Iliad Flashcards
1
Q
What are the different books of the Iliad have we read in class?
A
Book 1, Book 3, Book 6, Book 9, Book 16, Book 18,
2
Q
When was the Iliad composed?
A
8th century BCE Homer
Archaic Greek
3
Q
Background Information of the Iliad
A
- Zeus kidnaps Ganymede from Tory and gives the Trojans divine horses in compensation for the lost child.
- Zeus wanted to unburden the earth of humans, so planned for the births of Helen and Achilles, which would cause a great war, and problem solved
- The rich city of Troy had walls built by Apollo and Poseidon, but the then King of Troy, Laomedon, refused to pay for the work, so these gods always hated the city
- Zeus, in the form of a swan, rapes Leda, who birthed Helen, Clytemnestra from an egg
- Helen’s pseudo-dad, Tyndareus, called her many Greek suitors and made them swear an oath to get her back if she was ever abducted. She married Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon.
- Thetis, a sea goddess, was destined to have a son greater than his father.
- Poseidon and Zeus forced her into marriage with a mortal, Peleus when at the beginning they fancied her
- Conflict, Eris, was not invited to the wedding, so she shows up and did a Maleficent, hurling the Apple of Discord/Eris, inscribed “to the most beautiful/finest/feminine (best goddess).
- Hera/Athena/Aphrodite all want it
- Zeus sent the message with Hermes that Paris, a prince of Troy, would be the judge
- The three goddesses offer him gifts, Athena promised military power, Hera promised wealth and political power, and Aphrodite promised him the love of the most beautiful girl.
- Paris picks Aphrodite, who gave him Helen, who was married and took her to Troy.
- Hera and Athena, angry at being passed over, wanted Troy to be destroyed.
- Agamemnon called the suitors of Helen to raise an army on Troy, as per their oath,
- Odysseus tried to avoid the war by pretending to be insane, and Achilles was hidden, disguised as a girl-but got outed and roped into the expedition.
- The goddess Artemis refused to send wind to blow to Troy, unless Agamemnon killed his own daughter as a sacrifice, and did that
- The great archer Philoctetes, without whom Troy wasn’t supposed to fall, was wounded and abandoned en route.
- They reached Troy, but couldn’t sack the city due to the magical god-built walls. Sacked all the cities around there, raiding animals, women, and getting on each other’s nerves for 9+ years.
4
Q
Summary of the events in Book 1 of the Iliad
A
- Starts with saying that Achilles is angry (wrath-deity) towards the Greek even though that is the side he is fighting on. So starts with a conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles.
- Apollo spread the plague to the camp due to Agamemnon treating Chryses, Apollo’s priest, with disrespect. Agamemnon had taken Chryses’ daughter.
- Chryses went to talk to Agamemnon about returning his daughter and would pay a ransom.
- Agamemnon told him that he would not return his daughter and that she belonged to him and to leave. Chryses prays to Apollo to help him get revenge on the Greeks.
- Apollo listened to his prayer and started killing with his bow and quiver.
- Achilles stands up saying they need to figure out why Apollo is angry. Achilles is telling Agamemnon to return the girl.
- Agamemnon gets angry and says he is not going to give back his “trophy” and will only do so if he gets another trophy or might take Achilles’ trophy.
- Achilles becomes angry, starts saying that he is not fighting in the war because he has to or that they did anything to him but because of others, and that he will return home.
- Agamemnon doesn’t care and says that he doesn’t need him and that he has a huge army. He also says that he will take Briseis from Achilles since Apollo is going to take his trophy.
- Achilles is angry and is debating about what he should do if he should draw his sword against Agamemnon. Athena then comes down and advises Achilles that he should calm down and not draw his sword. Achilles takes that into account and decides to listen to Athena’s advice.
- Thetis, mother of Achilles, begs to Zeus to make it so that the Greeks lose to the Trojans to show the Greeks that they needed Achilles for the war. And he agrees even though he knows he is going to get scolded by Hera.
