Iliad summary

Book 1: The Anger of Achilles

Main Characters:
Achilles, Agamemnon, Briseis, Chryseis, Apollo, Thetis, Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus

Themes:
Gods intervention/free will Importance of mortal women Goddesses as wives/mothers

Plot:
Chryseis and Briseis were slaves of the Trojans which the Greeks won in battle. They were given to Agamemnon and Achilles. Chryseis' father, Chryses goes to the Achaean camp to beg for his daughter back. When Agamemnon refuses, Chryses prays to Apollo brings a plague down on the Greeks.

To resolve this, Achilles calls an assembly and a soothsayer tells them that the only solution is to give back Chryseis. This angers Agamemnon as he is being blamed for the plague. He tells Achilles that the only way he will give up Chryseis is if Achilles lets him have Briseis.

This angers but he realises he is wrong so surrenders Briseis. But he then calls to his mother, Thetis, who he cries to. She tells him to withdraw from the fighting and tells him she will get Zeus to let the Trojans win for a while to show Agamemnon that he needs Achilles.

Zeus agrees to this but Hera finds out and begins an argument. Hephaestus intervenes and restores the peace, and all the Gods have a feast and go to bed happy.

Book 3: Paris, Helen, Aphrodite

Main Characters:
Paris, Menelaus, Hector, Aphrodite, Helen, Priam

Themes:
Women The heroic code Intervention of Gods

Plot:
The two armies advance towards each other, and Paris bravely offers a duel to anyone who will accept. Menelaos steps forwards and joyously accepts the challenge. Paris realises what he has done and shrinks back into the crowd, where he gets a rousing speech from his brother, Hector, about how cowardly he is. So Paris agrees to fight and the duel will determine who gets ‘Helen and all her goods’.

Helen and Priam sit together and watch the fight. When they begin, it is clear that Menelaos is winning so Aphrodite rescues Paris and takes him to his bedroom. She then (dressed as an old woman) summons Helen and tells her to go to Paris. Helen stands up to Aphrodite but is then scared away when Aphrodite threatens her. Helen then tells Paris how she wishes he wouldn’t have gone to fight and she wishes he had died, then they go to bed together.

Meanwhile, Menelaos is looking all over for Paris so he can get back Helen and all her goods, as he rightfully won the duel.

Book 4: The breaking of the truce

Main Characters:
Zeus, Hera, Athene, Pandarus, Agamemnon

Themes:
God intervention

Plot:
The gods look out over the city and discuss the fate of the war. Zeus wants to end it, but Hera and Athene want to see the destruction of Troy due to their anger at not being chosen to be the most beautiful by Paris.

So, Zeus sends Athene down to restore the fight: she easily persuades Pandarus to shoot Menelaus. He is not injured as the arrow reflects off his belt, but blood is drawn and so it symbolises the breaking of the truce.

Agamemnon declares that Troy will be destroyed and rallies his troops, demonstrating his leadership skills. Then the armies fight and among many others, the young Simoeisos is killed.

Book 6: Hector in Troy

Main Characters:
Hektor, Andromache, Paris, Glaukos, Diomedes

Themes:
Heroic code Women Fate Peace

Plot:
The Achaeans are pushing the Trojans backwards towards the wall as they slaughter the Trojans. A soothsayer & his brother persuades Hector to return to Troy and tell the women to pray to Athene, but Athene refuses to help.

While at home, Hector criticises Paris for staying at home with Helen and not fighting. Hecabe defends Paris. Andromache, Hector’s wife, pleads with him not to go back as she is concerned for the future of their son, Astynax (foreshadowing). Andromache has no other family as Achilles killed her father and brothers. Astynax cries at Hector’s helmet, so he takes it off and they have a nice family moment.

Hector tells her he knows it is fate that Troy will fall one day, but it is his fate to be a soldier and so he must return to battle. She gives him battle advice. He meets Paris at the gates of Troy and they both leave to fight.

Meanwhile, Glaucus and Diomedes meet in the middle of the battlefield and discover that their ancestors had formed a bond of xenia, which they must honour now. They make peace, agree not to fight each other and trade armour. This is a very unequal trade because the value of their armour differs significantly, thus showing the importance of xenia.

Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles

Main Characters:
Agamemnon, Odysseus, Phoenix, Ajax, Achilles

Themes:
Heroic Code Old men

Plot:
There is a meeting in the Greek camp about their impending loss to the Trojans. Agamemnon cries and wants to give up. Diomedes and Nestor reassure him and convince him to stay. Agamemnon accepts that he was unwise and says he will offer Achilles many gifts, including Briseis, if he returns. An embassy of Odysseus, Phoenix and Ajax is sent to Achilles to attempt to get him to fight again.

Odysseus begins by listing all the gifts Agamemnon has offered, as well as the danger and glory of the battle but Achilles refuses. Phoenix then uses an emotional argument, saying how Achilles is being unjust and reminds him of his father, but he still refuses. Finally, Ajax has the strongest case and tells Achilles that one woman is not worth the hassle and he should not value a woman over his comrades.

Achilles is still angry with Agamemnon and says he will decide what to do in the morning. He then agrees to fight only when Hector has reached the Myrmidon ships and huts.

Book 11: So they fought on like Burning Fire

Main Characters:
Achilles, Patroklos, Nestor

Themes:
God intervention Old Men

Plot:
The Trojans are winning significantly, there is a lot of violent battles, the consequence of Zeus obeying Thetis and making the Greeks lose without the help of Achilles. Many Greeks are wounded, including Agamemnon, Odysseus and Diomedes.

Achilles sends Patroklos to find out who is injured when he sees Nestor bringing in an injured man, Nestor tells him. Patroklos is eager to get back to Achilles quickly due to his tendency to get angry quickly, but Nestor criticises Achilles’ attitude and suggests Patroklos goes to war wearing Achilles armour. This is so the Trojans would think that Achilles has joined the battle again and they would retreat.

This is an event that leads directly to Patroklos’ death. Perhaps because it was Nestor’s idea, he is partially responsible for the death of Patroklos. Patroklos returns home.

Book 16: The Death of Patroklos

Main Characters:
Patroclus, Achilles, Sarpedon, Zeus, Hera, Hector

Themes:
Fate God intervention Heroic Code

Plot:
Patroklos begs Achilles to let him wear his armour. Ajax, one of the only uninjured soldiers left, is forced backwards by the Trojans and Achilles accepts. However, after sending a prayer to Zeus, Achilles warns Patroklos not to go too far into Troy.

Refusing to take Achilles’ advice, Patroklos goes on a killing spree and when Zeus sees he is about to kill his son, Sarpedon, he is urged by Hera not to save his life as it is the mortal’s fate to die. This episode shows Zeus’ lack of control over the fate of Sarpedon. He sends Sleep and Death to retrieve his body, however, this seals Patroklos’ fate to die at the hand of Hector.

Driving the Trojans backwards towards Troy angers Apollo, so he knocks the armour of Patroklos. This exposes him and he is stabbed by Euphorbos, then Hector kills him with his spear. While he is dying, Patroklos prophesizes the death of Hector.

Book 18: Thetis, Achilles and New Armour

Main Characters:
Achilles, Thetis, Hephaestus, Hera, Iris

Themes:
Peace Revenge God intervention

Plot:
Nestor tells Achilles of the death of Patroklos, and he has severe grief. He soils himself and the serving woman cry for him. Thetis comes down to comfort him and he tells her that he will die young if he tries to avenge Patroklos. Thetis tells him that he cannot fight until he has new armour, so goes to Hephaestus.

Meanwhile, Hera sends Iris to tell Achilles to show himself to the Trojans to scare them backwards before they can take Patroklos’ body away. The Greeks retrieve the body and mourn all night.

The next morning, Hephaestus has finished the shield and it shows scenes of peace, including commoners working in the fields, dancing, playing music, and harvesting in a vineyard.

