Classics 1000 online reading middy 1

What were the conflicts of the Iliad Book

The Conflict Unfolds

Step	What Happens
1. Chryses arrives	Chryses (priest of Apollo) begs Agamemnon to return his daughter Chryseis; offers huge ransom
2. Agamemnon refuses	Agamemnon rudely kicks Chryses out, saying his daughter will grow old in Argos
3. Chryses prays	The priest calls on Apollo for help, who sends a plague on the Achaean army
4. 9 days of suffering	The plague kills soldiers and animals for 9 days
5. Achilles acts	Hera prompts Achilles to seek the cause; he calls an assembly
6. Calchas reveals	Seer Calchas says Agamemnon dishonored Apollo's priest — must return Chryseis
7. Agamemnon's deal	Agamemnon says he'll return Chryseis only if he gets Briseis as compensation

What occurs during achilles rage

• Achilles is furious — wants to fight Agamemnon in battle

• Threatens to withdraw his support from the war

• Athena intervenes (sent by Hera): Appears to Achilles alone, stops him from drawing his sword

• Athena uses Nestor: Advises Achilles to "chill out" and not attack Agamemnon directly

• Achilles obeys: Sheathes his sword but vows revenge by withdrawing from battle

What was the resolution

Event	Outcome
Odysseus' mission	Odysseus navigates the ship carrying Chryseis back to her father
Sacrifices	Returns her and makes sacrifices to Apollo
Plague ends	Her father is overjoyed, prays to Apollo — prayers to stop the plague are heard
War resumes	Agamemnon must now fight the Trojans without Achilles

What is the bottom line

Agamemnon's greed and inability to share/return war prizes (women) caused:

• The plague

• Achilles' rage

• The death of many Greek soldiers

All because Agamemnon wouldn't give up Chryseis without taking something else (Briseis).

What is Zeus’s role

Zeus is the king of gods who holds the balance of power — he sets Achilles' rage into motion by promising to help the Trojans win so the Greeks will realize they need Achilles.