Six Major Iliad Themes That Express Universal Truths
Iliad themes cover a bunch of universal topics from love and friendship to honor and glory as presented in the epic poem. They represent universal truths and expressions that are common to people across the world.
Homer explores these themes in his epic poem and presents them in vivid details that capture the interest of his audience. Discover in these Iliad theme essay topics illustrated in the ancient Greek poem and how they are easily relatable to people regardless of their culture or background.
Iliad Themes
| Themes in the Iliad | Brief Explanation |
| Glory and Honor | Warriors aimed for glory and honor on the battlefield. |
| The intervention of the Gods | The deities interfered in human affairs. |
| Love and friendship | Love was the fuel for the war and the tie that bound warriors together. |
| Mortality and Fragility of Life | Humans are fated to die so must do the best they can while alive. |
| Fate and Free Will | Though humans are fated, they have a choice within the fate destined by the gods. |
| Pride | Pride drove the greek warriors on to greater accomplishments. |
List of the Best Iliad Themes
– Honor in the Iliad
One of the main points of the Iliad was the subject of honor and glory which is thoroughly explored during the events of the Trojan War. Soldiers who proved themselves worthy on the battlefield were immortalized in the minds of both their colleagues, allies and enemies alike.
Thus, soldiers would give their all on the battlefield to attain the glory that came with it. Homer highlighted this in the characters of Hector and Aeneas, both commanders of the Trojan forces who fought bravely for the cause of Troy.
In the Iliad summary, both warriors did not have to fight the Greeks but decided to do so knowing full well that they might not survive the war. The same could be said of Patroclus who went in the stead of Achilles to fight against the Trojans.
Patroclus put honor and glory ahead of his life and he got it as Achilles and the Myrmidons mourned his death for days and organized games with worthy prizes in his honor. Achilles also chased honor and glory when he joined the Greeks to fight the Trojans even though he didn’t have to.
He ended up losing his life but his legacy as the greatest Greek warrior outlived him. Nonetheless, soldiers who failed to live up to expectations were scorned and treated with contempt.
Paris was a handsome prince and a fine soldier but his loss in the duel with Menelaus resulted in his low reputation. His second duel with Diomedes didn’t help matters as Paris resorted to the use of bow and arrows as opposed to the code of conduct for heroes.
– The Intervention of the Gods
The intervention of deities in human affairs was a theme that Homer highlighted throughout the entire poem. The ancient Greeks were deeply religious people whose lives centered around pleasing the deities they worshiped.
They believed that the deities had the power to protect, guide, and lead them as well as alter their destinies. The interference of divine characters was a mainstay in all ancient Greek literature and it reflected the culture of the time.
In the Iliad, some characters like Achilles and Helen even had divine parents which gave them godlike characteristics. Helen, whose father was Zeus, was said to be the most beautiful woman in the whole of Greece.
Her beauty caused her to be abducted which indirectly start the Trojan war and the chaos that followed. Apart from having affairs with humans the gods directly influenced some events in the Homeric epic. They saved Paris’ life, helped Achilles to kill Hector, and guided the hapless King of Troy through the camp of the Achaeans as he went to ransom the body of his son, Hector.
The deities even took sides in the Battle of Troy and fought each other though they couldn’t inflict any damage. The gods also intervened when they saved Polydamas the Trojan from the attack of Meges the Greek.
The gods were involved in the design and construction of the Trojan horse and the final destruction of the city of Troy. The role of the gods in the Iliad portrayed how the ancient Greeks viewed their deities and how the gods facilitated life on earth.
– Love in the Iliad
Another theme explored in the epic poem is the value placed on love and friendship. This universal theme is the bedrock of human existence and the tie that binds individuals and societies together.
It was love that made Paris and Agamemnon plunge the whole of Greece and Troy into a 10-year war. Hector loved his wife and son which moved him to give up his life to ensure their safety.
The King of Troy demonstrated fatherly love when he risked his life to go and ransom his dead son from the camp of the enemies. He used Achilles’ love and respect for his father in negotiating for the release of Hector’s body. The Trojan King gave a rousing speech that moved Achilles and this answers the question ‘what theme of the Iliad is related to Priam’s speech?‘.
Achilles’ love for Patroclus drove him to rescind his decision to not partake in the war after he was betrayed by Agamemnon. Fueled by a love for his close friend, Achilles slew thousands of Greek soldiers and pushed back an advancing Greek onslaught.
