Glory Is Someone's Failure In The Iliad
Kate Hatch
Mr. Smith
Ancient Literature
15 February 2013
Someone’s Glory is Another’s Failure
“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.” In The Iliad, the audience is told of the brutal Trojan War and how the Trojans were destroyed in the tenth year. Nonchalantly, the Greeks celebrated and won prizes, while Troy was burned to the ground, leaving the remaining stragglers to run away under the leadership of Aeneas. Focused on the Trojans’ journey to the founding of Rome, The Aeneid portrays the good aspects of the Trojan life compared to the battling Greeks as shown in The Iliad. Although, in The Iliad, the Greeks uphold their morals with pride, the Trojans write their abysmal opinion about the Greeks in …show more content…
The Greeks are proud of smart people and see the gift that intellect provides. “‘Son of Laertes, I delight to hear your council!’ . . . Odysseus, cool tactician, tried to calm him” (Homer 494, 495). Odysseus, otherwise known as Ulyssus, makes battle strategies that are a great advantage in war, especially if the army is lacking in vicious warriors and needs tactics. Undoubtedly, if two Greeks are in line for a prize, the one with skillful strategies would be victorious. On the other hand, the Trojans do not believe the Greeks tactics to be anything but deception. “‘A gift from the Danaans, and no ruse? Is that Ulysses’ way as you have known him?” (Virgil 35). Not a single Trojan could say that any Greek, especially Odysseus, would not come without a clever trick. If anyone was unfortunate enough to have guiles up his sleeve, he would be considered almost in the rank of a cheater or not a proficient fighter. Arête in council is not a high quality in a man based on the Trojans’ standards, while the Greeks view it as highly
Mr. Smith
Ancient Literature
15 February 2013
Someone’s Glory is Another’s Failure
“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.” In The Iliad, the audience is told of the brutal Trojan War and how the Trojans were destroyed in the tenth year. Nonchalantly, the Greeks celebrated and won prizes, while Troy was burned to the ground, leaving the remaining stragglers to run away under the leadership of Aeneas. Focused on the Trojans’ journey to the founding of Rome, The Aeneid portrays the good aspects of the Trojan life compared to the battling Greeks as shown in The Iliad. Although, in The Iliad, the Greeks uphold their morals with pride, the Trojans write their abysmal opinion about the Greeks in …show more content…
The Greeks are proud of smart people and see the gift that intellect provides. “‘Son of Laertes, I delight to hear your council!’ . . . Odysseus, cool tactician, tried to calm him” (Homer 494, 495). Odysseus, otherwise known as Ulyssus, makes battle strategies that are a great advantage in war, especially if the army is lacking in vicious warriors and needs tactics. Undoubtedly, if two Greeks are in line for a prize, the one with skillful strategies would be victorious. On the other hand, the Trojans do not believe the Greeks tactics to be anything but deception. “‘A gift from the Danaans, and no ruse? Is that Ulysses’ way as you have known him?” (Virgil 35). Not a single Trojan could say that any Greek, especially Odysseus, would not come without a clever trick. If anyone was unfortunate enough to have guiles up his sleeve, he would be considered almost in the rank of a cheater or not a proficient fighter. Arête in council is not a high quality in a man based on the Trojans’ standards, while the Greeks view it as highly