Illiad Themes
1
Illiad Themes
Relationship Gods to Men
page 20, line 12 Zeus sends lie to men: Go, Deadly Dream, along the Greek ships
page 33 line 480 Athena rushed over the sand, stiffening their hearts, so that for each of them to die in battle was sweeter than going home
page 54, line 143 the goddesses words turned Helen’s mind into a sweet mist of desire
page 65 line 17 Still Menelaus, Ares’ favorite, clearly won
page 92 310 Athena guided his javeline to where the nose joins the eye socket (Diomed)
page 95 15 You must bear it my child..many of us Olympians have suffered harm from men
page 96 line 470 Diomedes leaps on Aeneas, protected by Appollo, who says:
Think it over, son of Tydeuas, and get back…Don’t set you sights on the gods. The gods are to humans what humans are to crawling bugs
page 107 line 837 Hera to appear in battle as Stento, with bronze voice…Grey eyed Athena flashed to Diomedes’ side…too the chariot reins…[109, 910] and drove his spear home to the pit of Areas belly
Relation Men to Gods
page 18, line 619 Aeneas to Venus: I know it is hard, mother, but endure. I don’t want you beat up.”
page 47 line 923 Hector knew this was a goddess’ speech (Iris, from Zeus)
page 62, 422 Aprhodite to Helen, so that she knew it was the goddess, the irresistible line of her breast
page 89, line 205 he’s not fighting like this without some god standing at his side..an arrow I just shot at him missed
page 91 272 Diomedes notes Pallas Athena won’t let me back down
page 93 line 360 he pounced and nicked her on her delicate wrist….goddess shrieked,
page 95 440 That a man who fights with the gods doesn’t last long, his children don’t’ sit on his lap calling him Papa
Relationship of Gods to Gods
pg 16 445 Hera to Zeus: why should you care if I know how negligible I am in your eyes?
page 94 379 the goddess, in extreme distress, went off in a daze…to her mother
page 105 770 Hera and Athena, its time we remembered how to fight…arming scenes…what does Athena wear…dress bordered with Rout and inset with blood chilling horrors of War—clothing
page 110 943 Ares;;;; Diomedes wounded Cypris first, got her in the writs, then charged at me like and avenging spirit. My fast footwork saved me, or I would be lying in a heap of gruesome corpses or barely alive from taking hits from his spear….Zeus…you shifty lout
Ritual
Page 3, line 76 haruspex
Page 14 473-506 they lined the hundred oxen
page 29 ln 329 ritual to ensure good war effort: at spring, offering sacrifice to sacred altars…..serpent slithered up….eight little birds and mother devoured….
page 32-3 line 429-64 Agemen sacrificed fat bull to Cronus’ son..cut throat
page 53 100 Menelaus, Bring a pair of lambs, a white one and black, for Earth and Sun—Paris and Menelaus to fight….page 59, still, 318, prayer:
Zeus almight and most glorious
And all you other immortal gods
Whoever breaks this oath and truce,
May their brains spill to the ground
Like this wine, theirs and their children’s
and may other men master their wives
Page 115 93 promised twelve heifer to her in her temple and plaed robe on knee of Athena….have our women pray to the gods and promise bulls by the hundred
Epiteths
page 15, ln 506 dawn as palmetto of rose
page 21, ln 33 long haired greeks
page 25 184 owl eyed goddess
page 25 190 wily Odysseus
page 31 ln 404 Zeus, son of Cronus
page 33 477 Athena, eyes like slate
page 87 daughter or zeus,…goddess Athena…pallas Athena…the grey eyes one
page 108 878 Athena, whose eyes were as grey as owls
page 115 117 Hector’s helmet collecting light
War Descriptions
page 81 572 his guts spilled out, and everything went black
page 84 445 AG plants spear between should blades drives through chest
page 85 82 send spear through tendon, back of neck, into mouth, cutting away tonge at root
page 85 94 Death covered his eyes with a purple haze
page 89-90 ln 230 If I ever return and see my land, my wife, and my home…may my throat be cut if I fail to smash this bow to pieces
page 103 710 the point passed through neck, and ebony night enfolded his eyes.
103 720 high visual: the long spear trailing heavily…
Epic Similies
Heroic Values
page 26, ln 221 Hierarchy Do you think every Greek here can be kind? (Odysseus)
page 31 383 Nestor: No man here should be in a hurry to go home until he has spent the night with some Trojan’s wife, as revenge for Helen’s struggles and groans
page 118 210 Hippoluchus bore me, and I am pround he is my father….
page 125 463 Yes Andromache, I worry about all this myself, but my shame before the Trojans and their wives would be too terrible if I hung back from battle like a coward. And my heart won’t let me. I have learned to be one of the best..[page 126] prayer for an excellent son
Social Values
page 4, line 101 paying ransom
page 49 line 990 Nastes, came to war wearing gold like a girl
page 116 line 148 Why ask my lineage…human generations are like leaves in their seasons..the wind blows them to the ground, but the tree sprouts new ones….
Page 126 518 War is the work of men…
Private versus public: page 127 line 549 I don’d understand you Paris, your’e a strong fighter but you slack off…after we drive these Greeks from Troy….
Shows of Human Compassion
page 104 740 since I will never return to my own land to make glad my wife and infant son
Achilles
page 9 line 303 “this man wants to rule everyone” belligerent to Ag
page 8, line 3=236 “you bloated drunk” belligerent to Ag
page 11, line 362 weeping after Briseis taken—for loss of honor
page 72 248 Ag had two set speeches for men in this instance
Diomedes
page 89, line 205 he’s not fighting like this without some god standing at his side..an arrow I just shot at him missed
Odysseus
page 10, line325 Odyss chosen to captain ship to take Briseis back to father
Hector
page 125 463 Yes Andromache, I worry about all this myself, but my shame before the Trojans and their wives would be too terrible if I hung back from battle like a coward. And my heart won’t let me. I have learned to be one of the best..
Aeneas
page 47 line 936 Dardanian troops led by Aeneas, whome bright Aphrodite bore to Anchises
Paris
Helen
page 122 line 361 But since the gods have ordained these evils, why couldn’t I be the wife of a better man
Agamemnon
page 22, line 77 Agemen to “test them in battle” before going to battle, to see loyalty
Menelaus
Nestor
page 30 364 bah, you carry on like boys
page 75 348 Spearwork is for the young men, who trust their strength