The Iliad Summary

Homer, an ancient Greek author, wrote: "The Iliad" (Greek: "Ili�s"), an epic poem that recounts the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek attack on Troy, referred to as Ilion, Ilios, or Ilium in ancient times. Considered the first work in Western literary tradition, it was written around the mid-eighth century BCE and has become one of the most beloved tales ever. "The Iliad" explores themes of glory, anger, homecoming, and fate through its vivid depiction of gory warfare, Achilles' rage, and the intervention of gods. The Homeric epic has also influenced many other Greek, Roman, and Renaissance works.

The Author of The Iliad

The author of this work is Homer, and it was written in the mid-8th century BCE. The story is set in both the Trojan War and Classical Greece. The key characters in the story include Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, Priam, Paris, Odysseus, Diomedes, Patroclus, and Menelaus. Major themes explored in the story include glory, anger, heroism, honor, fate, battle, and peace.

Synopsis of The Iliad

The story recounted in "The Iliad" takes place around 10 years after the Greeks began their siege of Troy, led by King Agamemnon of Mycenae. The Greeks are discussing what to do with Chryseis, a captive Trojan being held by Agamemnon. One option is to release and return her to her father, a priest of Apollo named Chryses. Despite winning the debate, Agamemnon decides to keep the child and threatens to harm her if her father does not comply. Chryses prays to Apollo for help, and in response, the god sends a sickness that spreads throughout the Greek army.

Important Characters

• Agamemnon

King Atreus' son Agamemnon ruled Mycenae (or Argos) and married Clytemnestra, Menelaus' brother. They had four children: Orestes, a boy, and three girls - Iphigenia, Electra, and Chrysothemis. Agamemnon led the victorious Greek armies in the Trojan War to recover his brother's wife, Helen of Sparta, who Troy had abducted. Unfortunately, he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus upon returning home with Cassandra after the fall of Troy.

• Achilles

Achilles, a renowned Greek warrior-hero in the Trojan War, was the son of Thetis, a nymph, and Peleus, ruler of the Myrmidons. Thetis tried to make him immortal when he was born by dipping him in the Styx River. However, the part of his body where she held him, his heel, remained vulnerable. Known for his distinctive good looks, Achilles withdrew from the battle after being dishonored by Agamemnon but later returned to cause the deaths of many Trojan heroes, including Hector and Troilus. Unfortunately, he was ultimately killed by an arrow shot by Paris in his vulnerable heel.

• Odysseus

Odysseus, also known as Ulysses in Latin, was the son of Laertes and Anticlea. He was a cunning and ingenious leader known for his deceit. The person in question was the ruler of Ithaca, wedded to Penelope, and had a son named Telemachus. During the Trojan War, Odysseus was a key Greek leader and a dependable counselor. He created the Trojan Horse, which was crucial to the Greek triumph. After the war, Odysseus spent 10 years on various adventures, encountering the Lotus-Eaters, Cyclops, Circe, Sirens, and Calypso. Upon returning to Ithaca, he reunited with his son and defeated the suitors pursuing Penelope, regaining control over the city.

• Paris

Paris was the offspring of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. As a newborn, he was abandoned on Mount Ida to prevent a prophecy that predicted he would destroy Troy. However, he was found and breastfed by a she-bear and grew up healthy and strong.

In a beauty competition between Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, Zeus convinced Paris to choose Aphrodite as the winner. In exchange, Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman on Earth, Helen of Sparta. This led to the ten-year Trojan War and the Greek mission to recover Helen after Paris took her from her husband, Menelaus.

Although Paris was not a skilled fighter and needed help from Aphrodite to survive the war, he was the one who killed the Greek hero Achilles. Ultimately, Philoctetes fatally injured Paris, and his lover from Mount Ida, Oenone, refused to cure him but still threw herself onto his funeral pyre.

• Menelaus

Menelaus was the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and Aerope and the brother of Agamemnon. After Atreus was killed by his brother Thyestes, Menelaus and Agamemnon fled into exile. Later, with the help of Spartan King Tyndareus, they overthrew Thyestes, and Agamemnon became a king. At the same time, Menelaus returned to Sparta to marry Tyndareus' daughter, Helen, who was considered very beautiful.

