Despite the focus on Achilles, the closest thing to a hero in The Iliad is Hector, son of the Trojan king and brother of Paris, the jerk who started the war. You already know the basic stories. Tech Writers Bureau © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Captcha Technology Evolving to Combat Test-Aware AI, Supreme Court sidesteps decision on Microsoft’s Irish email servers. Hector is the protector of his city and a loving husband and father. The Iliad is one of the earliest surviving works of Western literature; its influence is only rivaled by that of The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Bible, and The Odyssey. He is stranded with a beautiful goddess, Calypso, who loves him and wants to make him immortal. The title, The Iliad, is likely a word your students haven’t heard before. I also want to give a feel for how truly old this work is. People knew this 3,000 years ago and we’re still fighting? Yes, that’s probably controversially low, but I am taking into account how much I really enjoyed it along with how important and influential it is. By: William Jackson. The Greek concept of the afterlife is pretty grim and the only consolation is to be remembered well after death. Course Rating: Review by Anonymous / (Posted on 13/04/2019) The course is very dynamic and lively, the tutor incredibly well-informed, and the Iliad is simply … Unfortunately, it is very difficult to provide any history of this period since it occurred during what is known as the Ancient Greek Dark Ages, and there is very little information we have on it. With that, I will be giving The Iliad a 3.75/5.00. Knowing the military and societal structure of other Bronze Age cities, there is almost no possibility that the siege of Troy lasted 10 years or that the army consisted of the numbers presented in the text. What 11-year-old boy wouldn’t love gods, man-eating monsters and a hot stake in the eye? avg. (The stories between the Gods honestly feel the most human of the story). If you want to read more about the Trojan War I highly recommend reading Aeschylus’ Orestia to see Agamemnon’s fate when returning home, or continue on with The Odyssey which to me feels even more influential and is ultimately dozens of times more enjoyable and accessible to the modern reader. It’s been debated whether The Trojan War ever truly occurred. Feel free to skip any of the sections depending on your interests. I am currently reading the Iliad but I am having a bit of trouble with names, most names of the gods are roman but some are in greek and it gets confusing cause I am familiar with the greek ones butt not with the roman ones, … These internal explanations are, of course, lost in translation: reading the Iliad in the original Greek gives a much better sense of the historic depth and richness of its language. Performance 5 out of 5 stars. Required fields are marked *. A relatively simple one is … Many of the Greeks and Trojans are helped by gods or goddesses; but this is usually a matter of some self-interest on the gods’ part. What are the responsibilities of living in community? Jaynes sees the Iliad as a book dealing with pre-modern minds. By the end of Book 2, Homer has introduced all of The Iliad’s major characters on the Greek side—his catalog of the Trojan troops at the end of Book 2 leads naturally into an introduction of the Trojan leadership in Book 3. probably familiar with battles that have taken place in the past century But he said that Homer’s stories had been made so boring at school that he hasn’t read them. Seeing as one simply does not critique The Iliad...my goal in doing this review was to simply say that after reading the Iliad and also listening to the Iliad, I would have to recommend Audible's version as most enjoyable. Its story was pervasive and lived among them. But you'll get much more out of it if either (a) you are an ancient Greek or (b) you get a good … Definitely worth reading this piece of classic literature! Barry Strauss’s book that I mentioned above is a good choice, as it not only provides actual history/archaeology but summarizes the important events of The Iliad. Besides the compelling human characters, gods play a part in The Iliad, and the gods just didn’t interest me at all. type to search. Sometimes gory. What makes a good leader? Is The Iliad worth reading? Look around your local library or bookstore. The events themselves are not unique to us now that they’ve been used so often, and the characters are pre-Shakespeare and thus don’t nearly have the same profound psychology or humanistic traits. You do yourself a great disservice if you neglect these famed authors of classical literature for watered … 1. There is pottery and art that have shown depictions of battle during the Bronze Age found near this area as well. Zeus, who—along with the rest of the gods—takes a personal interest in the war, assists the Trojans to teach Agamemnon a lesson. See other book reviews or what I plan to read next here: Book Reviews. How many have you read? And Penelope is faithful to him, fending off scores of suitors during his long absence. So Agamemnon’s disrespect is a more-than-mortal insult. I do recommend reading it if you have a deep interest in Greek myth and storytelling or you are heavily passionate about literature. Based on archaeological findings, it is generally concluded that it did. 782 Words 4 Pages. Not only is it old, but its style and culture are so far removed from ours that it truly must be read with a