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CHAPTER ZERO?Possibly

Courtesy of MS Paint

So, I just finished the Iliad, and I was not quite satisfied with the ending. Hector died, everyone mourned, sadness scattered all over Troy. I don't like those kinds of endings, my favored characters dies, and I'm left in despair. If someone had to die, it would be fine with me if Paris was the one who died instead.

Paris vs Menelaus (again)

Now, here's my version of the story, remember the part/chapter where Paris was to battle Menelaus over the ownership of Helen, and the fate of the war? Well, my version starts there: "Paris and Menelaus arm themselves and begin their duel. Neither is able to fell the other with his spear. Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’ helmet. He then grabs Paris by the helmet and begins dragging him through the dirt, but Aphrodite, an ally of the Trojans, snaps the strap of the helmet so that it breaks off in Menelaus' hands. Frustrated, Menelaus retrieves his spear and is about to drive it home into Paris when... (This is the part where Aphrodite comes in and rescues Paris, but I won't let that happen.) Paris rolls to his side and blocks the spear with his worn-out helmet. They continue to battle until dawn. An opportunity arises when Paris is able to knock down Menelaus. And when Paris is about to drive his spear into Menelaus' chest, he relents for a moment and thinks about what he is doing. A short moment was what Menelaus needed to turn the tide of the duel. He grabs Paris' spear and uses the weapon against his enemy, running it through the abdomen and exiting through the spine. Paris' death concluded the battle between the two soldiers. Helen was returned to Menelaus, and the war between the Trojans and Achaeans ended there."

The death of one man, prevented the death of hundreds, or possibly thousands. To the very least, Paris died a heroic death, the gods did not interfere with the humans, Cassandra's prophecy was fulfilled, and Hector lived with his family once more. 

A good ending might I conclude. With this, I end my post, saying "Have a happy vacation!"

What is a Hero?

The Hero of Iliad

What is a hero? Is there a hero in the Iliad? A hero, defined by the dictionary, "refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice.". On another account, "A hero is one who lays down his own life so that others can live.".

If I were to pick a hero in the Iliad, I would choose Hector. 

 

Hector

   Hector is the mightiest warrior in the Trojan army. He leads the assault that finally penetrates the Achaean ramparts, he is the first and only Trojan to set fire to an Achaean ship, and he kills Patroclus. Yet his leadership contains certain flaws, especially towards the end of the epic, when the participation of first Patroclus and then Achilles rallies the Achaean army. He demonstrates a certain cowardice when, twice in Book 17, he flees Great Ajax.

  But although Hector may prove overly impulsive and insufficiently prudent, he does not come across as arrogant or overbearing, as Agamemnon does. Moreover, the fact that Hector fights in his homeland, unlike any of the Achaean commanders, allows Homer to develop him as a tender, family-oriented man. Hector shows deep, sincere love for his wife and child. Indeed, he even treats his brother Paris with forgiveness and indulgence, despite the man’s lack of spirit and preference for lovemaking over military duty. Hector never turns violent with him, merely aiming frustrated words at his cowardly brother. Moreover, although Hector loves his family, he never loses sight of his responsibility to Troy. Admittedly, he runs from Achilles at first and briefly entertains the delusional hope of talking his way out of a duel. However, in the end he stands up to the mighty warrior, even when he realizes that odds are against him. His refusal to flee even in the face of vastly superior forces makes him the most heroic among the characters in the Iliad.

Hector still stands strong against the waves of opposition, that is why he is the "Hero" of the Iliad, in my opinion. And now I end my post with a "Farewell, and goodnight! Tune in next time for the next post!"

War: Beneficial or Not?

 

Before we journey onto the topic of whether war is good for one's character or not, we should learn/define war and character. What is war? War, defined by the dictionary, "is a state of organized violent conflict typified by extreme aggression, societal disruption and adaptation, and high mortality.". Having defined war, we turn to character, What is Character? Character, defined by the dictionary, "is the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.". Now, since war is a dispute between two opposing fronts, and causes countless losses of lives, does it also spoil/ruin one's character?

Hector and Ajax

After reading The Iliad by Homer, I see war as a stepping stone to one's improvement of character. In the story of Iliad, Achaians and Trojans battle for victory. None of them show weakness, or fear, but only determination in winning the dispute. The gods, Apollo and Athena, agree to end the war for the day, a duel between chosen warriors from both nations . Hector approaches the Achaean line and offers himself to anyone who will fight him. Only Menelaus has the courage to step forward, but Agamemnon talks him out of it, knowing full well that Menelaus is no match for Hector. Nestor, too old to fight Hector himself, passionately exhorts his comrades to respond to the challenge. Nine Achaeans finally step forward. A lottery is held, and Great Aias wins. Hector and Aias begin their duel by tossing spears, but neither hit each other. They then used their lances, and Aias draws Hector’s blood. The two are about to clash with swords, when someone calls off the fight on account of nightfall. The two heroes exchange gifts and end their duel with a pact of friendship. 

War does not spoil one's character, but rather the opposite; it reinforces one's character. When Hector and Aias fought each other during the duel, they still respected each other despite being enemies.  Character is very vital to any human individual, because it defines you as a person. People nowadays judge others by their characters, so one's character also sets his/her impression on others. Having said that, I conclude that wars are actually beneficial to one's character.

Between Paris and Menelaus, who do you consider as a nobler/greater/more honorable man?

WHO IS BETTER?
Paris of Troy or Menelaus of Sparta

In the first 5 books of The Iliad; many places, leaders, gods, goddesses were introduced. Alongside were, Paris of Troy, and Menelaus of Sparta. Both men are great in stature and in battle, but the main question is: Who is the nobler/greater/more honorable man?




If I were to choose between the two; Menelaus has my vote.  Below are some reasons, or incidents that support my vote:

Paris and Menelaus

• In terms of greatness, Menelaus is obviously stronger and more skillful than Paris, as observed in their duel. Menelaus had the upper hand, and might have killed Paris, if not for the intervention of Aphrodite.
• Menelaus is nobler than Paris, because not only did he just risk his life for his side on the war, but also for the return of his wife, despite her being taken away by another lover.
• Lastly, Menelaus is more honorable than Paris, not only because he accepted the duel with no delay, but also after the duel he continued to fight despite being injured by a trojan archer. This shows that he will not stop until he gets what he demands, but not to the point of desperation.

 If I were to name a person who possessed similar characteristics to Menelaus, I'd say Andres Bonifacio, a great Filipino hero. Andres Bonifacio was like Menelaus, he was persistent, he was noble, and he was a great man. His persistence not only applied to him, but also to the other Filipinos, they were inspired to not give up, much like Menelaus and the Greeks. I chose Andres Bonifacio because like Menelaus, he will do anything to get what he wants, and he will not stop until the opposing side noticed his actions.

With this, I end my essay, saying all that I needed to say, and sharing all the ideas I needed to share.