- Hera and Zeus have an argument about Zeus’s actions but Zeus says that he made the decision and that it stands.
5
Q
Summary of the events in Book 3 of the Iliad
A
- The Trojan troops advance from the city to meet the assembled Greek Troops. Menelaus marches forward to confront Paris, who shrinks away.
- Hector scolds him, Paris defends himself
- Paris and Menelaus agree to fight a duel, to end the war.
- Meanwhile, Iris urges Helen to go watch the assembled troops. She goes to the walls and explains to Priam who the various Greeks are.
- During the duel, Menelaus does better, but Aphrodite saves Paris, first by snapping his helmet strap which was choking him, then by scooping him up from the battle and taking him back to the bedroom.
- Aphrodite summons Helen and tells her to go to bed with Paris.
- Helen resists, but the goddess threatens her that she will make the Greeks and Trojans hate her and she will die a dreadful death, and she complies. Helen and Paris argue about ending the war. Helen and Paris have some anti-climatic sex.
- Agamemnon insists that Menelaus really won, and demands Helen back.
6
Q
Summary of Sappho poem
A
600 BCE
A woman praying to Aphrodite to help with love
Showing this idea of Aphrodite being the deity of desire because she will make someone love you unwillingly.
7
Q
Summary of the events in Book 6 of the Iliad
A
- Hector visits Paris & Helen, and scolds Paris for not fighting. Paris promises to get armored up and join the fight, as per Helen’s advice.
- Helen again calls herself a dog, talks about her bad reputation, complains about how embarrassing it is to be with Paris.
- Hector finds his wife, Andromache, on the city wall, with the enslaved nurse and their baby, Astyanax
- Andromache reminds Hector that she already lost one set of male family members, slaughtered by Achilles, and now she and the other Trojans depend on Hector for freedom and survival, so she wants him to fight defensively on the wall, not out in front. That when he dies she would be sold.
- Hector insists he has to go, to avoid shame and win honor
- The baby is frightened to his war helmet, which makes mom and dad laugh
- Andromache goes home crying, and sets the women to lament for Hector as if he were already dead.
- Hector and Paris meet at the wall and set out to avoid shame and do battle with the Greeks
8
Q
Summary of the events in Book 9 of the Iliad
A
- Agamemnon sent out Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax to persuade Achilles to come back to the war.
- In this specific section, Achilles is addressing the gifts Odysseus was promising him from Agamemnon. While Phoenix persuades him with stories and Ajax persuades him with norms/community.
- Achilles responds with this idea that he will die eventually and fast if he fights in the war, thus he would rather live longer even if he is viewed as a coward. That he will not return to help the Greeks in the war even with the gifts being offered (a wife).
9
Q
Summary of the events in Book 16 of the Iliad
A
- Trojans attack Greek ships- Greeks dying
- Patroclus asks Achilles for his armor, while mentioning that he knows the prophecy of his death, that is why he is not fighting for the Greeks. Achilles gives Patroclus his armor with the condition that he leaves once the Trojans are driven to the ships.
- Patroclus fights, then is killed by Apollo, Euphorbus & Hector.
10
Q
Summary of the events in Book 18 of the Iliad
A
- Achilles finds out that Patroclus was killed and is struck with grief.
- Thetis, feeling the grief of her son, goes to Achilles.
- Achilles wants to get revenge for Patroclus by killing Hector, even though he knows that will probably mean his death too, to return to the war.
- Now he wants to die with honor that comes with dying in war.
11
Q
What were Aeschylus fragments about?
A
Patroclus’ body being taken to Achilles
Seems to be more romantic with more references to touch
12
Q
When Aeschylus fragments composed?
A
5th Century BCE
At this time, same-sex relations between free men were common in Athens
Usually with an older man and a younger man
Pederasty- seen as a mentorship
