Dustin Farris
New Member
I found the Iliad to be a fascinating look into how honor and self-worth were perceived in ancient Greece. Examining how honor is "won" and conversely "lost" shows where people (men) placed value. Men didn't take awards in games or strip their fallen enemies of their armor for the actual use of these things, but rather to horde them and display them as testaments to their strength and ability.
Equally interesting is the way an object's value is described. Since there is no real form of currency, arbitrary objects are usually compared to other objects that have more tangable value. For example, when Homer describes the prizes for a wrestling bout Akhilleus is organizing:
While the text of the story is excessively long—books 10–18 could probably be dropped without any loss of continuity—the depictions of honor, character, and care of the deceased was well worth the read.
Equally interesting is the way an object's value is described. Since there is no real form of currency, arbitrary objects are usually compared to other objects that have more tangable value. For example, when Homer describes the prizes for a wrestling bout Akhilleus is organizing:
The winner was to acquire a fire-straddling tripod valued at twelve oxen by the Akhaians. As for the loser, in their midst Akhilleus placed a woman versatile at crafts, whose value was four oxen.
While the text of the story is excessively long—books 10–18 could probably be dropped without any loss of continuity—the depictions of honor, character, and care of the deceased was well worth the read.