Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Homer's Iliad: Reading Diary A

The first story that I really liked from The Iliad unit was "The Quarrel." It introduces Achilles as the hero trying to help Agamemnon get Helen of Troy back. This second portion of the story demonstrates Agamemnon's greed and unwillingness to do whatever necessary to get Helen back, and also displays Achilles' connection to the gods. Achilles' proclivity for battle is also shown, as Agamemnon comments that Achilles has no idea of law and order, but only of battle. The only thing he cares about is the cry of battle.

The next story I found interesting was "Hector and Andromache." Homer does a great job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of Hector and Paris, Hector being the proud, courageous warrior willing to fight for his country, and Paris being the not-so-courageous one scared of defeat. Hector is also portrayed as a family man, hoping that one day his son will be called a better man than he ever was.

"The Embassy to Achilles," which was in two parts, shows the pride of Achilles. Since Agamemnon had taken his share of the riches, he refuses to assist in the taking of Troy any further. He says Agamemnon could offer him twenty times as much as he already had, and he would still refuse. Although Achilles is famous for his wartime prowess, he is not an idiot. And he makes it very clear in this story he answers to no one who scorns him. This section also emphasizes the faith the Greeks had in their gods; Achilles partially refuses to fight because Zeus is on the Trojans' side.

The final part of the first half of the unit, "The Deeds and Death of Patroclus," tells us of Patroclus asking to borrow Achilles' armor so that he may lead the Greeks into battle. Achilles agrees, but says that Patroclus must not conquer the city of Troy, as the glory for that conquest must go to him. This portion drives home the pride of Achilles; the only thing he truly cares about is fame.


Though not from the first half of the unit, this picture, painted by Franz Matsch, sums up Achilles pretty well; bold, proud, and a ferocious warrior. 


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