In book 24 of homer s the iliad, priam of troy goes to the myrmidon camp and asks achilles for hectors body. When the games are over and the crowds disperse, achilleus keeps grieving for patroklos. Chapter summary for homer s the iliad, book 2 summary. Summary while the battle around the ships continues, patroklos pleads with achilles to be allowed to wear achilles armor and to lead the myrmidons, his troops, into battle. In another homeric parallel, the council called by achilles at the beginning of book 19 is echoed in the council of the gods called by zeus at the beginning of book 20. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Menelaus sees the death of patroclus, and he goes to defend the body. Chryses, priest of apollo, comes to the greek camp to ransom his daughter, chryseis, held captive by agamemnon. Achilles singlehandedly splits the trojan forces, driving one half towards the city and one half into the river. In fact, this structural technique is a basis for the entire work. We are told from the beginning that the story is going to be about the rage or anger of achilles, the greatest warrior in achaia greece. Achilles follows the trojans into the river, hacking them to pieces with his sword. Set during the trojan war, the tenyear siege of the city of troy ilium by a coalition of greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the. Zeus gives the gods free rein to intervene because achilles could actually overpower the trojans without divine help, bringing down troy before its fated time.
Homer s epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares. This lesson provides an overview of book 20 of homer s the iliad. Major characters, involvement of gods and goddesses, defending an argument, causeeffect, and visual analysis of the major theme are all included. The epic poem ends with the trojans burying hector. How does homer link the death of hektor to the fall of troy. The eloquent and dramatic epic poem captures the terrible anger of achilles, the best of the achaeans, over a grave insult to his personal honor and relates its tragic result. This lesson provides an overview of book 20 of homers the iliad.
This assessment checks students understanding of key concepts in book 1 of the iliad. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. Hera sends a mist to confuse and slow the retreat of the men going back towards the city. Zeus calls the gods together and gives them permission to intervene in the war however they wish. The wrath of achilles seems justified from book i to book ix. These epics tell the story of the trojan war and odysseus journey home after the war, respectively. Ilias is an epic poem by the ancient greek poet homer, which recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the trojan war and the greek siege of the city of troy which was also known as ilion, ilios or ilium in ancient times. The iliad takes place in the tenth year of the trojan war. The outcome of achilles anger is the will of zeus, but it also killed a huge number of achaean soldiers. The do so by perusing personal honor above all else.
However, book i essentially sets up the tension for the rest of the poem. Like other ancient epic poems, the iliad presents its subject clearly from the outset. Chapter summary for homer s the iliad, book 23 summary. Book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 postscript. All the people of troy grieve his loss, and the three trojan women testify to his humane qualities.
Chapter summary for homer s the iliad, book 24 summary. Up to this point achilles has been stuck in anger fed by grief. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. He remarks that if the gods do not intervene, achilles may overpower the trojans and sack the city.
In the midst of the trojan war, greek leader agamemnon refuses to return captive chryseis, causing apollo to send a plague to the greek encampment. The quarrel between achilles and agamemnon in book 1 of homer s iliad sets in motion a chain of events that will affect. Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. Although the trojan war as a whole figures prominently in the work, this larger. Homer begins by asking the muse to help him sing the story of the rage of achilles. Many people have noted connections between the last book and the first because both involve a father seeking the return of a child. Apollos priest chryses comes to the achaian camp and asks to ransom back his daughter chryseis, who has been captured. Achilles and hector, although flawed, do live by the heroic code of their time. Specifically, the iliad concerns itself with the rage of achilleshow it begins, how it cripples the achaean army, and how it finally becomes redirected toward the trojans. The iliad begins with the poet calling on the muse to sing of the wrath of achilleus and its consequences. The quarrel between achilles and agamemnon in book 1 of homer s iliad sets in motion a chain.
In antiquity, a very large number of other works were sometimes attributed to him, including the homeric hymns, the contest of homer and hesiod, the little iliad, the nostoi, the thebaid, the cypria, the epigoni, the comic miniepic batrachomyomachia the frogmouse war, the margites, the capture of oechalia, and the. Greeks who crossed the sea to lay siege to troy, a city in modern turkey. Hector, his attention focused on the fleeing horses of achilles, is made to look at the scene by apollo. Homer s epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares, paris. The iliad is an ancient greek epic poem by homer that was first published in 762 bc. In the very first line of the iliad, the poet addresses the muse, who inspires him with song, and asks her to sing through him the story of the wrath of the son of peleus, aka achilles. Under the achaean assault, the trojans are forced back. Poem summary cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Check out our revolutionary side byside summary and analysis.
The story told in the iliad figured prominently in greek culture long before the epic was ever written down. Homer, whoever that was, focuses on a few weeks during the final year of the trojan war beginning with an evocation of the muses, the iliad is a tale of war, pride, and fate. Nestor leaves his tent and immediately sees the carnage surrounding the achaean camp. Questions 11 20 questions 21 30 questions 31 40 questions 41 50 things you didnt know suggested reading. Book xx serves as an interlude before the aristeia of achilles in books xxi and xxii, which culminates in the death of hektor. Although the iliad begins by outlining its subject as the wrath of achilles, the poem ends with the burial of hector. On a previous encounter, achilles captured lycaon and. Conceptual and thematic overview rather than simply recall. The odyssey books 2124 summary and analysis gradesaver. Achilles kindness to priam in book xxiv ends the warriors. Homer, iliad book 22 theoi classical texts library. Agamemnons rejection of chryses in book i leads to all of the events of the iliad.
