Description of the appearance of heroes in Homer's poems. Epic heroes of the Iliad

First of all, we must say what qualities an epic hero should have. The epic hero is noble, sympathetic, selflessly defends his homeland, helps the weak and is cruel to his enemies. The epic hero knows no age and is always in a state of greatest flowering of his strength. He is extremely strong.

Epic Hero Blueprint:

unusual birth (Achilles - we remember the prediction according to which the son of Thetis would be twice as strong as his father, which is why Zeus gave her as a wife to Peleus, as a result of which Achilles was born)

exploits in childhood (Achilles - according to mythology, at the age of 6 he caught up with deer and killed lions and bears with his bare hands, Hercules strangled snakes in infancy)

training (Achilles was raised by the centaur Chiron, Hercules was raised by Amphitryon).

exploits in the name of the family (for Achilles this is the Trojan War, the murder of Hector and many others)

death in the name of the family (Achilles died from an arrow shot by Paris, which hit him in the heel, his only vulnerable spot)

Characters:

Achilles- the central figure of the work, the personification of military valor, courage and firmness. He fights on the side of the Achaeans not so much to return to the Spartan king Menelaus his wife Helen, who was kidnapped by Paris, which was the cause of the war, but rather strives to gain the immortal glory of a warrior. He imagines his life as an unbroken chain of exploits on the battlefield. He prefers constant risk and glorious death on the battlefield to the comfort and peace of home, a serene life. Hot-tempered, uncontrollable in anger (the quarrel with Agamemnon is proof of this), wild, angry, long-memory. Achilles is a selfish hero. Achilles also does not know a sense of proportion. He loves excessively, hates, is excessively touchy and vindictive (having killed Hector, avenging Patroclus, he does not stop and mocks the body, not wanting to give it for burial). He knows no mercy, only once did a feeling of compassion for a person penetrate into his heart ( Priam's ransom of Hector's body).

Hector- according to Homer, he is the ideal hero. He is humane. He is not only strong and brave warrior, he is a citizen. Hector is a patriot, an impeccable defender of the homeland, an ideal husband, father and son. Agamemnon- leader of the Achaeans. He is despotic and even inhuman, greedy and cowardly. Brave, powerful, fierce in battle (dedicated to his exploits whole chapter in the Iliad). However, Agamemnon is not stable in decisions, susceptible to panic, not very smart, and besides, he does not think about the consequences (having taken the slave from Achilles, he did not think about the consequences). Patroclus- Achilles's best friend. He is devoted to Achilles and obeys him in everything. Patroclus is brave and, unlike Achilles, has compassion. When the Trojans were pressing the Greeks near the ships, he begged Achilles to allow him to help the Achaeans, and he saved the Greeks, but died at the hands of Hector. Odysseus- smart, cunning (it was he who invented the Trojan horse, he penetrated Troy and stole palladium, etc.). Odysseus is also diplomatic (it is he who acts as a negotiator with the Trojans), has the art of oratory, and also the ability to get out of any situation. However, his main trait is CURIOSITY (experiences the power of the sirens' singing in order to know). He is a faithful husband and devoted father. And he does not forget his family even when Calypso offers him immortality if he stays with her. But on top of everything else, he is inhumanly cruel (killing suitors).

Paris- a carefree handsome man, boastful and idle, who, breaking the rules of hospitality, stole his wife, the beautiful Helen, from King Menelaus. Besides beauty, Paris has nothing in his soul; he also does not shine with courage and military prowess. The Achaeans and Trojans agree that the outcome of the war should be decided by a duel between Menelaus and Paris.

Paris tries with all his might to avoid combat, and only the reproaches of his brother Hector force him to take up arms. Paris loses the fight and is saved only thanks to the intercession of Aphrodite. Even Elena mocks such a would-be warrior, but this does not bother Paris, since he does not seek to gain military glory, but sees the meaning of life only in serving the goddess of love Aphrodite and carnal pleasures. Paris is insidious; he bribes Antimachus so that at the council of the Trojans he speaks out against the return of Helen to Menelaus. Paris is cowardly - he participates in battles with Greek heroes only as an archer. In fact, it is not Helen, but Paris that becomes the cause of the protracted, bloody Trojan War. But the gods tell him to defeat Achilles. Thus, Homer wants to emphasize that fate is stronger even than the gods, since it can award victory to not the most valiant warrior, making him its obedient instrument.

Subjects famous works The Iliad and Odyssey are taken from a common collection of epic tales about the Trojan War. And each of these two poems represents a small sketch from a larger cycle. The main element in which the characters of the work “Iliad” operate is war, which is not depicted as a clash masses, but as the actions of individual characters.

Achilles

The main character of the Iliad is Achilles, a young hero, the son of Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. The word "Achilles" is translated as "swift-footed, godlike" Achilles is the central character of the work. He has a whole and noble character, which personifies real valor, as the Greeks understood it then. For Achilles there is nothing higher than duty and honor. He is ready to avenge the death of his friend by sacrificing his own life. At the same time, duplicity and cunning are alien to Achilles. Despite his honesty and sincerity, he acts as an impatient and very hot-tempered hero. He is sensitive in matters of honor - despite the serious consequences for the army, he refuses to continue the battle because of the insult caused to him. In the life of Achilles, the dictates of heaven and the passions of his own existence coincide. The hero dreams of fame, and for this he is also ready to sacrifice his own life.

Confrontation in the soul of the main character

Achilles, the main character of the Iliad, is used to commanding and managing, as he is aware of his strength. He is ready to destroy Agamemnon on the spot, who dared to insult him. And Achilles' anger manifests itself in the most different forms. When he takes revenge on his enemies for Patroclus, he turns into a real demon-destroyer. Having filled the entire bank of the river with the corpses of his enemies, Achilles enters into battle with the god of this river himself. However, it is very interesting to see how Achilles' heart softens when he sees his father asking for his son's body. The old man reminds him of his own father, and the cruel warrior softens. Achilles also bitterly misses his friend and sobs at his mother. Nobility and the desire for revenge fight in the heart of Achilles.

