Introduction:
Before even picking up the ancient writings of Homer, any reader may find it safe to say that the poem will be filled with examples of elite warriors committed to honing their craft of warfighting along with stoic kings who staunchly lead their people to victory. Priam and Peleus are such kings, while Hector and Achilles are prime examples of warriors who place honor and duty first, having become leaders in their own right. While themes of strength, honor, and duty are readily apparent in ancient Greek writings, there is a less evident storyline tracing the interactions between these kings and their heroic soldiers. Each of these warriors also play the role of a son, and both of these kings that of a father. While these roles are obvious at first glance, the tensions created by a king acting as a father and a hero acting as a son which permeate the epic poem The Iliad are not obvious. Exhibits of these father-son relationships offer a glance into the more human side of the characters involved in the Trojan campaign, and provide a glimpse into the realities of fathers sending their sons to war. To begin an examination of the father-son relationship in The Iliad, we must first define each of our characters in their respective roles as kings and heroes.

Only allowed to use The Iliad as a source