Homer

You are welcome to read the whole poem.  In class we will be focusing our attention on Books 1-6, 9, 14, 16, 18-24.   

This site has a good map of where the various forces in the Greek camp come from, an outline of the poem, and other related background material.

This site one of many about the archaeological excavations at the historical Troy.

Homer Paragraph #1

Throughout the poem, Homer makes extensive use of the simile, a poetic device where two items are compared using “like” or “as” between them.  Choose an Homeric simile and evaluate the effect of Homer’s choice.

Here is an example from Book 4 (4:502-509)

“….But no the Trojans, no…/like flocks of sheep in a wealthy rancher’s steadings,/thousands crowding to have their white milk drained,/bleating nonstop when they hear they crying lambs--/so the shouts rose up from the long Trojan lines/…”

Please post your evaluation on our weblog.

Here is the revised paragraph option list, including all the Homer options. Download Point Distribution Term Grades Spring 2

Comments

[Rylee]

Summary of book 2! We can go into greater depth during class, if you all like...

All the gods are asleep except for Zeus, who’s hatching a plan to exalt Achilles and slaughter the Greeks. He sends Agamemnon a dream delivered by a “Nestor body” that inspires him to rouse all his men and immediately attack Troy with full God/ess support. Agamemnon calls together chiefs and explains dream. Nestor speaks in Support/agreement and everyone disperses to gather the troops together. Agamemnon tests them by making a speech where he declares that ‘Zeus is harsh and unfair, not to favor Greeks. They outnumber the opposition 10 to 1, and still they can’t get over Troy’s walls. Their wives and children are waiting at home and it’s been 10 years; they should just go home.’ Agamemnon’s “test” backfires and the soldiers go scrambling for the boats. Athena heads down to earth and urges Odysseus to take a stand and talk the soldiers into staying. Odysseus goes off into the hubbub, coaxing chiefs to remain by telling them it must be a test, and getting soldiers to remain by walloping them with Agamemnon’s scepter and telling them they are worthless. All the troops return from the ships and regroup. One man named Thersites rails on Agamemnon, saying ‘he has lots of treasure and pretty women, but he still wants more. All the foot soldiers should go home; he’d see how much he needed them then, and treat them better.’ Odysseus reminds him how worthless he is in comparison to a powerful, strong, God-endowed king like Agamemnon, and threatens to beat him should he speak that way again. Then he swats the soldier with the scepter, raising the morale of all the other soldiers. Odysseus then explains that he understands the longing for home that the men feel, but they must hold on a little bit longer. He reminds them of an omen they all saw while sacrificing to the Gods: a snake slithered up a tree and ate 9 birds, signifying that the Acheans would fight the Trojens for 9 years and win during the 10th. Nestor goads them further and threatens to kill any man who tries to leave. He tells Agamemnon to arrange the troops side by side in a battle charge so it can be divined who is/isn’t loyal and brave in battle. Agamemnon orders everyone to eat and prepare their weapons, which they do. All the war captains gather together and sacrafice to Zeus, and after eating, Nestor urges Agamemnon to marshal the troops. Agamemnon does so, and receives Athena’s help in raising the men’s lust for blood as they march. There were many men, crowds of them as far as the eye could see. Pages 115-123 name every city area and the captain who leads each group of soldiers as they march towards the walls of Troy. Achilles is lying in his ship, meanwhile, thinking about Briseis, and his men are relaxing/playing on the beach. We learn Philocetes, a Greek leader of Methone and Thaumacia, is dying from a snake bite on a holy island where the other Greeks left him. The messenger Goddess Iris is sent to the Trojens by Zeus; she impersonates Polites, Priam’s son, and alerts them to the approach of the Greeks. Hector sends out the troops and they battle with the Greeks on a big mound in front of Troy. 126-127 describe the Trojen leaders.

[Isaac]

I will be summarizing books 7 and 8.

[Sam]

i'll summarize books 11 and 12

[Steph]

I can do 10 and 15 :)

[Ali]

mr.sumner, do you know yet what the last option for the illiad paragraphs will be?

[sophie]

It looks like people are only summarizing books that no one has read. Was that the requirement?

[sophie]

If that's true I'd be happy to summarize book 17!

