The Epic Of The Iliad - 1562 Words

Homer is the author of the Iliad and is known as the greatest Greek epic poet. He has had an enormous influence on the history of literature. The poem, Iliad, has been translated into different languages, one of which will be used in this paper, translated by Robert Fagles. The poem itself is about one simple word: rage. This anger that infuriates everyone is transformed into a war that will not stop until one side, either Greeks or Trojans, wins. With the majority of the Gods taking sides, the reader can see a combination of heroes and gods fighting side by side against the rival army. All heroes, except one, are described as hulking physical men. Thersites, on the other hand, is portrayed as a servant rather than a noble hero. His role†¦show more content†¦Thersites’ shameful appearance symbolizes his servant status and even influences how his opinions and thoughts are received by the rest of the army. Although Thersites is speaking with the truth, his low ranking, both socially and physically prevent others from agreeing with him. Homer does not give Thersites a father s name suggesting that he should be viewed as a commoner rather than a noble hero. However, he is given almost a rank and he was the one to suggest that all the men go back to their ships and head to their homeland ending this war at once, preventing any more deaths. Even if not seen by everyone in the army, Thersites is a common sense guy in which he thinks logically about the whole situation. Thersites stands up against the crowd and starts to question the reason behind the war. He turns to his comrades, their king, Agamemnon, and his officers, telling them that they had been sent on a fool s errand; chasing after a married woman, Helen, who ended up running off with young Paris. Thersites angrily yells at Agamemnon curious to know what Atrides is â€Å"panting† after this time and how greedy he is, since Atrides already had packed himself with â€Å"the lion’s