Study Guide for The Iliad, by Homer

Richmond Lattimore translation

You must read the introduction to Richmond Lattimore’s translation of The Iliad before starting this assignment. It is found in the first 11-55 pages of your book. This will give you a framework of information to build upon as you read. Homer’s listening audience already knew the basic stories, they were familiar with the attributes of each god and goddess. It would greatly assist you to read through the supplementary glossary at this time (note that ‘k’ can be substituted with ‘c’ in most cases).

NB: Use complete sentences for your answers. Include all details found in both the Glossary and in “Who’s Who.” Points will be reduced for incomplete answers and improper grammar. There are a total of 650 points possible in this guide. No re-dos are allowed; do your best the first time. Your Iliad grade is your first-quarter grade.

1

Classical Glossary

Week One: Iliad #1 - #30 (due Session 2)

Week Two: Iliad #31 – 80 (due Session 3)

Week Three: Iliad #81 – 129 (due Session 4)

Week Four: Iliad #130 – 178 (due Session 5)

Week Five: Iliad #179 – 227 (due Session 6)

Week Six: Iliad #228 – 276 (due Session 7)

1

Classical Glossary

Introduction

The word Iliad means “a poem about Ilion” (another name for Troy). The Iliad is of the genre of epic.

  1. Define ‘genre.’
  1. Define ‘epic’.
  1. Define and demonstrate ‘dactylic hexameter’, the traditional meter of Greek epic poetry (see handout). 2 points

A character or object in The Iliad generally has a number of epithets of varying metrical size used in conjunction with it. The reason for this is that sometimes a longer epithet is needed to suit the meter, while on other occasions a shorter one is needed. Thus, “glorious Hektor”(5 syllables) can also be, “Hektor of the shining helm”(7 English syllables). The singing bard could tell his story while keeping to 18 syllables when he had a variety of epithets to choose.

  1. Define ‘epithet’ and give one example from the Iliad.

Book One

NB: When answering “What is” or “Who is” questions, please provide the following: family status, superpowers and authority, Roman name (if there is one), trademark clothing or props, personality traits, and any known familial (animal associations). These attributes are essential, foundational material for the student to understand later works. Later authors assume classical knowledge of the gods and their attributes.

  1. Lines 1.1,2The goddess is the Muse (see Glossary). The oral poet believes she gave him the story to relate, like a prophet. He says ‘sing’ because often a musical instrument was used for accompaniment. What is a Muse? 4 points

ANSWER: There are nine muses: Clio (History), Euterpe (tragedy-flute), Melpomene (tragedy-lyre), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (hymns/lyre), Polyhymnia (hymns), Urania (Astronomy), Thalieia (Comedy), and Calliope (Epic) - Calliope was the mother of Orpheus and Linus. The muses are beautiful, creative, elusive demi-godesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. They inspire creativity in artists and scientists. They used to live wild on Mount Parnassus but were tamed by Apollo and became his companions. THIS ANSWER IS A 4-point ANSWER.

  1. The anger of one man is the theme/subject of this epic, who is he?

The Greeks fight for glory (kleos) and honor (time). They can receive glory from victory booty - physical items or persons awarded to them. They can receive honor from their reputations, what men say about them. This honor is all that can escape the grave, Hades, where their souls are fated to wander after the death of the body. “In the house of Hades there is left something, a soul and an image, but there is no real heart of life in it.” (Iliad 23.103,104) In the Odyssey, we will accompany Odysseus to Hades and vicariously experience the underworld of lost life and lost hope. If Agamemnon takes away Achilleus’ glory (his female prize), he will also lose honor.

Line 2The Greeks in The Iliad are referred to as Achaians, Argives, and Danaans. See glossary.

  1. Line 1.3Who is Hades (Roman Pluto)? 4 points

Lines 1.4, 5Birds and dogs eating your remains, rather than having a burial or cremation, was the ultimate desecration for a warrior. It was believed that burial was necessary for the soul to enter Hades. Note the importance of retrieving the body of your fallen comrades throughout this epic.

