Study Questions
1. Where are the Achaians at the opening of the epic?

2. Why did Apollo send “deadly arrows” against the Achaians?

3. Whose advice do the Achaians seek to stop the bloodshed?

4. What do the Achaians do to stop Apollo’s assault?

5. What does Agamemnon do to Achilleus that causes his great anger?

6. What is Achilleus’ plan for revenge?

7. Why does Thetis agree to help Achilleus?

8. Who takes Chryseis back to Thebe, and what happens when he gets there?

9. Why is Hera unhappy that Zeus agrees to help Achilles?

10. Who pleads with Hera to make peace with Zeus, and why?

Answers
1. The Achaians are in Troy.

2. The Achaians refused to return Chryseis to her father, who is a priest of Apollo.

3. The Achaians seek the advice of Kalchas, a seer.

4. The Achaians return Chryseis to Thebe.

5. Agamemnon takes Achilleus’ war prize, Briseis.

6. Achilleus plans for the gods to assist Troy in their fight against the Achaians.

7. Thetis is Achilleus’ mother. She also knows that Achilleus’ fate is to die young.

8. Odysseus takes Chryseis back to Thebe, and everyone celebrates with a feast.

9. Hera thinks it unfair that many of the Achaians must die to revenge Achilleus. She also despises the Trojans and does not want them to win the war.

10. Hera’s son, Hephaistos, pleads with his mother to make peace with Zeus so as not to spoil their great feast.