Agamemnon dreams of conquest and expansion for the Achaean Empire and a place in history where kings are enshrined, is of great significance to him. He believes that soldiers should know their role and understand the accepted chain of command. For Achilles, the brave warrior and fighter, obtaining heroic glory on the battlefield is of the utmost importance. He sees Agamemnon not as a true leader, but as one who uses others to accomplish his own selfish means. This creates challenges for the two, where the former seeks power but can only obtain it by the heroic actions of the latter, that eventually leads to a struggle for authority. This turns out to be the core of their issues with one another, in that both believe in their own superiority and their own subjective notion of the pursuit of excellence (Gill). These two characters refuse to yield to the other's idea and consequently a clash arises amongst them. This pairing of the two was destined for calamity because of their stations in life and their prideful and egotistical behavior. In the opening lines of the Iliad the tone is set that gives a clue to the escalation of this conflicted relationship between Achilles and Agamemnon:.
Rage: Sing; Goddess, Achilles Rage,.
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks.
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls.
Of heroes into Hades' dark,.
And left their bodies to rot as feasts.
For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done.
Begin with the clash between Agamemnon‑.
The Greek warlord-and godlike Achilles (Homer line1-8).
The clash between Achilles and Agamemnon highlights one of the most dominant aspects of the ancient Greek value system: the vital importance of personal honor (sparksnotes ). This contentious relationship takes a turn for the worst between the two after the spoils of a conquest were divided up between Agamemnon and Achilles in the form beautiful maidens, Chryseis and Briseis. Forced to give up his woman, Chryseis, because of a plaque placed on the Greek Army by the god Apollo, Agamemnon uses his position as commander and chief and takes the prize of Achilles for his own.
