Finley’s Reviews > The Iliad > Status Update

It really is starting to be clear that the decider of all victory in this book is the “will to fight”, which is hampered by cowardice and encouraged by bravery.

The further I read, the more I am convinced that cowardice and honor are the two main themes, which are seldom not mentioned at least once in practically every interaction.

I love the characters. I am surprised it's been this long since the purported main character (Achilles) is not involved in story yet. Despite this, he still permeates the narrative in the motivations of the gods and mortals alike. I really am curious about why Zeus is so eager to listen to Thetis, and why he even cares about Achilles beyond Thetis? The interactions and relationships between the gods is so fun!

I love how the gods fight, and I really am excited for Achilles to reenter the story when he’s done coping. I think my favorite character’s so far are Achilles and Odysseus, which makes me excited to read the Odyssey after The Iliad

Great! I’m excited to see how the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles resolves whilst the fight between Paris and Menelaus brews onward. I’m noticing both have themes about stolen wives, and I wonder why?

Homer does a great job at just sitting back and telling the story and there is no interpretation or anything of that sort. He simply says what happened and leaves it to you, which gives you a lot to think about and makes the story a lot easier to follow. I think Achilles is a very interesting person so far I love the dynamic between the gods and I’m excited to see the rivalry of Achilles and Agamemnon play forth.