ILIAD

Prepared by Ms. Apoorva Uniyal

Chapter 1
Exposition

• The story opens in the ninth year of war between

Troy and the Achaeans, when a plague has swept
over the Achaean army.
• Conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles
• Conflict over two war prizes, Chrysies and Briseis
• Achilles thinks of killing Agamemnon on the spot,
but the goddess Athena appears and promises him
a reward for his restraint.
• Achilles explains the situation and asks his mother
Thetis) to plead with Zeus to take action.
• Thetis meets Zeus, while Hera overhears
everything.
Chapter 2
❖ Zeus sends a fraudulent dream of hope to Agamemnon.
❖ Agamemnon is absolutely convinced and his council
plan a mass assault on Troy.
❖ To test the loyalty of his army, Agamemnon announces
that they should return home. To his great surprise, his
troops react to his suggestion with loud enthusiasm.
❖ Only through the efforts of Odysseus, guided by
Athena, they are convinced to stay for the fight
❖ Homer invokes the muses and thus gets an opportunity
to enumerate all of the Achaeans and Trojan
contingents and their heroes.

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Chapter 3
• Paris dares any of the Achaeans warriors to
meet him in personal combat.
• The challenge is eagerly accepted by
Menelaus, but Paris is suddenly overcome
by terror and hides within the Trojan ranks.
• Agamemnon and Hector determine the
conditions of the duel
• Helen is introduced
• While Menelaus is dragging him to the
Achaean lines, Aphrodite intervenes and
rescues him
• Agamemnon states that the duel has been
won by Menelaus, and he demands the
immediate restoration of Helen.
Chapter 4
❖Zeus proposes this nine-year war be
brought to a close.
❖Hera wants the complete destruction of Troy.
She wants no truce.
❖Zeus sends Athena to arrange a resumption
of the fighting.
❖Athena seeks out Pandarus, and tempts him
to kill Menelaus .
 He shoots an arrow at Menelaus , but
Athena makes sure that it only
wounds Menelaus because she
doesn't want him dead, but she does
want the battle to begin anew.

20XX Presentation title 6

 Chapter 5
• Diomedes, whom the goddess Athena has inspired with
exceptional courage and skill excels.
• When Pandarus wounds Diomedes, he appeals to
Athena for aid.
• She answers him by giving him additional courage and
the privilege of being able to distinguish gods from
men.
• She warns him, however, not to fight against any of the
gods — with the exception of Aphrodite.
• He kills Pandarus, wounds Aeneas, the son of the
goddess Aphrodite.
• Aphrodite comes down to protect her son. Enraged at
her interference, Diomedes wounds her in the hand.
• Ares, the savage god of war, enters the Trojan ranks and
helps Hector and with his influence Achaeans gradually
begin to withdraw toward their camp.

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❖ Hera and Athena then fly to the aid of the
Achaeans, after gaining permission from Zeus
to bring Ares under control.
❖ Hera gives fresh strength to the Achaeans
while Athena brings the now-wounded
Diomedes back to the fray.
❖ Diomedes gallops into combat, encounters
Ares, and wounds him.
❖ Book V, sometimes is referred to as
the Diomedia
❖ That gods and goddesses enter the battle is an
example of the anthropomorphic nature of
Greek gods.

