One of the main characters of the Iliad. Images of the main characters of the Iliad and Odyssey

Homer's Iliad - 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 for a long time drew 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 is concentrated 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.

1. 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 outdated words, designed for the “sophisticated reader.”
2. 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”.
3. Translated by A.A. Salnikov appears evenness of rhythm poetic work. Text adapted for modern reader and is not difficult 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

1. Achilles- son from the last marriage of God and 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.
2. Agamemnon- Mycenaean king. Selfish. His quarrel with Achilles is central conflict"Iliad".
3. 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.
4. Elena- the culprit of the war, daughter of Zeus, wife of Menelaus.
5. Zeus- God of Thunder, decides the outcome of the war.
6. Priam- Trojan king.
7. Patroclus- a friend of Achilles, whom he teaches military affairs. Dies at the hands of Hector.
8. Briseis- Achilles' concubine, falls in love with the hero. It became the reason for the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles.
9. Menelaus- Elena's husband.
10. 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 the feelings of compassion of Achilles, talks about the father of the hero Peleus, who is also waiting for his son to return from the war alive, and Priam is now alone, because Hector was his the 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 his 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 big number translators interested in the work of Homer. 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 appears scientific approach to the poem, its content and author.

Homer not only opened a literary page in history, but also inspired and still inspires readers. From the Iliad and the Odyssey will appear artistic techniques, 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.

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From the marriages of the Olympian gods with mortals, heroes were born. They were endowed enormous power and superhuman capabilities, but did not have immortality. Heroes were supposed to carry out the will of the gods on earth and bring order and justice into people's lives. With the help of their divine parents, they performed all kinds of feats. Heroes were highly revered.

Achilles- is the bravest of the heroes who undertook the campaign against Troy under the leadership of Agamemnon. Son of Peleus and Thetis. The main character of the Iliad. Arrogant and touchy, who runs to cry to his mother for any reason. Not only his enemies fear him, but also his own.

Hercules- hero, son of Zeus and Alcmene. At birth he was named Alcides. Feats: Strangling the Nemean Lion, Killing the Lernaean Hydra, Exterminating the Stymphalian Birds, Capturing the Cerynean Hind, Taming the Erymanthian Boar and the battle with the centaurs, Purification Augean stables, Taming of the Cretan bull, Victory over King Diomedes (who threw strangers to be devoured by his horses), Theft of Hippolyta's belt, Theft of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon, Theft of golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, Taming of the guardian of Hades - the dog Kerberus.

Odysseus- the king of Ithaca, who became famous as a participant in the Trojan War, an intelligent and resourceful speaker. One of the key characters in the Iliad, main character the poem "Odyssey", which tells about the long years of wandering and the return of Odysseus to his homeland. Odysseus was distinguished not only by his courage, but also by his cunning, resourceful mind.

Perseus - son Zeus and Danae. Conqueror of the monster gorgon Medusa, savior of Princess Andromeda.

Theseus - son of the Athenian king Aegeus and Ephra, king of Athens. A central figure in Attic mythology and one of the most famous characters in all of Greek mythology. Killed the robbers: Periphetus (who killed travelers with a copper club), Sinis (who dealt with travelers by tying them to two bent pine trees), the Crommion pig, Sciron (who forced travelers to wash his feet at the cliff and kicked them into the abyss, where the unfortunates were eaten by a giant turtle) , Kerkion (who forced travelers to fight to the death), Damaste. I would have participated in the fight against the centaurs. His wife is the Amazon Antiope. Participated in the war with the Amazons. Jason- son of King Aeson and Polymede. Hero, participant in the Calydonian hunt, leader of the Argonauts who set off on the ship "Argo" to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. This task was given to him by his father's half-brother, Pelias, in order to destroy him.

Hector- the bravest leader of the Trojan army, the main Trojan hero in the Iliad, the son of Priam and Hecuba. Andromache's husband. Was enormous growth. He wore his hair long in the back and short in the front. He killed Patroclus, a friend of Achilles, and was himself killed by Achilles, who dragged his body several times with his chariot around the walls of Troy and then handed him over to Priam for ransom.

5/6. "Iliad" and "Odyssey". Historical and mythological basis. Current state Homeric question.

The authorship of Homer has not been proven, just as his existence has not been proven. He became a legend already in antiquity. Almost all policies argue about the right to consider themselves its homeland. Epic poetry arose in the 10th century BC. e., Homer's poetry - turn of the 9th and 8th centuries. These are the first written creations with which European literature began. Antiquity is not characterized by the usual definition of “epic”. “Epic” appears as a form of everyday story about an event important for the history of a tribe or clan. The subject of the image is the history of the people based on mythological perception. Heroes of epics represent entire nations (Achilles, Odysseus). A hero is always strong with the strength of his people, representing both the best and the worst in his people.

The language of the Iliad and Odyssey is an artificial subdialect that has never been spoken in life.

Artistic features, composition, structure of the Iliad

The theme of the poem is announced in the very first verse, where the singer addresses the Muse, the goddess of song: “Wrath, goddess, sing to Achilles, son of Peleus.”

The Iliad covers only 50 days of events last year war. The wrath of Achilles and its consequences. The Iliad is a military-heroic epic, where the central place is occupied by the story of events. Aristotle wrote that Homer chose the plot brilliantly. Achilles – special hero, he replaces an entire army. Homer's task is to describe all the heroes and life, but Achilles overshadows them. Achilles is great, but mortal. Heroism is Achilles’ conscious choice. Epic Valor of Achilles: Brave, strong, fearless, war cry, fast running.

The action of the poem takes place in two parallel planes, human - near Troy and divine - on Olympus. The Trojan War divided the gods into two camps, between which rough bickering constantly occurs. On the earthly plane, everything is determined by the consequences of the wrath of Achilles, on the heavenly plane - by the will of Zeus. But his will is not all-encompassing. Zeus cannot decide the fate of the Greeks and Trojans. He uses the golden scales of fate.