See a complete list of the characters in the iliad and indepth analyses of achilles, agamemnon, and hector. Iliad study guide contains a biography of homer, literature essays, a complete e text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full. Oct, 2017 the iliad book summary in under five minutes. A much commentedon section of book xx deals with aeneas. Zeus tells the assembled gods that they may return to the battlefield and help the sides they support. He is insulted and sent away, and apollo sends a plague on the greeks. Iliad study guide contains a biography of homer, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Thus the trojans in the city scared like fawns wiped the sweatfrom off them and drank to quench their thirst leaning against thegoodly battlements. Chapter summary for homer s the iliad, book 21 summary. Book 24 is a portrait of grief, from anger to compassion. She has a masters degree in linguistics and is a former latin teacher. Analysis in his tent, nestor discusses the battle with the wounded machaon.
The quarrel between achilles and agamemnon in book 1 of homer s iliad sets in motion a chain of events that. While the achaeans and trojans prepare for battle, zeus summons the gods to mount olympus. Homer s technique of repeating an earlier scene with a later one is used throughout the iliad. The duel ends when aineias is spirited away by poseidon. She says that she will focus on homers language and his narrative style in my own experience, she accomplishes a great deal more, bringing out meanings and connections that cast book 22 in an entirely fresh light and reveal this books close connections to the iliad as a whole. Murray 1 now when they were marshalled, the several companies with their captains, the trojans came on with clamour and with a cry like birds, even as the clamour of cranes ariseth before the face of heaven, when they flee from wintry storms and measureless rain, and with clamour fly toward the streams of ocean, bearing slaughter and death to pigmy men. Hector always respected the gods, so the gods should ensure his body is respected in turn. The appearance of patroclus ghost offers little in the way of a comforting view of the afterlife. Diores is struck by a rock thrown by pirous and speared, and pirous is speared as he springs away from his kill. Paris, a son of the king of troy, kidnaps helen, who becomes the legendary helen of troy and the woman with the face that launched a thousand ships. Murray 1 then was the gathering broken up, and the folk scattered, each man to go to his own ship. The written version of the iliad presupposes a basic familiarity with the characters and mythological causes and effects of the.
The gods pick sides but are reluctant to start fighting directly. He knows that if achilles enters the battlefield unchecked, he will decimate the trojans and maybe even bring the city down before its fated time. In this book, we see what happens when achilles joins the battle with his new. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods. Analysis as the achaeans prepare for battle, zeus summons the gods to a council. The iliad summary in the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. As we read about achilleus rampage on the battlefield and his brutal slaying of hektor, our. Homer, iliad book 24 theoi classical texts library. He and euphorbus trade insults, and menelaus reminds him that he killed euphorbus brother hyperenor. The iliad is attributed to the poet homer and is the earliest surviving work of western literature. Summary and analysis of book 20 of homer s iliad, with a focus on the battle between aeneas and achilles. Poem summary the achaians, under king agamemnon, have been fighting the trojans off and on for nine years, trying to retrieve helen, the wife of menelaos, and thus agamemnons sisterinlaw. Today only the iliad and odyssey are associated with the name homer. The trojan war, as youll know from the backstory section of our summary of book 1, involved a massive army of achaians a.
The current code of conduct that we live by today is different from the heroic code that motivated homer s characters. Who wrote the iliad a basic level guide to some of the best known and loved works of prose, poetry and drama from ancient greece the iliad by homer ancient greece homer the iliad the iliad homer poem. As we read about achilleus rampage on the battlefield and his brutal slaying of hektor, our discussion will explore achilleus anger, its links with the repeated references to patroklos death, his own destiny, and. Homer finishes the book with descriptions of two deaths.
In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. Homer s iliad begins during the tenth year of the trojan war and opens, like most epic poems, with a request for inspiration from the appropriate muse. Apollo watches the battle from above, and cries out for the trojans to fight back, noting that achilles is not fighting. Book 24 quotes symbols themes glossary author biography discussion questions questions 11 20 questions 21 30. While achilles is considering this request, flames are seen rising from among the ships, indicating great success for the trojans. He meets the wounded captains agamemnon, odysseus, and diomedes. The description of antinous death reminds us of his gluttonous ways. Zeus is afraid that achilleus will overstep the bounds of fate. Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of book 20 of homers epic poem the iliad.
Each day, he fastens hektors corpse to the back of his chariot, and drags him three times around patrokloss burial mound. Read the commentary on books 2022 and on books 2324 readings wednesday class, sept. Other deaths are portrayed in an ironic light, as well. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22. The wrath of achilles is finally assuaged in book xxiv. Eurymakhos death, too, entangles him with odysseus food and drink one last time. Heres where youll find analysis about the poem as a whole. The trojans, having fled like a herd of frightened deer, now leant on the battlements around the city, drying the sweat from their bodies, and quenching their thirst, as the greeks approached the wall, their shields at the slope. 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. These free notes consist of about 101 pages 30,062 words and contain the following sections. Find helpful summaries and analyses for every chapter in homers the iliad. Indeed, the poem names its focus in its opening word.
At the beginning of the section apollo calls him that man without a shred of decency in his heart, all brute force and wild pride, and no shame that does great harm or drives men on to good. Homer calls upon the goddess of poetry and inspiration the muse to sing of achilleus anger. Homer, iliad book 20 theoi classical texts library. Its a classic story which never seems to age, no matter how many times it is translated and reimagined. In this book, we see what happens when achilles joins the battle with his new armor and a big pile of anger. Hector is a different kind of hero than achilles, less godlike but more connected to the people around him. The rest bethought them of supper and of sweet sleep, to take their fill thereof. Heras response, though, points to a different way of looking at things. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. The free the iliad notes include comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book.