The Iliad

Helen, The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships

The Iliad is of course a famous piece of ancient Greek Literature that tells story of the a coalition of Greek city-states fighting with the Trojans over Helen, or at least a few weeks of that story.  It focuses on a time at the end of the war when the leader of the Grecian forces, Agamemnon, takes a woman that the Greek hero Achilles had captured in an earlier conquest.  This angers Achilles and he withdraws from the fighting and begs his mother, who is a goddess to have Zeus favor the Trojans in order to make Agamemnon pay.  Without Achilles the Greeks struggle against the Trojans and are pushed back against their ships.  Achilles closest friend, Patroclus, pretends to be Achilles but is slain by the Trojan champion Hector.  In his rage (and with some divine help) Achilles slays Hector and takes his body back to his camp and denies it burial which is a very crucial part of the Grecian rites for the dead.  Eventually the gods take pity on the slain Hector and persuade both Achilles and Hector's father, the King of Troy, to set up a trade for the father to reclaim his son for a proper burial.

The story is ultimately about a battle, but that won't be what I remember from this story.  I'm going to remember the reaction of Hector's parents to his death.  The grief that Homer (who serves as the traditional author of the Iliad and its sequel) portrays his parents as suffering is incredibly visceral and very real.  It's an incredibly tragic scene (for the most part, not so much when the King calls his other sons worthless) and one of the better mourning scenes in literature.  I think of the entire story that's what I'll probably remember the most is how grief-stricken Hector's family was when they see his death.

Actually I lied, what I'll remember the most is the use of manhood to mean something completely different than it does today.  But Achilles fond memories of and tears for the fallen Patroclus's manhood has apparently given rise to quite the cottage industry of Achilles/Patroclus fanfiction and erotic drawings.

Also Achilles/Hector.  Although that one makes less sense.  

So whatever you do, don't google an Achilles pairing.  Or Achilles, unless you want to see Brad Pitt or Greek pottery in all it nude imagery.

And that's why I have a picture of Helen for this post.