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Chapter 6
❖ Helenus, a soothsayer, suggests that Hector
returns to Troy and arrange for the women to
make an offering in the temple of Athena.
❖ Agamemnon orders Menelaus to kill Adrestus
even though Menelaus intends to spare the Trojan
❖ Diomedes and Glaucus challenge each other but
discover that their grandfathers were friends thus,
according to the heroic code, they must maintain
the friendship.
❖ Paris after being rebuked by Hector, prepares
himself to join the fight. Hector, meanwhile, goes
to visit his own wife and baby son.
An interesting sideline in this scene is
Glaucus' mention of symbols inscribed "on a
folded tablet.“
This example is the only reference to writing
in the Iliad.
Chapter 7
• Hector and Paris rejoin the Trojan
forces, and the battle begins again
• Ajax and Hector engage in a ferocious
duel, but neither warrior is able to
overcome the other.
• Trojan noblemen, Antenor, suggests
that Helen be returned to Menelaus.
Paris refuses this, but he offers to
restore all of Helen's property to
Menelaus, plus some of his own as an
indemnity.
• King Priam sends a messenger to
Agamemnon with this proposition, as
well as a request for a truce during
which the Trojans can bury their dead.
The Achaeans refuse the offer by Paris,
but both sides agree on the truce.
Zeus warns the gods that he is finally
planning to bring the Trojan War to a finish
and any interference in favour of either side
will be punished severely.
However, when Athena asks to be allowed to
advise the Achaeans, Zeus consents.
 • Zeus watches over the fighting and decides to
give the day's victory to Troy.
• Achaeans commanders flee and Nestor is
saved from Hector's spear only by the courage
of Diomedes.
• Hera tries to convince Poseidon to join her in
helping the Achaeans. He refuses.
• With the help of Ajax, Teucer kills several
Chapter 8 Trojans.
• Hector injures Teucer with a rock
• Threatened by Zeus, the Hera and Athena give
up their plan to join the battle.
• Zeus clarifies that Hector will not quit the fight
until Achilles returns from his absence.
• Hector orders his army to camp for the night to
prevent the Achaeans from sailing off to safety
in the darkness. Supplies are brought from Troy,
and the Trojan fires burn in front of the
Achaean wall.
Chapter 9
• Agamemnon starts losing hope
• Diomedes criticises him and calls a
meeting of the captains to devise a plan.
• Nestor proposes
that Agamemnon make peace
with Achilles.
• Agamemnon sets aside a massive
treasure for Achilles, including the
return of Briseis and marriage to one of
Agamemnon’s daughters once the war
ends.
• Odysseus, Ajax, and the
elderly Phoenix are chosen as the men
to offer Agamemnon’s peace proposal to
Achilles.
• Achilles rejects the offer immediately.
…contd
Phoenix attempts to convince Achilles not to
sail home. Tells him story of Peleus and
Meleager.
Achilles is somewhat softened by Ajax’s
speech, but will still refrain from combat until
the fighting reaches his own ships/ tent.
Chapter 10
• Diomedes and Odysseus choose to
infiltrate Trojan camp. In the Trojan
camp, Hector also plans a night mission
to gain information.
• A soldier named Dolon accepts the
challenge.
• Dolon heads toward the Achaean ships,
but Odysseus sees him coming and
ambushes him.
• Dolon tells the two all about the Trojan
position, letting them know the best
place to attack. Diomedes kills Dolon,
and attack Thracian camp that Dolon
had suggested.
• Apollo sees Athena’s work and
immediately wakes up the Thracians.
Diomedes and Odysseus flee from the
scene, racing for the ships.
• The pair makes it back to the Achaean
camp with the horses.
Chapter 11

• Agamemnon to kills two sons of Priam.

