Story: Homer's Iliad

The name's Joe.

I own a little bar on the corner, right over yonder. I've been a bartender for years now, but I gotta tell you... I've never run into someone quite like the mate I met the other night. I just got to tell someone about him, and here you guys are.

So, he's come in a couple times recently and every single time he comes in with this crazy look on his face and just is belligerently going on about SOMETHING.

The first time he comes by, he comes in in a huff. Storms right up to the bar. Nearly knocks the woman next to him off her stool. I was feeling generous. So I say to the guy, "Hey, buddy. Can I get you something?"

I shouldn't have opened my mouth. This guy goes right into it. Keeps going on about some dude named "Agamemnon." I know better than to engage a crazy person. But, this guy is relentless. So I say, "Alright, who is this Agamemnon bloke you're going on about?" He looks me in my eyes. And then goes right into it.

"That's King Agamemnon. He just couldn't give up his pride nor that stupid girl, Chryseïs. He just wouldn't give her back. This whole thing could have been avoided. But he just couldn't give her up. And I wanted to so badly to just unsheath my sword and just finish it right then and there. That's when Athené appeared out of nowhere and stopped me."

"Wait, who appeared where?"

He rolled his eyes. This guy is talking about kings and swords and girls with funny names and rolls his freaking eyes at ME. I digress.

"Athené. The goddess of wisdom. Daughter of Zeus. Namesake of Athens? You all caught up?"

This guy.

"Alright, I'm with you. But, I don't understand why you got so mad about this girl? Why should this Agamemnon, I'm sorry, King Agamemnon give her back? Back to who?"

"Argh, after we Greeks took the city of Chrsyé, she was part of the spoils that we split between us. Agamemnon got her. But, her father, who was a priest of Apollo, comes for her and is willing to pay gold to get his daughter back. Agamemnon wouldn't have it. He was just too damn proud. That's not even all. Then, he has to go and send for my girl and take her from me just because he can. How can anyone follow him? Follow him into war no less? Just look where he's gotten us."

And with that, he just shoved away from the bar and left. I was stunned. It was seriously one of the weirdest encounters I had ever experienced.The rest of the night went along much less weirdly than that encounter. I had nearly forgotten all about him when a couple of weeks later the same weird dude stumbles back into my joint. Except this time, he's weeping. Full on, body-racking sobs as he walks through the door. The place was really busy, and I just didn't have the time to humor him. He sits down at my bar, and I go about my night making sure everyone gets in and out alright. At the end of the night, he's still there. He still has tear stained cheeks and he's just sitting there quietly. I'm feeling really bad for him at this point, so while I'm cleaning up I decide to ask him what's wrong.

"It's all his fault. He's dead and it's all his fault."

"Whose fault? Who's dead?"

"PATROCLUS. I swore that I would never fight for Agamemnon again, not even after he sent his group of minions to beg me to. But, Patroclus begged to use my armor to deceive them. He thought he could trick them just long enough to distract them. It didn't work. And they killed him. They just killed him right then and there. The worst part of it is that they treated his body like it didn't mean anything. It was disgusting. Why would the Trojans even want his body?! Some sick act of of pride?!"

I didn't know what to say here. Did I want to open the Pandora's box and ask him about Patroclus? Or do I just move him along so I can get outta here? This guy is obviously crazy, right? It's like with a sleepwalker? You don't want to disrupt or wake them, right? Well, that's where I'm letting this take me.

"So, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to let them have the body? Or are you going to avenge his Petro-, Pato-... whatever? How are you going to make his life mean something? You know you have to go get the guy that did this and make him pay."

I swear, I saw something light up in his eyes. It was like a fire was emblazoned. It was like something clicked for him. He kind of straightened up, looked at me, stood up and marched right out of the door.

That was the last time I ever saw that weirdo. I don't know how his delusional story ended, or if he ever got that vengeance that he thought he needed for someone with an absolutely outrageous name. I can't say that he didn't spice up the otherwise dreary nights I was having across those couple of weeks. I will say, I had a weirdly vague dream about a figure like my friend here but it involved him dragging the body of someone by their ankles behind an ancient Roman chariot-type vehicle.

But, that was just a dream. Right?

Author's Note: I focused my story on the character, Achilles, from Homer's Iliad. This story follows him through the quarrel mentioned above, through the visit from Agamemnon's lackeys to try to get Achilles to return to help defeat the Trojans and through the death of Patroclus. During the great fight between the Trojans and Greeks, Patroclus stormed in wearing the armor of Achilles to try to trick the Trojans into thinking Achilles had rejoined the Greek troops. It wasn't long after that he was killed, and they began to fight over his body. It wasn't until Achilles appeared in the sight of the fight that the Greeks were able to recove Petroclus' body. Achilles also slaid the great Trojan warrior, Hector. He chased him thrice around the Trojan walls, after Hector was tricked into halting and facing Achilles. He was killed, and Achilles drug his body away by attaching his ankles to ropes and then to his chariot. The Trojans eventually recover his body from Achilles, after Hector's father visits with Achilles to get it.

Bibliography: The Iliad, by Homer. Link to reading here: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-iliad-retold.html

(Patroclus in Mosaic, web source: Flickr)

Reading Notes: The Iliad Part B

The Iliad, by Homer; link to reading here.

This second half of the story has less "action" parts, and more specific character developments (and deaths). It seemed like a much smaller-scale story; there were only a few characters mentioned in this half, making it much easier to follow the storyline. You see Achilles' intense grief for the slain Patroclus, as well as the dynamic between Hector and him. You see the death of Hector and its effect on the city of Troy and for his family. It ends with the forgiveness of Achilles and the empathy of his character.

I think an interesting twist on this side of the story would be having Hector actually heed his father and mother's advice and retreat into the castle walls, instead of waiting out in the open for Achilles. The story within the immediate family of Hector, with his wife Andromache and their son Astyanax, could have been developed further. Or if his hubris must keep him from retreating, than what would have happened if Achilles had died at Hector's hands instead of the other way around. Or what might have happened if Hector's brother truly came out to assist him instead of it being a deceitful act of the gods?

This half of the story would work well within a script format. There's much less action to keep up with, and more dialogue between bigger characters. There's also more continuity throughout, which would lend itself well to a script.

(Priam begging to Achilles, web source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes: Homer's Iliad Part A

The Iliad, by Homer; link to reading here.

This first part of this story follows Achilles through his decision to not fight in the Agememnon's war against the Trojans, and all of the subplots that follow along with that.

Some of the most interesting parts are, obviously, the biggest scenes where the Greeks are fighting the Trojans at their gates. This is when the action reaches its peak, with both the war against the Trojans and Achilles' story with Patroclus. There really aren't any exciting twists and turns with this story; everything follows this kind of sad war story, with the expected deaths here and there. Some of the characters are certainly interesting on their own, but with this story it's kind of hard to grasp at some substance of a backstory or anything of the sort. It doesn't give you much to stand up, with the slight exception of the discussion of Achilles' family story.

One idea that struck me with this story, with regard to the Storytelling post later in the week, was to make up a fake sort of police report about the battle. There are murders, destruction of property, fighting, arson; you name it, it's probably in there. A ridiculously long police report about each of the infractions could bring a slight air of comedy to the storyline, while explaining one of the most dramatic parts of it at the same time.

Another idea would be to have Achilles and Agememnon on a talk show, talking about why Achilles "left" him. Obviously the whole thing could be dramatized to seem more like a broken heart, instead of a rageful king losing one of his trusted soldiers.

(Hector, Andromache and Astyanax, web source: Wikimedia)