In the Iliad, Homer finds a great tool in the simile. Just by opening the book
in a random place the reader is undoubtedly faced with one, or within a few
pages. Homer seems to use everyday activities, at least for the audience, his
fellow Greeks, in these similes nearly exclusively. When one is confronted with
a situation that is familiar, one is more likely to put aside contemplating the
topic and simply inject those known feelings. This would definitely be an
effective tactic when used upon the people of Homer's day. From the heroic
efforts in the Iliad itself it is clear that the populace of his time were
highly emotional creatures, and higher brain activity seems to be in short, and
in Odysseus' case, valuable, order. It is also wise to remember that history is
written by the winners. In the Iliad, there seems to be relatively little
storyline from the Trojan's side. We are regaled with story upon story of the
Greeks, their heroes, and their exploits, while the Trojan's are conspicuously
quiet, sans Hector of course. It could almost be assumed that throughout time
most of the knowledge of the battle from the Trojan side had been lost.
Considering the ability to affect feelings with similes, and the one-sided view
of history, Homer could be using similes to guide the reader in the direction of
his personal views, as happens with modern day political "spin". These
views that Homer might be trying to get across might be trying to favor Troy. It
could easily be imagined that throughout time, only great things were heard
about the Greeks mettle in war, and that Homer is attempting to balance the
scales a bit by romanticizing the Trojan peoples, especially Hector, and
bringing to light the lesser-heard tales of Greek stupidity. Shortly into Book
Two, Agamemnon gives the speech to his assembly about his plan to rally the
troops with reverse psychology. Agamemnon shall announce he is giving up on
taking Troy, whereupon the individual army captains will then "prevent
their doing so." When the announcement is made, King Agamemnon is startled
to see the ranks, not surprisingly, take advantage of the chance to leave and
make for the ships with vigor. Homer describes the scene as "bees that
sally from some hollow cave and flit in countless throng among the spring
flowers, bunched in knots and clusters..." This simile is tainted with dark
words like "from a hollow cave" and "bunched in knots",
giving the "bees" an ominous tone. The Greek ranks are painted as a
throng of weak-kneed wimps with their constitution sapped, obviously not the
case as they go on to win the war, but it suffices to cast the Lycians in a
negative light. A short, but emotionally appealing, simile is found after the
Greek warriors have changed their mind about leaving and return to the
Scamander: "They stood as thick upon the flower-bespangled field as leaves
that bloom in summer." This scene assumes quite a juxtaposition. A
flower-bespangled battlefield? This is perhaps an attempt to show the absurdity
of the Greek army, changing positions from fleeing to brazenness as flowers are
to the field of death. Near the beginning of Book Three a group of elders of
Troy, not fighting material, but skilled orators, are found resting on the tower
"like cicadas that chirrup delicately from the boughs of some high tree in
a wood." The cicadas song and the "tree in a wood" cast memories
of repose and relaxation, rest and peace, which are then injected into the
"delicate" elders. Another attempt of Homer to cast the Trojans in a
favorable light. Later in the same book Ptolemaeus is Homer's vehicle for
putting down the Greeks again. Upon seeing shirkers of the front line of battle
he likens them to "frightened fawns who, when they can no longer scud over
the plain huddle together." Undoubtedly, the men of Homer's time hunted to
survive, and relished the sight of the frightened fawns grouped together. But
does not one also feel pity for them? This is a wonderful simile that brings
home the nervous twitchiness that would denote a person scared to death in such
a situation. Later in Book Five there is a great dichotomy of similes. First,
Hera comes down "flying like turtledoves in eagerness to help the Argives."
followed by a scene surrounding Diomedes where his men are "fighting like
lions or wild boars." Both of these have their own respective importance.
There is probably no more revered avian for peace and beauty than the
turtledove, and applying this to Hera shows where her intentions lie. While
lions and boars are notoriously vicious creatures, sure to raise a hackle or two
on a Greek reader, and when exercised on Diomedes it brings their ferocity home.
