Canto XXIV, Introduction
abusive Achilles Hector's body for nine days with great brutality, exceed all bounds of moral heroism. Pay their anger over the death of Patroclus with the corpse. Even the vast majority of the gods reject this behavior so they decided that Thetis tells Achilles to stop. Achilles asks Thetis to enjoy the short life he has left, do not spend the time doing feats to magnify his glory. Achilles accepts the above post the gods and must accept the ransom offered by Priam Hector's body.
The meeting of Priam and Achilles is not just an exchange, is the manifestation of inner change of Achilles, which is manifested in their arguments to Priam. Achilles and Priam have lost a loved one, and that unites them. Priam Achilles takes the payment, but was referred to it without mentioning the bailout, nor say what has to pay. Priam's speech focuses on his suffering as a parent. Moreover, it was her last child, and the rest have died in the war (A Paris does not consider it a worthy successor and so ignores it). Priam reminds Achilles that his father is suffering through it.
Canto XXIV, lines 486-507: Priam Parliament
"PRÍAMO.-Think of your father, Achilles, godlike, which is the same age I, having reached the threshold of old age fatal. Perhaps near him harass him and no one will save them from misery and ruin, but when he hears you live, rejoices in his heart and hopes from day to day you have to see his son, arrived from Troy. More I, wretched man, after he fathered children in the spacious great Troy, I can say that none of them is me. Fifty had when it came the Achaeans: nineteen were from a single womb, to the other women of my household gave birth in the palace. For the more the raging Ares knees were broken, and that was unique to me, for defending the city and its inhabitants, you killed that little has, while fighting for their country, Hector, for whom I come now to the ships of the Achaeans, to redeem you, and bring a huge ransom. But, respect the gods, Achilles, and have mercy on me, remembering your father that I am even more worthy of pity, because I dared what no other mortal on earth: to take my hand mouth man slew my son. "
The first thing is to remind Achilles Priam his father and asked him not to see him as an enemy but a father who suffers. This is what makes a dent in Achilles emerges all the excitement that has made him sensitive to others' pain. There is an empathy common for the death of a loved one.
Canto XXIV, verses 507-518
"So said. A desire Achilles came to mourn his father, and he took the hand moved him gently away. Delivered either to the memories, Priam, fell at the feet of Achilles, weeping copiously by Hector, killer of men, and sometimes cried Achilles his father and other Patroclus, and the groans of both of us stood in the store. More so the Achilles got tired of crying and sobbing ceased desire in your soul and its members, alzose chair, took by hand the old man to get up, and looking compassionate his white head and white beard, said to him winged words: (...). "
The most important sentence of this passage is "Delivered either the memories." In Greek part of the singular and plural dual him there. The dual is the same as the plural but is used when there are only two people in action. The dual implies that they share something, if there was no link would have used the plural.
Achilles and Priam are crying together and will give free vent to the tears, there is no contention. It is something that is uniting, while the heroic values \u200b\u200bthey faced. Priam Achilles looks compassionate, something that heroic morality would never pass. In the heroic moral is merciful with those on your own side, never enemies.
Canto XXIV, lines 518-552: Achilles Parliament
"ACHILLES .- Ah, unhappy! Many are the woes that your spirit has endured. Osaste How come alone to the ships of the Achaeans, in the eyes of the man that killed so many brave sons? You must have iron hearts. But ea, sits in this chair, and though we are both afflicted, let his soul rest in penalties, for the sad tears to no avail. The gods destined to befall mankind to live in sorrow, and only they are neglected. On the threshold of the palace of Zeus there are two barrels of gifts that God divided: one is the evil and on the other property. He whom Zeus, who delights in thunder, they are giving mixed, sometimes runs into misfortune and good fortune with others, but which receives only punishment lives with shame, a great famine haunts him on the holy earth and going from one place to another without being honored by the gods or not by men. So the gods made clear Peleus gifts from his birth was ahead of the other men in prosperity and wealth, was king over the Myrmidons, and, being mortal, gave to wife a goddess. But it also imposed an evil god, that did not have children then reign in the palace. Only generated one, to me, whose life must be short, and does not care in old age, I must stay here at Troy, far from the homeland, to contristarte you and your children. And they say that you too, old man, you were happy once, and that the space that includes Lesbos, where he reigned Macar, and higher up the Hellespont, Phrygia immense, stood out among all of your wealth and your offspring. Plus, since the heavenly gods will brought this plague around the city sucédense battles and massacres of men. Súfrelo resigned and do not let your heart take over endless grief, because nothing will get Mourn for your child, or be able to get up, before you have to have a new evil. "
In this passage Homer wants to show a universal, so he uses a parable. This parliament shows the clarity of Achilles. No longer points, primarily as a human condition that all equal death, but what is equal to all suffering in life. No one can escape suffering, all human beings experience suffering. Therefore all human beings are "brothers" in suffering. The myth of the barrels is to say that everyone suffers and nobody can escape it . It is a very common in ancient Greek thought. The problem of evil is excluded, does not have to explain: Evil is a reality, not a problem. Also excluded alternatives commitment to eradicate the evil, evil can not be eradicated, is on the lot in life, you can not get rid of him. We, today, we are very far from that vision.
