Maew Chapter 20

Question 1

Oenomaus

Answer 1

King of Pisa, in the northwest Peloponnesus. Father to Hippodamia, required her suitors to win an impossible game of carrying her away in a chariot, because he was in love with her

Question 2

Hippodamia

Answer 2

Daughter of Oenomaus and wife to Pelops

Question 3

Myrtilus

Answer 3

The charioteer of Oenomaus, whom Pelops promised the first night in bed with Hippodamia in exchange for help in winning the chariot race. Pelops threw him off a cliff in jealousy when Myrtilus tried to make good on this, and Pelops’ family was cursed by Mytrilus as a result.

Question 4

Thyestes and Atreus

Answer 4

Sons of Pelops, one of whom would be the ruler of Mycenae after the death of Eurystheus. Atreus becomes the king after Zeus sends a sign (sun rising in the west, setting in the east), and Thyestes is banished

Question 5

What does Atreus do to Thyestes?

Answer 5

He finds out about an affair between Thyestes and his wife, so invites his brother over for dinner as a “reunion”, then murders his children and feeds them to him.

Question 6

Pelopia

Answer 6

Daughter of Thyestes, unknowingly raped by Thyestes himself (he didn’t know it was her and vice versa). She is later taken by Atreus (her uncle) as a wife, again not knowing the relatedness

Question 7

Aegisthus

Answer 7

Son of Pelopia by Thyestes, but raised by Atreus (who thought it was his own son). Thyestes is eventually captured by Atreus, who orders his death. Aegisthus finds out the truth, and kills Atreus instead. Thyestes then becomes king of Mycenae.

Question 8

Tyndareus

Answer 8

King of Sparta, who takes in Agamemnon and Menelaus, sons of Atreus. They raise an army together and overthrow Thyestes, and Agamemnon becomes king of Mycenae.

Question 9

Leda

Answer 9

Wife of Tyndareus, who sleeps with Zeus in swan form. She has four children: Polydeuces and Helen by Zeus, and Castor and Clytemnestra by Tyndareus

Question 10

The Dioscuri

Answer 10

Castor and Polydeuces, inseparable heroes and Argonauts, considered by Romans to be protectors of the Roman state

Question 11

The Oath of Tyndareus

Answer 11

Proposed by Odysseus (in exchange for marriage with Penelope), the oath was sworn by all the suitors of Helen that they would honor whoever her husband was, and fight alongside him if anyone tried to steal her away.

Question 12

Who wins Helen?

Answer 12

Menelaus (they had a daughter, Hermione)

Question 13

Peleus

Answer 13

Father of Achilles and Husband of Thetis

Question 14

What happens at the Wedding of Thetis and Peleus?

Answer 14

Eris, “strife”, was angry that she had not been invited, so she rolled an apple across the floor, saying “whoever is the most beautiful goddess can take it”.

Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena all fight over it, resolving to let Paris decide

Question 15

Paris

Answer 15

Prince of the Trojans, he is the one who steals Helen from Menelaus and causes the Trojan war

Question 16

The Judgement of Paris

Answer 16

Athena, Aphrodite and Hera all go to Paris, and ask him to decide who is most beautiful, bribing him along the way. He accepts Aphrodite’s bribe, the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen)

Question 17

Hecabe

Answer 17

Wife of Priam in Troy, father of Hector and Paris (Whom she abandoned, having heard he will bring about Troy’s destruction from a seer)

Question 18

How Paris gets Helen

Answer 18

He takes Aphrodite’s bribe, and travels to Sparta to get Helen. He is welcomed as all guests are, but when Menelaus leaves to attend a funeral, Helen and Paris steal all the treasure in the palace and elope

Question 19

Aulis

Answer 19

Where all the warriors gathered before heading to Troy, on the east coast of Boeotia

Question 20

How Odysseus ends up coming

Answer 20

He pretends his has gone insane, but Palamedes throws Odysseus’ new son, Telemachus, in front of the blade of a plow, and Odysseus stops so as to not kill his son, proving his sanity. The soldiers then demand he comes along, because of the Oath of Tyndareus

Question 21

Calchas

Answer 21

A seer/prophet who came along with the Greeks to Troy.

Question 22

How Achilles ends up coming

Answer 22

Thetis, Achilles’ mother, dresses him as a girl so that the warriors will not be able to find him and bring him, but Odysseus pretends to be a peddler selling girl’s toys at the palace. The Greeks sound a horn signaling the coming of pirates, and Achilles grabs a sword and shield to fight. Odysseus asks that he come to Troy, and Achilles immediately agrees

Question 23

Achilles’ teacher/mentor in early years

Answer 23

Chiron, the centaur

Question 24

Telephus

Answer 24

A king of a town near Troy, where the Greeks landed looking for Troy. He is wounded by Achilles, before the Greeks return home for direction. He discovers Achilles is the one who must heal him, so he seeks him out and promises to lead the Greeks to Troy if he is healed.

Question 25

Iphigenia

Answer 25

The daughter of Agamemnon, who must be sacrificed (According to Calchas) in order to soothe Artemis’ anger and allow the Greeks to sail to Troy. Agamemnon pretends he is going to marry her to Achilles, then sacrifices her

Question 26

Helen on the Wall

Answer 26

A story in the Iliad seemingly from the early years of the war, when Priam and Helen sit on the walls of Troy, and Helen tells Priam about each of the soldiers she sees.

Question 27

Chryseis

Answer 27

Daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo of the Trojans. She is taken as a war prize by Agamemnon, and he refuses to ransom her when Chryses comes by. Chryses asks Apollo to plague the Greeks for this, and he does.

Question 28

Briseis

Answer 28

The war-prize (woman) of Achilles, whom Agamemnon takes when he is forced to return Chryseis to the Trojans to end the plague

Question 29

Quarrel between Achilles/Agamemnon

Answer 29

Achilles is angry that Agamemnon would take Briseis from him, to replace Chryseis. He curses Agamemnon and calls him a coward and a poor leader, then refuses to fight for the Greeks any longer (and curses them)

Question 30

Andromache

Answer 30

Wife of Hector

Question 31

Astyanax

Answer 31

Son of Hector (name means “king of the city”), an infant when he dies.

Question 32

Myrmidons

Answer 32

The people of Achilles, literally “ants”, because of a legend that the land Achilles is from was uninhabited until Zeus made all the ants into humans

Question 33

Who was in the Embassy to Achilles?

Answer 33

Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix, an old tutor of Achilles

Question 34

What does Achilles say to his Embassy?

Answer 34

He tells them he will not accept Agamemnon’s offer, and still refuses to fight for the Greeks

Question 35

What does Patroclus do about Achilles’ refusal to fight?

Answer 35

He asks that Achilles let him borrow his armor, so that the Trojans will be scared (thinking Achilles is fighting once again), to save the Greeks. He does so, but gets caught up in the killing and goes too far. Hector kills him and strips the armor of Achilles

Question 36

Patroclus

Answer 36

Friend (maybe lover) of Achilles, who is killed by Hector, inciting a rage which leads to Hector’s death in Achilles.

Question 37

What Achilles does with Hector’s body

Answer 37

Drags it around in the dirt for days after his death, finally comes to his senses when Priam asks for the body and reminds Achilles of his own father. Achilles then returns it without ransom

Question 38

How does the Iliad end?

Answer 38

With the burial of Hector (Achilles is still alive and the war is still going on)