num_pages: 198
description: Achilleswarrior and heroby the protocols of Western culture should never cry. And yet Homeric epic is full of his tears and those of his companions at Troy. This path-blazing study by Hlne Monsacr shows how later ideals of stoically inexpressive manhood run contrary to the poetic vision presented in the Iliad and Odyssey. The epic protagonists as larger-than-life figures who transcend gender categories are precisely the men most likely to weep.Monsacr pursues the paradox of the tearful fighter through a series of lucid and detailed close readings and examines all aspects of the interactions between men and women in the Homeric poems. Her illuminating analysis first published in French in 1984 remains bold fresh and compelling for anyone touchedlike Achillesby a world of grief.
language: English
title: The Tears of Achilles
publisher: Center for Hellenic Studies