Books 16-17 are PACKED with similes—extended comparisons that take us away from the battlefield to the natural world, domestic life, or familiar experiences. These aren't just decorative. They're ESSENTIAL to how Homer creates emotion, builds tension, and makes brutal warfare feel real and human.
Why Similes Matter in Books 16-17
Books 16-17 contain the DEATH of Patroclus and the desperate FIGHT over his body—the emotional climax of the Iliad. Homer uses similes to: (1) make us FEEL the violence rather than just observe it, (2) create sympathy for BOTH sides (Trojans and Greeks), (3) connect battlefield events to universal human experiences, (4) give us emotional breathing space during relentless combat.
What We'll Cover
What Are Similes?
Definition, structure, how they differ from metaphors and epithets. Understanding the FORM before analysing the FUNCTION.
Types of Similes
Animal similes (lions, dogs, hawks), natural forces (fire, water, wind), domestic life (farmers, mothers, shepherds). Each type creates different effects.
Book 16 Examples
Patroclus as lion, Trojans as storm-tossed sailors, fire spreading through forests. Similes showing his RISE and FALL.
Book 17 Examples
Fight over body: warriors as lions over kill, Menelaus as mother cow protecting calf. Similes of desperation and protection.
Literary Effects
How similes create emotional impact, build sympathy, provide relief, universal
ise experience. WHY Homer uses them.
Essay Technique
How to ANALYSE similes (not just identify), connect them to themes, use them as evidence in essays. Practical application.
What Is a Homeric Simile?
A simile is an explicit comparison using "like" or "as": "X is like Y." But Homeric similes are special—they're EXTENDED, detailed, and take us completely away from the battlefield into a different world.
Simple Simile (Not Homeric)
"Achilles fought like a lion."
Brief, straightforward comparison. Tells us Achilles is fierce/powerful.
Extended Homeric Simile
"As when a lion comes upon a carcass—a horned stag or a wild goat—and is hungry, and tears at it greedily, even though swift hounds and lusty lads set upon him: so Menelaus rejoiced when his eyes fell on Paris."
Notice the difference: We get a complete SCENE. The lion is hungry (motivation), tears greedily (action), persists despite hunters (determination). We SEE the lion hunt before returning to Menelaus. This creates VIVID mental image and complex emotional response.
Structure of Homeric Similes
The Pattern
1. Signal word: "As when..." or "Like..." introduces the comparison
2. Detailed comparison world: Homer describes the comparison in full detail—sometimes 5-10 lines
3. Return to narrative: "So..." brings us back to the actual battlefield event
4. Point of comparison: Specific aspect being compared (usually emotional state or action)
The MIDDLE section—the detailed comparison world—is what makes Homeric similes special. Homer doesn't just say "like a lion." He shows us the WHOLE lion hunt: where it happens, what the lion is feeling, what it's doing, who's trying to stop it. Then he returns to the battle. This creates a brief ESCAPE from warfare into familiar, often peaceful, scenarios.
Similes vs Other Techniques
Simile
Explicit comparison using "like/as"
Extended, detailed description
Takes us AWAY from narrative
Creates emotional/visual effect
Example: "Like a lion hunting..."
Epithet
Descriptive phrase/adjective
Brief, formulaic
PART of the narrative flow
Emphasises fixed trait
Example: "swift-footed Achilles"
💡 Key Difference
Epithets are QUICK and FORMULAIC ("swift-footed" appears hundreds of times). Similes are EXTENDED and UNIQUE—each one is crafted for its specific moment. Epithets keep the story moving; similes PAUSE the story to create emotional depth.
Categories of Similes in Books 16-17
Homer draws his similes from a relatively small set of sources—the natural world, domestic life, and familiar human experiences. Each category creates different emotional effects.
