Were there gay scenes in the illiad
And neither was Achilles.
I have heard several times now someone assert that Patrokles and Achilles were not merely fine friends, or cousins, as depicted in Troy (2004). It has become somewhat popular to state that the desire that Achilles demonstrates for Patrokles implies a sexual bond, one which seems to dovetail with a later Greek proclivity for lgbtq+ relationships of the kind championed in Plato’s Symposium.
But this position is — to borrow from Wolfgang Pauli — not even incorrect. It is classically unfalsifiable, but the assertion grossly underestimates the depth of what Homer is doing in the story, and takes a superficial and crassly literal reading of a partnership that extends beyond individual people.
To clarify why this theory is both improper and yet superficially plausible, one must know the etymology of the name “Patrokles” — especially in the context of the Iliad — and juxtapose it with a sub-narrative presented within the story. In Book IX, Achilles — having withdrawn from the fighting — is approached by an old man named Phoenix, along with Ajax and Odysseus. Phoenix attempts to persuade Ac
Q.: Do the Greek myths really matter in our modern world of cutting-edge technology and tenuous global politics?
A.: It can be a cliché to phone a story timeless. But the stories of ancient Greece—the Iliad foremost among them—are exactly what this cliché was made for. To borrow Ben Jonson, they are not “of an age, but for all time.” Human essence and its attendant folly, passion, pride and kindness has not changed in the past three thousand years, and is always relevant. And especially at this fractured and shifting historical moment, I consider people are looking support to the past for insight. These stories acquire endured this long, moving generation after generation of readers—they must, still, hold something important to reveal us about ourselves. Every day on the front page of the newspaper is an Iliad of woes—from the self-serving Agamemnons to the manipulative, double-speaking Odysseuses, from the senseless loss of life in war to the cruel treatment of the conquered. It is all there, in Homer too: our past, present and future, inspiration and condemnation both.
I would also attach, more specifically, that I think the culture is ready for the gentle of love story that t
The Iliad is the archetypal war story. Over nearly 16,000 lines and 24 books it hones in with a laser-like point on the events that bring the Trojan War to a close. There’s a lot of stabbing and a lot of blood (pretty much every character gets to perish “on the page”), and a lot of people lamenting the awfulness of war while acting otherwise. But putting all that aside, there’s that age-old question: is it gay?
It might surprise people coming to the Iliad from the film Troy to find that the poem doesn’t start with the Greek princess Helen creature stolen away by the Trojan prince Paris. Although this is the event that “launches a thousand ships”, by the age the poem starts the fighting has been going on for nearly ten years. It’s reached a stalemate, and everyone is getting bored, particularly the gods who watch from Olympus and occasionally swoop down to meddle in the fighting. The gods are very important in The Iliad; the war is essentially the consequence of a domestic spat between Zeus and his wife Hera. All the other gods have had to choose sides.
When the Iliad opens, the Greek king Agamemnon has had to return a slave girl to her father, so he poaches the girl, Briseis
Goodreads
Summary: The Song of Achilles is a book written by Madeline Miller and is the story of Achilles and Patroclus’ affair . The book is written in first person from Patroclus’ point of view. In the book we are told more about the background of Patroclus, how Patroclus and Achilles met, their training by Chiron, and the Trojan war. It is similar in setting to the Iliad and the Odyssey. The gods and gentleman conspire and battle together and in the finish there is always tragedy.
My take: The book is beautifully written. Ms. Miller is an exceptional scribe. Her way of depicting what is happening makes the scenes in my head so much more detailed. Her description of the gods was also very well done. I could see Thetis, Apollo and Chiron so clearly I had to block several times to soak in the visions. The story was also very entertaining and all the characters involved in the book were very skillfully described and developed. The problem I mostly had with this book was the story line, especially towards the end.
The inception of the book tells us about Patroclus and his hardships, and when he is exiled he finally meets Achilles and they develop a robust friendship.
First things first, I want to apologise for how belated this is. It’s about eleven months late if I’m honest. But I think we can all relate to the fact that it has been A Year, and for me personally it’s been A Year on uppermost of a load of personal existence nonsense which – though things are vastly better than they were – still has debris that I must sift through. However, Queer as Folklore is a undertaking I am really enjoying and wish to bring to you all on a more regular basis, so once a month, there will be a new one (here I am holding myself to account and I optimism you will too). Huge thanks to Rural Gothic with The Folklore Podcast and 207 Push for having me as part of their Queer Horror conference, it inspired and motivated me more than I could ever show. You can obtain access to all the excellent talks that weekend through: https://twitter.com/ruralgothic
Now, without further ado, Queer as Folklore is back! Spoilers for the Iliad and its modern adaptations The Song of Achilles and The Silence of the Girls, but frankly, it’s a 2000 year old poem that still influences our narratives today so… how spoilery those spoilers really are remains to be seen.
A few nights ago I finished re