The Society of the Homeric Poems

Paper Summary:

This paper attempts to address the question of moral values in Homer's world and examines how the Greeks have an established hierarchy and concomitant etiquette rules governing how different members of society can behave to one another. It looks at how at the very top of this society are the heroes, such as Achilles in the Greek army and Hector on the Trojan and how, because they are so prevalent in the action of the poem, their ethics are much discussed. It shows how the notion of a "heroic code" governing how they behave is a controversial one, as is that of a "shame-culture", where shame is the crucial factor in the judgements of the agathoi.

From the Paper:

"Hector's fear that a lower-class individual will mock his cowardice is one instance where social values are shown in the poem. Of course, the Iliad is set in a martial environment, and so ideas of a society as a whole rarely feature. The poet of the Odyssey makes more of this. One element of an agathos is his position as a head of a clan, such as Achilles and his Myrmidons. Thus they must lead others who are not agathoi, and occasionally enforce their status. This happens memorably in Book II, where Odysseus beats Thersites with his staff, for dissenting in the council and speaking in it when, as a commoner, he is not allowed to. In his abusive call for a return home, he exhibits none of the noble qualities which agathoi possess, and shows disrespect to his betters. "

More papers on The Society of the Homeric Poems:

• Poem Review # 129106 : "Lives of the Ancient Greek Through "The Odyssey"
• Analytical Essay # 118902 : "Portrayal of Women in "The Iliad "
• Comparison Essay # 66791 : "The Waste Land" and "The Fisher King"

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