Learning about combat stress from Homer'sIliad

Abstract

Vietnam Veterans with severe post-traumatic stress disorder often report the following combat experiences: a leader's betrayal of “what's right,” lost responsiveness to claims outside a tiny circle of combat-proven comrades, grief and guilt for a dead special comrade, lust for revenge, renunciation of homecoming, feeling “already dead,” going berserk, dishonoring the enemy, and atrocities. These elements are all in Homer's Iliad account of Achilles, allowing the reader to witness them as they happen, so to speak. Homer's view of healing and regained humanity is discussed in relation to the Iliad's final scene. The Iliad offers a cross-cultural look at men in battle, and raises questions about some assumptions in American military culture, particularly regarding grief and the need to degrade the enemy to make men fight. Betrayal of “what's right” and the berserk state are suggested as key pathogens for PTSD in combat soldiers.