Book Summaries Flashcards
1
Q
What happens in book 1?
A
- Chryses comes to the Greek ships asking for his daughter
- Agamemnon refuses and Apollo then curses the Greek army with a plague
- After 9 days Achilles calls an assembly to stop the plague
- The prophet Calchas tells the Greeks it is because Agamemnon won’t return Chryseis
- Agamemnon and Achilles the have a heated argument and Achilles nearly draws his sword but Athena stops him and tells him not to
- Peleus interjects tells Agamemnon to return the girl and Achilles to calm down
- the fued ends and Achilles goes to his hut where two men soon come and take his female war prize
- Thetis appears before Achilles who is upset and Thetis promised that the Greeks will nearly be defeated
- Odysseus returns Chryseis
- Thetis supplicates Zeus and he agrees
- the books ends on a scene of the gods bickering
2
Q
What happens in book 3?
A
- the two armies advance towards each other and Paris advances to the front however on seeing Menelaus he retreats back
- Hector scorns Paris who admits he is a worse warrior however he will duel if the armies stand down
- Hector tells both armies that Paris intends to duel Menelaus who agrees
- Helen hears the news from Iris and Priam sees her and asks her questions about the Greek men
- Agamemnon prays to Zeus with the armies who all pray that the duel will not be broken but Zeus doesn’t grant it
- Paris puts on his armour and so does Menelaus
- Paris throws his spear but it hits Ms shield then Menelaus throw his which hits Paris’ tunic but he swerved just in time
- Menelaus hits Paris on the head with his sword and its breaks the just as Paris is being choked to death Aphrodite whisks him away
- Paris is returned to his bedroom and Aphrodite tells Helen Paris wants to see her
- Helen is rude to Aphrodite who gets angry and Helen, scared, does what she asks
- Helen scorns Paris who apologises but asks for her to have intercourse
3
Q
What happens in book 4?
A
- Zeus mocks Hera pretending to be tempted to allow Troy to survive and Helen go home
- Hera is annoyed at the suggestion and the pair bicker with Zeus asking why she hates Troy so much since it’s always sacrificed
- Hera says he can sack her favourite cities if Troy is sacked and for the Trojans to break the oath first
- Athene goes down and tricks Pandarus into firing an arrow at Menelaus however Athena stoped it from killing him however it does wound him
- Agamemnon rushed to him and the pair have a brief exchange over the failed duel
- Machaon heals Menelaus
- Agamemnon goes about rallying the troops on his chariot and encourages those who are getting ready and reminds those who aren’t of what they have to loose
- at one point Odysseus scorns Agamemnon however Agg quickly apologies for accidentally annoying him
- Ares spurred on the Trojans and Athena the Greeks
- The Greeks gain the upper hand and the Trojans fall back but Apollo shouts at them to not fall back
4
Q
What happens in book 5? ( not set but mainly Diomedes)
A
Diomedes is endowed with superhuman strength and power by Athena
He wounds Aphrodite and attacks Apollo however Athena limited him to only challenge Aphrodite
Apollo pushes him away
Diomedes is frightened by the sight of Ares and Hector
Diomedes wounds Ares
5
Q
What happens in book 6 ?
A
- Ajax and Diomedes break the Greek line and many Greek hero’s kill Trojan soldiers
- Menelaus captures Adrestus and considers ransoming him but is convinced against it by Agamemnon and he kills him
- Nestor tells Greeks to not loot as there is time for that later
- Helenus groups with Aeneas and Hector telling them to regroup their men and not allow them to retreat but Hector should go to Troy and get Trojan women to sacrifice to Athene
- Hector sprinted into the town
- Diomedes and Glaucus face off but soon realise they are bound by bonds of Xenia and agree to avoid each other and exchange armour
- Hector is surrounded by Trojan women asking about their loved ones but pushes past
- Hecabe offers him some wine he refuses and tells her: herself and older women should take a robe and promise to sacrifice to her if she takes pity
- She does as he asks however Athene does not accept the offerings
- Hector then finds Paris in his bedroom and scorns him telling him to return and he accepts it
- Hector leaves looking for Andromache and Scamandrius
- she begs him to stay and says he is all she has left
- Hector says he must return to win glory and he knows one day they will loose
- Hector heads back to the battlefield accompanied by Paris
6
Q
What happens in book 9?
A
- The Greek morale is low and Agamemnon calls an assembly
- he considers returning but Diomedes tells him to have faith and he will stay no matter what
- Nestor proposes sentries and the Greek comply
- Nestor then tells Agamemnon to try and make amends with Achilles and Agamemnon admits it was a mistake and he will compensate Achilles highly
- Nestor orders Phoenix, Ajax and Odysseus to be dispatched to Achilles hut
- Achilles welcomed them and Odysseus reminds him of the war and Hector telling him he needs to come back
- he relay’s the gifts Agamemnon promised
- Achilles refuses and rants about the unfairness of prizes and Agamemnon
- Phoenix attempts to convince him with a more parental approach
- Achilles once again refuses
- Ajax tried calling him stubborn in a warrior to warrior conversation but it doesn’t work
- They tell Agamemnon he won’t return and Diomedes suggest going to bed after having some food and wine
7
Q
What happens in book 10?
