Homer's Iliad

Marina Coray, S. Douglas Olson, Benjamin Millis, Sara Strack

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9783110570748
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

The renowned Basler Homer-Kommentar of the Iliad, edited by Anton Bierl and Joachim Latacz and originally published in German, presents the latest developments in Homeric scholarship. Through the English translation of this ground-breaking reference work, edited by S. Douglas Olson, its valuable findings are now made accessible to students and scholars worldwide.

Commentary

Book 18 describes the final events of the third day of battle in the Iliad (i.e. of the 26th day of the action of the Iliad overall: STR 21 fig. 1), which is the subject of Books 11–18 (239–242n.); for the previous events of this day of battle, see the introductions in the commentaries on Books 14 and 16. At the beginning of Book 18, Patroklos has died, the battle for his corpse is at its peak, and Achilleus’ armor, which had been worn by Patroklos, has fallen into the hands of the enemy (on the death of Patroklos, see the references to the commentary on Book 16 in the notes to vv. 453–456). What the Greeks fail to achieve, namely at least to rescue the corpse from Hektor and the Trojans (17.1–18.164: 148–164n.), Achilleus manages to accomplish with divine help after he receives the report of his friend’s death at the beginning of Book 18; he may be without armor, but with Athene’s aid Achilleus manages a terrifying appearance (arranged like an epiphany: 203–221n.) at the edge of the encampment of ships: the Trojans flee in panic, and the slain Patroklos can now be brought back to the camp and laid out for mourning (230–242). The remainder of the Book describes the events of the night between the 3rd and 4th (and final) day of battle in the Iliad: mourning, the Trojans’ strategic consultation, the production of new weapons for Achilleus by the divine smith Hephaistos. Overall, Book 18 prepares in various ways for the conclusion of the wrath of Achilleus and his reentry in Book 19 into the military community of the Greeks, thus forming a transition to the final phase of the Iliad: (a) the narratorP repeatedly has charactersP look back to the ‘menis’-story or recapitulate earlier events (‘récit spéculaire’), namely in the speeches by Thetis (74–77, 436–461: see ad loc. and esp. notes on 444–456) and Achilleus (98–113, 125, 324–332), on the Trojan side by Polydamas (257–260) and Hektor (293 f.), more as an intimation in the conversation between Zeus and Hera (356–368 [see ad loc.]); he achieves the same in an indirect manner through the design of some of the images on the shield of Achilleus (478–608n. section B.2.b.); (b) he has both Achilleus and Hektor resolve to fight one another (90 ff., 114 ff., 334 f. and 305 ff.), thus preparing for the duel between the two in Book 22, and he signals via his commentary on the results of the Trojan military assembly (310–313) that Trojan success in battle is at an end and that a change will take place in the trajectory of the fighting; (c) the production of Achilleus’ new arms (468–617) facilitates his reengagement in combat and prepares his participation in the battle on the next day (19.424–23.4) – the first within the Iliad in which he takes an active part; the story of the origin of the armor and the description of its elements are elsewhere integrated within arming scenes, but in this unique case they are lifted out of the scheme and moved forward (18.369–19.3) – the arming scene follows at 19.364–398 (478n.): the narratorP designs a scene in which the arms, especially the shield, are made, providing a breathing space prior to Achilleus’ campaign of vengeance and allowing for reflection on the artistic achievement. – Two themes permeate the Book: (1) the arms of Achilleus: (a) the loss of his first set of armor, inherited from Peleus (21, 82–85, 130–133, 188, 197, 451–456, 460b), (b) Achilleus unarmed (134 f., 189 f., 192 f., 203–206), (c) the new armor from Hephaistos’ workshop (136 f., 143 f., 147, 191, 457–460a, 466–617, see also 19.3–22); (2) the death of Achilleus: both his mother and especially he himself engage repeatedly with the topic of his mortality, in particular because his decision to exact revenge on Hektor inevitably brings his death closer (59 f., 86–93, 95 f., 98–101, 114–121a, 329–333, 432–443, 464 f., see also 19.408–423).

