Iliad

In one sense, one could say that the particular heroic culture in which the Iliad was embedded no longer actually exists. Warfare, for example, is not a matter of single combat between two males...

I think that much of your opening is going to be based on what you will be arguing in the paper. Without this specification, the introduction is going to be a challenge. On one hand, I think that...

The theme of honor amongst human beings is a significant throughout the work. It is the basis for much of the characters' actions. It becomes the reason why war is waged, why Agamemnon is the way...

eNotes offers a free tutorial on "How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay". Please see the link below for more information.

Because Achilles sulks in his tent, his Achaean comrades suffer in their epic conflict with Troy. No matter how many times the Achaeans try to persuade Achilles to join the battle, he pointedly...

The question might better ask one to explain whether Homer presents a believable case for his proposition that the actions in Book I of The Iliad are controlled by the gods. The agreement or...

One of the strongest elements of equal force meeting immovable object in Book I would have to be the collision of wills between Achilles and Agamemnon. This clash between both is a stalemate...

I think that one way Homer's work has contributed to our notion of civilization is through its storytelling merits. Homer's story is a great one, replete with challenges from Gods, struggles...

Gods and goddesses appear to play relatively similar roles in the Iliad and interfere with approximately the same regularity in the lives of mortals. The three most powerful gods in the Greek...

Briefly, The Iliad is about the Trojan War, a conflict that began when Helen, the queen of Sparta, fell in love and ran away with Paris, a prince of Troy. Helen's husband, Menelaus, was a the...

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....

The Iliad reflects more than one historical period. First, the Bronze Age (around 1200 B.C.) is the setting for the Trojan War that is recounted in the epic. Because the Iliad was preserved orally...

These are great examples of epic similes which are very characteristic of Homer's work. These epic similes are detailed comparisons which are extended and are many lines in length. Homer uses a...

In Book XX of the Iliad, Aeneas, a prince of Troy but from a minor branch of the royal family, plays a major role in a confrontation with Achilles, as Achilles, after staying out of the war because...

In terms of its plot, the Iliad is fairly simple. It is the story of the Achaians (Greeks) and their war against the Trojans. It looks at the causes of the war and at the way the war went. But...

Homer illustrates the extent to which Achilleus is ravages by his own anger and need for revenge. In becoming vengeful, he goes against the Heroic Code and angers the gods.Priam is able to make...

There are several elements which create true heroism (from the ancient Greek perspective) in the Iliad. The first quality a hero possess in Homeric epic is noble birth, and usually a lineage that...

I think that the role of Achilles is seen in a lucid form in Book 22. The standoff between Achilles and Hector is the moment where the pure force of Thanatos is present in Achilles. Fueled by his...

This is a really interesting question. I think that Homer's point of view in the telling of the Iliad brings out some fascinating elements about the nature of how one perceives the divine. The...

Hmm. Traditionally, mystery is seen as having only a limited role in the "Iliad." Take the last line that you asked about: " Thus, then, did they celebrate the funeral of Hector...

First, this kind of biographical approach to criticism is outdated, having decades ago been replaced by New (Chicago) Criticism and since then by Postmodern criticism, in which the author’s...

In Book I of Homer’s Iliad, Achilles, the strongest warrior among the Greeks, withdraws from the fighting due to his anger at having been deprived of his prize by Agamemnon, who is the leader of...

The answer to this is that Apollo is the god who is plaguing the Greek army. The reason he is doing this is because Agamemnon has taken as a prize a woman (Chryseis) who is the daughter of...

Eris, the goddess of discord, became angry when she wasn't invited to the wedding of Achilles' parents. As revenge, she threw a golden apple that had "for the fairest" written on it into the hall...

Aeneas, the son of Aphrodite and the mortal Anchises, is one of the most important Trojan warriors. Aeneas has two significant appearances in Homer's Iliad. The first comes in Iliad 5.166-351,...

