I have always enjoyed a good fight scene. I love when I can follow the plot of action in a story; when I can see it so clearly in my mind that I feel as though I am watching the events unfold in person. For me, the scene where Achilles fights with the river in book twenty-one gave rise to this feeling.
Not only is this scene dramatic, but I believe it holds deep significance as well. Here, Achilles is on a rampage. He's plowing through the Trojan army on a mission of revenge for his fallen friend. Hector's death is the ultimate goal. As he mows down the Trojan soldiers, Achilles throws them into the river to be washed away. This ensures that the men's bodies will never be found. Any chance of honor by a heroic death has been snatched away from them. Much like it was for Patroclus, Achilles' friend and brother in arms, when the Trojans desecrated his body and stripped him of his armor. Achilles' rage is driving him on. Finally, the river has had enough.
"Achilles, the famous spearman, leaping down from the bluff, plunged in the river's heart and the river charged against him, churning, surging, all his rapids rising in white fury and drove the mass of corpses choking tight his channel, the ruck Achilles killed... and bellowing like a bull the river flung them out on the dry land but saved the living, hiding them down the fresh clear pools of his thundering whirling current but thrashing over Achilles' shoulders raised a killer wave..." (Homer 265-272).
There are several parallels between this scene in The Iliad and a story from the Bible. In Genesis 6, God sends down a Great Flood to purge the earth of sin. "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes" (Genesis 6:17). God wiped out the entire human race except for one man and his family from the flood. This is exactly what the river did for the living soldiers in The Iliad. The river and the flood are both getting rid of death. We see Achilles being washed away. Though not physically dead, he is full of such toxic rage that the river is coming against him with all its strength. This is a representation of the relationship between God and the sinful humans of Genesis. God could not tolerate their sin. Neither could the river tolerate any longer the death and destruction Achilles brought to its banks.
Commented on Haylee's and Braylan's posts.
Wow! I love your insight! I would have never made the connection between the river in the “Iliad” and the flood in Genesis. The river is a good example of God’s hatred towards sin. However, the river does not begin to describe His wrath. Thankfully, as a believer, I have a hope that rescues me from the roaring river and gives me “peace like a river”. That hope is given by someone greater than any of the gods. He is Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI love your post! I find it interesting that the rivers got so upset about his carnage, considering that he is Thetis's son. I also find it weird that he would desecrate their waters. I had never considered the link between this book and the Scripture about the flood! Good catch!
ReplyDeleteI love this connection! I never would have thought about that either! I found it so odd that "the river" got angry, but it was full of corpses, full of death. It wanted to be clean, so it made sense that it would get rid of the problem at its source, to kill(or attempt to kill) Achilles as he was the cause of the river of corpses. The connection between that and God washing away those who had corrupted the earth with sin, the cause of death, is almost a perfect one. I love it!
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