Iliad Book One: Key Points

Overview

• Setting: Trojan War, 10th year.
• Main Characters:
  • Achilles: Greatest Achaean fighter, enraged.
  • Agamemnon: King of the Greeks.
  • Chryseis: Daughter of Apollo's priest.
  • Briseis: Achilles' prize taken by Agamemnon.

Plot Summary

• Agamemnon causes illness in the Greek army by keeping Chryseis.
  • Chryseis' Father: Priest of Apollo, prays for help.
  • Apollo's Response: Sends a plague to the Greek army.
• Achilles' Proposal: Advises Agamemnon to return Chryseis to stop the plague.
  • Agamemnon's Reaction: Refuses future compensation, demands immediate restoration of pride.
  • Claim on Briseis: Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles.

Divine Intervention

• Athena: Stops Achilles from killing Agamemnon.
• Thetis' Plea: Achilles asks his mother to intervene.
  • Zeus' Pledge: Achaeans will lose the war until Achilles' honor is restored.

Themes

• Rage: Central theme as stated in the Iliad's first line.
• Honor and Pride: Sacred in Greek culture; central to the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon.
  • Agamemnon: Focus on immediate honor.
  • Achilles: Insulted and dishonored, affecting his mother, Thetis.
• Divine Influence:
  • Apollo's Plague: Human conflict augmented by divine actions.
  • Hera: Prompts Achilles to investigate the plague.
  • Reflects Greek belief in gods influencing human affairs.

Conclusion

• The conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon is driven by human pride and divine intervention.
• Explores the blend of human nature and divine influence in Greek mythology.