Although I am not any expert on this topic, I would say from having studied various bits of this epic class that it reflects more the period of Greek Archaism through its exploration of the culture...

The ruler of Ithaca, Odysseus is one of the many Greek heroes in The Iliad. The Iliad showcases the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Greek heroes, but Odysseus shines above the others...

You might first want to do some research comparing the outline of Homer's The Iliad to the movie Troy. We know, for example, that the directors of the movie went to great lengths in order to...

In the words of Christopher Marlowe, she was the "face that launched a thousand ships." Helen of Troy was certainly one of the most desired women in all history (in fact and myth). Abducted when...

Well, the first place you could look is the eNotes summary on Homer's Iliad. This contains a book by book summary and analysis of Homer's epic poem. In eNotes, you can also find a biography of the...

Like so much in Homer, the Iliad depicts a complex relationship between war and its effect on people. On one hand, war is depicted as an issue of glory. Achilles fights for the glory of his name...

The woman given to Achilles is named Briseis. She is given to Achilles as a prize (reward for his role in the fighting when the Achaians sack the city of Thebe) but later King Agamemmnon takes her...

I think that pride is shown to have a very destructive element in the Trojan War. Even if one concedes that individual ego does display some phenomenal aspects of the human condition, there is far...

Essentially, the Gods' intervention in Achilles' reintegration is prompted by the appeal to Achilles' intense despair over the death of Patroklos. The Olympians recognize that this is a...

The Trojan War is in its tenth grueling year when The Iliad takes place, which is significant because it's a catalyst for the desperation and in-fighting amongst the soldiers. The Trojans are still...

For the most part, I think that the role of the wives in the Iliad is to explore the domestic realm and to expose the pull of the personal in the collision between desire and duty. Homer's...

This is an interesting question. Book 9 is a major turning point in the story. We read about Agamemnon finally apologizing and sending gifts to Achilles (including the return of Briseis, the...

Book 18 allows readers to see more layers to the character of Achilles. He is not just a fierce warrior, but a man who loves in the truest sense of the word. His reaction to the death of...

Aphrodite bribes Paris in order to get the apple by offering him Helen as a reward. She helps him abduct or seduce Helen. In Book 3, she saves Paris by physically interfering in a battle. She...

Can you please tell me what the Book #/line # is and what translation you are using? I remembered the Greek: Time with the accent over the e means honor in classical Greek, thus in the Iliad.

I take it you are referring to the section where Achilles discusses the prophecy that his mother, Thetis, made about his life. In this section we see the irony of the life of the famed warrior...

"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" is still a fairly common proverb in the twenty-first century. It no longer applies to Greeks but to anyone--particularly to a stranger--bringing you a gift....

There are so many themes in Homer’s Iliad that it is hard to select a single event that outdoes all others. Highlights include Achilles’ retreat to his tent after being spurned by Agamemnon....

This is a difficult question to answer, because when it comes to ancient mythology, there are different of sources and many sources that we have lost; in other words, these sources are no longer...

Early in the final book of Homer's Iliad, the god Apollo criticizes the other gods for allowing Achilles to defile Hector's corpse by dragging it behind his chariot. Apollo argues that Hector had...

This is a good question and we can say that there were many differences. Let me list a few of them for you. Achilles was dead by time of the Greek made the Trojan horse to take over the city....

Homer's Odyssey: The majority of the Odyssey is concerned with the travels of Odysseus and a smaller portion with the travels of Telemachus. The eventual return home is magnified in importance...

The Lycian warrior Sarpedon was a son of Zeus and in the Trojan War he was an ally of the Trojans. Sarpedon has a significant appearance in Book 5 of Homer's Iliad, where he spurs Hector on to...

Since your question is in the history section, I will offer some information on the historical context of the Iliad. This book deals with the Trojan war. The Trojans in the city of Troy were...

This is a great question. I think the simplest way to answer the question to say that the movie, Troy, was godless. That is the chief difference. In Homer's Iliad, the gods are everywhere...