• Zeus sends Iris to Hector, telling him to
hold back until Agamemnon is
wounded. After Agamemnon’s injury,
Hector will be given the strength to
drive the Achaeans back to the ships.
• Coon, son of Antenor, slashes
Agamemnon’s arm. Agamemnon kills
Coon.
• Diomedes injures Hector
• Paris injures diomedes
• Socus injures Odysseus
• The healer Machaon is wounded
by Paris
❖Nestor carries Machaon back to the Achaean camp.
❖ Ajax holds the line firm while slowly retreating.
❖Achilles watches the battle from the top of his ship.
Noticing Machaon’s injury, he asks Patroclus to go to Nestor and
inquire about the Achaean casualties
❖Nestor suggests that Achilles could send Patroclus into battle in
Achilles’ armour.
❖Patroclus meets the wounded captain Eurypylus and helps him
Book 12
• Hector leads the charge against the
Achaean ramparts
• The Trojan ally Asius attempts to attack
the Achaean gate in his chariot, but fails.
• Hector and Polydamas also they see an
omen, an eagle holding a bloody serpent
in its talons.
• The Lycians Sarpedon and Glaucus attack
the ramparts.
• Ajax and Teucer kill several men
• Hector shatters the Achaean gate with an
enormous boulder.
Book 13
❖ Zeus takes his eyes off of the battlefield
❖ Poseidon notices his inattention and decides to assist
the Achaeans.
❖ Taking the form of Calchas, he gives courage to the
two Ajaxes
❖ Ajaxes begin to push back Hector.
❖ Hector tries to kill Teucer, but kills Amphimachus,
Poseidon’s grandson,
❖ Poseidon is filled with rage and drives the Achaeans
onward. Poseidon speaks to Idomeneus and
encourages him
❖ Deiphobus enlists the help of Aeneas against
Idomeneus.
❖ Idomeneus wounds
Deiphobus
❖ Menelaus and
Antiochus kill several
Trojans
❖ 2 Ajaxes are fighting
valiantly
❖ Hector will
encourage the
trojans
❖ Ajax challenges
Hector for a duel
Book 14
❖ Nestor meets the wounded captains Agamemnon, Odysseus,
and Diomedes.
❖ Agamemnon is afraid and suggests that the Achaeans should
sail for home.
❖ Hera decides to dress up and enchant Zeus with her beauty.
❖ Deceived by Hera’s lie, Aphrodite lends her a magical band that
will make any man feel love and longing for its wearer.
❖ She asks the Sleep god to put Zeus to sleep.
❖ While Zeus is asleep, Poseidon encourages the Achaeans to
take up their shields and move forward.
❖ Hector cannot pierce Ajax’s armour, but Ajax hurls an
enormous boulder at Hector, nearly knocking him out.
❖ The strength of the Achaeans prevails, and the Trojans are
routed back toward their city.