Hector

Continuing to characterize the main characters of Homer's Iliad, it is worth dwelling in particular detail on the figure of Hector. The bravery and courage of this hero are the result of the prevailing in his consciousness good will. He knows the feeling of fear, like any other warrior. However, despite this, Hector learned to show courage in battles and overcome cowardice. With sadness in his heart, he leaves his parents, son and wife, as he is faithful to his duty - to protect the city of Troy.

Hector is deprived of the help of the gods, so he is forced to give own life for your city. He is also depicted as humane - he never reproaches Elena and forgives his brother. Hector does not hate them, despite the fact that they were the ones responsible for the outbreak of the Trojan War. There is no disdain for other people in the hero’s words; he does not express his superiority. The main difference between Hector and Achilles is humanity. This quality is contrasted with the excessive aggressiveness of the protagonist of the poem.

Achilles and Hector: comparison

A frequent task is also a comparative description of the main characters of the Iliad - Achilles and Hector. Homer gives the son of Priam more positive, humane traits than the main character. Hector knows what social responsibility is. He does not put his experiences above the lives of other people. In contrast, Achilles is the true personification of individualism. He elevates his conflict with Agamemnon to truly cosmic proportions. In Hector, the reader does not observe the bloodthirstiness that is inherent in Achilles. He is an opponent of war, he understands what a terrible disaster it turns out to be for people. The whole disgusting and terrible side of the war is clear to Hector. It is this hero who proposes not to fight with whole troops, but to field separate representatives from each side.

Hector is helped by the gods - Apollo and Artemis. However, he is very different from Achilles, who is the son of the goddess Thetis. Achilles is not exposed to weapons; his only weak point is the heel. In fact, he is a half-demon. When preparing for battle, he puts on the armor of Hephaestus himself. And Hector is a simple man who faces a terrible test. He realizes that he can only answer the challenge, because the goddess Athena is helping his enemy. the characters are very different. The Iliad begins with the name of Achilles, and ends with the name of Hector.

Element of heroes

A description of the main characters of Homer's poem "Iliad" would be incomplete without characterizing the environment in which the action of the poem takes place. As already indicated, such an environment is war. In many places in the poem, the exploits of individual characters are mentioned: Menelaus, Diomedes. However, the most significant feat is still the victory of Achilles over his opponent Hector.

The warrior also wants to know for sure who exactly he is dealing with. In some cases, the confrontation stops for a while, and to ensure freedom for the warriors, as well as non-interference by outsiders, the truce is consecrated with sacrifices. Homer, who lived in an environment of war and constant murder, expressively depicts the dying torment of the dying. The cruelty of the victors is no less vividly depicted in the poem.

Menelaus and Agamemnon

One of the main characters of the Iliad is the Mycenaean and Spartan ruler Menelaus. Homer portrays both as not the most attractive characters - both do not miss the opportunity to abuse their position, especially Agamemnon. It was his selfishness that caused the death of Achilles. And Menelaus’s interest in the attack was the reason that the war broke out.

Menelaus, whom the Achaeans supported in battles, was supposed to take the place of the Mycenaean ruler. However, he turns out to be unsuitable for this role, and this place turns out to be occupied by Agamemnon. Fighting with Paris, he gives vent to his anger, which has accumulated against his offender. However, as a warrior he is significantly inferior to the other heroes of the poem. His actions prove significant only in the process of saving the body of Patroclus.

Other heroes

One of the most charming main characters of the Iliad is the old man Nestor, who loves to constantly remember the years of his youth and give his instructions to young warriors. Also attractive is Ajax, who with his courage and strength surpasses everyone except Achilles. Patroclus, Achilles’s closest friend, who was raised with him under the same roof, also evokes admiration. While performing his exploits, he became too carried away by the dream of capturing Troy and died at the merciless hand of Hector.

An elderly Trojan ruler named Priam is not the main character of Homer's Iliad, but he has attractive features. He is a true patriarch who is surrounded by a large family. Having grown old, Priam cedes the right to command the army to his son, Hector. On behalf of all his people, the elder makes sacrifices to the gods. Priam is distinguished by such character traits as gentleness and courtesy. He even treats Elena, whom everyone hates, well. However, the old man is haunted by misfortune. All his sons die in battle at the hands of Achilles.

Andromache

The main characters of the poem “Iliad” are warriors, but in the work you can also find many female characters. This is named Andromache, his mother Hecuba, as well as Helen and the captive Briseis. The reader first meets Andromache in the sixth canto, which tells of her meeting with her husband, who returned from the battlefield. Already at that moment, she intuitively senses Hector’s death and persuades him not to leave the city. But Hector does not heed her words.

Andromache is a faithful and loving wife who is forced to live in constant worry for her husband. The fate of this woman is filled with tragedy. When her hometown Thebes was devastated, Andromache's mother and brothers were killed by enemies. After this event, her mother also dies, Andromache is left alone. Now the whole meaning of her existence is in her beloved husband. After she says goodbye to him, she mourns him along with the maids as if he had already died. After this, Andromache does not appear on the pages of the poem until the death of the hero. Sorrow is the main mood of the heroine. She foresees her bitter lot in advance. When Andromache hears screams on the wall and runs to find out what happened, she sees: Achilles dragging Hector’s body along the ground. She falls unconscious.

Heroes of the Odyssey

A common question asked to students in literature classes is to name the main characters of the Iliad and Odyssey. The poem "Odyssey", along with the "Iliad", is generally considered the most important monument the entire era of transition from the communal-tribal to the slave system.

