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The Elements of ‗Virtue' in the Iliad

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The Elements of ‗Virtue' in the Iliad International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, Vol. 5, No. 3, September 2019 The Elements of ‗Virtue‘ in The Iliad Tugce ARAS people in terms of ‗virtue‘. Homer uses his heroes to praise Abstract—The Iliad is an epic poem of Homer narrates The ‗virtue‘. He also displays its importance and the possible War of Troy between Trojans and Achaeans which takes place results in the absence of it. Moreover, The Iliad has been in ancient history and it is full of heroic stories. The Trojan War equipped with a series of events that will lead to the results of is caused by the betrayal of Helen and Paris and the war is the decisions of significant characters from beginning to end concluded with the death of Hector and the collapse of Troy. In 4 Homeric society, wars and being a great warrior occupy a (p. 428) [1]. Additionally, these decisions are based on significant place in their lives since great warriors are believed virtuousness of heroes which build the plot of The Iliad. as virtuous existences. That’s why, Homer tells the great stories On the other hand, as a genre, an epic has the same of great warriors. Alongside heroic stories, Homer also structure as a tragedy according to Aristotle and he calls The indicates a path to be virtuous through Achilles’ rage, Iliad pathetic (p. 1-2-15) [3]. Therefore, The Iliad can be dishonesty of Helen and voluptuous behaviours of Paris. He considered as a tragedy because the poem consists of tragic underlines these elevated elements and gives lessons from each of them to his society to praise ‘virtue’. However, it oversteps its stories of Trojans and it ends up with the death of one of the time and place and it is able to survive until the modern world heroic characters apart from many deaths happened thanks to its moral messages which are still valid. In this paper, throughout the poem. The effect of the heroes‘ decisions on Homer’s lessons through these elevated elements related to these tragic stories is incontrovertible and Homer tries to tell ‘virtue’ are going to be studied and depicted with something to his society with these stories. exemplifications from the poem. The Iliad is centred on the plot of Trojan War between Index Terms—Morality, honesty and dishonesty, rage, Trojans and Achaeans. However, several elevated matters are honour, virtue. behind the scenes to bring about this war and these matters of Homer come to exist with the actions of the characters (p. 5) [4]. These ‗elevated matters‘ are the basic elements of I. INTRODUCTION ‗virtue‘ what make The Iliad a ‗Holy Book‘. This ‗Holy The Iliad by Homer which has been read by millions of Book‘ tells a tragic narrative which starts with the betrayal of people from different cultures holds the field of not just Paris and dishonest Helen, wraps up with the ‗rage‘ of literature but history and sociology for ages. It is far beyond Achilles and draws to a close with the duel of Hector and being just a book, it ―functions as a reference guide into both Achilles who are honourable and great warriors. By this way, ancient history and literature‖ to learn what is good and bad. Homer gives messages to his society through these elements The Iliad serves as a ‗Holy Bible‘ to better understand of ‗virtue‘. cosmological tradition of Greek mythos (p. 426) [1].1 This mythos includes stories of heroes who acquire fame in the society. Homer reflects the structure of Greek society and he II. THE ‗RAGE‘ OF ACHILLES tells the stories of Greek heroes to lead to the right path in The The Iliad begins with the line ―Rage-Goddess, sing the Iliad. The stories have been transferred not only from one rage of Peleus' son Achilles [5]‖ (I. 10) and the rest of the generation to another but also, from one culture to another. poem, his rage is under every rock. He has anger to someone Thus, it has become a divine fact to establish moral rules in or something that Homer wants to show us. That‘s why, the society and Homer has become a ―teacher‖ who gives moral book starts with this line and we encounter a lot of scenes lessons through his characters and their actions because poets related to his anger. Homer displays his rage as a monster are the teachers of the society for Greek people (320) [2].2 In which has twin tail. One of the tails is iniquitous, violent, this sense, we can consider Homer as a ‗shepherd‘ of the herd cruel and the other is good and right. Homer‘s Achilles who or a ‗prophet‘ who guides his people. Because of these is the son of Thetis and Peleus, the king of Phthia, is a reasons, The Iliad is an epic and epics include the nations‘ Godlike character of the poem. He is powerful and sorrow, grief, exultation, valour, and their wars and victories insurmountable like a God but, he is mortal, and he dies like (p.427) [1].3 The integrity of these themes constitutes an epic every human. Additionally, he knows that his fate is dead and and an epic poem gives moral lessons to the next generation buried in a battlefield and he is in the middle of a battlefield via incidents. Besides, characters are moliminous as well as of Troy. Because of this reason, he may be angry about his the incidents and Homer‘s characters are not ordinary people fate or battles in which he dies. from the society, they are heroes, kings or gods whose names are renowned. Since they are believed to be superior to 1 This statement is originally in English, it is taken from the abstract of the ordinary people, they serve as a model for the ordinary article. 2-3 These statements are originally in Turkish and they are translated by me. The original ones are indicated in the endnotes. Manuscript received April 3, 2019; revised July 11, 2019. 4 This statement is originally in Turkish and it is translated by me. The Tugce Aras is with Altınbas University and Istanbul Aydın University, original one is indicated in the endnotes. Istanbul, Turkey (e-mail: [email protected]). doi: 10.18178/ijlll.2019.5.3.221 163 International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, Vol. 5, No. 3, September 2019 He withdraws since Agamemnon distrains on his godsends. sailed you off and away in the racing deep-sea ships However, it is possible that he uses this situation as an excuse, and we went and locked in love on Rocky Island ... he feels fear inside since the battle of Troy can be his end and That was nothing to how I hunger for you now this feeling of him may cause his rage to emerge. Besides, he irresistible longing lays me low! [5]"(3. 431-57) may be angry about Gods who are immortal and play with humans like toys. In brief, he may be justified in his rage This scene shows his voluptuousness clearly. Homer from his point of view. On the other hand, his wrath does presents Paris not to be taken as an example and he conveys affect in one way or another all the characters of the poem. his thoughts and sends his message to his society through The wrath, which is so destructive, brings down not only Hector‘s words which are in the book III and VI: many a good Achaean, but Hector (and Troy) (p. 260) [6]. Aristotle also addresses anger as a moral ‗virtue‘ in his work, Hector raked his brother with insults, stinging taunts: The Nicomachean Ethics and says that anyone can get angry "Paris, appalling Paris! Our prince of beauty — that is easy — but to do this to the right person, to the right mad for women, you lure them all to ruin! extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right Would to god you'd never been born, died unwed. way [7]. (2009: ii.9) However, Achilles cannot control or That's all I'd ask. Better that way by far than to have you steer his rage with the right extent and the right motive or in strutting here, an outrage the right way. His rage brings about not only the death of his a mockery in the eyes of all our enemies. Why, beloved cousin Patroclus whom Achilles grows up together the long-haired Achaeans must be roaring with but also, the death of many people in the poem. It captures laughter! [5] (3. 15-43) him, reigns in his thoughts and makes him a cruel and violent Hector raked his brother with insults, stinging taunts: man. The great warrior, the honest Achilles becomes a tragic "What on earth are you doing? Oh how wrong it is, hero because of these actions. this anger you keep smoldering in your heart! Look, Homer indicates the wickedness of ‗rage‘ if it is not your people dying around the city, the steep walls, controlled in the right way and he presents a character who is dying in arms-and all for you, the battle cries not just a warrior hero but also a man who is facing with his and the fighting flaring up around the citadel. inner tensions (p. 265-266) [6]. Even in the poem, Phoenix You'd be the first to lash out at another-anywhere tells the story of Meleager who withdraws like Achilles and you saw hanging back from this, this hateful war.
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