Homer's Iliad (summary and analysis)

iliad It is an epic poem that narrates the siege of the city of Troia by the victims of the attempt to escape Helena, wife of King Menelau, who was kidnapped by Paris, the Troian prince. Starting from this event, a war was unleashed between the Aqueus and the Troians.

The poem is composed of 24 songs, where different events that occurred during the last year of the Troian War, which lasted 10 years, are narrated.

The work begins with the fury of Achilles, a Greek warrior who decides to go to the edge of the conflict after becoming irritated with Agamemnon, leader of the army that attacks him, who robs him of his servant Briseis.

iliad, together with odyssey, is an epic attributed to Homer. Both represent a compilation of traditional texts that have been transmitted verbally by poets for centuries.

Summary of the Iliad

Song 1: Plague and anger

Nine years after the start of the Troian War, a war between the Aqueus and the Troians, a plague arises in the camp here.

Calcante, um adivinho, affirms that a doença will remain, unless Agamemnon delivers Crisesida to Crises, seu pai de él.

When Agamemnon yields his servant, he is kidnapped by Briseis, Achilles' servant, thus provoking Achilles' wrath.

Then, Achilles decides to withdraw from the camp and Zeus supports his decision.

Song 2: The dream of Agamemnon and Boeocia

Zeus sends a message to Agamemnon through a dream to warn him that he must continue with the capture of Troia.

Agamenon decides to send the population to their respective houses. No meanwhile, the exodus of the population ends when Agamemnon prepares to go to war and begins to list the different boats available to him for the battle.

Song 3: The oaths and Helena na muralha

Troianos e aqueus encontram en batalha. Paris challenges Menelau for a singular duel. While he is so, Helena watches or fights, seeing her as a reward for the winner.

When Menelau is ready to kill Paris, Aphrodite, his mother, appears to save him.

Song 4: Violação dos oaths and review of the troops

The gods are gathered and Zeus wants to end the war. No entanto, they decide that the conflict should continue. Athena descends to disguised land and instigates Pândaro to shoot an arrow at Menelau.

The truce ends when Agamenon discovers what happened and decides to encourage his troops to continue the war. So, the two armies face each other on the battlefield.

Song 5: Leadership of Diomedes

Athena advises Diomedes and transmits the strength and courage to fight the battle.

In turn, Pândaro killed Diomedes with an arrow, but Athena saw his rescue and managed to heal him. Afterwards, she alerts herself to avoid attacking other deuses, unless she finds Aphrodite.

Finally, Diomedes attacks Aeneias, Aphrodite's son.

Song 6: Heitor and Andrômache

The continuous war is aided by two gods, and the aqueus jogam com vantagem over the Troians.

Heleno, prince of Troia, asks Heitor to travel to Troia and order his mother to go to the temple of Deusa Athena with other Troian women and offer an offering for her to have mercy on them during a war.

While there, on the battlefield, Diomedes and Glauco found themselves and exchanged their armor as a sign of respect.

Heitor says for his brother Paris will fight the battle. Afterwards, he finds his wife Andromache, who cries inconsolably in fear of losing her husband in war.

Song 7: Combate na muralha

Héctor lets himself face the afflictions and challenges one of them to a duel. Ájax Telamônio is chosen to face him. The battle will last until dark, when the combatants have a truce.

While there, Nestor orders that the aqueus build a wall to protect their camp and take the opportunity to cremate the bodies. Além disso, los troianos consideram devem o não deberando Helena.

Song 8: Batalha interrupted

Zeus forbids you from helping the victims and Troians in war. Athena is firmly opposed and requests that the divinities advise the men during the battle, but they cannot interfere.

Afterwards, Zeus sends a thunderbolt and the aqueus fogem. No meanwhile, Nestor can't escape and one of his horses dies.

Agamemão asks Zeus for help and he benefits the troops here. Hera and Athena descend from Olympus to help the Gregos, but Iris prevents them.

Song 9: Embassy to Achilles

Agamenão summons his men and proposes that they abandon the war and return home. Diomedes criticizes his decision and warns him that he will continue to fight.

Immediately, Nestor advises Agamenão to apologize to Achilles and he promises to return his wife to him. No, Aquiles is very offended and does not accept his forgiveness.

Song 10: The story of Dolon

Agamemnon and Menelau decide to spy on the Troian camp. Likewise, Diomedes and Odysseus are in charge of carrying out the mission.

In turn, Héctor also decides to send Dolón to watch over the victims. No meanwhile, he is intercepted by Diomedes and Odysseus, who interrogate him to obtain information.

Diomedes and Odysseus discovered the plane of two Troians and decided to assassinate the Thracian soldiers and their king Reso, who would help the Troians in war.

