II.2. The Specificity of Women Is it possible to bring to light the specifics of feminine nature in the Iliad? Beyond the apparent oppositions that posit femininity as the simple, if not simplistic, negative of masculinity, does Homeric epic paint a feminine world in and of itself? I will attempt to respond to this question by choosing to consider the physical appearance of women (their bodies, their… Read more
II.3. Virile Women … or Heroines? If there were an attempt to perform an analysis of women parallel to the one offered above for men, an admission would have to be made that there are no masculine traits that become derogatory when applied to women. Quite the contrary, in fact. Two levels of masculine conduct in women can be identified: first, when women engage, more or less… Read more
III.1. Crying in the Heroic Space of the Iliad Then we should be right in doing away with the lamentations of men of note and in attributing them to women and not to the most worthy of them either, and to inferior men, in that those whom we say we are breeding for the guardianship of the land may disdain to act like these. … Read more
III.2. Tears in a Different World: The Odyssey The “world of Odysseus” presents us with the disorder in Ithaca, a kingdom without a king, ruled in the interim by a woman, and the strange universe of the journey where “from the Lotus-eaters to Calypso, passing by way of the Cyclops and the Underworld, Odysseus does not encounter a single human being, technically speaking.” [1]… Read more
III.3. The Tears of Women Women do not have it in their nature to compete with the virtue and the greatness of men. On this point, Greek epic does not contradict a universally recognized tradition. Contrary to men, who, through their courage and great deeds, pass from an “ordinary” to a heroic state, women belong, once and for all, to a species that definitively carries within it… Read more
III.4. The Language of Tears His cheeks were soon wet with tears, as his feelings suddenly broke loose; he would have wept himself away in the distance, that no trace of his existence might remain. Amid his deep-drawn sighs he seemed to recover; the soft, serene air penetrated him. The world was again present to his senses, and thoughts of other times began to speak… Read more
III.5. The Weeping Body of Achilles Achilles embodies all of the main heroic qualities that are accorded singly to other heroes. [1] He is beauty, strength, and excellence all at the same time. If, in a certain way, the Iliad exalts human energy during times of misfortune, [2] it is not surprising that Achilles embodies, by himself,… Read more
Conclusion As we arrive at the end of this examination, it appears that heroism is, in essence, an ambiguous concept. At first glance, it seems that masculinity is at the core of heroism, and, further, that the limits of heroism coincide with those of masculinity. Without a doubt, a feminine element is not absent, but it acts as a foil. “Weakling cowards, Achaean women rather than Achaeans,”… Read more
Bibliography Adkins, A. W. H. 1960. Merit and Responsibility. A Study in Greek Values. Oxford. ———. 1963. “‘Friendship’ and ‘Self-Sufficiency’ in Homer and Aristotle.” Classical Quarterly n.s. 13:30–45. ———. 1969. “Threatening, Abusing, and Feeling Angry in the Homeric Poems.” Journal of Hellenic Studies 89:7–21. Alexiou, M. 1974. The Ritual Lament in Greek Tradition. Cambridge. Read more
List of Figures All figures drawn by Glynnis Fawkes unless otherwise noted. Figure 1. Detail from ‘Sea Peoples’ reliefs, Medinet Habu, reign of Ramses III (ca. 1184–1152). Drawn from Nelson et al. 1930, pl. 36–37. Figure 2. ‘Harp treaty’, unprovenanced Mesopotamian cylinder seal, ca. fourteenth century. London, BM 89359. Drawn from MgB 2/2 fig. 108. Figure 3. ‘Asiatic’ troupe with lyrist, tomb-painting, Beni-Hassan, Twelfth… Read more
