Iliad Short Answers

What are the two chief subjects of the Iliad as stated in the prologue of the poem? After the prologue, what god is said to be responsible for the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles? What is the quarrel about, and what rival claims of authority are revealed by it?

The two chief subjects of the prologue are the anger of Achilles and the will of Zeus being accomplished when Achilles and Agamemnon were in conflict. Apollo is the god responsible for the quarrel since he sent a plague unto the achaeans when Agamemnon took Chryses daughter and refused to give her back. Eventually, Agamemnon does give her back but takes Brieses, Achilles prize instead.

Agamemnon claims to have authority since he is head of the Greek army, shepherd of his men, and also has the scepter, a gift from the gods, that has been passed down by his bloodline. Achilles thinks that he deserves Brieses because he was doing all of the hard fighting, which Agamemnon was not. Achilles sees Agamemnon as greedy and Agamemnon thinks Achilles does not know his place.

In Book 2, what does Agamemnon tell his private council? How does Nestor respond? What does Agamemnon then tell the assembly? How do the men respond, and what are the details of the prophecy that Odysseus relates to the men?

Agamemnon gets a dream from Zeus and tells his private council of this dream but insists on doing a trial on the men to determine if they are courageous enough. Nestor responds by saying that if any other Achaian had this dream then no one should believe him but since it’s Agamemnon then they have every reason to trust him. Agamemnon tells his men that Zeus wants them to go home and that it is time to go home. The men of the assembly are shaking and immediately start getting ready to head home. Odysseus, helped by Athena, then rallies the men and reminds them of the prophecy of a snake eating eight young sparrows and their mother (nine birds = nine years), indicating the war will end in the ninth year.

In Book 3, describe Helen’s view of herself and the war as stated to Priam. Then give details

of her exchange with Aphrodite, and her subsequent conversation with Paris. What is her

attitude towards these three people—Priam, Aphrodite, and Paris?

Helen blames herself for this war and the hardships of the men but Priam tells her the gods are to blame, not her. Aphrodite then rescues Paris from the battle and cleans him up, bidding Helen to come fornicate with him. Helen recognizes this trickery to be from Aphrodite and says her heart is confused with sorrows and she will not lay with Paris because it will cause her great shame. Aphrodite then tells her not to play with her or Helen may lose her favor. When Helen goes to Paris, she tells him she wishes he died instead of being rescued. Paris responds by making excuses and asking her to lay with him.

Helen’s attitude towards Priam is that of respect and reverence since he has always treated her well. Her attitude towards Aphrodite is that of fear, recognizing her tricky nature and approaching the goddess with skepticism and boldness before succumbing to Aphrodite’s demands. Her attitude towards Paris is that of disdain and hatred as she wishes he dies rather than came back from battle.

Describe Hektor’s interactions with his mother, and with Helen and Paris, in Book 6. What do

you think are Hecuba’s and Helen’s motives for detaining him?

His mother wants him to stay within the walls and she tries to tempt him with wine which Hektor refuses since it would make him sleepy and out of the battle. Hektor then asks her to get all the women of the city to go pray to Athena. Helen also wants Hektor to rest and bids him to sit for a while, which Hektor refuses, trying to beg Paris to return to battle. Hecuba’s motive for detaining him inside the walls is for his own safety. I believe Helen’s motivation for trying to detain Hektor is to let their vile destiny of dishonor take place and cause the war to come to an end sooner.

In the exchange between Andromache and Hektor in Book 6, what are Andromache’s

arguments, and how does Hektor respond to them? What prayer does Hektor address to

Zeus, and what are his parting words to Andromache?

Andromache’s first argument is that Hektor has a son and wife at home, meaning if he gets himself killed they will be sold into slavery since she has no family left to protect her but Hektor says it would be shameful to stay within the city. She then says he can still win honor by fighting from the walls but Hektor says fighting from the walls is also shameful. His last prayer is that his son will be better than him. His last words to Andromache are he won’t die unless it is fated and that no man has ever escaped death so it is better to not be a coward.

Give a detailed account of what Agamemnon tells Odysseus to tell Achilles in Book 9. To

what extent does Odysseus fulfill Agamemnon’s charge, and why?

