May 26 • 📰 Newsletter
The Greatest Story Ever Told
You may remember the scene in the movie Troy, when Achilles (played by Brad Pitt) kills Hector and ties his heels to his chariot.
He then drags the dead body along the walls so that all Trojans may see their hero's body defiled.
It is slightly different in the Iliad.
Achilles doesn't tie Hector's heels to the chariot.
Achilles slits Hector's heels and passes the girdle that Ajax had given Hector through the slits. Then he drags away the body.
The details are fascinating: to have such clear visuals of events that happened thousands of years ago.
The symbolism:
First, that Achilles wove the girdle through what would later be called the Achilles Tendon.
Secondly, that the girdle was a gift from Ajax (Greek) to Hector (Trojan) in an earlier part of the war - before things become so barbaric.
In the Iliad we see the evolution of war: from organized and civilized duels, to absolute mosh-pit mud-slogs where even young men - teenagers - were butchered even if they begged for mercy.
It is an INSANE read.
Get the Caroline Alexander translation, or any other; just avoid the Emily Wilson one.
Regards,
KR
PS: Latest Video!
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The Greatest Story Ever Told
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