Relationships between gods and heroes in Homer's poems. Images of gods and people in poems. Poseidon wants, but cannot

The action of Homer's poems takes place among people and gods. The first live on earth, sail the seas, and the gods descend to them from the top of Olympus. Occasionally, the gods appear in their ancient zoomorphic form, such as Athena, who turned into a bird. Usually the gods are anthropomorphic and endowed with human passions and vices, but on a scale disproportionately large compared to human ones. The gods fight (Athena fights with Aphrodite, throws stones at Ares), quarrel (Athena, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis on the battlefield), are jealous, deceive each other, moral standards are alien to them, and in everything they consider only their whims. It is possible that in the images of the gods, in the description of their homes and relationships with each other, memories of the life and morals of the ancient Mycenaean rulers were reflected.

The gods dictate their will to the heroes. They see dreams, watch the flight of birds, watch the signs during sacrifices, seeing in this a manifestation of the will of the gods. Hector's fate is decided by Zeus. He places two lots on the scales, and Hector's lot falls down. The power of fate is parallel to the power of the gods, but there are cases when fate rules over the gods and they are powerless before it. Thus, Zeus cannot save his son Sarpedon from death and expresses his grief in drops of bloody dew falling from heaven to earth.

The main character of the Iliad is Achilles. Hot temper and indomitability in anger become a tribute to the youth of Achilles, accustomed to obeying feelings without the control of reason. However, none of the heroes compares with Achilles in devotion to a friend; no one treats the grief of another person with such attention as Achilles. The poet reveals the character of his hero with such convincingness that the listeners are not at all surprised by the actions of Achilles. They understand that such a hero could mercilessly violate the body of a defeated enemy, and he could also hug and console his enemy’s father, giving the body for a dignified burial.

The poet presented their images as the ideals of new times, new humane relations between people. "Hector is the harbinger of the world of cities, of human groups defending their land and their rights. He shows the wisdom of agreements, he shows the family affections that foreshadow the wider brotherhood of people among themselves."

Among the Achaeans, Ajax is second only to Achilles in courage and courage, for whom military honor and glory are the only content of life. Wise old age with its rich life experience is embodied in Nestor. the leader of the Achaeans, Agamemnon, is reserved, arrogant and full of consciousness of his own greatness. His brother Menelaus has little initiative, sometimes even indecisive, but is valiant, like all the other Achaeans. His complete opposite turns out to be Odysseus, a quick-witted and energetic hero. Only thanks to resourcefulness and cunning does he return to his homeland alive and unharmed. to Ithaca Island. Certain features of Odysseus may seem unattractive to the modern reader and even contrary to our ethical standards, but they are determined by the time the poem was created. The nameless folk hero, overcoming numerous obstacles, was already cunning and enterprising in the fairy tale. In the era of the development of new lands and the first acquaintance of the Greeks with the Western Mediterranean, courage and bravery were already valued much lower than dexterity, resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to any situation.

The Odyssey describes a peaceful life that is much more vibrant, complex and meaningful. Instead of the idealized heroes of the Iliad, whose characters were still dominated by the features of the ancient Achaean conquerors who walked the earth with fire and sword, peaceful people live and act in the Odyssey. Even the gods of the Odyssey, with the exception of Poseidon, are calm and peaceful. The heroes of the “Odyssey” seem to be copied from contemporaries familiar and close to the poet, inquisitive, naive and sociable people, whose life and time, according to Marx, were the childhood of human society “where it developed most beautifully...”17 Even the few female images: a devoted old nanny, faithful and virtuous Penelope, hospitable and caring Elena, wise Aretha, charming young Nausicaä, girlishly dreaming of marriage and even, contrary to tradition, of marriage of her own choice.

Divine intervention helped the poet and his listeners explain the origin of the well-known emotions that give rise to certain actions. By reference to the divine will and direct divine intervention, ancient man explained everything that seemed mysterious to him. But the power of artistic truth has contributed to the fact that the modern reader understands, even without the participation of the gods, the experiences of Homer’s heroes and the various motives for their behavior.

ticket - Homeric world in the Iliad and Odyssey (reflection in Homer’s poems of the features of the tribal system and the era of the rise of slave civilization) (see ticket 7)

Homer's epic contains clear references to the communal-tribal organization of society. However, the socio-historical period depicted in Homer’s poems is far from naive and primitive communal-tribal collectivism; it is distinguished by signs of highly developed private property and private initiative within the framework of tribal organizations.

The epic contains information about the existence of skilled craftsmen, about fortune-tellers, doctors, carpenters and singers (Od., XVII, 382-385). From these texts one can already judge a significant division of labor.

a) Estates.

Homeric society is divided into classes, since a class is nothing more than a community of people united along one or another social or professional basis on the basis of either legal legislation or customary law.

In Homer we constantly find a genealogy of heroes descended from Zeus and an appeal to family honor (for example, Odysseus’ appeal to Telemachus in Od., XXIV, 504-526). In Homer, the leader is usually surrounded by his retinue, who treat him with reverence. The power of the leader is associated with large land ownership (for example, the story of Odysseus, disguised as a wanderer, about his wealth in Crete, Od., XIV, 208 et seq.). Frequent wars and all kinds of entrepreneurship also led to the enrichment of the wealthiest part of the clan community. In Homer we find descriptions of magnificent things and palaces. His characters can speak beautifully. They boast of wealth, iron and copper, gold and silver, and love abundant feasts.

b) Trade, craft and land ownership.