The Odyssey describes even more mythological creatures than the Iliad. Gods, people, fairy-tale creatures - the most different characters Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are complete. The main characters of the works are both people and gods. Moreover, the gods accept Active participation in the lives of mere mortals, helping them or taking away their power. Main character"The Odyssey" is about the Greek king Odysseus, who returns home after battle. Among other characters, his patron, the goddess of wisdom Athena, stands out. Opposing the main character is the sea god Poseidon. An important figure is the faithful Penelope, the wife of Odysseus.

The events in the poems are rich and varied, with vivid descriptions of feasts, armor, clothing, and pictures of nature. But the most remarkable thing about Homer is human images, some special, unique, which is determined by the entire aesthetics of the poems. They are illuminated with a heroic light: even the characters are clearly negative, as in. for example, “boisterous” suitors.

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE CHARACTERS OF THE POEM. The heroes of the poem manifest themselves in their actions and speeches. And although Homer resorts, as was noted, to the method of accumulation, “cataloging” of details, it happens that one detail, one word will say more about the hero than lengthy descriptions. And this is also the maturity of Homeric mastery.

In the Iliad, many heroes die, and their last dying gesture is impossible to forget!

...to the dust Amarikind

He burst out, stretching out his trembling hands to his dear friends.

Another feature of the heroes of the poems is their well-known static nature. Before us, as a rule, are established characters that do not change. However, the prevailing opinion that Homer’s characters are almost simplified and sketchy is unfair. Taking a closer look at them, we see that they are often psychologically multifaceted and complex. They also have some common features. In the Iliad, many characters are brave. “Spear fighter”, “spear thrower”, “spear bearer” - these are the most praiseworthy epithets in the Iliad. But all heroes are brave in different ways.

For example, Ajax is stubborn, but heavy, massive, like a “boar”; the poet compares it to a “tower”, “wall”. Ajax is a heavy thinker and somewhat straightforward. He is like a Spartan who is ordered by the charter not to retreat. Ajax are impenetrable in defense but lack flexibility.

Another is Diomedes. He has the ardor and courage of youth, he rushes into the thick of the battle, rushes like the wind towards his enemies. “The spear goes crazy in my hands,” he admits frankly. At the military council, he is not afraid to condemn Agamemnon himself and demand that the “king of kings” return the captive Achilles. He is even capable of pursuing the gods themselves: Aphrodite. Apollo, Ares. He wounds the goddess of beauty, who, as he believes, protects the Trojans, strikes Apec. This makes him look like medieval knights.

Many heroes of the poems express the moral and ethical ideal of the ancient Hellenes. This is, first of all, personal courage, firmness in fulfilling one’s duty to the state and defending it. The brave defenders of the homeland were national heroes, their memory was honored and imitated. Their monuments stood in the central city squares. At the same time, there is no hero in the poem who is superior to everyone at the same time, who is endowed with comprehensive virtues. Achilles has no equal on the battlefield, but there are those who are wiser than him, for example, Nestor. Idomeneo. the leader of the Cretans in the Trojan War, he is distinguished by both wisdom and physical strength, but over the years he has lost his running agility. The poems implement the principle of ancient harmony: a hero who is inferior to someone in one quality is superior to him in another.

There are several in the poem central characters, characterized by monumentality. These are truly epic folk heroes, which are literally etched into our memory. They most fully embodied the concept of man in antiquity. And at the same time, they remained forever as great images of world literature, and their names became almost household names.

ACHILLES. This is, first of all, Achilles. It embodies the epic ideal of a fearless warrior and contains all-crushing power. Avenging Patroclus, he knows no pity for his enemies. Achilles is quick-tempered, his feelings manifest themselves violently, he is vindictive, and can be cruel towards his enemies. Patroclus says about him:

You are cruel at heart. Your father was not Tseley, a horse wrestler.

Mother is not Fetila the goddess. You were born by the sparkling sea.

Solid rock - they make your heart hard

Even his inaction after the quarrel with Agamemnon is a demonstration strong character. Achilles is young, and this explains his emotionality and temper. He is not only characterized by rage and vindictiveness; this hero is immediately in grief when he learns about the death of a friend:

He stained his entire fragrant tunic with black ash.

He himself, large in a large space, stretched out, lay

In the gray dust and tormented his hair, disgracing it.

Post-Homeric legends tell of the death of Achilles, struck by an arrow from Paris. The second poem says that Odysseus meets him in the kingdom of the dead. At the same time, remembering the humanity of Achilles, we must not forget about the mythological basis of this character, about the heroic, fairy-tale element in his depiction. Achilles was a favorite hero of Greek poets and artists, his image is also depicted in later works painting (Van Dyck, Rubens, Poussin).

AGAMEMNON. Another type of hero is Agamemnon. He is courageous, he is a highly experienced army leader, who fully takes responsibility for the fate of his soldiers, and is more than once ready to stop the war in order to reduce senseless casualties. This is his difference from Achilles, who is guided by personal motives and cares little about what will happen to the Achaeans after his departure. Agamemnon is even ready to sacrifice the life of his daughter Iphigenia in the interests of Hellas; This is the theme of Euripides' tragedy "Iphigenia in Avdida". But Agamemnon may be unfair when, by the will of the commander-in-chief, he takes away the captive Briseis from Achilles. True, later, in the interests of the war, he decides to make any concessions in order to reconcile with Achilles and return him to the battlefield.

HECTOR. The figure of Hector, the main opponent of Achilles, is deeply attractive. He is older than Achilles, and therefore, probably, wiser and more restrained. For her, the interests of the city and the people are above all. He is not only a courageous hero who fights in the front ranks and a defender of the “strongly built” Troy. Hector is also a gentle father, a caring family man. These features are clearly revealed in the famous scene of farewell to Andromache, which we have already discussed. But he, a man of duty, is not alien to human weaknesses, natural fear at the beginning of a duel with the furious, terrible Achilles. But he is ordered to look like a coward in front of all the Trojans; having decided to fight, he knows that he is doomed.

