The Illiad

Book 1

begins 9 years after start of Trojan war when Achaeans (Greeks) sack a Trojan-allied town and capture women, Chryseis and Briseis; Agamemnon (leader of Greeks) claims Chryseis; Achilles claims Briseis; Chryses, father of Chryseis and priest of Apollo, prays to Apollo to get his daughter back; Apollo sends plague upon army; Chalchas, a steer, finds out plague is caused by Apollo and Chryses; Agamemnon wants to give back Chryseis to Chryses and take Briesis from Achielles who refuses and threatens to stop the war; Athena (from Hera) and Nestor stop Achilles from killing Agamemnon; Agamemnon returns Chryseis via ship and sends heralds to take Briesis; Achilles prays to his mother, Thetis, for Zeus to punish the Achaeans; Achaean commander Odysseus take Chryseis back; Chryses asks Apollo to lift plague from the army; Achilles refuses to do battle; Jesus helps Trojans and Hera is mad because she likes Greeks but calms down

Book 2

Zeus sends false thoughts to Agamemnon where he believes Nestor is telling him to do a full scale attack on Troy; Agamemnon decides to test the soldiers' morale by ordering a retreat. Athena sent by Hera convinces Odysseus restores order and convinces the troops to stay; homer introduces all the major characters by end of this book

Book 3

Trojan army goes to gates to defend city; Paris (Trojan Prince) predicted war because he stole Helen from her husband Menelaus (greek); Paris duels Helen’s husband in hopes of peace between greeks and trojans; Helen convinced by Iris (god) goes to city gates to watch; Paris and Menelaus begin to duel; Aphrodite (likes Trojans) helps Paris and takes him back to Palace during the duel

Book 4

Zeus argues that Menelaus has won the duel and that war should end; Hera wants to see Trojans destroyed; Zeus gives up to Hera and sends Athena disguised as Trojan to the battle; Athena tells the archer Pandarus to wound Menelaus; Agamemnon now rallies Greek army; battle occurs; no major characters die

Book 5

Pandarus wounds the Achaean hero Diomedes; Diomedes prays to Athena who gives him strength for revenge; Athena tells him only to go after Aphrodite; he goes after all Trojans and kills Pandarus; he wounds Aphrodite; her mother Dione heals her; Diomedes wounds Aeneas, but Apollo intervenes to save him; Ares, the god of war, joins the battle on the side of the Trojans; Diomedes, with Athena's guidance, injures Ares, forcing him to retreat; Gods leave battle

Book 6

Greeks overwhelm Trojans; The Trojans and Greeks pause the war to bury their dead; Hector, the Trojan prince, returns to Troy to advise the women, including his mother, Hecuba, and his wife, Andromache; Hector's son Astyanax is frightened by his father's plumed helmet during the visit; Andromache pleads with Hector not to fight and expresses her fears for his safety; Hector reassures Andromache, acknowledging his duty to defend Troy; Hector visits Paris, who is lounging at home, and scolds him for not fighting; Paris offers to return to the battle.

Book 7

The Trojan and Greek armies prepare for battle after a temporary truce for burial rites; Trojan prince Hector proposes a single combat between himself and Ajax, a Greek hero; Ajax and Hector duel; heralds call for a break due to approaching nightfall; agree to a truce for the night, and gifts are exchanged between sides; Trojans hold a council where the seer Helenus advises strengthening the city's defenses.

Book 8

Zeus calls gods to discuss fate of Troy; permits them to aid whichever side they choose but warns against direct involvement to avoid conflict; Trojans and Greeks battle; Greeks begin consider retreat; Nestor encourages Greeks to pray to gods for help; Hera and Athena plan to deceive Zeus to intervene indirectly to help Greeks; Hera seduces Zeus while Athena convinces him to ignore battle; Poseidon aids the Greeks; Greeks push the Trojans back; Hector rallies Trojans

Book 9

Greeks, pressured by Trojans, consider retreat; Agamemnon suggests retreat; Diomedes opposes; Nestor advises reconciling with Achilles; Ambassadors offer gifts, apologies to Achilles; Achilles refuses and wants to leave; Achilles' refusal remains despite Greek plight.

Book 10

Agamemnon and Menelaus sends Odysseus and Diomedes to spy on Trojans; encounter Dolon, Trojan scout, who gives information for his life; reveals the Trojans' plans and weakened state; Diomedes and Odysseus kill Dolon; Diomedes and Odysseus infiltrate the Trojan camp; Athena casts a sleep on Trojans to aid them; reach Thracian camp; ambush Rhesus, the Thracian king and soldiers; killing them in their sleep; take his famous horses; Athena warns Trojan forces and tells them to retreat

Book 11

Trojans launch attack Greek ships; Ajax leads; Antilochus kills Thrasymedes, leading to grief in Nestor; Patroclus, disguised as Achilles , leads Myrmidons into battle; Patroclus is killed by Apollo and Hector, leading to Achilles wanting to avenge his the death

Book 12

Achaeans (greeks) are doomed to be destroyed by the gods; trench dug in front of them blocks the Trojan chariots; Hector, acting under Polydamas, orders men to leave chariots and storm walls; eagle flies to the left-hand side of the Trojans and drops serpent in the soldiers; Polydamassees this as sign of failure; Hector refuses retreat; Trojans storm; Greeks hold them back; Trojans get through walls