ILIAD By Homer

KEY FACTS

FULL TITLE  ·  The Iliad AUTHOR  · Homer TYPE OF WORK  · Poem GENRE · Epic LANGUAGE  · Ancient Greek TIME AND PLACE

WRITTEN  · Unknown, but probably mainland Greece, around750 B.C.

THE FIRST VERSES OF THE ILIAD

THE ILIAD  epic poem in dactylic hexameters(a

form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme)

Set during the Trojan War  is among the oldest extant works of

Western literature  written version is usually dated to

around the eighth century BC  contains over 15,000 lines written in Homeric Greek

THE MAJOR CHARACTERS

Achaeans The Achaeans (Ἀχαιοί) — aka the

Hellenes (Greeks), Danaans (Δαναοί), and Argives (Ἀργεĩοι).Agamemnon — King of Mycenae, leader of

the Greeks.Achilles — Leader of the Myrmidons, half-

divine war hero.Odysseus — King of Ithaca, the wiliest

Greek commander and hero of the Odyssey

Trojans The Trojan men

Hector — son of King Priam and the foremost Trojan warrior.

Aeneas — son of Anchises and Aphrodite. Deiphobus — brother of Hector and Paris. Paris — Helen’s lover-abductor. Priam — the aged King of Troy.

The Trojan women Hecuba (Ἑκάβη) — Priam’s wife, mother of

Hector, Cassandra, Paris, and others. Helen (Ἑλένη) — Menelaus’s wife; Andromache (Ἀνδρομάχη) — Hector’s wife,

mother of Astyanax (Ἀστυάναξ). Cassandra (Κασσάνδρα) — Priam’s daughter;

GODS In the literary Trojan War of the Iliad, the

Olympic gods, goddesses, and demigods fight and play great roles in human warfare

The major deities:Zeus (Both Sides) Hera (Achaeans) Artemis (Trojans) Apollo (Trojans) Hades (Achaeans) Aphrodite (Trojans) Ares (Trojans) Athena (Achaeans) Hermes (Achaeans) Poseidon (Achaeans)

ILIAD AND RELIGION The religion of the ancient Greeks was

polytheistic and consisted of the worship of various gods who presided over different aspects of the physical world and human experience

In the Iliad the gods are very much concerned with human affairs. One reason for this involvement is the fact that many gods and goddesses who have mated with mortals have human children or human favorites participating in the war.

THEMES The Glory of War Military Glory over Family Life The Impermanence of Human Life

and Its Creations

MOTIFS

Armor Fire Burial

SYMBOLS

The Achaean Ships(he Achaean ships symbolize the future of the Greek race. They constitute the army’s only means of conveying itself home, whether in triumph or defeat. )

The Shield of Achilles