Emphasizing the versatility of the image of Hector, we refer to the characteristics of this hero formulated by A.F. Losev: “Selflessly devoted to his people, an ardent patriot, a fearless soldier, a naive, hesitant, not always successful commander; an overly arrogant and childishly assertive person; a most gentle family man; a hero who knows his fatal destiny, a pitiful and sorrowful victim of enemy atrocity, a man who in the end lost everything: his homeland, his family, and his own life.” Hector is both a heroic and tragic figure.

The heroes of the “second plan” are also depicted in many ways: Tsar Alcinous, hospitable, lover of feasts; and Elder Nestor, sage and speaker, aristocrat; Eumaeus, a poorly educated peasant, a zealous swineherd, selflessly devoted to his master; and many others.

ODYSSEUS. Unique among the main characters of the poems is Odysseus. In addition to the traits of a courageous warrior, those inherent in Achilles, Agamemnon and Hector, Odysseus is endowed with many others that correspond moral ideal Hellenes. And first of all, with the mind. Researchers associate the appearance of this figure with Ionia and its culture, with the place where Homer’s poems were created, where in the 9th–7th centuries. before. n. e. Navigation, trade, and crafts developed.

Odysseus generously presents the qualities associated with such activities. He is the bearer of rationality, prudence, common sense. He is not only a cunning man, but also a diplomat, a highly experienced speaker, capable of influencing people. It is he who silences the “evil-tongued” Fersit; helps stop Achaean warriors running towards the ships; is part of the delegation that came to Achilles to persuade him to return to the battlefield; he is the author of the plan with the wooden horse that decided fate Trojan War. Opening up to Alcinous, he gives himself a self-characteristic:

I am Odysseus Laertides. Glory for his cunning inventions

I am between all people. My glory reaches to heaven.

Finally, Odysseus is a traveler who mastered uncharted lands during his travels. He likes the role of a merchant and entrepreneur. Odysseus is not without human shortcomings, he is a harmonious personality, a synthesis of intelligence and personal courage, a craftsman endowed with worldly acumen. Odysseus is a unique figure also because the reader is most thoroughly presented with his life story. And she, like Odysseus himself, is the property of world literature. It is significant that, as a kind of parallel to the wanderings of Odysseus, but at the everyday level, one of the greatest novels world literature of the 20th century "Ulysses" by James Joyce.

WOMEN'S IMAGES. Homer's genius also manifested itself in sculpting impressive female images. It is not easy to place next to the poems another creation of antiquity, in which female psychology would be conveyed so faithfully and on a large scale. Touching Andromache, sample loving wife, who is in constant anxiety for her husband. Her grief is inescapable when Hector dies before her eyes.

The dark night of Andromache covered her clear eyes:

She fell on her back and seemed to give up the ghost.

Symbol female beauty- Helen, taken to Troy by Paris. She submitted to the goddess of love Aphrodite, but, once in Troy, she yearns for her homeland, for her children. At the same time, Homer demonstrates subtle artistic taste, without ever developing a description of Elena’s appearance. However, in the Iliad there is one episode that is striking in its power: the elders of Troy, seeing her come out onto the wall, are unanimous in their reaction:

No, it is impossible to condemn that the sons of Troy and the Achaeans

For such a wife they endure such abuse and troubles for such a long time;

She is truly like the eternal goddesses in beauty!

Another female figure is also unforgettable: this is the beautiful young Nausicaä, the daughter of the Phaeacian king Alcinous, the embodiment of youthful beauty, chastity, and natural purity. Her girlish dreams of marriage are tender. She is charming and modest in her address to Odysseus. And then he is not lying when he praises the “beautiful-faced,” “white-armed” Nausicaä:

Until now I have never seen mortals like you.

Neither among the men, nor among the wives - I am amazed when I look!

Near the altar of Apollo on Delos in ancient times

I saw the same young and slender palm tree

LOVE AND FAMILY IN POEMS. Descriptions love scenes- uncomplicated. For the ancients, love, as it appears in myths and epic poems, is a sensual attraction; there are no Experiences in it, which we will read about in the poems of lyric poets more late era, from Archilochus, Sappho, Anacreon. “...This physical and love element,” writes A.F. Losev, “is given here somehow sublimely, naively-seriously, imperturbably, sometimes a little humorously, sometimes playfully... Communicating with a woman, Homer thinks, is both delightful and divine, not only correct, but precisely divine.”

Among the colorful epithets that are awarded to many of the most significant realities in the poem, there are marital bed: it is “sweet”, “soft-elastic”, “brilliant”, “calm”.

Paris teaches Hector, distinguished by passion, whose heart is in his chest, “like an ax, always adamant”:

Do not judge the kind gifts of golden Aphrodite,

No, not one of the bright gifts from the immortals is flawed.

Values ​​are very important to Homer family life. Female images in the poems, given in a prominent, bright way, embody virtues. fidelity, devotion to marital duty, purity. Even Beautiful Elena, returning from Troy, reveals a happy union with her husband Menelaus; This is how Odysseus’s son Telemachus sees them, having gone in search of his father.

To them from her fragrant, high chambers Elena

She came out like a fair Artemis with a golden spear.

Many Trojan WIDOWS wept loudly, but in mine

There was joy in the heart: it had long been yearning for its native

It’s the earth, and I’ve been grieving for a long time, it’s Aphrodite’s fault

Having freely gone to Troy from the dear land of her homeland,

Where did I leave marriage bed, and daughter, and wife.

So gifted with a bright mind and a beautiful face.

Andromache stood next to him, shedding tears,

She shook his hand and said these words:

“Your husband is amazing, your courage is ruining you!

You don’t feel sorry for your son or your poor mother; soon

I will be a widow, unhappy one! The Argives will see you soon.

Attacking together, they will kill! And abandoned by you, Hector,

It’s better for me to go to the ground: there will be no consolation for me.”

