Sun setting ,,, stop fighting!
In the “Iliad,” Homer’s epic poem set during the Trojan War, battles usually took place during the daytime. The narrative structure of the “Iliad” follows a pattern where warriors engage in combat from morning until evening, with the fighting ceasing at nightfall. This pattern is consistent with the practices of ancient warfare, where battles were typically fought in daylight for several practical reasons:Visibility: Daylight provided the necessary visibility for combatants to engage with each other, navigate the battlefield, and recognize friend from foe. The absence of effective artificial lighting made nighttime operations difficult and risky.Organization and Communication: Commanding troops and maintaining formations were essential aspects of ancient warfare. Daylight allowed commanders to see their forces and send messengers with orders, facilitating coordination and strategic maneuvering.Ritual and Honor: Combat in the “Iliad” is often depicted as a series of individual duels and engagements where personal honor and glory are at stake. These confrontations were ritualistic and symbolic, requiring an audience of fellow warriors and, ideally, the gods. Daylight provided the setting for these encounters to be witnessed and later celebrated or mourned.Rest and Recovery: Nighttime was used for rest, recovery, and planning for the next day’s engagements. It was also a time for burial rites and negotiating truces or exchanges of prisoners and the dead.In the “Iliad,” specific references to the time of day for battles are not always detailed, but the overarching narrative shows a clear preference for daylight engagements. For example, Book 11 begins with the dawn, signaling the start of the day’s battle, and many other passages reference the rising or setting sun to mark the time of combat activities. This approach reflects both the practical realities of ancient warfare and the poetic structure of the epic, where the transition from night to day often symbolizes renewal of conflict, hope, and the ongoing struggle for honor and victory.