Iliad Study Guide

Iliad Study Guide Setting: the 10th year of the Trojan War, mostly in the palace of Prium (King of Troy) Who: Achaeans (Greeks) crossed the sea to lay siege to Troy Achaeans vs. Troy Achilles aka Argives+Danaans Characters: Achaeans Gods: Poseidon, Hera, Athena Agamemnon - commander in chief of Achaeans Achilles - Achaeans’ valuable warrior Chryses - priest of the god Apollo Calchas - seer that can tell the future and knows about the past Clytemnestra - Agamemnon’s wife Nestor - King of Pylos and oldest Achaean commander **acts as an advisor to AGA+very wise** Peleus - Achilles’ dad, King of the Myrmidons Thetis - Achilles’ mom, a sea nymph Hera - Zeus’ wife Hephaestus - Zeus and Hera’s son Menelaus - brother of Agamemnon Diomedes - one of the most respected leaders; lead 80 argive ships Iris - a minister of the Olympian gods **carries messages from god to god + god to men* Trojans Gods: Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares Chryses - daughter Chryseis was taken by Agamemnon Hector - eldest son of King Priam + Queen Hecuba of Troy **chief warrior of the Trojans* Andromache - Hector’s wife Helenus - soothsayer, son of King Priam Cebriones - the son of the King of Priam and a slave; killed by Patroclus **served as Hector’s Charioteer** Polydamas - advies the Trojans to retreat to the city after the death of Patroclus, now that Achilles is on the battlefield Background - Muse tells the story of the rage of Achilles - In the war the Achaeans attack a Trojan town and captures Briseis + Chryseis - Agamemnon takes Chryseis as prize and Achilles takes Briseis - Chryses begs for Chryseis back and offers to pay ransom → Agamemnon refuses - Chryses prays to Apollo → Apollo sends plague to the Greek (achaean) camp + THEY DIE Book One: The Rage of Achilles - - War between Agamemnon + Achilles BC Achilles got soothsayer to reveal cause of plague Chryses offers to give ransom to Achaeans for daughter back → Agamemnon says NO Chryses prays to Apollo → plagues them (+ship?) → 10th day Achilles says to depart because doesn’t understand the reason for the plague Achilles gets soothsayer to find the cause of plague → Calchas says “Apollo is angry bc Agamemnon spurned his priest and refuses to free daughter” Agamemnon ANGRY … says he prefers Chryseis over Clytemnestra → but will give away to keep his people safe → “I’ll return Chryseis if I get a gift” Achilles “There are no more gifts, when we ransack a town, I do the most but get the least” → threatens to take Briseis → has the urge to draw sword and kill → Hera comes down to stop him “hold back + wait, riches will come soon” Nestor comes down and tries to mediate: “Agamemnon you shouldn’t take the girl and be cool to Achilles, Achilles don’t disobey your king” Agamemnon goes to sea with Chryseis, cattle (to sacrifice to the Gods), and captain Odysseus + orders Talthybius and Eurybates to go to Achilles’ house and capture Briseis Achilles cries about losing Briseis + prays to his mom and dad → tells him to pray to Zeus to help the Trojans and kill the Achaeans Captain Odysseus gives Chryseis back + sacrifices cattle → Chryses prays + Apollo withdraws plague + gives them a feast **The end of the plague on the Achaeans marked the beginning of more suffering** NOW Achilles refuses to participate in battle → after 12 days Thetis makes her appeal to Zeus (who owes her a favor) → Zeus is reluctant to help the Trojans BC wife Hera favors the Greeks BUT agrees to help Trojans defeat the Achaeans → Hera is LIVID when she finds out but Hephaestus persuades her to calm down and not go into conflict over the mortals. Book Six: Hector Returns to Troy - Achaean forces overwhelm the Trojans and pushes them back to the city Menelaus considers to accept ransom for life of Adrestus (Trojan) BUT Agamemnon persuades to KILL the man Nestor notices the Trojans are weakening, and anticipate the downfall → Helenus tells them to stand their ground + tells him to ask mother, Queen Hecuba for help Hector asks Queen Hecuba to: 1. Go the Athena’s shri (PRAY)... gather the older noble women… and take a robe 2. Sacrifice 12 heifers in her shrine - 3. Go to the queen of plunder’s shrine Hector go looks for his brother Paris to help fight in the war (who claims to be too griefstricken to fight) → eventually returns to battle Hector visits Andromache and the son before he goes to battle → Andromache begs to stay home + son Astyanax fears Hector’s helmet → Hector says that he can’t escape his fate → Andromache is convinced that he’ll die and begins to mourn his fate Book Nine: The Embassy to Achilles - - Trojans held their watch that night… Achaeans were PANICKING Agamemnon is hopeless, declares the war a failure, and proposes to return to Greece Diomedes rises up + says he’ll fight even if everyone else leaves → he hypes everyone up by saying that Troy is fated to fall Nestor suggests Agamemnon and Achilles reconcile → Agamemnon