Song 11: A story of Agamemnon

The battle starts again. Agamemnon participates and stands out, killing many Trojans.

Zeus warns Hector that Agamemnon will be defeated, the Trojans will be victorious. Thus, Agamemnon is wounded and the Troians assume control of the battle.

Meanwhile, Achilles, who refuses to fight, sends Patroclus to find out how the battle is unfolding.

Song 12: Combate na muralha

Os troianos initiate the attack right near the muralha dos aqueus.

Héctor throws a stone and manages to cross the portal of the muralha. In this way, it opens the way for the Troians, who entered the enemy camp, destroying everything on their way.

Song 13: Battle with the ships

The battle continues. Poseidon advises us aqueus to resist the Troian attacks. Hector continues to win the conflict and advance with advantage.

Song 14: Deception of Zeus

Hera deceives Zeus and makes him sleepy. Meanwhile, Agamemnon is ready to surrender again and Poseidon helps the victims in the battle.

In turn, Ajax attacks Hector, who is wounded and needs to retire from the battle. After disso, those who manage to recover their progress.

Song 15: New offensive of ships

Zeus agrees irritated with Hera. Além disso, he assures him that the Troians will win the battle, unless Achilles returns to the fight.

In this way, Zeus gives strength to Hector and the Troians, that they manage to hit the two aqueu ships and raise their position in battle.

Song 16: Action of Patroclus

Héctor burns the ships two aqueus. While he is so, Patroclus seeks the help of Achilles and asks for his weapons to help the Greeks.

Thus, Patroclus goes to battle dressed in the armor of Achilles and manages to scare the Troians, who confuse us with fogem.

Immediately, Apollo helps the Troians and Patroclus attacks the coasts. Finally, the death of Héctor's hands.

Canto 17: A Conquest of Menelau

Os gregos vingam a morte de Patroclo e lutam. As for this, the Troians want to get Achilles' armor, which is stolen by Hector.

Finally, the Gregos manage to take the body of Patroclus back to their ships.

Song 18: Manufacture of Weapons

Antilochus informs Achilles about the death of his friend Patroclus. So, Achilles decides to avenge his death on him and face Hector.

Ostroianos meet and deliberate on how to continue the battle. While some want to protect themselves behind two walls of Troia, Hector intends to fight in the open field.

On the other hand, Thetis, Achilles' mother, got a new armor for her son through Hephaestus, god of fire.

Song 19: Achilles calms his anger

Achilles prepares to fight in his new armor provided by his mother. But before disso, he makes peace with Agamemnon, who returns his servant, Briseis, and other presents.

Song 20: The Fight of the Deuses

Zeus discovers that Achilles returned to the battle and allows you to intervene and help us on the side we prefer.

Achilles fights on the battlefield and leaves many dead on his path. He also finds Enéias and attacks him. Finally, Poseidon manages to save the life of Enéias.

Song 21: Batalha next to the river

Achilles impiously kills all the Troians who cross his path.

O deus do rio, Scamander, is furious and asks Achilles to stop killing people. Before Achilles refuses, or god or near with his waters and Hera runs to save him.

Além disso, os deuses lutam between themselves, some defending the troianos and others os aqueus.

In turn, Priam orders the opening of the city gates and Apollo manages to crush Achilles' two walls of Troia.

Canto 22: Death of Heitor

The battle between Heitor and Achilles takes place around two walls of the city. Achilles attacks Heitor and tries to flee.

In a final duel, Heitor is killed by Achilles, who then ties his corpse to a combat carriage on a journey through the city.

Song 23: Jogos in honor of Patroclus

Os aqueus celebrate a funeral in homage to Patroclus. During the event, the deceased appears for his friend Achilles and asks that his body be buried so that he can rest on the ground of the dead.

Finally, games in his honor of him occur, including chariot racing, free fighting, weight throwing, among others.

Canto 24: Hector's Rescue

Priam goes to Achilles' camp and asks him to return the body of Hector to the Troians.

Both lament their respective losses and, finally, Achilles delivers Hector's body. Além disso, he oils a truce of eleven days so that the Troians celebrate the funeral of Hector, após or qual aqueus and Troians would return to mourn.

Finally, Hector's body reaches Troia, where a funeral takes place in his honor.

Analyze da iliad

structure

TO iliad It is a poem divided into 24 songs with 15693 hexameter verses, which is a metric form proper to classical Greek and Latin literature.

all-knowing narrative

na iliad, the narrator is of the knowing type, he can relate facts to him in an objective manner, or seja, reduced to unbelief what happens to the third person.

homeric grego

The variant of the Greek that Homer uses in iliad It is known by "homeric grego". In this epic, an artificial language is used, because there is no dialect of a specific time or region that is similar to or used in this poem.