[Isaiah]

“High-hearted son of Tydeus, why ask about my birth? / Like the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal men. / Now the wind scatters the old leaves across the earth, / now the living timber bursts with the new buds / and spring comes round again. And so with men: / as one generation comes to life, another dies away. / But about my birth, if you’d like to learn it well, / first to last – though many people know it – here’s my story…”

This simile from the Iliad (Book VI, line 170-179) features Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, responding to Diomedes’ question; “Who are you, my fine friend? – another born to die?” Glaucus responds to this question by making a simile between human life and the life of leaves. He says that it is futile for Diomedes to ask of his birth because it does not make a difference since mortal existence will come and go, just like the life of a leaf. However, the lines “now the living timber bursts with the new buds / and spring comes around again…” show that Glaucus recognizes that his existence, just like the existence of leaves, will create life in coming generations. Glaucus knows that he will die, just as he was born, but he also knows that he was not born just to die as Diomedes suggested.

[Isaac]

Isaac Baker
Chapter 7 Summary
This chapter is called Ajax duels with Hector and the actions centers around this battle. Paris and Hector storm out of Troy and begin fighting the Greeks and do remarkably well. They are doing so well, in fact, that Athena comes down to intervene. Apollo wants none of this and goes to head her off. They come to an agreement about a great duel between Hector and whomever will stand against him. The Greeks are scared of Hector and take a long time to offer themselves up to battle. Menelaus accepts the offer but Aggamemnon tells him that he is not remotely skilled enough and someone else should do it. Seven captains finally put stones in a helmet and Ajax's stone is chosen. They prepare to fight and the poem thoroughly covers Ajax's special shield made of seven layers of hide and one layer of bronze. They throw spears, Ajax almost hits Hector and Hector doesn't make it through the shield. They turn to rock throwing, but are interrupted by men from both sides urging them to lay down their weapons for the day on behalf of Zeus.
Both men agree, and they go back to their respective sides and make sacrifices. The Greeks discuss plans for mass burials and the Trojans discuss giving back Helen and her riches. Paris agrees to give back the treasure with interest, but not Helen. The Greeks laugh at the offer of treasure, but both sides agree to allowing a moratorium on the war for burial purposes. They both go about the burning somberly. After the burnings, both sides began to feast and made hasty offerings to Zeus as thunder rained down around them.

[Isaac]

Isaac Baker
Chapter 7 Summary
This chapter is called Ajax duels with Hector and the actions centers around this battle. Paris and Hector storm out of Troy and begin fighting the Greeks and do remarkably well. They are doing so well, in fact, that Athena comes down to intervene. Apollo wants none of this and goes to head her off. They come to an agreement about a great duel between Hector and whomever will stand against him. The Greeks are scared of Hector and take a long time to offer themselves up to battle. Menelaus accepts the offer but Aggamemnon tells him that he is not remotely skilled enough and someone else should do it. Seven captains finally put stones in a helmet and Ajax's stone is chosen. They prepare to fight and the poem thoroughly covers Ajax's special shield made of seven layers of hide and one layer of bronze. They throw spears, Ajax almost hits Hector and Hector doesn't make it through the shield. They turn to rock throwing, but are interrupted by men from both sides urging them to lay down their weapons for the day on behalf of Zeus.
Both men agree, and they go back to their respective sides and make sacrifices. The Greeks discuss plans for mass burials and the Trojans discuss giving back Helen and her riches. Paris agrees to give back the treasure with interest, but not Helen. The Greeks laugh at the offer of treasure, but both sides agree to allowing a moratorium on the war for burial purposes. They both go about the burning somberly. After the burnings, both sides began to feast and made hasty offerings to Zeus as thunder rained down around them.

[Isaac]

sorry about that...
Isaac Baker
Chapter 8 Summary
Zues starts things off by call all of the gods together and throwing down with them. He tells them that he has a plan to bring the war to a quicker end and spends several paragraphs threatening any god who tries to intervene in any way.
Dawn breaks on the battlefield and both sides pull themselves together. Zeus comes down on his golden chariot and seals two fates, one of a Trojan and one of a Greek. He sends lightning and everyone scatters. The Greeks hightail it back to the ships despite Nestor's urging them to hold their ground. Diomedes also stays and goes for Hector. Zeus hurls lightning at him and he is torn between turning around in the face of immortal power and continuing on with his dignity and honor. He decides to retreat, but it hurt by Hector's taunts.
Hera starts getting hysterical about all of the Greeks dying, and tells the rest of the gods that they should rise up and stop Zeus. They tell her that she's crazy and the scene returns to the battlefield. The Greeks are getting mowed down all the way back to the ships and Agamemnon starts crying and prays to Zeus to not let his men be killed in such a way. Zeus takes pity and the Greeks make a stand. A Greek archer, Teucer, tries to kill Hector, but is unable and kills many other Trojans including a few princes. Hector is in a frenzy and kills Greeks in droves. Hera is pissed and talks to Athena about stopping the madness, but Athena is resigned to Zeus's power. Hera, however, never is, and suits up to go into battle. Zeus sends Iris to pass on his message which says that he will destroy her chariot and maim all of her horses if she attempts to fight for the Greeks. Hera gets the message and turns her chariot around.
Back at Mount Olympus, Zeus tells the enraged Athena and Hera that he will not stop giving great power to Hector until Achilles returns to battle. They are none too pleased.
Night falls on the battlefield and Hector tells his troops that they will hold their ground instead of retreating back to the safety of the walls. They hold vigil all night by their fires and await the dawn when they will reengage the Greeks.