different purpose and mindset. The story covered by “The Iliad” begins nearly ten years into the seige of Troy by the Greek forces, led by Agamemnon, King of Mycenae.The Greeks are quarrelling about whether or not to return Chryseis, a Trojan captive of King Agamemnon, to her father, Chryses, a priest of Apollo.When Agamemnon refuses and threatens to ransom the girl to her father, the offended Apollo …       If I return, I quit immortal praise Related Links. I really enjoy classic literature and was looking into reading the Iliad, but I am worried it might be boring to reread the same story again if they are too similar. The Iliad is meant to be read (or heard), not summarized. But Achilles is a champion in a warrior society where honor is everything. Therefore, when Athena tells Achilles not to draw his sword to kill Agamemnon, the speaker is actually one side of Achilles' brain. When it comes to plot and character, its influence begins in drama. Menelaus and Paris, Achilles and Agamemnon, or Andromache and Hector) using these sources will give enough basis for where authors received influence. Though Homer's Iliad, which is an epic poem about the Trojan War, is taught less frequently than The Odyssey, it is also an essential piece of classical, ancient Greek literature.Together, these two works form the foundation of centuries of literature that followed. It comes from the Greek word for Troy -- Ilios or Ilion. You get both psychology and supernaturalism, human story and myth of the Gods, and a background for every Greek drama, comedy, and poem. Classically, he was believed to be a blind bard. Wives are commodities in Homer’s Greece, but Odysseus loves Penelope and is usually faithful to her. And the great revenge scene where Odysseus reveals himself to his wife’s suitors and proceeds to kill everyone in the room. Achilles wins his point, but at a terrible price. I had trouble following who was who, and which god was on which side, and I just didn’t care. But the human characters, especially Hector and Patroclus, I really loved. The Odyssey can be (and often is) read without first reading The Iliad, but The Iliad gives a … Ajax and Philoctetes show what happened to some of the Greek soldiers. How much control do we have over our destinies? Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus (whose wife, Helen, is who they are fighting over), Odysseus, the two Ajax, and a score of other warriors, are all well-defined characters who demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses in counsel and battle. Originally Answered: Is The Iliad worth reading? Whatever your preference there is something to suit you if you want to discover what you missed in school. A study guide that offers historical, cultural, and literary context to the ancient epic can significantly enhance the reading experience. So, I will discuss what we know of Homer (which technically is also pretty much nothing). Don't worry about not "getting" everything; every story worth reading is worth rereading. The Iliad is most definitely entertaining at times, but from a modern view so far removed from that time period, it has to be read from an entirely different perspective and purpose. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Yes, definitely. Late-era Shakespeare is around 500 years ago now, so The Iliad would be five times this length. Lots of action. Show More. Also, the cataloging of deaths, generals, and ships do greatly bog down the pacing and enjoyment factor. It’s worth the read for sure. Given that it set the basis of Western literature (along with the other works I mentioned) even if its influence is not blatantly apparent, it still helped form the minds of almost every writer after it. Nine years after the start of the Trojan War, the Greek (“Achaean”) army sacks Chryse, a town allied with Troy. It’s a shame to turn kids away from something so exciting. They are merely a broad stroke of the brush to what this piece of art actually conveys. This shows that it would basically be just as old to Shakespeare as it is to us. But he is a little too cool and cautious, a little too reliant on the gods’ will to be the hero. I just finished reading The Song Of Achillies and absolutely loved the story. The Odyssey opens ten years later with Odysseus (or Ulysses, depending on the translation) stranded on his journey home from the war. It is thought to have been formed sometime between 750 BC and 650 BC (see edit below for correction), however it was likely only performed via a flexible oral “song” during this time. That is why for someone not as passionate about literature I would probably suggest just using a secondary source. The first of these discusses why the Homeric epics are still worth reading, nearly 3,000 years after their creation. Will this apply to various situations, or is it only useful as a narrow concept? It invites us to consider whether we want our standard of heroism to be that of Hector, Achilles, Odysseus, Patroclus, etc. But he said that Homer’s stories had been made so boring at school that he hasn’t read them. More than anyone else among the Greeks, Odysseus is a family man. The Iliad is an absolutely ancient work, and because of this, analyzing it academically or just reviewing it would not serve any importance. View on timesmachine.       