ABSTRACT
Late in the Iliad, an epic poem of death, Apollo has a moment of unique reflection. Up to this point, this self-involved observer of carnage has remained aloof. As a god, he is immune to the ails of mankind and the force of death. But here, at last, the sheer magnitude of loss penetrates the detachment. Homer conveys the poignancy of the human condition, and the essence of mourning, and with sudden awareness, Apollo speaks these words:
He grieves, he weeps, and then his tears are through.
The Fates have given mortals hearts that can endure.
(Homer, 1990, vol. XXIII, pp. 56–57)