[Isaac]

Isaac Baker
Simile
“and for all his war cries Diomedes shrank at the sight,
as a man at a loss, helpless, crossing a vast plain
halts short at a river rapids surging out to sea,
takes one look at the water roaring up in foam
and springs back with a leap. So he recoiled,”

This simile adds great depth to this dramatic point in the story. Hector is charging down field with Ares by his side, creating so strong an image of fear that even the great Diomedes falters. The simile takes him out of the battlefield where he is alone in the face of some great force. It makes Diomedes plight seem all the more dire by comparing him to a man alone in a “vast plain” facing the great power of the river. The use of water for this insurmountable force is apt because water is one of the greatest natural destructive powers, second only to lightning in this mythology. The simile as a whole serves to accentuate the word “helpless” and bring Diomedes plight home for the listener.

[Ali]

On Diomedes (167):

Down the plain he stormed like a spate
A routing winter torrent sweeping away the dikes:
The tight, piled dikes can't hold it back any longer,
Banks shoring the blooming vineyards cannot curb its course--
A flash flood bursts as the rains from Zeus pour down their power,
Acre on acre the well-dug work of farmers crumbling under it--
So under Tydides' force the Trojan columns panicked now,
No standing their ground, massed, packed as they were.

Homer's simile evokes a clear image of Diomedes' effect on the battle and provides sensitive insight on the implications of the passage. From Homer's description of the flood, the reader can immediately imagine how Diomedes stormed the Trojans. The simile makes the image of Diomedes at war more accessible; for those modern readers who can't imagine an ancient battle or those ancient listeners who were farmers, not warriors, the simile provides a more universal image that we can all relate to. In addition, the content of Homer's simile brings light to what is lost when Diomedes fights like a “routing winter torrent.” Homer describes a powerful force that destroys things that have been carefully and laboriously created by men: dikes, vineyards, and well-dug acres. Likewise, when Diomedes goes on his tirade, countless individuals, each with a family and home, are wiped out. In both cases, the loss of the vineyards and acres or the husbands and fathers will have a profound effect on the people still living. Homer sets up a simple yet clear comparison that helps his readers imagine the action of the scene and consider the effect that the action will have on the larger world.

[Ali]

On Achilles (477):

Like a bearded lion
Whose pride of cubs a deer-hunter has snatched away,
Out of some thick woods, and back he comes, too late,
And his heart breaks but he courses after the hunter,
Hot on his tracks down glen on twisting glen—
Where can he find him?—gripped by piercing rage…
So Achilles groaned, deeply, crying out to his Myrmidons

Homer’s simile serves to establish a relationship between two characters, raise questions about how the action played out, and foreshadow the coming events in the poem. By comparing the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus to that between a lion and his cub, Homer suggests that Achilles is powerful and protective, while Patroclus is innocent and vulnerable. It also establishes a bond between the two men that is equal to the bond between a parent and offspring, which explains Achilles’ deep sorrow and intense desire to get revenge. Interestingly, Homer chooses to lay the blame of losing the cubs on the deer-hunter: “Whose pride of cubs a deer-hunter has snatched away.” Based on the rest of the simile, it would appear that the lion would have had the responsibility to protect its cub, as well as the strength to overpower the deer-hunter. This simile raises the question of how the lion, or Achilles, could have let his cub be snatched away. Finally, the simile foreshadows the coming action in the poem between Achilles and Hector: “Where can he find him? – gripped by piercing rage…” Just as the lion seeks revenge on the deer-hunter, Achilles will seek revenge on Hector. Through a comparison of Achilles and Patroclus to a lion and his cub, Homer clarifies the relationships between the characters, brings light to important questions, and hints at what will happen in the rest of the poem.