Composition: alternation of earthly and heavenly plot lines, which are mixed towards the end. Homer shows that tribal collectivity is becoming a thing of the past, a new morality begins to form, where the idea of ​​value comes to the fore own life. Events in the Iliad develop progressively and consistently. The battle scenes of the Iliad alternate with touching scenes within the walls of besieged Troy and somewhat comical bickering on Olympus.

A long list of ships, tribes and leaders of the Greek army (“catalogue of ships”), as well as the Trojan forces emerging from the city under the leadership of their the bravest knight Hector, son of King Priam, ends Book II.

The 3rd book introduces the culprits of the war - Paris, Menelaus, Helen. Paris “before the start of the battle challenges the bravest of the Achaeans to single combat, but retreats in fear before Helen’s offended husband; only Hector's reproaches force him to return; In single combat, Menelaus is almost the winner, but Aphrodite kidnaps Paris from the battlefield. View from the wall.

Central location in the description of the first day of the battle, the 5th book, “the exploits of Diomedes,” is occupied. Diomedes kills Pandarus and wounds the gods Ares and Aphrodite who patronize the Trojans. This book has an archaic character and contains a number of fairy-tale features that are usually alien to the narrative. Gods and men are represented here fighting as equals.

The 6th book has a completely different character, the action of which unfolds mainly within the walls of besieged Troy. The doom of the city is shown in two scenes: the procession of Trojan women to the temple of Athena the city ruler with a prayer for salvation. The second is Hector’s farewell to his wife Andromache and son. The first day of the battle ends with an inconclusive duel between Ajax and Hector.

From the 8th book, Zeus’s decision to help the Trojans comes into force, and they begin to defeat the Achaeans. Then Agamemnon sends an embassy to Achilles.

The 10th book is a story about the night expedition of Odysseus and Diomedes into the Trojan system, three of which they capture a Trojan spy and carry out a massacre in the camp of Res.

Book 11 and subsequent ones - new successes of the Trojans. The description of the battle is divided into a number of episodes dedicated to the “exploits” of various Achaean heroes, and is interspersed with action on the “Olympian” plane, where gods friendly to the Achaeans try to help them by deceiving the vigilance of Zeus. Particularly interesting is the scene of “the seduction of Zeus” in the 14th book: Hera distracts Zeus with the help of love spells and puts him to sleep. Waking up, Zeus forces the gods to stop all help to the Achaeans. By the end of the 15th book, the position of the Greeks is almost hopeless: they are pushed back to the seashore, and Hector is already preparing to set fire to their ships and thus cut off the path to returning home. From the 16th book a turn in the course of events begins. Achilles agrees that his friend Patroclus will wear his armor and repel the immediate danger. Disarmed by Apollo, he dies at the hands of Hector. A fierce battle breaks out around the body of Patroclus, but Hector has already taken possession of the armor, and the Achaeans, not hoping to defend the body, send to Achilles to report what has happened (book 17). Achilles is shocked by the death of his friend; anger gives way to a thirst for revenge. Book 19 - Achilles returns to military action. The narrative reaches its greatest tension in book 22 (“the killing of Hector”). The 23rd book is dedicated to the funeral of Patroclus. The soul of Patroclus appears to Achilles in the form of a ghostly shadow and demands speedy burial. Described funeral rite and competitions arranged for this occasion by Achilles. The last, 24th book brings a reconciling note to the poem. Priam at the feet of Achilles, and Achilles, holding Priam's hand, both crying about sorrows human existence. Achilles agrees to accept the ransom and return the body. The Iliad ends with a description of Hector's burial.

Artistic features, composition, structure of "Odyssey"

In terms of plot, the Odyssey corresponds to the Iliad. But it tells not about military events, but about wanderings. The fate of Odysseus comes to the fore - the glorification of intelligence and willpower. The Odyssey corresponds to the mythology of late heroism. Dedicated to the last 40 days of Odysseus’ return to his homeland. That the center is return is evidenced by the very beginning.

The composition has three storylines: 1) Olympian gods. But Odysseus has a goal and no one can stop him. Odysseus gets out of everything himself. 2) the return itself is a difficult adventure. 3) Ithaca: events of matchmaking and the theme of Telemachus’ search for his father.

For the first time, a female image appears equal to the male one - Penelope, the wise wife of Odysseus. The poem is more complex not only in composition, but also from the point of view of the psychological motivation of actions. The main plot of the “Odyssey” refers to a type of legend widespread in world folklore about the return of a husband to the moment when his wife is ready to marry another, and the husband upsets the new wedding. The action of the poem dates back to the 10th year after the fall of Troy. All the most important heroes of the Greek camp of the Iliad, living and dead, are also depicted in the Odyssey. Like the Iliad, the Odyssey was divided by ancient scholars into 24 books.

The poem opens after the usual appeal to the Muse, with a brief description of the situation: all the participants in the Trojan campaign, who escaped death, have returned safely home, only Odysseus languishes in separation from his family, forcibly held by the nymph Calypso. Further details are put into the mouths of the gods, who discuss the issue of Odysseus in their council. Athena, who patronizes Odysseus, offers to send the messenger of the gods Hermes to Calypso with an order to release Odysseus, and she herself goes to Ithaca, to Odysseus’ son Telemachus. In Ithaca at this time there are suitors wooing Penelope. Athena encourages Telemachus to go to Nestor and Menelaus, who have returned from Troy, to find out about their father and prepare for revenge on the suitors. Book 2 gives a picture of the Ithacan people's assembly. Telemachus complains about the suitors, but the people are powerless against the noble youth. The suitors demand that Penelope choose someone. Along the way, the image of the “reasonable” Penelope appears, using tricks to delay consent to marriage. With the help of Athena, Telemachus equips a ship and secretly leaves Ithaca for Pylos to visit Nestor. Nestor informs Telemachus about the return of the Achaeans from Troy and about the death of Agamemnon, but for further news he sends him to Sparta to Menelaus, who returned home later than the other Achaean leaders.

Welcomed by Menelaus and Helen, Telemachus learns that Odysseus is captured by Calypso. The suitors, frightened by the departure of Telemachus, set up an ambush to kill him on his return journey. This entire part of the poem is rich in everyday sketches: feasts, holidays, chants, and table conversations are depicted. “Heroes” appear before us in a peaceful home environment. A new line of storytelling begins. The next part of the poem takes us into the realm of the fabulous and miraculous.