Book 19: Achilles and Agamemnon reconciled

Main Characters:
Achilles, Agamemnon, Briseis, Hera

Themes:
Fate

Plot:
Thetis bring Achilles his new armour and Achilles calls a meeting in which he renounces his anger. Agamemnon apologises personally, offering the same gifts as before but also says he was blinded by the Gods. Achilles still refuses to take the gifts but is eager to get back to the fighting.

Odysseus insists on a feast before they return, and a formal parading of the gifts to confirm the reconciliation. Briseis is returned to Achilles’ tent, and laments for the loss of Patroklos, then Achilles laments and talks about his father.

Achilles then prepares for war and outside, Hera speaks (through his horse) and prophesises that he will be brought down by ‘a god and a man.’

Book 22: The Death of Hector

Main Characters:
Hektor, Achilles, Athena, Hekabe, Priam, Andromache

Themes:
Fate God intervention Revenge

Plot:
Achilles realises he has been chasing Apollo around Troy, whilst Hector has had a chance to get away. Hector stayed outside Troy while all the other Trojans stayed inside, Priam and Hecabe tried to persuade him to do this too.

Achilles chases Hector three times around the walls of Troy, meanwhile Zeus decides whether to save Hector. He takes out his golden scales and they sink to Hades, which means Hector is fated to die and there is nothing Zeus can do.

Athene comes down to trick Hector into fighting Achilles: she appears as his brother and says she will help him against Achilles. When the duel begins, Hector throws his spear at Achilles and it rebounds off his shield, then he realises Deiphobus is not there as backup and he has been fated to death by the Gods.

Achilles kills Hector with his spear, and as he dies Hector prophesises Achilles’ own death. Achilles refuses to return Hector’s body for burial, and so drags it back to the ships where both Hector’s parents witness the defilement. They lament for Hector, and Andromache hears. She runs to the wall and faints at the sight of Hector’s body. She laments for Hector and speaks of how Astynax is now fatherless, fated to a miserable future.

Book 23: Funeral Games for Patroklos

Main Characters:
Achilles, Odysseus, Diomedes, Agamemnon, Nestor

Themes:
Peace Heroic Code

Plot:
Funeral games are held in honour of Patroklos, similar to the Olympic Games. This contrasts to the previous scene of Hector being violently flung to the ground by Achilles. The Myrmidons lament and grieve, while Achilles refuses to eat or sleep until Patroklos is buried. Patroklos’ ghost appears to him telling him to hurry up as his soul cannot pass the river Styx.

Diomedes wins the chariot race, Odysseus and Ajax have a draw in wrestling, Odysseus wins the footrace, Diomedes wins the spear duel and Agamemnon wins the spear throw without even taking part because nobody will compete with him, knowing he will definitely win. Other games included boxing, archery and discuss. It is a peaceful scene and allows the heroes to win prizes and honours, similar to war. Achilles does not take part because he is the president.

Achilles burns Patroklos body, along with Trojan child sacrifices, which is very unusual.

Book 24: Achilles and Priam

Main Characters:
Achilles, Priam

Themes:
God intervention Women/death

Plot:
Achilles has been dragging Hector’s body around Patroclus’ tomb for days. The Gods notice this and are angry, particularly Apollo. Zeus calls Thetis to Olympus with a plan to recover Hector’s body. Thetis goes to Achilles and tells him of the Gods’ anger while Iris goes to Priam and asks him to bring ransom to Achilles in order to retrieve the body.

Hecabe does not want Priam to go, but he leaves after shouting at his remaining sons, telling them how they will never be as good as Hector was. He is accompanied to Achilles’ tent by Hermes in disguise, where Priam begs Achilles to let him have Hector’s body back. Priam reminds Achilles of his own father and this is why he allows him to take it. They share a lamentation in their losses.

Achilles shrouds the body in the clothes from the ransom, and says he will hold the Greeks back for the time it takes for Hector’s funeral. He provides Priam with food and shelter, but during the night Hermes escorts Priam out of the Achaean camp.

Upon the return to Troy, everybody grieves. At Hector’s funeral, Andromache, Hecabe and Helen speak, although Helen’s speech is selfish. 9 days, the same as for Patroclus, are spent preparing for the funeral, and then Hector is buried.