Familiar to audience: Everyone in Homer's world knew lions, storms, farming, mothers protecting children—universal experiences
Create emotional connection: Battlefield is alien/extreme; similes connect it to KNOWN feelings
Provide relief: Battle is exhausting; similes take us briefly to peaceful scenes (farms, families)
Show dual nature of war: Warriors are BOTH predators (lions) AND victims (prey, storm-tossed sailors)
Universalise experience: War becomes not just Greek vs Trojan but HUMAN vs chaos/death
Common Pattern: Predator vs Prey
The MOST common simile pattern in battle scenes: warrior = predator (lion, wolf, hawk) attacking prey (deer, sheep, dove). This creates complex effects:
Makes Violence Natural
Lions hunt—it's their nature
Not monstrous, just natural behaviour
Makes killing feel inevitable
Removes moral judgment
Creates Sympathy for Victims
Prey animals are vulnerable, frightened
We pity the hunted deer/sheep
Transfers sympathy to dying warriors
Humanises the "enemy"
The Paradox
Predator/prey similes make violence feel BOTH natural (lions hunt, that's nature) AND tragic (the prey suffers, and we feel it). Homer shows us: war is natural human behaviour (like hunting) AND terrible waste (like killing for no reason). Both truths exist simultaneously.
Book 16: Patroclus's Rise and Fall
Book 16 is structured as Patroclus's aristeia (finest hour) followed by his death. Homer uses similes to track this arc—showing Patroclus as POWERFUL (lion, fire) then VULNERABLE (felled warrior, dying youth).
Simile Pattern in Book 16
EARLY Book 16: Patroclus = predator/destructive force (lion, fire)—emphasises his power and success
LATE Book 16: Patroclus = victim (disarmed warrior, storm-tossed)—emphasises his vulnerability and doom
This shift in simile-type SHOWS his trajectory from triumph to tragedy.
Opening Simile: Patroclus Weeping Like a Spring
Book 16 OPENS with a simile—before any fighting begins. This sets the emotional tone.
The Dark-Water Spring
"Patroclus came up to Achilles, streaming with warm tears like a dark-water spring that pours its dusky stream down the face of a beetling rock."
What's being compared: Patroclus's tears ≈ Natural spring flowing down rock
Why it works: Spring flows CONSTANTLY, NATURALLY, UNSTOPPABLY. Patroclus can't control his tears any more than rock can stop spring. His compassion is FUNDAMENTAL to his nature.
Effect: Establishes Patroclus as driven by EMOTION (not glory/honour). His tears will drive him into battle. His compassion will kill him.
💡 Why Start With This Simile?
Homer opens Book 16 with TEARS, not BATTLE. This tells us: Patroclus's aristeia isn't about glory—it's about compassion. The spring simile makes his motivation VISUAL and NATURAL. When he dies later, we remember: he fought because he FELT others' suffering. That makes his death even more tragic.
Patroclus as Fire: Unstoppable Destruction
Once Patroclus enters battle, Homer uses FIRE similes—emphasising how devastating and unstoppable he is.
Wildfire Simile
"As when consuming fire falls on a thick forest in the mountain glens, and the blaze is seen from far away: so from the splendid bronze the glare went up to heaven as they advanced."
What's being compared: Myrmidons' bronze armour ≈ Wildfire in forest
Why it works: Fire SPREADS, CONSUMES, cannot be stopped. Visible from far away (terror spreads). Natural disaster, not human control.
Effect: Makes Patroclus's attack feel like FORCE OF NATURE. Trojans aren't facing a man—they're facing elemental destruction.
Fire similes appear MULTIPLE times in Book 16 as Patroclus fights. Each one emphasises: he's not just fighting well—he's CONSUMING the Trojan army like wildfire consumes forest. This makes his success feel overwhelming, unstoppable... which makes his death even more shocking.
Patroclus as Lion: The Predator
Homer repeatedly compares Patroclus to a LION—the ultimate warrior simile.
Lion vs Boar
"As when a lion overpowers a tireless boar in battle, as the two fight in pride on the mountain peaks over a little spring where both wish to drink, and the lion overpowers the panting boar by force: so Patroclus, son of Menoetius, killed many men but finally stripped brave Sarpedon of his life."
What's being compared: Patroclus killing Sarpedon ≈ Lion defeating boar
Why it works: BOTH are strong (boar isn't weak prey—he's formidable). They fight "in pride" (honour-driven). But lion wins through superior force.
Effect: Honours Sarpedon (he's the boar, not a helpless deer) while showing Patroclus's dominance. This is his PEAK moment—killing Zeus's son.
