ANHS1600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Iliad, Kleos, Odysseus
15 May 2018
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Lecture 5 – Aristocratic Ideology
15.03.16
Aristocrats = Highest members in the social society.
Aristocratic Ideology spans from 8th to 5th century.
Handout:
Achilles described as:
Hero → Yet not like Agamemnon – Book 1 = Clash of Values → There is an aristocratic ideology that
they both agree on but they take it in two extremes. This is shown through dot point 4 of the
handout (quote from first book).
Not like Hector → The biggest among the Trojans – Book 6 = Highlights how Hector is a family man
(Achilles is not). Yet he, like Hector has an enormous amount of foresight.
We get to know him through comparing him to these other foils.
Achilles is more so defined by his faults than anything else.
The Iliad is summed as “Kleos aphthiton” → Unwilling glory. The Iliad is also about the
disagreement of Aristocratic Ideology.
Odysseus described as:
- Not like Agamemnon → Physical features compared unalike → Highlights that each hero is very
individual.
- Questions what is a hero? → Is Odysseus a hero as he comes back to his town? Or did he fail his job
as he lost all his men along the way?
Aeneas by Virgil (Roman)
- This epic questions every ideal we see in the Iliad and the Odyssey
- Representations of what Aristocratic ideology should be about
- Questions the aristocratic ideology we see in the Iliad and Odyssey.
Question “For whom are these poems?”
- Early 5th Century (Classical period) → Performance by Rhapsodes
Different ways of performing: All the Greeks join to hear about the debate of aristocratic values
(Panhellenic) or more local events (which then leads to patronage → who is paying for this
performance?) → Links to Aristocratic ideology.
Emphasis is placed on Iliad and Odyssey as either big collective poems creating an identity for
everybody by aristocratic culture but not only for aristocrats and on the other hand poems meant
only for aristocrats (performing what aristocracy should be about).
Handout (same sheet):
Dot point 8 – Pindar → Notes that Aristocracy is luck – being born into it, etc. Yet, states that just as
easy as it is to be born into it is as easy as it can get to be taken away from you if mistreated.
Pindar is not an Archaic poet.
Document Summary
Aristocrats = highest members in the social society. Aristocratic ideology spans from 8th to 5th century. Hero yet not like agamemnon book 1 = clash of values there is an aristocratic ideology that they both agree on but they take it in two extremes. This is shown through dot point 4 of the handout (quote from first book). Not like hector the biggest among the trojans book 6 = highlights how hector is a family man (achilles is not). Yet he, like hector has an enormous amount of foresight. We get to know him through comparing him to these other foils. Achilles is more so defined by his faults than anything else. The iliad is summed as kleos aphthiton unwilling glory. The iliad is also about the disagreement of aristocratic ideology. Not like agamemnon physical features compared unalike highlights that each hero is very individual. This epic questions every ideal we see in the iliad and the odyssey.
