The Iliad

Background Info

Paris, the prince of Troy and son of Priam, was chosen to decide who was the fairest among Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera

The winner would receive the golden apple with the inscription “to the fairest”

Each goddess disrobed so that Paris could see that she was the fairest

Background Info

Hera promised Paris all of Asia and great wealth if he chose her; he refused

Athena promised to make him victorious in all battles and the most handsome and wise man in all the world; he refused

Aphrodite promised that she would offer Helen, wife of Menelaus and the most beautiful mortal woman in the world to become his bride

Background Info

After Aphrodite promised to make Helen fall in love with him, Paris awarded her the apple

This decision angered Hera and Athena so they plotted the destruction of Troy

Long ago Aphrodite had doomed Helen and her sisters because their father, Tyndareus, had given a sacrifice to all the other gods, but had forgotten her

Background Info

So Aphrodite swore to make his daughters known for adultery

Eventually Paris went to Sparta and stayed with Menelaus , until Menelaus was called away on business

While Menelaus was gone, Helen and Paris fell in love, and left for Troy

Background Info

When Menelaus returns and learns what has happened, he assembles an army, which includes Agamemnon and Odysseus, to go to Troy and retrieve Helen, thus the start of the Trojan War

10 years have passed and that’s where The Iliad picks up

Homeric Conventions

1. Invocation- the Iliad begins with an invocation, formal plea for help, to Calliope

2. In medias res- the poem starts in the middle of the war; flashbacks are used to inform the audience of prior events

3. Conflict in the celestial realm4. Use of epithets

Characters of the Iliad

The Greekso Achilles- son of mortal king, Peleus, and

the sea goddess Thetis. King of the Myrmidons and the mightiest of the Greek warriors

o Agamemnon- king of Mycenae and the commander of the Greek forces; brother of Menelaus

The Greeks

o Ajax- one of the strongest Greek warriors

o Calchas-prophet who counsels the Greeks

o Clytemnestra- Agamemnon’s wife; Helen’s sister

o Helen- wife of Menelauso Menelaus- king of Sparta

The Greeks

Nestor- king of Pylos; serves as a counselor

Odysseus- Greek warrior Patroclus- Greek warrior and friend to

Achilles

The Trojans

The Trojanso Andromache- wife of Hectoro Astyanax- son of Hector and

Andromacheo Briseis- captured by Achilles as a prizeo Cassandra- daughter of Priam and

Hecuba; has the gift of prophecy

The Trojans

o Chryseis- captured by Agamemnono Hector- son of Priam and Hecuba;

commander of the Trojan forceso Hecuba- queen of Troyo Paris- son of Priam and Hecuba; aka

Alexandroso Priam- king of Troy

God and Goddesses

Aphrodite- goddess of love; sides with the Trojans

Apollo- god of poetry, music, and prophecy; sides with the Trojans

Athena- goddess of wisdom; sides with the Greeks

Hera- wife of Zeus; enemy of the Trojans

Gods and Goddesses

o Hermes- messenger of the gods; aka the Wayfinder

o Thetis- sea goddess; mother of Achilleso Zeus- father god; most powerful of the

gods; remains neutral

Book 1

The poet invokes a Muse to help tell the story in the first 9 lines. Muses are goddesses who are believed to help artists find creative inspiration.

Agamemnon takes Chryseis as his prize and Achilles takes Briseis.

Chryses begs Agamemnon to return his daughter and when he refuses, Chryses prays to Apollo.

Book 1

Apollo sends a plague upon the Greek army.

After 10 days, Achilles calls an assembly of the Achean army and asks for a soothsayer to reveal the cause of the plague

Calchas reveals the plague as a vengeful and strategic move by Chryses and Apollo.