[Alice]

Book 18 line 64.
Context: Thetis is talking to her sisters underwater about Achilles who is on land grieving about Patroclus who has recently died.

Yes, I gave birth to a flawless, mighty son…
The splendor of heroes, and he shot up like a young branch
like a fine tree I reared him- the orchards glory-
but only to send him off on the beaked ships to Troy

In this simile there are three stages, child (young branch) man (fine tree) and hero (orchards glory). The first part “like a young branch” is a surprising statement for she is a water dwelling Goddess yet she refers to her son as a branch which is clearly a land organism. This part reminds the reader of a major difference in their relationship. Also in the first part “He shot up like a young branch” has the reader imagine a fast growing sapling, which as we know takes a very long time to happen, by saying this Thetis is compressing a large amount of time into a few words. In the next line Thetis takes credit for the raising, (in this case; the trimming, shaping, watering) of not only Achilles but the fact that he is a Hero. The last part “the orchards glory” puts the image of some fruit bearing orchard, which is interesting because Achilles is a self absorbed character.
I believe Thetis was aiming toward a tree that was bearing the biggest and best fruit in an orchard, and a tree that has actual height over all others, showing her own pride through Achilles.

[Isaac]

Isaac Baker
Simile Chapter 21 Lines 290-300

“As a farmhand runs a ditch from a dark spring, sluicing
the gushing stream through plants and gardens, swinging
his mattock to knock the clods out down the shoot
and the water rushes on, tearing the pebbles loose
and what began as a trickle hits a quick slope and
down it goes, outstripping the man who guides it –
so the relentless tide kept overtaking Achilles,”

Yet again, Homer is appealing to the universal experiences of his listeners through simile. This simile brings up an image of agricultural life, water running out to the plants in fields and bringing life along with it. But in the simile, as well as in the action, the water flows out of control and starts taking life, as opposed to creating it. The action that this simile describes is Xanthus, the river god, sending out a rivulet after Achilles who has angered him, so that he can drag Achilles back to the depths of the river. This simile is perfectly picturesque; it creates a perfect image of water beginning as a small stream cutting through the ground, and then growing wild and out of control. The image also evokes the great power of the river, or of all natural things, pushing back against the arrogant and proud Achilles who thought himself to be invincible. In this circumstance, the river “tearing pebbles loose,” would have torn Achilles from his foothold if it were not for additional divine intervention on the part of Athena and Poseidon.

[alice]

Simile
Book 6: line 604

Context: Inside of the Trojan walls Paris is running to the battle after Hector yelled at him for not helping win the war.

"He rushed through troy, sure in his racing stride.
As a stallion full-fled at the manger, stalled too long,
Breaking free of his tether gallops down the plain,
Out for his favorite plunge in a river’s cool currents,
Thundering in his pride-his head flung back, his mane
Streaming over his shoulders, sure and sleek in his glory,
Knees racing him on to the fields and stallion-haunts he loves-
So down from Peramus heights came Paris, son of Priam,"

In this simile, Homer is looking through Paris’s eyes to illustrate how Paris thinks of himself. This simile puts a clear image of a sleek, strong beautiful stallion running through fields towards a river. This imagery fits Paris well in many ways, for he is known for his handsome looks, careless attitude and, like a stallion, feels the need to breed. However in the first two lines Homer is saying that the horse has been kept from freedom for too long and that the horse must break free but Paris has been ‘free’ this entire time showing the difference of reality to how Paris thinks about the situation. The next few lines of this simile talk about how much the horse loves to run into a “cool current”, Paris may love being in a battle if all eyes are on him, but as we know he is a lousy fighter and rarely puts himself in a dangerous situation. This simile is essentially poking fun at Paris and the way he looks at himself, with the “head flung back, him mane streaming over his shoulders sure and sleek in his glory”, the only thing that holds true are the parts when Homer talks about his looks, the rest is through Paris’s imagination.

[Alice]

Book 21: line 393

Context: Achilles is fighting the river, and Hephaestus is burning the corpses and trees at Hera’s will.

“He scorched the whole plain and the shinning rivers shrank.
Hard as the autumn North Wind hits a leveled field
Just drenched in a downpour, quickly dries it off
and the farmer is glad and starts to till his soil”

This simile helps the reader understand how much Hephaestus is destroying. It takes an extremely powerful, strong and consistent north wind to dry off a recently soaked field, and this comparison shows how intense these inhuman flames are. This simile does not match the actions completely, for Hephaestus’s flames do not evaporate the entire river unlike the field which becomes completely dry. The last line reminds the reader that Hera is doing this for Achilles, who is the only one benefiting from this destruction. Achilles is the farmer in this simile which is an interesting choice, for farmers are known to be dependent what the Gods give them ( a perfect amount of rain, sun ect.) and in this case, Achilles/farmer is completely reliant on the Gods.

