Homeric Epics and Trojan War

教师 : 吴诗玉 邮箱 : shiyuw@sjtu.edu.cn

网址： http://sla.sjtu.edu.cn/bbs

Homeric Epics

The Iliad and the Odyssey

The beginning of the Western literary tradition

Primary texts for educational purposes

The Bible of the Greeks

Information (values, moral framework, belief system of ancient Greek culture)

有关荷马的评价

古代社会的百科全书。希腊民族的老师希腊用以代指诗人歌德承认这书让他每天都受教益。雪莱认为荷马的功力胜过莎士比亚

Homer

Homer (The poet)

Oral transmission, memorization

Epics

Long poem written in one poetic meter

Dactylic hexameter

Long narrative poem

Gods, heroes, warfare, adventure

荷马史诗

Homer 的含义：hostage 和 blind

Set in The Age of Heroes

Narrated legendary Trojan War

Focus on short period of time

Why?

The Iliad (16,000 lines)

Book1 and 24

The Odyssey (12,000 lines)

Date 10-year war around 1260 B.C.

Location Troy

Belligerents(交战集团 )

Greek city-states: Ithaca, Sparta, Mycenae, Myrmidons…

Troy and Its Allies

Commanders

Agamemnon · Menelaus

Achilles ·Patroclus 

Odysseus · Ajax 

Diomedes  · Nestor 

Gods: Athena, Hera…

Priam · Hecuba

Hector · Andromache 

Paris  · Cassandra

Aeneas · Memnon

Gods: Aphrodite…Apollo, Ares

Homeric Greece

史诗的特征

1. 开始于 medias in res (into the middle of things)

2. 背景广阔，涉及众多国家、民族

3. 来自缪斯的启迪4. 起于某个主题5. 反复使用 Epithet （绰号）6. 长的篇幅7. 有大段的演讲8. 神会干预人的行动9. 钟爱的角色承载了价值观

各个民族的《史诗》

《荷马史诗》《吉尔伽美什》《尼伯龙根之歌》《贝奥武尔夫》《罗兰之歌》《熙得之歌》《格萨尔王》……

The Wrath of Achilles (Theme of Iliad)

starts off with death, as it will end with death.

A terrible plague

Quarrel of Achilles and Agamemnon

Achilles withdraws from the battle

Greeks suffered

Read Book 1, Book 6, and Book 24

Iliad的故事（ 1）

向女神致敬后，故事从特洛伊战争快结束时开始。

歌唱吧，女神！歌唱裴琉斯之子阿基琉斯的愤怒——

他的暴怒招致了这场凶险的灾祸，给阿开亚人带来了

受之不尽的苦难，将许多豪杰强健的魂魄

打入了哀地斯，而把他们的躯体，作为美食，扔给了

狗和兀鸟，从而实践了宙斯的意志，

从初时的一场争执开始，当事的双方是

阿特柔斯之子、民众的王者阿伽门农和卓越的阿基琉斯。

争执的开始

他如此一番祈祷，福伊波斯 · 阿波罗听到了他的声音。

　　身背弯弓和带盖的箭壶，他从俄林波斯山巅 　　直奔而下，怒满胸膛，气冲冲地 　　一路疾行，箭枝在背上铿锵作响—— 　　他来了，像黑夜降临一般， 　　遥对着战船蹲下，放出一枝飞箭， 　　银弓发出的声响使人心惊胆战。 　　他先射骡子和迅跑的狗，然后， 　　放出一枝撕心裂肺的利箭，对着人群，射倒了他们； 　　焚尸的烈火熊熊燃烧，经久不灭。 　　　　一连九天，神的箭雨横扫着联军。

Iliad （ 1）

阿波罗降下瘟疫九天后召集会议阿伽门农归还了Chryseis ，但抢走了Briseis ，阿克琉斯的女俘。阿克琉斯拒绝再为希腊联军作战。

“无耻，彻头彻尾的无耻！你贪得无厌，你利益熏心！ 　　凭着如此德性，你怎能让阿开亚战勇心甘情愿地听从 　　你的号令，为你出海，或全力以赴地杀敌？ 　　就我而言，把我带到此地的，不是和特洛伊枪手 　　打仗的希愿。他们没有做过对不起我的事情， 　　从未抢过我的牛马，从未在土地肥沃。 　　人了强壮的弗西亚糟蹋过我的庄稼。 　　可能吗？我们之间隔着广阔的地域， 　　有投影森森的山脉，呼啸奔腾的大海。为了你的利益—— 　　真是奇耻大辱——我们跟你来到这里，好让你这狗头 　　高兴快慰，好帮你们——你和墨奈劳斯——从特洛伊人那里 　　争回脸面！