OLYMPIC GODS. Finally, in the poems there is a whole host of Olympian gods, and gods of the “second rank,” as well as other mythological characters. Homer's gods are not just anthropomorphic, endowed with human appearance, but also with human psychology. They are not without weaknesses and shortcomings. Yes. the gods are majestic. Gakov and Zeus - “the ruler of all mortals and gods”, “enjoying lightning”: and Athena - “intercessor, protector”; Hephaestus – “many-minded”; Ares and Apollo - “nimble on their feet”; Aphrodite is “golden”, “smiling”, busy with “pleasant affairs of sweet marriages”. But the gods are also capable of jealousy, envying each other, and showing cruelty, like Apollo unleashing a “terrible” plague on the Trojans; suffer wounds like Aphrodite and Ares, who were wounded by the mortal Diomedes. The gods are no strangers to adultery.

LOVE OF APHRODITE AND ARES. At the feast of King Alcinous, the singer Demodocus tells the following story, which is not devoid of comedy. God Ares, with the help of gifts and flattery, achieved the favor of the beautiful Aphrodite, the wife of Hephaestus. At the same time, he went on a date with Aphrodite, taking advantage of the absence of her husband. The sun god Helios informed Hephaestus about this. Knowing the intentions of Ares and Aphrodite, Hephaestus prepared a skillful revenge on them: he forged a net from the finest web and hung it over his bed. When Ares came to Aphrodite, a net fell on the bed where they were reclining in a rather frank position and fettered them in the position in which they were. Returning home, Hephaestus called on the other gods to witness this “ridiculous and vile thing.” Poseidon, Apollo, Ermius came, although, “preserving decency, the goddesses remained at home.” What he saw caused the gods to laugh unspeakably. And yet one of lesser gods, Ermias, confessed to Apollo:

I would willingly allow myself to be entangled in a triple net,

Let all the gods gather and look at me,

If only I could lie on the bed alone with the golden Cyprida.

ANDRE BONNARD ABOUT HOMER'S GODS. The figures of the gods in Homer's poems are no less impressive than the images of the main characters. Andre Bonnard, as always inspired, wrote about this in his work “ Greek civilization": "We feel their physical presence with all our senses. It is not enough to say that they are alive. We often hear their screams, sometimes even screams. The hair of Zeus and Poseidon is blacker than in nature - it is jet black. We literally see the dazzling white or dark blue robes of the goddesses; They also come in saffron color. They have bedspreads that sparkle “like the sun.” Hera wears precious stones the size of blackberries. Zeus's attire all shines with gold, he has a cloak of gold, a golden scepter like a scourge, and everything else. Hera's face is framed by two shiny braids. Athena's eyes shine, Aphrodite's eyes resemble the shine of marble. Hera is covered with drops of sweat, Hephaestus wipes his wet face, he has a hairy chest. He is visibly limping... There is no end to such signs. These gods of flesh and blood deafen and blind us.”

Homeric epic.

Historical basis and time of creation of Homeric poems. G. Schliemann and Troy.

Mythological basis and the plot of Homer's poems.

The concept of an epic hero and images of warriors in the poem.

Moral issues Homeric poems.

The originality of the epic worldview and style.

The Homeric question and the main theories of the origin of the poems.

Homer is traditionally considered the author of the two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Pushkin: “You can only feel Homer.” The authorship of Homer has not been proven, just as his existence has not been proven. He became a legend already in antiquity. Almost all Polis argue about the right to consider themselves his homeland. Epic poetry arose in the 10th century BC, the poetry of Homer - at the turn of the 9th and 8th centuries. These are the first written creations that started European literature. Most likely, this is not the beginning of a tradition - the author refers to predecessors and even includes excerpts from predecessor poems in the text. "Odyssey" - Demodocus, Thamir the Thracian. Then parodies of Homer’s poems appear - “Batrachomyomachy” - the fight between frogs and mice.

Antiquity is not characterized by the usual definition of “epic”. "Epic" - "speech, story." It appears as a form of everyday story about an event important for the history of a tribe or clan. Always poetic reproduction. The subject of the image is the history of the people based on mythological perception. The artistic ancient epics are based on majestic heroism. Heroes of epics represent entire nations (Achilles, Odysseus). A hero is always strong with the strength of his people, representing both the best and the worst in his people. The hero of Homer's poems lives in a special world where the concepts “everyone” and “everyone” mean the same thing.

Studying the language of Homer's poems, scientists came to the conclusion that Homer came from an Ionian aristocratic family. The language of the Iliad and Odyssey is an artificial subdialect that has never been spoken in life. Until the 19th century, the prevailing point of view was that the content of both poems was poetic fiction. In the 19th century, they started talking about the reality of events after Troy was discovered by the amateur Heinrich Schliemann (in the last quarter of the 19th century).

Heinrich Schliemann was born in 1822 in Germany into the family of a poor pastor. On his seventh birthday, he received a colorful encyclopedia of myths and after that he declared that he would find Troy. He doesn't get an education. The story of his youth is very stormy: he is hired as a cabin boy on a schooner, the schooner is shipwrecked, Schliemann ends up on a desert island. At the age of 19 he goes to Amsterdam and gets a job there as a petty clerk. Turns out. That he is very receptive to languages, so he soon goes to St. Petersburg and opens his own business - supplying bread to Europe. In 1864, he closed his business and used all the money to open Troy. He goes to places where she could be. The entire scientific world carried out excavations in Bunarbashi in Turkey. But Schliemann relied on Homeric texts, where it was said that the Trojans could go to the sea several times a day. Bunarbashi was too far from the sea. Schliemann found Cape Hisarlik and found out that the real reason The Trojan War was about economics - the Trojans charged too much for passage through the strait. Schliemann carried out the excavations in his own way - he did not excavate layer by layer, but excavated all the layers at once. At the very bottom (layer 3A) he found gold. But he was afraid that his unprofessional workers would plunder him, so he told them to go celebrate, while he and his wife carried the gold into the tent. Most of all, Schliemann wanted to return Greece to its former greatness, and, accordingly, this gold, which he considered the treasure of King Priam. But according to the laws, the treasure belonged to Turkey. Therefore, his wife - Greek Sophia - hid the gold in cabbage and transported it across the border.

