Personal Narrative-The Battle Of Sparta

I have seen many a strange things since our editor sent me to join Ajax’s, son of Telamon, unit at the beginning of this war. But nothing compares to the events of the past seventy-two hours. It all began with a long battle between Ajax and Odysseus over who would inherit Achilles’ panoply. Odysseus was declared the winner after giving an incredible speech. Just in the neck of time too, as we were supposed to leave for home the next day.

Ten years after the defeat at Marathon, Darius’ son, Xerxes, launched a second invasion of Greece. The invasion had about 200,000 soldiers. The relatively small Greek force led by the Spartan king. ★★Leonidas numbers only 7,000 soldiers including 300 Spartans.★★ The slaves made everything and did everything that was a normal chore or job. They made the food and made the gear and weapons. Prior to Thermopylae they believed in polytheistic that means they believed in many different gods. Orical was presented to the Spartans that a king must die before greece won against Persia. They carried a shield with a symbol of their home town. Their main weapon was a spear that was 8 ft. long. Xerces didn’t think that they were really going to fight so

Horace’s The Odes introduces the poetic phrase Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, which is a simplified explanation of a term widely used throughout literature and the world: honor. The sentence translates to “It is sweet and glorious to die for one’s country.” In literature, the phrase symbolizes a variety of heroic characteristics including courage, bravery, strength, and sacrifice. Furthermore, the era in which Horace gained his influence is known for its sacrificial soldiers who died in battle protecting their empire.  However, honor has since taken a different connotation: rather than admiring one’s country, one now sacrifices for his or her own gain. In fact, people of the early twentieth century witnessed a near-disappearance of honor,

Since the beginning of time man has waged war with catastrophic outcomes for many reasons. The Trojan war was the brutal fight for Helen, the fairest woman of the known world. Was it the revenge seeked by Gods and mortals? Or was it the justice seeked by Gods and mortals? Gods and mortals fought a brutal war for what they thought was right and to get back at past evils. The actions inspired by vengeance and justice in Homer’s Iliad shows how detrimental the effects can be on others.

The plot of the Iliad takes place in the middle of the war between the Greeks and the Trojans that lasted for ten years. This conflict according to Homer and ancient Greek mythology occurred because the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, brother to king Agamemnon. In this paper, I will be examining the consequences of war, as outlined by Homer. I will be analyzing a battle scene to answer the question of why do the men in Homer’s “The Iliad” continue to fight when all hope of winning perishes? especially as they face the consequences and horrific tragedies of war. What is it that they continue to fight for, even at the expense of their lives? What is considered to be so valuable that they are willing to die? And is it worth the risk? These men fight for Kleos, which is an eternal glory. They fight for their glory to live on and their names remembered even long after they are dead. They earn this glory through being renowned for their bravery and courage, as well as their strength and victory in war. To attain Kleos is valued highly to the ancient Greeks and worth the consequences of war, even death.

In the epic poem, the Iliad written by Homer, several characters taking part in the warfare between the Achaeans and the Trojans are portrayed as embodying the heroic code of courage, physical strength, leadership, arete of value of honour, and the acceptance of fate. The heroic code is illustrated by the actions of the Trojan prince, Hector and the Achaeans strongest warrior, Achilles. Both of these characters display the Greek’s image of a hero, and can also let the reader discern what the society admires, looks up to and aspires to in its heroes. There are also characters who fail to be heroic, such as the Trojan “vivid and beautiful” prince, Paris. These characters in the Iliad illustrate the qualities that Ancient Greek society values.