A
- Agamemnon cannot sleep and goes to wake Nestor but meets Menelaus by the ships
- Agamemnon finds Nestor and they decide to wake up other heroes
- Nestor brings them together and makes a plan to spy on the Greek camp, Diomedes and Odysseus are chosen for the job
- the pair pray to Athene as they set out
- Hector in the Trojan camp is planning a night raid and Dolon decides to go
- Odysseus and Diomedes see him coming and let him pass before capturing him with the help of Athene
- Diomedes and Odysseus question him about the locations in the Trojan camp then kill him
- The pair snuck up close Thracians and Diomedes kills 13 men whilst Odysseus grabs the horses
- the pair then return to the Greek camp
8
Q
What happens in book 16?
A
- Patroclus asks Achilles to return yet he refuses, Patroclus asks if he could return wearing Achilles armour which he agrees and instructs him not to go beyond the ships.
- Patroclus prepares and excites the myrmidons with the promise of a fight
- Achilles pours a libation and prays for Patroclus safe return but Zeus only grants Patroclus’ victory and not safe return
- The Myrmidons advance and push the Trojans back immediately with Greeks slaughtering Trojan hero’s
- Ajax nearly hits Hector with his spear but missed and Hector retreats on his chariot
- Patroclus gives chase and has an aresteia
- Patroclus and Sarpedon then duel and Patroclus is victorious
- Glaucus scorns Hector for retreating
- Patroclus attempts to scale the Trojan wall three times but is knocked back by Apollo
- Patroclus then kills 21 Greeks and is then blinded by Apollo and stabbed by Euphorbus
- Hector then comes from behind stabbing him with his spear
- Hector stood over him mocking him and Patroclus tells him he does not have long to live
9
Q
What happens in book 17?
A
- Menelaus sees Patroclus dead and is confronted by Euphorbus but Menelaus kills him
- Apollo appears to Hector in disguise and Hector is convinced to charge at Menelaus who realises he has to retreat
- Ajax and Menelaus meet and push back causing Hector to flee as they stand over the body
- Glaucus tells Hector off for retreating who gets annoyed in return
- Hector puts on Patroclus armour he took earlier and parades it to the Trojans who then charge at Patroclus body
- Ajax and Menelaus are reinforced by Ajax, Idomeneus and Meriones and others
- Ajax is nearly hit by Hectors spear and in return kills a Trojan
- Apollo appears before Aeneas and spurs him on but the Greeks stood firm
- The two sides struggle and Zeus allows for Achilles’ horses to escape as to not be captured
- Aeneas and Hector retreat when the two Ajax’s confront them
- Athene appears to Menelaus in disguise who she strengthens
- Zeus gives victory to the Trojans and Greeks panic
- Menelaus and Meriones carry Patroclus body away
10
Q
What happens in book 18?
A
- Antilochus tells Achilles Patroclus is dead and he rolls around crazed with grief in the dirt with all the women slaves and even Thetis lamenting
- Thetis appears and consoles Achilles and he decides he has to go back to battle
- however Thetis tells him to wait until she has gotten him fresh armour from Hephaestus
- Hector tried to get to the body three times but the two Ajax’s stop him three times
- Hera tells Iris to tell Achilles to start fighting now
- Achilles is careful not to join the battle but appears and gives a war cry sending Trojans running
- Polydamas tells Hector they should retreat but Hector ignored him and says for now they will not retreat to inside Troy
- The Greeks lament Patroclus and Achilles orders a pyre to be built with 12 Trojans on it
- Thetis ask Hephaestus to build the armour and he does- Xenia is involved at the start
11
Q
What happens in book 19 ?
A
- Thetis finds Achilles mourning Patroclus and delivers the armour which he takes
- Thetis arranged for Patroclus body to be kept in good condition
- Achilles calls an assembly and says he has left his quarrel with Agamemnon behind him
- Agamemnon blames his anger on the gods and he is willing to make amends
- Achilles does not care for gifts and wants to fight but Odysseus advises the men to eat and for Agamemnon to give the gifts in front of the Greek leaders
- Achilles vowed not to eat or allow his men to eat
- Achilles has gifts returned to him and Agamemnon pledges as oath on Zeus that he didn’t touch Briseis
- Athene at the orders of Zeus secretly distilled ambrosia into Achilles chest to stop him starving
- Achilles armours up in preparation all in anger and takes his spear with him
12
Q
What happens in book 22 ?
A
- The Trojans retreat inside Troy and Priam shouts to Hector to not face off against Achilles reminding him of the consequences
- Hecabe does the same but they don’t convince him otherwise
- Hector tells them it’s between his duty to the heroic code or his duty to his family
- Hector leaves Troy but sprints away from Achilles
- Zeus considers wether to save Hector but the gods disapprove
- Athene tricks Hector to throw his spear believing he will have support but it’s a mirage
- Hector and Achilles briefly fight with swords and Achilles stabbed him through the neck
- in death Achilles mocks Hector who asks for his body to be returned
- The Greeks crowd around stabbing the body and Achilles attaches him to his chariot
- Priam begs to supplicate Achilles but is stopped
- Hecabe laments Hector and Andromache heads of the death in a long drawn out sequence which is poignant and heartfelt
13
Q
What happens in book 23?
A
- Achilles tells the Myrmidons to drive in their chariots around Patroclus and then eat
- they do as told and Hectors body is still dragged around
- Achilles is taken to the Greek leaders and refuses to wash until he has cremated Patroclus however everyone should eat
- Achilles falls asleep and is visited by Patroclus asking him to bury him
- The Greeks cut trees for a pyre and Patroclus is placed in the centre
- Achilles wants the Greeks to go an eat and the men are dismissed
- atop the pyre Achilles puts; 4 horses, 2 dogs and 12 Trojan men
- Aphrodite protects Hectors corpse and so does Apollo
- the the games happen