In the 5th book, the gods send Hermes to Calypso, whose island is depicted with features reminiscent of Greek ideas about the kingdom of death. Calypso releases Odysseus. Having escaped from the storm, thanks to the goddess Leucothea, Fr. Scheria, where he lives happy people- Phaeacians, seafarers who have fabulous ships that do not need a rudder and understand the thoughts of their shipowners. Alcinous, with his wife Aretha, receives the wanderer in a luxurious palace and arranges games and a feast in his honor, where the blind singer Demodocus sings about the exploits of Odysseus. Odysseus's tale of adventure contains a number of folklore themes. The first adventure is still quite realistic: Odysseus and his companions plunder the city of the Cyconians in Thrace, but then a storm carries his ships along the waves for many days, and he ends up in distant, wonderful countries. At first, this is a country of peaceful “lotus eaters”; after tasting the lotus, a person forgets about his homeland and forever remains a lotus gatherer. Then Odysseus finds himself in the land of the Cyclopes, one-eyed monsters, where Odysseus blinds the cannibal giant Polyphemus. The god of the winds, Aeolus, handed Odysseus a fur with unfavorable winds tied in it, but not far from their native shores, Odysseus’s companions untied the fur, sending them back to the sea. Then they again find themselves in the country of cannibal giants, who destroyed all of Odysseus’s ships, except 1, which then landed on the island of the sorceress Circe (Kirki). She lives in a dark forest, turns Odysseus’s companions into pigs, but the hero, with the help of a wonderful plant (Hermes helped), overcomes the spell and enjoys Circe’s love for a year. On her instructions, he goes to the kingdom of the dead in order to question the soul of the famous Theban soothsayer Tiresias. Odysseus talks with his mother, with his comrades, Agamemnon, Achilles, and sees various heroes and heroines of the past. Returning from the kingdom of the dead. Odysseus visits Circe again, sails with his ship past the deadly Sirens, past Scylla and Charybdis. The final episode of Odysseus's narrative depicts the cruelty of the gods and their contempt for human grief. On the island of Trinacria, where Helios' herds grazed, Odysseus and his companions were forced to linger because of the winds, and the food ran out. Odysseus fell asleep, his companions killed sacred animals, Zeus destroyed the ships. Odysseus was saved, thrown out by the waves onto the island. Ogygia. The Phaeacians, having richly presented Odysseus, take him to Ithaca. Odysseus, turned by Athena into an old beggar, goes to the faithful swineherd Eumaeus. The hero's "unrecognizability" is a constant motif in the plot about the "return of her husband." Lack of recognition is used to introduce numerous cameo figures and household paintings. A string of images, friends and enemies of Odysseus passes before the listener, both of them believing in the possibility of his return.

Staying with Eumaeus is an idyllic picture; a devoted slave, honest and hospitable, but tempted by difficult life experiences and somewhat distrustful, is depicted with great love, although not without slight irony. Here Odysseus meets his son Telemachus. Odysseus appears in his home in the form of a beggar tramp. Odysseus's "recognition" is repeatedly prepared and again postponed. Only the old nanny Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus by the scar on his leg. The denouement begins with the 21st book. Penelope promises her hand to the one who, bending Odysseus's bow, shoots an arrow through twelve rings. Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors and, with the help of Telemachus and Athena, kills them. After this, Odysseus is “recognized” by Penelope. The poem ends with the scene of the arrival of the souls of the suitors in the underworld, the meeting of Odysseus with his father Laertes, and the conclusion of peace between Odysseus and the relatives of the murdered.

Homer's poems were first written down only in the second half of the 6th century BC, therefore, they reflect even more ancient periods of Greek or perhaps even pre-Greek history.

The plot of Homer's poems is different episodes of the Trojan War. The Greeks who inhabited Balkan Peninsula, for many years they waged wars in Asia Minor. One such war, namely with Troy, was especially imprinted in the memory of the ancient Greeks, and many different literary works and, in particular, several special poems. They told about the Trojan War, the reasons that caused it, the capture of Troy and the return of the victors - the Greeks - to their homeland. The closest reason for the war was that Paris, the son of the Trojan Priam, kidnapped Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. To take revenge for this kidnapping and bring Helen back, Menelaus’ brother and the king of Argolis, neighboring Sparta, Agamemnon advises Menelaus to gather all the Greek kings with their squads and start a war with Troy. Among the Greek kings involved, the most notable ones are Achilles, the king of Phthia, who amazes with his power, and Odysseus, the king of the island of Ithaca. All Greek tribes send their troops and their leaders to Aulis, from where the pan-Greek army moves across the Aegean Sea and lands near Troy, which is several kilometers from the coast. Agamemnon is elected supreme leader of the entire Greek army. The war has been waged with varying success for 10 years. And only after 10 years did the Greeks manage to get into the city itself, burn it, kill the men, and take the women captive.

Scattered throughout the Iliad and Odyssey are only hints of the war as a whole. But in the poems there is no special narrative about the causes of the war, or about its first 9 years, or about the capture of Troy. Both poems are each dedicated to a special plot, namely, “The Iliad” - one episode of their tenth year of war, and “The Odyssey” - tales of Odysseus’ return to his homeland after the war. The action of the Iliad is assigned to the 10th year of the Trojan War, but neither the reasons nor the course of it are set out in the poem. The content of the poem is only one episode, within which enormous historical and mythological material is concentrated and a large number of Trojan and Greek heroes are depicted. The culture depicted in Homer is generally Mycenaean culture (shapeless leather shield, bronze weapon when attacking; bull and lion motifs, which passed into Homeric comparisons, perhaps from Mycenaean visual arts; various kinds of art industry, such as the cup of Nestor, the earrings of Penelope, the baldric of Hercules, etc.). But Homer also knows a later culture: he processes not only bronze, but also iron. His palaces are not only luxurious Mycenaean, but also quite simple.

