Combat and Classics Podcast

It's here: our last episode on the Iliad! Achilles continues to mourn Patroclus, and to try to disfigure Hector's body. After days of this, Apollo intervenes, and the gods help Priam to retrieve his son's body from Achilles' tent. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff consider Achilles' "foreign policy" in his dealings with Priam, and the meaning of Homer's epic as a whole. Does the end of the Iliad portray a decline to a world run by liars and dancers, or an ascent to an almost joyful tragic insight into human power? In the final analysis, is it better to be a human being than to be a god? Do we need to read the Odyssey together to answer these questions? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

After our antepenultimate Iliad episode comes... the penultimate episode! In Book 23, Hector is dead, and Achilles mourns Patroclus, who comes to Achilles in a dream and demands a funeral. So Achilles organizes funeral games: chariot and foot races, boxing and wrestling, and more. The Argives compete, and contend over the justice of their competition. We ask: why does Homer's description of the chariot race take up half of the book? Does Achilles do a good job of managing this race and judging its outcome? Join Brian, Shilo, and Jeff as they discuss the "domestic policy" of the post-wrath, or dead, Achilles. Does he now permit pity and skill to come to the fore, and is this a sign of growth or decline? Is the world of pity and skill a world where one person can be good at everything? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Here's our antepenultimate episode on the Iliad! In Book 22, Apollo, disguised as Agenor, lures Achilles away from Troy. When he sees through the deception, Achilles goes after Hector, and chases him around the city's walls. This goes on until Athena disguises herself as Deiphobus, and tricks Hector into facing Achilles. Then Achilles kills Hector, and drags his corpse around behind his chariot. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff ask: why does Hector decide to face Achilles, rather than taking refuge within the walls of Troy? We discuss whether his choice makes sense, and whether he is driven by a just (or an unjust) shame. We also consider whether Hector could have gotten help, whether he could have negotiated with Achilles, and whether he and Achilles, under different circumstances, could have been friends. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

We're back, with our preantepenultimate episode on the Iliad! In Book 21, we get into the action. Achilles kills so many Trojans that the river Scamander protests the mess he is making. So Achilles fights the river, and nearly dies. Then there is a war between the gods; they lay it on without restraint. Meanwhile, Achilles kills two of Priam's sons, as he watches. And the Trojans are driven back into the gates of Troy. Join Brian, Shilo, and Jeff as they talk about what it might look like to fight a river, and wonder why Achilles cares about how his body looks after he dies. Is Achilles driven by justice in this book, or the noble, or both? Is excellence more visible in a contest between equals, or between unequals? And does Zeus enjoy the suffering of the gods because it makes them better? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

In Book 20, Achilles gets new armor from his mom, and rejoins the battle. Zeus tells the gods to take sides, and to go nuts. And Achilles faces Aeneas and Hector, and fights them, so that the gods have to save them. Brian, Shilo, and Jeff talk about why Achilles' single combat with Aeneas is the centerpiece of the book, and why Achilles and Aeneas talk so much before they fight. Does the combat between Achilles and Aeneas prompt Poseidon to change sides? We also talk about why Zeus wants to see the spectacle of all the soldiers at Troy and all the gods fighting one another. Does Zeus find the suffering of soldiers and gods to be pleasant? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

We're back! And so is Achilles. But what is he back for? Join Brian, Shilo, and Jeff as we ask why the Iliad isn't over, now that Achilles says his wrath is done. We discuss whether Achilles has a new cause for wrath, against Hector, for the death of Patroclus', and whether this new cause is the same or different from his old cause for wrath, against Agamemnon, for the theft of Briseis. Are both causes for wrath based on an injustice? Who really is responsible for Patroclus' death? We also consider how the gods use nectar and ambrosia to embalm Patroclus' corpse and spare Achilles the need to eat. Are the gods' bodies dead? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Achilles is crushed by Patroclus' death. Thetis, his mother, helps him to revenge himself on Hector by asking Hephaestus to make Achilles some new armor. We ask about the elaborate and famous description of Achilles' shield. How should we understand the details on this shield, which looks like the world of the living? Does the shield conceal the world of the dead, who are under the shield just like Achilles is? We also think about Hephaestus' intentions in making Achilles' shield. Is he the artisan who makes the artifact that must fail? Is Hephaestus the wisest god because he can sum up human life? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Shilo gets a new gig, and we offend a whole county! But back in the Iliad, Patroclus is dead, and the Greeks and Trojans fight over his body. Why is a whole book concerned with Patroclus' body? And why do we care about the armor and the horses of Achilles? Brian, Shilo and Jeff talk about how this book contributes to the suspense of the story, and about the meaning of Patroclus' embodiment. Is Patroclus his body, or is he different from his body? Are human bodies different from those of the gods? We explore the strange image of the stretched bullhide, and whether Patroclus' body is a valuable commodity. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

In this book, Achilles comes upon the crying Patroclus, and pities and chides him. Then Patroclus puts on Achilles' armor, joins the fight, is stunned by Apollo, and killed by Hector. Brian, Shilo and Jeff ask why Achilles lets Patroclus join the fight wearing Achilles' armor, when Achilles himself says he is ready to return to battle? We explore Achilles' thinking: what is it like to be far superior to everyone around you? Does Achilles want everyone around him, Greek or Trojan, dead -- except Patroclus? We learn why Plato's Socrates warns against identifying with Achilles' wrath, and how superior human beings dangerously test their friends. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Zeus wakes up, and gives us a spoiler of the rest of the Iliad. Then he sets his will in motion. Apollo fills Hector with chutzpah, and he leads the Trojans to fight among the Greek ships. In this episode, Brian, Shilo, and Jeff ask about the smile of Zeus. Has he caught Hera in a lie? Does his smile mean that he thinks he is superior to all the other gods? Is it boring to be by far the greatest of the gods? Thanks to our supporters and donors! You can support the show at combatandclassics.org. And if you have questions, you can email us at combatandclassics@gmail.com, or you can call and leave a voicemail at 703.677.8645. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Poseidon interferes with the will of Zeus because Hera has seduced the king of the gods with a sexy belt. Also, the battle between the Greeks and Achaeans continues to escalate. We return to the question of "who should be in charge?" and try to figure out why someone should be in charge of something (war, sports, business) generally. We think especially about taking feedback on your decisions as a leader. Thanks to our supporters and donors! You can support the show at combatandclassics.org. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

