Professor Edith Hall

I'm the kingiest. Well, it's an adjective. I'm the most kingly. I'm the kingiest. I'm going to have Briseis. Achilles, quite understandably, says, you what? And what you have is a row which sets up this really political theme because Agamemnon is by heredity the most powerful king, only because he's the son of the son of the son. By far the best warrior is Achilles.

I'm the kingiest. Well, it's an adjective. I'm the most kingly. I'm the kingiest. I'm going to have Briseis. Achilles, quite understandably, says, you what? And what you have is a row which sets up this really political theme because Agamemnon is by heredity the most powerful king, only because he's the son of the son of the son. By far the best warrior is Achilles.

He is by far the best warrior on the Achaean side, and he's the best warrior in the poem, and he's the best warrior in the world. And he has gone around and got lots and lots and lots of gold and booty from all the little towns they've already conquered in northwest Turkey, as it is now. How do you treat your best lieutenant who has helped you to wage war incredibly successfully and lucratively?

He is by far the best warrior on the Achaean side, and he's the best warrior in the poem, and he's the best warrior in the world. And he has gone around and got lots and lots and lots of gold and booty from all the little towns they've already conquered in northwest Turkey, as it is now. How do you treat your best lieutenant who has helped you to wage war incredibly successfully and lucratively?

He is by far the best warrior on the Achaean side, and he's the best warrior in the poem, and he's the best warrior in the world. And he has gone around and got lots and lots and lots of gold and booty from all the little towns they've already conquered in northwest Turkey, as it is now. How do you treat your best lieutenant who has helped you to wage war incredibly successfully and lucratively?

You insult him. You take his girlfriend. So Achilles lays it all out. He says, you may be kingier than me, but I'm much more soldiery than you. But it's absolutely thrilling because we're still having debates about whether we should abolish the House of Lords' hereditary peers.

You insult him. You take his girlfriend. So Achilles lays it all out. He says, you may be kingier than me, but I'm much more soldiery than you. But it's absolutely thrilling because we're still having debates about whether we should abolish the House of Lords' hereditary peers.

You insult him. You take his girlfriend. So Achilles lays it all out. He says, you may be kingier than me, but I'm much more soldiery than you. But it's absolutely thrilling because we're still having debates about whether we should abolish the House of Lords' hereditary peers.

These are still issues, whether you should be able to rise on merit or whether it's all a matter of what sort of class and family you're born into. So it's burningly political. And we're all on Achilles' side. So Homer, let's just call all these poets for shorthand Homer, makes sure that although he behaves appallingly, we really get why he's so angry with his boss.

These are still issues, whether you should be able to rise on merit or whether it's all a matter of what sort of class and family you're born into. So it's burningly political. And we're all on Achilles' side. So Homer, let's just call all these poets for shorthand Homer, makes sure that although he behaves appallingly, we really get why he's so angry with his boss.

These are still issues, whether you should be able to rise on merit or whether it's all a matter of what sort of class and family you're born into. So it's burningly political. And we're all on Achilles' side. So Homer, let's just call all these poets for shorthand Homer, makes sure that although he behaves appallingly, we really get why he's so angry with his boss.

We've all had, everybody has had a boss at some point who is less able than they are. And it is incredibly aggravating having to take orders from them and being exploited and mistreated by them. We've all been in that situation. Or we felt like that about a parent being arbitrary, right? There is no human in the world who has not been in Achilles' psychological situation.

We've all had, everybody has had a boss at some point who is less able than they are. And it is incredibly aggravating having to take orders from them and being exploited and mistreated by them. We've all been in that situation. Or we felt like that about a parent being arbitrary, right? There is no human in the world who has not been in Achilles' psychological situation.

We've all had, everybody has had a boss at some point who is less able than they are. And it is incredibly aggravating having to take orders from them and being exploited and mistreated by them. We've all been in that situation. Or we felt like that about a parent being arbitrary, right? There is no human in the world who has not been in Achilles' psychological situation.

So that is the genius of it, that even though his behaviour becomes utterly reprehensible, we're on his side for most of the poem.

So that is the genius of it, that even though his behaviour becomes utterly reprehensible, we're on his side for most of the poem.

So that is the genius of it, that even though his behaviour becomes utterly reprehensible, we're on his side for most of the poem.

Absolutely. And I'm absolutely willing him to stay in his tent and not help the overlord. The Achaean camp is a pretty dire, violent, aggressive, shouty place. You know, there's lots of rows, lots of aggression. The one scene of real peace in the Achaean camp is Achilles' beautiful tent. He's got these soldiers who would give their lives for him, the Myrmidons.

Absolutely. And I'm absolutely willing him to stay in his tent and not help the overlord. The Achaean camp is a pretty dire, violent, aggressive, shouty place. You know, there's lots of rows, lots of aggression. The one scene of real peace in the Achaean camp is Achilles' beautiful tent. He's got these soldiers who would give their lives for him, the Myrmidons.

Absolutely. And I'm absolutely willing him to stay in his tent and not help the overlord. The Achaean camp is a pretty dire, violent, aggressive, shouty place. You know, there's lots of rows, lots of aggression. The one scene of real peace in the Achaean camp is Achilles' beautiful tent. He's got these soldiers who would give their lives for him, the Myrmidons.