Summory Of The Iliad Essay, Research Paper

I. Apollo is angry because Agamemnon has failed to let one

of the god’s priests ransom a daughter Agamemnon had alloted

himself as a war-prize. Agamemnon reluctantly gives the

girl up but insists on taking in her place Briseis, a

captive originally assigned to Achilles–hence the “wrath of

Achilles,” which iis the epic’s announced topic. Achilles

complains to his divine mother, Thetis, who presuades Zeus

to let the Trojans prevail in battle until Achilles’s honor

is satisfied.

II. Lured by a false dream sent by Zeus, the Greeks mass

for battle, as do the Trojans. Homer gives long lists of

both and their allies.

III. Paris agrees to single combat with Menelaus to settle

the issue of the war and everyone on both sides hopes that

the war will soon be over, but when Paris starts to lose

Aphrodite wafts him away. Even Helen is mad at both Paris

and the goddess.

IV. The Olympians quarrel among themselves and help stir

up battle on the fields of Troy.

V. Athena helps Diomedes wound Aphrodite as that goddess

is bearing her Trojan son Aeneas off the battlefield. Ares

comes to the aid of the Trojans, and Diomedes wounds him,

too.

VI. The Trojan hero Hector drops home during battle to

make some sacrifices. His wife Andromache begs him not to

leave her a widow, but he goes back to battle anyway.

Diomedes and the Trojan hero Glaucus discover that their

fathers were friends and exchange armor–Diomedes gets the

better of the bargain, giving his bronze armor in return for

golden armor.

VII. Hector wreaks havoc, and Apollo keeps Athena from

helping the Greeks. Ajax is chosen to face Hector in single

combat; they fight till night without result. Antenor

advises the Trojans to give up Helen, but Paris refuses.

The Greeks build a wall and dig a moat to protect their

ships.

VIII. Guided by Zeus, Hector leads a Trojan rout of the

Greeks, but nightfall keeps them from climbing the walls and

burning the ships.

IX. Advised by Nestor, Agamemnon finally agrees to return

Briseis to Achilles and give him other great gifts, but

Achilles won’t come back. He knows that his glory will mean

his death.

X. Sent to spy on the Trojans, Odysseus and Diomedes

capture a Trojan spy and learn about

a Trojan ally on his way. They kill him and the spy.

XI. The next day brings another bloody battle. Nestor

carries off one of the wounded. Achilles sends his close

friend Patroclus to find out who it is, and Nestor urges

Patroclus to wear Achilles’s armor and lead their men into

battle.

XII. Led by Hector, the Trojans break through the Greek

walls.

XIII. Poseidon disobeys Zeus and helps rally the Greeks.

XIV. Poseidon keeps Agamemnon from calling a retreat to

the ships, while Hera (borrowing a magic girdle from

Aphrodite) seduces Zeus and lulls him to sleep. Hector is

wounded by a stone, and the Trojans are driven back.

XV. Zeus wakes up mad at his wife and sends Apollo to heal

Hector, who comes back and burns the Greek ships.

XVI. Achilles agrees to let Patroclus wear his armor and

lead his men. The Trojans fall back, but Hector kills

Patroclus after Apollo stuns him.

XVII. There is a big fight for the battle of Patroclus.

Menelaus goes to tell Achilles his friend is dead.

XVIII. Achilles weeps and carries on. His mother Thetis

promises to buy him some new armor overnight. Just seeing

him come out to the field of battle makes the Trojans

retreat some.

XIX. Achilles reconciles with Agamemon and leads the

Greeks to battle.

XX. Zeus allows the gods to join in the battle. The

Greeks are supported by Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, and

Hephaestus; the Trojans, by Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and

Aphrodite.

XXI. The gods quarrel among themselves, while Achilles is

winning the day. The Trojans retreat within their walls.

XXII. Hector reproaches himself for not having retreated

at the first appearance of Achilles. He goes out to meet

Achilles in single combat and is slain. Achilles ties his

body behind a chariot and drags it off to the Greek ships.

XXIII. Funeral games are part of the magnificent burial

Achilles gives Patroclus.

XXIV. As part of his mourning, Achilles keeps dragging the

body of Hector around the tomb. Zeus insists that he give

the body back, and the gods help Hector’s father Priam sneak

into the Greek camp to beg for it. Achilles holds the war

off while funeral rites are held for Hector.