The ancient clan community, based on subsistence farming, of course, did not trade, and exchange was so primitive that it did not play a leading economic role. In Homer's poems, a completely different situation is outlined.

Here they often make mutual rich gifts, which sometimes approach what in economics is called exchange. Real trade is mentioned extremely rarely in the epic. However, it already exists. Crafts also develop with trade. There are a lot of craftsmen in Homer's poems: blacksmiths, carpenters, tanners, potters, weavers, gold and silversmiths, as well as soothsayers, singers, healers and heralds. The level of craftsmanship here is extremely high. As we will see below, the poetic exposition is literally peppered with references to various kinds of high-quality products, artistically crafted weapons, clothing, jewelry and household utensils.

In Homer's epic we meet a layer of beggars, which is already completely unthinkable in a tribal community, where everyone is one of their own and relatives. Their pitiful, insignificant and humiliating position can be judged by Iru, who stood on the threshold in front of the feasting suitors and begged for alms and with whom Odysseus, also in the form of a similar beggar, started a fight.

The plots of the famous works “Iliad” and “Odyssey” are taken from a general collection of epic tales about the Trojan War. And each of these two poems represents a small sketch from a larger cycle. The main element in which the characters of the work “Iliad” operate is war, which is depicted not as a clash of the masses, but as the actions of individual characters.

Achilles

The main character of the Iliad is Achilles, a young hero, the son of Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. The word "Achilles" is translated as "swift-footed, like a god." Achilles is the central character of the work. He has an integral and noble character, which personifies real valor, as the Greeks then understood it. For Achilles there is nothing higher than duty and honor. He is ready to avenge the death of his friend by sacrificing his own life. At the same time, duplicity and cunning are alien to Achilles. Despite his honesty and sincerity, he acts as an impatient and very hot-tempered hero. He is sensitive in matters of honor - despite the serious consequences for the army, he refuses to continue the battle because of the insult caused to him. In the life of Achilles, the dictates of heaven and the passions of his own existence coincide. The hero dreams of fame, and for this he is also ready to sacrifice his own life.

Confrontation in the soul of the main character

Achilles, the main character of the Iliad, is used to commanding and managing, as he is aware of his strength. He is ready to destroy Agamemnon on the spot, who dared to insult him. And Achilles' anger manifests itself in a variety of forms. When he takes revenge on his enemies for Patroclus, he turns into a real demon-destroyer. Having filled the entire bank of the river with the corpses of his enemies, Achilles enters into battle with the god of this river himself. However, it is very interesting to see how Achilles' heart softens when he sees his father asking for his son's body. The old man reminds him of his own father, and the cruel warrior softens. Achilles also bitterly misses his friend and sobs at his mother. Nobility and the desire for revenge fight in the heart of Achilles.

Hector

Continuing to characterize the main characters of Homer's Iliad, it is worth dwelling in particular detail on the figure of Hector. The bravery and courage of this hero are the result of the good will prevailing in his consciousness. He knows the feeling of fear, like any other warrior. However, despite this, Hector learned to show courage in battles and overcome cowardice. With sadness in his heart, he leaves his parents, son and wife, as he is faithful to his duty - to protect the city of Troy.

Hector is deprived of the help of the gods, so he is forced to give his own life for his city. He is also depicted as humane - he never reproaches Elena and forgives his brother. Hector does not hate them, despite the fact that they were the ones responsible for the outbreak of the Trojan War. There is no disdain for other people in the hero’s words; he does not express his superiority. The main difference between Hector and Achilles is humanity. This quality is contrasted with the excessive aggressiveness of the protagonist of the poem.

Achilles and Hector: comparison

A frequent task is also a comparative description of the main characters of the Iliad - Achilles and Hector. Homer gives the son of Priam more positive, humane traits than the main character. Hector knows what social responsibility is. He does not put his experiences above the lives of other people. In contrast, Achilles is the true personification of individualism. He elevates his conflict with Agamemnon to truly cosmic proportions. In Hector, the reader does not observe the bloodthirstiness that is inherent in Achilles. He is an opponent of war, he understands what a terrible disaster it turns out to be for people. The whole disgusting and terrible side of the war is clear to Hector. It is this hero who proposes not to fight with whole troops, but to field separate representatives from each side.

Hector is helped by the gods - Apollo and Artemis. However, he is very different from Achilles, who is the son of the goddess Thetis. Achilles is not exposed to weapons; his only weak point is the heel. In fact, he is a half-demon. When preparing for battle, he puts on the armor of Hephaestus himself. And Hector is a simple man who faces a terrible test. He realizes that he can only answer the challenge, because the goddess Athena is helping his enemy. the characters are very different. The Iliad begins with the name of Achilles, and ends with the name of Hector.

Element of heroes

A description of the main characters of Homer's poem "Iliad" would be incomplete without characterizing the environment in which the action of the poem takes place. As already indicated, such an environment is war. In many places in the poem, the exploits of individual characters are mentioned: Menelaus, Diomedes. However, the most significant feat is still the victory of Achilles over his opponent Hector.

