Three Types Of Violence In The Iliad

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The Three Violences (An analysis of Three Common Types of Violence in the Iliad) Since the beginning of mankind, violence has always been a part of history, however grotesque. Despite the terrible deeds done through violence, it is an aspect of humanity. A time of intense violence instantly brings Greek Civilization to mind. In Edith Hamilton’s, Mythology, there is great detail provided on the Iliad, presenting the violence of the time. There are three consistent, and ever present types of violence in the Iliad: physical, emotional, and religious due to their constant appearance. Initially, the most common form of violence in the Iliad is physical, due to the fact of a bloody war lasting over ten years. Throughout the war, there is rarely…show more content…
Upon seeing the golden apple, “To the fairest” Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite instantly begin fighting among themselves for it. Page 186 of Mythology describes, “Of course all the goddesses wanted it, but in the end the choice was narrowed down to three: Aphrodite, Hera and Pallas Athena” The three goddesses in their argument, turn to Paris to judge the fairest. This results in two very displeased goddesses, which causes the fall of Troy. Also, during the Iliad, as the Olympians choose sides, the begin fighting among each other with both physical and emotional violence. Hamilton says on page 191, “The war by now had reached Olympus-the gods were ranged against each other. APhrodite, of course was on the side of Paris. Equally, of course, Hera and Athena were against him. Ares, God of war, always took sides with Aphrodite;while Poseidon, Lord of the Sea favored the Greeks, a sea people, always great sailors. Apollo cared for Hector and for his sake helped the Trojans, and Artemis, as his sister, did so too.” This displays the far reaching effects of the physical violence of men, branching off into emotional violence among the…show more content…
When the winds die, preventing the Grecian army sailing to Troy, King Agamemnon is told to sacrifice his daughter for fair winds. After little consideration, he agrees to commit his religious violence, which will lead to both physical and emotional violence later. On page 189 of Mythology, Agamemnon commits his heinous crime for his country, “The army was desperate. At last the soothsayer, Calchas, declared the gods had spoken to him...the only way to appease her by sacrificing to her a royal maiden, Iphigenia, the eldest daughter of the Commander in Chief, Agamemnon. This was terrible to all, but to her father hardly bearable. Nevertheless he yielded. His reputation with the army was at stake, and his ambition to conquer Troy and exalt Greece.” This, in addition to the great deities of Greece fighting among each other illuminates the presence of religious violence in the
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