Tearing of the Hair or Beating of the Breast??

When faced with a moment of anguish do you find that you beat on your breasts or tear out your hair? If you're female chances are you go for the chest beating, and if you're male you're more likely to sacrifice your mane. There are many examples in The Iliad where women and men alike express their anguish through these methods. For instance, in reference to Priam's agony at seeing his son Hector stand up against Achilles, he "groaned and seizing his gray hair tore it out by the roots" (544) Briseis gives us a breast slashing when she finds Patroclus dead in Achilles tents, "she flung herself on his body, gave a piercing cry and with both hands clawing deep at her breasts" (497) Why do you think a womans pain is linked to her breasts? Why is mens pain linked to their nogin?


References
1) Homer, The Iliad, Trans. Robert Fagles, Page 544, Lines 90-91
2) Homer, The Iliad, Trans. Robert Fagles, Page 497, Lines 335-336

Pacts of Friendship

It is a theme throughout the Iliad that when two fighters are parting in friendship they exchange a gift with one another. An example of this can be found on page 224 of the Iliad, by Homer, "come, let us give each other gifts, unforgettable gifts, so any man may say, Trojan soldier or Argive, 'First they fought with heart-devouring hatred, then they parted, bound by pacts of friendship'" These gifts that they are exchanging are battle items: war belts, armor, swords. What do you believe is the significance of exchanging gifts on the battle field between two fighting armies?