  1. Zeus (Roman Jupiter), who is he? 4 points

Line 5, “the will of Zeus.” As Hesiod laments in Works and Days, “there is no way to escape the will of Zeus.”[i] The theological options for interpreting events were rather dismal for the Greek soldiers here. They must believe that the immortal, squabbling gods are constantly engaged in a tug-of-war with one another to control events on earth, or that there is no personal king of heaven – events just happen arbitrarily. Violence is simply part of that picture. There is no omnipotent, omniscient merciful and just Father in heaven, no hoped-for Redeemer, they have never heard those prophecies that provided hope for the Hebrews.

Line 7People in The Iliad are often referred to by their father’s name (patrony´mic), this refers to Atreus’ eldest son, Agamemnon. See the glossary. These first lines are the introduction to the epic. Note that the city of Troy itself is not mentioned; again, the subject/theme of the story is the anger of Achilleus and the ruinous effects it had for the Greeks (Achaians).

Line 11Note that Chryses was Apollo’s priest, Chryseis is his daughter. In Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, King Leontes sent to a priestess of Apollo at Delphi to find out the truth of a matter. Pay careful attention to names of people and gods now, in the beginning of the story. If you read carefully and are willing to reread, you will find that the main story of the Iliad is fairly simple and involves a relatively small number of major characters. If you have not read the glossary in its entirety yet, do so now. Homer’s audience was very familiar with his story already, this much is assumed. You must make yourself familiar with the characters before you will be able to understand the storyline.

  1. Lines 26-32Paraphrase. Note, a paraphrase is not a summary, it is translated into your own words without leaving any of the thought out. You will lose credit if you state only “Forget it, old man, I won’t give her back.” 5 points
  1. Lines 1.36b-42What does the old priest pray for? What might the ‘arrows’ represent? Use the glossary to look up terms (“Sminthius”). 3 points
  1. Line 1.44Define ‘pinnacle’.
  1. Line 1.55Who is Hera (Roman Juno)? 4 points
  1. Line 1.65Define ‘hecatomb.’
  1. Line 1.67 Define ‘bane.’

Lines 1.159,60The whole purpose of the expedition was to recover Helen,[ii] the wife of Menelaos, stolen (with her consent) by Paris/Alexandros, a son of King Priam. Helen was born to Zeus and Leda, a mortal (already married, Zeus tricked her in the guise of a lovely swan). Leda gave birth to a large egg. Inside were two children, Helen and Polydeuces. Later that night she gave birth to two more, Clytemnestra and Castor, children of her husband. At age twelve she was kidnapped and taken to Troy, where her brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, rescued her. Her father, now realizing how dangerous her beauty was, made every suitor/prince swear that were he not chosen, he would still vow to always protect her.

“And they, each of them hoping to accomplish this marriage, obeyed him without wavering. But warlike Menelaus, the son of Atreus, prevailed against them all together, because he gave the greatest gifts.”[iii] Hesiod

“Hear me, Paris: For every false drop in her bawdy veins a Grecian’s life hath sunk; for every scruple of her contaminated carrion weight a Trojan hath been slain. Since she could speak, she hath not given so many good words breath as for her Greeks and Trojans suffer’d death.”[iv] Shakespeare

  1. Lines 1.188-92What two courses of action does Achilleus consider? 2 points

Line 1.197 One translation reads “long, red hair”.

  1. Lines 1.210-18Why did Athene come and what two selfish motives leads Achilleus to obey her (see 1.218)? 2 points

Line 1.224 ‘Atreides’, means ‘son of Atreus’. This is an example of the patronymics common in the Iliad.

  1. Line 1.227 Define ‘ambuscade’.
  1. Line 1.231 Define ‘nonentities’.

Line 1.242 Homer uses foreshadowing to imply that Hektor will be a major threat to the Greeks in battle.

Line 1.247 Nestor is the king of Pylos, old and respected.

Lines 1.259-74‘RING’ COMPOSITION, or ‘extended simile’ is common in The Iliad, sometimes in multiple layers. Nestor goes full circle in explaining why these men should listen to him.