The Odyssey is to a certain extent a continuation of the Iliad; the action of the poem is dated back to the 10th year after the fall of Troy, but in the stories characters those episodes are mentioned whose time coincided with the period between the action of the Iliad and the action of the Odyssey. All the most important heroes of the Greek camp of the Iliad, living and dead, are depicted in the Odyssey. Homer places the polis above all else. A person outside the polis, extra-state, extra-citizen, evokes only regret and contempt. In the Odyssey, the stranger is always asked the question: “Where is your city and where are your parents?” To this we must also add a keen sense of homeland, which permeates both poems.

The Homeric question, a set of problems related to the personality of Homer and the authorship of the ancient Greek epic poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey” attributed to him; more broadly - a set of problems relating to the origin and development of the ancient Greek epic. Already in antiquity, it was suggested that Homer lived in an unwritten time and his poems were transmitted orally; This was associated with reports that in the 6th century. BC e. The Athenian tyrant Pisistratus commissioned the development of the official text of Homer's poems. The German philologist F. A. Wolf in his “Introduction to Homer” came to the conclusion that the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” are collections of individual songs, and the German critic F. Schlegel directly recognized the Homeric epic as the fruit of collective creativity folk poets. Wolf's followers, the so-called “analysts,” sought, based on plot contradictions and stylistic differences within the poems, to identify its constituent parts in the text itself. However, all such assumptions turned out to be subjective and arbitrary.

7. Epic Heroes"Iliad". Ways to depict them.

The images of warriors were varied. Homer did not yet have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcharacter, but, nevertheless, he does not have two identical warriors. It was believed that a person is already born with certain qualities, and nothing can change during life. The amazing moral integrity of Homeric man. They have no reflection or duality - this is in the spirit of Homer's time. Fate is a share. Therefore, there is no doom. The actions of the heroes are not related to divine influence. But there is a law of double motivation of events. The birth of feelings is most easily explained by divine intervention. Image Elena in the Iliad - demonic. In the Odyssey, she is a housewife. It is not her appearance that is being described. And the elders’ reaction to it. We know very little about her feelings. In "Odyssey" it is different - there is nothing mysterious. Each warrior has the same set of qualities, but the images are unique. Each of the characters expresses one aspect of the national Greek spirit. There are types in the poem: elders, wives, etc. The central place is occupied by the image Achilles A. He is great, but mortal. Homer wanted to depict the poetic apotheosis of heroic Greece. Heroism is Achilles’ conscious choice. Epic Valor of Achilles: Brave, strong, fearless, war cry, fast running. In order for the heroes to be different, the number of different qualities is different - an individual characteristic. Achilles has impulsiveness and immensity. Homer's characteristics: he knows how to compose songs and sings them. Second strongest warrior Ajax Big. He has too much ambition. Achilles is fleet-footed, Ajax is clumsy and slow. Third - Diomedes. The main thing is complete selflessness, which is why Diomedes is granted victory over the gods. Epithets: Achilles and Odysseus have more than 40. In battle, Diomedes does not forget about the economy. The leaders of the campaign are depicted in conflict with epic laws. The authors of the epic write objectively. But Homer has many epithets for his favorite heroes. The Atrides have few epithets. Diomedes reproaches Agamemnon: “Zeus did not give you valor.” A different attitude towards Nestor, Hector and Odysseus. Hector- one of Homer’s favorite heroes, he is reasonable and peaceful. Hector and Odysseus do not rely on the gods, so Hector is inherent in fear, but this fear does not affect his actions, since Hector has epic valor, which includes epic shame. He feels responsible to the people he is protecting.

Elders: Priam And Nestor. Nestor survived three generations of people, thirty years each. New wisdom: the intelligence of Odysseus. This is not experience, but mental flexibility. Odysseus is also distinguished by: all the heroes strive for immortality - it is offered to him twice, but he exchanges it for his homeland.

Homer gives us the first experience comparative characteristics. Song 3 of the Iliad: Helen talks about the heroes. Menelaus and Odysseus are compared. + synopsis

In poems we see many images of heroes. Each of them has its own unique character, each of them is multifaceted. The characters’ experiences are not yet complex; they are revealed through external reactions, i.e. the hero blushes, gets angry, grabs his sword. All feelings come out. Characters are not given development; they are constantly static. But they are unfolding. Much of the characters’ behavior is explained by God’s intervention: sudden decisions and actions, sudden changes in mood. The author uses various techniques to characterize the characters. Helen's beauty is never described; it is revealed through the perception of the Trojan elders. With the help of Elena, the characters are characterized. Sometimes the author knows how to show the characters’ experiences in the first line. All the images of the poems reflect the folk ideals of that era. Thus, the main idea of ​​the “Illiad” is the glorification of military valor, heroism, and patriotism. All heroes are revealed from a military point of view. The ideal warrior is Achilles - his courage, physical strength, courage, agility, and speed are limitless. His battle cry is terrifying. Loyalty in friendship: revenge for Patroclus. But although Achilles is an ideal warrior, he has many weaknesses, he is aware of them and condemns them. Parallel to the image of Achilles is the image of Hector, the Trojan leader. Hector is an ideal warrior, brave, talented commander, a patriot who sacrifices his life for the sake of his homeland. Sense of duty and military honor. At the same time, Hector is a wonderful family man: a loving husband and father, wonderful husband. The poet draws Hector with great sympathy. Image Agamemnon and not entirely positive - the king is unjust, soulless. Achilles calls him “the king-devourer of the people.” He treats his enemies with amazing cruelty. In “The Odyssey” the main ideological task is the glorification of worldly wisdom, experience, important rules everyday morality. The ideal hero is Odysseus, a multifaceted, bright character: smart, cunning, eloquent, long-suffering, has the ability to find a way out of any hopeless situation, find an approach to any person, optimism, perseverance, he never loses heart. These qualities Odyssey. Typical for that era, when a person breaks away from his tribe and goes on a journey. The author does not condemn Odysseus’s cunning, because. This is a white lie. In the tragedies of Euripides, Odysseus turned into negative hero. Excellent quality Odyssey - love for the homeland, patriotism, he refuses to exchange his homeland even for eternal youth and immortality. A wonderful family man, pious. All images of the poem reflect the humanity of the author. The characteristic for all the heroes is a passionate love of life with the awareness of its hardships and brevity, each of them tries to live it with dignity and leave a mark. A sense of comradeship, mutual support, all heroes sacredly honor the law of hospitality.