Short is my date, but deathless my renown: The Iliad is not hard to understand, and it’s not all too long, but it is highly dense and repetitive to the point that even a literature Ph.D.’s eyes would gloss over at times. Besides the compelling human characters, gods play a part in The Iliad, and the gods just didn’t interest me at all. Story 5 out of 5 stars. The Iliad was not written down by him, but composed as an orally performed epic poem, similar to a song or chant. Lastly, the heroes of the text most certainly did not exist, but it is likely they were based on archetypes of real people. More than wealth or life itself. Some retain the archaic tags and repeated phrases that are artifacts of the original oral composition, which I happen to enjoy. He is the best all-around man, the man everyone wants at his side when the chips are down. The use of patronyms is common for all other characters, but Odysseus is the only Greek who is identified through his son, being sometimes called the father of Telemachus. I haven’t even started on the good stuff. Perhaps anything worth doing is difficult. Athena, on the other hand, seems to genuinely like Odysseus and sticks by him. The Iliad … Still, it could be worse. Plus, he has a goddess on his side. If you’re interested in a more in-depth history of this period, I recommend checking out Barry Strauss’ The Trojan War: A New History. Many parts of it are bizarre and horrifying to the modern reader, but it can certainly be enjoyed within its context. Your email address will not be published. He also is happily married. There are also various plays that show the events after the Greeks left Troy, but I’ll save that for when I read The Odyssey. When discussing history, I want to give some background on the time of the writing and the time it took place. The names of every ship and general are checked off, and the battle scenes themselves can feel over-long and list-like. Homer was composing The Iliad sometime during this century. Finally, the influence is even seen in film. John Breeden, my good friend and partner at the Tech Writers Bureau, is a literate guy who definitely appreciates fantasy and adventure. You will read each moment in detail and spend dozens of hours with the characters and their motivations. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Homer contrasts Penelope with Helen, who ran off with Paris, and Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, who murdered him when he came home. Odysseus exemplifies the Greek virtues of excellence and moderation. The Iliad tells of a quarrel between Achilles, the Greek champion, and Agamemnon, commander of the Greek army, in the tenth year of the Trojan War. Homer recounts battles and deaths in unsparing detail and with graphic descriptions. Load 5 more questions. In discussing influence, I want to show how The Iliad influenced various writers, plots, characters, and forms of storytelling. Course Dates: 04/03/21 - 01/04/21 Time ... Be ready to do voluntary work between as the course is not quite long enough - but worth every moment you give it. How to Write Literary Analysis; Suggested Essay Topics; Sample A+ Essay; How to Cite This SparkNote; Summary Plot Overview Summary Plot Overview. Yes, it’s a dense work, but it is ultimately worth it if you are willing to put in the effort. Here, if I stay, before the Trojan town, Readers looking neither for sublime language nor complex theories but for wisdom have long known that that Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus are worth reading. It’s possible that he was a woman or a group of people or that the word Homer is just in reference to the oral tradition of the time. It depends: A Case for Using a Secondary Source Odysseus prefers his home, however, and the gods finally send him. It was known then as a masterpiece and influenced many artists, poets, dramatists, and politicians. Also, suits of armor, spearheads, and arrows heads have also been found near Troy and dated to that time. We have never truly known if he was a real person. Centuries later it would have been written down by Ancient Greeks, memorized from the text, and recited as it once had been. But I am sure that reading The Iliad is worthwhile and that once a person starts to read it, it becomes progressively easier. Your email address will not be published. In this section, we consider definitions of the term “epic,” the Iliad … Suggestions for Further Reading; Writing Help. Achilles has made an explicit choice for honor over a long life: Instant downloads of all 1408 LitChart PDFs (including The Iliad). One of the main reasons to read it is that the events will solidify themselves in your mind far more than using a secondary source. So how old is that? June 1, 1997; See the article in its original context from June 1, 1997, Section 7, Page 22 Buy Reprints. Answer. On my first reading of The Iliad or the Poem of Force, I had been working on a paper. (Most of them cannot be answered from the story-line summary provided in part 2.) Chronology. The story is a mix of fact, legend and myth. You will also be able to better pick up on the symbolism and character development within these works as well. So much for the challenges in Iliad. But he is second best at everything. The Iliad is really an ensemble piece without a single main character. Instead, I will attempt to discuss its history, its influence in the literary tradition, decide whether it is worth reading in full, and finally, giving a brief rating at the end. So reading him can be somewhat rough going without a well-annotated edition. 