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Essay / The value system that Homer imposed on readers of The Iliad
Humans are complex beings, each with individual traits and an individual set of traits that they value in others. Despite this individuality, cultures are shaped, in part, by the values they possess and maintain in their society as a whole. In Homeric society, two qualities in particular are valued in man, as they lead to honor: The rhetoric to connect with others in society and the strength with which to carry courage and strong words, while 'only one really reigns as the most important. in women, because this will allow the man who possesses her to be honored by her in front of others: beauty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Homeric society seems to admire glory and other equally vain things based on the opinions of others. Success and honor go hand in hand. All other values meet this need, including what people value. Men view women as possessions to be possessed and trophies to be won, and while a rich and beautiful woman is inherently no more valuable than an ugly woman in terms of her ability to fulfill her duties, there are more distinction in owning a beautiful woman. 'price.' Achilles shows this need when he considers it a dishonor for a woman won in war to be taken from him, not out of love for her, but because she worships his ego (The Iliad 1.161-71). After all, even the ancients considered the Trojans and Achaeans blameless “if they suffer hardship for such a woman as this” because of Helen's great beauty (The Iliad 3.156-60). But if men value women for vain and useless reasons, so do men for qualities that will no longer matter beyond this life, although they are aware that for good life after death, there are more demands from them than beauty and honor. men for any trait that brings them success in war, especially strength and rhetoric. People often glorify the powerful and the rich. Men used force to determine the outcome of contests, described in The Iliad as Helen being forced to marry the man who won the duel – not the smartest man, the best man, or the man that she had chosen, but the strongest, as that was what really mattered to the people (The Iliad 3.136-8). When Priam asks her about the men of her own city, Helen defines them not by their personality or their actions, but again by their strength, because she and Priam particularly care about this and therefore expect this type of response from the part of the inhabitants. question, even without specifying it (The Iliad 3.225-40). Valor is an important trait that Paris does not possess and Helen claims for its absence, but which can be easily compensated for outside the public eye by charm and power (The Iliad 3.447-8). This appreciation of charismatic speech goes well beyond Hélène. This proves to be a necessary skill for command, and it is valued everywhere because skill in war leads to honor. People sought honor, and so what you have to do to achieve that is win. To do this, you must know how to speak well in order to encourage the troops to do well, to get them to follow orders or to move up the chain of command. People strive to be liked, or at least respected, because they highly value the opinions of others. The public sees Odysseus as an admirable and cunning public speaker, as evidenced by his respectful messages to those in power,.