The intelligent way to approach The Iliad if you've never read it before is through Edith Hamilton's account in your Mythology book. This work (like all the works in this course) is not about suspense. People who read or heard it in the past must always have known the story ahead of time; many of them must have known it extremely well. ("The Night Before Christmas" is seldom read to a child who has never heard of Santa Claus. Many people see the film of "The Wizard off Oz" every year--the better they know it, the more they enjoy it.) You must know the story of the Judgment of Paris.
Look at the cover of your book. Your version is "shortened" (abridged). An enormous amount is left out, and much of it you will be unaware of. Some of the power of an epic lies in its very size; the enormousness of it creates a deep impression. Bear in mind that that sense of size (length, magnitude) has been removed--all the more reason to read slowly and immerse yourself in the world of Troy.
Now look at the atlas you bought for this course. Begin in the back with the Time Chart on pages 64-66 (lower right corner). Now read across p. 64 to the line for the Hebrews and work back to Abraham. Find the pyramids in Egypt and the early Pueblo culture in North America. Flip over to p. 66 and follow the line from the Trojan War down to the age of the Homeric Poems. How long after the fact were the Homeric poems composed? (more or less than from the American Revolution to today?)
Your map of Ancient Greece is on p. 6. Locate Troy. As each Greek place name comes up in the poem, locate and mark it on your map. Menelaus comes from Sparta. Odysseus comes from Ithaca (and you thought it was in New York!). Where is Agamemnon's city, Argos? The gods supposedly live on Mt. Olympus; is that a real place? Remember that this work begins in the final year of a war that has been going on for ten years. Now settle down and get ready to live in and around the walls of Troy for awhile.
Book 1
Mark the list of characters on page 28 in some way (a book mark) and use it. You should know what an epic is (the first of many terms you will learn). Look it up in your dictionary of literary terms or check the handout here on my home page. Epics always begin with invocations. Who is the "goddess" in the first line? Why is she asked to "sing"? What is her song about? This is important because the poet is here declaring the heart of what he is undertaking to write about.
You must know who the gods are (and how to spell their names): Zeus, Apollo, etc. Learn them as you go. Notice how important the gods are said to be to the plot. What is the "epic question"? Know who Chryseis is; he plays a very small part but is crucial to the whole plot. Can you say where the invocation ends?
Piety (respect for and proper fear of the gods) is a very important theme in Greek literature. What course of action does piety dictate to Agamemnon? What is Apollo the god of? and what else? and what else? Learn the attributes of each god: Apollo's is sometimes the bow (why?) and sometimes the lyre (why?). How, in the Greek world, do people discover what the will of the gods is? How does that differ from Christian or Jewish methods? Who is Kalchas? (Notice that Hamilton will spell names differently than Richards. Don't worry about it.) Why does Kalchas appeal to Achilles?
Do you think Agamemnon's response to Kalchas' words marks him as a wise leader? Yes, women are "prizes," war booty. So it has been in thousands of culture for thousands of years; so it is still in many parts of the world. What do you think of Achilles' response to Agamemnon's threat? Both live in a culture based on honor (not sin) and shame (not guilt), as we do. Think about the differences for a minute. Losing face is the greatest evil that can befall you. Your word is all important--ALL important. The "gold-nailed staff" on p. 39 is an object that marks the speaker of a public assembly. In an official (democratic) assembly, only the holder of the staff may speak (a good way to run a meeting?).
Nestor is a word that has passed into the English language. What does it mean? Why? How many sons has Priam? Why is there so much friction between Agamemnon and Achilles? Notice that though women are "prizes" they are not treated badly (at least not the ones we see) and they are said to be "clever" (smart) as well as beautiful. Is that surprising?
Where do you go to pray, if you are a Greek (p. 41)? Who is Achilles' mother? What is Achilles' state of mind at this point (p. 43)? Notice again how "giving one's word" is all-important. What is Hera like? Does she seem goddess-like to you? Does "ox-eyed" seem to you to be a complimentary way to describe a woman? What does it mean? Isn't it odd to have gods who are not all-knowing (omniscient) and need to be told things? Notice that even Hera fears Zeus. His role has king is based purely on power, though. How does that differ from the god of Christianity and Judaism? What is nectar? ambrosia? Notice that the gods seem to go to bed at night!
Book 2
Odysseus is one of the greatest warriors of the Greeks, but he's no match for Achilles. What is he renowned for?
Book 3
Noise is very important in battle. Why? Pay attention to Homer's references to it as you read. "As" often begins an epic simile. Know what an epic simile is, and don't skip over them as you read. What does the simile on p. 47 tell you? Who is Paris and in what sense is he "god-like"? What is the effect of the two comparisons Homer uses (p. 48) on your opinion of Paris? Is that any way for Hector to talk to his brother? What is Paris' excuse for his behavior?
Helen is the most beautiful woman who ever lived; hers is "the face that launched a thousand ships." What do the old men of Troy think of her? Priam? What do you think of her? Who is Antenor (p. 52)? Look up the word "libation."
The warriors want justice (p. 54). Do they get it? What do you think of the "rules of the game" for single combat? Would you like to have Aphrodite on your side? (Who is she?) Helen can see through her "old woman" disguise (p. 56). Why would she disguise herself as an old woman? What do you think of the way Helen talks to the goddess? What does Helen care about the opinions of the "women of Troy"? How does Aphrodite respond to her attitude?
What does Helen seem to think of Paris? Do you see some meaning in the opposition of Athene and Aphrodite (p. 57)?
Book 4
Is Zeus's question a real one? How do Athene and Hera come off in this scene? Is Zeus really in charge? Is he really all-powerful, as we've been led to believe? Notice that the men attribute everything to Zeus. Would you call the gods trustworthy? Why? Pay special attention to the simile at the bottom of p. 62 and the next one at the top of p. 63.
Book 5
Diomede (or Diomedes) is one of the greatest of the Greek warriors, nearly equal to Achilles. How does Homer describe his skills as a warrior? What special power does Athene (or Athena) give him? Aeneas is one of the greatest Trojans, after Hector, and the hero of Virgil's (or Vergil's) Aeneid. Who is Aeneas' mother? In what sense is she "feeble"? Make two lists of the gods, one headed "Greek" and one headed "Trojan"; you have to keep track of who is on whose side. Whose side is Ares on? Why does Zeus link the names of Ares and Athene (p. 71)? The gods are also "shape shifters."
Why does Sarpedon speak so unfairly to Hector? What do you make of humans like Diomede who can see through the disguise of the god? (Notice that the river Simois (p. 75) seems to be able to act like a living being.)
Homer never hesitates to show us that warriors get tired and sweat and feel pain. Why? Why is Diomede a man "after [Athene's] own heart"?--and why are people always identified by who their fathers were? Hmmmm. Interesting relationship between Athene and Ares (brother and sister). What do you think? What a family!
Rev 9/96