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Book 15
• Zeus asks Hera to summon Iris and Apollo.
• Iris will send a message to Poseidon, telling him
to stand down.
• Apollo will rouse Hector and give him new
strength to lead the Trojan charge.
• Zeus tells Hera that his plan is simply to
bring Achilles back into battle, and that Troy will
eventually fall to the Achaeans.
• Ares, angered at the death of his
son Ascalaphus, attempts to return to the
battle, but Athena checks him with a stern
warning.
• On Zeus’ orders, Apollo goes to Hector and
rouses him from his stupor. Achaeans recognise
that Zeus is helping Trojans again.
• Patroclus hears the rampage and rushes to
Achilles.
• The Achaeans’ best fighters hold their ground.
 Book 16
❖ Patroclus asks Achilles if he can go wearing Achilles’ armour to which Achilles
agrees.
❖Ajax is driven off the ship
❖Patroclus leads the Myrmidons
❖Patroclus kills Sarpedon (Zeus’ son)
❖Apollo fills strength inside Glaucus who then exhorts Hector to remember how his
allies are dying.
❖Zeus is confused whether to kill Patroclus now or later and then chooses to go for
the latter.
❖Apollo takes human form (of Asius) and convinced Hector to attack Patroclus.
❖ Apollo knocks Patroclus from behind, Euphorbus attacks him with a spear and
Hector finally kills Patroclus.
BOOK 17
• Menelaus, fighting nearby,
watches the death of Patroclus.
• A battle begins over Patroclus’
body.
• Euphorbus attempts to strip
Patroclus’ armour, but Menelaus
kills him.
• Apollo rouses Hector and he
charges at Menelaus.
• Menelaus searches for Great
Ajax as the Trojans beat him back.
• Hector strips Achilles’ armor from
Patroclus’ body.
• Hector and Great Ajax clash once
again.
❖ Apollo spurs Aeneas to regroup the Trojan forces.
❖ The battle over the body lasts all day.
❖ The divine horses take their Automedon back.
❖ Hector and Aeneas attack Automedon, attempting to take
Achilles’ horses.
❖ Athena takes the form of Phoenix and
encourages Menelaus.
❖ Menelaus kills Podes. Apollo in turn gives strength
to Hector.
❖ Menelaus and Great Ajax devise a plan to pull Patroclus’
body clear of the fighting.
❖ Menelaus finds Antilochus and asks him to relay the news
of Patroclus’ death to Achilles.
❖ Menelaus and Meriones pick up Patroclus’ body while
the Aeantes (two ajaxes) defend them from the Trojans.
Book 18
• Antilochus races to Achilles’ camp to
tell him of Patroclus’ death.
• Achilles dissolves into grief, weeping
uncontrollably
• Thetis observes that Achilles no longer
has any armour of his own.
• She will go to the smith
god Hephaestus.
• Hector is close to seizing Patroclus’
body.
• Iris tells Achilles to simply show
himself in order to strike fear into the
Trojans.
• Achilles appears on the Achaean
rampart, crowned by Athena with a
golden cloud. Achilles gives his war cry
and the Trojans panic.
• Patroclus’ body is brought back.
Achilles decides not to bury it until he
kills Hector .
Contd..
❖ Thetis reaches the home of Hephaestus.
❖ Hephaestus gladly agrees to make a new set of armour
greater than any other owned by a man.
❖ He forges the famous shield of Achilles that contains—
❖ -a picture of the entire world. (sea, earth, sky, sun, moon,
constellations), two cities of men, one at peace and one at
war, thrice-ploughed field, a king's field during the harvest
season, a vineyard, a herd of cattle, a sheep farm, people
dancing and the stream of Oceanus.
❖ The depth of detail is staggering.
❖ Hephaestus also forges a helmet and breastplate. When his
work his finished, he lays the armour at Thetis’ feet.
Book 19
❖ Thetis arrives at Achilles’ camp with the new
armor.
❖ The armor shines so brightly that the Myrmidons
are afraid to look at it.
❖ Achilles reconciles with Agamemnon
❖ Achilles urges the Achaean captains to call their
troops.
❖ Odysseus convinces Achilles to let the men eat.
❖ Agamemnon’s gifts are brought to Achilles’
camp.
❖ Zeus sends Athena to nourish Achilles with the
food of the gods without him noticing.
❖ Achilles arms himself
❖ His horses are readied. As
❖ As mounts his chariot, Hera gives voice to his
horse Roan Beauty.
❖ The horse tells Achilles that he will help save
Achilles’ life today, but that the day of his death is
soon approaching.
Book 20
❖ Zeus tells the gods that they may return to the
battlefield and help the sides they support.
❖ Apollo, taking the form of Trojan Lycaon,
urges Aeneas to attack Achilles.
❖ Hera, seeing Aeneas approach Achilles,
asks Athena and Poseidon to help her give support
to the Achaeans.
❖ Aeneas and Achilles prepare to fight.
❖ Aeneas recites to him the lineage of Troy.
❖ Achilles immediately overpowers Aeneas.
❖ Achilles nearly kills him, but Poseidon pities
Aeneas and his lineage. Against the wishes of Hera
and Athena he rescues Aeneas.
Contd..
• Apollo speaks to Hector,
instructing him not to fight
Achilles in front of the ranks, as
Achilles will surely kill him.
• Achilles kills Polydorus, Hector’s
brother.
• Incensed by his brother’s death,
Hector charges Achilles.
• Achilles is too strong for Hector,
and Apollo is forced to save him.
• Hector is whisked away by
Apollo.
• Achilles curses Hector for
escaping, and blames Apollo for
intervening.
Book 21
• Achilles rushes into the Xanthus,
slaughtering many Trojans in the
river.
• Achilles kills Lycaon. (One of
Priam’s sons)
• He continues killing Trojans in the
river, clogging the stream with
blood and bodies.
• Xanthus takes the form of a man,
asks Achilles to stop killing
Trojans.
• Achilles agrees to stop fighting in
the river, but not to stop killing
Trojans.
• Xanthus calls on Apollo for help.
• Achilles is enraged by Xanthus’
interference and plunges into the
river to kill more Trojans.
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 • Xanthus creates enormous waves to drown Achilles
while nearly pulling him down to his death.
• Poseidon and Athena reassure Achilles that he must

