Study Guide for The Iliad
The Mediterrenean
Where are we?
The Greeks are on a beach on the coast
surrounding Troy in Asia Minor, what is now
Turkey. They have camped there for nine years
sacking nearby islands to get food or kidnapping
for a ransom.
Book 1: The Rage of Achilles
This book introduces the problem
which will create "the rage of
Achilles." Note the power wielded
by Agamemnon, Achilles, Apollo,
Hera, and Zeus. Although Apollo is
appeased, the problem is still
unresolved and Achilles refuses to
participate in the war until he has
his revenge.
Kalliope
In Classical times--when
the Muses were
assigned specific
artistic spheres-Kalliope was named
Muse of epic poetry. In
this guise she was
portrayed holding a
tablet and stylus or a
scroll.
New Characters Introduced in Book I
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Achaeans, Danaans, Argives (Greece)
Achilles
Agamemnon (also called son of Atreus and Atrides)
Briseis
Calchas (a seer)
Chryseis
Chryses (a priest of Apollo)
Hephaestus the Master Craftsman
Hera
Nestor
Odysseus
Pallas Athena
Patroclus
Phoebus Apollo
Thetis
Troy
Zeus
Source of the
conflict between
Agamemnon and
Achilles
• Chryses, priest of Apollo, begs Agamemnon to return
his daughter Chryseis, who had been captured by
Agamemnon.
• Agamemon refuses.
• Chryses, priest of Apollo, invokes the God for revenge.
• Apollo sends disease and death to the Greek camp.
• After 9 days, Achilles asks Calchas, the seer, to find
the cause of the anger of Apollo.
• To appease Apollo, Chryseis must be returned to her
father.
• At first Agamemnon is furious. Then he agrees but he
wants another prize.
• Achilles responds that Agamemnon follows his selfish
greed.
• Angry, Agamemnon orders Achilles to give him Briseis,
Achilles’ own prize.
• Hera and Athena intervene to calm Achilles’ anger.
• Achilles insults and confronts Agamemnon accusing him
of being a cowart.
• Nestor, an old war diplomat, tries to give advice pointing
out that a division among the Greeks will empower the
Trojans.
• Agamemnon accuses Achilles of insubordination.
• Achilles goes back to his camp.
Odysseus Returns Chryseis to her Father
Claude Lorrain (1600-1682) Museum du Louvre, Paris
Achilles kisses Briseis before she is
taken to Agamemnon.
Briseis is taken from Achilles and brought to Agamemmon.
Achilles seeks his mother’s help to restore his
honor. Thetis asks Zeus to help the Trojans
defeat the Greeks so that they will realize they
need Achilles.
Thetis in the role of the supplicant asks Zeus that the Trojan
win victory after victory as long as her son Achilles does not
fight.
Hera is enraged that Zeus will help the
Trojans because she despises them
and is on the Greek’s side.
The judgment of Paris:
Aphrodite is chosen as the fairest of all and awarded the
golden apple.
Peter Paul Rubens. The Judgment of Paris. c.1639. Oil on canvas.
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.
Hera is jealous, but Zeus affirms his power and
authority.
Hephaestus tries to put peace among the gods.
Pleading, springing up with a two-handled cup,
he reached it towards his loving mother’s hands ….
Questions
• What does Agamemnon do to create the
problem?
• Why is Achilles so angry at Agamemnon?
• What do the Achaeans do to appease Apollo?
• What kind of relationship do Thetis and Achilles
have?
• What's Hera's reaction to Zeus' agreement with
Thetis?