Line 1.265 Theseus was a very popular hero. During the time of the Minoan civilization he was fathered by either Poseidon or King Aegeus (no one was sure) of Athens. His mother wanted him to be king, but the king’s wife, the witch Medusa, convinced Aegeus that he was an evil stranger and tried to poison him. At the last moment the king recognized Theseus and relented, when he saw Theseus wore a sword given to Aethra, his mother.

The king of Krete (Crete), Minos, demanded fourteen young Athenians be fed to the Minotaur every nine years in retribution for his son’s death earlier. Theseus volunteered, fell in love with Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, who helped him, and killed the creature. He later dumped her, became king of Athens, and married Hippolyte, an Amazon queen. You will recognize parts of this story in Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

For Nestor to brag about Theseus listening to his advice commands attention.

Line 1.311 The epithet, ‘crafty’, might be better translated ‘clever’.

Line 1.314 The entire army goes through a ritual cleansing for purification after the plague.

Line 1.400-2Hera, Poseidon (Roman Neptune), and Pallas Athene (Roman Minerva) help the Greeks in this epic. Kottos, Briareus and Gyas each have a hundred hands and fifty heads, monsters from early time described by Hesiod. In her youth, Athene had a good friend, Pallas. While sporting with their spears one day Athene killed her friend by accident. To show her respect, Athene added her friend’s name to that of her own.

Line 1.405 The suffixes ‘ion’ and ‘ides’ both refer to the son of a father. See 1.224. The importance of both divine and human patriarchy in this epic can be seen in the frequent use of patronymics. One of the most important things that can be said about a god or mortal is the identity of the father.

  1. Define ‘patronymics’.
  1. Lines 1.407-12 When begging, you clasp the knees of the person you are appealing to. What is more important to Achilleus than his friends?
  1. Lines 1.451-456Paraphrase. 3 points
  1. Line 1.452 Define ‘sacrosanct’.
  1. Line 1.459 This refers to animal sacrifice. Remember, while the bard, Homer, was reciting this epic that the Hebrews were already memorizing Wisdom Literature from Kings David and Solomon, which reflected the character of Yahweh. God had even described Himself in Exodus 34:6,7. “Greek thought and culture, founded as it is in idolatry, does not represent “wisdom.” It is, at base, folly.”[v] Considering Exodus 22:20, what will be the ultimate destiny of these people?
  1. Line 1.472 Define ‘propitiated’. An excellent theological explanation of propitiation can be found in chapter 18 of J.I.Packer’s popular book, Knowing God (see Syllabus p. 11, 12).
  1. Line 1.495 Define ‘entreaty’.
  1. Line 1.504 Define ‘immortal’.

Line 1.570 Uranian means ‘heavenly’, from ‘Uranus’, the sky. In the beginning, from Chaos came Mother Earth. She produced Uranus (the sky), whom she married. They bore three, one-eyed Cyclops but banished them to the underworld. Next, human shaped giants called Titans were born (the first gods and goddesses). The Titans, led by Kronos (Roman Saturn), rebelled and took over. Several drops of Uranus’ blood fell to earth, forming the Furies, who torment murderers. Another drop fell in the sea, forming Aphrodite (Roman Venus).

Line 1.574, 75 “for the sake of mortals”. Throughout this epic life action is presented on two planes, the human and the divine. The gods serve to emphasize the limitations of man, how short his life is, and how ultimately meaningless human affairs are. Here, “brawling among the gods” paints the picture of the gods and goddesses in heaven as spoiled Über-humans, or bored sports heroes attempting to entertain themselves with the plights of the pathetic mortal creatures on earth.

  1. Line 1.578 Define ‘ingratiating.’
  1. Lines 1.584-594The island of Lemnos is in the Aegean Sea; the inhabitants are called Sintians. Who is speaking here? Summarize (what is he telling his mother and why is he telling her this?). 5 points
  1. Line 1.604 Define ‘antiphonal’.

