The character of Thersites, as presented by Homer in Iliad 2, has received an almost universally bad press, typical of which are the comments of F. A. Paley: ‘one of the turbulent and insolent malcontents in an army, who use their best efforts to misrepresent the authorities and to incite sedition in others’. the Homeric Thersites to be rather problematic as an analogue for the iambic poet, and will instead turn to a less well studied aspect of the Thersites myth, his appearance in the fragmentary Aethiopis (a post-Iliadic narrative), which, I believe, can tell us a even more about iambic performance than the Homeric passage. In the Myth of Er, Plato has Thersites return in a future life as an ape: “And far out among the last he saw the soul of the buffoon [γελωτοποιοῦ, gelōtopoios] Thersites clothed as an ape” (Republic X at 620c). Or at Agamemnon’s? The Amazon Penthesileia, daughter of Arēs and Thracian by birth, comes to Troy as an ally of the Trojans. But at the same time Homer is winking at us in sub rosa agreement with much of what Thersites says. When Agamemnon foolishly decided to test the troops with his suggestion that the troops pack up and prepare to return home, there was a mad dash for the ships that showed how poor morale was after the ten-year siege. THERSITES Make that demand of the creator. [5] These considerations argue for Thersites being of higher rank and for the lack of stated ancestry being one of Homer’s ways of intentionally diminishing a known character.[6]. This is the main plot that unfolds in The Agamemnon. 35, No. Chorus So then, Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek Fleet, the older of the two brothers, blamed no prophet and set fast his spirit against the ill winds of fortune. A: Hermes Q: Who is the deformed soldier who speaks against Agamemnon and is soundly thrashed by Odysseus A: Thersites Q: What is the name of the son Odysseus has with Circe? Enraged, Apollo afflicted the Achaean army with plague. Heyday! Thersites "One man, Thersites, still railed on, nonstop, teeming with rant, insubordinate, baiting the kings. Another humorous aspect of the episode is that Thersites’ charges against Agamemnon are what everyone knows to be true, but can’t say. He accuses Agamemnon of greed and blames him for their troubles. PATROCLUS 70 Why am I a fool? - What is Calchas' interpretation of the omen of the snake and the sparrows that they had seen at Aulis? A figure labelled as Thersites lies prone, having been decapitated by Achilles. 35, No. [6] Postlewaite has observed that the later attribution of Thersites’ ancestry to the same family as Diomedes might have been a way of filling in the gap left by Homer. “Introduction,” The Anger of Achilles: The Iliad. Kirk, G. S. The Iliad: A Commentary, Vol. Hecate, goddess of the triple crossroads The notion of revealing Thersites’ misshapen body and—unusual for Homer—his genitals must have been especially jarring for audiences of the time. At the same time, Thersites is a character out of step with the ancient Greek code of values. His head ran up to a point, but there was little hair on the top of it…[He spoke] with a shrill squeaky voice. Herodotus Book 2 There is nothing attractive about either looking at or listening to Thersites. He addresses first Agamemnon and then his fellow soldiers: Agamemnon,” he cried, “what ails you now, and what more do you want? Its main subject matter is the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. Start studying 6th Grade Trojan War Final Exam. 2 (Oct., 1988), p. 123. Maritime Vocabulary, Join or read notes from the study groups ("Of Complaisance," 4.2.1) Ovid tells us that, much later, when Odysseus needed to make his case as deserving to be awarded Achilles’ armor, he recalled this episode: Then Agamemnon called for an assembly of the Greek alliance, still panic-stricken; not even then was Ajax bold enough to make a peep, although Thersites dared to mock the kings with insubordination—but thanks to me, he didn’t get off lightly! Odysseus there calls Agamemnon “the shepherd of the people,” implying that the rank and file should dumbly follow their leader, even though he has received a disproportionate share of the prizes: How dare you berate Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd of the people, because the Danaans have awarded him so many prizes? The Iliad focuses on events that take place in … It all begins with Agamemnon's blunt refusal to return the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo, despite the latter's offer of a generous ransom. It all begins with Agamemnon's blunt refusal to return the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo, despite the latter's offer of a generous ransom. Achilles, in Greek legend, was the son of the mortal Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, and the Nereid, or sea nymph, Thetis. Kirk, The Iliad: A Commentary, Vol. 63 The idea of a Panhellenic campaign against the Persian empire is common in fourthcentury Greek political thought, and often made with reference to the Trojan and Persian Wars. The flipside of this is the sarcasm of Thersites, ‘God is on Agamemnon’s side,’ and Odysseus is made to throw the sarcasm back at Thersites with a literal force: ‘God is on Agamemnon’s side’ Odysseus then, ‘turning his voice on us’ (the ‘us’ which amalgamates the soldiers and Logue’s own adopted voice), raises the … The other soldiers cheer. 