Homer relies on Epic Similes throughout The Iliad to paint very specific and graphic pictures of scenes evolving and unfolding. In a time where stories relied completely on oration, it was paramount that a skilled orator depicted a scene with as much specificity and creativity as possible in order to keep the listener engaged and well-appraised of what was taking place.

In book XVI, Patroclus kills Sarpedon with an arrow to the chest “Sarpedon fell As a tree falls, oak, or poplar, or spreading pine…Like some tawny, spirited bull a lion has killed…” (The Iliad, Book XVI. 516-524). Homer chose to describe the slaying of Sarpedon in this way because it gives a much more graphic depiction of him dying and even more specifically illustrates the dynamic between him and Patroclus- as a spirited bull and Patroclus as the lion. With such vivid elucidation the listener also understands that Sarpedon was not a weak man- he fell “As a tree falls…When carpenters cut it down…to be the beam of a ship”. Homer makes it a point to specify what kind of tree (oak or poplar) Sarpedon resembles. This passage shows that was not an easy victory for Patroclus and alludes to the ensuing fight over Sarpedon’s body. As a listener, I can visualize Sarpedon’s body falling heavily to the ground and Patroclus standing over him like a lion that has just made a kill.

An epic simile is again used in book XVI, “Like a lion who has been wounded in the chest As he ravages a farmstead, and his own valor Destroys him.”(The Iliad, Book XVI. 786-788). Again relating Patroclus to the likeness of a lion- the use of the simile vividly conveys Patroclus’ characteristics of aggressiveness, vanity and pride; as well as seems to foreshadow his death.  One could imagine an already injured Patroclus still trying to fight, not knowing that it is in vain.

With just these two examples, it can be seen how Homer greatly improves the listener’s experience through the use of epic similes. They serve not only to expand one’s ability to visualize a scene but to color the experience of the characters and predict how the story is going to develop.