Sparta was not going to let itself being conquered or their freedom being taken away. Some battles that Spartans were known for were Thermopylae and Plataea in the 5th century BC. The battle of Thermopylae was the first battle between the Persians and the Greeks; the Persian army was vast compared to the small Greek and Spartan armies. Persian King Xerxes had already the Thessalains in the Persian side but the rest of the Greek city-states banded together and put Sparta in charge of the Greek army. The Greeks had to defend a narrow pass that could lead the Persians into Greece from the North, this pass was called Thermopylae. There were 300 Spartans commanded by their king, Leonidas and 6,000 soldiers from other city-states against the Persian army of 100,000 men. The small Greek force held their position for two days till a Greek traitor told Xerxes of another path that was used by local people. Using this pass, the Persians passed through the mountains in secret and trapped the Greeks from the front and behind. On the third day, King Leonidas chose to stay to fight to the end and told the rest of the city-states to run while they still could but the Spartan army would die till the end. Although the Battle of Thermopylae was lost it showed that the Spartans were not afraid of the Persians and brought hope to the rest of the Greek city-states.

The epic poem, The Iliad written by Homer shows the conflicts and events that occurred between the Greeks and Trojans during the Trojan War. Among both sides there are warriors who follow a distinct code, known as the heroic code. This Heroic code helps portray the characteristics of the warriors and their perspective on war. This distinct code is composed of many elements such as arete, acceptance of fate, honour, excellence in war, leadership, courage and power. These traits are shown within the main warriors, Hector and Achilles throughout the epic war poem and helps to guide their decisions. However, in contrast, not all the characters are shown with heroic features, for example, Paris. Paris is a foil to both Achilles and Hector. He exhibits less heroic features to himself. The heroic code helps characterize the warriors and highlights their heroic features.

In Homer’s The Iliad, epic hero Achilles serves as an example of how rage, when unchecked, leads to disastrous repercussions. Achilles, though nearly superhuman in his physical abilities, struggles repeatedly to contain his anger. Throughout The Iliad, as Achilles’ fury compounds, the consequences of his actions become catastrophic, eventually leading to the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Although Achilles ultimately chooses to avenge Patroclus’ death and achieve his own kleos, or honor, his rage-driven actions lead to the death of many Achaean soldiers, and change the course of his fate.

Book Twenty-Four of The Odyssey opens with an interesting scene between the ghosts of Achilles and Agamemnon, in which Agamemnon describes the death and the funeral of Achilles. In this encounter, in which Agamemnon relates the death as well as the funeral of Achilles, Agamemnon demonstrates the Achaeans’ value of honor and glory in death. Homer reveals this value through Agamemnon’s praise of Achilles death in battle as well as through the character’s disdain with his own murder at the hands of Aegisthus, which did not bring any glory to Agamemnon. Furthermore, this scene also demonstrates the importance of a proper funeral, as Agamemnon dwells on the games that Thetis held in honor of her son, Achilles, a privilege that Agamemnon did

Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of

For human’s deities are omnipotent, authoritative, dominant and immortal. If there is a need for supplication due to conflict or complication, humans turn towards the divine. Within the Iliad there are various gods who scheme a very significant role in the war of Trojan. The gods are very present, always observing, influencing guiding and most importantly, interfering in the actions of the humans. Athena, Apollo, and Zeus are three very influential divines and their interactions with human characters, along with interference towards the warfare is seen throughout the Iliad.

Homer’s Iliad is one of the earliest depictions of war ever written. At face value, the epic is the story of Achilles’ rage, beginning with his honor being insulted by Agamemnon and it continues with the death of his best friend, Patroclus. Yet, the Iliad showcases so much more. It illustrates two very different perceptions of war: one one hand glorious honor and victory, and on the other, the the jarring horror of death and destruction. Homer, in his poem, incorporates scenes in which the characters contemplate how meaningful war and violence really is; a thought which, tragically, many individuals in today’s world contemplate every day. Despite having been written nearly two millenniums ago, the Iliad’s themes still ring true today and further illustrate how human nature has not changed.

Homer’s depiction of the nature and character of war itself seem to be unmerciful in its raw form. Throughout the course of book seven of the epic, The Iliad, many events and actions of the characters are in the motive of war and winning a battle.

“Father Zeus, is there any mortal left on the wide earth who will still declare to the immortals his mind and his purpose? Do you not see how now these flowing-haired Achaeans have built a wall landward of their ships, and driven about it a ditch, and not given to the gods any grand sacrifice? Now the fame of this will last as long as dawnlight is scattered, and men will forget that