8. The image of Odysseus and what is new in the concept of the hero compared to the Iliad

Odysseus is the most striking figure of the Ionian epic. This is not just a diplomat and practitioner, and certainly not just a cunning hypocrite. The practical and business inclination of his nature acquires its true significance only in connection with his selfless love for his native hearth and his waiting wife, as well as his constantly difficult fate, forcing him to continuously suffer and shed tears far from his homeland. Odysseus is primarily a sufferer. His constant epithet in the Odyssey is “long-suffering.” About his constant suffering Athena with great feeling says to Zeus. Poseidon is constantly angry with him, and he knows it very well. If not Poseidon, then Zeus and Helios break his ship and leave him alone in the middle of the sea. His nanny wonders why the gods are constantly indignant at him, given his constant piety and submission to the will of the gods. His grandfather gave him the name precisely as “the man of divine wrath.” In the Iliad, canto 10 glorifies Odysseus in war. In the Iliad, he fights bravely and is even wounded, but Diomedes tries to keep him from fleeing and reproaches him for cowardice. Cunning, fantasy of cunning. Then he gets out of the cave under the belly of the ram, grabbing its wool, and thereby deceives the vigilance of the blind Polyphemus. Then he intoxicates the Cyclops and the cannibal and gouges out his only eye. Either he slips past the sirens, where no one has ever passed alive and well, then he makes his way into his own palace and takes possession of it. He himself speaks of his subtle cunning, and Polyphemus guessed that it was not the strength, but the cunning of Odysseus that destroyed him. Odysseus is a complete adventure, resourcefulness. He lies even when there is no need for it, but his patronizing Athena praises him for this: Introducing himself to Achilles, he announces himself: I am Odysseus Laertides. I am famous among all people for my cunning inventions. My glory reaches to heaven. Everyone praises Odysseus's love for Penelope. He was both the husband of Calypso, and, moreover, for at least seven years, and the husband of Kirka, and according to other sources, he even had children from them. However, he prefers returning to his homeland to immortality. He spent his nights with Calypso, and during the day he cried on the seashore. Odysseus also likes to assume the appearance of a merchant and entrepreneur: he is a very prudent owner. Arriving in Ithaca, he first of all rushes to count the gifts that were left for him by the Phaeacians. Finally, let us add to all that has been said the brutal cruelty shown by this humane and sensitive person. Tracking down the suitors, he chooses an opportune moment to deal with them and their corpses fill the entire palace. The sacrificer Leod tries to ask him for mercy, but he blows his head off. Melantius was cut into pieces and given to dogs to eat; Telemachus, on the orders of his father, hanged his unfaithful servants on a rope. After this wild massacre, Odysseus, as if nothing had happened, hugs the maids and even sheds tears, and then has a happy meeting with his wife.

Homer's Odysseus is the deepest patriot, the bravest warrior, sufferer, diplomat, merchant, entrepreneur, resourceful adventurer, woman lover, wonderful family man and cruel executioner.

Achilles (Achilles) is the main character of the poem, a stern and unforgiving warrior. In response to the insult inflicted on him by Agamemnon, the supreme leader and leader of the Achaean army, which besieged Troy for 10 years, A. refuses to participate in the war. Because of this, the Achaeans suffer one defeat after another. But when the Trojan leader Hector kills A. Patroclus’s friend, A. forgets about his offense and reconciles with Agamemnon. The mighty A., patronized by the goddess Athena, shows miracles of courage on the battlefield and kills Hector in a duel, whose death marks the final defeat of the Trojans. A. wears the image typical features a mythological epic hero, a courageous warrior, in whose value system the most important thing is military honor. Proud, hot-tempered and proud, he participates in the war not so much in order to return the king of Sparta Menelaus his wife Helen, kidnapped by Paris (this was the reason for the war with Troy), but rather in order to glorify his name. A. thirsts for more and more new exploits that will strengthen his glory as an invincible warrior. He sees the meaning of his life in constantly risking his life. A. despises a quiet life at home and prefers death in battle to a serene old age.

Hector is the son of Priam, leader of the Trojan army. Like Achilles, G. in all his actions is guided by military honor, but if Achilles values ​​it for its own sake, then G., while preserving his honor, at the same time realizes that he is responsible to his people, whose interests he must protect. Homer shows how two aspirations struggle in G.’s soul: to avoid defeat in the war and to keep his reputation untarnished as a brave warrior and hero. Because of this, the image of G. is more complex than the image of his main opponent, Achilles. G.'s behavior is often contradictory, since the motives for his actions are either a thirst for glory (which is typical of an epic hero), or an understanding of duty to his homeland and the people, which he, as the son of a king and a leader, has no right to sacrifice in pursuit of a reputation as an invincible warrior and brave man. Rejecting the advice of the experienced military leader Polydamus, who, citing a bad omen, dissuades G. from attacking the Achaean camp, G. declares: “The best omen is to fight bravely for the fatherland.” However, when Hector is persuaded to return to Troy, not to remain on the battlefield and to avoid a duel with Achilles, G. acts not like a wise, cautious leader, but like a warrior driven by ambition and passion. Pride does not allow him to seek protection behind the fortified walls of the city. Even anticipating his death, which, as he perfectly understands, will inevitably entail the fall and sack of Troy, G. neglects the interests of the country and enters into a fatal single combat with Achilles. And yet, before his death, G. admits that he acted rashly: “The very last citizen can say in Ilion: Hector destroyed the people, relying on his own strength!”

