The Iliad

A summary of how Odysseus ended up on his odyssey.

At a wedding celebration, three goddesses (Hera, Athena and
Aphrodite) were fighting over a golden apple which was to be
rewarded to the fairest.
They asked Zeus to decide who should get the apple.
Zeus wasnt dumb, he wasnt going to decide, so he appointed
the mortal Paris (Alexander) to decide.
While Paris judged them they each offered him a bribe:
Athena offered him wisdom and victory in any war.
Hera said he could be king of Europe and Asia.
Aphrodite said he could marry the most beautiful woman in
the world, Helen.
He picked Aphrodite so he
could marry Helen.
One problem.she was
already married to Menelaus.
Paris had two of his men kidnap Helen and bring her from
Sparta to Troy (Ilion).

This caused Helens husband, Menelaus, and his brother,
Agamemnon, to gather armies far and wide (including
Odysseus from Ithaca) so they could launch a war against the
Trojans.
Hence, where we get the phrase, the face that launched a
thousand ships.
Achilles Leaving for War
|410 My mother Thetis, goddess with silver steps, tells me
that |411 I carry the burden of two different fated ways
[kres] leading to the final moment [telos] of death. |412 If I
stay here and fight at the walls of the city of the Trojans, then
my safe homecoming [nostos] will be destroyed for me, but I
will have a glory [kleos] that is imperishable
[aphthiton]. |414 Whereas if I go back home, returning to the
dear land of my forefathers, |415 then it is my glory
[kleos], genuine [esthlon] as it is, that will be destroyed for
me, but my life force [ain] will then |416 last me a long time,
and the final moment [telos] of death will not be swift in
catching up with me.
Agamemnon v. Achilles
The start of the Iliad begins with an argument between
Agamemnon and Achilles over the captive Briseas.
First word is Mnis (Anger)
Achilles asks mother for help.
Phoenix, Odysseus and Ajax visit him in his tent with Patroklos
Total Recall
|524 This is how [houts] we [= I, Phoenix] learned it, the glories
*klea+ of men *andrn+ of an earlier time *prosthen], |525 who
were heroes [hres], whenever one of them was overcome by
tempestuous anger. |526 They could be persuaded by way of
gifts and could be swayed by words. |527 I totally recall [me-
mn-mai] how this was done - it happened a long time ago, it is
not something new - |528 recalling exactly how it was. I will tell
it in your company - since you are all near and dear [philoi].
Reading Questions
What is occurring in the story?
Why does Phoenix choose this story to tell?
What do the characters of the micro-narrative have in
common with those in the macro-narrative?
What is the message/theme of the story?
What is the significance of Kleopatras name?
Andromaches First Lament
What does Andromache predict will happen if Hector battles
Achilles?
What happened to her father and brothers? How might this
affect the way she views the current situation?
What happened to Andromaches mother?
It was a very bloody battle with many deaths.
Paris brother, Hector, was killed by Achilles, a great Greek
warrior and friend of Odysseus.
Andromaches Second Lament
What changes in her physical
state mirror her emotional
state?
What is the significance of the
veil she throws away? What
could this represent?
But the battles continued with no way for the Greeks to get
into the city of Troy (Ilion).
Odysseus finally came up with a plan to create a huge horse
out of some of the unused wood from the ships and leave it as
a parting gift to the Trojans.
Odysseus and his men hid inside the horse and waited until
the people of Troy were asleep; then they attacked.
During the final battle Odysseus
did some horrible things which
upset Athena, who was on his
side during the war:
He and his men stole statues,
gold and artifacts from the Trojan
temple of Athena.
He and his men raped the
priestesses who had devoted
their lives to the goddess.
Odysseus brutally killed the son
of Hector, Astyanax, even though
he was only a baby.

Because of these acts Athena
wants revenge, but she waits
until Odysseus sets sail for
home