Homer's Representation of Achilles: Rebirth of a Bright Star
GRK 3002 – Homer
University of Cincinnati
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
"Achillous the lion-hearted who breaks men in battle" (192). As the strongest and most
important character in the poem, Achilles retum to the Trojan war towards the last books of
Homer's lliad symbolizes the reappearance of his heroic greatness. Book 21 ends with Apollo
distracting Achilles from killing more Trojans, while book 22 begins with Achilles chasing the
God of light for preventing him from acquiring more honor on the battleficld. The hero then
runs towards the walls of Troy, while Hector is waiting for him outside the city s enclosures.
As he is running. Priam - king of Troy and father of Hector - discerns Achilles, comparing him
to a bright star.| The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the
flat land in full shining, like that star which comes in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the nights darkening, the star they give
the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest, among the stars, and yet is wrought as a sign of
evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. (458.25- 31)
Detailed, complex, epic poetic comparisons are the motors of Homer's poetry. The tenor of this
simile is Achilles, and the vehicle is Orion's Dog (also known as Sirius), which is a specific
star. In this opic simile, Homer draws a parallel between Achilles & Orion's Dog star, and in so
doing illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness and the importance of this specific moment. To begin
with, Homer's comparison of Achilles to a bright star highlights his strength as the greatest
warrior of the Achacan army. Indeed, Achilles is depicted "[sweeping) across the flat land in
full shining, like that star" (458). Achilles's uniqueness is hinted with the demonstrative
determiner that' which metaphorically distinguishes him once again from other stars - reflecting
other warriors. Stars are the most listant things humans can perceive with naked eyes, thus
comparing Poleus' son to a star creates a physical, emotional and even conceptual distanco to
Achilles, elevating him as an almost supernatural creature placed far from the ground. Honco,
the intensity of the star's brightness is paralleled to Achilles's strength, outperforming the rest
of the army "conspicuous brightness / far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's
darkening" (458). The association 'conspicuous brightness' (458) gives Achilles an almost
divine attribute, which is enhanced by the lexical field of light shining. 'star (x4), 'brightness', '
conspicuous, 'outshines, brightest (458). This divinity reminds the reader of Achilles's godlike
nature that Priam directly acknowledges in book 24 "Achillus like the gods (510), explains his
surpassing strength that will allow him to slay the greatest of Trojans by the end of book 22.
Throughout the entire simile, Homer emphasizes how Achilles 'outshines' (458) all the other
stars, highlighting his superiority as an Achacan and his distinctiveness as a human being like
a star in the 'night's darkening' (458), like a mortal beyond the sky's limit. However, while the
brightness of the star places Achilles in a'divine position, this strength could also be seen as a
threat.
Secondly, through the use of this epic simile, Homer specifically confers a threatening.
dangerous and tragic side to Achilles's unique character. The specific star Achilles is compared
to is "the star they give the name of Orion's Dog" (458) and is also known as Sirius, the sky's
brightest one. During Antiquity the heliacal rising of Sirius coincided with a period of boiling
weather, and later on the Ancient Grecks thought this heat wave' originated from the extra
radiations coming from this star, calling those hot days 'dog burning days. These 'dog days'
were dangerous because the scorching heat brought fever and infections. In his simile, Homer
associates Sirius with "a sign of cvil" (458), implying that the rise of Orion's Dog brought a
detrimental influence to human beings. Just like the star, Achilles' risc to battle outside the
walls of Troy foreshadows the prejudice and danger ho will bring to human lives. Ho will, by
analogy "[bring) on the great fever for unfortunate mortals". The fever draws back to the danger
of the star's heat, but implicitly entails sickness or death caused by Achilles. The brightness of
the star is a sign of disaster because it foreshadows the fated blow of the spear that will kill
Hector. The simile ends with the words unfortunate mortals, which means that some unlucky
humans - referring to Hector - will be struck by Achilles's power, fevered by Sirius heat. Next,
this Homeric simile comparing Achilles to an almost deathly star has an ironic effect. The
ending of the simile 'unfortunate mortals (458) is ironic and contradictory because of all men,
Achilles will be the most unfortunate of mortals. indeed, the myth says his mother Thetis
dipped his infant body in the Styx river to give him immortality, except for his heel, making
Achilles mortal only on a single part of his body. Although Homer does not depict Achilles's
death, his end will hit him on his mortal heel as a consequence of his own actions, making him
himself one of these 'unfortunate mortals. Achilles's hecl is his woakness in spite of his
powerful allure, leading to his downfall. This simile draws to the theme of men and mortality.
