Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture Homer’s Iliad Books 2, 3
Italy, Egypt, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Phoenicia, Greece, Peloponnesus, Ionia, Crete, Cyprus, Delphi, Mycenae, Troy, Aulis, Hellespont
Aulis
Mycenae – Demons?
Background � Zeus Xenios, protector of guests and hosts
Background: The Story of the Trojan War � Marriage of Peleus and Thetis � Strife (Eris) and the apple: "to the fairest" � Judgement of Paris � Abduction of Helen � Assembly of the Greek army at Aulis � Sacrifice of Iphigeneia � The siege: 9 years plus 1 � Fall of Troy: the Trojan horse
� Greeks � � Agamemnon, "king of kings", son of Atreus ("Atrides") Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, husband of Helen, son of Atreus Achilles, king of the Myrmidons, son of Peleus and Thetis Patroclus, dear friend (second self?) to Achilles Nestor, the old wise man Calchas, the seer Odysseus, wiley, crafty, cunning � Ajax, “like a wall” � � Trojans � � Priam, the old Trojan king, father of 50 sons Hector, the greatest warrior, & son of Priam Paris (=Alexander), son of Priam, abductor of Helen � Important only in Book two � � Thersites, the ugliest of Greek warriors �
� � Structure of the army � � Primus inter pares: "first among equals": kings vs the "king of kings"
Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture Homer’s Iliad Book 2
Homer’s Iliad Book 2 The Dream “Dreams are from Zeus!” - who says that in book 1 and in what context? Dreams, deception, the limits of human understanding The Test “Zeus son of crooked-counseled Kronos promised me and nodded his head to it, that we would sack Ilion, but he only contrived a wicked deception!” Agamemnon as leader Why would Agamemnon do such a trial? What’s the purpose? Yuyi, and similarly Yi, Arabella, Qin
Homer’s Iliad Book 2 Agamemnon’s Test � Sceptre/Staff 2. 102ff Pedigree 2. 186 Odysseus Similes in the Iliad 2. 87ff - swarming bees 2. 66ff - the wind Arabella: Deep down, it’s the conflict between the power of gods and the power of humans. Homer repeats again and again that a king is chosen by Zeus. So, the power of Agamemnon is a reflection of the power of Zeus.
Homer’s Iliad Book 2 Thersites episode Thersites: the ugliest man at Troy 2. 229: “your tents are filled, which we Achaeans gave you as first pick whenever we attacked some town… you are no men but ladies of Achaea. Let us go home… [if Achilles had not set aside his anger] O son of Atreus, this would be your last outrage!” � Aulis, Kalchas Aulis and the troops. Agamemnon as leader. Not the Iphigeneia story. Deception. Lightning omen. 2. 355ff Success = “you sleep with a Trojan woman in payment” Arabella: “What Thersites said to abuse Agamemnon was quite similar to what Achilles said.”
Homer’s Iliad Book 2 Invocation of the Muses Similes - 460ff • fire • flocks • leaves/flowers • flies • goats • bull Muses - inspiration & memory “Not with ten tongues and ten mouths and my voice unbreakable and with a heart made of bronze….”
Homer’s Iliad Book 2 The Catalogue of Ships Remembered from the Bronze Age? Iliad as a text in an oral tradition
Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture Homer’s Iliad Book 3
Homer’s Iliad Book 3 Duel between Menelaus and Paris � Viewing from the walls (teichoskopia) � Helen’s beauty is “like a deathless goddess” � Decidedly unrealistic: how could this happen only after nine years; but what do these scenes accomplish? Arabella: “two husbands of Helen” Arabella: “why did Homer call Helen “with white arms”, which he usually uses of Hera?” Arabella: “why does Priam speak kindly to Helen when she caused the 10-year battle?”
Homer’s Iliad Book 3 Bedroom scene � Ending: Menelaus, searching for Paris/Alexander, demanding Helen and suitable recompense (=ransom) What is the tone? Is this comic? Yuyi: Does Helen really love Paris? Why would she still choose to sleep with him so quickly after just rebuking him? Qin: Why did Aphrodite save Paris?
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