PROPOSALS ON THE LIFTING OF THE SIEGE OF TROY IN THE «ILIAD»: THE PROBLEM OF MILITARY ETHICS IN HOMER

Abstract

Important episodes to assess the characteristics of the Homeric military ethics are the scenes when one of the Achaean heroes offers the others to stop the siege and return home. On the one hand, these scenes are necessary elements of military councils and are used by the poet to demonstrate the complexity of the situation of the Achaeans under Troy before making important decisions. In this case, the one who calls the meeting offers the cease of the siege, namely Agamemnon. He names the will of the gods the reason for the end of the siege and flight home. The latter can be clearly expressed by the signs of Zeus, or follow from the unfortunate situation - pestilence or military defeats. Achilles uses the idea to end the siege of Troy and return home as a threat. In his case, the threat to leave the army of the Achaeans is a natural consequence of the insult inflicted on the hero. V. Yeager proves this thesis and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a management model in the army and respect for ἀρετή of heroes. The moral condemnation of Achilles focuses on the fact that the hero is too stubborn in his anger and does not go to reconciliation with the guilty Agamemnon. Agamemnon comes up with a full-ledged plan to end the siege at a crisis moment, offering to lower some of the ships on the water and to escape from the Trojans at night. The elaboration of the draft retreat is enhanced with the deterioration of the situation of the Achaeans under Troy. If in the first songs no one seriously objects to the speaker proposing to end the siege, then later the sharp tone of the statements of Diomedes and Odysseus, condemning the idea to end the siege, indicates the realism of the plans discussed. The lifting of the siege is perceived by the characters of the poem as a disgrace for which they will later be accused of cowardice. Especially vividly, this idea is traced in Agamemnon's words to the wounded Menelaus and, of course, it clearly contrasts with the idea expressed by the same Agamemnon about the admissibility of night flight for the sake of saving the army.