The warrior also wants to know for sure who exactly he is dealing with. In some cases, the confrontation stops for a while, and to ensure freedom for the warriors, as well as non-interference by outsiders, the truce is consecrated with sacrifices. Homer, who lived in an environment of war and constant murder, expressively depicts the dying torment of the dying. The cruelty of the victors is no less vividly depicted in the poem.

Menelaus and Agamemnon

One of the main characters of the Iliad is the Mycenaean and Spartan ruler Menelaus. Homer portrays both as not the most attractive characters - both do not miss the opportunity to abuse their position, especially Agamemnon. It was his selfishness that caused the death of Achilles. And Menelaus’s interest in the attack was the reason that the war broke out.

Menelaus, whom the Achaeans supported in battles, was supposed to take the place of the Mycenaean ruler. However, he turns out to be unsuitable for this role, and this place turns out to be occupied by Agamemnon. Fighting with Paris, he gives vent to his anger, which has accumulated against his offender. However, as a warrior he is significantly inferior to the other heroes of the poem. His actions prove significant only in the process of saving the body of Patroclus.

Other heroes

One of the most charming main characters of the Iliad is the old man Nestor, who loves to constantly remember the years of his youth and give his instructions to young warriors. Also attractive is Ajax, who with his courage and strength surpasses everyone except Achilles. Patroclus, Achilles’s closest friend, who was raised with him under the same roof, also evokes admiration. While performing his exploits, he became too carried away by the dream of capturing Troy and died at the merciless hand of Hector.

An elderly Trojan ruler named Priam is not the main character of Homer's Iliad, but he has attractive features. He is a true patriarch who is surrounded by a large family. Having grown old, Priam cedes the right to command the army to his son, Hector. On behalf of all his people, the elder makes sacrifices to the gods. Priam is distinguished by such character traits as gentleness and courtesy. He even treats Elena, whom everyone hates, well. However, the old man is haunted by misfortune. All his sons die in battle at the hands of Achilles.

Andromache

The main characters of the poem “Iliad” are warriors, but in the work you can also find many female characters. This is named Andromache, his mother Hecuba, as well as Helen and the captive Briseis. The reader first meets Andromache in the sixth canto, which tells of her meeting with her husband, who returned from the battlefield. Already at that moment, she intuitively senses Hector’s death and persuades him not to leave the city. But Hector does not heed her words.

Andromache is a faithful and loving wife who is forced to live in constant worry for her husband. The fate of this woman is filled with tragedy. When her hometown of Thebes was sacked, Andromache's mother and brothers were killed by enemies. After this event, her mother also dies, Andromache is left alone. Now the whole meaning of her existence is in her beloved husband. After she says goodbye to him, she mourns him along with the maids as if he had already died. After this, Andromache does not appear on the pages of the poem until the death of the hero. Sorrow is the main mood of the heroine. She foresees her bitter lot in advance. When Andromache hears screams on the wall and runs to find out what happened, she sees: Achilles dragging Hector’s body along the ground. She falls unconscious.

Heroes of the Odyssey

A common question asked to students in literature classes is to name the main characters of the Iliad and Odyssey. The poem “The Odyssey,” along with the “Iliad,” is considered to be the most important monument of the entire era of transition from the communal clan to the slave system.

The Odyssey describes even more mythological creatures than the Iliad. Gods, people, fairy-tale creatures - Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are full of a variety of characters. The main characters of the works are both people and gods. Moreover, the gods take an active part in the lives of mere mortals, helping them or taking away their power. The main character of the Odyssey is the Greek king Odysseus, who returns home after a battle. Among other characters, his patron, the goddess of wisdom Athena, stands out. Opposing the main character is the sea god Poseidon. An important figure is the faithful Penelope, the wife of Odysseus.

Gods and heroes of poems

The action of Homer's poems takes place among heroes and gods. The first live on earth, sail the seas, and the gods descend to them from the top of Olympus. Occasionally, the gods appear in their ancient zoomorphic form, such as Athena, who turned into a bird. Usually the gods are anthropomorphic and endowed with human passions and vices, but on a scale disproportionately large compared to human ones. The gods quarrel, fight, are jealous, deceive each other, moral standards are alien to them, and in everything they consider only their whims. It is possible that in the images of the gods, in the description of their homes and relationships with each other, memories of the life and morals of the ancient Mycenaean rulers were reflected.

The gods dictate their will to the heroes. They see dreams, watch the flight of birds, watch the signs during sacrifices, seeing in this a manifestation of the will of the gods. Hector's fate is decided by Zeus. He places two lots on the scales, and Hector's lot falls down. Although the proem of the Iliad says that the will of Zeus was revealed in everything that happened, the story about the lots reflected more ancient ideas about fate, or destiny. The power of fate is parallel to the power of the gods, but there are cases when fate rules over the gods and they are powerless before it. Thus, Zeus cannot save his son Sarpedon from death and expresses his grief in drops of bloody dew falling from heaven to earth.

Unlike the gods of the Iliad, the gods of the Odyssey become guardians of morality, guardians of goodness and justice.

