1. The Iliad
An Epic Poem by
Homer

2. The Iliad - Background The Epic Form Oral tradition
Provides form and structure to express the legend
Homer’s language, meter, and style are formulaic
Over time, bards developed common expressions, phrases, and descriptions that fit the rhythms of the epic verse line.
These conventions became the building blocks of the epic genre.

3. The Invocation
Homer begins the Iliad powerfully by stating the epic’s theme and invoking one of the Muses.
The Muses are nine goddesses in Greek Mythology who were believed to preside over all forms of art and science.
Homer calls on the Muse to inspire him with the material he needs to tell a story.
This type of opening is one of the defining features of a Homeric Epic.

4. In Medias Res
Homer observes another epic convention by beginning the story in medias res, which is Latin for “in the middle of things.”
Reading a Greek epic from the beginning is like tuning into a story already in progress.
Many of the story’s events have already taken place.
Information about those events is revealed later in the poem through flashbacks and other narrative devices.

5. In Medias Res (continued)
Homer could begin his poems in medias res because the general outline of the plot and the main characters were already familiar to his audience.
The Iliad, like other epics, is a small fragment of a large body of legendary material that formed the cultural and historical heritage of its society.

6. Homeric Epithets
Epithets – often compound adjectives – came about as a result of composing and listening to oral poetry
Examples include “brilliant Achilles” or “Hector breaker of horses” as well as “blazing-eyed Athena.”
These epithets allowed the poet to describe a character or object quickly and economically, in terms the audience would recognize.

7. How the Trojan War Began
The Iliad recounts only part of a long series of events in the Trojan War.
The war was fought, according to legend, because of a quarrel among gods and the resulting incidents of betrayal among mortals.
How did the War start?
* King Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis were the parents of Achilles, hero of the Iliad.

8. How Did the Trojan War Begin?
When Peleus and Thetis were married, all the gods were invited except Eris, the goddess of discord.
Angry at being excluded, Eris tossed a golden apple among the guests.
On it was inscribed “for the fairest one.”
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed the prize.
They chose the Trojan prince Paris, a handsome and unworldly man, to decide which goddess was the fairest.

9. How the Trojan War Began
Each goddess offered Paris a bribe, and Paris chose Aphrodite’s bribe.
Aphrodite promised to allow Paris to meet beautiful woman alive (Helen).

10. So What Now?
The Trojan War all started when Prince Hector (Prince of Troy) and his younger brother were in Sparta negotiating peace between Troy and Sparta.
Paris had fell in love with the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.
Her name was Helena and she was was Menelaus’ (king of Sparta’s) wife.
Paris smuggled Helena onto his ship back to Troy.
Menelaus wanted revenge!
Agamemnon, Menelaus brother, had always wanted to take over Troy and he used that as a reason to attack Troy.

11. Priam Knows that here will be trouble!
In Troy, King Priam is dismayed when Hector and Paris bring Helen, but welcomes her as a guest and decides against sending her home, since Paris will likely follow her and be killed, choosing instead to meet the Greeks in open battle.
The Greeks arrive shortly after and take the Trojan beach, mostly thanks to Achilles and his Myrmidons, among them his cousin Patroclus, who sack the temple of Apollo but allow Hector and the surviving Trojans to return to the city.
Achilles claims Briseis, a priestess and the cousin of Paris and Hector, as a war trophy, but is angered when Agamemnon spitefully takes her from him and decides that he will not aid Agamemnon when they lay siege to Troy.

12. Fighting The Trojan and Greek armies meet outside the walls of Troy.
During a parley, Paris offers to duel Menelaus personally for Helen's hand in exchange for the city being spared.
Agamemnon, intending to take the city regardless of the outcome, accepts.
Menelaus wounds Paris and almost kills him, but is himself killed by Hector.
In the ensuing battle, most of Agamemnon's forces fall to Troy's archers and Hector kills Ajax.

13. Agamemnon is a jerk
On Odysseus' insistence, Agamemnon gives the order to fall back. In order to keep their spirits up, he gives Briseis to the Greek soldiers for their amusement.
When she is threatened with rape, she is saved by Achilles.
The two fall in love, and Achilles decides that the war is a lost cause, resolving to leave Troy in the morning.

14. Retake the beach
Despite Hector's advice otherwise, Priam instructs him to retake the Trojan beach in the night and force the Greeks home.
The attack brings the Greeks together and the Myrmidons enter the battle.
Hector personally duels a man he believes to be Achilles and cuts his throat, only to discover it was actually Patroclus.
Devastated, the armies agree to stop fighting for the day.
Achilles is informed of his cousin's death and vows revenge. Knowing of the coming retribution, Hector leads his wife, Andromache, to a secret tunnel beneath Troy and instructs her to take their child and any survivors she can out of the city should he die and the city fall.

15. Come on out!
The next day, Achilles arrives outside Troy and demands Hector come out.
The two fight evenly for a while until Achilles wears Hector down and kills him, dragging his corpse back to the Trojan beach, straining his relationship with Briseis.
Priam, in disguise, sneaks into the camp and meets with Achilles, imploring him to let him take Hector's body back to Troy for a proper funeral.
Ashamed of his actions, Achilles agrees and allows Briseis to return to Troy with Priam, promising a truce of twelve days so that Hector's funeral rites may be held in peace.
He also tells his men to return home without him.

16. Achilles just doesn’t listen
Agamemnon becomes infuriated at Achilles' actions and goes into a crazed rant that he will take Troy no matter what.
Concerned that Agamemnon may lead them to destruction, Odysseus concocts a plan to get inside the city by having the Greeks build a gigantic wooden horse from their boat parts and abandon the Trojan beach, hiding their ships in a nearby cove to make it seem as if they have left.
Priam orders the horse brought inside the city as a gift from the Gods, over Paris' objections.
A Trojan scout finds the hidden ships in the cove but is killed by the Greek archers before he can alert the city.
That night, Greeks hiding inside the horse emerge and open the city gates for the Greek army, commencing the Sack of Troy.
While Andromache and Helen are getting the Trojans to safety through the tunnel, Paris gives the Sword of Troy to Aemeas.

17. Find a new home
He instructing him to protect the Trojans and find them a new home.
Glaucus is killed by Odysseus.
Agamemnon kills Priam, and then Agamemnon finds Briseis and taunts her, and she kills him.
Achilles fights his way through the city and finds Briseis, but is shot through the heel by Paris seeking revenge for the death of his brother, which makes him vulnerable.

18. My heal is killing me!
Paris puts several more arrows into Achilles' chest until he finally collapses.
With his dying breaths, Achilles implores Briseis to leave the city with Paris.
They escape Troy before the Greeks find Achilles' body. In the aftermath,
with Troy finally taken, funerals are held for the slain and Odysseus personally cremates Achilles as the surviving Trojans head to Mount Ida.