Week 2: Homer's Iliad

Week 2 Reading Diary: Homer's Iliad

Reading A
The King of Sparta's daughter, Helen, chooses to marry Menelaus who then becomes King of Sparta when Helen's father dies. When Helen is carried off by Paris, the King of Troy's son, the men of Sparta are supposed to help her husband get her back.

The men cannot seem to get through the walls of Troy and they spend nine years trying. Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother, takes the daughter of the priest of Apollo and he refuses to give her back. This causes Apollo to be angry and to kill dogs, beasts, and men.

Achilles draws his sword at Agamemnon telling him that since Apollo is angry they will now have to give back the daughter, and without any money or anything in return. Athena appears to Achilles and says that if he puts his sword down, Agamemnon will ultimately end up paying Achilles back three or four times.

Now, angry, Agamemnon wants to steal the woman Briseis from Achilles. Briseis was a gift to Achilles from the Greeks, and he is not happy. He thinks that Agamemnon is very greedy. He allows her to be taken by the heralds in order to let them know that Agamemnon is evil, and to have a reason not to help him when he may need it.

Achilles then asks his mother Thetis to go talk to Zeus about helping the Trojans. He wants him to cause a war to start and to let the Trojans win. Zeus agrees even thought he knows it will cause a wife between him and his wife Hera. She asks him to prove to the Greeks that they cannot win a battle without Achilles, and this will be to prove his honor.

Thetis and Zeus by Ingres

Zeus then sends a false dream to Agamemnon to show him a battle in which he can win so that he believes the dream to be true and go and fight the Trojans.

Hector, Prince of Troy, goes to his brother Paris to ask him to help in battle, but Paris refuses.

The Greeks come to Achilles and talk to him about being scared of Hector, and tell him it is as if the gods are on the Trojans side. He will still not help them because of what Agamemnon had done. He would not take the money from the wealthiest city, or the daughter of Agamemnon even if she was as beautiful as Aphrodite.

Sarpedon was killed by Petroclus after Petroclus kept the ships from being destroyed by the Trojans.

Apollo tells Petroclus that it is not his or Achilles' job to take Troy. Apollo and Hector attacked Patroclus. Hector talks of slaying him, but Petroclus does not give him the glory and says that Apollo is the one who truly brought him to his death.

Reading B
There was a fight for Petroclus' body once he was dead. Menelaus wanted it, but was not going to go against Hector because he knew he would not win in a fighting match against him. Hector took the armor that Achilles had given Patroclus.

When Hector was dragging away the body to the Trojans, Ajax came to defend the body from the Trojans.  Hector drew back when he saw Ajax. Hector's men started to shame him for not standing up against Ajax. He told them he was not scared, and went to get the armor of Achilles from the men who were taking it back to the city. He put on Achilles armor and made Zeus angry.

The battle continues and is getting more brutal. They are fighting for the body of Patroclus.

Menelaus orders Antilochus to go tell Achilles that Patroclus is dead, that the Trojans prevail in battle, and that Hector has the arms. They hope that Achilles will come to battle and that they will be able to still save the body.

Achilles decides to go to the battle only when he has arms. Zeus sends Iris with a message to AChilles. If he just shows himself, the Trojans will back off, giving the Greeks some breathing room.

So Achilles ran to the trench and Athena put a shield about his shoulders and it shone like a flame of fire. Achilles shouted across the trench three times causing the Trojans to fall back three times. This allowed the Greeks to be able to take the body of Patroclus.

Agenor tried to stab Achilles below the knee, but the greave turned the spear because it was made by a god so it was very strong. Achilles tried to slay him, but Apollo lifted him away to a safe place. Apollo then took the shape of Agenor. Achilles then pursued him.

Apollo tells Achilles that he has been chasing one who cannot die while all the Trojans become safe in the city.

Hector's mother and father beg him to come inside the gates so that he is not killed by Achilles. Hector does not listen and wants to see who Zeus will give the victory to.

When Hector saw Achilles he got scared and started to run away with Achilles running after him.

Athena tells Achilles that it is Hectors fate to die, and that is he supposed to kill him. She tells him to rest and she will make Hector meet him.

When they meet, Hector tells Achilles that if Achilles dies he will give his body back to the Greeks, but he will keep his arms. He wishes Achilles will do the same. When they started to fight, Athena helps Achilles to kill Hector. Achilles drove his spear into Hectors collar bone where the armor did not cover.
Achilles tied Hector to his chariot by his ankles and went back to the Greeks. He did not take the body to Troy.

Hector's Body Dragged by Achilles 

Zeus makes Achilles give up Hector's body for ransom. Hector's father goes to Achilles to beg for his body. He asks for nine days of peace for a proper burial for Hector. Achilles leaves in the night so no one sees him there. On the ninth day there was a burial so grand that Troy had never seen one like it before.