An aristeia or aristia (; , ''"excellence"'') is a scene in the dramatic conventions of epic poetry as in the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

'', where a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

in battle has his finest moments (''aristos'' = "best"). ''Aristeia'' may result in the death of the hero, and therefore suggests a "battle in which he reaches his peak as a fighter and hero".

Historical background

In the pre-

hoplite Hoplites ( ) ( ) were citizen-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states who were primarily armed with spears and shields. Hoplite soldiers used the phalanx formation to be effective in war with fewer soldiers. The formation discouraged the sold ...

phase of Greek military evolution, the well-armed aristocrat was the major focus of military action, placed at the apex of his less well-armed dependants. This was reflected in the Homeric division between nobility and commoners, and in the regular epic struggles over the armour of the former, once fallen in their aristeia. Classical hoplite armies, though very different, nevertheless still awarded prizes (aristeia) for individual excellence in action.

Epic examples

Literally, "moment of excellence", ''aristeiai'' often coincide with battleground slaughter, and feature one warrior who dominates the battle. *Aristeiai abound in

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's ''

'', the peak being

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...

' ''aristeia'' in Books 20–22 where he almost single-handedly routs the

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

army and then goes on to kill its champion

Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...

. Achilles' "extended and phenomenal solo performances in battle" are shown in the epic's "longest and most murderous" series of events. Other instances of this phenomenon in the ''Iliad'' are found in

Diomedes Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; ) is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan ...

' "preeminent deeds" in battle while empowered by

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

(Books 5 and 6, the longest after Achilles' from Book 20–22), Hector's leading of the Trojan assault on the Achaian camp in Book 8 (with the help of

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

's ''aristeia'' in Book 11 where his rampage prompts Zeus to warn Hector against meeting him in battle, as well as

Patroclus In Greek mythology, Patroclus (generally pronounced ; ) was a Greek hero of the Trojan War and an important character in Homer's ''Iliad''. Born in Opus, Patroclus was the son of the Argonaut Menoetius. When he was a child, he was exiled from ...

' ''aristeia'' in Book 16, which ultimately leads to his demise at the hands of Hector. Book 16 illustrates how ''aristeiai'' often fit into the "epic overextension" of battles: the arming of the warriors, the march into battle, the initial clash, the intense exchanges, and the retreat of one of the armies—often leading to a hero's opportunity for his ''aristeia''. *In Book 22 of the ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

'', Greek hero

Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...

slaughters all of the suitors in his palace in another homeric display of martial excellence. ''Aristeia'' also suggests the qualities of the hero that make his great deeds possible, such as Odysseus' ''polymetis'' ("cunning intelligence") that allows him to triumph over the Cyclops

Polyphemus Polyphemus (; , ; ) is the one-eyed giant son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes described in Homer's ''Odyssey''. His name means "abounding in songs and legends", "many-voiced" or "very famous". Polyphemus first ap ...

in Book 9 of the ''Odyssey''. *''Aristeia'' is also seen, to some extent, in the ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...

'', when

Nisus and Euryalus In Greek and Roman mythology, Nisus () and Euryalus (; ) are lovers serving under Aeneas in the ''Aeneid'', the Augustan epic by Virgil. Their foray among the enemy, narrated in book nine, demonstrates their stealth and prowess as warriors, b ...

leave the Trojan defences in Book 9 to slaughter the Latin captains while they sleep. It also features in Book 10, when

Mezentius In Roman mythology, Mezentius was an Etruscan king, and father of Lausus. Sent into exile because of his cruelty, he moved to Latium. He reveled in bloodshed and was overwhelmingly savage on the battlefield, but more significantly to a Roman au ...

takes the place of

Turnus Turnus () was the legendary King of the Rutuli in Roman history, and the chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas in Virgil's ''Aeneid''. According to the ''Aeneid'', Turnus is the son of Daunus and the nymph Venilia and is brother of the nymph ...

and strikes down all in his path: it draws upon Homeric models, using a

simile A simile () is a type of figure of speech that directly ''compares'' two things. Similes are often contrasted with metaphors, where similes necessarily compare two things using words such as "like", "as", while metaphors often create an implicit c ...

. Camilla also has an ''aristeia'' in Book 11 killing twelve opponents, but ends with her death. *In

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

, Books V and VI see the most individual moments of battlefield domination (aristeia), associated with (for example) the figure of Abdiel.

Recent examples

In the film ''

300 __NOTOC__ Year 300 ( CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1053 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 300 ...

'', individual Spartan deaths are often portrayed as a Homeric aristeia.D Lowe, ''Classics for All'' (2009) p. 65

References

External links

Aristeia
A comic-strip explanation of the formula of an Aristeia b
Greek Myth Comix

Arming formula
A comic-strip explanation of the arming sequence that tales place at the beginning of an Aristeia b
Greek Myth Comix
{{DEFAULTSORT:aristeia Ancient Greek theatre Narratology

Historical background

Epic examples

Recent examples

See also

References

External links