The Iliad recounts the events of a six week period during the ninth year of the Trojan War. Because of Agamemnon's refusal to return Chryseis, the daughter of Apollo's priest, a plague has swept through the Greek Army. When forced to return his captive, Agamemnon vows to take Achilles' prize Briseis. Quotations from the Iliad and the Odyssey are taken from the Fagles translations.

Structure of the Iliad

• While the Iliad recounts several central events in the Trojan war, many are only referred to indirectly. The structure of Homer's epic is multi-layered in a bi-lateral tripartite fashion.
• Achilles' Wrath
• The dispute between Agamemnon and Achilles
• The battle of Achilles and the Trojan hero Hector
• The exploits of the Greek heroes Diomedes, Patroclus, and Achilles

In media res (in the middle of things): Like the Odyssey, the Iliad begins in the middle of the story. Information about all of the events that have occurred in the past nine years are presented in a series of flashbacks.

Prologue

Rage--Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles,
murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls
great fighters' souls, but made their bodies carrion,
feasts for the dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end,
Begin, Muse when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.
--Book 1.1-8

--The Iliad translated by Robert Fagles

• Invocation of the Muse
• Human sufferning due to transgression of the heroic code
• Main players are introduced
• Will of Zeus - fate - "moira" (destiny) - portion of death

Heroic Code

The goal of the Homeric heroes is to achieve honor and esteem or arete, which could be achieved in three ways:

• Demonstration of courage and physical ability in battle
• Hunting and athletics
• Giving advice (cleverness)

Positive Values

• Arete - Esteem
• Aristeia - The act of accomplishing Arete
• Kleos - Glory

  . . . and the lord of the war cry Diomedes opened up,
  "Who are you, my fine friend? --another born to die?
  I've never noticed you on the lines where we win kleos,
  not till now. But here you come, charging out,
  in front of all the rest with such bravado,
  daring to face the flying shadow of my spear.
  --Book 6.141-146

  
  

  I've learned it all too well. To stand up bravely,
  always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers,
  winning for my father great kleos, kleos for myself.
  --Book 6.526-528

Although Achilles and Hector vary in their reasons for fighting, they still share the distinct characteristics that define an epic hero. Both strive to demonstrate their arete by fighting each other. There can be no greater reward to a warrior than to fight hand to hand with another noble warrior, "So Hector sweeped now, swinging his whetted sword / and Achilles charged, too, bursting with rage, barbaric" (22.368-369). Because of their search for kleos and arete, both heroes find their destruction in each other.
--Ashley DeBord, Bledsoe County High School

Negative Values

• Hubris - Pride or Arrogance
• Menin - Wrath or Anger

  "The girl--I won't give up the girl. Long before that,
  old age will overtake her in my house, in Argos,
  far from her fatherland, slaving back and forth,
  at the loom, forced to share my bed!
  Now go,
  don't tempt my menin--and you may depart alive"
  --Book 1.31-36

  He broke off and anguish gripped Achilles.
  The heart in his rugged chest was pounding, torn . . .
  should he draw the long sharp sword slung at his hip,
  thrust through the ranks and kill Agamemnon now?--
  or check his menin and beat his fury down?
  --Book 1.222-226

• Ate - Madness or Delusion

  So, with a deep groan, the king addressed his armied:
  "Friends . . . lords of the Argives, all my captains!
  Cronus' son has entangled me in ate, blind ruin--
  --Book 9.18-20

  And Agamemnon the lord of men consented quickly
  That's no lie, old man--a full account you give,
  Of all my acts of ate. Ate, blind I was!
  --Book 9.136-138

• Aidos - Shame

  And tall Hector nodded, his helmet flashing:
  "All this weighs on my mind, too, dear woman.
  But I would die of aidos to face the men of Troy
  and the Trojan women trailing their long robes
  if I were to shrink from battle now, a coward.
  --Book 6.521-525

• Nemesis - Retribution

Hospitality

Because Zeus is the patron of travelers, hospitality is an important religious value that places obligations on both host and guest. Hospitality or xenia (guest-friendship) is more than just "good manners." It is an important theme that runs throughout the stories in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Things often turn out badly for guests or hosts who act improperly toward the xenos (stranger). The stranger is always to be treated with hospitality.

. . . and with winning words, he called out to Glaucus,
the young captain, "Splendid--you are my xenos,
from the days of our grandfathers long ago!
Noble Oeneus hosted your brave Bellerophon once
He held him there in his halls, twenty whole days,
and they gave each other handsome xenia.
My kinsmen offered a gleaming sword-belt, rich red,
Bellerophon gave a cup, two handled, solid gold--
--Book 6.257-264

. . . It would be most improper,
If we were cold to guests of Telemakhos--
No matter what tramp turns up. Well look here--
Let me throw in my own small xenia , , ,
. . . His hand went backward,
And fishing out a cow's foot from the basket,
He let it fly.
Odysseus rolled his head
To one side softly, ducking the blow, and smiled
--Odyssey, Book 20.303-310