Aristeia
Encyclopedia
An aristeia or aristia is a scene in the dramatic conventions of such works as the Iliad
in which a hero
in battle has his finest moments (aristos = best). It is usually associated with men but can be expanded also to encompass women (as in the case of Andromache
). In the latter case the aristeia is of a different sort, grief. Such is the high quality of the hero's offensive, an Aristeia scene usually results in the death of all those standing in his way.
The elements of the scene and the order in which they appear in the "Iliad" are:
One of the most epic examples of aristeia is in Book 21 of the Iliad
when Achilles
almost single handedly routs the Trojan
army. This includes his chase of Hector
around Troy
; Achilles eventually succeeds in killing him and dragging his corpse around the city. Also in the Iliad
, another instance of this phenomenon can be found in Diomedes' outstanding performance in battle, empowered by Athena (Book V) as well as Hector
's in the Trojan assault on the Achaian camp in Book VIII (with the help of Zeus
) and Patroklos' aristeia of Book XVI, which ultimately leads to his demise at the hands of Hector
. In Book XXII of Odyssey
, the Greek hero Odysseus
slaughters all of the suitors in his palace in another homeric display of martial excellence.
It can also be seen, to some extent, in the Aeneid
when Nisus
and Euryalus
have left the Trojan defences at night and are slaughtering the Latin captains while they sleep, the finest moment for the two men. It also features in Book X, when Mezentius takes the place of Turnus and strikes down all in his path: true military skill. It draws upon Homeric models, using a doubled simile.
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
in which a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
in battle has his finest moments (aristos = best). It is usually associated with men but can be expanded also to encompass women (as in the case of Andromache
Andromache
In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector and daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled...
). In the latter case the aristeia is of a different sort, grief. Such is the high quality of the hero's offensive, an Aristeia scene usually results in the death of all those standing in his way.
The elements of the scene and the order in which they appear in the "Iliad" are:
- Arming scene
- Brilliance of armor/hero
- Exhortation to followers
- Initial exploit
- Setback (wounding)
- Divine inspirationDivine InspirationDivine Inspiration is a British music group that formed in 2002. The group consists of singer Sarah-Jane Scott, DJ Paul Crawley, David Lewin and Lee Robinson. They have had two singles that charted in the United Kingdom. Their first release, "The Way " peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart...
- Renewed exploits
- Double simileSimileA simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words "like", "as". Even though both similes and metaphors are forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas...
- The kill
- Taunting the victim
One of the most epic examples of aristeia is in Book 21 of the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
when Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
almost single handedly routs the Trojan
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
army. This includes his chase of Hector
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
around Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
; Achilles eventually succeeds in killing him and dragging his corpse around the city. Also in the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
, another instance of this phenomenon can be found in Diomedes' outstanding performance in battle, empowered by Athena (Book V) as well as Hector
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
's in the Trojan assault on the Achaian camp in Book VIII (with the help of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
) and Patroklos' aristeia of Book XVI, which ultimately leads to his demise at the hands of Hector
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
. In Book XXII of Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, the Greek hero Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
slaughters all of the suitors in his palace in another homeric display of martial excellence.
It can also be seen, to some extent, in the Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
when Nisus
Nisus and Euryalus
Nisus and Euryalus are a pair of friends serving under Aeneas in the Aeneid, the Augustan epic by Vergil. Their foray among the enemy, narrated in Book 9, demonstrates their stealth and prowess as warriors, but ends as a tragedy: the loot Euryalus acquires attracts attention, and the two die...
and Euryalus
Euryalus
Euryalus refers to several different characters from Greek mythology and classical literature:#In the Aeneid by Virgil, Nisus and Euryalus are ideal friends and lovers, who died during a raid on the Rutulians.# Euryalus was the son of Mecisteus...
have left the Trojan defences at night and are slaughtering the Latin captains while they sleep, the finest moment for the two men. It also features in Book X, when Mezentius takes the place of Turnus and strikes down all in his path: true military skill. It draws upon Homeric models, using a doubled simile.