Oath of Achilles

Achilles swears by the skēptron ‘scepter’ that he holds and then throws down to the ground. This oath of Achilles is correlated with the plot or narrative arc of the Iliad, starting from a point in time when Achilles declares his mēnis ‘anger’ all the way ... Continue reading

The skēptron ‘scepter’ by which Achilles swears his Oath is here viewed as a thing of nature transformed into a thing of culture, by contrast with the scepter that is pictured in t ... Continue reading

... s ‘grief’ that the Achaeans will suffer because of the hero’s mēnis. [[cross-ref. I.01.233–246]] To the extent that the Oath of Achilles is sacred, so too is the coextensive plot of the Ili ... Continue reading

In the words of the immortal goddess Thetis, speaking to the all-powerful god Zeus on behalf of her mortal son Achilles, the status of this hero as ‘best of the Achaeans’ is linked ... Continue reading

... iad happen. That is the Plan of Zeus, not only the Will of Zeus. Likewise coextensive with the plot of the Iliad is the Oath of Achilles, retold at I.01.233–246, where Achilles formalizes h ... Continue reading

... ’. This aspect of the skēptron ‘scepter’ as a symbol for the natural discontinuity of mortal life is highlighted by the Oath of Achilles at I.01.233–246. The skēptron ‘scepter’ that is held ... Continue reading