Summary of The Iliad
• Book One - The Rage of Achilles
Book Two -The Great Gathering of Armies
Book Three - Helen Reviews the Champions
Book Four - The Truce Erupts in War
Book Five - Diomedes Fights the Gods
Book Six - Hector Returns to Troy
Book Seven - Ajax Duels with Hector
Book Eight - The Tide of Battle Turns
Book Nine - The Embassy to Achilles
Book Ten - Marauding Through the Night
Book Eleven - Agamemnon's Day of Glory
Book Twelve - The Trojans Storm the Rampart
Book Thirteen - Battling for the Ships
Book Fourteen - Hera outflanks Zeus
Book Fifteen -The Achean Armies at Bay
Book Sixteen - Patroclus Fights and Dies
Book Seventeen - Menelaus' Finest Hour
Book Eighteen - The Schield of Achilles
Book Nineteen - The Champion Arms for Battle
Book Twenty - Olympian Gods in Arms
Book Twenty-one - Achilles Fights the River
Book Twenty-two - The Death of Hector
Book Twenty-three - Funeral Games for Patroclus
Book Twenty-four - Achilles and Priam
Iliad Book
Time
Event
Book One
1 + 9 + 1 days
Supplication + Plague + Quarrel
12 days
divine absence (inert time)
Books 2-7
Day 1
1st battle (Book 7 night falls)
Book 8
Day 2
2nd battle; Greeks beaten back
Book 9
Night 2
Embassy, Doloneia (Hector warned)
Books 11-18
Day 3
3rd battle; the big one; mist changes tone at end
17 Death of Sarpedon
18 Death of Patroclus
Book 18
Night 3
Thetis and Achilles; shield
Books 19-22
Day 4
19: reconciliation with Agamemnon
20: Theomachia
21: River
22: Death of Hector
Book 23
Night 4
psyche of Patroclus visits Achilles
Book 23
Day 5
Funeral Games
Book 24
Night 5
Achilles sleepless
12 days
Hector exposed, Priam visits Achilles at night
9 days
mourning for Hector (inert time)
Hector buried
Book VI: Hector returns to Troy
Up to this point, the book has concentrated on
killing. A new theme appears of ransom and spoils.
Two incidents investigate the new theme. The last
part of the book deals with the effects of war on
the families. Hector visits the three women of his
life, his mother Hecuba, his sister-in law Helen,
and his wife Andromache.
Where are we?
New Characters and Names
Introduced in Book VI
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hector
Paris
Andromache
Astyanax
Helenus
Hecuba
Glaucus
Diomedes
Glaucus and Diomedes
Rules of engagement
• Introductions: Are
you an man or a
mortal?
• Since our
grandfathers were
friends and
exchanged gifts,
we will not fight.
• Exchange of
armors
Priam and Hecuba
Hector and Andromache
Astyanax
Paris and Helen
Fragment of a building in Troy
Nine ancient cities, one on top of another
Most scholars believe Troy VI was the city of Priam.
Asyanax scared at the sight of his
father’s helmet.
Questions
• What purpose does the encounter
between Glaucus and Diomedes serve?
• What view do we have of the religious
beliefs of the Trojans?
• What do we learn about the effects of war
from the speeches of Andromache and
Hector?
• In what way does Andromache bring a
sense of humanity to the entire book?
Book VIII
Ready to battle, the Trojans camp by watchfires
during the night.
Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles
Agamemnon fears defeat and has to be
talked out of leaving.
Diomedes encourages the troops to endure
accusing Agamemnon of being a coward.
Nestor advises to protect the rampart while
the chiefs gather to feast and to make a
decision.
Nestor proposes to offer compensation to
Achilles to convince him to return to battle.
The list of gifts presented to Achilles
All this I would extend to him if he will end his anger….
Let him bow down to me! I am the greater king,
I am the elder-born, I claim – the greater man.
Mask found by Schliemann in
Mycene, thought to be
Agamemnon’s burial mask.
However it was from a much earlier
time.
Phoenix, Ajax, and Odysseus go to
Achilles’ tent with the offerings.
Achilles’s hospitality towards his visitors.
Fearful that the Trojans may burn the ships, the Greeks
make the offer to Achilles to convince him to rejoin in the
war.
He refuses the gifts and points out the “mortal risks of
war…”
“The same honor waits for the coward and the brave. They
both go down to Death…”
According to Achilles all is lost and he plans to sail back
home with the Myrmidons.
No forgiveness for Agamemnon who did not offer an
apology.
“… until he pays me back, pays full measure for all his
heartbreaking outrage!”
The fate of Achilles
• Two possible
outcomes:
1. Die young in
battle with honor
2. Return home,
live a long life,
without glory and
pride
Phoenix, Achilles’ tutor, is
invited to stay.
