Theme Analysis


In Homer's Iliad, war is depicted as horrible, bloody, and fruitless. There are no clear winners in The Iliad. Many people die in vain because of arrogant and emotional decisions made by men. Achilles directly causes the death of his friend by first refusing to fight, leaving the Greeks at a disadvantage, and then poorly advising his friend Patroclus to join the other fighters. Even the initial cause of the war, Paris' kidnapping of Helen, a Greek woman, is a rash and selfish act.

The will of Zeus plays an important part in the events of The Iliad. Zeus' will is infallible, and so, in a way, the events that occur are all destined to happen. However, there is a small amount of flexibility as to when the events will happen. This flexibility comes from the intervention of the lesser gods, and the actions of mortal men. Apollo can send a plague on the Greeks, and Aphrodite can rescue Paris from certain death when he is fighting Menelaeus, but in the final......

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Title: Iliad Influence On Western Civilization
Approximate Word Count: 584
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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