Iliad as a Dictate of the Father
The Lion Gate is gnarling down at anyone trying to advance past its massive guard. Inside the fortress, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitor's arrival. Skillfully carved armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts. The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are apparent in each Mycenaean artifact. It is this strong patriarchal culture that gave birth to the creation of the Iliad. The respect that the father receives as the head of the family is made obvious in the legendary epic.
Not only is the father the primary concern in the Iliad, but the heroic code is based on paternal injunction. That way the father determines the values and behavior of the heroes in the Iliad.
Throughout the Iliad the warriors are identified by their genealogy. The first line begins, "Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus " (1, 1). With the opening we see how important the father's name is in describing the identity of the hero. The same occurs in the lines to follow, " Atreus' son the lord of men " (1, 7). In this line the name Agamemnon is not even mentioned, even though it introduces the hero for the first time. The fact that he is the son of Atreus provides enough information for the audience. Genealogy has the power to cease battle between enemies. Such is the case when Diomedes, challenged by Glaukos on the battlefield, questions him of his descent. After Glaukos has given the full story of his ancestry, Diomedes realizes that their grandfathers have been friends and proposes a truce.
"See now, you are my guest friend from far in the time of our fathers./ Brilliant Oineus once was host to Bellerophontes/ the blameless, in his halls, and twenty days he detained him,/ and these two gave to each other fine gifts in token of friendship. / Therefore I am your friend and host in the heart of Argos;/ you are mine in Lykia, when I come to your country./ Let us avoid each... [continues]
The Lion Gate is gnarling down at anyone trying to advance past its massive guard. Inside the fortress, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitor's arrival. Skillfully carved armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts. The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are apparent in each Mycenaean artifact. It is this strong patriarchal culture that gave birth to the creation of the Iliad. The respect that the father receives as the head of the family is made obvious in the legendary epic.
Not only is the father the primary concern in the Iliad, but the heroic code is based on paternal injunction. That way the father determines the values and behavior of the heroes in the Iliad.
Throughout the Iliad the warriors are identified by their genealogy. The first line begins, "Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus " (1, 1). With the opening we see how important the father's name is in describing the identity of the hero. The same occurs in the lines to follow, " Atreus' son the lord of men " (1, 7). In this line the name Agamemnon is not even mentioned, even though it introduces the hero for the first time. The fact that he is the son of Atreus provides enough information for the audience. Genealogy has the power to cease battle between enemies. Such is the case when Diomedes, challenged by Glaukos on the battlefield, questions him of his descent. After Glaukos has given the full story of his ancestry, Diomedes realizes that their grandfathers have been friends and proposes a truce.
"See now, you are my guest friend from far in the time of our fathers./ Brilliant Oineus once was host to Bellerophontes/ the blameless, in his halls, and twenty days he detained him,/ and these two gave to each other fine gifts in token of friendship. / Therefore I am your friend and host in the heart of Argos;/ you are mine in Lykia, when I come to your country./ Let us avoid each... [continues]
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