Book 9 is the first time since the breakdown in Iliad 1 that Homer’s audience gets to see Achilles. A great deal of the action–especially the violence–of the last eight books has been to honor Zeus’ promise to Achilles to make the Achaeans suffer for allowing him to be dishonored. I think the expectation set … Continue reading Life, Death, and all the Words Between: Iliad 9 and the Language of Achilles