Book 1

Agamemnon flies into a rage and says he’ll return Chryseis if Achilles gives back Briseis

Agamemnon’s demand humiliates and infuriates Achilles, and he threatens to withdraw from battle

Agamemnon threatens to go to Achilles’ tent and take Briseis himself

Book 1

Achilles stands with his sword drawn ready to kill Agamenon, when Athena appears, and along with Nestor, prevents the duel

That night, Agamemnon puts Chryseis on a ship back to her father and sends heralds to have Briseis escorted from Achilles’ tent

Book 1

Achilles prays to his mother, to ask Zeus, to punish the Achaeans

He tells her what happened with Agamemnon, and she promises to talk to Zeus- who owes her a favor- when she returns home

Thetis foretell Achilles that he will meet an early death

Between Book 1 and 22

Without Achilles, the Greeks are at a disadvantage against the Trojans, who are led by their greatest warrior Hector

Hector believes that Troy is doomed, but honor will not allow him to surrender

Agamemnon admits he’s wronged Achilles, so he sends a delegation of ambassadors to offer amends, and to ask for Achilles to return

Between Book 1 and 22

Achilles refuses; saying he’s going to return to his kingdom and live out his life in comfort, forgoing the honor of dying a hero’s death in battle

When the Trojans break through Greek defenses, Achilles’ best friend, Patroclus pleads with him to rejoin the battle and Achilles agrees to let him do so

Between Book 1 and 22

As they fight Apollo strikes Patroclus from his horse, and Hector slays him and strips his corpse of its armor, thus preventing him from a proper burial

The Greeks believes in proper burial rites; if a corpse wasn’t given a proper burial they could never attain peace in the after life

Out to avenge his friends’ death, Achilles returns to battle, slaying the Trojan forces

Book 22

Achilles thinks he’s been running after Agenor (Hector’s half-brother), but really it’s Apollo in disguise; Apollo tells him that while he’s been chasing him, he’s enabled the Trojans to retreat

Hector is ready to go and fight Achilles, but his mother and father plead with him not to, because they know he will loose

Book 22

He says that many have died because of his foolish pride, and that he should have retreated when Achilles returned to battle; it will be better if he kills Achilles man to man, or go down fighting to the end

Zeus watches and asks if they should deliver Hector from death or see him killed by Achilles

Book 22

Athena says he’s a mortal so he’s going to die anyway.

Hector goes to fight Achilles, but gets scared once he sees him. He runs around the town with Achilles at his heels. After 3 times around, Hector tells Achilles he fears him no more, but if he wins, once he has Achilles gear he’ll give his body back to the Achaeans

Book 22

Achilles refuses Hector is still wearing the armor that

he stole off of Patroclus’ body, which happened to belong to Achilles

Finally Achilles punctures Hector in the neck and tells him he will let his body lay there and let the dogs and scavenger birds maul him

Book 22

Hector begs to have his body returned to his family, and Achilles says no. Hector tells him that the gods will hold it against him when Paris and Apollo destroy him at the gates

After Hector dies, the rest of the Achaeans stab at his body; Achilles ties his body to the back of his chariot and drags him around town

Book 22

Andromache hears the wailing from outside and runs to see her husband’s body being dragged around town

She weeps and says the dogs and maggots will eat his naked body, therefore she will burn his clothes because they cannot be used to cover him in death

Book 23

After he slays Hector, Achilles prepares for the funeral of Patroclus; when they burn his body, they also hold elaborate athletic contests, a custom for distinguished men

Achilles is still so upset by Hector’s treatment of Patroclus that he refuses to give up his body for burial

Book 23

This shameful treatment of Hector’s body offends Zeus and he orders Achilles to give the body to Priam

The king filled with grief and bearing a rich ransom in exchange for his son’s corpse, is escorted to the Greek camp by Hermes, who’s disguised as a young man.

Book 24

In order to sneak Priam into the camp, Hermes casts sleep over the guards and unbars the gates; he tells Priam that he will not go in the see Achilles with him, but he should beg Achilles for mercy and hope he will be sympathetic

Priam kisses the hands of Achilles and asks him to remember his own dead father and they both weep for their loved ones

Book 24

When Achilles realizes Priam has gotten into his camp by some supernatural power, he threatens to kill him, even though Zeus is sure to retaliate

Achilles orders Hector’s body to be bathed and rubbed with oils, but to keep it hidden from Priam

Achillles asks Priam how long he needs for the funeral, for that is how long he’ll hold off his army

Book 24

Priam says he’ll need 11 days; they’ll mourn for 9 days, the funeral will be held on the 10th, on the 11th a tomb will be made, and on the 12th the Trojans will give battle

When Hector’s body gets back to Troy, Andromache predicts that she’ll be kicked out of Troy and her son will be thrown to his death from a tower

Book 24

because Hector has killed many Greekswhose relatives or comrades may nowwant revenge; Hecuba says the gods

haveshown favor to Hector by restoring hismangled and decomposed body to goodcondition