Troy’s love for their hero Hector was displayed when they spent 10 days mourning and burying him. The theme of love and friendship was common in ancient Greek society and Homer aptly represented it in the Iliad.
– Mortality
The entire battle of Troy in the Iliad demonstrates the fragility of life and the mortality of men. Homer reminded his audience that life was short and one must go about their business as quickly as they can before their time is up.
The poet vividly describes how some characters died to paint a picture of mortality and vulnerability. Even characters like Achilles who were near indestructible were given a rude awakening when the only weakness he had was exploited.
The story of Achilles reminds us that no matter how strong we think we are and how well we’ve mastered something, there is always that vulnerable spot that can bring us down. Homer taught his audience to walk through life in humility regardless of their achievements knowing that one fate will befall all.
Nonetheless, Homer also revealed the devastating loss death leads in its wake as in the case of Hector and Achilles. Hector’s death eventually brought Troy to its knees but no one felt the loss worse than his wife Andromache and his son Astyanax.
His father, the King of Troy, also is grieved as he knew that none of his surviving sons would ever fill the shoes the greatest Greek warrior left behind. The same could be said of Achilles whose dear friend’s passing left a huge hole in his heart.
In the critical analysis of Iliad, one can conclude that death is inevitable and all creatures would one day walk that path. Glaucus succinctly puts it, “Like the generation of leaves, the lives of mortal men…as one generation comes to life another dies away“.
– The Delicate Balance of Fate and Free Will
The subject of fate and free will was broached in the Iliad with Homer delicately balancing the two. The gods had the power to determine the fate of humans and did all they could to make it come to pass.
Troy was destined to fall so, regardless of the efforts they put in mounting a defense the city eventually fell to the Greeks. Hector was fated to die at the hands of Achilles so even when he met a formidable foe in the form of Ajax his life was spared.
The gods also determined that Achilles would be killed during the war though he was almost indestructible and it comes to pass. Agamemnon’s fate was to survive the battle of Troy so when he encountered Achilles, Athena came to his rescue.
As the writings state, according to Achilles, “And fate no one has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you, it’s born with us that day that we are born.” However, Homer presents the characters as having the free will to choose their own destiny within the fate determined by the gods.
Achilles could have chosen to not go to war after he had avenged the death of his friend but he chose to glory in death instead. Hector also had a choice to not go to war because he knew he was going to die in the battle but he went anyway.
Therefore, though Homer thinks that humans are fated, he believes that our actions determine the fate we suffer. Everyone has a hand in their destiny and can choose the course they want their life to take, according to the Iliad.
– Pride
One of the sub-themes presented by Homer is the topic of pride which is sometimes referred to as hubris. It is hard to imagine any Greek hero who has humility as their hallmark for with greatness comes pride.
In the Iliad, the warriors got their sense of accomplishment from their actions which fueled their pride. Achilles and Hector were proud of their accomplishments on the battlefield and they became regarded as the greatest warriors.
Patroclus wanted to accomplish a great feat by killing Hector but he was unlucky as it ultimately resulted in his death instead. Agamemnon’s pride was wounded when he was coerced to give up his lover Chryseis. To restore his pride, he asked for Briseis, the slave and lover of Achilles which in turn hurt Achilles’ pride so much that he withdraws from the war. Achilles did not care about the rewards, all he wanted was to get back his pride.
When Briseis was taken from Achilles, he quipped to Agamemnon, “I am minded no longer to stay here dishonored and pile up your wealth and luxury…“. Pride was also a motivational tool to inspire the warriors to give their all on the battlefield.
Commanders and leaders of both sides of the war told their warriors to be courageous in the battle for there was no honor in giving up. Pride motivated the Greeks to win the battle of Troy and restore the pride of King Menelaus by bringing back Helen.
Conclusion
Homer, through the Iliad, demonstrated universal values that taught great lessons that were worthy of emulation.
Here is a recap of the major themes in the Greek epic poem:
- The theme of love explored the strong bonds that bound certain characters in the play.
- Homer also used the theme of divine intervention to emphasize the fact that the universe operates under divine guidance or laws.
- The delicate balance between fate and free will taught us that though humans are fated, we are still responsible for our actions.
- Human life is brief and delicate therefore, we should do the best that we can while there is still life.
- The theme of glory and honor explored the idea that soldiers during the war would give their lives just to be immortalized in the pages of history.
After discovering the major themes present in the epic poem, the Iliad, which one is your favorite, and which one are you willing to implement?