After Tyndareus died, Menelaus became the king of Sparta, and he and Helen had a daughter named Hermione. In the ten-year Trojan War, the Greek soldiers were led by Menelaus and Agamemnon. Their mission was to reclaim Helen, who had been abducted by the Trojan king Paris. After the war, Helen returned with Paris to Sparta, and although Alexander felt guilty about the human cost of the war, he did not punish her for her adultery.

• Helen

Helen, daughter of Leda and Zeus, married King Tyndareus of Sparta and gave birth to Clytemnestra, Castor, and Polydeuces. The woman known as "Helen of Sparta" and later "Helen of Troy" was famous for her exceptional beauty and was considered the most gorgeous in the world. Christopher Marlowe even wrote that her beauty "launched a thousand ships." The Trojan War was fought to rescue her from the abduction by Trojan prince Paris. Once Troy was destroyed, Helen returned to Sparta with King Menelaus, her husband, but he could not punish her for her infidelity.

• King Priam

During the Trojan War, Priam ruled as the Trojan king. King Priam was the youngest son of Laomedon and Leucippe. Originally named Podarces, he changed his name to Priam after escaping an attempted murder by Heracles. Priam had numerous wives and concubines; his children were Hector, Paris, Helenus, Cassandra, Troilus, Polyxena, and Polydorus. He had fifty sons and nineteen daughters in total. He divorced his first wife, Arisbe, and married Hecuba. Sadly, Neoptolemus, also known as Pyrrhus and son of Achilles, cruelly assassinated Priam while Troy was being taken.

• Andromache

Andromache, the wife of the legendary Trojan warrior Hector, was King Eetion of Cilician Thebe's daughter. During the Trojan War, Astyanax, the son of Andromache, was killed when he was thrown from the city walls. Additionally, Hector was also killed by Achilles. After the war, Andromache became a concubine to Neoptolemus and gave birth to Molossus. She later married Hector's brother Helenus and became the ruler of Epirus after Neoptolemus passed away. Eventually, Andromache moved to Pergamum and lived there until she passed away.

• Hector

Hector was the son of Troy's King Priam and Queen Hecuba. He was married to Andromache, and they had a son named Astyanax, who sadly met his demise when he was thrown off the walls of Troy. Hector was the leader of the Trojan soldiers during the Trojan War and was known for being a brave and peaceful fighter. Despite his involvement in the war, he had no malicious intentions and was a dedicated parent, spouse, and child. Although Hector's fight with the Greek hero Ajax ended in a draw, he managed to kill many other soldiers, including Achilles' ally Patroclus. This led to Achilles rejoining the war and ultimately killing Hector in combat. Achilles treated Hector's body poorly until his father, Priam, retrieved it.

• Ajax

Ajax the Great, son of Telamon and Periboea and a descendant of Zeus, considered the Trojan War to be of great importance. He was the tallest and strongest Greek fighter, second only to Achilles and possibly Diomedes, and his presence on the battlefield was invaluable. However, he eventually loses a dispute with Odysseus over the magical armor of the deceased Achilles, leading Athena to drive him insane. Ajax committed terrible crimes in his crazed state and eventually took his life out of shame.

Summary

Achilles, a heroic warrior, ordered the Greek fighters to demand that Agamemnon return Chryseis to appease Apollo and end the plague. Though Agamemnon eventually relented and returned her, he took Achilles' prize concubine, Briseis, in her place. This caused Achilles to feel dishonored, and he withdrew from the Trojan War along with his Myrmidon troops in a rage. Agamemnon pretends to order the last remaining Greeks to stop the war to test their loyalty. However, Odysseus encourages them to continue fighting. Helen and King Priam of Troy observe from the city walls as Paris and Menelaus fight over Helen during a brief pause in the battle. Despite the goddess Aphrodite's support for Paris, Menelaus wins the duel. Following the initial altercation, the Greek goddess Athena provokes the Trojans to break the ceasefire, and the fighting resumes.

