The Iliad

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
• Homers 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
  epics 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 storys 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
Homeric Epithets (continued)

• Homeric Epithets and other formulaic language may
  have helped the poet shape his story and compose
  while reciting.
• The repetition of familiar expressions also would
  have helped the audience follow the narrative.

8
More About Homer

• The conditions of Homers poems reveal his
  unwavering commitment to humanity.
• He had a universal view of mankind, as his
  unbiased portrayal of the Greeks and Trojans show
  in the Iliad.
• He uses no ethnic descriptions in fact, he
  bestows glorious epithets on both Greek and
  Trojan characters.
• Greeks and Trojans are on the same human level.

9
The Epic Form

• The lengthy, formal speech is another typical
  element of the Homeric epic form
• Homers characters commonly express thoughts and
  feelings by delivering long speeches addressed to
  other characters.
• Especially at moments of crisis, characters
  deliver long monologues in which they address
  their own souls or inner spirits.

10
The Epic Form (continued)

• Homers characters neither speculate about their
  emotions nor analyze their thought processes.
• Nor does the poet directly reveal the characters
  inner workings to his audience.
• Later Greek and Roman authors, like modern
  writers, give us access to a characters thoughts
  and feelings through interior monologues and
  soliloquies.
• Both of these forms are modeled on the long
  Homeric speech.

11
Homer and Later Epics

• The building blocks of the epic genre the
  invocation, in medias res, stock epithets, fixed
  formulas, and long speeches were commonly used
  by bards of oral tradition.
• Because Homer was so influential in Western
  literature, these same features were imitated in
  later epics, even though they no longer served
  the same purposes.
• Among the greatest epic poets who adopted Homer
  as a model were the Roman writer Virgil, the
  Florentine medieval poet Dante Alighieri, and the
  seventeenth-century English poet, John Milton.

12
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.

13
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.

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How the Trojan War Began

• Each goddess offered Paris a bribe, and Paris
  chose Aphrodites bribe.
• Aphrodite promised to give Paris the most
  beautiful woman alive (Helen) who was already
  married to Menelaus, King of Sparta.
• Paris violated the sacred bond of hospitality
  when he went to Menelaus court as a guest and
  abducted the hosts wife.

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How the Trojan War Began

• Menelaus sought the help of his brother,
  Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and the most powerful
  ruler of his time.
• Together with other kings, they mounted an
  expedition against Troy to reclaim Helen and to
  sack a city for its opulence.
• The war lasted ten years until Troy was finally
  taken.

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How the Trojan War Began

• Out of a vast body of material that his audience
  already knew, Homer chose to focus on a period of
  less than two months in the tenth year of the
  war.
• Homer did not concentrate on the war as such, but
  on the Greek warrior Achilles and the
  consequences of his rage (wrath).

17
The Iliad Literary Analysis

• As you read excerpt from Homers Iliad, you will
  focus on the theme, an important insight into
  life that is usually conveyed indirectly in a
  literary work.
• The theme of a literary work is its central idea,
  concern, or message.
• Long works, such as novels and epics, often
  contain more than one major theme.

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Theme

• The theme stated at the beginning of the Iliad is
  the rage of Peleus son Achilles and its
  consequences.
• The poem also contains profound insights about
  war and peace, honor, duty, compassion, and life
  and death.

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Theme

• Homer uses the following means to reveal the
  themes in his epic poem.
• Characters statements and actions
• Events in the plot
• Images and their associations
• As you read, note the ideas and insights that the
  poem conveys.

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Foreshadowing

• The Iliads opening statement of theme is also
  its first instance of foreshadowing, the use of
  clues to suggest future events in a literary
  work.
• This technique creates suspense by building the
  audiences anticipation.
• For example, the Iliads opening lines leave the
  reader wondering why Achilles is enraged and what
  consequences might follow. Look for other
  examples of foreshadowing as you read, and
  consider what effect the poet is trying to create.

21
Reading StrategyAnalyze Confusing Sentences

• Homer wove lines dense with images and other
  details.
• To analyze confusing sentences, consider one
  section at a time.
• Look at a complex sentence and separate its
  essential parts (the who and what) from the
  difficult language until you get the main idea.
• Use a chart like the one on page 362 to help you
  analyze and interpret confusing sentences.

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Vocabulary

• Incensed adj. -- very angry enraged
• Plunder v. to rob by force in warfare
• Sacrosanct adj. -- very holy sacred
• Brazen adj. literally, of brass shamelessly
  bold
• Harrowed v. distressed tormented
• Bereft adj. deprived or robbed