However, the blessed gods do not like lawless deeds: There is only truth and the good deeds of people are pleasing to them (Od. Book XIV, Art. 83-84)

These gods, with the exception of Odysseus' patroness Athena, are separated from people, and people are more free in their actions, more proactive and energetic than in the Iliad. The images of the heroes combined the features of distant legendary ancestors and ideal heroes of the time the poems were created.

The main character of the Iliad is Achilles, about whom the German philosopher Hegel said that in him alone all the richness and versatility of noble human nature is unfolded. Achilles is very young. Youth and beauty are obligatory properties of an epic hero, but in the Iliad youth is also manifested in the character traits of Achilles. Hot temper and indomitability in anger become a tribute to the youth of Achilles, accustomed to obeying feelings without the control of reason. However, none of the heroes compares with Achilles in devotion to a friend; no one treats the grief of another person with such attention as Achilles. The poet reveals the character of his hero with such convincingness that the listeners are not at all surprised by the actions of Achilles. They understand that such a hero could mercilessly violate the body of a defeated enemy, and he could also hug and console his enemy’s father, giving the body for a dignified burial.

The motive of friendship, as well as the motive of revenge for a dead friend, came into the Iliad from the epic poem that preceded it, which also dealt with the struggle of the Achaeans against Troy. In this poem, Achilles took revenge for his dead friend. But instead of Patroclus, the son of Nestor acted as a friend, and Achilles’ opponent was not Hector, but Priam’s relative Memnon. Thus, in the Iliad, Hector and Patroclus are new epic heroes, not bound by poetic tradition. Their images represent an independent contribution of the Homeric poet, who embodied in them the ideals of new times, new humane relations between people. “Hector is the harbinger of the world of cities, of human groups defending their land and their rights. He shows the wisdom of agreements, he shows family affections that anticipate a broader brotherhood of people among themselves” 16.

Among the Achaeans, Ajax is second only to Achilles in courage and courage, for whom military honor and glory are the only content of life. Wise old age with its rich life experience is embodied in Nestor, in whose stories the events of distant times preceding those described in the poems come to life for the listeners. The “Shepherd of Nations,” the leader of the Achaeans, Agamemnon, is restrained, arrogant and full of consciousness of his own greatness. His brother Menelaus has little initiative, sometimes even indecisive, but is valiant, like all the other Achaeans. His complete opposite turns out to be Odysseus, a quick-witted and energetic hero. Only thanks to his resourcefulness and cunning does he return safe and sound to his homeland, the island of Ithaca. Certain features of Odysseus may seem unattractive to the modern reader and even contrary to our ethical standards, but they are determined by the time the poem was created. The nameless folk hero, overcoming numerous obstacles, was already cunning and enterprising in the fairy tale. In the era of the development of new lands and the first acquaintance of the Greeks with the Western Mediterranean, courage and bravery were already valued much lower than dexterity, resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to any situation.

"The Iliad" is a poem about war. But the glorification of military exploits and personal heroism never develops in her into the apotheosis of war. War is described as a harsh inevitability, hateful and painful to people: Soon the hearts of people are satisfied in battle with murder.

Although in the Iliad Achilles prefers a short but glorious life of military exploits over a long and peaceful life, in the Odyssey the shadow of Achilles complains to Odysseus about his fate: I would rather be alive, like a day laborer working in the field,

To earn your daily bread by serving a poor plowman, rather than reign over the soulless dead here. (Od, book XI, art. 489-491)

It is difficult to establish whether the poet’s sympathies are given to the Achaeans or the Trojans. Although the treacherous shot of the Trojan Pandarus doomed Troy to death for perjury, and the Achaeans, through their actions, restored the outraged justice, it is not the conqueror Achilles, but the defender of his fatherland, Hector, who becomes the hero of the new time, foreshadowing the imminent flowering of the Ionian world.

The Odyssey describes a peaceful life that is much more vibrant, complex and meaningful. Instead of the idealized heroes of the Iliad, whose characters were still dominated by the features of the ancient Achaean conquerors who walked the earth with fire and sword, peaceful people live and act in the Odyssey. Even the gods of the Odyssey, with the exception of Poseidon, are calm and peaceful. The heroes of the Odyssey seem to be copied from contemporaries familiar and close to the poet, inquisitive, naive and sociable people, whose life and time, according to Marx, were the childhood of human society “where it developed most beautifully...” 17. Even the few female characters are diverse: the devoted old nanny, the faithful and virtuous Penelope, the hospitable and caring Elena, the wise Aretha, the charming young Nausicaä, who girlishly dreams of marriage and even, contrary to tradition, of marriage of her own choice.

