The Iliad, or, That War Thing

Girls, guts, and glory. How many war movies can that phrase apply to?

Okay, so maybe most modern warfare places less emphasis on fighting over women, but there is still talk of the girlfriend/wife back home, and occasionally the bold addition of a war bride, although this final element tends to play less of a pivotal role in the war as a whole. Namely, I do not know of a war story in recent memory that involves a Helen. Or, perhaps, I do not know of a war story old enough to have acquired this kind of legendary mythos.

Yet, there are a great many Patrocluses fighting side by side with Achilles. There are many Hectors who greet their wives and infant children one last time. Priams and Hecubas mourn the loss of their children, one after another, and wait the long days before receiving their children's bodies, if they are so fortunate as to have one.

This article gives one way to look at the Iliad in a modern age of war.

On a lighter note, as mentioned in class, Marvel Comics has an adaptation of The Iliad.

Wrath indeed. Also, note Athena (?) tucked under the shield in the middle ground. Her skirts should probably be hiked up for the battlefield. Maybe her goddess powers keep her from tripping.

I want to read these, now. Despite the demure pose, I do like that the woman on the left (Helen, perhaps?) is not given an overly sexual treatment. Also, it looks like she's up to something.