[Alice]

How many time can we do one of the options? can I do five similes/summaries for the five points?

[Steph]

Steph Yoon
Illiad – Book 10 Summary

Book 10 starts out in the Achaean camp at night, where they are all sleeping except for Agamemnon and Menelaus. Agamemnon can’t sleep because he wants to find a way to save the Greeks. He decides to seek out Nestor to devise a foolproof plan to take the pressure off the Achaeans. Meanwhile, Menelaus is worried that he led the Greeks to Troy for nothing. Both men dress and meet outside of their tents. They decided that they need a spy to infiltrate the Trojan’s next move. They talk about Zeus, and are jealous of how he favors Hector. They then wake up Odysseus, Diomedes, Ajax, and Phyleus to see if one of them was willing to be the spy. Diomedes volunteers and chooses Odysseus to go with him. Both Greeks leave for Troy, and are accompanied by a heron send by Athena. Thankful for her help, both men pray to Athena asking for protecting and strength. Athena hears their prayers and decides to help them.
Back in Troy, the Trojans do not get the luxury of sleep. Hector calls all of the Trojan lords and captains to a council of war. He asks for a volunteer to spy on the Greek ships to see if they are well guarded, or if they are planning to escape. He promises the spy great riches upon success. Dolon, son of Eumedes volunteers; he is ugly, but young and quick. As Dolon sets out for the Achaean camp, he is met by Diomedes and Odysseus. The two Greeks capture Dolon and question him. Dolon spills the beans about everything, informing the Achaeans of Trojans plans, and whereabouts, in hopes of his life being spared. Diomedes and Odysseus kill Dolon and follow the new lead to the sleeping Thracian camp. The two men slaughter kind Rhesus and 13 men with the help of Athena. Apollo sees this and wakes up the rest of the Thracian army. Diomedes and Odysseus leave hastily and are warmly welcomed back to the Achaean camp.

[Steph]

Steph Yoon
Illiad – Book 15 Summary

Book 15 starts on Mount Olympus where Zeus awakes to find a messy battle between the Trojan army, led by a wounded Hector, and the Achaean army led by Poseidon. Struck with pity for Hector, Zeus snaps and unleashes his rage onto Hera, scolding and threatening her for what has happened. Hera insists that it had nothing to do with her and blames Poseidon for the battle. Zeus, still angry, orders Hera to summon Iris to stop Poseidon, and Apollo to aide Hector. Zeus then speaks of his plan to have Hector survive this battle, so that he can fight and slay Patroclus. Then, enraged for Patroclus, Achilles will bring the Prince down. Then, the battles will go on until the Achaean army seizes Troy. Hera obeys and goes to Mount Olympus where she tells the gods of Zeus’s plan and rage. The gods are alarmed by Hera’s disarray. Hera tells Iris and Apollo to with speed to Ida and to follow Zeus’s orders from there. Iris delivers Zeus’s message to stop lending aide to the Greeks, and his threat to unleash his power on Poseidon. Poseidon is initially enraged with Zeus for assuming that he is more powerful than his brother, but Iris quickly calms Poseidon with reason and Poseidon yields to Zeus with a threat, stating that if Zeus does not follow through with his word of destroying Troy, their relationship will be permanently broken. Apollo also obeys Zeus’s orders and aides Hector by both breathing strength into him, and draining courage and fury from the Achaean soldiers. The battle rages on as the Trojans push the Greeks back to their ships. We briefly encounter Patrocles in his tent, aiding a wounded friend. After hearing the cries of his army, he leaves his friend’s side and prepares to help his comrades. Back on the battlefield, Ajax and his brother, Teucer try to fight, but Zeus hinders them by breaking their weapons. Hector and Ajax give rousing speeches to their soldiers which renews their spirits. The battle rages on as many Argives and Trojans fall. As the Trojans reach the Achaean ships, Athena restored their fallen courage and the fighting continues on the ships.