However, in the images of Homer's heroes there are many traces of historical limitations due to the time of creation of the poems. All images are static, the characters of heroes and gods are perceived and depicted as originally inherent in them, independent of the environment and not changing in it. The hero is determined by his actions, and in them those individual traits gradually emerge, the totality of which makes up his character. The inner world of a person is not revealed in poems, although the poet subtly notices the feelings, experiences, and changes in mood of his characters. In the Iliad, mourners, Achaean captives, gathered as usual over the corpse of Patroclus; they wept “in appearance, it seemed, for the dead, but in their hearts for their own grief.” Where the hero's experiences and related actions are the focus of attention, the intervention of the gods is necessary. Modern readers understand why Helen, having heard about the upcoming duel between Menelaus and Paris, immediately put aside her needlework and headed for the tower: her fate depended on the outcome of the battle. But in the poem, the gods send their messenger Iris to Elena, who gave her “thoughts about her first husband, about her native city and blood,” and therefore Elena hurried to the place of the duel. We understand the feelings of Priam, who is grieving the death of his son and the abuse of his body. His decision to go to the enemy’s camp to try to ransom his son’s body is perceived as a logical consequence of the father’s grief. But in the Iliad, Priam's decision was prompted by the gods, who sent Iris to him. And by order of Zeus, the god Hermes accompanies Priam to the Achaean camp. During a quarrel with Agamemnon, Achilles had already drawn his sword to rush at his offender, but suddenly realized whether it would be better to “stop the anger by subduing the indignant heart.” Everything is said very clearly. But then it turns out that it was Hera who sent Athena to earth, who dragged Achilles “by his light brown curls.”

Composition

The history of a people, as a rule, begins with fantastic retellings of myths and beautiful legends. These creations always contain a grain of history, edged and embellished with fantasy.

Already in the first millennium BC, the ancient Greeks listened to rhymed stories about the Trojan War and the adventures of the cunning Odysseus. Scientists have long believed that the events described in the epic poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are more mythological than historical. The authorship of these poems was attributed to the ancient Greek wandering singer Homer. And in the seventies of the 19th century, the archaeologist Schliemann, in excavations on the coast of the Aegean Sea, found the very Troy whose siege is described in the Iliad.

According to Homer, the war between the Achaeans and Trojans occurred as a result of the abduction of the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, the famous beauty Helen, by the Trojan prince Paris. This event occurred not without the help of the supreme god Zeus, who was looking for a reason to drag peoples into destructive wars. In his poem, Homer not only talks about further events, but also describes the unparalleled courage and bravery of the heroes of Hellas.

Describing military battles, the author repeatedly emphasizes the fearlessness and dedication of the people's favorites - Achilles and Hector. They are the embodiment of the ideal of a person, a man, a hero. The angry Hector, like a terrible hurricane, implored the Trojans to quickly overcome the ditch.

The hero was given a sign from above - he saw a snake scratched until it bled and bit an eagle. But Hector, not sparing himself, together with the soldiers smashed the towers, smashed the loopholes, tore out powerful logs from the ground that supported the ramparts. And it was Hector who was the first to break through the Achaean rampart, winning the highest glory.

Emphasizing the power of Hector, Homer draws attention to the fact that he was like the god of war himself and was always in front. The hero's body was covered with a shield covered with rough hide and upholstered in copper. A helmet gleamed on Hector’s head with a long black mane fluttering in the wind. He, of course, knows the feeling of fear, but Hector has learned to fight it, since war is an obligation to his parents, son and all compatriots. The hero's wife Andromache begs him not to risk his life, to stay in the fortress, but he refuses. Hector cannot leave his warriors, his people at such a moment. Homer masterfully depicts the warm relationship between the hero of Troy and Andromache. The wife is worried and asks her husband to be careful, to which Hector gently advises her to protect her heart from serious worries.

One of the most spectacular episodes of the Iliad is the battle between Achilles and Hector. Snatching a heavy sword from its sheath, Hector rushed at Achilles, like a powerful mountain eagle rushes through the clouds at a lamb or a hare. Achilles was waiting for him, powerful and terrible in his military perfection: a huge shield covered his chest, and on his helmet shone a lush golden mane, which was forged by the god Hephaestus. During the fight, Hector was mortally wounded. Feeling the approach of death, the hero worries about his parents, little son and young wife.

Both participants in the duel have a fierce desire to win and become famous, as well as military valor. In addition, Homer shows what a noble character Achilles has. He is a sincere, honest and loyal comrade. This is an ardent person, subject to strong passions. He is no stranger to compassion. It is the invincible Achilles who embodies the image of a warrior of those times; the images of Hector and Achilles personify the moral and ethical ideals of the people.

The poems of Homer, a blind homeless wanderer, became a hymn of courage and courage, intelligence and honest work.

Homer's heroic epic absorbed the most ancient myths and legends, and also reflected the life of Greece on the eve of the emergence of class society.

It is now considered established that around the 12th century BC, the Achaean tribes went to Troy in search of new lands and wealth. The Achaeans conquered Troy and returned to their homeland. The memory of the great last feat of the Achaean tribe lived among the people, and songs about the heroes of the Trojan War gradually began to take shape.

When Attica and Athens gained primacy in Greece, the Athenians also associated the exploits of the sons of Theseus with this war. Thus, it turned out that all the Greek tribes had a work in the Homeric epic that glorified their common great past, equally dear and eternal to all.

It is also interesting to note that the Homeric epic reflected an even more ancient culture, namely the culture of the island of Crete. In Homer one can find many elements of everyday life and social life that are reminiscent of this ancient culture. Cretan inscriptions mention the names of heroes known from Homer's epic, as well as the names of gods always considered purely Greek.

Homer's poems have a majestic, monumental character inherent in the heroic epic. However, in "Odyssey" there are many everyday, fairy-tale, and fantastic features. This is understandable, because the Iliad is dedicated to war, and the Odyssey to the vicissitudes of human life.