offers Achilles many gifts if he comes back on the Achaeans → Achilles rejects and intends to return to Phthia Phthia, where he can live a long life instead of short lived one if he stays and fights Achilles still says no → the army is still in despair Book Sixteen: Patroclus Fights and Dies - - - - Patroclus wants to wear Achilles’ armor if he doesn’t rejoin the battle → Achilles agrees Patroclus wears the armor… the first ship is in flames → Achilles send out his Myrmidon soldiers (who has not fought since his absence) to help Patroclus → Achilles prays to Zeus that Patroclus will return with himself and the Myrmidons unharmed… **HOWEVER… Zeus will only grant one of these wishes true** After Patroclus’ appearance in Achilles’ armor...the battle TURNS → the Trojans retreat from the Achaean ships When Hector (Trojans) retreat… some Trojans become trapped in the trenches → Patroclus slaughters them → Patroclus kills Sarpedon(Zeus' +Hera's mortal offspring) → both Patroclus and Hector fight for his armor Zeus decides to kill Patroclus for killing Sarpedon Patroclus disobeys Achilles (by chasing the Trojans all the way to the gates of Troy instead of just defending the ships) → Apollo intervenes and drives Patroclus away from the gates → Apollo persuades Hector to charge Patroclus BUT Patroclus kills Cebriones (Hector’s chariot driver) Trojans fight for Cebriones’ armor → Apollos wounds Patroclus → Hector KILLS Patroclus Book Eighteen: The Shield of Achilles - - - - Antilochus brings news of Patroclus’ death to Achilles and WEEPS → Achilles’ mom Thetis and the sea-nymphs come from the water and listens to what is upsetting Achilles Achilles tells her and says he’ll avenge himself on Hector ALTHOUGH he knows that if he chooses the life of a warrior, he is destined to die YOUNG Hector is now wearing Achilles’ armor → Thetis will have the divine metalsmith Hephaestus make him a new one, delaying his battle for one day Hera, sends Iris, to tell Achilles to make an appearance on the battlefield TO scare the Trojans into abandoning the fight for Patroclus’ body → Achilles (accompanied by Athena) lets out a loose cry that sends the Trojans fleeting That night each army holds a meeting to plan the next move: - Trojans: Polydamas urges them to retreat to the city now that Achilles is back in battle → Hector dismisses this and insists on repeating what they did yesterday → the rest of the Trojans agree - Achaeans : men mourn for Patroclus → men cleans Patroclus’ wounds to prepare for burial → Achilles vows not to bury him until after he has killed Hector Thetis goes to Hephaestus and begs to make Achilles a new set of armor → Hephaestus makes a breastplate, helmet, and shield embossed with constellations, pastures, dancing children, and cities of men Book Twenty-Two: The Death of Hector https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/iliad/section12/ - - - - Hector is the only Trojan left outside of Troy → He was overconfident the night before and insisted on camping outside the gates → he feels too ashamed to join in Priam’s retreat on the inside Achilles returns from chasing Apollo and Hector confronts him → Hector wanted to negotiate with Achilles BUT realizes it’ll be hopeless and flees → He ran around the city 3 times Zeus considers saving Hector, but Athena persuades him that the mortal’s (Hector) time will come → Zeus places Hector and Achilles’ respective fates on a golden scale → HECTOR’S sinks to the ground During Hector’s 4th lap around the city walls… **Athena appears before him and disguised as Hector’s ally Deiphobus (he is encouraged to charge Achilles)... Hector stops running + Hector and Achilles exchange spear throws… when Hector turns to Deiphobus he isn’t there → Hector realizes that he’s been betrayed by the gods → Hector is wearing Achilles’ old armor and Achilles knows of the weak points → Achilles - puts spear through Hector’s throat… and leaves his body to the dogs and scavenger birds → the other Achaeans surround and stab Hector’s corpse King Priam and Queen Hecuba witness his death + wail with grief → Andromache comes out from her chamber + collapses and weeps Book Twenty-Four: Achilles and Priam - - Achilles and the Myrmidons continue to mourn for Patroclus → dead Patroclus appears in his dream and begs him to hold the funeral soon so that his soul can enter the land of the dead → the next day he sacrifices the Achaeans’ 12 Trojans captive → He prays for assistance from the winds and lights the funeral pyre The day after the burial… Achilles holds a series of competitions in Patroclus’ honor → commanders and the soldiers compete… Diomedes wins with the help of Athena → Achilles considers taking the prize from the 2nd place finisher (Antilochus) to console the last place finisher that Athena robbed victory from so that Diomedes could win → Antilochus becomes furious and Menelaus too, adding heat → then the men reconcile with one another