The Iliad Thoughts I

I’m rereading the Iliad (in Swedish, now, and this version is a delight to read), and I’ve gotten up to Paris’ and Menelaos’ duel and like... I have the same thoughts now that I had when I first read this.

Why is this duel considered such an unequivocal win for Menelaos? Like, could he have won? Probably! Very probably absolutely won! Paris is clearly not the best warrior, and a bit of a coward besides. Which isn’t a crime, except this is a warrior society and his worth is determined by his prowess and courage in battle, and so everyone, from the author to the characters, find him wanting. Which then also is compounded by that his favoured weapon is a bow, and he gets derided for that, too, despite that at least one contingent of Achaeans majorly use bows too, and their prowess with it is lauded in the exhausting catalogue of ships.

Anyway! Paris probably would have lost, I’m not saying that. I’m just... Menelaos’ sword breaks, and he then launches on Paris and drags him away, towards Achaean lines, by the helmet (side question; why? Is he going to ask someone for a new sword, or throw Paris to the rest of the Achaeans, which definitely isn’t within the allowances of the duel!). Aphrodite snaps the strap, yes (I think Paris probably could have done that himself, and the narrative should honestly have let him), and then Menelaos... throws himself bodily at Paris to grapple him, and Aphrodite spirits Paris away.

I wasn’t aware grappling someone with your bare hands means you win. If this had been allowed to be taken to the end, yeah, Menelaos most probably would have killed Paris, but at the point Aphrodite disappears with him, he definitely hadn’t won or killed him yet.

Connected to this... When Iris tells Helen about what’s going on, is the bit where she puts longing in Helen’s heart for Menelaos and Sparta supposed to be entirely natural homesickness and longing from being reminded at a critical point when the Achaeans are irrevocably near Troy, or did Iris magically put that longing there? (Not saying Helen by now probably aren’t regretting her choices and missing Menelaos and her child/ren but the point is this particular moment with Iris and how pointed the phrasing is, I could see it mean either.)

The Iliad Thoughts II - Zeus (and the apple)

Thoughts about the Iliad, Zeus and planning, or not.

My favourite version here is absolutely the one that Zeus and Themis planned the war, but that this was done because it was needed to be done, because there were starting to be too many humans for Gaia to deal with. That's entirely from fragments and scholia - my personal addition would be that presumably only a version of the war that involved Troy in some capacity would lead to the most death, hence why Troy had to be involved. Because it's not as if Zeus actually wants Troy to be involved, or to fall. It's one of his favourite cities!

So there you have him, having to plan this thing out, involving a city he doesn't want risk being razed... the apple thing isn't because he can't choose, it's because the apple needs to be awarded by a human (in this case specifically a Trojan) for there to even be a war. He probably hoped/assumed Paris would choose Hera, since she is the most beautiful one, and becoming king of the world/Europe and Asia means you can have any woman you please (and thus Paris could have had Helen either way), but no! Apparently Paris just had to go with the immediate satisfaction route (Zeus might have wanted to account for Paris not being a good warrior and something of a coward aside from being a conscientious judge). And so you have Hera against Troy instead of Hera having to work on Troy's side.

I honestly feel that the war being planned for some reason (even if you don't go with the scholia and fragments' reason) makes the most sense. Why would he even be afraid of, or unable to choose between them and to award the apple to his wife, who is the most beautiful? It'd be a fair judgement call.

And if you do go with it not being planned or necessary, I'm still not sure why it should be all up to Zeus' fault by making Paris award the apple - why not the goddesses, who are frankly a little ridiculous for being so caught up in the whole most beautiful thing and letting it get at their pride (gods are ever so prideful and concerned about their pride and position)? I imagine if it's something like that, Zeus deciding to make a human award the apple was an attempt at subtly pointing out they were being ridiculous while still giving some sheen of taking it seriously, since Paris has been fair before in terms of a contest and judging it.

It's hardly Zeus' fault Paris does not choose the obvious winner, now is it? He certainly didn't intend what comes of it, in such a case! (But given there are some in-text implications that it is planned, the fragment/scholia giving a reason for it makes it all the more terrible and tragic.)