Why Lion Similes Matter
Lion = elite warrior status: Only greatest heroes get lion similes (Achilles, Hector, Diomedes, Patroclus)
Makes violence natural: Lions hunt—it's their nature, not evil
Shows Patroclus's transformation: From weeping companion to apex predator
Foreshadows his limits: Even lions can be killed (Apollo will strike him down)
Trojans as Storm-Tossed Sailors: Creating Sympathy
When Homer wants us to feel SYMPATHY for the losing side, he uses vulnerability similes. This is crucial—keeps us from just cheering for Patroclus.
The Storm Simile
"As when a great wave from the sea, heavy with thunder, crashes down on a swift ship, and all the vessel is hidden in foam, and the terrible blast of the wind roars in the sail, and the sailors' hearts tremble with fear for they are carried just barely beyond death: so were the Trojans' hearts shaken in their chests."
What's being compared: Trojans facing Patroclus ≈ Sailors in deadly storm
Why it works: Sailors are HELPLESS against natural force. Ship hidden in foam (overwhelmed, can't see). "Just barely beyond death" (surviving by chance, not skill). Universal fear—everyone understands storm terror.
Effect: We FEEL the Trojans' terror. They're not cowards—they're humans facing unstoppable force. Creates sympathy despite them being "the enemy."
Homer's Balance
Homer makes us admire Patroclus (lion, fire similes) AND pity the Trojans (storm, prey similes). We want Patroclus to succeed (he's saving Greeks) AND feel sorry for Trojans dying. This complexity is what makes the Iliad TRAGEDY not propaganda. Both sides suffer. Both sides matter.
Patroclus's Death: The Simile Shift
When Patroclus is dying, the similes CHANGE. He's no longer predator/fire. He's vulnerable, mortal, human.
Fading Life
"As he spoke, the end of death enfolded him. His soul flew from his limbs and went down to Hades, bewailing its fate, leaving manhood and youth."
Note: This isn't technically a simile (no "like"), but it functions similarly—creating VISUAL image of death. Soul "flying" away, "bewailing" its fate. Emphasises WASTE: "leaving manhood and youth."
Effect: Patroclus who was FIRE and LION moments ago is now just a young man dying too soon. The contrast between his aristeia similes (power) and death image (vulnerability) makes the tragedy VISCERAL.
💡 The Simile Arc
Track Patroclus's similes across Book 16: Spring (emotional/natural) → Fire (destructive force) → Lion (apex predator) → Storm-struck victim (vulnerable). This ARC—from tears to power to death—IS the tragedy. Homer uses similes to make us FEEL each stage. We see his compassion, his strength, his doom. All through IMAGE, not statement.
Book 17: Fighting for the Body
Book 17 is dominated by the desperate fight over Patroclus's corpse. Homer uses similes of PROTECTION, POSSESSION, and DESPERATION. The similes shift focus from individual heroism to collective struggle.
Simile Themes in Book 17
Book 16: Individual aristeia (Patroclus's glory)
Book 17: Collective protection (Greeks defending Patroclus's body)
Similes reflect this: Book 16 = predators hunting alone; Book 17 = groups fighting over prey, mothers protecting young, warriors defending comrades. Shift from GLORY to DUTY/LOVE.
Menelaus as Mother Cow: Unexpected Tenderness
One of the most striking similes in Book 17 compares a male warrior (Menelaus) to a MOTHER COW. This is unusual—and deeply moving.
The Mother Cow Simile
"As a cow stands over her first-born calf, lowing, since she has no experience of motherhood: so fair-haired Menelaus stood over Patroclus."
What's being compared: Menelaus protecting Patroclus's body ≈ First-time mother cow protecting calf
Why it works: Mother cow is INEXPERIENCED but DEVOTED. Lowing (calling, anxious). Protective instinct overrides everything else. This is LOVE, not warrior honour.
Effect: Transforms battle scene into moment of TENDERNESS. Menelaus isn't fighting for glory—he's protecting someone beloved. The domestic/maternal image makes this feel universal, human.
