Lykaon's Death Research Paper

Ruthless slaughtering and unnecessary bloodshed occur hundreds of times over the course of the entire poem. Major characters and minor characters alike are sacrificed to the Trojan War. So, what makes Lykaon’s death so significant? The poet, Homer, provides much more detail of Lykaon’s death than many of the other minor characters. Lykaon’s death spans over 101 lines while most minor characters deaths span between 1 and 20 lines. For instance, “And now Aineias killed Leiokritos, with a spear-thrust, / the son of Arisbas and noble companion of Lykomedes…” (17.344-345). There are many other deaths described in as little detail as Leiokritos’ death; his is just one out of the countless examples provided by Homer. Background information is typically omitted for the majority of the minor character’s deaths, just as in the case of Leiokritos. However, the audience receives detailed
His death clearly portrays the change in Achilleus that occurs after Patroklos’ death. For example, only 12 days prior to their confrontation, Achilleus had spared Lykaon’s life (21.40). Achilleus had made the decision to capture and sell Lykaon as a slave instead of coldly slaughtering him. Whereas after Patroklos’ death, Achilleus’ rage causes him to disrespect Lykaon’s body severely by letting the fish consume it. Lykaon’s death captures the drastic change in Achilleus as a character in such a short amount of time; it also depicts how he deals with his incessant rage. It also enables the audience to experience pathos for him; the audience most likely sympathizes with Lykaon’s unfortunate situation. Through all of the graphic war imagery, it would be relieving for the audience to encounter emotions and empathy that they are familiar with from everyday life. While Lykaon is considered a minor character in the poem, his impact is major. His death is pertinent to one of the poem’s ongoing, central themes: Achilleus’