The interesting thing here is the contrast between the two. This is another
example of how the Greeks are made to look like animals. In Book Ten Nestor
comments on a set of horses that Odysseus is ushering, won by Diomedes through
killing some Trojans, that they are "like sunbeams." A very short, and
odd, description for horses. One is reminded of Apollo and his kinship with his
chariot, often referred to as racing across the heavens. The thought of golden
horses gliding straight and true, unwavering, is most definitely an image
depicting the eliteness of these thoroughbreds. Shortly after Agamemnon dons his
armor. On this armor fit for a king were "serpents of Cyanus" that
appeared "like the rainbows which were set in heaven." Quite an
interesting description of something that is supposed to instill fear in ones
enemy. The snake, as a notoriously evil incarnation, resembling a rainbow seems
foreign. The secret lies in the rest of the armor, that it is liberally covered
in gold brings home the idea of the splendor and decadence of this armor, as
wonderful as might be found on a god in heaven. The idea of a king possessing
the gall to flaunt this frivolous armor in a situation that calls for something
more practical, goes to show the ineptitude of the king of the Acheans. In Book
Twelve we have Polypoetes and Leonteus, defending the gate of the wall to the
Greek ships from the invasion of the Trojans. These two imposing characters
"stood before the gates like two high oak trees upon the mountains, that
tower from their wide-spreading roots, and year after year battle with wind and
rain." This simile lends to the characters of the two, Polypoetes and
Leonteus, along with the resolve of the Greeks at that time. The defenses are
brought out to be as long-standing and strong as one of natures most formidable
creations, as any Greek would know from the evidence of their existence in such
an inhospitable condition as the mountains. Going back, Book Three starts with:
"the Trojans advanced as a flight of wild fowl or cranes that scream
overhead when rain and winter drive them over the flowing waters of Ocean."
The cranes bring to mind large, pure, graceful characteristics, qualities
befitting an efficient army troop. The screaming of the cranes would duly apply
to the army, being that a scream would be terrifying, dissuading the enemy. The
choice of simile here is important. Homer is letting the Trojan army achieve the
appearance of gracefulness, while the Greek army is consistently portrayed as
predatory animals. In Book Four Ajax duels with Simoeisius. Ajax runs Simoeisius
through with a spear and "he fell as a poplar that has grown straight and
tall in a meadow by some stream and is cut down by a wainwright with his
gleaming axe." The image of a well grown tree with great nourishment from
the stream and the pastoral setting acquainted with Simoeisius is consistent
with Homer's beautifying the Trojan tradition. Ajax is consistently portrayed as
a giant, and with his great spear it is no stretch to align him with the
strength of the lumberjack with his axe, giving him an air of respect and
reverence to him that extends beyond his battlefield prowess. Near the end of
Book Five Diomedes is greeted by a rush from Hector's forces. His reaction is
described as like that of "a man crossing a wide plain, dismayed to find
himself on the brink of some great river rolling swiftly to the sea." Up
until this point Diomedes had been a potent force for the Greeks. His newfound
humility brought upon by the unsurpassable "river" of Hector's troops.
It is enough to convince us that Hector's army is menacing in this facet alone,
but to imagine that mass of fighting spirit would be enough to purge its enemies
like the rapids swallows an unexperienced kayaker is all the more frightening.
At the end of Book Six we find Paris catching up to Hector, to rejoin the
battle. Paris takes off "as a horse, stabled and fed, breaks loose and
gallops gloriously over the plain to the place where he is wont to bathe in the
fair-flowing river- he holds his head high, and his mane streams upon his
shoulders as he exults in his strength and flies like the wind to the haunts and
feeding ground of the mares- even so went forth Paris from high Pergamus,
gleaming like sunlight in his armor, and he laughed aloud as he sped swiftly on
his way." Obviously Paris is just as much a show off as Agamemnon, and
definitely more vain. This simile is packed with phrases that exalt strength,
beauty and gracefulness, but little reference to battle prowess, thus presenting
Paris as nothing more than a figure-head. The notable laughing at the end is
something that is singularly Trojan. Not once is a Greek found laughing, more
evidence that Homer has glamorized the Trojan lifestyle. The method I used for
examining these examples is exceptionally difficult. First, I examined the way
the similes were used and the effect they achieved, and at the same time, and
the same space, attempted to prove that Homer tried to bring the Trojans a sense
of honor they didn't receive in battle. Homer's similes proved to have been
generally bipolar, good or bad, and he applied them liberally where needed. The
goal of Homer's trade, as a poet, was to stir people, and the easier the better.
What better way than to appeal to ones already experienced emotions? To make a
person feel like their everyday actions somehow partook in a greater story is
what is accomplished by using the similes that Homer used. These similes brought
the story down to earth, and everyday life into the story. There is evidence for
Homer favoring the Trojans, at least literarily, in this poem. His consistent
use of beauty and grace with the Trojans contrasted with the viciousness
portrayed in the Greeks is clear. Homer might have given other Trojan warriors
besides Hector moments of aristea also if their exploits had not have been lost
through time. Anyone, especially a poet, would feel indebted to the dead to give
them some honor for their duties, and Homer has done just that.