The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer

The Iliad: the Odyssey

Against the mounting discontent of the Greek-supporting gods, Zeus sends Apollo to aid the Trojans, who once again breach the wall, and the battle reaches the ships. Achilles relents and lends Patroclus his armor, but sends him off with a stern admonition not to pursue the Trojans, lest he take Achilles' glory. Patroclus leads the Myrmidons into battle and arrives as the Trojans set fire to the first ships.

The Trojans are routed by the sudden onslaught, and Patroclus begins his assault by killing Zeus's son Sarpedon , a leading ally of the Trojans. Patroclus, ignoring Achilles' command, pursues and reaches the gates of Troy, where Apollo himself stops him. Patroclus is set upon by Apollo and Euphorbos , and is finally killed by Hector. Achilles is urged to help retrieve Patroclus' body but has no armour. Bathed in a brilliant radiance by Athena, Achilles stands next to the Greek wall and roars in rage.

The Trojans are dismayed by his appearance, and the Greeks manage to bear Patroclus' body away.

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Polydamas urges Hector again to withdraw into the city; again Hector refuses, and the Trojans camp on the plain at nightfall. Meanwhile, at Thetis' request, Hephaestus fashions a new set of armor for Achilles, including a magnificently wrought shield. Achilles fasts while the Greeks take their meal, straps on his new armor, and heaves [ clarification needed ] his great spear.

His horse Xanthos prophesies to Achilles his death. Achilles drives his chariot into battle. Achilles, burning with rage and grief, slays many. The river, angry at the killing, confronts Achilles but is beaten back by Hephaestus' firestorm. The gods fight among themselves.

The great gates of the city are opened to receive the fleeing Trojans, and Apollo leads Achilles away from the city by pretending to be a Trojan. When Achilles approaches, Hector's will fails him, and he is chased around the city by Achilles. Finally, Athena tricks him into stopping, and he turns to face his opponent. After a brief duel, Achilles stabs Hector through the neck. Before dying, Hector reminds Achilles that he, too, is fated to die in the war.

Achilles takes Hector's body and dishonours it by dragging it behind his chariot. The Greeks hold a day of funeral games, and Achilles gives out the prizes. Led by Hermes , Priam takes a wagon out of Troy, across the plains, and into the Greek camp unnoticed. He clasps Achilles by the knees and begs for his son's body. Achilles is moved to tears, and the two lament their losses in the war. After a meal, Priam carries Hector's body back into Troy. Hector is buried, and the city mourns. The many characters of the Iliad are catalogued; the latter half of Book II, the " Catalogue of Ships ", lists commanders and cohorts; battle scenes feature quickly slain minor characters.

Much debate has surrounded the nature of the relationship of Achilles and Patroclus, as to whether it can be described as a homoerotic one or not. Classical and Hellenistic Athenian scholars perceived it as pederastic , [6] while others perceived it as a platonic warrior-bond. In the literary Trojan War of the Iliad , the Olympian gods, goddesses, and minor deities fight among themselves and participate in human warfare, often by interfering with humans to counter other gods. Unlike their portrayals in Greek religion, Homer's portrayal of gods suited his narrative purpose.

The gods in traditional thought of fourth-century Athenians were not spoken of in terms familiar to us from Homer. In Greek Gods Human Lives: What We Can Learn From Myths , Mary Lefkowitz discusses the relevance of divine action in the Iliad , attempting to answer the question of whether or not divine intervention is a discrete occurrence for its own sake , or if such godly behaviors are mere human character metaphors. The intellectual interest of Classic-era authors, such as Thucydides and Plato , was limited to their utility as "a way of talking about human life rather than a description or a truth", because, if the gods remain religious figures, rather than human metaphors, their "existence"—without the foundation of either dogma or a bible of faiths—then allowed Greek culture the intellectual breadth and freedom to conjure gods fitting any religious function they required as a people.

These beliefs coincide to the thoughts about the gods in polytheistic Greek religion. In the article "Greek Religion" A. For example, Poseidon is the god of the sea, Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, Ares is the god of war, and so on and so forth for many other gods. This is how Greek culture was defined as many Athenians felt the presence of their gods through divine intervention in significant events in their lives. Oftentimes they found these events to be mysterious and inexplicable.

