Iliad Lesson Plan

In what respects do Diomedes's and Odysseus's actions in Book X diverge from the rest of The Iliad?

Diomedes's and Odysseus's raid on the Trojan camp stands out because it is a rare example of subterfuge and trickery in the poem. In the world of The Iliad, the purpose of combat is to gain glory; and, because one can only have glory in the eyes of a broader society of fellows, combat is almost always a public affair. Combat is, additionally, a test of each combatant's strength and valor; to kill an enemy whilst they are sleeping, as Diomedes and Odysseus do, would ordinarily not be considered honorable. For this reason, in face, quite a few scholars have argued that Book X...