Having proved to the whole world that Troy really existed, Schliemann actually destroyed it. Later, scientists proved that the required temporary layer was 7A; Schliemann destroyed this layer while extracting gold. Then Schliemann conducted excavations in Tiryns and dug up the homeland of Hercules. Then excavations in Mycenae, where he found a golden gate, three tombs, which he considered to be the burials of Agamemnon (the golden mask of Agamemnon), Cassandra and Clytemnestra. He was wrong again - these burials belonged to an earlier time. But he proved the existence ancient civilization, because he discovered clay tablets with writing. He also wanted to conduct excavations in Crete, but he did not have enough money to buy the hill. The death of Schliemann is absolutely absurd. He was driving home for Christmas, caught a cold, fell in the street, was taken to a poor shelter, where he froze to death. He was buried magnificently; the Greek king himself walked behind the coffin.

Similar clay tablets have been found in Crete. This proves that a very long time ago (12th century BC) there was writing in Crete and Mycenae. Scientists call it “linear pre-Greek pre-alphabetic syllabary,” and there are two varieties: a and b. A cannot be deciphered, B has been deciphered. The tablets were found in 1900 and deciphered after the Second World War. Franz Zittini deciphered 12 syllables. The breakthrough was made by Michael Ventris, an Englishman, who suggested that the basis should be taken not from the Cretan dialect, but from the Greek dialect. So he deciphered almost all the signs. Before scientific world a problem arose: why did they write in Greek at the time of their heyday in Crete? Schliemann first tried to determine the exact date of the destruction of Troy - 1200 BC. He was only wrong by ten years. Modern scholars have established that it was destroyed between 1195 and 1185 BC.

Two categories of people are considered native speakers of the Homeric language: Aeds and Rhapsodes. Aeds are storytellers, creators of poems, semi-improvisers, they have a high position in society, so they had the right to change something in the poems. Homer mentioned Demodocus and Thamir the Thracian. The art of the Aeds is mysterious, since it is very difficult to remember so much text. The art of the Aeds is clan-based; each clan had its own secrets of memorization. Some families: Gomerids and Creophilides. Most often they were blind, “Homer” means blind. This is another reason why many believe that Homer did not exist. Rhapsodes are only performers; they could not change anything.

In relation to the epic, the concepts of plot and plot are very different. Plot - a natural direct temporal connection of events that makes up the content of the action literary work. The plot of Homer's poems is Trojan cycle myths. It is associated with almost all mythology. The plot is local, but the time frame is short. Most of the motivations for the characters' actions are outside the scope of the work. The poem “Cypria” was written about the causes of the Trojan War.

Reasons for the war: Gaia turns to Zeus with a request to clear the earth of some people, since there are too many of them. Zeus is threatened by the fate of his grandfather and father - to be overthrown by his own son from the goddess. Prometheus names the goddess Thetis, so Zeus urgently marries her to the mortal hero Peleus. At the wedding, an apple of discord appears, and Zeus is advised to use Parisa Mom, a malicious adviser.

Troy is otherwise called the kingdom of Dardanus or Ilion. Dardanus is the founder, then Il appears and founds Ilion. Hence the name of Homer's poem. Troy - from Tros. Sometimes Pergamon, after the name of the palace. One of the kings of Troy is Laomedon. Under him, the walls of Troy were built, which cannot be destroyed. This wall was built by Poseidon and Apollo, people laughed at them, Laomedont promised a reward for the work. Aeacus treated the gods well, so he built the Sketian Gate - the only one that can be destroyed. But Laomedont did not pay, the gods became angry and cursed the city, so it is doomed to destruction, despite the fact that it is the favorite city of Zeus. Only Anchises and Aeneas, who are not related to the family of Laomedon, will survive the war.

Helen is the granddaughter of Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. At the age of 12, Theseus kidnapped her. Then everyone wanted to take her as a wife, Odysseus advised Elena’s father to let her choose for herself and take an oath from the suitors to help Elena’s family in case of trouble.

The Iliad covers a short period of time as events. Only 50 days last year war. This is Achilles' anger and its consequences. This is how the poem begins. The Iliad is a military-heroic epic, where the central place is occupied by the story of events. The main thing is the anger of Achilles. Aristotle wrote that Homer chose the plot brilliantly. Achilles is a special hero; he replaces an entire army. Homer's task is to describe all the heroes and life, but Achilles overshadows them. Therefore, Achilles must be removed. Everything is determined by one event: on the earthly plane, everything is determined by the consequences of the wrath of Achilles, on the heavenly plane - by the will of Zeus. But his will is not all-encompassing. Zeus cannot decide the fate of the Greeks and Trojans. He uses the golden scales of fate - the shares of the Achaeans and Trojans.

Composition: alternation of earthly and heavenly plot lines, which are mixed towards the end. Homer did not break his poem into songs. It was first broken by Alexandrian scientists in the third century BC - for convenience. Each chapter was named by letter Greek alphabet.

What is the reason for Achilles' anger? For 10 years they ruined many surrounding policies. In one city they captured two captives - Chryseis (got to Agamemnon) and Briseis (got to Achilles). The Greeks begin to develop a consciousness of the value of their personality. Homer shows that tribal collectivity is becoming a thing of the past and begins to form new morality, where the idea of ​​the value of one’s own life comes to the fore.