In The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind , psychologist Julian Jaynes uses the Iliad as a major piece of evidence for his theory of Bicameralism , which posits that until about the time described in the Iliad , humans had a much different mentality than present day humans.

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He says that humans during that time were lacking what we today call consciousness. He suggests that humans heard and obeyed commands from what they identified as gods, until the change in human mentality that incorporated the motivating force into the conscious self. He points out that almost every action in the Iliad is directed, caused, or influenced by a god, and that earlier translations show an astonishing lack of words suggesting thought, planning, or introspection.

Those that do appear, he argues, are misinterpretations made by translators imposing a modern mentality on the characters. Some scholars believe that the gods may have intervened in the mortal world because of quarrels they may have had among each other. Homer interprets the world at this time by using the passion and emotion of the gods to be determining factors of what happens on the human level. The emotions between the goddesses often translate to actions they take in the mortal world.

For example, in Book 3 of The Iliad, Paris challenges any of the Achaeans to a single combat and Menelaus steps forward. Menelaus was dominating the battle and was on the verge of killing Paris. The partisanship of Aphrodite towards Paris induces constant intervention by all of the gods, especially to give motivational speeches to their respective proteges, while often appearing in the shape of a human being they are familiar with.

Once set, gods and men abide it, neither truly able nor willing to contest it. How fate is set is unknown, but it is told by the Fates and by Zeus through sending omens to seers such as Calchas. Men and their gods continually speak of heroic acceptance and cowardly avoidance of one's slated fate.

No, deadly destiny, with the son of Leto, has killed me, and of men it was Euphorbos; you are only my third slayer. And put away in your heart this other thing that I tell you. You yourself are not one who shall live long, but now already death and powerful destiny are standing beside you, to go down under the hands of Aiakos' great son, Achilleus. Here, Patroclus alludes to fated death by Hector's hand, and Hector's fated death by Achilles's hand.

Each accepts the outcome of his life, yet, no-one knows if the gods can alter fate. The first instance of this doubt occurs in Book XVI. Seeing Patroclus about to kill Sarpedon , his mortal son, Zeus says:. Ah me, that it is destined that the dearest of men, Sarpedon, must go down under the hands of Menoitios' son Patroclus. Majesty, son of Kronos, what sort of thing have you spoken? Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death and release him? Do it, then; but not all the rest of us gods shall approve you.

In deciding between losing a son or abiding fate, Zeus, King of the Gods, allows it. This motif recurs when he considers sparing Hector, whom he loves and respects. This time, it is Athene who challenges him:. Father of the shining bolt, dark misted, what is this you said? Again, Zeus appears capable of altering fate, but does not, deciding instead to abide set outcomes; yet, contrariwise, fate spares Aeneas, after Apollo convinces the over-matched Trojan to fight Achilles.

But come, let us ourselves get him away from death, for fear the son of Kronos may be angered if now Achilleus kills this man. It is destined that he shall be the survivor, that the generation of Dardanos shall not die Divinely aided, Aeneas escapes the wrath of Achilles and survives the Trojan War. Whether or not the gods can alter fate, they do abide it, despite its countering their human allegiances; thus, the mysterious origin of fate is a power beyond the gods.

Fate implies the primeval, tripartite division of the world that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades effected in deposing their father, Cronus , for its dominion. Zeus took the Air and the Sky, Poseidon the Waters, and Hades the Underworld , the land of the dead—yet they share dominion of the Earth. Despite the earthly powers of the Olympic gods, only the Three Fates set the destiny of Man.

For my mother Thetis the goddess of silver feet tells me I carry two sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly. Agamemnon's sceptre, the wheel of Hebe 's chariot, the house of Poseidon, the throne of Zeus, the house of Hephaestus.

Translator Lattimore renders kleos aphthiton as forever immortal and as forever imperishable —connoting Achilles's mortality by underscoring his greater reward in returning to battle Troy. Kleos is often given visible representation by the prizes won in battle. When Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles, he takes away a portion of the kleos he had earned.