Why This Simile Is Extraordinary
Gender-bending: Male warrior compared to MOTHER—breaks heroic masculinity expectations
Emphasises love over honour: Not "lion defending kill" but "mother protecting child"
"First-born": Special, irreplaceable—like Patroclus to Achilles
"No experience of motherhood": New to this intense protective feeling—like Menelaus unused to feeling such care for comrade
Domestic vs martial: Takes us from battlefield to peaceful farm, but FEELING is same (protection, love)
💡 What This Reveals
This simile shows: fighting over Patroclus's body isn't about tactics or honour. It's about LOVE. Greeks fight desperately because they loved Patroclus. The mother cow simile makes this emotion VISIBLE and UNIVERSAL. Everyone understands a mother protecting her child. Homer shows us: that's what this battle is—protection driven by love.
Lions Over a Kill: Possession and Fury
Book 17 also uses predator similes—but now it's multiple predators fighting OVER prey (Patroclus's body).
Lions Fighting Over Carcass
"As when two lions in the mountain glens fight over a slain deer, both fierce and hungry, and both are in full strength: so these two heroes, Ajax son of Telamon and glorious Hector, were eager to kill one another over Patroclus."
What's being compared: Ajax and Hector fighting over body ≈ Two lions fighting over deer carcass
Why it works: BOTH are powerful ("in full strength"). Both are hungry/desperate. Neither will yield. The deer (Patroclus) is dead—they're fighting over possession, not the kill itself.
Effect: Shows how VALUABLE Patroclus's body is. Not just any warrior—he's the PRIZE. Both sides want him desperately. Creates intense competitive tension.
This simile is DIFFERENT from Book 16's lion similes. There, Patroclus was the lion HUNTING. Here, he's the PREY being fought over. This reversal shows his status change: from active hero to passive object of struggle. Brutal but honest.
The Mist Simile: Confusion and Chaos
Book 17's battle is CONFUSING—dust, blood, exhaustion, inability to see clearly. Homer uses weather similes to show this chaos.
The Obscuring Mist
"Zeus spread thick mist over the battle, to make the fight over his own son's attendant ghastly and miserable."
Context: Zeus makes the battle harder to see—both literally (mist) and emotionally (confusing, exhausting).
Effect: Mist = uncertainty, difficulty, obscured vision. Warriors can't see who's winning, can't find allies, fight blindly. This reflects EMOTIONAL state too—everyone's confused, desperate, lost. The mist makes everything harder, more frightening.
Weather Similes in Book 17
Mist/fog: Confusion, obscured vision, uncertainty
Storm: Overwhelming force, chaos, helplessness
Clouds covering sun: Darkness descending, loss of clarity
Effect: These similes make battle feel DISORIENTING. Not glorious combat but confused struggling in darkness. More REAL than heroic.
Flies on Blood: Grotesque Reality
One of Book 17's most disturbing similes compares warriors swarming over Patroclus's body to FLIES on blood. This is deliberately UNHEROIC.
The Flies Simile
"As when flies in a farmstead buzz around the pails of milk in springtime, when the pails are splashed with milk: so many were the fighters gathered around the corpse."
What's being compared: Warriors swarming over Patroclus ≈ Flies buzzing around milk/blood
Why it works: FLIES—annoying, numerous, instinct-driven. Not lions (noble) but INSECTS (base). "Splashed with milk" (blood implied). Farm scene but grotesque.
Homer doesn't always make war look glorious. Sometimes—like here—he shows its UGLINESS. Flies on blood = war strips away humanity, reduces warriors to scavengers. This simile REFUSES to romanticise. It's Homer saying: this is what fighting over a corpse ACTUALLY looks like. Not noble. Just desperate and grotesque.
Why Homer Uses Similes: The Effects
Similes aren't just decoration. They serve MULTIPLE functions simultaneously. Understanding these effects helps you analyse them in essays.
1. Emotional Impact
Makes us FEEL, not just observe. "Patroclus killed many" is statement. "Patroclus like fire consuming forest" is VISCERAL. We SEE, FEEL, FEAR the destruction.
2. Creates Sympathy
Humanises BOTH sides. Storm-tossed sailors simile makes us pity Trojans. Mother cow simile shows Greek love. We care about everyone.
3. Provides Relief
Breaks up battle monotony. Extended similes take us briefly away from violence to familiar scenes (farms, mothers, nature). Emotional breathing space.
4. Universal Experience
Connects specific to universal. Patroclus's death = particular event. But "leaving manhood and youth" = universal tragedy of young death.