3 people found this helpful Overall 5 out of 5 stars. score: 26 of 100 (26%) required scores: 1, 12, 19, 27, 37 list stats leaders vote Vote print comments. It poses the question of what it actually means to be a hero, what is worth dying for, and how to reconcile with someone we see as an enemy. I first encountered Odysseus in the fifth grade and was immediately hooked. All of these questions are asked in The Iliad, an It is useful to have some sense of the order of events in the Greek world. From a more modern standpoint, we have a book like Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd which has a character named Troy, whose character arc was that he began a “war” with other men by stealing one of their women. Unanswered Questions (8) quotes about Ajax? Definitely worth reading this piece of classic literature! But the human characters, especially Hector and Patroclus, I really loved. If today’s leaders would really read Homer there might be less warfare today. I had trouble following who was who, and which god was on which side, and I just didn’t care. The poem has already established the characters of Agamemnon, proud and headstrong, and Achilles, mighty but temperamental, whose quarrel dominates the … Studying the events of The Iliad and the conflicts between certain characters (i.e. The Iliad is thought to be created around as early as 1200 BC and the time period of 750-650 BC is when it was first written down. Many generations before you lacked the myriad advantages at your disposal, and it didn't stop them from understanding … Many readers think of "The Iliad" as a daunting text. For example, while Helen’s capture may not have been the cause of the Trojan War, it probably represents that this was a common occurrence during the time which may have caused conflict between cities. I remember that on my first reading of Homer, I sometimes felt like I was wandering in deep fog. This was likely used either as hyperbole for literary purposes or was simply some idiom lost to time. The Odyssey story follows the Iliad story a bit like a sequel, BUT the Iliad covers only a few days of the Trojan war; most of the well known episodes of the war (including the wooden horse and the conquest) are _not_ contained in it. LitCharts Teacher Editions. At 10.261 … It is seldom that I encounter such a powerhouse. There are scores of translations of Homer, in verse and prose. We have many wonderful plays by the great tragedians which expound on the events of The Trojan War. That being said, the work is heavily influential and is easily one of the top five most important works of all time. By Garry Wills. During the battle, the Achaeans capture a pair of beautiful maidens, … The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, ... such aids are no substitute to doing the actual reading. Some are in prose, which some readers find easier to read than verse. Odysseus and Penelope are a couple worthy of each other, and his homecoming is a worthy climax to the story. Of course, to preserve the flavor ot the originals and give the reader a sense of Homer, the … If you are not reading the Iliad, but are using these notes only for the background information and the synopsis, you will probably not be able to make much use of Part 6. But as an adult it is shocking. Homer’s body count exceeds that of Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino combined. Applying this question to what I have learned thus far at Carthage College, I have found many lessons to … There he must confront the scores of suitors who are plaguing his wife. This is great stuff for an 11-year-old. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. You may want to ask your students why they think legends or myths were written. The Iliad itself is already at least 2670 years old, but it accounts for events that pre-date it by a further 600-700 years. Edit: Thank you to Llyngeir on Reddit for the correction. Homer's Iliad: reading group; Homer's Iliad: reading group. Iphigenia in Aulis shows what happened just before the Greeks’ departure for Troy. The Iliad shows us “heroes” in many different molds, with their strengths and their flaws. Alexander Pope. The one thing that is greatly exaggerated is the size of the army and the length of the war. Worth Reading: The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. Another choice would be to find good quailty, reliable video lectures on youtube or on you platform of choice. He is a cunning tactician, but he is not the greatest warrior, nor the wisest counselor, nor the most powerful leader. With these readings solidified in your mind, references or symbols to The Iliad will pop out in nearly everything you read, watch, or play. Place and people names and some cultural references were changed based on different tellings from the initial creation until it was written. Others have praised its quality, so I will just add that it is a surprisingly dramatic and action-packed story - I can see the Hollywood blockbuster in my head when I read it. Every death (and there are hundreds) is cataloged by using the name of the soldier one after the other, 95%+ of whom we have never heard of. flag. The Iliad is still worth reading though, even without that background knowledge, since so many of our cultural references are still based on the Homeric tales. Much is missed with those who only read summaries. Achilles is the main character, and his inaction, or withdrawal from the fighting, is crucial to the plot. There is nothing glorious about Homeric warfare.
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