The poem ends with Hector's funeral, although in essence the fate of Troy has already been decided. In terms of plot (mythological sequence of events), the Odyssey corresponds to the Iliad. But it tells not about military events, but about wanderings. Scientists call it: “an epic poem of wanderings.” In it, the narrative about a person replaces the narrative about events. The fate of Odysseus comes to the fore - the glorification of intelligence and willpower. The Odyssey corresponds to the mythology of late heroism. Dedicated to the last forty days of Odysseus’ return to his homeland. That the center is return is evidenced by the very beginning.

Composition: more complex than the Iliad. Events in the Iliad develop progressively and consistently. There are three in the Odyssey storylines: 1) Olympian gods. But Odysseus has a goal and no one can stop him. Odysseus gets out of everything himself. 2) the return itself is a difficult adventure. 3) Ithaca: two motives: the actual events of the matchmaking and the theme of Telemachus’ search for his father. Some believe that Telemachy is a late insertion.

Basically, this is a description of Odysseus’s wanderings, and in retrospective terms. Events are determined by retrospection: the influence of events from the distant past. First appears female image, equal to the male - Penelope, many-wise - the worthy wife of Odysseus. Example: She spins a burial cloth.

The poem is more complex not only in composition, but also from the point of view of the psychological motivation of actions.

"The Iliad" is Leo Tolstoy's favorite work. The meaning of Homeric poems lies in moral values, they present them to us. At this time, ideas about morality were being formed. Relationship with materials. Heroism and patriotism are not the main values ​​that interest Homer. The main thing is the problem of meaning human life, the problem of the values ​​of human life. The theme of human duty: to the homeland, to the tribe, to the ancestors, to the dead. Life on a universal scale is represented as an evergreen grove. But death is not a reason for grief - it cannot be avoided, but must be met with dignity. Ideas about human friendship. Odysseus and Diomedes, Achilles and Patroclus. They are all balanced. Problems - what is cowardice? Bravery? Loyalty to home, people, spouse? Faithful wives: Penelope, Andromache.

As mentioned earlier, Homer’s heroes collected the generalized traits of the entire people they represented. The images of warriors were varied. Homer did not yet have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcharacter, but, nevertheless, he does not have two identical warriors. It was believed that a person is already born with certain qualities, and nothing can change during his life. This view undergoes a change only in the works of Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle. The amazing moral integrity of Homeric man. They have no reflection or duality - this is in the spirit of Homer's time. Fate is a share. Therefore, there is no doom. The actions of the heroes are not related to divine influence. But there is a law of double motivation of events. How are feelings born? The easiest way to explain this is by divine intervention. Homer's talent: the scene with Achilles and Priam.

Each warrior has the same set of qualities, but the images are unique. Each of characters expresses one side of the national Greek spirit. There are types in the poem: elders, wives, etc. Central location occupies the image of Achilles. He is great, but mortal. Homer wanted to depict a poetic apotheosis heroic Greece. Heroism is Achilles’ conscious choice. Epic Valor of Achilles: Brave, strong, fearless, war cry, fast running. In order for the heroes to be different, the number of different qualities is different - an individual characteristic. Achilles has impulsiveness and immensity. Homer's characteristics: he knows how to compose songs and sings them. The second most powerful warrior is Ajax the Great. He has too much ambition. Achilles is fleet-footed, Ajax is clumsy and slow. The third is Diomedes. The main thing is complete selflessness, which is why Diomedes is granted victory over the gods. Epithets: Achilles and Odysseus have more than 40. In battle, Diomedes does not forget about the economy. The leaders of the campaign are depicted in conflict with epic laws. The authors of the epic write objectively. But Homer has many epithets for his favorite heroes. The Atrides have few epithets. Diomedes reproaches Agamemnon: “Zeus did not give you valor.” A different attitude towards Nestor, Hector and Odysseus. Hector is one of Homer's favorite heroes; he is reasonable and peaceful. Hector and Odysseus do not rely on the gods, so Hector is inherent in fear, but this fear does not affect his actions, since Hector has epic valor, which includes epic shame. He feels responsible to the people he is protecting.

Celebration of wisdom. Elders: Priam and Nestor. Nestor survived three generations of people, thirty years each. New wisdom: the intelligence of Odysseus. This is not experience, but mental flexibility. Odysseus is also distinguished by: all the heroes strive for immortality - it is offered to him twice, but he exchanges it for his homeland.

Homer gives us the first experience comparative characteristics. Song 3 of the Iliad: Helen talks about the heroes. Menelaus and Odysseus are compared.

The image of Helen in the Iliad is demonic. In the Odyssey, she is a housewife. It is not her appearance that is being described. And the elders’ reaction to it. We know very little about her feelings. In "Odyssey" it is different - there is nothing mysterious.

Features of the epic worldview and style.

First, the volume of epic poems is always significant. The volume depends not on the desire of the author, but on the tasks set by the author, which in this case require large volume. The second feature is versatility. Epic in ancient society performed many functions. Entertainment comes last. Epic is a repository of wisdom, educational function, examples of how to behave. An epic is a repository of information on history, preserving the people’s understanding of history. Scientific functions, since it was in epic poems that scientific information was transmitted: astronomy, geography, crafts, medicine, everyday life. Last but not least is the entertainment function. All this is called epic syncretism.

Homer's poems always tell about the distant past. The Greek was pessimistic about the future. These poems are intended to capture the golden age.

The monumentality of images in epic poems.

The images are elevated above ordinary people, they are almost monuments. They are all taller, more beautiful, smarter ordinary people– this is idealization. This is epic monumentality.

Epic materialism is associated with the task of describing everything in full. Homer fixes his attention on the most ordinary things: a stool, carnations. All things must have color. Some believe that back then the world was described in two colors - white and gold. But Wilkelman denied this; he was engaged in architecture. In fact, there are a lot of colors, but the statues are whitened by time. The statues were dressed, painted, decorated - everything was very bright. Even the Titanomachy on the Parthenon was painted. In Homer's poems, everything is colored: the clothes of goddesses, berries. The sea has more than 40 shades of color.

