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Analysis of The Iliad
Through the ages, many people wonder why something as terrible as a war has to happen. The human race is supposedly smarter than any other species, and yet, we have not yet developed the idea of problem solving. Elementary students are taught to discuss their problems, and not resort to fighting. How can an eight year old child understand this, when he sees violence on the news? Book Thirteen of The Iliad, tells of a battle scene involving Peisandros, Menelaos, Harpalion, and Meriones. It becomes obvious to readers that men on both the Achaian and the Trojan sides do not understand why they are fighting, do not understand why Zeus allows the war to happen and why the war is still going on.
The scene opens as Peisandros comes straight toward Menelaos, ready to attack him with his "beautiful axe with strong bronze blade". It is quite interesting that Homer mentions this axe, and especially in such detail. It seems to be Peisandros' finest possession. It is kind of ironic, because, he is in the middle of fighting with Menelaos, and all he can think about is his beautiful axe. Something so frivolous should not be of great concern when Peisandros is on the edge of life and death. In fact, Menelaos does kill Peisandros. Many soldiers during times of war are more concerned with what type of weapon they use than their reason for using the weapon. Despite what many may think, war is not meant to be enjoyable.
However, it seems that Menelaos believes the Trojans are thoroughly enjoying themselves and that they will never be fully satisfied with war. This is very frustrating to Menelaos. It is his understanding that the reason the Achaians are fighting is to get Helen back home to Sparta. This is the cause of the strength of the Achaian soldiers. He believes that the Trojan's are fighting purely out of "blind fury". Menelaos, therefore, cannot understand why war persists, when the Trojans have no clear cut reason to fight, other than the fact that they "cannot be glutted."
Menelaos also wonders why Zeus allowed things to get so carried away. He, in fact, questions Zeus' authority. "They say your wisdom passes all others',...and yet from you all this is accomplished." Later in the scene, after Menelaos' speech, a younger man named Harpalion comes out of nowhere and shoots an arrow at Menelaos' shield. His arrow does not get through the shield, and he goes to hide. Meriones, an Achaian, who had been lurking in the shadows, kills Harpalion. This may seem fairly normal, however, after re-reading the passage, most readers would sympathize with Harpalion. Harpalion recently followed his father into the fighting. So, he is not a very experienced solider, and more than likely he is not very old. His life ends with a single arrow, because of a cause he knows nothing about. After Harpalion dies, the "great-hearted Paphlagonians busied about him, lifted him into a chariot and brought him to sacred Ilion in sorrow, and his father weeping tears, walked beside him." Surely, these Trojan men were asking Zeus the same question as their enemy, the son of Atreus. Why, in all his wisdom and power, would Zeus allow this to happen?
Menelaos seems to believe that the reason the war is still going on is the fact that the Trojans will never tire of war. They are not afraid of Zeus, whom Menelaos believes is only a "guest god." However, it is quite interesting that Menelaos keeps referring to the length of the war as the fault of the Trojans, when the Achaians could just as easily give up on getting Helen back. If both sides have no reason to fight, then why fight at all? Many wars boil down to the fact that after an extended period of time, neither side really knows the reason for the fight.
Homer tells his modern readers that not much has changed since 100 BC. People still ask the same questions about war why they are fought, why the gods allow them to happen and why wars last so long. Because of this, people in todays culture can still learn from this ancient piece of literature, which for many reasons has survived the ages.
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