The Iliad

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The Iliad

• The story of the gods, friendship, duty, war,
  fate and how Achilles dealt with these issues

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The nature of Achilles as a hero

• Before we get into the actual Trojan War, it is
  necessary to understand Achilles place in Greek
  culture. The Greeks considered him a hero, who
  was born of a mortal father and a goddess mother,
  Thetis. It was his mother who gave Achilles with
  his heroic powers.

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Achilles receiving his godlike armor from his
mother.
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The Greek concept of a hero

• In the Homeric epics (Odyssey and Iliad), the
  heroes give the reader the impression that an
  individual must sacrifice for the society. Greek
  heroes often had superhuman powers, though all
  Greek heroes and gods had a classic flaw. For
  Achilles, his flaw is his heel, the only portion
  not covered when his mother dipped him in the
  river Styx.

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The Greeks landing at Troy
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Achilles friendship to Patroclus
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Achilles role in the Trojan Wars

• Achilles was the most important warrior in the
  Greek ranks. His argument with King Agamemnon led
  to his brooding and isolation from the war. His
  friend, Patroclus, disguised in Achilles armor,
  leads the men into battle. Hector bravely fought
  whom he thought was Achilles and killed the
  youth. Achilles, in rage, reenters the battle
  after the funeral of Patroclus.

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Death of Patroclus
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The Funeral of Patroclus
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Hector saying good bye to his wife, as he must
follow duty and fight Achilles
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After chasing Hector around the city walls three
times, the two men finally squared off in battle.
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• Hector, abandoned by Deiphobus
• "So now I meet my doom. Well let me die
  -but not without struggle, not without glory, no,
  in some great clash of arms that even men to
  comewill hear of down the years!"               
                       And on that resolve he drew
  the whetted sword that hung at his side,
  tempered, massive, and gathering all his force he
  swooped like a soaring eagle launching down from
  the dark clouds to earth to snatch some helpless
  lamb or trembling hare.
• So Hector swooped now, swinging his whetted
  sword and Achilles charged too, bursting with
  rage, barbaric, guarding his chest with the
  well-wrought blazoned shield, head tossing his
  gleaming helmet, four horns strong and the golden
  plumes shook that the god of fire drove in
  bristing thick along its ridge.
• Bright as that star amid the stars in the night
  sky, star of the evening, brightest star that
  rides the heavens, so fire flared from the sharp
  point of the spear Achilles brandished high in
  his right hand, bent on Hector's death, scanning
  his splendid body - where to pierce it best?

Hector, too, is aware of his own fate. Yet, he
must go on, to do otherwise would bring the worst
of shame on his name.
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The End of the War
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