这里，我有一事奉告，并要对它庄严起誓， 　　以这支权杖的名义——木杖再也不会生出 　　枝叶，因为它已永离了山上的树干； 　　它也不会再抽发新绿，因为铜斧已剥去它的皮条， 　　剔去它的青叶。现在，阿开亚人的儿子们 　　把它传握在手，按照宙斯的意志，维护 　　世代相传的定规。所以，这将是一番郑重的誓告： 　　将来的某一天，阿开亚人的儿子们，是的，全军将士都会 　　翘首盼望阿基琉斯；而你，眼看着士兵们成堆地倒死在 　　杀人狂赫克托耳手下，虽然心中焦恼， 　　却只能仰天长叹。那时，你会痛悔没有尊重阿开亚全军 　　最好的战勇，在暴怒的驱使下撕裂自己的心怀！”

阿克琉斯的愤怒

阿克琉斯的母亲Thetis 听到了儿子的愤怒。Thetis 和 Peleus 的婚姻。金苹果的故事Thetis 祈求 zeus 给阿克琉斯以光荣

Iliad （ 2）

Zeus托梦给阿伽门农阿伽门农考察军队的士气差点溃散奥德赛制止军队集结

Book 1 The Rage of Achilles

Why is Achilles angry?

Agamemnon took away Achilles’ concubine

Achilles, greatest warrior

Agamemnon, commander-in-chief

Greek fight for two things: honor and glory (fame)

Honor: tangible, physical, zero-sum game

Glory: people say about you

The more honors, the more glory (say about you)

Shame culture: what others, say, perceive, think

Achilles

Achilles withdraw from the battle (Book 1)

Trojans push Greeks to the limit

Achilles sits at his tent and sulks.

Attempt made to bring him back

Ships of the Achaeans set to fire

Patraclus puts on armor of Achilles

Killed by Hector, put one Achilles’ armor (book 16-17)

Achilles returned to battle (anger)

Achilles

Achilles prays to his mother for a new armor,

New armor by Hephaestus, magnificent, (book 18)

Like a natural force, searching for Hector

Comes upon Hector

A pact

Killed Hector (Achilles’ armor) (book 22)

takes the body and ties it to his chariot,

drives around and around the walls of Troy,

too much for the gods themselves

keep it fresh

Achilles, in his tent, at night, still unwashed,

receives visit from Priam

The gods escorted him

old man reminds him of his own father

Returns the body

The Trojans hold a funeral

and bury the body of Hector (ends with death)

Book II: The Great Gathering of Armies

Book III-VI: Within the Walls of Troy

The Trojans fight not just for honor and glory, but also the country’s survival.

Why?

Book III: Helen Reviews the Champions

Priam: aged king (sympathetic character)

The old men of Troy

Hector

Hector: a perfect man, best man of the world

Hector first appears and speaks in Book III.

Read Book VI

What Makes Iliad a Great Book?

A noble theme

Noble language

Speaks across the ages

Summarizes the values of an age at its height

4. The Theme of The Iliad

God

Fate

The Meaning of Life

God The Meaning of Life

Fate

4.1 God

Zeus

Hera, Aphrodite, Athena

Ares

Powerful forces: do good (harm) to you

A myth is a means for expressing a higher truth.

Fate is what the gods decree for us.

Real creatures

4.2 Fate, and the Meaning of Life

The innocent

Honor, glory (Agamemnon; Achilles)

Honor (can be pushed too far, did not bring comfort to Greek heroes)

4.3 hubris (Hybris)

Hubris: extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates being out of touch with reality and overestimating one's own competence or capabilities, especially for people in positions of power.