The plot of the Iliad is connected with the myth of the abduction of Helen, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus, ruler of Sparta, by the Trojan prince Paris. The Iliad begins from the moment when the plague began in the Greek camp in the tenth year of the siege. She was sent by the god Apollo, the patron saint of the Trojans, at the request of his priest, from whom the Greek leader Agamemnon had taken his daughter. The priest’s long speech is figurative and vivid. He asks for revenge.

Thus he cried; and silver-bowed Apollo listened!
He rushed quickly from the heights of Olympus, bursting with anger,
Carrying a bow over his shoulders and a quiver of arrows, covered from everywhere;
Loudly winged arrows, beating behind the shoulders, sounded
In the procession of the angry god: he walked, like the night.

To stop the plague, Agamemnon is forced to return his daughter to her father, but in return he takes the captive from Achilles. The angry Achilles, possessed by a feeling of bitter resentment, goes to his camp. Achilles refuses to participate in the siege of Troy.

Fierce battles begin, in which the Greeks are defeated by the Trojans. Then they send ambassadors to Achilles (IX canto), but to no avail; he refuses to take part in the battles. Finally, in Canto XVI, Patroclus, Achilles’ friend, enters the battle because he can no longer see his comrades die. In this battle, Patroclus dies at the hands of the Trojan hero Hector, the son of King Priam.

Only then Achilles, avenging his friend, enters the battle. He kills Hector, brutally mocking his corpse. However, old Priam, Hector’s father, appeared in Achilles’ tent at night and begs him to return his son’s body. Achilles, touched by the old man's grief and remembering his own father, whom he will never see, returns Hector's body and even establishes a truce to give the Trojans time to mourn their dead. The Iliad ends with the burial of the heroes of two warring camps - Patroclus and Hector.

The heroes of the poems are courageous and majestic. They know no fear of the enemy. Both the Greeks and the Trojans are depicted with great respect and love. It is no coincidence that the Greek Achilles and the Trian Hector are examples of heroism. Achilles is a thunderstorm for the Trojans, a stern, unshakable warrior. He loves his homeland. But in his soul there also lives pity for the Trojan - the old man Priam, who lost his own son. He feels the bitterness of his own fate (he is destined to die in his prime). He takes revenge for insults, remembers evil, and sometimes cries like a child. But the main line of his character is heroism that knows no limits and devotion to the common cause. A remarkable example of the generosity of Achilles and the humanism of the ancient epic in general is the scene of the XXIV song of the Iliad, when Achilles gives the body of Hector to King Priam.

Swift-footed Achilles says:
“Elder, don’t anger me! I myself understand that it should
To return your son to you: she brought me news from Zeus
My silver-footed mother, the sea nymph Thetis.
I feel that you too (you, Priam, cannot hide from me)
The strong hand of God led to the Myrmidon ships...

Together with Priam, Achilles laments the plight of man, and with him mourns the dead; he allows Priam to celebrate a funeral feast for Hector for twelve days and releases him to Troy with rich gifts.

Hector is a Trojan leader and the main defender of the city. He leaves his father, mother, wife and child, leaving for the last battle. The scene of Hector’s farewell to Andromache and his son is filled with tenderness and boundless love. The boy cries, frightened by his father's helmet. Hector takes the shining helmet off his head, and the child laughs and reaches for it. The mother is thoughtful and sad. She anticipates the death of Hector and the sad fate of his orphan son. Andromache watches the last duel from the city wall. Hector, deprived of the help of the gods, fights Achilles until his last breath. His life was given for his homeland.

The Odyssey depicts the events after the destruction of Troy. All the heroes returned home, except for Odysseus, king of the island of Ithaca. He wanders for ten years because of the hatred of the sea god Poseidon.

Muse, tell me about that experienced husband,
who wandered long since the day like a saint
Ilion was destroyed by him,
I visited many people of the city and saw their customs,
I grieved a lot in my heart on the seas, worrying about salvation
Your life and the return of your companions to their homeland...

The beginning of the Odyssey tells about the last events of the seven years of Odysseus's wanderings, when he lived on the island of the nymph Calypso. From there, at the behest of the gods, he goes to his homeland. Odysseus arrives in Ithaca in Canto XIII. Waiting for him at home is his wife Penelope, besieged by suitors, and his son Telemachus, who has become a young man. Odysseus stops with a swineherd, then, disguised as a beggar, makes his way into the palace and, finally, in alliance with his faithful servants, exterminates all contenders for Penelope’s hand, suppresses the uprising of the relatives of the murdered, and begins a happy life in the circle of his family. The image of Odysseus’s wife Penelope, a faithful, devoted and intelligent woman, is beautiful. For twenty years, Penelope raised her son and protected the house in the absence of her husband. Homer describes Penelope’s joy when she was convinced that it was really Odysseus in front of her:

She was so happy, admiring her returned husband,
To tear his snow-white hands from his neck without having
Strength. The golden-troned Eos could have found them in tears...

Society as presented in Homer. - a patriarchal race that does not yet know class stratification. Kings work on an equal basis with shepherds and artisans, and slaves, if they exist, are captives taken in war and do not yet occupy a humiliated position in the family. Odysseus builds a raft for himself, Princess Nausicaa washes her clothes. Penelope weaves skillfully.

