valued and to some extent we still value today. There are recurrent themes throughout the epic

that support Homer’s main message which was learning life lessons and growing as an

individual. The main themes of the Iliad are heroes’ code of conduct, honor and rage,

hospitality/community, greed and power, the definition of a hero, and social systems between

Greeks and Trojans. Homer gets his message across through the acts of hubris committed by

characters and the consequences that are ultimately paid by committing this hubris.

Homer uses Achilles as an example of a character that commits hubris through the entire

epic quite consistently. The Iliad begins with Achilles’ selfish and childish acts of rage. Achilles

allows for his emotions to overpower him throughout the epic. First when he prays to Thetis for

his comrades to be killed so that Agamemnon will beg him to return to fight the Trojans.

Hector really symbolizes the reunification of the social system in both societies. What really

of all because he is described as the most feared and really has no match other than Hector. In the

to the gods and will be made to pay the price just like Achilles paid the price with Patroclus’

Some topics in this essay:
Patroclus Hector, Trojans Achilles, Homer’s Iliad, Achaean Achilles, Greeks Patrocolus’, Homer Achilles, Menelaus Aphrodite, Achilles Achaean, Trojans Homer, Menelaus Homer, patroclus’ death, throughout epic, funeral games, example achilles, front lines, social system,