The objectivity of the tone of Homeric poems. The creators of the poems had to be extremely fair. Homer is biased only in epithets. For example, the description of Thersites. Thersites is absolutely devoid of epic valor.

Epic style: three laws.

1) The law of retardation is a deliberate stop of action. Retardation, firstly, helps to expand the scope of your image. Retardation is a retreat insert poem. Tells about the past or expounds the views of the Greeks. The poems were performed orally and during the retardation the author and performer tries to arouse additional attention to the situation: for example, a description of the rod of Agamemnon, a description of the shield of Achilles (this description shows how the Greeks imagined the universe). Marriage of Odysseus's grandfather. Odysseus always had one heir in his family. Odysseus is angry, experiencing the wrath of the gods.

2) The law of double motivation of events.

3) The law of chronological incompatibility of simultaneous events in time. The author of epic poems is naive; it seems to him that if he depicts two simultaneous events at the same time, it will be unnatural. A striking example: Priam and Helen are talking.

Epic poems abound in repetition. Up to a third of the text is repetition. Several reasons: due to the oral nature of the poems, repetitions are properties of the oral folk art, folklore description includes constant formulas, most often these are natural phenomena, equipment of chariots, weapons of the Greeks, Trojans - stencil formulas. Decorating epithets firmly assigned to heroes, objects, gods (hair-eyed Hera, cloud-busting Zeus). The gods, as perfect creatures, deserve the epithet “golden”. Aphrodite is most associated with gold - the aesthetic sphere; for Hera it is sovereignty, power. Zeus turns out to be the darkest. All gods must be smart, omniscient. The Provider is only Zeus, although others too. Athena: intercessor, protector, irresistible, indestructible. Ares: insatiable for war, destroyer of men, stained with blood, breaker of walls. Often epithets are so fused that they contradict the situation: noble suitors in the house of Odysseus. Aegisthus, who kills Agamemnon, is blameless. These are all folklore formulas.

Epic comparisons. Striving for clarity of the image, the poet strives to translate each description into the language of comparison, which develops into an independent picture. All Homer’s comparisons are from the everyday sphere: battles for ships, the Greeks are pushing back the Trojans, the Greeks fought as neighbors for boundaries in neighboring areas. Achilles' rage is compared to threshing, when oxen trample grain.

Homer often uses description and narration through enumeration. He does not describe the picture in its entirety, but strings together episodes - the murder of Diomedes.

A combination of fiction with details of realistic reality. The line between reality and fantasy is blurred: a description of the Cyclops' cave. At first everything is very realistic, but then a terrible monster appears. An illusion of objectivity is created.

The poems are written in hexameter - dactyl hexameter. Moreover, the last foot is truncated. In the middle there is a caesura - a pause that divides the verse into two hemistiches and gives it regularity. All ancient versification is based on a strictly ordered alternation of long and short syllables, and the quantitative ratio of stressed and unstressed syllables is 2:1, but the stress is not forceful, but musical, based on raising and lowering the tone.

As you know, the Odyssey belongs to the genre of epic poetry. It contains more than 12 thousand poems. Scientists claim that several centuries before the beginning new era philologists from Alexandria divided it into 24 books, according to the number of letters of the Greek alphabet. Thus, the ancient book was a fragment of up to 1000 lines, which were placed on one papyrus scroll. Modern historians have discovered about 250 papyri, which depict parts of the Odyssey.

It is also known that Homer wrote his poems, focusing on the fact that they would be recited by rhapsodist singers, who usually performed at all kinds of folk festivals. In general, the Odyssey, together with the Iliad, should be considered a monument to an era when society moved from one system to another, eliminating the communal-tribal system and giving birth to the slave system.

Analysis of the work

“The Odyssey” is dedicated to the story of how the Greek king returns home from the war. Thanks to his skills and efforts, Troy was taken (remember the famous Trojan horse). The return was long - a whole decade, however Special attention devoted to the most recent trials on the protagonist’s path to the island of Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus are waiting. It is noteworthy that the woman has to resist impudent suitors who are trying to convince her of the death of the king and force her to choose a new husband. Having reached his destination, the husband takes revenge on those who encroached on his wife and kingdom.

In addition, there is a lot in the Odyssey lyrical digressions- the protagonist's memories of Troy, a story about the adventures that befell the conquerors over all the years spent on campaigns. If you look broadly, the poem describes the events of two decades. If we compare this work with another Homeric creation - “The Illiad” - then we can notice that in the work in question more attention is paid to descriptions of everyday life, as well as the adventures of the main characters.

Heroes of the poem

There are many heroes in the Odyssey: these are both gods and mythological creatures, and people. For example, among the patrons of Odysseus, the goddess of wisdom Athena stands out. The antagonist and persecutor of the protagonist is Poseidon, the god of the seas. Throughout his travels, the Greek king communicates with Hermes, is captured by Circe, succumbs to the spell of the nymph Calypso, and descends into the kingdom of the dead to Hades.

The image of Odysseus itself is painted in as much detail as possible. In the poem he appears as a real hero who accomplishes great feats. Moreover, his main achievements are visible not on the battlefield, but among temptations - wizards and fairy-tale enemies. He is often resourceful and cunning, and he needs these qualities no less than honesty or decency.

Penelope is the wife of Odysseus. To maintain love for her husband and fidelity to him during his long absence, she also endures a heroic struggle. Homer makes it clear that Penelope, in her feminine way, is as smart and resourceful as her husband.

The Odyssey mixes reality and fiction. Very often mythology interferes with reality. At the same time, the poem is as realistic as possible, there are even social episodes - for example, when Odysseus acts as a master who takes care of what belongs to him. The conflicts between private and public, desire and duty come to the fore in the poem.

In conclusion, we can say that “The Odyssey” reflects not only the real journey of the protagonist in space, but also his movement within himself, the solution of various ethical and moral problems.