The Art of the Trojan Catalogue (Iliad 2.816–877)

Abstract

Contrary to the view that the Trojan Catalogue lacks artistry or sensitivity to the Iliad's larger drama, I argue that it interweaves motifs used of epic obituaries and raises the theme of the doomed Trojan leader to underscore Hector's fate at the end of the epic. Hector's doom is put into greater relief through the Trojan Catalogue's deliberate contrast to the preceding Catalogue of Ships, which alternatively presents the theme of the absent leader with a view towards Achilles' role. The juxtaposition of the two catalogues ultimately generates pathos for the tragic fates of the Trojans and their chief defender.