How relevant is Homer for us today
K. S. Sivakumaran
Most students seem to be disinterested in studying or for that matter
even reading literature of great value in any language. If we were to
look at the works in English alone whether original or in translation we
would find wealth of knowledge and experience that we gain first hand.
Let’s take an example from the great Greek Literature. Fortunately for
us the two great epics of Homer – the Iliad and Odyssey – are available
in English translation.
However we can pose a question: How relevant is Homer for us today?
While we think about it let me try to answer this question briefly.
As our knowledgeable readers already know Homer’s epics are the best
representation of what is surely the cradle of European civilization.
Critics have even considered the Odyssey as the first European novel.
Therefore Homer is important in a cultural context. In the context of
Indian culture the epics Mahabaratha and Ramayana are significant world
literature.
Let’s examine the question posed in peeping into the Iliad.
The Iliad tells us that the Heroic Age had certain admirable traits,
chief among them was Humanism. Humanism is what we want today. In this
age of tension and turmoil very often Humanism is forgotten and
treacherous things happen in robbing even what is left out from the
‘have-nots’.
The human element can be traced in several places in Iliad. One
immediate example is when Agamemnon invites his tired men in the war to
a feed before another attack is made on the Trojans. (This reminds me of
an incident in the Tamil (pronounced Thamil) epic Kamba Ramayanam where
Rama asks the fatigued Ravana to go home and come back the following day
to continue the battle).
Even though Agamemnon could order his warriors to fight, he had the
human feeling in him as to invite them for feast and thereby showing his
appreciation for the task they performed. This element is exemplary.
Again in the same scene where Helen bemoans the loss of so many men
in the Trojan War and blames herself as the cause of the tragedy we see
a human element here.
Admitting one’s fault is lacking in the world of today. This element
in Homer can be considered as relevant for us today.
Even in Hector’s behavour in the epic, particularly when he wanted
the chieftains to fight and settle the issue rather than the soldiers
indulging in combat. We see his magnanimity in this instance. This kind
of act is also very relevant today.
Hector’s meeting with his wife Andromache is another moving sequence
where the flow of humanism is beautifully enacted.
We can therefore briefly conclude that on account of the humanism
prevailing in the Iliad we can term it as relevant for us today. |