We wonder why Book 13 doesn't have a cool name like Book 12 did. Then we turn to other questions, like what is on the minds of both sides of this conflict? is it true that military prowess, or military virtue, gives you other virtues, such as skill at deliberation? Or are the two things separate? Said another way and using the example of sports, why isn’t the best player the coach? And as it relates to the Iliad: who should be in charge of the Greek army? Email us at combatandclassics@gmail.com, or you can call and leave a voicemail question at 703.677.8645. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Shilo, Jeff and Brian continue their read through of Homer's Iliad. We try to figure out why Book 12 exists as the midpoint of the story and how Homer is using it to build on his themes and continue the narrative. Specifically we ask why is the book so short compared to the others? Why all the similes about war and the natural world and is war a natural phenomenon? You can rate us on iTunes or follow us on social @combatandclassics. You can also leave a voicemail question at 703.677.8645. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

[Yell-y war voice] "CARNAGE ON THE BATTLEFIELD!!!!" Our opening question from Jeff is "can we spoil the Iliad?" We try to understand what's going on with the story in terms of the hierarchy of Greek heroes on the battlefield and who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are. We also try to understand what's happening with Achilles, who said that he'd return to the fight once the Trojans were at the ships and we seem to be at that moment but Achilles just sends Patroclus to find out who a wounded Greek is and we get a long story from Nestor. Brian also mentions his guest hosting of Shakespeare Dallas' "Shakespeare Decoded" pod which you can listen to here. You can follow us on IG/FB via @combatandclassics. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

We got some calls! Thanks a ton to Mark Eleveld and his students at Kankakee High School. Truly honored that you all took the time to call or write in your questions on our Episode 62 on the Iliad Book 5 where we discussed the apparent blurring of gods and mortals and especially Diomedes wounding of a god as well as the difference between courage and the absence of fear. If you have questions for us you can call in at 703.677.8645 or email us at combatandclassics@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

The Night Raid! Important book in the kinda middle of the story with lots of action. Agamemnon wakes up in the middle of the night and convenes a war planning committee. Nestor says the Greeks should send some spies out, Diomedes and Odysseus volunteer. Hector also calls for a spy to go look at the what the Greeks are up too, and Dolon volunteers. We talk about the asymmetries between the Greek mission and the Trojan mission and the visualization of Diomedes killing sleeping soldiers and ask what role beauty plays in this book. We also ask what the goal of war is: to kill the enemy or to defeat the enemy's war to fight. If you'd like to call us and leave a voicemail with a question, you can call us at ‪(703) 677-8645‬. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

The Trojans have pushed the Greeks all the way back to their ship. Night falls, and a panicked Agamemnon and Menelaus need a plan. They decide to send an embassy to Achilles, to beg him to rejoin the fighting. And (spoiler alert) the embassy fails -- but interestingly. It looks like Achilles' position softens; but if so, why doesn't Odysseus report this to the rest of the Greeks? Does Achilles have a moment of philosophic insight about the superiority of the contemplative life? Or is he just a prisoner on the beach, like Odysseus and the rest of the heroes? How does Achilles want to be remembered? You can find our back episodes at combatandclassics.org and follow us on social @combatandclassics. And if you like what we do, you should also definitely check out Vydol, a close-reading app and online philosophical community. Take a look at vydol.com, or join directly using our affiliate link here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

The gods assemble on Mount Olympus after the Trojans put a whooping on the Greeks. The Greeks decide to build defensive fortifications for the first time in the nine year war. Zeus gives a speech to the other gods warning them about going against his will. What do we think of Zeus as a leader? How does he compare to the leaders of the Greeks and Trojans? You can find our back episodes at combatandclassics.org and follow us on social @combatandclassics. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Book 7 opens with a duel. The Greeks draw lots to fight Hector and (supposedly) end the war. Nine Greeks volunteer to fight and lots are drawn. Ajax wins the lottery and fights Hector. Ajax seems to be winning but the fighters make a truce and decide to take a day off to bury and honor the dead. Our opening question is: Who are the Greeks without Achilles? Some followup questions are: Does this book set up Nestor being wrong in the future? Does having Achilles around damage the other heroes? You can call into our phone number and leave a voicemail with your questions that we may play on the show: 703.677.8645. Or email us at combatandclassics@gmail.com. You can also donate at combatandclassics.org. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support

Oh hey! You can call us now! 703.677.8645. Leave a voicemail with your question and we may play it on the air and try to answer it. You can also email us at combatandclassics@gmail.com In this week's episode we find the Trojans getting beat pretty badly by the Greeks, so Helenus (a soothsayer and Hector's brother) tells Hector to go back to Troy and get the women to sacrifice to Athena. While he's back in town Hector visits his brother and chastises him for not returning to the battlefield. But then Hector goes and visits his wife and newborn son. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Agamemnon chastises Menelaus for taking prisoners, and Diomedes and Glaucus fight, but find out their grandpappies were buddies... so they decide to exchange armor and agree to a personal truce. We try to tease out in this episode: who is Hector? How does he compare to Agamemnon and Achilles? You can donate to support the show at combatandclassics.org. Thanks for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brian-wilson5/support