Odysseus (in the Roman tradition, Ulysses is the king of Ithaca, the main character of Homer’s poem “Odyssey” and one of minor characters"The Iliad"), O.'s courage is combined with cunning and prudence. O. himself considers cunning to be the main feature of his character: “I am Odysseus, the son of Laertes, everywhere by the invention of many glorious Cunnings and raised to heaven by loud rumor.” The father of Anticlea, O.'s mother, Autolycus, “the great oathbreaker and thief,” was the son of Hermes, a god who was famous for his dexterity and ingenuity. Thus, cunning is O’s hereditary trait. However, not only natural ingenuity, but also rich life experience helps O. in his many years of wanderings. Thanks to his resourcefulness and ability to deceive his enemy, O. manages to cope with the terrible cannibal Cyclops Polyphemus, and then with the sorceress Circe, who, with the help of a miraculous potion, turns his companions into pigs. Homer constantly emphasizes that not only courage and physical strength, but wisdom often helps out his hero. Among the numerous characters of the Odyssey and the Iliad, O. is the most striking figure. It is no coincidence that many writers and poets turned to this image in their work (Lope de Vega, Calderon, I. Pindemonte, Ya. V. Knyazhnin, L. Feuchtwanger, D. Joyce, etc.). Compared to other heroes (like Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Paris, etc.), whose characters are determined by any one characteristic feature, O. is a multifaceted figure. Courage, the lack of which he cannot be blamed for, coexists with reasonable practicality, the ability to turn the most unfavorable circumstances to his advantage. O. is alien to the stubborn arrogance of those warrior heroes whose heroism lies entirely in action and who despise prudence and caution, identifying them with cowardice. O.'s weapon is not only a sword, but also a word, and with its help he often wins brilliant victories. The amazing adventures that O. had a chance to experience serve Homer only as a kind of background in order to show how much his hero yearns for his native Ithaca. No force can tear out the memory of his homeland from O.’s soul, and this is the greatness of his image.

Homer's poems present a whole gallery of individually depicted typical images.

Central figure"Iliad" is Achilles, a young Thessalian hero, son of Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. Achilles is an integral and noble nature, personifying that military valor in the understanding of ancient heroes, which serves as the ideological basis of the entire poem. He is alien to cunning and double-mindedness. Because of the consciousness of his strength and greatness, he was accustomed to command. His anger manifests itself in the most violent forms. Taking revenge on the Trojans for Patroclus, he becomes like some kind of demon-exterminator.

The same madness is visible in the desecration of Hector’s corpse (XXII, 395-401), and in the fact that he kills twelve Trojan captives at the grave of Patroclus. He is also given the traits of a singer-poet (IX, 186). Finally, he softens, seeing in front of him the tears and terrible plea of ​​the father who came to him for the body of the son he killed.

The image of the main character of the Achaean army corresponds to figure of the Trojan warrior Hector. Although the poet never forgets that this is a representative of a hostile people who cannot be treated as a fellow tribesman. Hector is the leader of the Trojan army, and the entire brunt of the war falls on him. In difficult moments, he is always ahead of everyone and is in the greatest danger. He has a high sense of honor and is generally respected and loved. He is left alone on the battlefield while the others hide in the city. Neither his father's pleas nor his mother's tears can shake him: the duty of honor is above all else in him. Hector is shown most clearly in the scene of his date with Andromache (VI, 392-502), where we see him as a husband and father. If the ideal of military valor is given in the person of Achilles, then Odysseus, the “cunning” and “long-suffering” hero, appears to be the bearer of worldly wisdom. In the Iliad he appears both as a warrior and as a wise adviser, but also as a man ready for all kinds of deception (X, 383; III, 202). The very capture of Troy with the help wooden horse was a matter of his cunning. Always alert, he has a whole stock of fictitious stories at the ready.

“In cunning, often crude and flat, in what in prosaic language is called “deception.” And yet, in the eyes of the infant people, this cunning could not help but seem like the extreme degree of possible wisdom.”

In addition to the main characters, there are also many minor ones. Some of them are also depicted very bright colors. There are more such persons in the Iliad than in the Odyssey. Mycenaean king Agamemnon, the eldest of the Atrids, is the leader of the entire campaign and is called the “lord of men” or “shepherd of nations.” Menelaus- the Spartan king, the husband of Helen abducted by Paris - the main person interested in the war. However, the poet depicts both of them far from attractive features.

Endowed with charming features image of Nestor - eternal type an old man who loves to remember the years of his youth and give his instructions. Performing exploits, he is carried away by the dream of taking possession of Troy and died at the hands of Hector (XVI, 817-857). Elderly Trojan king Priam depicted with exceptionally attractive features. This is the type of a real patriarch, surrounded by a large family. Due to old age, he ceded the right of military leader to his eldest son Hector. He is distinguished by his gentleness and courtesy. He even treats Elena, despised and hated by everyone, very cordially.

Is it possible to talk about the characters of Homer's heroes? Is it even possible to somehow judge the characters of the characters in the folk epic, who, apparently, have experienced repeated finishing and alteration and are usually endowed with qualities that elevate them above ordinary people? In Homer, this exaggeration of the various merits of his heroes is especially and constantly emphasized. “Divine”, “godlike”, “godlike” are epithets not only of heroes, but also of secondary, however, always positive characters. Let us recall, for example, the “godlike swineherd Eumaeus” from the Odyssey. And yet the obviously “heroic” tone and style of the folk epic do not obscure, and sometimes even emphasize the personal traits of the characters. In fact, if we take our epics, isn’t Ilya Muromets a character? Don't we find the same thing in Finnish epic"Kalevala" and in the epic poems of other peoples? Meletinsky E.M. On the most ancient type of hero in the epic of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples of Siberia // Problems of comparative philology: Coll. Art. to the 70th anniversary of V.M. Zhirmunsky. - M.; L.: Nauka, 1964. - P. 433.

It is interesting to contrast the characters of the two main characters of the Iliad - Achilles and Hector, which was done, of course, by Homer himself, but comments are not superfluous.

B ancient greek mythology Achilles is one of the most popular and famous heroes of the Trojan cycle. His life and exploits were glorified, changed or supplemented by later Greek poets. On the contrary, the name of Hector in Greek mythology is associated only or almost only with the Iliad. Even in the Odyssey, Hector is essentially forgotten.

But let’s compare the Thessalian Greek Achilles and the Trojan Hector according to their place in the Iliad and in the Trojan War in general. The first was not involved in the events that caused this war, but took an active part in it and was killed before the capture of Troy, at a time when the Achaeans had not yet achieved any military successes.

