Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Jan 01, 2007 homers iliad, the first great work of western civilization, is a rich and complex tale of anger, fate, war, humanity, and what we can, and cannot, hope to know, or control. Rage goddess, sing the rage of peleus son achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the achaeans countless losses hurling down to the house of death so many sturdy souls, great fighters souls, but made their bodies carrion feats for the dogs and birds and the will of zeus was moving towards its end. This lesson looks at achilless character and the way it. Paris draws the lot granting him first cast, but his spear does not pierce.
He is a complex warrior who sometimes ignores the cultural norms of his society. Hektor is a more complicated figure than most of the other characters in the iliad. This is one of the few times when this happens, and it is interesting that hektor says it out of excitement wanting the moment to last forever instead of despair at a moment passing. The gods meet in council, and zeus orders them all to stay out of the battle. At the end of the epic, agamemnon is a much greater leader than in the early books, even though he never reaches the same stature as several of the other warriors. Categorizing heroism in the iliad throughout the iliad, homer paints several poetically visceral scenes of violence that keep the reader engaged on a primal level and simultaneously appeals to our emotional side by recounting the dramatic triumphs in addition to the harrowing failures of its heroes. A wide scope of courageous warriors 1964 words 8 pages. Hector is the leader of the trojan forces in homers epic the iliad, which covers the final period of the long war between the greeks and trojans. The iliad s 10th book takes place after an unsuccessful embassy to make peace with. In this book, zeus takes charge of the battle and of the other gods. Since heroes are the essence of the society from which they come, greek heroes live their lives according to honor and glory, in all their varied forms. By the end of book 2, homer has introduced all of the iliad s major characters on the greek sidehis catalog of the trojan troops at the end of book 2 leads naturally into an introduction of the trojan leadership in book 3. What happens in each of the 24 books of the iliad by homer.
Best example of successful leadership in homers the iliad. Achilles is the main character, and his inaction, or withdrawal from the fighting, is crucial to the plot. In this book, his prominence serves only as a dramatic diversion whereby homer. Nestor leaves his tent and immediately sees the carnage surrounding the achaean camp. A much commentedon section of book xx deals with aeneas. Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of book 8 of homers epic poem the iliad. To noble men he recalls their duty as leaders, and to common soldiers he asserts. Set during the trojan war, the tenyear siege of the city of troy ilium by a coalition of greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. So is wisdom and compassion seen as a good thing in. Iliad study guide contains a biography of homer, literature essays. The importance of honor and glory in the iliad essay.
The heroes, however, are presented literally as greater human beings than the ordinary warriors. The iliad begins, ends and pivots on the achilles rage. In the tenth year of the trojan war, tensions are running high among the achaians a superancient name for the ancient greeks. Often in his brothers shadow, menelaus is still a strong warrior and at times an effective leader. The most powerful warrior in the iliad, achilles commands the myrmidons, soldiers from his homeland of phthia in greece. I almost wonder if i actually read the whole book back then. Homer, iliad, book 7, line 1 perseus digital library. These heroes and many others are homers models of virtue in arms. As night falls, the achaeans sleep soundly, except for agamemnon, who watches the trojan fires. Book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi. Aug, 2019 the iliad is attributed to homer, although we dont know for sure who wrote it. Homers greek epic offers leadership lessons for modern. The trojans pour out of the city gates, and zeus scales show that they are fated to win the day. If you are able to keep track of these 11 main characters, you will be able to follow the main action of the poem.
This lesson provides an overview of book 8 of homers the iliad. Achilles the son of the military man peleus and the seanymph thetis. Over the decades since the poem was first written, much debate has been made over who achieved the most leadership throughout. Even as the trojans reach their high tide, we are reminded of their certain destruction. Reed college humanities 110 outline of homers iliad. Some may have a divine or semidivine parent, though the hero himself is still mortal and subject to. The character of agamemnon in the iliad from litcharts. The the iliad quotes below are all either spoken by agamemnon or refer to agamemnon. Proud and headstrong, he takes offense easily and reacts with blistering indignation when he perceives that his honor has been slighted.