125–126. To make a complaint about these NHS services, contact the practice directly or the feedback and complaints team at your health board. 123-136. The death of Thersites would occur after Homer’s Iliad has drawn to a close, for new defenders had come to the aid of King Priam, with Memnon coming from Aethiopia, and Penthesilia leading the Amazons. Homer gives multiple descriptions of the massing armies, using rural Greek images to create a complex picture of the immense number of Achaean troops. It suffices me thou art. Who was he? Man's best friend Nestor expresses the idea that family bonds increase the fighting strength of soldiers, as they will be more passionate to fight for those beside them. [ 110 ] Book 1. __________________________________________________________. There, around the shores of Chalkis, where the tides of Avlis swell and fall, the Greeks ached with hunger and with cursed winds. Mycenae was probably the most famous of all the Greek kingdoms. There is a great irony here in the discrepancy between Thersites’ effort to get laughs at 2.214-215 (“who cared not what he said, so that he might set the Achaeans in a laugh”) and when the heartiest laugh actually comes at 2.270, i.e. In his Introduction to The Anger of Achilles, Robert Graves speculated that Homer might have portrayed Thersites as such a ridiculous figure “to dissociate himself from [his] sentiments.” On the surface Thersites is such a buffoon that nobody would be expected to take him seriously, so the poet (and his bards) are playing it safe. You cannot act both Thersites and Agamemnon. 51) 108-10. [1] For detailed ancestry see http://www.maicar.com/GML/Thersites.html. He is waiting for a beacon that will signal the fall of Troy, which has been besieged for ten years by … when Thersites is brutally beaten by Odysseus: “The people were sorry for him, but they laughed heartily.”. That put Thersites at odds with the king’s grandson Diomedes in some of the minor skirmishes that took place during the time between the Seven Against Thebes and the Epigoni.[1]. Odysseus’ turn came first. The dream that Zeus sends to Agamemnon is a false omen, one that Agamemnon takes as a sign of fate. The Achaeans (also called the “Argives” or “Danaans”) Achilles. or is it some young girl to hide and lie with? Menelaos undercuts Agamemnon's oration by saying that he is not really hurt. Enter Hector, ⌜ Troilus, ⌝ Ajax, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Nestor, ⌜ Menelaus, ⌝ and Diomedes, with lights. Mostly, he echoes what the heroic Achilles has said earlier (Agamemnon keeps all the good stuff for himself). To begin, one must read the description of Thersites at Iliad 2.212– 19 as consistent with a contemporary clinical diagnosis of cleidocranial dysplasia,5 a … Homer also gives an indication of strength by listing the number of ships that sail for each army. Summary. Menelaos undercuts Agamemnon's oration by saying that he is not really hurt. Agamemnon's insults to his priest anger the god, who punishes the Greek army with an epidemic, killing many men. Ovid. . Now retired, she lives in central Virginia. Odysseus is the main character in Homer's story "The Odyssey". The first reference to Agamemnon occurs at the very opening of the Odyssey’s tale, in the divine assembly scene.In this scene we hear of Agamemnon indirectly through the patronymic “son of Agamemnon” (’Αγαμεμνονίδης, 30, a hapax) attached to his son Orestes, the hero of the Oresteia, here remembered by Zeus as the killer of Aigisthos. Thersites continued to suffer abuse through classical times and beyond. Op. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. [ 110 ] LANG 350--Classical Mythology. 340 B.C. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." He rails against Agamemnon, calling him greedy and implying that he is in the wrong in the quarrel with Achilleus. After this, Achilles sails to Lesbos, sacrifices to Apollo, Artemis, and Leto and is purified of the murder by Odysseus. “Mixing bowl (volute krater),” Apulia, Italy,  ca. He also echoes Achilles's complaint that Agamemnon takes the best of the plunder, thus claiming most of the honor, when he has not taken most of the risks. [8] Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Accession Number 03.804, Apulia, Italy, ca. Thersites is not the only—or even the primary—character in the poem who dangerously flirts with insurrection. Would you have yet more gold, which some Trojan is to give you as a ransom for his son, when I or another Achaean has taken him prisoner? The warriors of Homer’s Iliad strive to ascertain posthumous glory, yet the majority of individuals involved in the main conflict seemingly lack personal sentience as they remain anonymous and unconscious to the power of those who exhibit individuality – those who actively rise from the masses to exemplify autonomy. But the humor comes at whose expense? The Catalogue also provides information about the size and makeup of the Greek armies in the poem, and lets us know about the homelands of the chiefs and soldiers. The warriors of Homer’s Iliad strive to ascertain posthumous glory, yet the majority of individuals involved in the main conflict seemingly lack personal sentience as they remain anonymous and unconscious to the power of those who exhibit individuality – those who actively rise from the masses to exemplify autonomy. In the Aethiopis , the ever Struggling with distance learning? Also, the very fact that he had standing to speak before the assembled Greek forces shows that he was not just a common soldier, whose role in assemblies would have been no more than shouting assent upon appropriate cues. Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon and Cassandra, but her motive for these murders is much more serious than Just marital infidelity: He sacrificed his own daughter, "my beloved child to whom I gave birth suffering great pains, Just to control the Thracian winds with pells" (1417-18). Thersites says that they should all sail home, that Agamemnon is a big jerk, and that Achilleus could have mopped the floor with him if he'd wanted to. If you would be Thersites, you must be hump-backed and bald: if Agamemnon, tall and handsome, and a lover of those who are under your care. The other soldiers cheer. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. ___ The character of Thersites, as presented by Homer in Iliad 2, has received an almost universally bad press, typical of which are the comments of F. A. Paley: ‘one of the turbulent and insolent malcontents in an army, who use their best efforts to misrepresent the authorities and to incite sedition in others’. Attic Greek ('Sophoi') Its main subject matter is the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. A: Menelaus Q: With whom does Odysseus spend seven years of his ten-year return home? “Thersites,” http://www.maicar.com/GML/Thersites.html. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”. Characters so different are not to be confounded. The details in the story of the prophecy give weight to Odysseus’ claim that the gods have fated an Achaean victory, encouraging the soldiers to continue fighting. Thersites would ultimately die at Troy, but not in a glorious battle against a noted Trojan defender, for Thersites would be slain by Achilles. Iliad  translation2 It is important to remember that these stories had a life outside of Homer: he did not invent his characters or the main events of the epic. According to Proclus’ summary of the Aithiopis, Achilles eventually killed Thersites for having ridiculed his love for Penthesilea, the Amazon warrior. The son of the immortal sea-nymph Thetis and the Phthian king Peleus, Achilles is… read analysis of … THERSITES Make that demand of the creator. [2] Eustathius, Παρεκβολαὶ εἰς τὴν Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάδα καὶ Ὀδύσσειαν, quoted by Maicar, loc. In the Aethiopis , the ever It all begins with Agamemnon's blunt refusal to return the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo, despite the latter's offer of a generous ransom. Thersites’ words highlighted a character trait involved in Agamemnon’s conflict with Achilles once again: his inept arrogance as paramount basileus. Zeus’ will does come to pass, but in the exact opposite way that Agamemnon expects: he is driving his men to certain defeat in order glorify Achilles, who will sit out the battle. . [3] G.S. The golden scepter raised a bloody welt on his back, so he sat down frightened and in pain, looking foolish as he wiped the tears from his eyes. ... when he advocates against Agamemnon after Agamemnon took Achilles' prize, Briseis. We'll make guides for February's winners by March 31st—guaranteed. If you would be Thersites, you must be hump-backed and bald: if Agamemnon, tall and handsome, and a lover of those who are under your care. The son of the immortal sea-nymph Thetis and the Phthian king Peleus, Achilles is… read analysis of … Achilles takes it meekly and shows no fight; if he did, son of Atreus, you would never again insult him. He consistently disrespects his superiors, and his desire to retreat from a fight goes against the code of honor. Here was the ugliest man who ever came to Troy... Now he went for majestic Agamemnon, spewing his abuse: 'What are you panting after now? The death of Thersites would occur after Homer’s Iliad has drawn to a close, for new defenders had come to the aid of King Priam, with Memnon coming from Aethiopia, and Penthesilia leading the Amazons. The purpose of this paper is to show how the description of Thersites’ inner mind supports a scurrilous pun against the condition of his teeth. Lycurgan Athens and the Making of Classical Tragedy (Cambridge University Press, 2014). He consistently disrespects his superiors, and his desire to retreat from a fight goes against the code of honor. When the army is reassembled, a funny-looking commoner named Thersites rises to address the crowd. The son of the military man Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. Like Thersites Achilles challenges Agamemnon’s leadership and questions the value of a senseless war in which he has no personal stake. Book Club in the forum: The flipside of this is the sarcasm of Thersites, ‘God is on Agamemnon’s side,’ and Odysseus is made to throw the sarcasm back at Thersites with a literal force: ‘God is on Agamemnon’s side’ Odysseus then, ‘turning his voice on us’ (the ‘us’ which amalgamates the soldiers and Logue’s own adopted voice), raises the … The fourth-century BCE dramatist Chaeremon wrote a lost tragedy alternately entitled either Thersites or Achilles Thersitoktonos. o The nine sparrows that the snake swallowed represented the nine years that the Greeks would have to spend fighting for Troy. Thersites would ultimately die at Troy, but not in a glorious battle against a noted Trojan defender, for Thersites would be slain by Achilles. 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