally the troops with reverse

psychology. Agamemnon shall announce he is giving up on taking

Troy, whereupon the individual army captains will then “prevent

their doing so.” When the announcement is made, King Agamemnon

is startled to see the ranks, not surprisingly, take advantage of

the chance to leave and make for the ships with vigor. Homer

describes the scene as “bees that sally from some hollow cave and

flit in countless throng among the spring flowers, bunched in

knots and clusters…” This simile is tainted with dark words

like “from a hollow cave” and “bunched in knots”, giving the

“bees” an ominous tone. The Greek ranks are painted as a throng

of weak-kneed wimps with their constitution sapped, obviously not

the case as they go on to win the war, but it suffices to cast

the Lycians in a negative light.

A short, but emotionally appealing, simile is found after

the Greek warriors have changed their mind about leaving and

return to the Scamander: “They stood as thick upon the

flower-bespangled field as leaves that bloom in summer.” This

scene assumes quite a juxtaposition. A flower-bespangled

battlefield? This is perhaps an attempt to show the absurdity of

the Greek army, changing positions from fleeing to brazenness as

flowers are to the field of death.

Near the beginning of Book Three a group of elders of Troy,

not fighting material, but skilled orators, are found resting on

the tower “like cicadas that chirrup delicately from the boughs

of some high tree in a wood.” The cicadas song and the “tree in

a wood” cast memories of repose and relaxation, rest and peace,

which are then injected into the “delicate” elders. Another

attempt of Homer to cast the Trojans in a favorable light.

Later in the same book Ptolemaeus is Homer’s vehicle for

putting down the Greeks again. Upon seeing shirkers of the front

line of battle he likens them to “frightened fawns who, when they

can no longer scud over the plain huddle together.” Undoubtedly,

the men of Homer’s time hunted to survive, and relished the sight

of the frightened fawns grouped together. But does not one also

feel pity for them? This is a wonderful simile that brings home

the nervous twitchiness that would denote a person scared to

death in such a situation.

Later in Book Five there is a great dichotomy of similes.

First, Hera comes down “flying like turtledoves in eagerness to

help the Argives.” followed by a scene surrounding Diomedes where

his men are “fighting like lions or wild boars.” Both of these

have their own respective importance. There is probably no more

revered avian for peace and beauty than the turtledove, and

applying this to Hera shows where her intentions lie. While

lions and boars are notoriously vicious creatures, sure to raise

a hackle or two on a Greek reader, and when exercised on Diomedes

it brings their ferocity home. The interesting thing here is the

contrast between the two. This is another example of how the

Greeks are made to look like animals.

In Book Ten Nestor comments on a set of horses that Odysseus

is ushering, won by Diomedes through killing some Trojans, that

they are “like sunbeams.” A very short, and odd, description

for horses. One is reminded

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