The Iliad by Homer
Mrs. Kercher
The Iliad’s History
• An epic written 8th century BCE.
• It was attributed to the poet Homer.
Theories contradict this stating that more
than one person had to have written it.
• It was commonly paired with the Odyssey.
• It takes place throughout Greece and
Troy, a city in Northwest Turkey.
The Story Before the Story
• Legend of Paris and Helen
– Read the short story and the view the video.
– Identify similarities and differences between
the two versions.
* What do you think really happened to Helen?
* Do you think the Trojan War was just a dispute
among men or a desire of the gods?
Homer in Ancient Greece
• Earliest Greek Literature
– Written c. 750 BCE from oral trad. (c. 1200 BCE)
– Recited by Rhapsodes
– Epic = dactylic hexameter or long poem on war/myth
• Cultural Importance for Greeks
– Taken as History
– Hellenic Unity
– Educational Texts
Greece and the Trojan War
Themes and Elements of Text
•
•
•
•
•
•
CHOICE and PERSUASION
THE HEROIC CODE
LEADERSHIP
TRIANGULAR RELATIONSHIPS
SIMILES
THE GODS
DO NOT Reduce The Iliad to:
• PRIDE
OR
• FATE
Persons in The Iliad
• Acheans
– Achilles & Patrocles
– Agamemnon & Menalaos
– Odysseus, Ajax, Phoenix
• Trojans
– Hector & Alexandros
– Priam, Helen, Andromache
• Gods
– Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite
– Athena, Hera, Thetis
Characteristics of Homeric Text
• Beginning in medias res
• Cinematic presentation of events and
of warfare
– Look for sense imagery in the text
• Use of SIMILES
• Use of PARALLELISM when
discussing events, characters and
gods
Homeric Cycle
• Series of texts about Troy
• Some tell the same stories as the
Homeric epics
• Many tell entirely different stories
• What still exists contains only a
part of the entire story of the
Trojan War
The Iliad in Greek Society
• One of the most revered books in ancient
Greek life. Referred to as the, “Greek
Bible.”
• One epic was performed in 3-4 days by
traveling entertainers.
• It was enjoyed more than the Odyssey
because of the Greek’s love for valiant war
heroes.
The Iliad in Education
Ancient Greece
• Almost all Greek
children knew the
story and males were
required to memorize
it in school.
• It was often
performed.
• It was often quoted to
prove a point.
American
• The story is required
in most high school
programs today.
• A knowledge of
Homeric similes is
required and used by
teachers and
professors.
Features of Homer’s Text
• Special formulaic language of the aoidos such
as fixed and recurring epithets and type scenes
• Exaggerated, leisurely pace of story-telling
• Dislike of suspense
• Fondness for lists (genealogies, catalogues),
may derive from an oral way of organizing
information
• Similes - far more common in the Iliad than the
Odyssey; a way of stopping the action,
commenting on it, enriching or judging it.
Homeric Similes
Questions about The Iliad
• What are the chief motivations for war or conflict
in the Iliad?
• Compare/Contrast Achilles and Hector as
representing heroic ideals.
• Does the character of Achilles develop over the
course of the Iliad?
• If the Iliad is about the wrath of Achilles, what is
the lesson to be learned, if any?
• What relevance, if any, does the Iliad have for us
now?