Homer's Iliad is a full-scale artistic discovery made in the cradle of world culture - Ancient Greece. The poet sang in majestic hexameter (poetic meter) the events of the Trojan War - the confrontation between the Greeks and the Trojans. This is one of the first epic poems in human history. The basis of the work is mythology, so the reader is presented with a two-level composition, where the course of the struggle on earth is predetermined on Olympus. It is all the more interesting to observe the characters of not only people, but also Gods.

In the 13th century BC, powerful Achaean tribes came from the northern part of Greece and spread across Greek soil, occupying the southern coast and islands of the Aegean Sea. Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos are the largest cities, each of which had its own king. The Achaeans wanted to get Asia Minor on the east coast, but the Trojan state was located there, the capital of which was Troy (Ilion). The Trojans interfered with the free trade of the Greeks in Asia Minor, since it was through Ilion that the Achaean trade routes passed. The thirst for the eastern coast and free access for trade became the cause of the war of 1200 BC. The bloody struggle went down in history as the Trojan War, and the Achaeans and Trojans became its participants. Troy was surrounded by a wall with battlements, thanks to which the Greeks spent 10 years besieging this city. Then the Achaeans built a huge horse, later called the Trojan, as a sign of admiration for the king of Ilion, and at night Greek warriors emerged from the wooden gift, opened the gates of the city and Troy fell.

Researchers and scientists have long drawn information about the events of the Trojan War from the works of Homer. The story became the basis of the poem "Iliad".

Topics and problems

Already in the first lines of the poem, Homer reveals the theme of the Iliad. One of the themes is the anger of Achilles. The problem of hatred is put forward by the author in a unique manner: he welcomes the belligerence of the warring parties, but at the same time laments the thoughtless losses. It is not for nothing that the goddess of discord plays a negative role in the work. This is how the author expresses his desire for peace. “The Wrath of Achilles” directs the course of the war, so we can rightfully call his emotional excitement the core basis of the work. It concentrates human weakness: we cannot resist when aggression takes hold of us.

For the first time, the hero burns with hatred for Agamemnon. The leader of the Greeks takes Briseis, the captive of Achilles, by force. From now on, the hero does not take part in battles, such is the punishment for the king. The Greeks immediately begin to suffer defeats one after another, and Achilles does not join the battle, even when the Trojans come close to his camp. Agamemnon returns Briseis to the hero, gifts are brought into the tent as an apology, but Achilles does not look at them. Bright feelings do not have time to occupy the hero’s head, the storyline again flares up with the anger of Achilles, this time due to the murder of his friend Patroclus. Since Achilles did not participate in the battles, and the Greek army suffered serious losses, Patroclus volunteered to help the soldiers, donning the armor of the demigod, receiving his soldiers and chariot. The thirst for military glory clouds the consciousness of young Patroclus, and, entering into battle with Hector, he dies.

Achilles thirsts for revenge, now he teams up with Agamemnon, because nothing brings him closer together than a common enemy. The hero challenges Hector to a fight, pierces the neck with a sword and brutally treats the enemy’s body, tying him to his chariot and dragging him all the way to the camp. He pays in full for his cruelty, because he also falls on the battlefield by the will of the gods. So the author condemns human aggression and willfulness.

The theme of honor is mainly explored through the opposing warriors Hector and Achilles, and the death of the Trojan leader foreshadows the fall of Troy. Achilles' act in relation to Hector's body is dishonorable, and therefore is punished by the gods. But the Trojan warrior was given due honors, because, according to Homer, he was a man of honor to the end.

The theme of fate is also touched upon by the author. Homer's heroes do not have free will; they are all hostages of their fate, destined by the gods. The inhabitants of Olympus completely control the lives of people, clarifying their relationships through them. The mythological consciousness of Homer’s contemporaries imagined the world this way—through the prism of myth. They did not consider a single action to be accidental, finding God’s providence everywhere.

The work's problematics include the basic human vices: envy, vindictiveness, ambition, greed, fornication, and so on. These criminal passions overcome even the gods. It all begins with the envy, vindictiveness and selfishness of the goddesses, continues thanks to the ambition, pride, greed and lust of people, and ends with their cruelty, cunning and stupidity. Each of these qualities is a problem, which, nevertheless, is eternal. The author believes that vices were born along with people and they too will disappear, as phenomena of the same order. In bad traits, he sees not only negativity, but also the source of the versatility of life. The poet, in spite of everything, glorifies people as they are.

Which translation is better to read?

The translation of Homer's Iliad can certainly be considered a difficult creative work; each author tried to “touch” the events of Ancient Greece in order to fully convey and bring the reader closer to the original poem. There are 3 author’s translations that are in demand among readers - A.A. Salnikova, V.V. Veresaev and N.I. Gnedich.