The following entries provide an overview of the action in Book 18:

Overview of the action (see above, p. 8 f.); within the commentary, 1–147n., 134–144n., 145–147n., 239–242n., 243–314a n., 254–309n., 315n., 343–355n., 356–368n., 369–427n., 429–461n., 468–617n. (the hoplopoiia as a whole), 478–608n. section B.1.b. (shield).

Entries on inividual topics:

Achilleus’ death: 22–147n., esp. (a) foreshadowing: 88–93n., 95–96n., 114–126n., 328–332n., 333–342n., (b) lament for Patroklos mirroring mourning for Achilleus: 28–31n., 37–72n., (c) mortality vs. elevation to the divine and divine support: 117–121a n., 464–467n.

Burial rites: 336–337n., 343–355n., 352–353n.

Catalogue of Nereïds: 39–49n. (on the individual names, see nn. on the relevant verses) Hoplopoiia, esp. Achilleus’ shield: 468–617n., 478–608n. section B.1.–B.4., 478–482n. Lamentation: 23–27n., 28–31n., 37–72n., 55–60n., 56–57n., 315n., 316n., 317n., 324–342n. Music, song and dance: 491b–496n., 493n., 494n., 495a n., 570n., 571–572n., 590–606n., 592n., 593–602n., 594n., 603–604a n., 605b–606n.

Neoanalysis: 17n., 26–27n., 37–72n., 95–96n., 130–137n., end., 453–456n., end.

CharactersP:

Antilochos: 2n., 17n.

Charis: 382n.

Hektor: 92n., 285–309n., 286–292n., 243–314a n.

Hephaistos: 369–381n., 370–371n., 383n., 394–409n., 395–397a n., 400n.; his miraculous objects: 376n., 417–420n., 419–420n., 469n.

Hera: 119n., 168n., 356–368n.

Polydamas: 249–253n., 251–252n.

Thetis: 85n., 394–409n., 429–461n., 432–434a n., 434a n.

Poetics:

‘If-not’ situationsP: 165–168n.

‘récit spéculaire’: 444–456n., 478–608n. section B.2.b.

SimilesP and comparisonsP: 109–110n., 161–164n., 203–221n., 207–227n., 207–214n., 219–221n., 318b–322n., 318b n., 478–608n. section B.2.b. (on 4b), 579–586n., 600–601n., 616–617n.

‘table of contents’ speech: 134–144n., 333–342n.

Type-scenesP and themesP (in alphabetical order): ‘ambush’ 513n.; ‘arrival’ and ‘visit’ 369–427n.; ‘change of location by a deity’ 65–72n.; ‘delivery of a message’ 1–22a n., 166–202n.; ‘dressing’ 414–416n.; ‘return of a warrior to battle’ 203–221n.; ‘supplication’ (457n.).

1–147 Lamentation for Patroklos

The book begins with a transition from the fight for Patroklos’ corpse (1), which was portrayed in the course of Book 17 and is continued at 18.148bff., to Achilleus (2), who increasingly becomes the focus of the story again. When Achilleus last appeared, he prayed to Zeus for Patroklos’ well-being and prepared to observe the battle (16.220–256: 16.255–256n.). In the battle descriptions that follow Patroklos’ death (on the events leading up to the death, see the introduction in Book 16), he is portrayed as completely ignorant of Patroklos’ fate (17.401b–406a); both Aias and Menelaos ensure that he is notified by Antilochos of his friend’s death (17.640–642, 654 f., 691 f., 701, 708 f.: RUTHERFORD 1982, 155). At the beginning of the scene, after mention of the external situation (18.2 f.), Achilleus’ thoughts and fears when faced with the distress of the Greeks come into focus, first being alluded to by the narrator (4), subsequently expanded in Achilleus’ speech (6–14), and finally confirmed by Ant...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface to the German Edition
• Preface to the English Edition
• Notes for the Reader (including list of abbreviations)
• 24 Rules Relating to Homeric Language (R)
• Overview of the Action in Book 18
• Commentary
• Bibliographic Abbreviations