Do Not Let Epic Poetry Become Your Achilles’ Heel

High schools often teach Homer’s Odyssey, but skip right over the Iliad. It is a challenging read, even in translation, but the epic poem is crucial to understanding the ancient Greek culture and mythology that inspired so much of Western Civilization. The basic premise of the story is this: Paris, a fair Trojan prince stole the world’s most beautiful woman, Helen, from her Greek husband Menelaus. Paris whisks her away to Troy and she becomes “Helen of Troy.” However, in doing so, Paris not only betrayed Menelaus but broke the sacred concept of xenia, a word that roughly translates to “guest-host relationship.”  Xenia stipulates that guests and hosts essentially promise not to betray one another while under the same roof. Paris, smitten with Helen, breaks this vow, which leads the Greek kings into a ten-year war with the city of Troy. Thus, Helen becomes “the face that launched a thousand ships” and we as readers are left with a profound tale of battle, glory and love.

 As you read, note that it is the heroes that stay with the readers. We are as devoted to Achilles, history’s most famous fallen hero as we are with the dutiful and valiant Trojan Prince Hector. Homer’s verse, as a result, becomes as immortal as his heroes.

 Trivia: Archaeologists and historians still question whether or not the Trojan War actually took place. Recent excavations in Turkey, reveal that Hisarlik is the likely site for the epic war.

 Favorite Quotes:

 “Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.”