Achilles' shield, crafted by Hephaestus and given to him by his mother Thetis, bears an image of stars in the centre. The stars conjure profound images of the place of a single man, no matter how heroic, in the perspective of the entire cosmos. Yet the concept of homecoming is much explored in other Ancient Greek literature, especially in the post-war homeward fortunes experienced by the Atreidae Agamemnon and Menelaus , and Odysseus see the Odyssey.

Pride drives the plot of the Iliad. The Greeks gather on the plain of Troy to wrest Helen from the Trojans. Though the majority of the Trojans would gladly return Helen to the Greeks, they defer to the pride of their prince, Alexandros, also known as Paris.

The Iliad/The Odyssey by Homer

Due to this slight, Achilles refuses to fight and asks his mother, Thetis, to make sure that Zeus causes the Greeks to suffer on the battlefield until Agamemnon comes to realize the harm he has done to Achilles. When in Book 9 his friends urge him to return, offering him loot and his girl, Briseis, he refuses, stuck in his vengeful pride. From epic start to epic finish, pride drives the plot. In Book I, the Greek troubles begin with King Agamemnon's dishonorable, unkingly behavior—first, by threatening the priest Chryses 1.

The warrior's consequent rancor against the dishonorable king ruins the Greek military cause. The epic takes as its thesis the anger of Achilles and the destruction it brings. Anger disturbs the distance between human beings and the gods. Uncontrolled anger destroys orderly social relationships and upsets the balance of correct actions necessary to keep the gods away from human beings. Hybris forces Paris to fight against Menelaus. The "Wrath of Achilles". King Agamemnon dishonours Chryses, the Trojan priest of Apollo, by refusing with a threat the restitution of his daughter, Chryseis—despite the proffered ransom of "gifts beyond count".

Moreover, in that meeting, Achilles accuses Agamemnon of being "greediest for gain of all men". But here is my threat to you. Even as Phoibos Apollo is taking away my Chryseis. I shall convey her back in my own ship, with my own followers; but I shall take the fair-cheeked Briseis, your prize, I myself going to your shelter, that you may learn well how much greater I am than you, and another man may shrink back from likening himself to me and contending against me.

After that, only Athena stays Achilles's wrath. He vows to never again obey orders from Agamemnon. Furious, Achilles cries to his mother, Thetis, who persuades Zeus's divine intervention—favouring the Trojans—until Achilles's rights are restored. Again, the Wrath of Achilles turns the war's tide in seeking vengeance when Hector kills Patroclus. Letters from a Stoic Seneca.

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad. Eichmann in Jerusalem Hannah Arendt. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte. Twelve Angry Men Reginald Rose. Thus Spoke Zarathustra Friedrich Nietzsche.

The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen. Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte. The Three Theban Plays Sophocles. Return to Book Page. Gripping listeners and readers for more than 2, years, 'The Iliad' is the story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic.

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If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man' Gripping listeners and readers for more than 2, years, 'The Iliad' is the story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles. If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man's journey through life.

Here again, Fagles has performed the translator's task magnificently, giving us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. Each volume contains a superb introduction with textual and critical commentary by renowned classicist Bernard Knox. Paperback , Boxed Set , pages. Published November 1st by Penguin Classics first published To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Tori Either way is fine, but the Odyssey would make more sense to read second. Is this a new edition of Fagel?

Iliad & Odyssey

I read Fagel's translation about 15 years ago. Terri Gav It's Samuel Baker's translation. Lists with This Book. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy Ilium by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.

It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature; the Iliad is the oldest. Scholars believe the Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal region of Anatolia.

Sep 04, Lucinda Reed-Nowland rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: The best story ever-it has everything-love, romance, war, brave, handsome men, exotic places, monsters, beautiful women-its all in these two stories. Odysseus is my all-time favorite hero, and although he is a brave hero, he has his faults and it's this combination that makes him so lovable and what makes this story one of the greatest of all time. The text can be difficult to read, and following the who's who of the gods and goddesses can be quite a feat.