Popular belief could imagine stars are immortal. Stars are born, live, and eventually dic - the
most massive stars even explode. This highlights the irony of the simile, because as unique and
bright the star Achilles is compared to could be, his life will come to an end too - brutally. It
also draws attention to the question of scaled fatc.
Then, many parts of this analogy are signs to the readers indicating and questioning the
importance of this expocted moment. When Achilles is portrayed "[sweeping] across the flat
land in full shining, like that star" (458), the verb "sweping" to describe his mobility suggests
a forceful and rapid movement brushing the "flat land just as a shooting star brushes the sky. A
shooting star is a symbol of an upcoming big change and that one will reach his destiny. Homer
may have used this particular simile at this particular time to foreshadow the immediate
upcoming of Achilles's fatc. What is paradoxical in this situation is that Achilles decides to
"[swop) (458) as a shooting star, moaning he decides to fight, knowing ho is scaling his fatc.
However, is he lucid? Is his fate already sealed? Did he control his fate by rejoining the war?
The complexity of this moment draws us to question fate and free will in the lliad. Another sign
that could point out tho prodictability of this specific moment at that specific part of the plot is
tho presenco of the temporal guideline "liko that star which comes on in tho autumn" (458).
Orion's Dog star Sirius is not always there: it appoars at a specific time and is a consequence
of the constant motion of orbits, which is why we considor it as an expectod star. In the lliad,
it is Achilles's grief for his bcloved friend Patroclus that causes the former to join combat and
kill Hoctor. Just like the helicical rise of Sirius, Achilles's appearance at the gates of Troy is
forescon as Trojans are awaiting the appoarance of this anticipated star. At this point, the simile
evaluates on the poom's action since this moment scems fated to happen. The fact that the
moment is expected for both the tenor and the vehicle, the distance between the galaxy - world
of the simile - and the action of the poem is brought together, omitting any possibility of
physical distance. Additionally, the poctry behind this simile helps to boat the time and
demonstrates a cortain poetic dramatization of time, facilitating the anticipation bchind the
action
Finally, the specificity of the simile also illustrates Achilles's distinctiveness. The distance
between the tenor - Achilles - and the vehicle - the bright star - is great. Nonetheless, Homer
narrows down the range of images that could be drawn by the readers' different experiences
through specified visualization. Indeed, with the number of details that Homer provides
("Priam", "that star", "autumn"), the reador's imagination is cut down. For example, the use of
the proper names "Orion's Dog" suggests the unique star Homer wanted to compare Achilles
to. Thus, there could be no variation according to one reader or another's independent
experiences: instead of leaving the imagory free to interpretation, Homer holds a solid grasp
on it. In that simile, the author limits the numerous worlds of spatial and mental images, he
subsequently accentuates the tenor's distinctiveness while leaving significant traces on the
course of events. As the simile unfolds, the reader can better visualize the unique and distinctive
colors of Achilles - both as a great warrior scaled to tragicness and a symbol of change. This
specific analogy between Sirius and Achilles warns the reader of the momentousness of the
situation and, in a way, foretells how the tale will evolve. Specified visualization, poetic
dramatization of time, anticipation of action, analysis of characters through graphic portrayals,
and even irony aro typical functions used in this specific comparison, and in epic similes as a
whole throughout the Iliad. These detailed comparisons are boundlessly creative and
particularly specific at the samo time, which are ways for Homer to follow the engagement of
his readers and listeners. By anachronism, they allow the reader to plunge into the vehicle's
world to better understand the tenor. Because of their length, these similes can touch upon many
themes of the lliad connecting the story to its audience's personal points of vicw. It allows them
to question the fundamental beliefs of Greck mythology, and re-orient them to adapt our
modern world. To give an instance, the question of fate and freo-will is entailed in the simile
we have analyzed, and leads us to wonder: To what extent has the conflict between fate and
frec-will evolved between Grock mythology and today?
