(ID#2437666) Page 1 ID#2437666 Professor Almeida Honors 101A 3 October 2008 The Determinacy of Age in Homers Iliad In Homers

epic poem The Iliad, there exists an intriguing and important relationship between the characters of Diomedes and Nestor. While both are quite different characters by far, they each share certain traits which help express Homers underlying ideas concerning the importance of age and wisdom in the life of a Greek hero. In the relationship between Nestor and Diomedes, Homer shows his audience how age and the wisdom that grows alongside it supersede physical ability by establishing heroic traits such as authority and right judgment. As is the case with Nestor and the hope of Diomedes, these traits can ultimately outlast a soldiers fighting years and work to endow a hero with perpetual honor. In The Iliad, Nestor is most well-known as a wise counselor. It is to Nestor that Agamemnon goes for advice (X.84). It is Nestor who approves the kings dream (II.90-102); it is Nestor who tells Agamemnon to rally his forces (II.398-444); it is Nestor who advises the wall and trench be built (VII.372-96). Nestor is the one who praises Agamemnons gifts to Achilles (IX.194-206), who proposes a reconnoiter mission (X.240-55), and finally advises against hopeless fighting (XIV.64-76). Diomedes, on the other hand is most renowned for his strength; his epithets give good example of this: Lord of the war cry (VIII.165), king of the Argives, / horse-breaking Tydeuss son, rugged Diomedes! (XXIII.525-6). His brute force is once described by Homer as a flash flood (V.100-3). Even after being shot in the shoulder with an arrow (V.104-9), and wounded in the foot (XI.452-467), he still goes on to win the contest of

(ID#2437666) Page 2 arms not long after (XXIII.912-16). Diomedes himself rescues Nestor from battle, who if not for Diomedes would have died (VIII.105-6). Yet how curious is Diomedes remark to Nestor when he is awoken by him: You, old man, youd overpower us all! (Diomedes, X.197), and still more curious is Nestors claim to be deserving of honors on par with the Argive champions (XXIII.724). To understand these things, it is important for the reader to observe the many discussions of age that pervade the poem. Nestor is clearly older than anyone, as the reader is reminded constantly (I.303). Diomedes, on the other hand is the youngest (XIV.138). As such, Diomedes is quick to respond to Nestors urgings. He offers both to fight Hector (VII.189) and to spy on the Trojan camp (X.258) because of Nestors influence, and so great is his respect for authority, he rebukes his comrade Sthenelus for claiming greatness over their fathers (IV.464-84). Upon hearing Nestors counsel, Diomedes declares, Right, old soldier all you say is true. (Diomedes, VIII.166). A similar insight is echoed by Agamemnon on more than one occasion (I.336, X.139). This inerrancy of Nestor is not manifested in Diomedes. On one particular occasion, Nestor even rebukes Diomedes for his loose talk (VIII.173). Despite this, Diomedes himself expresses many moments of good counsel, on one occasion being the very first to address Agamemnon (IX.37), a position which Nestor normally enjoys (VII.372-3). Even Nestor marvels at his counsel: How young you are why, you could be my son, / my youngest-born at that, though you urge our kings / with cool clear sense: what youve said is right (IX.66-8). These words of edification seem at first to elevate Diomedes alongside Nestor, but he is not finished with his statement: I think I can claim to have some years on you. / So I must speak up and drive the matter home. (IX.70-1). Nestor then launches into his own elaboration upon what Diomedes has already proposed (IX.60-93).

(ID#2437666) Page 3 The question remains: if Diomedes spoke rightly, why did Nestor have to repeat it in his own words? That answer can be found in a closer evaluation of the similarities between Nestor and Diomedes. When he was Diomedes age, Nestor recalls: No one could match me there, none among the Epeans, / not even our own Pylians, or Aetolias hardy men. (XXIII.705-6) and again, There was a day I shone among the champions. (XXIII. 719). It is also observed that even from the earliest time, his plans and tactics always seemed best (VII.372-3). Not only does Diomedes seem to share this superhuman (V.504, V.528, V.1022) quality with Nestors youth, but he also shares Nestors skill of counsel at a young age: Few can match your power in battle, Diomedes, / and in council you excel all men your age. (IX.61-2). Notice here the way Nestor expresses his idea: all men your age. Nestor takes care not to take Diomedes wisdom out of the context of his age. This speaks volumes about the importance of age, and it helps clarify why Nestor would have repeated Diomedes exact same sentiment in the council referenced above. Not only have Nestors years made him wiser, they have given him an authority which demands respect from those who are younger. His words carry a weight that Diomedes could never carry because of the simple fact that Nestor has lived longer and is older than those he is counseling. Although it is evident from all this that growing in authority is intimately woven with growing in age, growing in wisdom is not entirely dependent on age. True, experience only comes with time, but the way that time is spent is critical to becoming as wise as Nestor. The seemingly most practical and most appropriate use of that time is spent proving oneself physically as has been exemplified in the lives of Nestor and Diomedes both. However, it is also evident that neither of these men relied solely on their own youthful strength. Each relied heavily upon divine aid, and it is no coincidence that both men were assisted by Athena. All throughout the story, Diomedes prays to Athena for aid (V.125-47, X.332-346), and she gives him glory

(ID#2437666) Page 4 (X.581-91, XXIII.449). Homer describes it well at the beginning of Book V: Then Pallas Athena granted Tydeus son Diomedes / strength and daring so the fighter would shine forth / and tower over the Argives and win himself great glory (V.1-3). Among other moments (8578), Nestor himself recalls, I took [Ereuthalion] on and Athena gave me glory (VII.179). The resultant growth of Diomedes wisdom is best exemplified in his increasingly cautionary actions toward the gods. At the outset Diomedes cries, Not a word of retreat. Youll never persuade me. / Its not my nature to shrink from battle, cringe in fear / with the fighting strength still steady in my chest. (V.279-81). His recklessness is so great that even many of the gods believe hed fight Zeus given the opportunity (V.408, 526). Yet as the battle rages on and Diomedes grows in the experience, he begins displaying signs of caution toward warring with the gods (V.685, 696, VI.148-52), a caution which Zeus says will keep a man alive longer (V.465-6). This same caution is verified in Nestors preceding wisdom: Theres not a man alive who can fight the will of Zeus, / even a man of iron Zeus is so much stronger! (VIII.163-4). Yes, indeed, Diomedes learns his lessons well, and he grows in wisdom because of it. In the end, the reader cannot disputer the fact that Diomedes is wise, but neither can the reader claim that his wisdom is equivalent to Nestors. It is just as impossible to make that claim that Diomedes is Nestors age. Despite this, it is still very conceivable that Diomedes could one day become the kind of hero Nestor is in The Iliad, a hero whose honor relies upon the authority of age and in the right counsel of wisdom. All he need do is to take advantage of the lessons of his youth and age into maturity.

(ID#2437666) Page 5 Work Cited Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1990.