ari’s Reviews > The Iliad > Status Update

- Without the little domestic peak into life inside Troy, Hector's family dynamics, Andromache's already tremendous losses, I think he wouldn't have felt like such a tragic hero. The idea that he'd rather be buried in the ground than see his wife enslaved and his loved ones killed, and worse, oh Hector. And to his son and wife: "I hope they say when he comes back from war, 'This man is so much better than his father.' I hope he kills an enemy of ours and brings his bloodstained arms and armour back, and makes his mother happy. (...) War is a task for men--for every man born here In Troy, but most especially, me." Oh my god... T_T
- It’s a haunting thing how each death is so deeply intimate. no matter who it is, and how minor the characters are, what side they fight for, you learn of their life only as it’ll never be lived again

Book 7: A Duel
- Hector and Paris showing up with their whole badussies and Apollo and Athena are like… no, actually, we are tired… too much fighting, this is a massacre… um! I wonder who incited that!
- Of course their asses spur Hector on to instead duel one of the Greek’s warriors (as per the title lol) and the greater of the two Ajax, Telamonian Ajax, with his big fuck off shield (an 8 layer dip of ox hide and bronze) wins the lottery (I was wondering about the two Ajax, lowk, so this is interesting)
- Shit all happens, mostly a stalemate with a bit of blood spilled when Ajax hits Hector, and Zeus also is like… ermmm… let’s stop ! T_T and they become friends sort of, I guess
- They both want to take the day to honour the dead, meanwhile Paris is told by Priam’s advisor in this lull, Antenor, “give up Helen and end this war” and Paris is like “um!!!!! just give them my OTHER stolen stuff and we’ll be even. Yes!”BROOOOOOOOO PARIS PLEAK
- Obviously, the Achaeans are like… wtf, no, and start building an encampment around their ships that Zeus and Poseidon do NOT fw and plan to destroy #oops