Moderation in the Epics
...ns him of his actions, though his destiny is still to die by Hector’s spear (pp. 62-64) Agamemnon provides another example of how blind passion can have devastating consequences. When his prize is taken away by the gods he reacts irrationally to the loss of glory by taking Achilles’ most valuable prize, the maiden Briseis (pg. 50). Before this Agamemnon proves himself hotheaded by his treatment of the priest of Apollo, which leads to the argument between he and Achilles in the first place (pg. 49). As a result of his actions, the Greeks lose many men and Agamemnon ultimately loses the respect of his peers. In most cases of men acting out of blind passion in The Iliad, the gods come into play to put an end to their misdeeds. When Agamemnon takes Achilles’ gift, the gods promise Achilles more gifts in return for his restraint (pg. 52). When Menelaus attacks Paris in rage and is about to destroy him in anger, Athena whisks Paris away (pg. 54). When Patroclus in his lust for battle acts without restraint, he is called to retreat by Apollo (pg. 63). The most poignant example of the gods stepping in to restrain man or punish him for his lack of restraint involves the death of Hector. Achilles has a chance to show moderation by returning Hector’s body to the Trojans, but instead vents his anger by dragging the corpse and denying it a proper burial. Thetis tries to persuade Achilles to give the body back and Zeus even acts directly by having his messenger tell King Priam to go to Achilles in person (pp. 70-73). It is clear in The Iliad that the gods are not pleased by rage and choose to intervene when men act out of blind passion instead of moderation. In The Odyssey the restraint and clear-headedness of the main character is emphasized in contrast to blind passion. There are some instances in which Odysseus’ men act out of lust instead of common sense and moderation, but ultimately the good judgement of Odysseus allows him alone to reach Ithaca. Perhaps this is why he is loved by Athena and is looked upon favorably by the gods. The Odyssey acknowledges that passion is an inevitable part of existence, but makes it clear that there is a limit to its place and that there are times for moderation and restraint. The first adventure that Odysseus encounters on his journey home stands symbolic of this theme. When his men scout out and discover the Lotus-eaters, one taste closes their minds to reason and they fight against their own comrades to stay on that island (pg. 81). Once a man is in a fit of passion, Homer implies, his mind lacks common sense and he will pursue whatever he has set out to do without judgement of consequence until he is restrained. Further episodes are also symbolic of this theme: the Siren’s cry causes such longing in men that they blindly swim to their deaths (pg. 93). The whirlpool Charybdis, with its sucking and spitting, stands as a symbol of unrestrained rage or lust and the damage it causes to all others (pg. 95). Perhaps the best example of this is the blinding of the Cyclops Polyphemus after he refuses to grant Odysseus the honor that a guest should enjoy and eats several of Odysseus’ men (pg. 83). His blind passion leads to his physical blindness and a longer journey for Odysseus. Lack of restraint due to hunger leads many men to their deaths. Hunger blinded Odysseus and his men to danger and forced them to escape Polyphemus the Cyclops and son of Poseidon through devious means. The episode where Odysseus’ men cooked and ate the cattle of Helios is another example of how blind passion, whatever the cause, leads to dire consequences (pg. 96-97). Greed, notably in the case of Odysseus’ men and the bag of the winds, can cause men to act irrationally as well (pg. 86). On the flip side, many of the monsters Odysseus encounters eat his men. To the Greeks, a monster is a creature that does not respect human life and lives by its lust instead of its common sense and moderation. There are many examples of monsters eating men, from the Cyclops to the Laestrygonians to Scylla. Finally, the death of the suitors is a prime example of how lack of moderation can have serious results (pp. 106-107). Odysseus is a marvel of restraint in the way he handles the situation, waiting until he can prove that he is justified before killing the suitors. When he does overstep his bounds and act out of anger at the very...