Book Two

  1. Line 2.46 Define ‘sceptre’. What does a sceptre symbolize? 2 points

WEEK TWO ------

  1. Lines 2.73,74 “I will make trial of them.” What is his intention here? 2 points
  1. Line 2.87 What type of figurative language is this and how do you recognize it?

Lines 2.100b-108 This is simply the pedigree (family history) of his sceptre, which also gives us a genealogy of Agamemnon’s family.

  1. Line 2.134 How many years have the Greeks been trying to sack Troy?
  1. Lines 2.149b-152 What is the result of Agamemnon’s test of his men? 2 points
  1. Line 2.169 Why has Athene chosen Odysseus (Roman Ulysses)? 2 points
  1. Lines 2.173-181What does she tell him? 2 points

Line 2.192 Remember, Atreides is another reference to Agamemnon, son of Atreus. If you are lost in the story, carefully start over at the beginning.

  1. Line 2.193 What does Odysseus try to explain to the men of influence?
  1. Line 2.205 Who is Kronos/Cronos? 2 points
  1. Lines 2.211-223Describe Thersites. 3 points
  1. What is Ilion?
  1. Who are the Achaians?
  1. Lines 2.225-241Why is Thersites angry with Agamemnon? 2 points
  1. Lines 2.257-264What will Odysseus do to him if he ‘plays the fool’ again? 2 points

Line 2.303 “yesterday”, in other words, ‘it seems like only yesterday’. Aulis is the town they sailed from when they first set off to sack Troy. Iphiginia in Aulis, a play by Euripides, recounts the trouble of the Greeks trying to set sail for Troy and the tragic sacrifice of Agamemnon’s daughter Iphiginia, demanded by the gods in exchange for a fair wind to set sail by.

Line 2.356 Note that this implies Helen was carried off against her will. It is not always the impression we are given. It seems reasonable, however, that the Greeks must believe this to strengthen their resolve for her recapture.

  1. Line 2.379 What does Agamemnon claim would help to ‘put aside’ the evil of Troy? 2 points
  1. Line 2.385 Who is Ares (Roman Mars)? 4 points
  1. Lines 2.404-407This is a listing of all the commanders. What is one character trait of Odysseus?
  1. Line 2.446-51 You must imagine that the Greeks believe Athene is among them, waving the aegis to urge them tirelessly forward. What is the ‘aegis’? 2 points
  1. Lines 2.455-83 Within these lines are five similes, all describing the Greek army as it gets ready for battle. Explain two, using quotation marks if you cite specific lines, and give line references. For example, “The ____ are like ____.” Or, “The ___ are compared to ______.” 5 points
  1. Line 2.479Who is Poseidon? 4 points
  1. Line 2.480 Define ‘pre-eminent’.
  1. Line 2.484 What is Olympos and who lives there? 2 points
  1. Lines 2.484-93Homer begs the Muses for assistance with his story, why are they qualified to help him? 2 points

Lines 2.494-759A listing of the Greek ships.

  1. Lines 2.509-10 How many Boiotian ships are there? How many Boiotian men were on each ship? How many Boiotian men are there total? 2 points
  1. Line 2.517-19 The important city in Phokis was Delphi (called Pytho here), on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus. Why was Delphi significant? 2 points

Twenty-nine contingents, 44 leaders, and 175 towns are named. According to Homer scholar Malcolm M. Willcock, the information on the Greek and Trojan contingencies would have been better placed in the beginning of the story. His opinion is that this information was added later.[vi] Book Two provides invaluable evidence about the Greek world during the late Mycenaean period; north of the Isthmus of Corinth (494-558), The Peloponnese (559-624), the western islands and western Greece (625-44), the southeastern islands (645-80), and northern Greece (681-759). Looking at a map of the whole area, it is evident that this is a description of Greece by groups. Some important islands and cities are not mentioned at all, leaving scholars to believe it describes a particular time in history.[vii] Remember, German archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, used The Iliad to direct him in his successful search for the ‘legendary’ city of Troy.