I've read it several times, I never get The best story ever-it has everything-love, romance, war, brave, handsome men, exotic places, monsters, beautiful women-its all in these two stories. I've read it several times, I never get tired of it. View all 3 comments. Feb 11, Patricia rated it really liked it Shelves: Other than the gruesome, violent images often presented in magnificent detail hey, it is a war! Where else are we given such insight into stubborn Agamemnon, noble Hector, intelligent and well-spoken Odysseus, lazy and spineless Paris, guilt-ridden Helen, the wrath of the warrior Achille's and how vain he can be?

We can identify with Trojan and Greek alike, agonizing with both sides over the destructiveness of war. We get the inside story on all the G Other than the gruesome, violent images often presented in magnificent detail hey, it is a war! We get the inside story on all the Greek and Trojan heroes and what makes them tick.

And best of all, we get a behind-the-scenes, humorous look at the Greek gods; their strengths, weaknesses and all the squabbles and fuss that take place between them. The Iliad is really incomplete without The Odyssey, so I will be reading and reviewing that book as well. I had read a synopsis of the adventures of Odysseus in high school, but it was nice to read the entire epic poem to get the full story. Odysseus is an intelligent, cunning hero and you are really rooting for him by the time he finally makes it home from his long journey and is ready to take action against the usurpers of his household.

So many stories of this time period end in tragedy, it's nice that there is a satisfactory end to Odysseus's story after so many years of pain and heartache for him and his family. I enjoyed The Odyssey more than The Iliad because it seems a more intimate story overall. We really come to know the man Odysseus, his son Telemachus and wife, Penelope through their thoughts and interactions with others.

The Iliad takes place during the Trojan war and focuses on the Greek and Trojan warriors and what takes place on the battlefield. The Odyssey is not quite a continuation of the Iliad, but takes place 10 years after the end of the Trojan war from which the great warrior Odysseus never returned. It seems he had some trouble on the high seas and on various islands along the way and has been unable to make it home.

In the meantime, his home has been invaded by suitors who think he is dead and want to marry Penelope. Telemachus is not strong or powerful enough to throw them out and goes on a journey to find news of his father.

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey - reading lesson for kids

With the help of the gods, Odysseus and Telemachus are finally able to defend their home. I would recommend reading both The Iliad and Odyssey together but if you're only going to pick up one, read The Odyssey. The translation was pretty readable. This is part of the Great Books of the western world Collection that I have set out to read. Ulysses is my favorite Greek hero.

Always was always will be. I read parts of some butchered version in high-school but this one seems to have satisfied my goddess needs. I think we perhaps need some revitalization of the sentiments present in these books to save America from going down the cultural tubes. When the Odyssey is replaced with the "jersey Shore" cannot possi The translation was pretty readable.

When the Odyssey is replaced with the "jersey Shore" cannot possibley turn out well.

How could i rate such a classic any less than 5 stars!? May 05, 1marcus rated it it was amazing. The adventure, mystery, and the understanding of pre-history are great for anyone who wants to read this book. All these things made me want to read the book over again and even write a book review on it. First the adventure is wild from the start.

Fighting the Cyclopes and winning made me think that no matter what the size of the person or object I can win if I put my mind to it and want it bad enough. Adventure keeps me reading the book. Never will you have to do that with this book. Last the understanding of the pre-history is good for one if they are trying to learn about ancient history. We hope that you find Homer's "Odyssey" enjoyable whether you are reading it for school, for study, or for pleasure.

What will you do It didn't take me long to figure out that I'm not a Homer girl. I think the problem was partly that after years of taking in entertaining, probably dumbed down versions of the stories, the reality ended up a bit of a let down. Another problem was I had trouble liking any of the characters. Whiney, deceitful, and not very likeable! The Iliad was pretty painful to get through. I forced myself to finish and didn't even get a payoff in the end. What happened to T It didn't take me long to figure out that I'm not a Homer girl.

What happened to Troy?! The Iliad won't tell you! The sacking of Troy is alluded to in the Odyssey with a brief overview of the Trojan Horse and the men hiding in it.