5. Makes Abstract Concrete
Shows instead of tells. "Patroclus was compassionate" is abstract. "Streaming tears like spring" is VISUAL, CONCRETE, MEMORABLE.
6. Dual Perspective
Shows war as both natural and terrible. Lion similes = violence is natural. Prey similes = violence is tragic. Both true simultaneously.
Similes and Oral Tradition
Similes also served PRACTICAL function in oral performance—helping the bard and audience.
For the Bard
Gives time to think ahead
Provides formulaic phrases
Allows breath/rest during performance
Familiar patterns to fall back on
For the Audience
Creates memorable imagery
Provides emotional breaks
Makes complex battle trackable
Connects to their daily lives
But DON'T reduce similes to just "oral convenience." Yes, they helped performance. But they're also ARTISTICALLY BRILLIANT. Homer uses them to create emotion, build sympathy, show complexity. They're both practical tool AND literary art.
How to Analyse Similes in Essays
Don't just IDENTIFY similes ("Homer uses a lion simile"). ANALYSE what they DO. Here's the framework:
5-Step Simile Analysis
1. Identify the comparison: What is being compared to what?
2. Describe the comparison world: What details does Homer include in the simile?
3. Find the point of comparison: What specific aspect connects them?
4. Analyse the effect: What emotion/understanding does this create?
5. Connect to themes: How does this serve larger meanings of the epic?
2. Details: First-born, lowing, inexperienced at motherhood, protective instinct
3. Point: Both show PROTECTIVE LOVE despite inexperience—new intense feeling
4. Effect: Transforms warrior behaviour into universal parental protection—makes it tender, not martial
5. Theme: Shows fighting over Patroclus is about LOVE (philia) not honour (timē)—challenges heroic values, emphasises human bonds over glory
Common Essay Mistakes with Similes
❌ Don't Do This
"Homer uses a lion simile to show Patroclus is strong"
Just listing similes without analysis
"This makes it more interesting"
Ignoring the DETAILS of the simile
Not connecting to larger themes
✓ Do This Instead
Analyse WHAT the simile accomplishes
Use specific details from the simile
Explain HOW it creates effect
Connect to themes/character/emotion
Show you understand PURPOSE
Good Essay Sentence
"Homer's simile comparing Patroclus's tears to a 'dark-water spring' (Book 16 opening) establishes his compassion as fundamental and natural—like the spring, his tears flow unstoppably, showing that his intervention in battle stems from emotional compulsion rather than desire for glory. This characterisation makes his death more tragic: he dies not because he seeks kleos but because he cannot watch others suffer."
Connecting Similes to Themes
How Similes Reveal Themes in Books 16-17
Mortality: Similes of felled trees, dying youth, "leaving manhood"—emphasise WASTE of young death
Heroic values questioned: Mother cow (love) vs lion (glory)—which drives warriors? Both, in tension
Dual nature of war: Predator similes (natural) + prey similes (tragic) = war is BOTH simultaneously
Divine power: Storm/fire similes (humans helpless before overwhelming force) = like facing gods
Compassion vs glory: Spring simile (emotion) vs fire simile (destruction) track Patroclus's arc
Humanity in war: Domestic similes (mother, farm) remind us warriors are PEOPLE with ordinary lives
Key Points for Revision
What similes are: Extended comparisons using "like/as" that take us away from narrative into detailed comparison world
Why Homer uses them: Create emotion, build sympathy, provide relief, universalise experience, show complexity
Book 16 pattern: Patroclus starts as spring (emotional), becomes fire/lion (powerful), ends vulnerable (victim)
Book 17 pattern: Shift from individual glory to collective protection—mother cow, lions fighting over kill, flies on blood
Key effects: Make us FEEL not just observe, create sympathy for BOTH sides, provide emotional breaks, connect specific to universal
Essay use: Don't just identify—ANALYSE. Explain what simile accomplishes, use specific details, connect to themes
Mother cow simile: Menelaus protecting Patroclus—shows love over honour, domestic tenderness in martial context
Spring simile: Patroclus weeping—compassion is natural, unstoppable, fundamental to his character
Dual perspective: Same warriors are BOTH predators (powerful) AND prey (vulnerable)—shows complexity of war
Sample Essay Paragraph: Simile Analysis
Question: How does Homer use similes to create emotional impact in Books 16-17?
