Iliad Group at eNotes

Agamemnon, probably purely out of a desire not to have to end the war...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:30:54 PST

Agamemnon, probably purely out of a desire not to have to end the war because of the non-participation of Achilles, relents and admits that he was wrong to take Briseis, who was already in Achilles' tent, away from him as spoils of war. He returns the maiden, and sends three of his most trusted (and, in the case of Odysseus, wiliest) councillors to try to conciliate Achilles and get him back into the fight. And King Agamemnon answered,...

Agamemnon had seriously insulted Achilles so Achilles pulled his men out...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:29:47 PST

Agamemnon had seriously insulted Achilles so Achilles pulled his men out of the battle and Agamemnon realized he was wrong. He realizes without the aid of Achilles the cause is lost. He decides to make an offer of apology to Achilles. He sends Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix to plead his case and ask for Achilles forgiveness and help. Odysseus speaks to Achilles first and relates the following offering to Achilles: “All gifts are in...

In Book IX of the The Iliad, what are the offers of Odysseus, Phoenix,...

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:51:02 PST

In Book IX of the The Iliad, what are the offers of Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax to Achilles, and what are his replies to the three offers?

The first thing would be the husband's feelings toward her. The second...

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:23:32 PST

The first thing would be the husband's feelings toward her. The second thing would be the value he places in her as his wife. The third thing would be the value he places in her abilities as his adviser and companion. The fourth thing would be the confidence he has in her abilities to govern his home and rear his children. The idea that Hector sees his wife as precious seems to surprise most readers, but women were thought of as very nearly...

From the conversation between Helen and Hector at Alexandrus' house: "I...

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:32:28 PST

From the conversation between Helen and Hector at Alexandrus' house: "I must go home to see my household, my wife and my little son, for I know not whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether the gods will cause me to fall by the hands of the Achaeans.” We can see that Hector is a family man. He cares for the home life and the lives of his family. He could just as easily have turned around and left the city to return to the battle,...

From the conversation between Hector and Andromache, choose details...

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:49:07 PST

From the conversation between Hector and Andromache, choose details which show great love between the two. What qualities in each are revealed?

Mention 3 things that would make a woman precious.

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:32:50 PST

Mention 3 things that would make a woman precious.

She is precious to Hector because he loves her. She is the mother of his...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:07:51 PST

She is precious to Hector because he loves her. She is the mother of his son who is still just a baby. She is not like the other women who are hiding in their houses or praying at the temple to "the awful goddess Minerva". She is out on the wall watching for her husband and the events of the battle. She knows what Achilles is capable of doing since it was Achilles who killed her own father in the battle with the Cilicians. Andromache...

Achillles was keeping Hector's body and dragging it around the tomb of...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:51:03 PST

Achillles was keeping Hector's body and dragging it around the tomb of his friend to show he had avenged his friend in battle. Achilles was in horrible grief over the death of Patroclus. ...but Achilles still wept for thinking of his dear comrade, and sleep, before whom all things bow, could take no hold upon him. This way and that did he turn as he yearned after the might and manfulness of Patroclus; he thought of all they had done...

Whay was it dangerous for King Priam to ransom the body of Hector?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:49:39 PST

Whay was it dangerous for King Priam to ransom the body of Hector?

Why is Andromache called Hector's "precious wife"? Mention three things...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:44:10 PST

Why is Andromache called Hector's "precious wife"? Mention three things that would make a woman precious.

Is there a need to write an abstract when writting an essay?

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 04:54:29 PST

Is there a need to write an abstract when writting an essay?

In my own reading of Arete, it means, not just courage, but translated...

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:46:48 PST

In my own reading of Arete, it means, not just courage, but translated as "virtue". It means some inborn talent or capacity a person has that they have developed into excellence. So Achilles has Arete, "a fighting fiery spirit." This spirit is related to his equally fiery temper. Unfortunately his fiery temper the downside fo this Arete gets him into problems, and probably partially explains how he treats Hector dragging him through the mud...

Correction! It really does depend on the translation, because in...

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:08:25 PST

Correction! It really does depend on the translation, because in Rodney Merril's recent translation (2007) has a reference to "cobalt" in the description of Achilles' shield made by Hephaestus. I'd have to refer back to the Greek word for this to determine, but it's not called cobalt in other translations (Rouse's for example, I believe).

Hephaestus shows so much on the shield; the heavens, the earth, the...

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 21:22:03 PST

Hephaestus shows so much on the shield; the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the pictures of two cities with all the activities of civilization in the Bronze Age: festivals and weddings, legal disputes, warfare, animal husbandry, agriculture, and, finally dancing -- that in essence the god fashions for Achilles the whole world in miniature. Thetis asked Hephaestus to make this armor for Achilles because Achilles will die soon. ...

In the Iliad, when Hephaestus is making a shield for Achilles what is...

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 12:46:04 PST

In the Iliad, when Hephaestus is making a shield for Achilles what is the point of all the different pictures he puts on it?

The Iliad is extreamly relevant to our time. There are many, but...

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 20:32:09 PST

The Iliad is extreamly relevant to our time. There are many, but perhaps the greatest connection lies in the motive for the inevitable war that ensues. The "petty" factor must not be over looked. You have the various characters pride playing a huge role in the choices, direction and outcome of the war. Take Achilles and Agamemnon's opening quarrel for starters. Essentially that argument is over nothing more than "who is the bigger, man". It...

Color in The Iliad

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:23:35 PST

I've seen and read several places that the color blue does not occur in The Iliad. It depends on the translation, but I haven't been able to find a reference. I'd love to hear about other interesting color references in The Iliad, just because so many of the standard metaphors about color were either unformed or different at the time the poem was composed (the most famous being the "wine-dark sea" -- the sea around...

I am having difficulties finding similarities between the Iliad and the...

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:41:29 PST

I am having difficulties finding similarities between the Iliad and the movie The Dark Knight. Themes that were suggested were justice, nobility etc.

There is a very good summary here at enotes (the third link below.)...

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:22:31 PST

There is a very good summary here at enotes (the third link below.) The line of the story goes like this: Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, is the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Menelaus' brother is Agamemnon of Mycenae, the mightiest king among the Achaians (the Greeks). Paris, a prince of the city of Troy (across the Aegean sea from Greece) steals Helen away from Menelaus and brings her to Troy. This provides the...