Moral blindness

Go too far

4.3 hubris (Hybris)

Agamemnon

Achilles

Nothing in Excess

Know Thyself

Achilles’ Heel

古希腊英雄阿喀琉斯号称刀枪不入，却有一个致命之处———自己的脚后跟。在特洛伊战争中，阿喀琉斯取得了赫赫战功，但就在他攻占特洛伊城奋勇作战之际，站在对手一边 Paris在太阳神阿波罗帮助下却悄悄一箭射中了他的脚后跟，送了这位勇士的命。后人便用“阿喀琉斯之踵”这一术语来代指“致命的弱点”。这一术语也意味着，人不管多么坚强或英勇，也还是有其自身无法克服的弱点。它还寓意着由于局部细微的弱点而导致全局的崩溃。

4.4 Moral instruction

“The Iliad was a book of moral instruction without equal. The whole education system at Oxford reforms that you just read the Iliad and the Odyssey. There, you will find all the lessons you need to live your own life and will be the ruler of that Empire upon which the sun never set.

Gladstone (British Prime Minister)

4.4 Moral instruction

An intellectual growth of Achilles

Learn wisdom through suffering

英雄、弱点、同情心

　　关于阿喀琉斯，我们可以说：”这是一个人！高贵的人格的多方面性在这个人身上显出了它的全部丰富性。”

黑格尔

Keats: Homer was unsurpassed for the beauty of his language.

The beauty of its language, its description of the rosy finger dawn. His description of the men going forth to battle, breathing their valor. Their quiet steadfast ranks….

3. Speak across ages

People of one generation after another tell and retell the story of Troy.

The tale of Ilium (Troy) or The Song of Ilium

人的五个时代

The Death of Palamedes

Odysseus never forgave

return home, hid gold and a fake letter from Priam.

traitor.

stoned to death

by Odysseus and Diomedes.

后以其名喻指： 　　 1. 机灵的人，足智多谋的人； “啊，真理，我多么可怜你啊，原来你死得比我早。”

　　 2. 独具创造性的人。

Priam with Helen

Priam, raising his voice, called across to Helen,

“Come over here, dear child. Sit in front of me,

So you can see your husband of long age,

Your kinsmen and your people.

I don’t blame you. I hold the gods to blame.

They are the ones who brought this war upon me,

Devastating war against the Achaeans—

Here, come closer,

Tell me the name of that tremendous fighter. Look,

Who’s that Achaean there, so stark and grand?

Many others afield are much taller, true,

But I have never yet set eyes on one so regal,

So majestic… That man must be a king!”

The old men of the realm held seats above the gates.

Long years had brought their fighting days to a halt

But they were eloquent speakers still, clear as cicadas

Settled on treetops, lifting their voices through the forest

Rising softly, falling, dying away… so they waited,

The old chiefs of Troy, as they sat aloft the tower.

And catching sight of Helen moving along the ramparts,

They murmured one to another, gentle, winged words:

“Who on earth could blame them? Ah, no wonder

The men of Troy and Argives under arms have suffered

Years of agony all for her, for such a woman.

Beauty, terrible beauty!

A deathless goddess- so strikes out eyes!

赫克托耳看见了，就用羞辱的话谴责他：“不祥的帕里斯，相貌俊俏，诱惑者，好色狂，但愿你没有出生，没有结婚就死去。那样一来，正好合乎我的心意，比起你成为骂柄，受人鄙视好得多。长头发的阿开奥斯人一定大声讥笑，认为一个王子成为一个代战者是由于他相貌俊俏，却没有力量和勇气。你是不是这样子在渡海的船舶上面航过大海？那时候你召集踏实的伴侣，混在外国人里面，把一个美丽的妇人、执矛的战士们的弟妇从遥远的土地上带来，对于你的父亲、城邦和人民是大祸，对于敌人是乐事，于你自己则可耻。你不等待阿瑞斯喜爱的墨涅拉奥斯吗？那你就会知道你占去什么人的如花妻子，你的竖琴、美神的赠品、头发、容貌救不了你，在你躺在尘埃里的时候。特洛亚人太胆怯，否则你早就穿上石头堆成的衬袍，因你干的坏事。”

1.总体评价

有史以来最伟大的长篇叙事史诗，欧洲的“文学圣经”。

这样的史诗展现了早期英雄时代的大幅全景，以整个希腊及四周的汪洋大海为舞台，赞美了人性中的英雄精神与自由主义，为日后希腊人的道德观念，进而为整个西方社会的道德观念，立下了典范。

Thank You!