Homeric similes were developed into something different from similes in the ordinary sense of the word The swell of the sea gathered together in a crest ana broken on a sounding beach (cf IV 422-426) already proleptically symbolizes the surging on slaught of the Danaans against the Trojans, while the narrative part still depicts only their march The Myrmidons going to war are compared to wolves tearing a stag to pieces and going to slake their thirst at a spring (cf XVI 156-163) In this simile Homer seems to anticipate the great victory of Patroclus and his followers over the Trojans, which the narrative part will later develop in detail Furious Patroclus made for the corpse of Cebnones with the rush of a lion that, while wasting the farmstead, is smitten on the breast (cf XVI 752-753) The simile suggests that death stands close behind the glorious hero The same relationship may be pointed out between the simile of XII 41-48 and its narrative A wild boar exulting in his strength represents Hector in his glory But, why does the beast die(cf 46), while Hector does not ? Homer describes Hector's present valour in sharp contrast to his approaching doom(cf XXII 361), which he foretells here in this simile But, is it possible at all to see so far ahead of time the shadow of Hector's death (XXII) already in this simile (XII), with all the further developments in the intervening time ? Hector's death is at the climax of the Iliad and covers the whole Iliad with the veil of pessimism, together with Achilles' death, which is also drawing near The same shadow falls on Andromache's foreboding when she bids farewell to her husband (cf VI 407), and Patroclus' ominous prophecy when he is dying (cf XVI 851-854), and so on Could we not regard this simile also as one of those forestallings which we find throughout the Iliad ? A group of footmen following the Aiantes are compared to a cloud blown over the sea by the blast of the West Wind A goatherd shudders at the sight of it, and drives his flock into a cave(cf IV 275-279) It is natural that we should also feel some uneasiness right at this time, for we are led to see the sight from the goatherd's viewpoint (cf 277-278 τω φαινετ'), that is, from the position of some Tiojan leader But, in the narrative part, Agamemnon was glad at the sight of the Aiantes and their followers (cf 283) There is a marked contrast between the viewpoint of the narrative part and that of the simile Various pictures drawn in the Iliad are, in fact, seen by many different "eyes" The positions of eyes",-the view point-could be pointed out throughout the Iliad in every quarter on the Trojan walls, on the plain, at the ships, in heaven and so on In similes, too, scenes are sometimes unfolded, in which gods take a look from above As snowflakes flutter down from Zeus thick and fast, blown by the North Wind, born in the bright heaven (cf XIX 357-358), so thick and fast from the ships move forth (εκφορεοντο) all kinds of weapons, brightly gleaming The figures of Acheans pouring forth from the ships (cf 356) completely fade out and only the shining weapons are described here (after the simile) The glittering of the weapons in the narrative and the dazzling whiteness of the snow in the simile are tused and go together up to the heaven This picture is seen by Athene (cf. 355) from the Olympian woild The Trojans and the Acheans thronging about the corpse of Sarpedon are like flies buzzing around the full milk-pails in a farmstead, in spring, when the milk drenches the vessels (cf XVI 641-643) The soldiers of both armies are compared without any distinction to a group of flies, -for this is the picture at which Zeus looks down from far above (cf 644-645) The "eyes" of the blessed god enjoy the scene This is why a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere in spring prevails in this simile, in contrast with the scene of the
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