The horrors of war exposed in Homer's Iliad"There- Harpalion accused Menelaus, the son of King Pilemenes, who had followed his father to war in Troy, but he never reached his homeland again. He approached Atreus, with the spear piercing his shield right on the boss but the bronze could not penetrate it, so he retreated into his ranks, dodging death, looking left and right, fearing that a spear would graze his flesh. But Meriones caught him in full retreat, shot with a bronze-tipped arrow, striking his right buttock under the pelvic bone so that the spear pierced the bladder. It sank on the spot. hunched in the arms of his dear companion, gasping for air as he writhed on the ground like an earthworm lying in death, the blood pooling, soaking the earth a dark red. The bold Paphlagonians, working on him, hoisting him onto a wagon, they took him back to the sacred walls of Troy... Deep in pain while his father, crying freely, walked. next to them now. No blood money came his way. Not for his son who breathed his last in battle. -Homer, The Iliad; book 13, page 362, lines 742-760 Homer, perhaps one of the greatest epic writers of all time, was a master in the art of manipulating the emotions of his audience using only the written word. This passage, however, seems somewhat atypical for his writing style. Strangely, he never once praises the beauty of war or the concept of kleos, which is a Greek term meaning glory and fame. This is decidedly out of the ordinary for Homer, who seems to admire the manly feats of weapons and courage that he perceives to come from a bellicose pur...... middle of paper ......r, that's telling quite a story epic. Many elements remain constant throughout the poem, so much so that Homer is said to use his "stock" tactics to the extent that his story becomes almost formulaic in nature. In some cases, Homer departs from his normal style in favor of tangents that sometimes contradict his views on war, as in this case of the young Harpalion. These rare passages are enough to make one think and are certainly noteworthy as they not only enliven the story but also serve to maintain the audience's attention through the sheer force of contrast. This sad story of a young man killed in his prime may have been just a fleeting glimpse into the horrors of war, but nevertheless it's a good reminder that war isn't as glorious as in the old tales... it's ugly and brutal, revolting and heartbreaking.