Lessons from Homer's "The Iliad"

Understanding the theme: The Great War, Foreshadowed Although most today refer to the great battles between 1914 and 1917 as "World War One" (WWI), those who lived through the turmoil referred to it as "The Great War." "The Great War" stands as a great warning to how one can basically stumble into war. WWI began with a small, local feud in the Balkans, which exploded into a global catastrophe. In the exact same manner, the Trojan War, …

…entire war in the Trojans' favor. Finally, an enormous breach of trust is made when Pandarus shoots an arrow at Menelaus after a truce had been made between the opposing sides. This breaking of the truce causes the war to continue even longer, claiming even more lives. Homer makes it clear throughout the epic that when men keep their oaths, events happen in their favor. Yet, when men break their oaths, the consequences are fatal.