may be lucky enough to live well as well as evil, but never live only goods.
Achilles says that the gods are neglected (akeda) but is a mistranslation, actually means "without suffering." What that says is that only the gods are free from suffering. The gods do not suffer, but humans do, so Achilles realizes the insignificance of the human being can do nothing to change it, can not avoid that suffering.
That man is mortal is not what brings suffering, but in life things happen to you (as the death of a loved one). Nothing takes away the pain, or wealth, or fame, or power (just like it extolled the heroic moral).
Achilles also recognizes himself as a character that produces additional pain for his role of hero, because he says it causes pain to his father, who can not care for being in the war, and causes suffering Priam being in Troy. The warrior cause pain twice, first to their relatives and then their enemies and their families.
The most precious commodity is not only life but the lives of loved ones. There is no feeling of enmity with Priam, is a brotherhood between the two, there is a relationship of "Philotas." The difference between victor and vanquished away with that suffering, for it speaks to Priam Achilles as a friend.
the end eat together, learn to live with grief.
"In saying this, the swift Achilles rose up and slaughtered a white sheep, which his followers skinned and well prepared as he should, the dismembered with art, and, catching spiked pieces, roasted them carefully and fire them off. Automedon brought bread in fair baskets, and Achilles out the meat. They laid their hands on the good things that were before them and they had had enough the desire to eat and drink, Priam seed of Dardanus admired the stature and appearance of Achilles, as the hero looked like a god, and, in turn, admired Achilles to Priam seed of Dardanus, contemplating his noble face and hear his words. And when he had gazed at each other, the aged Priam, like a god, "the first one: (...)."
eat together and remain united, but not in tears. For Priam now Achilles is a fellow mortal. This does not mean that the war is over, the Iliad is not a utopia. But Achilles is situated in a very different before the war, and it shows in the new way of relating to one who was his enemy until recently.
Canto XXIV, verses 660-668
"PRÍAMO." If you want me to celebrate the funeral of Hector, doing what I tell thee, O Achilles let me pleased. You know how we kept in the city, and the wood must be brought from afar, the mountain, and the Trojans are very scared. For nine days I weep at the palace, the tenth bury him and the funeral feast in the eleventh we will build a mound and the twelfth will fight, if necessary whatever. "
Priam asks Achilles 11 days (which are many) to honor Hector and Achilles accepted, there is a humanity that Achilles is starting. Schopenhauer said there is a knowledge of the suffering of others from one's own suffering. This knowledge may lead to "good deeds." It is an ethical approach that closes the door to violence, but it is an ethic that very few authors have recovered and has not spread much.
Final Iliad
At the end of the work we described the funeral of Hector, and nothing is displayed over the war. This also contradicts the moral heroism, as the poem ends by showing the pain in the enemy camp.
These funerals are three actors, three women: Hecuba (mother of Hector), Andromache (Hector's wife) and Helena (sister of Hector, who appears here as a sister). Are the three women may suffer most by the death of a loved one (mother, wife and sister. ") In addition Hecuba talk about the futility of revenge, revenge will not resurrect their loved one.
This final emphasizes what has been learned by Achilles.
Iliad gives us a greater understanding of the lives of men and morality can exist in spite of human cruelty (wars, violence ...). It is a universal moral character, but this morality is not to say that violence disappears.