The human thing in Iliad

Analysis of the Iliad in light of the shared humanity that the text gains legitimacy in the modern world.
The Illiad is 2,767 years old this year as a written ancient text but its historical dating goes back five hundred years earlier making the 'story' app. 3, 267 years old. That is a long time to make what occurred then be of little importance to the current world and events. But the text keeps enriching modern literary circles and always being a referral point to what an epic work should be composed. And also away from literary circles, the Iliad is a referral manuscript to most logical endorsements to people who prefer objectivity and logic in reason.
It is of what many thinkers and writers  refer to as the 'shared humaniy', the human factor, that makes Illiad not only one sacred ancient collection of a people's way of life and their reaction to nature but also the stagnated human 'evolution' despite change in thoughts in environment. Human elements, it seems are twined deep within the subconscious where rationality and good judgement are hazy. It becomes a matter of instinct, going by the needs of the outside world largely at the expense of an individual's approval.
Man preserved much through oral archiving than what may have already been done in the paper and computer industry. At the times that predated the Illiad the human mind was trained to master hoardings of knowledge with responsibility to pass to the next generations. Calling on the feeble mind to treasure what was glimpsed and felt by the body did require great creative aspirations that initiated the poetic language used by Homer in penning down the Illiad and Odyssey with all the literary high knots of his time.
At a time when Homer was on the face of Earth down in Egypt a different kind of writing had found its way to preserving their literature. It may have not achieved much for its intention could have largely been a preservation of abstract knowledge without delving into details. Hieroglyphics, as language is known, failed short in giving the world a taste of the ancient and early civilisations at the mercy of guessing and hypothesising in the modern times. Had Homer's age fallen to prose in expression and not in writing the world would be less its past, man half his history and literature yet unknown. That does not belittle the great efforts of later legends as Shakespeare and Edgar Allan but they are excellent in their works when they refer to Homer's work and style of writing - if not thought.
To what levels the Illiad should be understood is still under discussion that won't end soon for Iliad peers the future. Writers have been able to draw stories good and easily readable to children as early as five and six old. Writers as Edith Hamilton made a fortune out of going round Homer's work in her claimed books, The Greek Way and Mythology. That doesn't exhaust Homer's efforts because despite there being numerous translations of the works there still are a feeling of inadequacy for having not lived in Homer's days and also the lack of real plots which to some the works are regarded as just stories, exaggeration of a kind.

Additionally, on the metaphysical part of it, a consciousness that the writer would have felt to communicate rather  than amuse us with a story, there is an ice to break. The fusion of gods and humans as part and parcel of the same plot and interests, equally perturbed with emotions and fragility raises the question of, 'to what conscious ideals can a man aspire for'. For what man seems to regard primitive as search for fame despite what is what the gods regard cunningly good and it goes a long way being rewarded.
The desire to be a a hero, leave legacy, become a 'god' in people's mouths drove characters as Achilles and Hector to the brims of death. It is one's good thing to see fame and grab it, to kill, suffer and even die in the course. For man seems to live for no greater purpose in the text but search for fame and honour - it is the greatest ideal. That would suggest that on Maslow's hierarchy of needs what the ancient Greeks sought after was the room at the top, the room labelled 'honor' which to Maslow is Self Realisation. It seems not to be consciousness and happiness but to be regarded as a man who conquered a great enemy - the day's ideal.
What therefore separates Greeks from the modern man would be the nature through which the honor was sought and got. The heroes took to the battle  field and before everyone they fought for titles. The winner was evident. Farming and offering hecacombs to the gods during seasons of peace behaved not to satiate gods much nor move man in supplication. It is when he was in the greatest need and when the gods were deeply interested in what went about yonder that intensity of the matter was felt. It is therefore so unlike today where leadership and honour is diverse, professionalised and purchasable.
It would perfectly fit the attribution of the writer, Homer as blind in physical or mental sense. There are statements that people have eyes but they do not see, they have ears but do not hear. It is true to say people could not the thoughtful enough despite they having that mental ability. As an immediate understanding to that unbecoming of Homer it would take that people who are disadvantaged in some sense seem to know and imagine better what people of sight could take lightly. It is in that composure that expertise is nurtured and developed. Cobblers are known to have many friends and appreciate their 'dirty' work. They mend what was seen obsolete. They rarely work for perfection yet their expertise serves its citizenry.
In such states of immobility and 'zero grazing', a thing denounced by adventurous and curious souls have people come to master themselves and environment so well. Homer, in his blind state could not become a sea fairer. He could not afford the risks. So he had time to utilise the foregone disruptions of experiencing things to feel the very things. He took the image of Achilles when describing his sorrows and struggles. He was Odysseus by the heated war zone, He was Penelope whom had been left in Ithaca. For travellers go out in search of peace and opportunity to know themselves better but come back torn, more unstable. Homer, in his locality and befriending of the harp did the travel by mind.
To whether one's world is internal or external is reflected by Homer's portrayal of characters. Commonly he notes, 'he/she remembered and wept'. None of the Illiad characters was saved a tear even to the gods who fought each other. There is therefore seen a conflict between the external and internal experience. What the mind reasons thereafter is opposite to the thoughts before that. The end result to man's folly so often comes regret. Hellen saw the battlefield rage and felt a tear, Achilles was denied his beautiful slave and that brought to him a tear. It beats the greater purpose portrayed above of fame and honor. So it assumes that it is no longer honor when small things are not supplied or satiated.