Contd… keep fighting until he kills Hector

• Xanthus calls to the river Simois to help him drown
Achilles, Hera intervenes, calling her son Hephaestus to
battle the river with his fire. Under his blaze, the river
boils until Xanthus promises to submit.
• Ares charges Athena, Athena then attacks Aphrodite,
Poseidon tries to goad Apollo into battle, he refuses.
• Priam watches the carnage. He orders that the Trojan
gates be opened in order let the routed troops back
into the city.
• Apollo looks to distract Achilles, by putting courage in
Agenor who stands against Achilles. When Achilles
attacks, Apollo lifts Agenor to safety and takes his place.
• He runs from Achilles, creating a decoy that allows
other Trojans to escape.
Book 22
❖ Hector is the only Trojan standing outside the walls, waiting to fight
Achilles to the death.
❖ Priam sees Achilles coming and implores Hector to come inside
❖ As soon as Achilles approaches, Hector runs away. Achilles begins to
chase Hector, and they run around the walls of Troy three times.
❖ Zeus takes up his scales and tips the balance against Hector,
sentencing Hector to death
❖ Athena encourages Hector to fight in the form of Deiphobus.
❖ Achilles drives his spear into the weak spot at Hector’s neck. With his
dying words, Hector asks for his body to be returned to Troy, but
Achilles refuses
❖ Achilles ties Hector’s body to the back of his chariot and drags him
through the dust, defiling his body.

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Book 23
❖ Achilles organizes funeral for Patroclus
❖ In the night, the ghost of Patroclus appears before Achilles
❖ Patroclus asks for his bones to be buried together with Achilles’
❖ Twelve Trojans are sacrificed.
❖ Patroclus’ pyre does not burn, but Achilles prays to the gods of the
west and north wind. Iris delivers Achilles’ prayer, and soon the pyre
is set ablaze.
❖ Funeral games to celebrate the memory of Patroclus
❖ 1st there’s Chariot race- Diomedes wins
❖ 2nd there’s a Boxing match- Ephesus wins
❖ 3rd there’s a Wrestling match- Tie between Ajax and Odysseus
❖ 4th a foot race- Odysseus, Lil Ajax, Antilochus
❖ Duel in full armour- Diomedes wins
❖ Iron quoit throwing- Polypoetes wins
❖ Spearthrow- Agamemnon

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Book 24
❖ Achilles uses his chariot to drag Hector’s body around Patroclus’
tomb
❖ Apollo protects his body from harm and decay
❖ Twelve days after Hector’s death, Apollo addresses the gods. He
tells them that Hector always respected the gods; hence, should
be returned to Priam in a dignified manner
❖ Zeus sends Iris to call Thetis to Olympus, instructs her to tell
Achilles to give Hector’s body back to Priam.
❖ Priam will give Achilles a ransom as payment, Achilles must
accept that.
❖ Hermes appears to Priam in the form of a stranger and offers to
help Priam
❖ Priam enters Achilles’ lodge and kneels, kissing Achilles’ hand
❖ Achilles fetches Hector’s body for Priam and apologises
to Patroclus for letting the body go.
❖ Priam requests to Achilles for a 11 day truce, Achilles accepts.
❖ Priam and Achilles dine together and Priam goes to sleep.
❖ Hermes wakes Priam from his sleep, advising him to leave the
Achaean camp before he is discovered and killed
❖ The eleven days of lamentation pass, and Hector is finally buried
by the Trojans.
 Honour and Glory

Fate and Free will

Themes War and Peace

Love and Friendship

Anger and Reconciliation

 Motifs

Armour Burial Fire

 Important Characters
Achaeans Trojans Gods

❖ Achilles ❖ Hector ❖ Zeus

❖ Agamemnon “Atrides” ❖ Priam ❖ Hera
❖ Patroclus ❖ Hecuba ❖ Athena
❖ Odysseus ❖ Paris “Alexander” ❖ Thetis
❖ Diomedes “Tydides” ❖ Helen ❖ Apollo
❖ Great Ajax ❖ Aeneas ❖ Aphrodite
❖ Nestor ❖ Glaucus ❖ Poseidon
❖ Menelaus ❖ Dolon ❖ Hephaestus
❖ Pandarus ❖ Ares
❖ Antenor ❖ Hermes
❖ Iris