Book Xvi the Iliad - Homer - 3177 Words

Key Questions for Book XVI 1. Achilles does not agree to end his grudge with Agamemnon at the request of Patroclus as the great warrior views what Agamemnon has done – snatching his prize right from his grasp, the beautiful and clever princess Briseis – as an insult to his pride and honour. The fact that, according to the epic, Agamemnon did so in front of the rest of the Achaean army, only adds to Achilles’ humiliation. 2. Achilles agrees that instead of him casting away his grief and thinking of his fellow Achaeans who are being slaughtered mercilessly by the Trojans, he would lend his armour to Patroclus, who will in turn go in his place and evoke the fear that seeing Achilles has done throughout the course of the war. 3.†¦show more content†¦Apollo accompanies him with Zeus’ storm shield, deflecting enemy attacks. As Apollo looks into their eyes, their courage disappears and they flee like scampering wild beasts. Throughout all this, Hector co ntinues towards the Achaean ships and, upon closer arrival, attempts to attack Great Ajax. Instead, he misses and hits another Greek. Ajax addresses the Achaeans and attempts to rally their spirits, trying to reinstate their courage and diminish the fear that Apollo instilled in them. Hector and the rest of the Trojans continue to close the gap between the two armies, and it is because of this that Ajax flings himself off the ship and charges at the near invaders. He leaps from ship to ship, fighting off the enemy and slaughtering many. â€Å"Hector calls for a torch† to burn the ships and in doing so, attempts to thwart any possibility of the Achaeans having shelter and a way of getting home. * The role of fate is an extremely important one. It determines whether we live or die. Fate is also an extremely powerful aspect of life as we can see (as demonstrated in Book XVI) that not even the gods can intervene with fate, showing us exactly how powerful it is. We can see this when Apollo prevents Patroclus from breaking through the gates of Troy. ‘†¦Three times Patroclus charged the jut of the high wall, three times Apollo battered the man and hurledShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of The Odyssey By Homer, The King, Father Of Gods And Men1494 Words   |  6 Pagespurveyor of fate is repeatedly demonstrated throughout The Iliad, guiding battles to ensure the desired outcome of the Moirae. There are limitations on his power as in all his many roles, however the main is fate. To maintain his dominion over the gods and by extension the mortal realm he is forced stand by and watch his mortal child die a fated death whilst he cries tears of blood. Zeus in his guise as the â€Å"father of gods and men†, (Homer, Iliad XI. 182) holds to a familiar human paternal power baseRead MoreAt the time of Homer, it was normal for gods to meddle in human affairs, and he shows this in The1300 Words   |  6 PagesAt the time of Homer, it was normal for gods to meddle in human affairs, and he shows this in The Iliad. A vast majority of the Greek gods play some role in how the Trojan wars turns out, which is what the poem is all about. Homer uses the gods to deviate from how normal wars are played out. The head god, Zeus, will be the focus as I go through what he did and how it affected the War as well as The Iliad. Zeus tried to stay out of the Trojan War for egotistic motives and was viewed as a father figureRead MoreThe Iliad Of All Time Essay1441 Words   |  6 PagesHomer and Virgil authored some of the greatest epics of all time. 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Depicting a classical style of mass battle, Homeric warriors were thus treated equally as fighters, but were disregarded in the text in order to illustrate the sheer power of the heroes and leaders. Every warrior was just another piece of the phalanx, which is why the army was so withstanding of attackRead MoreThe Gods and Their Interaction with Humans1639 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout The Iliad, Homer offers us a glimpse into the lifestyles of the ancient Greeks and their beliefs. They are a very spiritual and in many ways superstitious people. The main thing to note throughout The Iliad is the interaction between the gods and the humans. Any way one looks at the situation, they can immediately see that humans are mere pawns to the gods in their game of chess. The success and failures of the humans depends o n what god would be helping which group and at what particularRead MoreThe Epic Of Agamemnon Steals Briseis924 Words   |  4 Pageshim come back to me and the running ships, unwounded, with all his armor and with the companions who fight close behind. (XVI.246-248) Achilleus’ anger is a major theme that echoes throughout the epic; however, we realize this anger is not a mature anger, rather a childish anger which signifies Achilleus’ youth in the Iliad. In the first few books of The Iliad, the immature anger of Achilleus, due to another man stealing his girl, makes him run to his mother for vengeance: But even now theRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad 3570 Words   |  15 PagesInterdisciplinary Studies Dr. Packer Eric G. Shuping March 3, 2015 Final Paper Homer’s poem, The Iliad, explains to us how the Trojan War started with Paris stealing Menelaus wife, Helen, and affected the lives of the Greek and Trojan people. The gods and warriors all desire to earn their honor to prove they are great, which Homer proves that it ends disastrously at times. Homer’s definition of honor in Iliad shows us that the gods, Greeks, and Trojans will do anything to prove their honor, while inRead MoreSummary Of Homer s The Sleep 1507 Words   |  7 PagesNayla Basma Professor Meisel Literature Humanities- Sec. 23 3 October 2015 To Sleep, or Not to Sleep? In Homer’s Iliad, sleep–albeit a seemingly simple verb–is a multifaceted concept that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of humanity within various characters of the epic poem. On one hand, sleep is viewed as something to be avoided, a weakness bound to result in destructive consequences. On the other hand, sleep is a tool that provides restoration and gives one a respite from their reality