Trojan, a demigod and son of anchises and aphrodite. Book 10 is thought a possible later addition on stylistic grounds, but it could also be a deliberate attempt at an intermission in the narrative. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Comparing the iliad and the odyssey 905 words bartleby. It is also a commentary on wartime leadership, and on the virtues and vices of commanders. The iliad is attributed to homer, although we dont know for sure who wrote it. Achilles is a classical greek character whose mother, thetis, is one of the. Thirdly, the muses are prayed to for inspiration to tell the story, which can be observed in the iliad book i 19 and in the odyssey book i 1. He demonstrates a certain cowardice when, twice in book 17, he flees great ajax. The anger of achilles identify places and characters.
Compare his remarks here with those of hektor in book 6, lines 488489, quoted in the section on fate and free will. Dawn comes again and zeus addresses the assembly of the gods. Discuss the iliad as a treatise on effective leadership. Commander of the myrmidons, achilles is the most powerful hero in the iliad and was said to be invulnerable in all of his body but his heel, where his mother held him when she dipped him in. But homer tells us at the end of book 8 that the gods do not accept the sacrifice of the trojans. Achilleuss attitude here is not unique in the iliad. Homers epic poem the iliad tells the story of the trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including achilles, hector, odysseus, athena, ares, paris. First, the priest chryses comes to ask their leader, king agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom agamemnon was holding captive. It is a curious fact about the iliad that, for all its focus on the theme of death, it rarely shows characters longing for immortality. Joseph campbell condensed his understanding of story into a theory he called monomyth, also known as the heros journey or the. Achilles is the central figure in homers epic the iliad, and his brooding personality and combative behavior drive much of the plot. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the iliad and what it means. For instance, in book xi of the iliad, hector rallies his men with a long speech after agamemnon is carried off the field 248291. Plot outline for homers iliad and list of principal characters.
He announces his intention to change the tide of the battle and threatens any god who would strive against him. Titles of each book in the iliad flashcards quizlet. The importance of honor and glory in the iliad honor and glory are central to the greek character. Homers the iliad starts after the achaians have been at war with the trojans for nine years, trying to retrieve helen of troy, the wife of menelaos who was kidnapped by paris. Yet his leadership contains discernible flaws, especially toward the end of the epic, when the participation of first patroclus and then achilles reinvigorates the achaean army. Book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15. The iliad characters from litcharts the creators of.
The will of zeus always prevails, despite any efforts of the other gods to change it. A detailed description of the iliad characters and their importance. Leadership throughout the iliad leadership throughout the. Homers epic the iliad offers various moral lessons about family, respect, leadership, and other topics. The theme of leadership in the epic iliad by homer kibin. This contains a book by book summary and analysis of homers epic poem. Aeneas is introduced early on in the iliad, but up until book xx he plays only a minor role. He also accompanies odysseus during the night raids of book 10. The path to the iliad s vision of human character and leadership begins with the works grasp of fundamentals. Character profiles he has absolute control over the eventual destinies of humans, but other gods can influence zeus in the short term, or even interfere with his intentions.
There are roughly names referenced in the chapters of the iliad, and it is very easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged by trying to keep up with them all. The iliad characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The iliad is about the trojan war, but it is primarily about the war as it is affected by achilles wrath, or anger. It is thought to describe characters and legends traditionally dated to the 12th century bce, passed down orally, and then written by a poet or bard identified as homer who lived during the archaic age in greece in the 8th century bce. This is evident in agamemnons quarrel with achilles over his prize briseis.
Homer knew about war and cared about describing it. Aeneas fame today, of course, comes from virgils great epic, the aeneid, which was modeled on homers works. Agamemnon, king of mycenae, supreme commander of the. Selfless leadership in the iliad 1477 words bartleby. The next day, zeus summons the gods to assembly, forbidding them to interfere any further in the war. In the iliad certain heroic characters play major roles in the battles even though the reader knows that many more common soldiers must be involved. Son of the immortal sea nymph thetis and greek hero peleus, achilles is one of the most widely known heroes of myth. Well, the first place you could look is the enotes summary on homers iliad. Oct, 2017 the iliad book summary in under five minutes. I have now read the iliad for the first time since my college days. Restless, he seeks out nestor to create a new plan for the achaeans. This is a list of principal characters in homer s iliad and odyssey. Indeed, he recovers his courage only after receiving the insults of his comrades.
