Aristeia

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Aristeia (ἀριστεία) is Ancient Greek, literally: "A warrior's prowess; excellence."

In the dramatic conventions of such works as the Iliad, this is a scene in which a hero in battle has his finest moments (aristos = best). It is usually associated with men but can be expanded also to encompass women (as in the case of Andromache). In the latter case the aristeia is of a different sort, grief. Such is the high quality of the hero's offensive, an Aristeia scene usually results in the death of all those standing in his way. The elements of the scene and the order in which they appear in the "Iliad" are:

Arming scene
Brilliance of armor/hero
Exhortation to followers
Initial exploit
Setback (wounding)
Divine inspiration
Renewed exploits
Double simile
The kill
Taunting the victim

One of the most epic examples of aristeia is in Book 21 of the Iliad when Achilles almost single handedly routs the Trojan army. This includes his chase of Hector around Troy; Achilles eventually succeeds in killing him and dragging his corpse around the city."Book XXI". The Iliad. http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.21.xxi.html. Also in the Iliad, another instance of this phenomenon can be found in Diomedes' outstanding performance in battle, empowered by Athena (Book V) as well as Hector's in the Trojan assault on the Achaian camp (with the help of Zeus) and Patroklos' aristeia of Book XVI, which ultimately leads to his demise at the hands of Hector. In Book XXII of Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus slaughters all of the suitors in his palace in another homeric display of martial excellence. It can also be seen, to some extent, in the Aeneid when Nisus and Euryalus have left the Trojan defences at night and are slaughtering the Latin captains while they sleep, the finest moment for the two men.

Aristeia

See also