Examples Of Sufficiency In The Iliad

Edirin Abada
English 212-Section 007-World Literature
Professor Augustine Okereke
February 21, 2012

Aristotle said the man who is incapable of working in common or who in his self sufficiency has no need for others, is no part of the community like a beast or a dog. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Self Sufficiency is defined as; able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid, Capable of providing for one’s own need. Self Sufficiency is also defined as having an extreme confidence in one’s own ability or worth. The character Achilles from the poem “The Iliad” by Homer is the perfect example of the above saying by Aristotle. Achilles has such a great deal of confidence in him that he feels no need for anyone with the exception
of a woman, which eventually led to his downfall. In my perspective, Achilles whom is portrayed as a hero in the Epic poem “The Iliad” is far from a heroic figure. To be a hero one must be able to sacrifice, have determination, stay loyal, have fortitude have courage and be dedicated to a cause, Achilles lacks majority of the qualities mentioned, so therefore I see Achilles in a different light that most people might see him. A hero sometimes works by himself but always remember that he/she is part of a community, and his actions plays a major role in the progress of the community, we all are humans and we all are flawed. Heroes are human being and do not possess super-human strength but they should be persistent with their character. To my understanding Heroes should be brave, unselfish, caring and never give up no matter how tough it might get. In general Aristotle described Achilles in his saying because Achilles’ actions show how his Self Sufficiency deprived him from working with his community and let his pride take over him. Achilles who is the lead fighter in a war, knows that his people and community needs him because he is the “hero” and without him they might get defeated but he looked down on his society like he wasn’t part of them, due to some issues that transpired.
During the war the leaders of the Achaeans inherited women captured from their opponent. The Woman given to Agamemnon was requested back by her father but Agamemnon refused so a plague was cursed upon the people of Achaean. Many died during the Plague and the destruction will continue until the daughter is returned back to her father. Still Agamemnon is not willing to surrender, Achilles tried to convince him to cooperate but instead he got upset and says “Achilles, Valiant, through you be, you shall not this outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. Are you to keep your own prize, while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? Let the Achaeans find me a prize in fair exchange to my liking, or I will come and take your own, or that of Ajax or of Ulysses and he to whomsoever I may come shall rue my coming. But of this we will take hereafter; for the present, let us draw a ship into the sea, and find a crew for her expressly, let us put a hecatomb on board, and let us send Chrysies also; Further, let some chief man among us be in command, either Ajax, or Idomeneus or yourself, son of Peleus, mighty warrior that you are, that we may offer sacrifice and appease the anger of the
god” Agamemnon is threatening Achilles and the others that if he have to return his woman then he might make use of the woman that belongs to the others. Achilles and Agamemnon got into a heated quarrel that Agamemnon told Achilles “Since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chrysies from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal in comparable with me”. This Angered Achilles, he was furious with Agamemnon and his state of mind that he tries to revenge, he says “…but let them be witnesses by the blessed gods, by mortal men and by fierceness of Agamemnon’s anger, that if ever again there be need of me to save the people from ruin, they shall seek and they shall not find. Agamemnon is mad with rage and know not how to look before and after the Achaeans may fight by their ships in safety’. Achilles decides to abandon the war, and this is his way of paying back. It’s quite understandable that Agamemnon is wrong for his doings but Achilles, being a “hero” should have overlooked the situation and keep pushing on. In a case like this, a Real hero will be selfless and have the welfares of the community and act with less concern for himself; therefore in my defense Achilles is not a hero. Achilles couldn’t endure the pain of losing his woman and he let that broke his spirit. The war went on without the so called “hero” but his people were losing. Achilles was sent, he was begged to return but instead sent his friend in his place. Achilles’ replacement was killed by Hector and it droved Achilles mad. To revenge the dead of his friend, Achilles returned to war. Achilles was now fighting but didn’t cooperate with his team, he did his thing individually just for the sole purpose of his friend’s death rather than the community as a whole. Achilles felt “no need for others” and therefore “is no part of the community” and a hero works for the community. Hector killed Achilles’ friend and was bragging around thinking that was Achilles, during the fight between Achilles, the “hero” was deranged, angered and he took down Hector but disrespected the god. Achilles didn’t follow the Heroic code, he dragged Hector corpse around. This angered this gods a lot. At the end the “hero” who is “strong” was killed by a weakling. Achilles weakness was a woman; he shouldn’t have been so distracted. There weren’t any sense of loyalty, nor was he devoted. A hero would sacrifice what he values for the sake of something of higher values, which should have been his community. Achilles actions proved the saying of Aristotle and definition of Self Sufficiency by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, like a beast Achilles didn’t follow any rules and had such an extreme confidence in his ability to conquer that he dragged himself out of being in the community that did things on his own.