Topics

It is a text of a military type, in which the value and strength stands out. Além disso, presents a pessimistic conception of man, seen as a miserable being who cannot escape from the will of two gods. The poem begins with the anger of Achilles and ends with the death of Hector.

Além disso, this epic is loaded with universal themes, these are the main ones:

to fury

A fury is the issue around which the conflict unfolds. The wrath of Achilles is perceived in the first song, a sentiment provoked by the hair of Agamemnon, who takes his servant Briseis. So, Achilles decides to stay away from the war against the Troians.

Sing, or deuse, the cholera of Pelida Aquiles; the fatal anger that caused infinite evils to the aqueus (...)

to war

This topic appears as background pano ao longo da epopeia. Nela, not only are you hurt on the battlefield, but also God intervenes in the conflict to favor one side or the other.

Além disso, to iliad expose the horrors of war and its collateral effects. Isso can be seen, for example, not suffering two relatives who see their loved ones leave or die in war, like Andrômaca, who says goodbye to her as her son, her husband Hector.

Andromache, crying, stood by his (or Hector's) side and, holding onto his hand, said:

"Your courage will destroy you. Do not have pity on the twelve babies of me, unfortunate, who will soon be your living room."

honor and pride

Achilles, an example of a Greek hero, is the representation of pride in the poem. As a hero, he seeks to preserve his honor and puts himself above the interests of his companions. When Agamemnon kidnaps his servant, Achilles feels that he has lost his honor. His arrogance leads him to withdraw from the war and, consequently, many of his companions are killed by more of the Troian army.

humanity

For the most part, two events narrated are cruel. No entanto, there is a moment in which the company appears. The end of this epic can be considered an example of mercy, of truce, between two heroes belonging to two rival sides.

Achilles and Priam pause the conflict to wait for the death of Patroclus and Hector. This event demonstrates a small gesture of humanity not in the midst of horror.

A vontade dos deuses e o destiny

This topic is related to the power that you owe yourself to not unravel the conflict and not destiny two heroes.

On some occasions, the divinities, led by Zeus, intervene in the war and are divided to support one side or the other, in some way they also intervene not to chance two heroes. For example, Athena intervenes so that Achilles does not kill Agamemnon and, on another occasion, Aphrodite saves Aeneias when he is ready to die in the hands of Diomedes.

to death

Death is present throughout the entire epic. You are wounded, you are not immortal. We can be invincible, like Achilles, but we can never escape death.

In the words of Glaucus, when facing Diomedes, the life of two mortals is compared to the folhas when they are swept away by the wind:

As well as the generation of the folhas, as well as two men. The wind is behind the hairy leaves, and the forest, reinvigorating itself, produces others when spring hits: in the same way, a human generation is born and another suffers.

characters

na iliadThere are an infinity of characters with psychological depth, in the midst of an action that takes place without pause, where descriptions, enumerations and repetitions predominate.

The characters of this epic can be classified into three groups: aqueus, troianos and deuses.

Aqueus

This is the name by which the Gregos are known. Within this group, the most important characters are Achilles, a Greek warrior, and Agamenon, leader of the army here. No entanto, there are other names related to this group:

• Achilles: He is one of the two main characters of the Iliad. Son of Peleu and the nymph Tetis, he is considered one of the best dark warriors and one of the fastest warriors, being known in the Homeric poems as "o de pes ligeiros".
• Agamemnon: He is the son of King Atréu of Mycenae and Aérope, as well as being the brother of Menelau. He is two more different aqueus than the leader of the Greek army. He is in conflict with Achilles on several occasions.
• Patroclus: He is the son of Meneceu and a faithful friend and companion of Aquiles. He dies in the war during a dispute with Hector.
• Menelau: he is the king of Sparta and ironman of Agamemnon. This is the central point where the Troian War was unleashed, because they mourned for his honor when Helena, his wife, was kidnapped by the Troian prince Paris.
• Helen: She is the daughter of Zeus and Leda, as well as being the wife of Menelau. She is described as a very beautiful woman. His flight from her with Paris to Troia is the trigger for war.
• Ajax, or Great: Also known as Ajante, he is the son of Telamão and Peribéia. He is two of the strongest and most feared enemies of his army. He fights with Hector, whom he kills on one occasion.
• Diomedes: He is two of the most representative and powerful heroes on that side, who manages to successfully face a large number of Troians.
• Odyssey or Ulisses: He is a warrior who stands out for his cunning. His participation in him gains importance in Odyssey, whose plot centers on his return to Ithaca after the war.
• Nestor: He is an army warrior who provides knowledge, because, due to his advanced age, he cannot fight at the front.
• Thersites: he is a warrior here, whose role does not stand out at all iliad. Homer disbelieves himself as an unattractive, vulgar and ridiculous Grego.
• Idomeneu: é o neto do rei Minos, um dos aspirantes de Helena. Besides, he is two of the bravest soldiers of the army that fought during the Troian War.
• Phoenix: I am two of Achilles' advisors during the war. He made part of two myrmids that supported the victims during the Troian War.
• Thetis: She is the mother of Achilles and in the Iliad she has the role of protecting her son.

