The iliad sparknotes literature guides by sparknotes. Bethink thee, goodly machaon, how these things are to be. The quiz will test you on key characters and their actions, including the name. Information on the first book of the iliad of homer. The questions on this worksheet and quiz will test you on the events and characters in book 6 of homers the iliad. Achilleuss attitude here is not unique in the iliad. When a paper is due, and dreaded exams loom, heres the litcrit help students need to succeed. Check out our revolutionary side byside summary and analysis.
Homers audience was an illiterate culture, and homer himself was most likely illiterate. The point is, now that you know what the things are, its high time we jumped into the middle of them. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. The iliad, together with the odyssey, is one of two ancient greek epic poems traditionally attributed to homer. He and meriones lead a staunch counterattack on the left side of the battlefield in book. He weeps and beats the ground with his fists and covers his face with dirt.
The written version of the iliad presupposes a basic familiarity with the characters and mythological causes and effects of the trojan war. Meanwhile thefleet runner antilochus who had been sent as messenger reachedachilles and found him. Homer structured the iliad so that at any point he could discuss any subject he chose. In book 18, antilochus is the man on whom falls the hard task of telling achilles that patroclus has been killed. But, by afternoon, they have begun to make progress. Grief overcomes achilles as he falls to the ground weeping. Homers iliad study guide homers iliad has been captivating audiences for thousands of years. What makes them distinctive is that they come from achilleus. Use the glossary at the back of your book to help keep track of who is who.
He lets out a terrible cry and all the sea nymphs gather. There is little reason to believe that achilles would have made up his mind without such a powerful catalyst for his decision. Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. The iliad sparknotes literature guide volume 35 sparknotes literature guide series 9781411469754. Sparknotes and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The iliad sparknotes literature guide by homer making the reading experience fun. Agamemnon, splendidly armed, cuts down man after man and beats the trojans back to the citys gates. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Compare his remarks here with those of hektor in book 6, lines 488489, quoted in the section on fate and free will. The iliad is an ancient greek epic poem by homer that was first published in 762 bc. Home english literature classic books the iliad navigate here note book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi book xii book xiii book xiv book xv book xvi book xvii book xviii book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv. The iliad sparknotes literature guide sparknotes literature guide series by homer. Murray 1 but when they were now come to the ford of the fairflowing river, even eddying xanthus that immortal zeus begat, there achilles cleft them asunder, and the one part he drave to the plain toward the city, even where the achaeans were fleeing in rout the day before, what time glorious hector was ragingthitherward poured forth some in rout, and.
The description of the shield is a digression justified by the fact that hektor now has achilles armor. Quite a few comments have been posted about the iliad. In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. The last section of book xviii describes the giant shield that hephaistos, god of the forge, made for achilles. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Hector, his attention focused on the fleeing horses of achilles, is made to look at the scene by apollo.
Heres where youll find analysis about the poem as a whole. After zeus wakes, he sees the results of poseidon and heras actions. In homers iliad, the epic poets heroes are often motivated by kleos, a greek word which can carry meanings such good reputation, fame, and glory. The first scene of the iliad finds chryses, the priest of apollo god of the sun and a whole lot of other stuff, approaching the achaian camp to ask for his daughter back. In two and a half lines of simple diction, antilochus tells achilles what has happened. Zeus begins moving the battle in the trojans favor but relents long enough for menelaus and meriones to carry away patrocluss body. See a complete list of the characters in the iliad and indepth analyses of achilles, agamemnon, and hector. Murray 1 and the cry of battle was not unmarked of nestor, albeit at his wine, but he spake winged words to the son of asclepius.
Brave menelaus son of atreus now came to know that patroclus had. Then patroclus drew near to achilles with tears welling. Now the other princes of the achaeans slept soundly the whole. Zeus wakes and sees the havoc that hera and poseidon have wreaked while he dozed in his enchanted sleep. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 16 summary. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Achilles, sitting by ships, realizes the achaeans are routed and fears the worst. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. The narrative begins nine years after the start of the war, as the achaeans sack a trojanallied town and capture two beautiful maidens, chryseis and briseis. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. The iliad is an epic poem and part of the ancient greek oral tradition. Below you will find a synopsis of some of the main events to which the iliad refers.
The iliad, book xviii, the shield of achilles by homer. The death of patroclus is reported in brief words to achilles. He and euphorbus trade insults, and menelaus reminds him that he killed euphorbus brother hyperenor. Achilles has a bad feeling that patroclus is dead even before menelauss messenger arrives. Goddess, sing me the anger, of achilles, peleus son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the greeks, and sent many valiant souls of warriors down to hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs and carrion birds. This study guide consists of approximately 114 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the iliad. To repay the indignity chryses has suffered, apollo, the mouse god, rains arrows of plague on the greek forces for 9 days. Homers the iliad starts after the achaians have been at war with the trojans for nine years, trying to retrieve helen of troy, the wife of menelaos who was kidnapped by paris. The iliad begins with the poet calling on the muse to sing of the wrath of achilleus and its consequences. The poet invokes a muse to aid him in telling the story of the rage of achilles, the greatest greek hero to fight in the trojan war. Apollos priest chryses comes to the achaian camp and asks to ransom back his daughter chryseis, who has been captured. In this book, achilles finds out about the death of his friend patroclus. Pg 483 ln 558 pg 487 ln 709 this is the discription on what the shield that hephaestus made. Menelaus sees the death of patroclus, and he goes to defend the body.
The poem is commonly dated to the 8th or 7th century bc, and many scholars believe it is the oldest extant work of literature in the greek language, making it the first work of european literature. Book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 quotes. Rodents do spread plague, so the association between a divine mouse function and delivering plague makes sense, even if the greeks werent completely aware of the connection. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods. Read the remaining books less closely and focus your attention on the broad ideas and general plot. Achilles watches the retreat from afar and worries about the fate of patroclus. Do you think that this attitude is consistent with his character elsewhere in the iliad. The next morning, zeus rains blood upon the achaean lines, filling them with panic. Homer, iliad book 21 theoi classical texts library.
Homer, iliad book 14 theoi classical texts library. Sing of it from the moment when agamemnon, atreus son, that king of. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 18 summary. So the fighting raged, while swiftfooted antilochus brought the news to achilles. Antilochus races to achilles camp to tell him of patroclus death. Iliad figured prominently in greek culture long before the epic was ever written down. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Sparknotes literature guides make studying smarter, better, and faster. Beowulf sparknotes literature guide sparknotes literature guide series book 18 5. Best passage when antilochus brings word to achilles of patrocluss death, achilles loses control of himself. Book 35 of 57 in the sparknotes literature guide series. Upon hearing the news, achilles tears his hair in sorrow and curses anger that drives the sanest men to. Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of book 18 of homers epic poem the iliad. He found him in front of the highsterned ships, agonising over the war, communing anxiously with his proud heart. The iliad, book i, lines 116 anger be now your song, immortal one, akhilleus anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the akhaians loss on bitter loss and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead mencarrion for dogs and birds.
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