Delahoyde & Hughes Orpheus HOMER'S ILIAD: BOOK III

Questions for Book III:

• This book contains the famous "teichoskopia": the viewing from the wall. The party line is that Priam likes Helen, and so they have this scene together, removed from the fighting and engaged in small talk essentially; but isn't there possibly something more going on here? Why might Priam be asking the questions he does?
• What does it mean, mythologically, that Aphrodite can whisk one away from the battlefield in the middle of a fight? What is the relationship between Love and War?
• Paris and Helen together are a pretty grim vision. Helen is an odd one, all right, and note what Paris says about sex -- sounds pretty escapist. Why do you think Homer gives us such a sour picture of these two?

Another day, another battle. Menelaus thrills to see Paris strutting in front of the Trojan lines, but when Paris realizes Menelaus is champing at the bit, he chickens out and blends himself into the general army, "magnificent, brave Paris," as Homer says with heavy irony (3.41). Hector rails against Paris, insisting on what an embarrassment he is to his family and to Troy. Apparently it hasn't occurred to anyone these nine years to have Menelaus and Paris duke it out in single combat, and Paris himself proposes it here.

When Helen is summoned, we find her busy:

weaving a growing web, a dark red folding robe,
working into the weft the endless bloody struggles,
stallion-breaking Trojans and Argives armed in bronze
had suffered all for her at the god of battle's hands.
(3.151-154)

So current events are already becoming art.

A few Trojan men gossip about Helen on her way to the "teichoskopia": the viewing from the wall. King Priam engages Helen in small talk, but it has the effect of introducing us to the cast of Greek characters and may also be a subtle torment to Helen as she has to identify this series of brutalizers. Or perhaps there's political advantage to be had as Priam innocently gathers tis information from her about the key enemies.

After the customary sacrificial rites and the arming, Paris and Menelaus fight. Menelaus gets a grip of Paris' helmet strap and swings him around until Aphrodite whisks Paris away from the battlefield, leaves a swirl of mist, and sets him down in the bedroom. The goddess then summons a reluctant Helen, who seems entirely burned out on love. Aphrodite has to resort to threats to get Helen to go to Paris.

Amid Helen's insults, Paris nevertheless offers a view of sex that sounds escapist: "let's lose ourselves in love!" (3.517). On the battlefield, all are dumbfounded, and the Greeks cheer for more battle -- nothing has been accomplished.

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Iliad: Book IV
Iliad Index
Orpheus: Greek Mythology