The Iliad is a classic work of literature, which has withstood the test of time and become one of the essential art pieces in human history. In ancient times, scholars have already started to question whether including Book 10, often referred to as the Doloneia, was the right choice. Modern academics have followed suit and expressed their own concerns over the style, phrases, and plot devices employed in this part of The Iliad.
When it comes to syntactic inconsistencies, the text of the Doloneia is full of unusual word forms, which is at odds with the linguistic approach of all the other parts of the story. The ornate pompous rhetoric of Book 10 is in contrast to the symmetrical and balanced style of The Epic. Finally, the Doloneia included a number of archaisms, which create the illusion of the ancient past, although this approach to antiquity has not been used by Homer throughout the story.
Apart from the aforementioned drastic stylistic choices in Book 10, it is evident that there is no point in the storyline of the Doloneia. Diomedes and Odysseus’ adventure should not be set the night before the big battle. The ending of Book 9 hints that everyone needs a good night of sleep in order to prepare for the clash the next day. Book 10 describes Diomedes and Odysseus seeking a chance to gain glory by slaying Dolon and invading the Thracians’ camp (Homer, 2010).
Although the characters’ escapades to achieve even more fame and boast about it are the norm for the Iliad, Odysseus’ actions, in particular, seem unusual. The biggest issue is that Odysseus never smiles except for his sinister grin in the Doloneia (Homer, 2010). Thus, underscored cruelty of the protagonist, stylistic inconsistencies, the oddity of linguistic choices, as well as the irrelevant storyline make the Doloneia unnecessary. The narrative can transfer seamlessly from Book 9 to Book 11, without any significant issues.
Reference
Homer. (2010). The Iliad (S. Butler, Trans.). Project Gutenberg.