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The Right to Pride

The Trojan War was fought for a variety of reasons, the most fundamental of which was because Helen was abducted from Sparta and delivered to Paris of Troy. Yet for many of the individual combatants, and particularly for those who were regarded as heroes, the war was fought for far more personal and lasting reasons. As many of the heroes within this epic indicate via their speech and actions, the Trojan War was ultimately a chance for glory everlasting, and the opportunity to claim a renown and fame for deeds done and opponents conquered that would not present itself for quite some time, if ever again. Achilles, the hero of the epic and one of its most unequivocal champions, personified this desire for glory that drove most of the heroes in the conflict, for the vast duration of novel. Yet book nine finds him sullen, bitter, and ambivalent about the fate of his fellow Greeks due Agamemnon's insult that irreparably crushed his pride (which was intrinsically related to the glory he once desired). An analysis of the speech he gives to Agamemnon's embassy in this book demonstrates that Achilles has now disavowed the heroic need for glory because he believes that glory is no longer attainable due to Agamemnon's actions.

In that respect, there are many facets of Achilles' speech that are contrary to the mores of glory and fame that motivate many of the other heroes such as Odysseus and Hector. However, the key to interpreting these statements correctly is in understanding the fact that they are all principally fueled by the shame and disrespect Achilles still feels from Agamemnon's insult, which involved, among other things, Agamemnon's dispossession of Briseis, who Achilles greatly desired if not loved. The following quotation, in which Achilles has refused Agamemnon's luxurious offer of a multitude of gifts and is explaining why, illustrates the fact that Agamemnon's insult has greatly shaped Achilles' speech and his refusal.

…I will take back…all that was mine by lot, all except my prize that Agamemnon, son of Atreus, stole in his arrogance. Tell him openly all that I say…shameless as he is. Yet not shameless enough to look me in the face! I shall neither help by my advice or effort, so utterly has he cheated me and wronged me (Homer).

Ultimately, what Agamemnon has cheated Achilles of is far more than a mere woman. By issuing an insult to the warrior of this degree of severity, Agamemnon has despoiled Achilles of his right to honor, and to any attempts at the glory which Achilles originally sought and which many of the other heroes still seek. What Agamemnon took from Achilles was his ability to achieve what he originally embarked on this mission to achieve -- glory.

Once the reader has understood that Achilles feels that Agamemnon has robbed him of the right to call himself a hero, of the honor and good standing required to actually be a hero, the rest of Achilles' speech to Agamemnon's contingent is well elucidated. The gifts that Agamemnon has offered Achilles are meaningless to the latter, for the simple fact that they will not repair the insult he feels at the dishonor incurred from Agamemnon's stripping him of his valor. This fact is suitably demonstrated in the following quotation, in which Achilles emphasizes to Agamemnon's contingent how useless Their leaders gifts are to him. "As for his gifts they are hateful in my eyes, and not worth a hair…not if he gave me as many gifts as the grains of sand or motes of dust, could he persuade. First he must pay me fully in kind for this shame that stings my heart" (Homer). This quotation indicates just how greatly the effects of Agamemnon's insult reverberate within Achilles, whose "heart" aches from the "sting" of "shame." Additionally, this quotation underscores just how much hubris Achilles has, and alludes to that which Agamemnon himself possesses. The conventional heroic desire to amass material items glory, and lasting renown is rooted to pride. Agamemnon has stripped Achilles of his ability to achieve such glory and ultimately wounded his pride. With a wounded pride, Achilles cannot verifiably earn the glory he initially set out for.

Prior to Agamemnon's dishonoring of Achilles, the latter viewed battle and the Trojan War as a means to attaining valor and other heroic virtues. After the insult, there is no more point to such belligerence for Achilles, because he believes such virtues are not attributable to one who is dishonored. Moreover, Agamemnon's insult has bestowed a rare perspective upon Achilles, which is decidedly contrary to that shared by the other heroes of the Trojan War. More than virtually any other Greek, Achilles labored endlessly and well during this martial encounter. Yet for all of his efforts, he is still dishonored as if he had acted like a coward instead. The disgraced soldier makes this point in the following quotation.

Neither Agamemnon or any other Greek will change my mind, for it seems there is no gratitude for ceaseless battles with our enemies. He who fights his best and he who stays away earn the same reward, the coward and the brave man win like honor, death comes alike to the idle and to him who toils. No profit to me from my sufferings, endlessly risking my life in war (Homer).

Achilles has adopted this ambivalent stance because, for all of his efforts, he was disgraced as much if not more than someone who was too frightened to engage in combat. His actions during the early part of the war typified those of a "brave man," yet he was disgraced and insulted as if he were "a coward." Therefore, he has come to the realization that there is "no gratitude" in war and in battles, for the simple fact that even after excelling in them, one may become dispossessed and dishonored as though he never took part in any victorious martial encounters. Other heroes in the Trojan War did not endure this sort of humiliation and therefore were not privy to this sort of perspective. Only Achilles alone was treated in this manner, which is why the bulk of his response to Agamemnon's contingent in book nine of the Iliad is so contrary to the mores and values espoused and demonstrated by those others.