Societal Values in the Iliad

Although the Iliad does not cover it, the audiences watching the Iliad performed no doubt knew how the Trojan War started, as it was a common myth. Tyndareus, the father of Helen, required all the Greek Heroes of the day who were asking for Helen as his wife to swear an oath. The oath required that all the suitors, no matter who won Helen as his wife, would come to her aid should anything ever happen to her, and all the suitors agreed in hopes that they would be the one to have her as his wife. Me

This was their main concern -- how others would perceive them after the fight. After the fight, the Trojans were “…overjoyed to see [Hector] still alive, unharmed, striding back, free of the rage and hands of Ajax still unconquered. They escorted him home to Troy—saved, past all their hopes—while far across the field the Achaean men-at-arms escorted Ajax, thrilled with victory, back to Agamemnon.” If the Achaeans were thrilled with victory over a draw, then the opponent must have been someone special. Ajax and Hector’s realization that both had helped each other gain time by offering a worthy opponent and gaining the other prestige in battle is what prompted the two to exchange gifts.

Although the Iliad is fictitious, it was a central story to the Archaic Greek society. It is certain that an important literary text of the day would share the values of the society. It is known that the Archaic Greeks were a militaristic society, and that most of males watching this poem performed probably had picked up a weapon to defend themselves, their families, or their communities at some point. We know all this because of the high defense walls found, and the swords in their graves. It is likely that the Iliad has the Greeks pitted against the Trojans, a great and powerful people, to gain time for all Greeks. This would show that the Greeks could beat anyone no matter how powerful they were.

Achilles is also affected by family ties as it is the death of Patroclus that enrages him to the point of re-entering the war and not an increase in time. Achilles is so upset over Patroclus’ death that he declares, “let me die at once since it was not my fate to save my dearest comrade from his death!” (Iliad 18.114-6) This was after Thetis’ warning that his own death would come soon after the death of Hector. When Agamemnon apologizes to Achilles he does not speak to him directly and blames ate, the grip of madness, for his actions and not himself. This marginal disrespect does not faze Achilles as it normally might have, because his thoughts are only on his good friend and cousin.

Prestige and friendship are clearly two values esteemed highly by the Iliad’s society. Everyone wants more prestige and they want to help their friends in any way they can. When the Iliad is examined closely, it is apparent that time and friendship, and the level at which the characters valued them, played a huge role in, if they were not the entire reason for, every major action by a character in the poem.

The characters of the Iliad loved time, and valued family and friendships highly, but one can look outside this fictitious society to the societies contemporary to Homer’s creating the Iliad, and even to today and see that these ideas are still valued. Just as pastimes such as kicking over sandcastles have survived from the Archaic Greek period until the present, so too have many of the values held by these societies.

Paris was promised Helen by Aphrodite for declaring her the fairest of the gods. After receiving Aphrodite’s promise Paris went to visit Menelaus and while visiting, abducted Helen. As we would look at it today, the chief wrong doing here would be kidnapping. According to the values held by the people of this day, however, the biggest problem was breaking Xenia, which is the strongest bond one may have with another who is not part of his/her family or clan, between Paris and Menelaus. Menelaus offered his home and hospitality to Paris who then broke the bond by stealing Menelaus’ wife. This breaking of Xenia by Paris would have been viewed as a quintessential act of disrespect by the day’s society. By stealing Helen and in turn breaking the Xenia, Paris caused the Oath of the Suitors to go into effect, and therefore the start of the Trojan War.

Some topics in this essay:
Ajax Odysseus, Hector Agamemnon, Achilles Greek, Hector Ajax, Archaic Greek, Xenia Menelaus, Trojan War, Ajax Hector’s, Helen Menelaus, Herald Idaeus, breaking xenia, trojan war, exchange gifts, archaic greek, trying kill, characters iliad, helen wife, values held, breaking xenia paris, family friends, beautiful woman, beautiful woman world, archaic greek society, won helen wife,