Set against the turbulent background of the Trojan War, the epic poem The Iliad, an ancient Greek tale attributed to the renowned poet Homer, offers a profound examination of the human condition. Written in the 8th century BCE, this classic piece of Western literature engrosses readers in the complexities of bravery, dignity, and the unstoppable collision of civilizations. The story is composed of a mosaic of feelings, moral quandaries, and thoughts on the meaning of life itself, rather than just a story of conflicts and outcomes. In The Iliad by Homer, the incorporation of epic similes, a lofty style, an intense tone, and stark juxtaposition conveys the perpetual coexistence of glory and devastation as well as the interdependence of heroism and vulnerability.

The epic simile is a poetic element Homer incorporated to enhance how the narrative unfolds. Epic similes, which develop sustained comparisons between a primary and a secondary subject, are frequently utilized in The Iliad. The intensifying effect (it is fair to say that it is indeed ennobling) of the epic similes propels the poem’s portrayal of the heroes, regarding both the heroic course of events as well as the heroic accomplishments of the characters:

“As when a swollen river hurls its water, big with rain, down the mountains to the flat land following rain from the sky god, and sweeps down with it numbers of dry oaks and of pine trees numbers, until it hurls its huge drift wood into the salt sea; so now glittering Aias cumbered the plain as he chased them, slaughtering men and horses alike.”

The style that Homer adopted when writing this epic poem is notable in its elevated, almost lofty manner. Regarding the gravity of the events in The Iliad, whether it be the destruction of war and its losses, both communal and individual, this elevated style befits and enhances the narrative that the poem is recounting. In this excerpt from Book 11, an epic simile is used to align the river’s sweeping force with Aias’s relentless pursuit of his enemies on the battlefield. Just like how the river overwhelms and “sweeps down with it numbers of dry oaks and of pine trees numbers,” Aias similarly “slaughtered men and horses alike,” annihilating all without discrimination. The description of “cumbered the plain” and the mention of Aias “chasing” his foes accentuate the dominating, aggressive nature of his actions during the war. By likening Aias to a natural force—the torrents of a “swollen river” cascading down violently—further emphasizes this prowess. Moreover, this epic simile exemplifies the lofty style of the poem and demonstrates how this style boosts the intense atmosphere that the poet purposefully creates to fit the bellicose setting.

There are other notable epic similes that are featured:

“There the screaming and the shouts of triumph rose up together of men killing and men killed and the ground ran blood. As when rivers in winter spate running down from the mountains throw together at the meeting of streams the weight of their water out of the great springs behind in the hollow stream-bed, and far away in the mountains the shepherd hears their thunder; such, from the coming together of men, was the shock and the shouting.”

This excerpt from Book 4 is demonstrative of how the elevated presentation of words is coupled with an overwhelmingly solemn tone that Homer purposefully conjured as an attempt to resonate with the historically important and bloody happenings the Achaeans and Trojans were subjected to. The epic simile in this excerpt draws a parallel between the “men killing and men killed” and the “rivers in winter spate running down from the mountains.” This comparison is tinged with a
foreboding illustration of two armies bloodily clashing with each other, with both the glory of “the shouts of triumph” and the devastation in “the screaming,” like wild torrents raging down the mountains to hurl together into deadly floods. The clamor of battling men is likened to another force of nature—“the thunder” that was “far away in the mountains,” working as an auditory underpinning that accompanies the visual image of belligerent thriving men, dead men, and the blood-covered ground. The extended epic simile here works both as a vehicle to vividly paint the events and as a highlight that sheds light on the grave and intense matter of triumph and devastation, death and survival, which the narrative aims to build.

The epic similes, with their elaborate and elevated descriptions, function as a poetic device that not only heightens the gravity of the narrative but also serves as a thematic bridge to the exhaustive discussion of heroism. The aforementioned examples of extended comparisons, which are employed to elevate the actions of “heroes” to natural phenomena such as raging rivers and thundering storms, magnify the heroic feats on the battlefield by virtue of their grandiose comparisons that are synonymous with the grandiose notion of heroism. However, juxtaposition is another poetic element that contributes to making this definition of heroism complex, accentuating an inherent dichotomy: the juxtaposed realities of glory and devastation, heroism and vulnerability. A noteworthy example is the juxtaposition of Achilles’ heroism on the battlefield with the vulnerability of an aging father awaiting his son’s return in Book 24. Priam’s impassioned plea to Achilles to return Hector’s corpse for proper burial is evident:

“Achilleus like the gods, remember your father, one who is of years like mine, and on the door-sill of sorrowful old age. And they who dwell nearby encompass him and afflict him, nor is there any to defend him against the wrath, the destruction. Yet surely he, when he hears of you and that you are still living, is gladdened within his heart and all his days he is hopeful that he will see his beloved son come home from the Troad.”

This direct appeal by Priam to Achilles, so laden with emotional weight and entreaty, begins by invoking the image of Achilles as divine, describing him as “like the gods.” This invocation elicits the imperative will of Priam to cajole Achilles into granting Hector a burial, but more saliently brings out a stark juxtaposition. Achilles’s heroic and elevated status is contrasted with the mortal concerns of aging fathers, who were the ordinary, defenseless lives affected by the war rather than the warring perpetrators that gain glory by inflicting pain. The description of Priam as being “on the door-sill of sorrowful old age” furthers the portrayal of the fragility of human existence that differs so immensely from the heroic exploits of seemingly undefeatable warriors on the battlefield. Through the contrast, it is blatant that the inextricable link between heroism and vulnerability is drawn: with heroism accompanying the loss of vulnerable, normal lives in that very war that bestowed upon glory to the so-called heroes. The heroic pursuits of individuals like Achilles, set against the backdrop of often overlooked figures like the aging father that are all left defenseless in the wake of this violent conflict, encourage the thematic tension that the poem’s narrative aims to convey: the complexities of morality and humanity that go beyond a mere chronicle of battles.

Through the strategic use of stark juxtaposition, epic similes, a lofty style, and a solemn tone, The Iliad stands as an enduring testament to the complexities of the human condition amid the chaos of the Trojan War. Juxtaposing heroism with vulnerability and glory with suffering, Homer paints a profound commentary on the interconnectedness of these contrasting elements. The lingering notes of splendor, the echoes of anguish, and the profound observations on mankind serve as a constant reminder of the truths contained therein. Homer’s genius lies not only in recounting a tale of war and heroism but in crafting a poetic symphony that transcends time, urging us to contemplate the enduring threads that connect us all.