The Easiest Day

Well I have to say that this week will probably be the easiest days of class. During this first week, we discussed the common history of the Greeks, as well as read the first and sixth book of Homer: The Illiad. I have to say that there are way too many names to remember right now! I am glad that the book follows only certain characters, because I couldn't remember every "This person is the son of this person, and they are from here, and killed this person," live.

I think it is funny how gods are made in man-like image, and if a mortal man is compared to a god, it is an insult. (Since the Gods are fickle creatures.) I can already tell that I am probably going to really like this class, if I can learn to understand the language used.

In Book I, the story follows Achilles, who is very moody and angry. He is only out there for his own glory. He even begs his mother at one point to help him commit treachery towards his fellow Achaean's, to prove his worth to them. He may have been on the same side as Agamemnon, and was one of his "highest knights persay," but they definitely did not get a long.

I can understand both sides of the story, where Achilles stands up to Agamemnon, but Agamemnon is the king, and I guess he does deserve the best. You do not challenge your king. Agamemnon was acting kind of like a baby when he decided to give back Chryseis to her father, Apollo's priest Chryses, and demanded that everybody give him prizes to make up for it. Achilles stood up and said he didn't deserve their prizes, because the gods (and the priest) only requested Agamemnon's prize, not everybody elses. I would be pissed if I was told to give up my stuff because somebody else lost theirs, but I guess I would also be pissed if I had to give up my stuff and somebody tried to challenge what I wanted.

In Book VI, the story focused more on Hector. I do like Hector better. He is fighting not only for his own honor and glory, but also for his home, his family, and his fellow Trojans. He does not go to see his mother to cry to her, but to ask her to gather the other older women to pray to Athena for help. He refuses the wine she offers him, to keep his head straight. He then goes to see his brother, and finds him adoring himself in his armor. He first makes fun of him and ridicules him, and then tells him he needs to be out there fighting. Paris agrees with him, but says he needs to wait a little bit, but will meet up with him later. I think he is just scared.

After visiting his brother, he goes to find his wife and child, and has to ask a servant where they are. They were watching the battle. I feel bad for his wife, because she is there crying wanting him to be with her and their son. But I also think she is a little bit of a whiner. She kind of goes over the top by bragging about having nothing left. (I mean I can understand losing her family, but she doesn't need to shove it in his face.) He is Troy's best fighter, and he isn't trying to just get his glory fix, he wants to save Troy's glory, and save his wife, son, and all of the other women and children.

I enjoy this story, even if it is very brutal, bloody, and hard language sometimes. There may be a lot of names to remember, but it is something that I can actually read and enjoy. I hope that the other stories are just as good.