Fate in the "Illiad"- an Academic Review

They believe that with determination and hard work, no matter where a person comes from or what resources the person possesses, they can achieve what could be considered impossible as long as motivation drives them to be the best they can be. In Ancient Greece, though, that was not the common belief. They had an external locus of control, and nothing — not a god or mortal — could change the path a person was destined to take. In the Iliad, Troy is fated to fall once Hektor perishes; Hektor is fated to die in the hands of Achilleus; Patroklus is fated to be killed in order for Achilleus to go into battle alongside the Achaians. Even the gods attempt to tip the scales of fate, but still they cannot alter the future. One way or another, no matter the path a person takes, it will always lead that person to the same destination, and just as it always is in life, there are a number of events that have to unfold for the final outcome to be exposed. In the Iliad, it all started with the feud between Agamemnon and Achilleus, which later brought upon the course of events that leads a few characters to cause the citadel of Troy to burn to the ground. On this paper, I will be focusing on how Phoinix, Nestor and Patroklos had a very important role into steering Achilleus towards fulfilling his destiny by analyzing the speeches they made and their impact on certain characters.

Once Achilleus decided not to fight, things turned ugly for the Achaians to the point were Agamemnon sent “the best men to supplicate” for Achilleus to come back (9.520).  Among them was Phoinix, who managed to say just the right things to move Achilleus’ heart, even if it was by the slightest bit. Warming up to Achilleus and getting him not to return home on his ship the next day, Phoinix mentioned that he “made [Achilleus] all that [he is] now, and loved [him] out of [his] heart” as well as the fact that Phoinix treated Achilleus as if he were his own child (9.485-486 and 9.494-495). Any person that would hear their father tell them about how they love him and explain the ways the father took care for him in the past will always make a man feel like he needs to please his father and accomplish that which is being askied of him. The way this all impacted Achilleus was by changing his mind about leaving the city of Troy and to stay alongside the army, which by staying, it would eventually drive Achilleus into having to participate in the war and finally fulfill his fate. Now, this man, Phoinix, is a very intelligent person, because as his speech goes on, Phoinix does acknowledge Achilleus and the source of his anger, letting him know that the Achaians don’t deserve to have him on their side, even though they extremely needed him: If “[Agamemnon, who is] to remain still swollen with rancour, even I would not bid you throw your anger aside, nor defend the Argives, though they needed you sorely” (9.516-518). Agreeing with the way Achilleus reacted to this whole situation, Phoinix did what a ‘father’ does best, and that is give his ‘son’ support of his actions but also letting Achilleus know, through the art of words, to be a better man by “beat[ing] down [his] anger. [Because] It is not yours to have a pitiless heart” (9.496-497). At this point, since Phoinix has complimented and reassured Achilleus, Achilleus has reached a level of calmness, which is needed for Phoinix to finally lay his ‘tale of wisdom’ — as I like to call these stories throughout out the Iliad, which their sole purpose is to show what other warrior’s mistakes were and how warriors now can improve from them. In lines 9.530 to 9.599, Phoinix tells a story about a warrior named Meleagros, who has similar struggles as that of Achilleus (it is truly amusing how in every situation at least one person in this epic has a story that relates to it).

“The Achaians will honor you as they would an immortal. But if without gifts you go into the fighting where men perish, your honor will no longer be as great, though you drive back the battle.” - Phoinix lines 9.603-605

This quote is very important, not only because this is the end of Phoinix’ speech and  of how Achilleus responds to it, but because of what Phoinix just engraved into Achilleus’ mind. Earlier, Phoinix was letting Achilleus know that “his actions” towards the situation between him and Agamemnon were understandable, and also that the Achaians needed his help even though they don’t deserve it, but at this moment Phoinix is basically saying that even though he said all those things, Achilleus really should not fight unless he receives the materials goods Agamemnon promised him, because he won’t be as glorious of a warrior without them. This idea stays with Achilleus through the moment Patroklos and Achilleus talk about finally helping the Achaians in battle; Achilleus still wants his honor, and if he were to go into battle without being given any of Agamemnon’s riches, he would lose that honor. This idea that Phoinix implanted in Achilleus’ head resulted in Achilleus letting Patroklos enter the battlefield in Achilleus’ place where he should meet his own “death and evil destruction” (16.47). This, in turn, eventually brings Achilleus himself into the battlefield to fight off the Trojans and end Hektor’s life, but for Patroklos to have been persuaded into wanting to go into battle himself, someone had to inspire him to do so.