Troians

The inhabitants of Troia, this group fights to protect the city under the mandate of King Priam. This group stands out as the character of Hector, Achilles' direct enemy after provoking the death of his best friend.

• Hector: He is the son of King Priam and the rain Hecuba. He is another two main characters of the poem from iliad. His mission is to safeguard the security of the city of Troia at his death in the hands of Achilles, one of his main enemies.
• Paris: also known as Alexandre in mythology, he is the brother of Hector. Furthermore, he is the cause of the Troian War, since he kidnaps Helen, the wife of King Menelau.
• priam: é o rei de Troia, pai de Héctor e Paris. His identity prevents him from participating in the war, but not the fight to recover the body of his son when he dies. For this, he enters the enemy camp and talks with Achilles.
• Andromache: é filha do rei Etión and wife of Hector. During the war, she testified to the death of her husband together with her son Astianacte.
• AeneasThey are two of the most audacious heroes of the Troian army. During the war, he was wounded because of Diomedes, and Aphrodite, his mother, managed to save him.
• cassandra: é a filha do rei Príamo e Hecuba. His role during the war is to foresee the destruction of Troia and other misfortunes of the conflict, there is no credit to it.
• hecuba: é a rainha de Troia, wife of Priam and mother of Hector, Cassandra and Paris.
• Astyanax or Scamander: he is the son of Hector and Andromache.
• Glaucous: He is a soldier from the Troian side. He fights next to Hector and dies because of Ajax Telamonio.
• Deiphobo: he is the sister of Hector and son of Priam and Hecuba.
• pandaro: He is an archer who participates in the war and defends the Troians. During the conflict, he killed Menelau with an arrow, thus breaking the truce established between the sides.
• dolon: He is the son of Eumedes and participates in the war on the Trojan side. He is commissioned to carry out espionage in the enemy camp, but, not in the end, he is captured by Ulisses and Diomedes to be interrogated, or he is sent to death.
• antenna: é o conselheiro do rei Príamo.
• polydamas: He is a Troian warrior in charge of giving advice to Héctor on several occasions, but he scolds you.
• euphorbo: Young inexperienced Troian warrior who dies in the hands of Menelau.
• agenor: The first Troian to face Achilles and he is saved by Apollo, who spreads a dense snow to distract the Greek army.

gods

Gods of Olympus, the divinities control the lot of two men who fight in war and change the course of two events to favor one side or the other.

• Zeus: é o deus dos deuses e desempenha um fundamental role na guerra.
• Aphrodite: é a deusa da beleza e do amor. During the war, he stayed by the side of the Troian army.
• hephaestusHe is the god of the fire and the forge, responsible for making Achilles' armor and for saving him from death in battle against the god of the river.
• Ares: é o deus da guerra, son of Zeus and Hera. She fights hair on both sides, first with aqua hair and then with trojan hair.
• Artemis: é a deusa da caça, filha de Zeus e Leto, e sirmã de Apolo. He is in favor of two Troians during a war and faces Hera.
• Hermes: é o deus mensageiro do Olimpo. During the Troian War, she was positioned on the side of the Greek army.
• eris: is the cause of chaos and discord. na iliad, is the sister of Ares and the daughter of Zeus and Hera.
• athena: é a deusa da saberio e da guerra, which is positioned next to two aqueus.
• Apollo: é o deus do sol, da logica e da razão. Son of Zeus and Leto. She is responsible for espalhar to prague not encampment here.
• Hera: she is the guardian goddess of marriage and family. She is also the wife of Zeus and mother of Ares and Hephaestus.

Homer

Homer is the name attributed to the authorship of iliad and da odyssey. Little is known about this figure shrouded in mystery, even though its existence is doubted.

It is proven that Homer lived in the VIII century BC. c. and modern research suggests that he may have come from the Ionian colonial region of Asia Minor.

In any case, her works constitute the foundations of Western culture and have had a great influence on the daily life of Ancient Greece. Além disso, they will be able to transcend and survive over time.

Also read:

• Homer's Odyssey: summary and detailed analysis of the work
• Greek mythology: 13 important myths of Ancient Greece (with comments)
• Ancient Greek Art: characteristics and main works