Hector also had no personal connection to the causes that gave rise to the Trojan War, but as the strongest and bravest warrior of Troy and as the eldest son of King Priam, he had to become the head of the defense hometown, fought with honor against the Achaeans and was killed by Achilles shortly before the capture of Troy, which remained impregnable for some time.

So, both heroes entered the Trojan War from the very beginning, but Hector was forced, and Achilles succumbed to the persuasion of the organizers of the Trojan War. Both died before the capture of Troy. Both - ardent participants in the Trojan War - had nothing to do with its outcome. It is impossible, therefore, not to note the similarity of their destinies and the fact that the pictures of the war in the tenth year of the siege of Troy in Homer’s poem formed only a general background for last days both heroes.

The Iliad itself says relatively little about Achilles' past. The son of the mortal Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis, born in Thessaly, the king of the Myrmidons, enjoying the special protection of the gods, chose instead of a long happy peaceful life life is short, but full of exploits and military glory. In pre- and post-Homeric tales, his childhood is depicted differently. The most popular version is that the goddess Thetis ransomed little son in the waters of the Styx, the river of the underworld, which made him invulnerable in future battles. At the same time, the mother held the child by the heel, and it became the only vulnerable spot on Achilles’ body. Already at the end of the siege of Troy, the arrow of Paris, directed by Apollo at the heel of the hero, struck him down on the spot. Hence the expression “Achilles heel” - a weak, vulnerable spot.

The boy Achilles grew up in the care of the teacher Phoenix and the wise centaur Chiron. When the call for a campaign against Troy spread throughout Greece, Thetis, who knew that her son’s participation in this campaign would end in his untimely death, tried to hide Achilles on the island of Skyros, where he, dressed in a woman’s dress, lived among the daughters of King Lycomedes. According to one version, Nestor persuaded him to participate in the Trojan War, according to another, Odysseus, who, under the guise of a merchant, laid out military weapons among women’s jewelry among women’s jewelry, at the sight of which Achilles gave himself away. So he became a participant in the Trojan War, leading an army of the Myrmidons, stationed on 50 ships.

The Iliad speaks of Achilles as the most glorious hero of the Trojan War, and in all of Greek mythology he seems to be an ideal warrior, no less famous than the most famous and ancient heroes - Hercules, Theseus, Jason and some others. In places mythologically associated with the life and deeds of Achilles, his cult existed and sacrifices were made. The creators and listeners of post-Homeric poems E.M. Meletinsky treated Achilles with admiration. Origin heroic epic: Early forms and archaic monuments. - M.: Eastern Publishing House. Literary, 1963. - P. 162. .

Homer repeatedly emphasizes that Achilles in the Achaean camp surpassed everyone in strength and courage. His constant epithets"noble", "swift-footed". The highest goddesses of the Greek Pantheon - Hera and Athena, the wife and daughter of Zeus - are especially merciful to him. He is the only one who dares to argue with the commander-in-chief of the Achaeans, Agamemnon, who demands the most beautiful new captive in return for the captive who was in his possession, the daughter of the priest Chryses, who must be returned to her father at the request of the god Apollo. It was Achilles' anger over this that served as the plot basis for the entire Iliad. In the midst of the dispute, Achilles even intends to kill Agamemnon. According to Homer, justice is on the side of Achilles, since he rejects, and Agamemnon, as the supreme power, as the “shepherd of nations,” on the contrary, demands a revision of the division of the spoils of war captured long ago, and above all the beautiful captives. By the will of the gods, Achilles somewhat pacifies his anger, but refuses to participate in the further siege of Troy, while giving his captive to Agamemnon (recognition of the inviolability of military customs in the division of military spoils). Insulted, he no longer takes part in the battles near Troy, but also does not return to his home in Thessaly, which he himself speaks about in the heat of a quarrel, but does not dare to go against the will of the gods. During the actual dispute with Agamemnon, Achilles admits that he did not know any insults from the Trojans, he had nothing to take revenge on them for, and he came to fight in Troy, in fact, only “seeking the honor of Menelaus.” Later we learn from the Iliad that the anger of Achilles almost cost the Achaeans the complete defeat and destruction of their ships by the Trojans.

Already ancient critics of the Iliad noted that in the poem itself, not much space was given to the anger of Achilles; later European scientists Thomson J. discussed this at length. Studies in History ancient Greek society. - M.: Foreign publishing house. Literary, 1958. - P. 62. . But if we turn to the text of the poem without any bias, it is clearly seen that from the anger of Achilles one way or another follows the temporary success of the Trojans, their transition from defense to offensive, a threat to the Achaean camp itself, Hector’s murder of Achilles’ friend Patroclus, which is why Achilles Great anger and in new armor, made at the request of Thetis in one night by the god Hephaestus, returns to the battle, kills Hector with the help of Athena at the walls of Troy. This is followed by the appeasement of Achilles' anger, the release of Hector's body to his father, Priam, and a detailed description of the funeral of first Patroclus and then, at the end of the poem, Hector. So the main storyline"The Iliad" from beginning to end is truly the wrath of Achilles, closely related events and consequences.

In the image of Homer's Achilles we see the ideal of the Hellenic heroic period, very far from, for example, the ideal of the medieval knight. Although “nobility” is one of his most important and constant epithets, it apparently means only the origin of the hero (mother is a goddess), which elevates him above ordinary people. The epithet “swift-footed” emphasizes the athletic qualities of Achilles, which were valued by the ancients, unlike today, primarily from a military point of view. The main thing in Homer's Achilles is his boundless courage, physical strength and beauty. It is precisely by these “parameters” that Ajax the Elder, the best warrior among the Achaeans after Achilles, is compared with him. It is curious that nowhere in Homer is the intelligence and wisdom of Achilles noted. Homer tacitly admits that he is nowhere near Nestor or Odysseus in this regard. Having appeared at Troy with his Myrmidons, during the first nine years Achilles, it seems, became famous for nothing except raids and robberies throughout the Troas. From the Iliad one can understand that he had similar plans against the Dardanian king Aeneas, who was grazing his flocks on the mountains of Ida, which prompted the latter to participate in the war on the side of the Trojans. From the lamentations of Andromache, Hector’s wife, we learn that at the same time he reached the king of Cilicia and Andromache’s father Getion, killed him along with all his sons and plundered the city. Homer does not report such work “on the side” during the siege of Troy by other Achaean leaders. Thus, according to Homer, Achilles is elevated above others by his still irrepressible and insatiable thirst for war, murder, robbery, and violence in themselves. No wonder, wanting to take revenge on Agamemnon by refusing to participate in the siege of Troy, Achilles sat idle, but his soul was hungry for both battle and battle.

