Another disappointment, especially compared to The Odyssey.

Achilles is offended by Agamemnon and becomes so angry that he withdraws himself and his troops from the war with the Trojans. He refuses repeated attempts to coax him to return to battle, even though the Greeks are losing without him. He eventually allows his best friend to lead his troops into battle, and when his best friend is killed, he finally decides that he should fight again, after much lamenting. He kills Hector and that’s The Iliad. Honor is honor, but as depicted in The Iliad, Achilles must be the biggest drama queen in the history of Western literature.

Maybe we have made cultural progress since Homer’s time. (1/14/10)