Sailing the Wine Dark Sea

Pages 31 to 41By: Lili Welch and

Zeke Satloff

For the love of suffering“ War maybe hell but it is a glorious hell,” War was a hard place

for many who fought. It is the height of human suffering, and is the core of moral excellence. What made war so addicting

was that it combined affliction, death, with the ultimate admiration for the Greeks, honor in battle. This feeling is still

shared by soldiers today.

“War may be hell”…

“… but it is a glorious hell”

Homer “He can’t get a grip on himself, he can’t sit

still, he squats and rocks, shifting his weighting from foot to foot, his heart racing, pounding inside the fellow’s ribs, his teeth chattering he dreads some grisly death. But the skin of the brace soldier never blanches. He’s all control. Tense but no great fear. The moment he joins his comrades packed in ambush he prays to wade in carnage, cut-and-thrust at once.”

Tips on readingPay attention to the idealized vision of human

conflict presented here. Don’t focus on the details. Focus on the feeling of war.

The modern man Hector is the true hero in Homer’s story. He

took time out of battle to see his wife and baby son one last time. Hector calls his wife “Warm, generous wife,” and is called of a “Gallant-hearted,” father. This is the first time an ancient author attempts to show the unbreakable bond of affection between a married couple. This is a different bond that would not be expected in the time of arranged marriage.

Hector, Andromache and Astyanax

Homer“And his loving father laughed, and his mother

laughed as well, and glorious Hector, quickly lifting his helmet from his head,”

Tips on readingAny time you see a current, watch for a

counter current thereafter.So, you just heard about the Greek’s ideals of

war, now you’ll get a look at a human interaction, with a fully developed person: Hector.