ILIAD SUMMARY
Book 1 “sing the rage of Achilles’ son Peleus, murderous, doomed,
that cost the Achaeans countless losses”
Apollo sends a plague upon the Greek camp as revenge
for Chryseis
Calchas reveals the plague as a vengeful move by Apollo.
Agamemnon in a rage says he’ll return Chryseis only if
Achilles gives him Briseis as compensation and takes her
from Achilles
This humiliates and infuriates Achilles - he threatens to
withdraw from battle and take the Myrmidons
Achilles about to use his sword and kill the Agamemnon
when Athena appears and checks his anger
Achilles prays to Thetis to ask Zeus to punish the Greeks
and refused to participate in battle,
Themes: Life in Greek camp, the gods, women, time,
menis (anger), role of slaves
Book 3 Paris challenges the Greeks to single combat with any of
their warriors – when Menelaus volunteers Paris loses
heart and shrinks back into the Trojan ranks.
Hector chastises Paris for his cowardice - Paris agrees to
the duel
Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’s helmet, grabs Paris
by the helmet and begins dragging him through the dirt
Helen stands by the walls and introduces the Greek heroes
to Priam
Aphrodite snaps the strap of the helmet so that it breaks
off
Menelaus retrieves his spear to stab Paris when Aphrodite
whisks Paris away to his room
Aphrodite forces Helen to be intimate with Paris
Agreed that Menelaus won the duel
Themes: Kleos, gods, role of women
Book 4 Disguised as a Trojan soldier, Athena convinces Pandarus
to take aim at Menelaus.
Pandarus fires, but Athena only wants the battle to resume
deflects the arrow so that it only wounds Menelaus
Agamemnon overreacts about his injury – shows he
doesn’t know much about battle
Agamemnon now rallies the Greeks - Nestor, Odysseus,
and Diomedes etc and spurs them on by challenging their
pride or recounting the great deeds of their fathers.
Battle breaks out with Athena helping the Greeks and
Apollo the Trojans
Themes: role of the gods, life in Greek camp, family and
friendship, portrayal of war, minor characters
Book 6 Greek forces again overwhelm the Trojans, who draw back
toward the city.
, Menelaus considers accepting a ransom for the life of
Adrestus, a Trojan he has subdued,
but Agamemnon persuades him to kill him
Helenus urges Hector to return to Troy to ask Queen
Hecuba and her noblewomen, to pray for mercy at the
temple of Athena.
Hector follows Helenus’s advice then visits Paris, who has
withdrawn from battle and insults him for not fighting so
he’ll return to battle.
Andromache begs Hector not to go back, but he insists
that he cannot escape his fate and his fear is to see her a
slave
Astynax is afraid of Hector’s helmet
Andromache, convinced that he will soon die, begins to
mourn his death.
Glaucus & Diomede exchange armour & don’t fight each
other to respect their grandfather’s xenia
Themes: family and friendship, xenia, role of women
Book 9 Trojans drive the Greeks back to their ships where they sit
broken-hearted in their camp.
Standing before them Agamemnon weeps and declares
the war a failure
Nestor suggests reconciliation with Achilles so
Agamemnon to offer Achilles a great stockpile of gifts on
the condition that he return to the Achaean lines.
Odysseus, Great Ajax, and Phoenix are selected to
communicate the proposal to Achilles
Achilles shows them all good xenia – seats them on purple
coverings
Odysseus presents Agamemnon’s offer, but Achilles
rejects it directly saying he intends to return to Phthia,
where he can live a long life instead of the short, glorious
one that he is fated to if he stays.
Phoenix launches into his own lengthy, emotional plea for
Achilles to stay -Achilles stands firm
The embassy returns unsuccessful
Themes: xenia, friendship, reconciliation, menis
Book 10 Agamemnon and Menelaus can’s sleep so they wake and
convene the others to plan their next move.
Nestor suggests sending a spy to infiltrate the Trojan
ranks, and Diomedes volunteers for the role asking for
Odysseus support
Meanwhile, the Trojans devise their own plans – Hector
selects Dolon to serve as his scout promising a reward of
Achilles’ chariot and horses once the Achaeans fall.
Dolon sets out and soon encounters Diomedes and
Odysseus.