In the latest battle, with the assistance of Athena, the Greek hero Diomedes defeated the Trojans who were in front of him. However, he attacked and injured Aphrodite due to his arrogance and desire for blood. Meanwhile, the Trojan hero Hector challenged the Greek warrior Ajax to a one-on-one fight in the Trojan fortress, despite objections from Ajax's wife, Andromache. The fight was a close call, with Ajax almost losing. Even though Zeus ordered the gods and goddesses not to interfere, Hera, Athena, Apollo, and Poseidon continued arguing, influencing, and involving themselves in the conflict behind the scenes.

Despite cries for help from Agamemnon, Odysseus, Ajax, Phoenix, and Nestor, Achilles remains steadfast and refuses any rewards or promises to restore Briseis. Meanwhile, Diomedes and Odysseus cause chaos in the Trojan camp. However, the Trojans gain the upper hand with Achilles and his men out of the battle. Despite Ajax's efforts, Hector breaches the fortified Greek camp, injuring Odysseus and Diomedes, and threatens to burn the Greek ships. Agamemnon is also wounded in the conflict.

To correct the situation, Patroclus convinced his dear friend and comrade Achilles to don his armor and lead the Myrmidons into battle against the Trojans. During his first two attacks, Patroclus defeated Sarpedon, a son of Zeus fighting for the Trojans. However, Patroclus was overcome with his success and ignored Achilles' warning, pursuing the retreating Trojans to the gates of Troy. Historians believe Patroclus could have successfully seized the city with Apollo's help, but unfortunately, Hector killed him during the battle. Hector mistook Patroclus for Achilles after Apollo knocked him down. Troy was conquered in the early 12th century BCE. After this tragic event, Achilles was grief-stricken and sought revenge by wiping out any Trojan in his path. Even the gods were involved in the warfare during the ten-year conflict, causing the earth to shake. Eventually, Menelaus and the Greeks recovered Patroclus' body, and Achilles reconciled with Agamemnon to rejoin the fight.

In "The Iliad," Achilles defeats Hector in a one-on-one battle, thanks to the new armor made for him by Hephaestus. Achilles mistreats Hector's body for several days to avenge his fallen comrade Patroclus. Eventually, Hector's father, King Priam, with the help of Hermes and his sorrow, convinces Achilles to return Hector's corpse. The story ends with Hector's death observed during a twelve-day truce that Achilles granted.

Analysis

Historians believe that Troy was conquered in the early 12th century BCE. "The Iliad" is a poem believed to have originated from an older oral tradition and could have been composed by multiple singer-poets over an extended period. Homer was among the earliest writers who were literate, as evidenced by the ancient form of Ionic Greek used in his works. However, it is still being determined if Homer (if he truly existed) wrote down his poems. "The Iliad" is part of the "Epic Cycle," a series of old poems focused on the Trojan War and related events. Professional singers called "rhapsodes" performed these works at festivals and ceremonial events.

"The Iliad" does not cover the initial events of the Trojan War, which involved protecting Helen, the wife of Spartan King Menelaus, from the Trojans. Achilles' death and the fall of Troy are also not addressed. Instead, other "Epic Cycle" poems, some of which are now only fragments, describe these events. In "The Odyssey," Homer recounts Odysseus' homecoming to Ithaca after the Trojan War. "The Iliad" is written in a dactylic hexameter and is spread across twenty-four scrolls. The poem has a traditional rhythm that is constant throughout yet varies from line to line.

The text has phrases repeatedly used verbatim, and the number of syllables in a hero's name is often reflected in descriptive phrases. The gods and goddesses in the poem have free choice and personality, but they are also used as allegories or psychological devices. The poem's main topic is battle and peace, with a sense of tragedy and futility built into the epic. Heroism and honor are key themes throughout the poem, particularly in the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. The cost of war is also a constant concern as brave fighters perish in pursuit of glory. The word "Menin" or "Menis" begins "The Iliad" and is central to Achilles' story, as he accepts responsibility for his anger and its consequences.