ABSTRACT
The figure of Achilles as protagonist, the Homeric Achilles, was largely absent from pre-twentieth century literature. Achilles is left without armour or shield when, having loaned them to his friend Patroclus; they fall into the hands of Hector. Troy allows us to imagine what life was like in peacetime, and it is the everyday life of the Trojan men and women that inspires so many of Homer's images which offer us a glimpse into the moments. The poet employs the resources of the English language, such as the resonance Achilles / the killer, a brutal idea that is counteracted in the same line by the verb to kiss. The scene of the encounter between Priam and Achilles has left a deep mark on later art and literature. The meeting between Achilles and Priam represents something new, a rupture in the cycle of revenge and death, although it does not stop the war.