The two men interrogate Dolon, and hoping to save his life
Book 1 “sing the rage of Achilles’ son Peleus, murderous, doomed,
that cost the Achaeans countless losses”
Apollo sends a plague upon the Greek camp as revenge
for Chryseis
Calchas reveals the plague as a vengeful move by Apollo.
Agamemnon in a rage says he’ll return Chryseis only if
Achilles gives him Briseis as compensation and takes her
from Achilles
This humiliates and infuriates Achilles - he threatens to
withdraw from battle and take the Myrmidons
Achilles about to use his sword and kill the Agamemnon
when Athena appears and checks his anger
Achilles prays to Thetis to ask Zeus to punish the Greeks
and refused to participate in battle,
Themes: Life in Greek camp, the gods, women, time,
menis (anger), role of slaves
Book 3 Paris challenges the Greeks to single combat with any of
their warriors – when Menelaus volunteers Paris loses
heart and shrinks back into the Trojan ranks.
Hector chastises Paris for his cowardice - Paris agrees to
the duel
Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’s helmet, grabs Paris
by the helmet and begins dragging him through the dirt
Helen stands by the walls and introduces the Greek heroes
to Priam
Aphrodite snaps the strap of the helmet so that it breaks
off
Menelaus retrieves his spear to stab Paris when Aphrodite
whisks Paris away to his room
Aphrodite forces Helen to be intimate with Paris
Agreed that Menelaus won the duel
Themes: Kleos, gods, role of women
Book 4 Disguised as a Trojan soldier, Athena convinces Pandarus
to take aim at Menelaus.
Pandarus fires, but Athena only wants the battle to resume
deflects the arrow so that it only wounds Menelaus
Agamemnon overreacts about his injury – shows he
doesn’t know much about battle
Agamemnon now rallies the Greeks - Nestor, Odysseus,
and Diomedes etc and spurs them on by challenging their
pride or recounting the great deeds of their fathers.
Battle breaks out with Athena helping the Greeks and
Apollo the Trojans
Themes: role of the gods, life in Greek camp, family and
friendship, portrayal of war, minor characters
Book 6 Greek forces again overwhelm the Trojans, who draw back
toward the city.
, Menelaus considers accepting a ransom for the life of
Adrestus, a Trojan he has subdued,
but Agamemnon persuades him to kill him
Helenus urges Hector to return to Troy to ask Queen
Hecuba and her noblewomen, to pray for mercy at the
temple of Athena.
Hector follows Helenus’s advice then visits Paris, who has
withdrawn from battle and insults him for not fighting so
he’ll return to battle.
Andromache begs Hector not to go back, but he insists
that he cannot escape his fate and his fear is to see her a
slave
Astynax is afraid of Hector’s helmet
Andromache, convinced that he will soon die, begins to
mourn his death.
Glaucus & Diomede exchange armour & don’t fight each
other to respect their grandfather’s xenia
Themes: family and friendship, xenia, role of women
Book 9 Trojans drive the Greeks back to their ships where they sit
broken-hearted in their camp.
Standing before them Agamemnon weeps and declares
the war a failure
Nestor suggests reconciliation with Achilles so
Agamemnon to offer Achilles a great stockpile of gifts on
the condition that he return to the Achaean lines.
Odysseus, Great Ajax, and Phoenix are selected to
communicate the proposal to Achilles
Achilles shows them all good xenia – seats them on purple
coverings
Odysseus presents Agamemnon’s offer, but Achilles
rejects it directly saying he intends to return to Phthia,
where he can live a long life instead of the short, glorious
one that he is fated to if he stays.
Phoenix launches into his own lengthy, emotional plea for
Achilles to stay -Achilles stands firm
The embassy returns unsuccessful
Themes: xenia, friendship, reconciliation, menis
Book 10 Agamemnon and Menelaus can’s sleep so they wake and
convene the others to plan their next move.
Nestor suggests sending a spy to infiltrate the Trojan
ranks, and Diomedes volunteers for the role asking for
Odysseus support
Meanwhile, the Trojans devise their own plans – Hector
selects Dolon to serve as his scout promising a reward of
Achilles’ chariot and horses once the Achaeans fall.
Dolon sets out and soon encounters Diomedes and
Odysseus.
The two men interrogate Dolon, and hoping to save his life
