Homer's Iliad Book 6: Key Characters, Themes, and Symbols

Beginning of Book 6

Greeks overpower trojans

Warriors who meet on the battlefield

Diomedes and Glaucus

Reason Diomedes and Glaucus refuse to fight

Grandfathers were friends

Symbolic action of Diomedes and Glaucus

They exchange armor 

Irony of armor exchange

Glaucus trades gold armor for bronze armor

Who sends Hector back to Troy

Helenus

Hector's message to Trojan women

pray

Location of Trojan women's prayer

temple of athena

Offering to Athena

A robe from Hecuba'‘s collection

Color of Hecuba's robe

embroidered and brightly colored

Animal sacrificed to Athena

Twelve heifers

Athena's response to the Trojans' offering

No, Athena remains on greek side

Hector's visit after the temple

paris and andromache

Andromache's action when Hector finds her

She is standing on the walls of Troy watching battle

Name of Hector and Andromache's son

Astyanax

Meaning of the name Astyanax

Lord of the city

Andromache's plea to Hector

Stay in the city

Andromache's family tragedy

Achilles killed her father and all of her brothers

Hector's motivation to fight

Duty, honor, and protection of his people

Hector's prediction about Troy

troy will fall

Hector's prayer for Astyanax

to become a better warrior

Hector's view on glory

He would rather die with honor than live in shame

Hector's encounter after Andromache

He finds his brother Paris, who is polishing his armor instead of fighting

Hector's reaction to Paris

He scolds Paris for his laziness

Paris's response to Hector's criticism

He feels ashamed and promises to return to battle

Goddess prayed to in Book 6

Athena

Main themes in Book 6

The conflict between family and duty, and the acceptance of fate

Meeting between Diomedes and Glaucus

Xenia

Significance of Hector's scene with family

Humanizes it by showing hector as a loving father

Symbolism of prayer to Athena

The Trojan’s desperation

Emotional tone shift in Book 6

Violent - Personal