N.I. Gnedich sought to bring his translation closer to the Homeric style; he wanted to convey the atmosphere of the era using a high style, and, in our opinion, he succeeded. Gnedich’s “Iliad” is written in hexameter and is filled with archaisms and Slavicisms. It is in this translation that the reader can feel the expressiveness of the language and plunge headlong into the Ancient Greek world, despite the fact that the text is quite condensed. This translation is quite difficult to read due to the abundance of outdated words, and is intended for a “sophisticated reader.”
V.V Veresaev replaced the words “eyes”, “breg”, “in the hosts” with simpler and more colloquial ones. Part of his translation was taken from Zhukovsky and Gnedin, and the author did not hide this; he believed that well-written fragments from other translators could be used in his own works. This translation is easier to read than N.I. Gnedich and is intended for the “inexperienced reader”.
Translated by A.A. Salnikov, the evenness of the rhythm of the poetic work appears. The text is adapted for the modern reader and is easy to read. This translation is best suited for understanding the plot of the Iliad.

The essence of the work

Homer's Iliad describes the course of the Trojan War. It all begins at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (the parents of Achilles), at which the goddess of discord throws a golden apple for the “most beautiful.” This serves as the subject of a dispute between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, who ask the Trojan prince Paris to judge them. He gives the apple to Aphrodite, since she promised him the most beautiful of wives. It was then that Hera and Athena became irreconcilable enemies of Troy.

The reason for the war was the most beautiful of wives, Helen, promised by Aphrodite, who was taken away by Paris from her legal husband Menelaus. He would subsequently gather almost all of Greece to war against his offender. Achilles fights against Troy, but not for the sake of restoring justice and family reunification; he came to Troy for glory, because it is this war that will spread his name far beyond the borders of Greece.

The battles take place under the close supervision of the Gods, who, like puppets, control people, deciding the outcome of the battle.

Achilles was called to war by Agamemnon, but he is not a warrior for his King. Their mutual hatred of each other brings about their first fatal quarrel. The course of the war changes after Agamemnon forcibly takes Briseis, who belonged, in the form of a military trophy, to the hero. The forces of the Trojans sharply begin to outweigh after Achilles leaves the battles. Only the death of Patroclus arouses in the hero a real thirst for revenge. He plunges a sword into the throat of Hector (the son of the Trojan king, the killer of Patroclus), ties his body to a chariot and rides like that to his camp. Revenge clouds the hero's mind.

King Priam of Troy asks to give up his son's body, appealing to the feelings of Achilles, he manages to awaken compassion in the hero's soul, and he gives up the body, promising as many days of peace as it takes to bury Hector. The poem ends with a picture of the burial of the Trojan son.

Main characters

Achilles- son from the last marriage of God and an earthly woman (Peleus and Thetis). He had incredible strength and endurance, his weak point was hidden in his heel. One of the main heroes of the Trojan War, he fought from the Greek side under the formal leadership of Agamemnon.
Agamemnon- Mycenaean king. Selfish. His quarrel with Achilles is the central conflict of the Iliad.
Hector- son of the Trojan king, fell at the hands of Achilles. A true defender of Troy, the theme of honor is revealed through this character.
Elena- the culprit of the war, daughter of Zeus, wife of Menelaus.
Zeus- God of Thunder, decides the outcome of the war.
Priam- Trojan king.
Patroclus- a friend of Achilles, whom he teaches military affairs. Dies at the hands of Hector.
Briseis- Achilles' concubine, falls in love with the hero. It became the reason for the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles.
Menelaus- Elena's husband.
Paris- Prince of Troy, abductor of Helen.

How does the poem end?

Homer's Iliad ends with a picture of the burial of Hector (son of Priam). His face is seen as a foreshadowing of the fall of Troy, although many more events will occur before the walls of the city are captured.

The Trojan King's grief for his son was great; he was ready to risk his life to say goodbye to Hector. Priam enters Achilles' tent unnoticed, the gods took care of this. The king brings gifts. Apollo asked the hero to pacify his cruelty, but his anger over the death of his friend does not subside. The Trojan king falls to his knees and appeals to Achilles’ feelings of compassion, talking about the hero’s father Peleus, who is also waiting for his son to return from the war alive, and Priam is now alone, because Hector was his only hope. The selflessness and despair that brought the King to his knees before the warrior touches the hidden corners of Achilles’ soul. The king asks for his son’s body to be buried with honors, they cry together, the anger subsides, and the hero gives Hector to Priam. Achilles also promises as many days of peace and military inaction as are required for the burial of the Trojan leader according to all the rules.

Troy cries over the body of the fallen warrior. The funeral pyre leaves only the ashes of Hector's body, which are placed in an urn and lowered into the grave. The scene ends with a funeral feast.

The meaning of the Iliad in culture

Homer, with the poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” opens a new literary page in history.

In the Iliad, history and myth merge together, the gods are humanized, and people are as beautiful as gods. The theme of honor, raised here by Homer, will later be raised several times by other writers. Poets of the Middle Ages began to remake the poems “in their own way,” adding “Trojan Tales” to the “Iliad.” The Renaissance brought a large number of translators interested in Homer's work. It was during this period that the work gained popularity and in one century took on a form close to the text that we can read now. In the age of enlightenment, a scientific approach to the poem, its content and author appears.

Homer not only opened a literary page in history, but also inspired and still inspires readers. From the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” artistic techniques will appear, becoming the basis of the creativity of the Old World. And the image of a blind author will become firmly embedded in the idea of a writer of the European type.