Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture
Homer’s Iliad
Books 2, 3
Italy, Egypt, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Phoenicia,
Greece, Peloponnesus, Ionia, Crete, Cyprus, Delphi, Mycenae, Troy,
Aulis, Hellespont
Aulis
Mycenae –
Demons?
Background
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Zeus Xenios, protector of guests and hosts
Background: The Story of the Trojan War
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Marriage of Peleus and Thetis
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Strife (Eris) and the apple: "to the fairest"
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Judgement of Paris
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Abduction of Helen
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Assembly of the Greek army at Aulis
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Sacrifice of Iphigeneia
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The siege: 9 years plus 1
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Fall of Troy: the Trojan horse
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Greeks!
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Agamemnon, "king of kings", son of Atreus ("Atrides")
Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, husband of Helen, son of Atreus
Achilles, king of the Myrmidons, son of Peleus and Thetis
Patroclus, dear friend (second self?) to Achilles
Nestor, the old wise man
Calchas, the seer
Odysseus, wiley, crafty, cunning!
Ajax, “like a wall”!
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Trojans!
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Priam, the old Trojan king, father of 50 sons
Hector, the greatest warrior, & son of Priam
Paris (=Alexander), son of Priam, abductor of Helen
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Important only in Book two!
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Thersites, the ugliest of Greek warriors
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Structure of the army!
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Primus inter pares: "first among equals": kings vs the "king of kings"
Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
The Dream
“Dreams are from Zeus!” - who says that in book 1 and
in what context?
Dreams, deception, the limits of human understanding
The Test
“Zeus son of crooked-counseled Kronos promised me and
nodded his head to it, that we would sack Ilion, but he only
contrived a wicked deception!”
Agamemnon as leader
Why would Agamemnon do such a trial? What’s the purpose? Yuyi, and similarly Yi,
Arabella, Qin
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
Agamemnon’s Test
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Sceptre/Staff
2. 102ff Pedigree
2. 186 Odysseus
Similes in the Iliad
2. 87ff - swarming bees
2. 66ff - the wind
Arabella: Deep down, it’s the conflict between the power of gods and the power of humans.
Homer repeats again and again that a king is chosen by Zeus. So, the power of Agamemnon
is a reflection of the power of Zeus.
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
Thersites episode
Thersites: the ugliest man at Troy
2. 229: “your tents are filled, which we Achaeans gave you as first
pick whenever we attacked some town… you are no men but
ladies of Achaea. Let us go home… [if Achilles had not set aside
his anger] O son of Atreus, this would be your last outrage!”
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Aulis, Kalchas
Aulis and the troops. Agamemnon as leader.
Not the Iphigeneia story. Deception.
Lightning omen. 2. 355ff Success = “you sleep with
a Trojan woman in payment”
Arabella: “What Thersites said to abuse Agamemnon was quite similar to what Achilles said.”
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
Invocation of the Muses
Similes - 460ff
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fire
flocks
leaves/flowers
flies
goats
bull
Muses - inspiration & memory
“Not with ten tongues and ten mouths and my voice unbreakable
and with a heart made of bronze….”
Homer’s Iliad
Book 2
The Catalogue of Ships
Remembered from the Bronze Age?
Iliad as a text in an oral tradition
Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture
Homer’s Iliad
Book 3
Homer’s Iliad
Book 3
Duel between Menelaus and Paris
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Viewing from the walls (teichoskopia)
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Helen’s beauty is “like a deathless goddess”
Decidedly unrealistic: how could this happen only after nine years; but what do
these scenes accomplish?
Arabella: “two husbands of Helen”
Arabella: “why did Homer call Helen “with white arms”, which he usually uses of Hera?”
Arabella: “why does Priam speak kindly to Helen when she caused the 10-year battle?”
Homer’s Iliad
Book 3
Bedroom scene
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Ending: Menelaus, searching for Paris/Alexander,
demanding Helen and suitable recompense (=ransom)
What is the tone? Is this comic?
Yuyi: Does Helen really love Paris? Why would she still choose to sleep with him so quickly
after just rebuking him?
Qin: Why did Aphrodite save Paris?