One thing I find very interesting about stories is how they show the weaknesses of their heroes. Obviously, Achilles has mental and emotional weaknesses. One can see that in his pridefulness when he is sulking instead of fighting with the Achean army to spite Agamemenon and when the death of Patroculus drives Achilles into murderous rage that almost results in his death(he tries to fight a god). I feel like stories rarely touch on a heroes physical weakness in terms of the pain he feels after battle as well as his need for sleep. Thus, when I read, "...his powerful frame was bone-weary from charging Hector straight and hard to the walls of windswept Troy..."(Homer 561). When this statement is made, Achilles is laying down to rest, and "no sooner had sleep caught him" than Patroculus' ghost visits him and shames him for sleeping, stating that Achilles has forgotten him(561). Achilles sleeps long enough to share a conversation with the ghost of Patroculus, as the conversation occurs in a dream, and then proceeds to get up BEFORE DAWN to grieve. The next day Achilles leads Patroculus' funeral, a day long affair, spends the entire night grieving, and then is finally able to sleep UNTIL Agamemnon's men awoke him. He then leads the funeral games, which I'm sure would take a great deal of energy out of man, whether he is participating or not.
After all that, one would think a man would need sleep and/or go to sleep, but Achilles proceeds to not sleep, dragging Hector's body around night after night. Homer says Achilles rests each night after dragging Hector's body around Patroculus' tomb three times. However, I believe Achilles, who has just killed more men than any other man in the war during the span of a day, does not get a full night's rest for twelve or more days. Now, I, as a student have experienced nights of no sleep, whether it be due to emotions or, more than often, my great amounts of homework. However, I have coffee and Red Bulls, and those are needed just to get me through a day or two of no sleep. I cannot fathom only napping after the physically, mentally, and emotionally draining situations and events that Achilles has participated in, one of which was fighting a god!
Achilles ability to continue with so little sleep amazes me. I mean, there is no written record of him drinking any sort of caffeine during those twelve days. In fact, he drinks wine, which is a depressant; it would increase the sleepy or drowsy feeling he is already experiencing. I may not quite understand the restlessness he is facing due to his grief as I have not yet truly had to experience such, but if the greatness of his grief is not obvious by all his other expressions and actions, I think it can be clearly seen if you take into account how little the amount of rest he has allowed himself since the death of his dear friend.
Seriously though, did the Greeks have coffee?
P.S. I commented on Calbo's and Caroline's blogs.
I love how the Greeks show that their heroes had weaknesses and could succumb to grief and fear. It gives everyday people a similarity to the heroes. I did not realize how little Achilles slept. Maybe his ability to go on with very little sleep had to do with the fact that he is a demigod. He already is almost indestructible so it would make sense if he could go on with little sleep. Maybe, he had been given the ability to stay awake and active by a god.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post. It is extremely impressive, but also distressing, how much Achilles is able to accomplish with such little sleep. However, I think that one reason he sleeps so little is because he knows that he may not be alive for much longer. Maybe his restlessness is because he was to accomplish as much as he possibly can in the little amount of time he has left.
ReplyDeleteTheir coffee was called adrenaline. we build tolerance as humans and if we quit drinking energy drinks for a few weeks would feel more energized and our body would return to normal glucose production on its own. There were tests done on this (diets*). I myself have been so anxious before i didn't sleep days then still managed to perform. But also, Homer has to exaggerate his stories to make them more understandable and powerful. So, Achilles probably didn't do that word for word if he even existed.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I love the comparison here! As I read book 23 I noticed how little sleep Achilles got, but it never occurred to me that his grief made his sleep schedule very similar to a college student's sleep schedule. I think his rage was his RedBull; the loss of Patroclus broke him down so far that he continuously "shamed" Hector's corpse as a response. I can relate to the need for caffeine, though, and to imagine living in this time without constant access to it would make life drag.
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