The catalog of the Greek army by Helen told to Priam seems to serve as a cast list of the whole Iliad which is not necessarily just for Priam but i feel its also for the people who were listening to it as just a teaser or a preview almost of what epic battles are to come with these famous Greek heroes. This could have been used as a way for the bards to keep people interested during a rather slow moving part of the Iliad.

The descriptions of battle and how men are killed almost seems over the top to me. Perhaps these are simple and tangible descriptions meant to hold the audiences attention. They are easier to identify with compared to intricate similes made with poetic phrases.