As the reader carefully studies agamemnons character, some growth in understanding can be seen in him particularly in book ix when he sends the embassy to achilles. Download the free study guide and infographic for homers e. Listed below are the names of the major characters of the epic poem. Homers greek epic offers leadership lessons for modern warriors. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10. He meets the wounded captains agamemnon, odysseus, and diomedes. Although his son hector leads the army, he is the central leadership figure of the city. Achilles cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Fourthly, the main characters also give long formal speeches. Also destined to become the leader of the refugee trojans. It seems so different now, so much more allencompassing, universal and timeless in dealing with men at war, issues of honor, duties of leadership, fate, individuals and community.
The most famous portrayal of achilles is in homers iliad, in which achilles is portrayed as a brave, loyal, cocky, intelligent and even superhuman soldier. Mar 10, 2017 the iliad, written sometime in the 8th century bce, is a tragic epic poem of more than 15,000 lines organised by scholars in alexandria into 24 books. Table comparing homers portraits of three leaders in the iliad. What homer can tell us about military leadership by jonathan shay, m. Agamemnon is the wealthiest of any of the achaean kings and also commands the largest army. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The men whom odysseus leads into battle see him as a strong leader. Before book 1 of the iliad, he took the woman chryseis as a. Do you think that this attitude is consistent with his character elsewhere in the iliad. Arrogant and often selfish, agamemnon provides the achaeans with strong but sometimes reckless and selfserving leadership. What makes them distinctive is that they come from achilleus. This lesson looks at morality against the backdrop of key plot points and quotes. Heroes in the iliad certain heroic characters play major roles in. Leadership throughout the iliad leadership throughout. To noble men he recalls their duty as leaders, and to common soldiers he. Chapter summary for homers the iliad, book 8 summary. Early in book viii homer describes the positioning of the greek. Agamemnon, while a great warrior, is not the smartest man in the war.
It tells the tale of the trojan war and is narrated with the hero achilles as the main character. The poem has already established the characters of agamemnon, proud and headstrong, and achilles, mighty but. He tells the gods that he is stronger than the rest of them put together, and that he will punish anyone who disobeys. Homers iliad is renowned as one of the greatest pieces of literature to ever exist. Table comparing homers portraits of three leaders in the. Leadership careers external internships help contact us. The iliad is an epic poem by homer that tells the story of several weeks in the last year of the decadelong trojan war in the greek camp, agamemnon and achilles, the greeks. The story opens with agamemnon, the head of the achaean army insisting that he take achilles prize, the maid briseis, to maintain his honor. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the iliad. The iliad begins with the poet calling on the muse to sing of the wrath of. Next section books 912 summary and analysis previous section books 14 summary and analysis buy study guide.
His responsibility to troy, to his troops, to his family, and to the moral and heroic code, and his role as the instrument of zeus set up tensions that no other character seems to experience. He tells them that they will not help either side for the time being. Idomeneus the king of crete and one of the most efficient of the achaian leaders, he has. Free summary and analysis of book 8 in homers the iliad that wont make you snore.
The path to the iliads vision of human character and leadership begins with. Oct, 2017 course heros video study guide provides an indepth plot summary of homers epic poem the iliad. The iliad shows a wide scope of courageous warriors. This is a list of principal characters in homers iliad and odyssey. Homeric leadership this selection of the iliad tells the homericera audience that legitimate rulership is defined by a ruler having the means to enforce it. Idomeneus leads a charge against the trojans in book. In his tent, nestor discusses the battle with the wounded machaon. Get an answer for how is hectors character depicted in homers iliad. Paris wounds nestor with an arrow, and diomedes is forced to take the old man onto his chariot.
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