In portrayal of feminine power and fickleness Homer starts with the start of the play whereas Thetis seeks justice for her mourning son, Achilles. And Achilles mourns not from a hurt or disease but a woman whom Agamemnon had taken from him. It all started with Discord's ambigram 'to the fairest'. She made the three female goddesses fight for the the title as if they were not contended with their heavenly status that like men, they lowered themselves. That is before Helen, the beautiful woman in Achean world and beyond was innocently made the item of discontent without. She kept her dignity all through equal to Penelope, the unmentioned in equal measure in Iliad.
It appears natural that domestic life was female's expertise compared to men's field work. Objective to Homer's time, the acceptance of home keeping created a long lasting social order that 'ends all matters well'. The goddess Calypso had her home so beautiful in wait of Odyssey's fate after the war. Helen and Hector's wife kept home guard and we not survivors of bloodshed. Shepherds went fighting beasts, men went to claim their honour and women stayed to maintain the already existing honor of having a husband. And in continued reading Odyssey would find honor awaiting after the war.
The theme of adventure, to go through uncharted territory yet is another human factor that voluntary or involuntary comes. It could be both as an organised thing as ships setting off to fight a war that was thought would easily and justly end not knowing it was the step out to the abyss. It so has happened that people leave home heading to where was known a short stay would take. So many people have rarely come back and shocks that have come with them did exceed the zeal they had with at the time of leaving.
To man all that he goes through seems a new page in the book of life where a similar story is not his. And despite the warnings and corrections that people offer there is still a great setback in accepting what experience has not yet earned one. It is the best teacher and those who have survived it became the best of men worth god positions. The epic is therefore a long narrative which characters of great birth take off to an adventure critical to the history of their nation.
Having a hero, central to the whole legendary significanse is modern day's example. Politicians and activists, rebels and terrorists, sports and competitions all have great achievers people already revered. Their valour deeds require super human courage if not perfectioning of art.
These heros are known of representing catalogues of activity. They lead war teams, have favour or are related with gods, they utter long speeches elaborated with epic similes. Such is the case with Achilles disgruntled speech to Odysseys. He cries all long speaking and resigning from the greater course of returning Helen to Menaleus. All through when the fight is not being described the text is full of long speeches that a reader who dislikes speech is quickly bored. The speech skill, key to active speaking and memorising of an activity is Homer's greatest style apart from poetical lyrics.
To the sonnets and great poems of Edgar were all a continuation of Homer's Poetical style. Talk of prose and the perfection of thought through speech. His style of 'stock epithets' gives rise to descriptive phrases as 'swift-footed' Achilles. This economical use of descriptions serves a purpose of reciting as going alongside with composing. The expressions are always repeated making a listener quick to relate the phrases as equal names to the character.
In fact, historically as even as present in memorising of what is considered worth to recall, children did memorise the Iliad. They went ahead to practice ethical conducts of Homer with a strong belief that the epic was not a story but their true history calling them to a higher purpose. Even fifth century Athenians claimed the Homeric gods and heroes as founders of their race. Because it was the first piece of text among the Greeks it therefore monopolized later generations of philosophers, dramatists and poets. And it was the Greek culture that spread to Eastern Mediterranean and Western Italy hence spreading a common text to the west.
Anger of Achilles and Agamemnon alike may seem distant to us but the true causes are not limited to time or gender. First he is seen as a young person rebelling a system, an older man and at other times him as an individual setting himself up against authority - the king, Agamemnon. It is common of heroes to outgrow their confines and challenge the existing authority. More often situations like that ends in tragedy the way Dr. Stockman lost his job and house, his place storned and his brother Peter Stockman denying him any previleges for he was the mayor of the town. In all its imaginations it fails the hero to recognize that justice should not blind anyone against authority. And as per heroic codes of ethics male characters in the Iliad must fight to win glory for their families and themselves too. Each warrior however responds differently to teachings he had while young.
Therefore about divine casualty finds the characters at a cross road. It was the critic Martin Hammond who said that 'Divine causation will work through human inclination' that if a man purposes it therefore happens so. In other words, the gods do not interest themselves in issues humans do not want to do, how they would not do some things. For to claim gods are chosy and in league to destroy is absurd, adds Hammond.
Even to the imagery created by Vulcan, the blacksmith of gods provides a shield that is requested and neede by Achilles. It takes us to the imagery aspect of life where art and creativity takes precedence. The description is a fabulous piece of imagery patterns, complete representation of sensory experiences and abstractions. The shield is brought to life. The smelted images are endowed with motion, sound, thought, speech and action. On the shield are scenes contrasted - peace and war, country and city, sowing and harvesting, and dancing with also working which reflect the joy and utter pathos of life. Ultimately, a reality of life is presented by the shield. And due to the details the scenes are more memorable due to the intensity of details.
Also with imagery is the simile aspect of human life where a wider life experience is narrowed. Two things likened to one another must be very similar or a little different with striking opposites or similarities. When man is strike, he falls like a tree, or fighters aiming to thrust Spears in one another would be like eagles fight in the sky. It is the similes that had Homer distance himself from the epic to let the readers extend their understanding of the characters and events. The culmination of it was by Hektor's chase, being followed by Achilles. For long Homer allows us to see the agony, prolonging the expected fate, delaying the inevitable confrontation. Instead of sympathising with the fated Hector, the similes identify with him.
In reflection of the above human factors, key to understanding the occurences of events to the epic, it would be improper if death was not mentioned in this brief academic work. Funeral rights started immediately one faced death that there were 'agreed' and honourable death means. No amputation, no hanging, no torture but quck spearing. It quickly helped the living come to terms with death, grieve and continue living. It is about shared humanity that Achilles sympathises with Priam, the father of Hector. Equally his father would be opressed and grieved but the loss of a son and so he hastens to provide an opportunity for Priam to take Hector home for burial with called off war period.