Agamemnon charges Odysseus to get Achilles back in the fight, noting his previous madness, and offering: the girl he took back (promising he never slept with her), war spoils, twenty Trojan women, his own daughter and land with seven citadels as a dowry. Odysseus relays this, adding that if Achilles too hated Agamemnon, he should still return from the fighting for the sake of the other, who will honor him as a god on his return.

In typical Odysseus fashion, he adds his own flare with the honor argument which fulfills Agamemnon’s charge as is to get Achilles back into the battle by tempting Achilles with great things.

What is Achilles’ response to Agamemnon’s offer in Book 9, and what reasons does he give

for it? What is different about his attitude in Book 18 when he speaks to Thetis?

Achilleus will not return to the battle; he cites the dishonor originally done to him as proof of Agamemnon’s vice, and he wants other Greeks to feel a similar distaste; he refuses the treasure now as he was denied treasure before’ he does not wish for marriage, knowing he must die in glorious combat (or live in obscurity, but he seems to have made his choice)

In Book 18, mourning Patroklos’ death, Achilleus returns to the battle, not for glory or gifts but to get revenge on Hektor and to make up for his own failure to prevent his friend’s death

What does Zeus announce his will to be in the exchange with Hera at the beginning of Book

4?

What does Zeus announce is fated to happen at Book 8.473-477 (p. 213)?

And what does he predict will happen at Book 15.58-72 (pp. 331-332)?

Also, why is Zeus unwilling to have the gods intervene in the fighting at the beginning of Book 8, but willing to have them intervene at the beginning of Book 21?

Zeus will allow Hera to help the Greek for now (maybe even he is here promising Troy will fall), but when it comes time for him to sack one of her beloved cities, she cannot complain

Hektor will kill Patroklos, stirring Achilleus to kill him, and there is nothing Hera can do to stop Zeus from accomplishing this

Zeus demands Poseidon quit the fight, that the Trojans will surge forward and bait Patroklos into battle, where he will be killed by Hektor, thereafter letting Hektor be killed by Achilleus

Zeus does not want the gods to intervene in Book 8 as it is against the “gods’ will”; while in Book 20 Zeus sets the gods free (as they are in Book 21) to continue on the fighting as watching it pleased his heart and prevented Troy falling before it was meant to

Give a detailed account of Sarpedon’s speech to Glaukos in Book 12 about the reasons for

their status and their motives for fighting.

Why are they honored above others? Because they are leading the men into battle, fighting in the foremost, and showing honor by marching forth despite knowing death to be near. Death is what makes it that they are will to fight on the front lines as the glory from their death immortalizes them as it shows their bravery.

Describe in some detail Agamemnon’s explanation in Book 19 of the way he acted during his

quarrel with Achilles. How does that compare with the explanation he gave of his actions at

Book 2.374-377 (on p. 102)? Finally, back in Book 19, how does Achilles’ brief response

simultaneously validate Agamemnon and excuse himself?

Agamemnon does not take accountability, blaming Zeus, Destiny, and Erinys, placing in his heart “savage delusion,” further blaming Hera for diluting Zeus

This aligns but does not wholly agree with his earlier analysis, where he blames just Zeus for giving him “bitterness”

Achilleus basically skips over apologies, he will accept the gifts or give them up, he only wants to fight

In Book 22, what reasons do Priam and Hecuba give to Hektor for why he should enter the

walls of Troy? What reasons does Hektor give in his own inner monologue for why he

cannot?

Priam notes that Hektor won’t beat Achilles, begs him to survive as he has already lost too many sons in war, and encourages him to come behind the walls so he can protect the people of Troy rather than die in battle

Hecuba appeals only to emotions: “take pity on me… if he kills you I can no longer mourn you”

Hektor sees the current failure of the Trojan army as his fault, him having led the troops too deep and killing Patroklos (thus getting Achilleus back into the fight); he knows there is no mercy from Achilleus now

Summarize the sequence of events in Book 24. What thoughts go through Achilles’ head

every morning, and what does he proceed to do? Why does he decide to let go of his anger?

What are some important things that are said and that happen during his encounter with

Priam?

Broken with grief, Achilles tosses side to side thinking about Patroklos and daily drags about Hektor’s body. His mother Thetis tells him it’s the gods’ will that he give up the body, and he decides to listen

Achilleus is eventually brought to tears by Priam, who begs him to think of his own father and the sadness that is felt in losing a son