The Iliad Background
Ἰλιάς
or
“The Tragedy of Achilles”
The Epic
 Epiclong narrative poem
 Follows the journey of an epic hero (Odysseus)
 An example of oral tradition
 Oral tradition-->story passed down from
generation to generation.

Epic hero possesses the following traits
 Courageous
 Loyal
 Honorable
Homer
 The narrator of the epic
 The “blind poet”
 Wrote Iliad and Odyssey
Iliad- 10 years of the war
Odyssey- 10 years after
Background information
• Trojan War
• Gods and goddess party
• Eris not invited
• Eris=goddess of discord
• Angry she isn’t invited
• Throws an apple into the party
• “FOR THE FAIREST”
• What do you think all the
goddesses did as a result???
CAT FIGHT
The Compromise
3 goddess fought over the apple
Heragoddess of marriage
Athenagoddess of
war/wisdom
Aphroditegoddess of love
The Compromise
•Zeus told Paris, Prince of Troy, to decide
Herapromises power and riches
Athenapromises him power and
fame
Aphrodite promises him the
most beautiful woman in the
world.
Helen & Menelaus
Helen was married to the King of Sparta Menelaus
Paris & Helen run off together
Menalaus wages war to get Helen back.
(one of his main soldiers is Odysseus)
This starts the TROJAN WAR
Helen was known as :
“the face that launched a thousand
ships”
The Trojan Horse
City of Troy was fortified (Troy was Paris’
city)
Fortified
encircled by walls
This was used for
protection
Who was Achilles?
Achilles was the son of the mortal Peleus and the goddess Thetis (the sea
goddess). He was the mightiest of the Achaeans (a Greek clan) who fought in
the Trojan War. Achilles was very brave and undefeatable in battle – almost
immortal, in fact.
Achilles Childhood
Because Calchas
prophesied that Achilles
would be stronger than
his father, Peleus gives
Achilles to be raised by
the centaur Chiron.
However, before being
sent away, Thetis made
Achilles immune to
death. There are two
stories that explain how:
Achilles Story
• Thetis, Achilles’ goddess-mother, wanted to burn away
the human part of her son; so she placed him upon a
fiery altar. Peleus, Achilles’ father, intervened just in
time, but an angry Thetis abandoned her son and
husband.
Achilles Story Cont.
• Thetis held Achilles by the
heel and dipped him into
the River Styx to make
him immortal. Thus, the
only vulnerable (weak)
spot on Achilles’ body was
his tendon where his
mother held him as she
dipped him into the waters
of death.
Achilles Childhood
In addition, to being sent away by his father, Achilles was
later hidden by his mother.
There was a prophecy given about Achilles’ destiny while
he was still a boy. A prophet named Calchas prophesied
that the city of Troy would not be conquered by any other
Greek state without Achilles’ help.
Thetis knew that if her son went to Troy, Achilles would die
an early death. So she sent him to the court of
Lycomedes where he was hidden and disguised as a
young girl. Achilles' disguise was finally discovered by
Odysseus who took him to war.
Achilles Character
Despite having
the strength of
someone who is
part god,
Achilles central
weakness is his
anger / rage,
which often gets
him into trouble
with other
leaders.
Achilles Rage (as theme):
Achilles anger issues are a central theme in The
Iliad, as is his ability to act with honor.
The first two lines of the Iliad read:
μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί' Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε' ἔθηκεν,
Sing, Goddess, of the rage, of Peleus' son Achilles
the accursed rage, which brought pain to thousands of
the Achaeans.
Trojan War Background
The Trojan War
began as a result of
events that took
place at the wedding
of King Peleus and
Thetis (Achilles
parents) many years
earlier……
Judgement of Paris
• The wedding took
place in Troy in the
presence of King
Priam and his sons
Hector and Paris.
While Hector was the
best warrior in Troy,
Paris was known as
the handsomest man
in all the known world.
Judgement of Paris
• This pretty boy was asked by Zeus to
judge a divine “beauty contest” of sorts. A
golden apple would be given to the most
beautiful goddess present – Hera, Athena,
or Aphrodite.
Judgement of Paris
• Hera offered Paris ultimate ,
Athena promised to make him the
wealthiest, and Aphrodite promised
to give Paris Helen – the most
beautiful woman alive
• Paris, of course, picked Aphrodite,
and she helped him to steal Helen
from her husband.
A War Begins
This decision had many consequences. First, it turned
the goddesses Athena and Hera against the Trojans.
Second, it caused King Menelaus to enlists the help of
his brother Agamemnon (King of Mycenae) and declare
war against Troy.
The Greek state of Mycenae and their allies already had control of almost all the
city-states in the Aegean Sea – except Troy. So Agamemnon saw it as a
perfect opportunity to expand his empire and for his brother to avenge his loss.
A War Begins
Menelaus, and Agamemnon also enlist the help of two other Greek
kings – Odysseus and Achilles. Achilles was somewhat reluctant to
join in the fight. He had no interest in politics, but he was interested
in making a name for himself as a great warrior.
Achilles and Agamemnon
The Greeks
Hector and Paris – The Trojans
Hollywood’s Iliad