Nestor is the man of the hour, telling stories of his past to motivate those who need the motivation. I believe his role is the most important because he is the man who leads Patroklos on his way to wanting to fight in battle, which is needed for Achilleus to go into battle himself and achieve his destiny. Nestor asks Patroklos “Is he [Achilleus] going to wait then till the running ships by the water are burned with consuming fire for all the Argives can do, till we ourselves are killed one after another (11.663-667)?” At this moment, with all the bravest warriors wounded and the Achaian soldiers not getting any rest, the Greeks need Achilleus to step in to turn the tide of the war. Instead of this happening, though, Nestor moves Patroklos’ heart and sends him off running towards his male companion to convince him into either going to war himself or letting Patroklos wear Achilleus’ armor to throw off the Trojans and let the Achaian soldiers “get wind” after their hard work in battle (11.803-804,11.793-799, and 16.42).

“…Achilleus is higher than you are, but you are the elder. Yet in strength he is far the greater. You must speak solid words to him, and give him good counsel…If he listens to you it will be for his own good.” -Menoitos through Nestor’s tale (11.785-788)

After reminding Patroklos of what Menoitos — Patroklos’ father — told him before taking off to war with the Achaians, Nestor lets him know that Patroklos “might speak to wise Achilleus, [and] he might be persuaded…[because] the persuasion of a friend is a strong thing” (11.790-792). Nestor also gives Patroklos the great idea to borrow Achilleus’ armor if Achilleus himself feels like he shouldn’t fight because he is destined to live a short life if he chooses to enter the battle field once more (11.793-799). Making Patroklos feel like he has some importance to this war after all, he, by having Nestor stir “the feeling in the breast of Patroklos,” Patroklos went running towards the camping site of Achilleus to put his purpose into action, and having to unknowingly take the fall for the better of the Greeks to bring forth the completion of the prophecy of the fall of Troy in the hands of Achilleus.

Once Patroklos  shows his frustration to Achilleus and lets him know of the plan Nestor shared with him, Achilleus cannot ignore his companion’s desire and lets him take on the Trojans alongside the Myrmidons (16.64-65). And again, what Phoinix said earlier had an impact on Achilleus since at this point, Achilleus let Patroklos know that he will let the resentment towards Agamemnon “be a thing of the past; and it was not in [Achilleus’] heart to be angry forever,” but he still refuses to go into battle himself solely because he hasn't received the number of riches that Agamemnon needs to give Achilleus in order to regain his honor and status (16.61-62). As a part of restoring his honor, Achilleus demands Patroklos to return after driving the enemy away from the ships, but as we all know, this doesn’t happen, resulting in the death of Patroklos’ death for not following directions. The death of Patroklos is necessary to this story, however, since this is the only thing that would have, and did, bring Achilleus to finish his life’s purpose.

Homer was a brilliant composer who truly accomplished to write a story that has had a big impact on society since the eighth century B.C. to this day, carrying over the knowledge and customs of ancient Greeks to our modern day society and be able to learn and grow from them. One of the beliefs that were held very close to the hearts of the Greeks was that fate was “something that unavoidably befalls a person,” and there was nothing and no one who could alter a person’s course through life in a that was not already destined. The Iliad is based on the fate of Achilleus and the events that take us to witness its accomplishment, and by the help of the speeches given by three characters — Phoinix, Nestor, and Patroklos — Things are steered towards setting up Achilleus’ male life partner into entering the battle field, where his death lies. From then on, Achilleus is shoved into fulfilling his fate and destroying the city of Troy, which was destined to fall after the death of its prince, Hektor son of Priam, whom Achilleus murdered.

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