what role do cycles, represented by aries and the cycle of the zodiac, play in the chapter 1?

Grendel also declares that he has been pursuing an “idiotic war” for twelve years, presaging the twelve-chapter structure of the novel as well as emphasizing that he is in fact recording this beginning while near the end of his chronological lifespan. This idea of circularity and cosmic repetition later reiterates, particularly in the end of the novel, which includes, as does this first chapter, a ram and a sheep. The philosophy of chapter 1 ponders the cyclical nature of reality and the (often despairing) belief that everything that happens has already happened and will happen yet again in the future.