Thus, with the utmost clarity, the Hellenic ideal of a warrior husband emerges before us - brave, powerful, beautiful in body and face, but also without pity, cruel, selfish.

Let us remember the grandiose mythical cycle about Hercules and his twelve labors. This greatest of the heroes of Greek mythology committed murders of various monsters and people in a forced, motivated manner. Achilles went to fight in Troy for the sake of war as such, for the sake of murders and robberies. Homer himself does not deny the excessive cruelty and bloodthirstiness of his main character, his purely barbaric habits, his unworthy mockery of the dying Hector and then his body, his brutal murder of twelve innocent Trojan youths in honor of the funeral of Patroclus. Homer himself, whose sympathies for the Achaeans, in contrast to the Trojans, often clearly shine through in the solemnly dispassionate speech of the poem, notes that “he also planned an unworthy deed against Hector.”

At the same time, knowing that the end of his life is near, Achilles is not afraid of death, he boldly goes to meet it, but for now, for now. enjoys the special favor of the gods, who even go so far as to fight alongside him, being invisible, and provide him with advantages in battle. Infinitely brave just because he knows about his invulnerability until the last, fateful hour, Achilles in his “private life” highly values ​​​​friendship, inconsolably mourns his friend Patroclus, organizes a grand funeral for his body and sports competitions in honor of the deceased, generously rewarding the winners in various types of games. His heart is able to soften in a conversation with Priam about handing over the body of Hector, which he had desecrated. The magnanimous robber Achilles, one might say, anticipates many similar characters European literature, but with the difference that in most cases he, like other heroes of Homer’s poems, did good deeds, only yielding to the will of the gods. However, the gods themselves interfered in the actions and destinies of mortal heroes, guided solely by personal sympathies and preferences, and not " moral principles"and yielding only to the will of the almighty Fate. Such from the beginning to the end of the Trojan War and during the subsequent wanderings of Odysseus was the behavior of Hera and Athena, who cruelly took revenge on the entire Trojan people for not recognizing them as “most beautiful” by the only Trojan - Paris.

Judging by Homer's poems, the Greeks of the heroic period knew neither modesty nor sentimentality, and murder was justified by “practical” expediency alone, while looting on the battlefield was considered valor.

Such was one of the most beloved heroes of the Greek epic, the son of Peleus, Achilles. His first feat during the campaign against Troy was the murder of one of the Troadian kings, Cycnus, who prevented the landing of the Achaean army on the shores of the Hellespont and was thereby an ally of Troy.

The essence of Achilles's last exploit, judging by later legends, is the same. After the murder of Hector, the Amazons, led by their queen Pentheseleia and the son of the ruler of Ethiopia, Memnon, arrived to help the Trojans. Both were killed by Achilles. As we would now say, " achievement list“The hero was distinguished by the invariability of his chosen path and testified to his high, although, from our point of view, narrow professionalism. Subsequently, Achilles was not credited with a single feat performed with a humane purpose, for which Hercules, Perseus, Theseus became famous. Achilles's nature was revealed in all its brilliance in his meager, short "biography". Perhaps, none of the mortal heroes of Greek mythology enjoyed such patronage of the gods as Achilles. Not excluding Hercules, who had to endure so much exorbitant labor. A special divine measure of encouragement served, as we remember, to strengthen the strength of Achilles before his return to the battle with food and drink of the celestials brought by Athena... And also a special favor: after his death he becomes in underground world the ruler of the souls of the dead, although, however, the soul of Achilles himself does not highly value this privilege.

Such absolute superiority of Achilles over all mortals on the battlefield, which the ancients treated with delight and admiration, in the eyes of the modern reader sharply weakens the human traits of one of the most beloved heroes of the ancient Greeks. It is incompatible today even with the very concept of heroism.

As if sensing the deep contradictions in the nature of Achilles and foreseeing the possibility of a negative reaction from his readers, Homer appeals to the highest authority - to Zeus himself.

The Aeolians (the northern group of ancient Greek tribes inhabiting Thessaly and Macedonia), who undertook the first colonization of the northwestern part of Asia Minor and, consequently, the Troas, are believed by scientists to have created, based on their conquests, the first, pre-Homeric edition of the Iliad, their national (much later - a pan-Greek) hero and became Achilles - a warrior-conqueror with all the qualities necessary for such a profession. Whether Homer introduced anything new into his characterization in his Iliad, we do not know and will never know. And although in later and even latest literature Achilles's name means the name of one of the greatest heroes antiquity, from modern point It is difficult to sympathize with this character of the Iliad. But that’s probably how it works in general. human memory, and not only personal, but also national: the good is remembered better and longer, becoming more and more radiant in the distance, the bad, criminal, shameful fades, as if a veil of greatness is thrown over it.

Thus, the destruction of Troy was a triumph, a triumph of the Greek people, who created a huge military alliance under a single command to achieve this goal. But at the same time, in the minds of the ancient Greeks, there remained a deep conviction in the initial and pre-predicted doom of Troy and its people, as well as the conviction in the predestined fate of everyone, no matter who he was - a simple person, a king or a hero. The power of Doom is inexorable, the future is bleak for everyone. So, use the present as best you can

The Trojan War did not bring success to either side. It turned into a tragedy, a collapse, but generated not by chance, but by the inscrutable ways of fate. The fate of Troy, the Trojans, and the Achaean heroes was predicted and inexorable. For most of its participants, the Trojan War brought death or shame, exile.