[Sam]

Sam Bennett
Summary of Iliad Book 11
Humanities Seminar

The next day Zeus rains blood on the Achaean army which causes widespread panic and throughout the first part of the day they are massacred. In the afternoon Agamemnon leads them and batters the Trojans back to the gates of their city. Zeus sends a messenger to tell Hector that he must wait, and when Agamemnon is wounded he can begin his counterattack. When Agamemnon is wounded by Coon after killing his brother, he is forced to leave the battlefield and Hector sees this as his cue; Hector charges the Achaean lines and drives them back almost to the point of retreat. Odysseus and Diomedes give words of encouragement and the Greeks continue to fight. Diomedes then throws his spear that hits Hector in the helmet and stuns him; after this brush with death the Trojan prince is forced to retreat. Paris retaliates to the attempt on his brother’s life by shooting Diomedes with an arrow, sidelining the great warrior. Odysseus has been left to fight alone and is encircled by many Trojans; he holds them off but before long he is wounded in the ribs and Big Ajax carries him back to the Achaean encampment. Hector then resumes his attack on a different part of the Achaean line; they initially hold him off but panic when Paris wounds the healer Machaon. Hector and his men then force Ajax to retreat while Nestor takes Machaon back to his tent. Achilles sees the wounded healer returning and sends Patroclus to investigate. Nestor tells Patroclus about the battle thus far and about all of the commanders that have been wounded while Achilles has been absent; Nestor then begs Patroclus to try and persuade Achilles to rejoin the fight or at least don his armor and strike fear into the hearts of the Trojans. Patroclus agrees to the plan and returns to his camp.

[Sam]

Sam Bennett
Iliad Book 12 Summary
Humanities Seminar

It is said that the Achaean defensive wall will be destroyed by Poseidon and Apollo after the city of Troy is sacked. At the time though, the wall and trench that defend the ships holds back the Trojan chariots. Hector is unconcerned with the seemingly impenetrable wall and acting on the advice of the young commander Polydamas he orders his Trojans to abandon their chariots and storm the ramparts. Just as the Trojan army is approaching the wall, an eagle flies over the left side of the army and drops a serpent in the midst of the soldiers; Polydamas sees this as a sign that the charge will fail, but Hector ignores his council and continues the assault. The Trojan commanders Glaucus and Sarpedon charge the ramparts while the Achaeans Menestheus, Ajax, and Teucer struggle to hold back the tide of Trojans. Sarpedon makes the first breach of the wall and Hector follows that by shattering one of the gates with a boulder. The Trojan army pours through the holes and the terrified Achaeans retreat back to their ships.

[Sam]

Sam Bennett
Iliad Simile #1
Humanities Seminar

At one of the most important moments in the entire poem, the death of Patroclus, Homer uses a simile to illustrate the circumstances in a more relatable way. In Book 16, line 958:
“And down he crashed- Horror gripped the Achaean armies.
As when some lion overpowers a tireless wild boar
Up on a mountain summit, battling in all their fury
Over a little spring of water, both beasts craving
to slake their thirst, but the lion beats him down
with sheer brute force as the boar fights for breath
so now with a close thrust Hector the son of Priam
tore the life from the fighting son of Menoetius,
from Patroclus who had killed so many men in war”

Homer uses this passage to highlight the beginnings of the mighty struggle between two forces; to quote the great commentator John Madden, “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?” Nothing would happen under normal circumstances, but as noted in the simile, the “tireless boar” (Patroclus) eventually runs out of energy and the lion (Hector) simply overpowers his greatly weakened foe.

[Sam]

Sam Bennett
Iliad Simile #2
Humanities Seminar

Again Homer uses the simile as a means of making the unfair competitions in battle obvious to the reader by using more relatable terms. This is in book 20, line 194:
“But over against him came Achilles rearing like some lion
Out on a rampage, and whole town of men has geared
For the hunt to cut him down: but at first he lopes along,
All contempt, till one of the fast young hunters spears him-
Then…crouched for attack, his jaws gaping, over his teeth
The foam breaks out, deep in his chest the brave heart groans,
He lashes his ribs, his flanks and hips with his tail,
He whips himself into fighting-fury, eyes glaring,
Hurls himself head-on – kill one of the men or die,
Go down himself at the first lethal charge!”

Here Homer uses the comparison of Achilles to the doomed lion as a way of highlighting the prophecy told to the hero by his mother. If he goes into battle he will surely die, but his glory will live forever. Aeneas here is likened to the village men who have gathered themselves to prevent further damaged by the enraged, fearsome beast (Achilles). After his comrade Patroclus meets his death at the hands of the Trojan prince Hector, Achilles loses most of his reason and goes headlong into battle, slaughtering every soldier in his sight with no regard for his own safety; after his mother’s prophecy and Patroclus’ death he feels that he has nothing to lose.