He tries to persuade Achilles to help the Greeks.
He tells the story of his life.
He also tells the story of Meleager, who like
Achilles refused to help his people.
Ajax and Odysseus return to report to
Agamemnon the failure of their mission.
Diomedes suggests that they resume the
fight with Agamemnon on the front line…
Thought Questions:
• Looking over the riches
Agamemnon proposes giving
Achilles, what can one say
the Achaeans found
important?
• Achilles' housing is
alternately referred to as a
tent and a lodging. From the
various descriptions and
actions of things that happen
there, can you get a picture
of how he lives?
• What emotions does Achilles
have toward Briseis?
New Characters and Names Introduced
•
•
•
•
•
Diomedes
Phoenix
Odysseus
Ajax
Patroclus
Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies
Patroclus goes back to Achilles and asks for
the chance to lead the men into battle.
One of the ships is set aflame. Patroclus
leads Achilles' army into battle. He is very
successful killing Trojans. Sarpedon, Zeus'
son, is killed.The book ends with death of
Patroclus by Hector. A fight over Patroclus’
body follows.
Chariots
The basic elements of body armor
consisted of a shield, helmet,
cuirass or breastplate, and
separate arm, thigh, lower leg and
foot protectors. The word for an
individual soldier’s equipment of
weapons and armor is panoply.
Made from a combination of
materials including iron and
bronze, it could be very expensive.
The Gods’ intervention
• Zeus wants to protect Sarpedon, his own
son, but following hera’ s advice lets fate
take its course. When Sarpedon is killed
by Patroclus, Zeus protects his body and
asks Apollo to carry the body back to Lycia
where it can be given proper burial.
• Apollo helps the Trojan first by healing
Glaucus’ wound and then by tricking
Patroclus.
• Patroclus fights with Achilles’ weapons.
• He goes after the Trojans and kills
Cebriones, Hector’s driver.
• Patroclus is stunned by Apollo’s push
which knocks his helmet off and disorients
him, giving Hector a chance to hit.
• After the battle over Patroclus’ dead body,
the Trojans strip Achilles’ weapons from
the corpse.
Book 18: Achilles’ Shield
After killing him, Hector takes Patroclus’weapons.
Achilles mourns the death of his friend. His cries
prompt Thetis to go help him. Achilles is spurred on
to save Patroclus' body and proceeds to frighten the
Trojans by his war-cry and appearance. Thetis asks
Hephaestus to forge new weapons for her son so
that he can join the fight and avenge his friend’s
death. A detailed description of the art work on the
shield closes this book.
Achilles mourns the death of Patroclus.
Thetis consoles him.
Iris, sent by Hera, asks Achilles to
help recover Patroclus’ body.
Having no weapons,
Achilles shows with his
head in flames by the
rampart. He lets out a
terrible cry which
terrorizes the Trojans.
The body of Patroclus is
recovered by the Greeks.
Hephaestus makes Achilles’ new weapons.
Achilles’ Shield
Thetis brings Achilles the new shield.
Book 22: The Death of Hector
Apollo taunts Achilles. King Priam sees Achilles coming
and begs Hector not to fight him. His mother also begs
him not to fight. Hector runs from Achilles around the
walls of Troy. Apollo tries to help him one last time. The
two finally stand and fight. Hector is killed. Achilles then
drags his body to the ships.
The Trojan Plain
Book 24: Achilles and Priam
While Achilles grieves, the gods argue about what
to do about Hector's body. Thetis is summoned
to hear Zeus' decision and conveys it to Achilles.
Iris takes a message to Priam. Priam goes to
Achilles once he has convinced Hecuba he must
go. A god leads him to Achilles and he begs for
his son's body. Priam spends part of the night
and then returns with Hector's body. The book
ends with Hector's funeral.
Exam questions:
• Cause of the Trojan war
• Chronology of the Iliad
• Ritual of the sacrifices
• Setting of the war
• Relationship bewteen Paris and Hector
• Analyze the relationships between honor,
pride, and anger to show how they affect
the events depicted in the Iliad.
• Describe how the gods, although
supernatural, also display human
behaviors.