Homer's similes in Books 16-17 create profound emotional impact by connecting battlefield violence to familiar, often peaceful experiences. When Patroclus first appears "streaming with warm tears like a dark-water spring that pours its dusky stream down the face of a beetling rock," Homer establishes his compassion as natural and unstoppable—like the spring, Patroclus cannot control his emotional response to Greek suffering. This simile transforms his intervention from glory-seeking to emotional compulsion, making his subsequent death more tragic because he dies not from ambition but from inability to watch others suffer. Similarly, when Menelaus protects Patroclus's corpse "as a cow stands over her first-born calf, lowing, since she has no experience of motherhood," Homer uses unexpectedly domestic imagery to reveal the emotional reality beneath heroic action. The mother cow simile strips away martial glory to show raw protective love—Menelaus isn't fighting for honour but acting on instinctual care for someone beloved. By taking us from the battlefield to the peaceful farm, Homer shows that warriors' motivations are ultimately human and universal: love, fear, and the desperate need to protect what matters. These similes work precisely because they refuse to romanticise war—instead, they connect it to experiences everyone understands (a mother protecting her child, natural springs flowing), making the tragedy feel personal and immediate rather than distant and heroic.
💡 What Makes This Effective
This paragraph: (1) Uses SPECIFIC similes with details, (2) EXPLAINS how each works (not just describes), (3) Connects to CHARACTER (Patroclus's compassion, Menelaus's love), (4) Links to THEMES (glory vs compassion, humanity in war), (5) Shows how similes create EFFECT (emotion, sympathy, universal connection). It ANALYSES, doesn't just list.
Essay Ideas: Similes in Books 16-17
Simile-Focused Questions
How do similes track Patroclus's rise and fall in Book 16?
Why does Homer use domestic similes in battle scenes?
How do similes create sympathy for both sides?
What's the effect of the mother cow simile in Book 17?
How do fire/water similes work in Books 16-17?
Broader Questions Using Similes
How does Homer portray Patroclus? (Use spring, fire, lion similes)
Is war presented as glorious or terrible? (Use contrasting similes)
How does Homer create emotional impact? (Similes key evidence)
What makes Patroclus's death tragic? (Track simile progression)
How are Greeks and Trojans balanced? (Sympathy through similes)
The Bigger Picture: Similes and Homer's Art
Similes are one of Homer's most distinctive techniques. They reveal his SOPHISTICATION as a poet—he's not just telling a story, he's creating EXPERIENCE.
What Similes Show About Homer
He understands human psychology: Knows we need emotional breaks, need to relate extreme experiences to familiar ones
He refuses simplification: Shows war as BOTH natural (predator similes) AND terrible (victim similes)—complexity not propaganda
He values both sides: Uses sympathy-creating similes for Greeks AND Trojans—everyone matters
He's visually brilliant: Creates IMAGES that stick in memory (spring flowing, mother cow, flies on blood)
He connects particular to universal: One warrior's death becomes EVERY young man dying—makes it matter beyond the story
He serves multiple purposes: Similes are practical (oral performance aid) AND artistic (emotional depth)—both/and, not either/or
Why Similes Matter
Similes aren't decoration. They're ESSENTIAL to how the Iliad works. Without them, Books 16-17 would be just battle narrative—X kills Y, Y kills Z, fight over body. WITH similes, we FEEL Patroclus's compassion (spring), his power (fire/lion), the Trojans' terror (storm), Menelaus's love (mother cow). Similes transform narrative into EXPERIENCE. They make us care. That's why Homer is a great poet, not just a storyteller.
Final Checklist for Essays
When writing about similes in Books 16-17, make sure you:
Essay Checklist
✓ Quote or closely paraphrase the ACTUAL simile
✓ Explain what is being compared to what
✓ Analyse the DETAILS Homer includes (why those specific details?)
✓ Explain the EFFECT (emotional, thematic, characterisation)
✓ Connect to larger themes or character arcs
✓ Don't just say "makes it more interesting"—be SPECIFIC about what it accomplishes
✓ Show understanding of WHY Homer uses this technique
✓ Compare different similes if relevant (e.g., Patroclus as lion vs as victim)