ILIAD BOOK 1-6 SUMMARIES PDF

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SUMMARIES FROM BOOK ONE TO SIX OF ILIAD BY HOMER...

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BOOK 1-6 SUMMARIES Book 1 The story begins nine years after the start of Trojan War. The Achaeans captured two maidens from a Trojan-allied town, Chryses and Briseis. Agamemnon the commander-in-chief of Achaeans army wants Chryses and Achilles one of the Achaeans’ most valuable warriors, claims Briseis. Chryses, the father of Chryses beg Agamemnon to return his daughter and offered him an enormous amount. However, Agamemnon refuses, so as a priest who serves Apollo, Chryses, ask Apollo for help. Apollo sends plague to the Greek camp where many died. Agamemnon seeks for a help from a soothsayer to reveal the cause of the plague and he found out form Calchus, the soothsayer, that it was a vengeful move by Chryses and Apollo. But Agamemnon made a condition that he’s only going to give back Chryses if Achilles was willing to give him Briseis. This made Achilles angry and was ready to kill Agamemnon. However through the help of Athena who was sent by Hera, and a wise advisor Nestor they prevent the duel between Agamemnon and Achilles. Odysseus navigates the ship that Chryseis has boarded, she was sent back to her father and Chryses pray to Apollo to lift the plague. But, Briseis was taken by Agamemnon. Achilles then ask for the help of his mother, Thetis, a sea-nymph, to ask Zeus, the king of gods to punish the Achaeans. The plague ended, but since the quarrel between him and Agamemnon happened, Achilles refused to participate in battle. Then Zeus decided to finally help the Trojans which made his wife Hera, who favors the Greek, became livid. But her son Hephaestus persuades her no to plunge the gods into conflict over the mo rtals. Book 2 Zeus kept his promise in helping the Trojans, so he sent false dream to Agamemnon. In which he uses the figure of Nestor to persuade Agamemnon that he can take down Troy if he launches a full-scale assault on the city’s walls. Upon knowing this, he gathers his troops for attack but he wants to test their courage so he said they will give up the war and return to Greece but he was disappointed that the troops do not hesitate to run to their ships. Hera sees this and alerts Athena to call the men back. Athena gives this order to Odysseus, so he shouts encouragement and insult to regain their confidence and remind them of the prophecy that Calchas gave them, a water snake had slithered to shore and devoured a nest of nine sparrows which was interpreted as nine years would pass before the Achaeans would finally take Troy. This made the men vowed that they would not abandon their struggle until the city fell. Nestor encourages Agamemnon to arrange his troops by city and clan and singles out the bravest of the Achaeans, which include Achilles and Ajax. Then Zeus sends messenger to the Trojan court telling the Greek’s awesome formation. The Trojans muster their own troops under the command of Priam’s son Hector.

Book 3 Trojan army marches from the city gate to meet the Achaeans. Paris who precipitated the war by stealing Helen from Menelaus, challenges the Achaeans to single combat with any of their warriors. Menelaus steps forward so Paris shrinks back to the Trojan ranks. Then Hector, brother of Paris, chastises Paris for his cowardice. This made Paris agrees to duel with Menelaus and this contest will establish peace between Trojans and Achaeans. When Paris and Menelaus prepare for combat, the goddess Iris who disguised as Laodice, sister of Hector, visits Helen. She urges Helen to witness the battle between Paris and Menelaus. Helen saw the city elder’s including Priam gathered in the city gates. Priam eventually leave the scene unable to watch Pris fight to death. The duel began and neither was able to fell the other with his spear. Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’ helmet and grabs Paris by the helmet and drags him through the dirt. But Aphrodite, an ally of the Trojans, snaps the strap of the helmet. Then Menelaus, retrieves his spear and is about to drive it into Paris when Aphrodite whisks Paris away to his room in Priam’s palace. She also summon Helen there. On the battlefield, the Trojan and the Greeks search for Paris. Agamemnon then insists that Menelaus won and to bring Helen back. Book 4 The gods engage in their own duels. Zeus argues that Menelaus won and that the war should end as the mortals had agreed. But Hera, wants a complete destruction of Troy. So, Zeus sends Athena to the battlefield and rekindles the fighting. Athena disguises as a Trojan soldier and convince Pandarus, the archer, to take aim at Menelaus. Pandarus fires but Athena deflects the arrow so that it only wounds Menelaus. So, Agamemnon rallies the Achaean ranks and meets Nestor, Odysseus and Diomedes among others and challenges their pride or recounting the great deeds of their fathers. Battle breaks out, none of the major characters was killed or wounded. The gods also become involved, Athena helps the Achaeans and Apollo helps the Trojans. Book 5 During the battle, Pandarus wounds Diomedes, the Achaean hero. Diomedes prays to Athena for revenge. Athena endows him with superhuman strength and extraordinary power to discern gods on the battlefield but warns him not to challenge any of them except Aphrodite. Diomedes killed Pandarus and wounded Aeneas, the noble Trojan hero immortalized in Virgil’s Aeneid. When Aphrodite, his mother come to help him, she was also wounded by Diomedes, he cut her wrist and sends her back to Mount Olympus. Dione, Aphrodite mother heals her and Zeus warns Aphrodite not to try her hand at warfare again. Apollo tend to Aeneas in Aphrodite’s stead was also attacked by Diomedes. This made the breach of agreement between Athena and Diomedes who tells him not to challenge the gods except Aphrodite. Apollo sternly

warns Diomedes and whisks Aeneas off the field. But he leaves the replica of Aeneas body on the ground. Apollo also rouses Ares, the god of war, to fight on the Trojan side. Through the help of the gods, Trojans take the upper hand in the battle. Hector and Ares prove too much for the Achaeans. The Trojan Sarpedon kills the Achaean Tlepolemus. Odysseus, as a response, slaughters entire lines of Trojans. But Hector cuts down still more Greeks. Zeus gives Hera and Athena permission to intervene on the Achaeans behalf. Hera rallies the rest of the Achaean troops and Athena encourages Diomedes. She withdraws her previous warning not to attack any of the gods except Aphrodite and helps him challenge Ares. Then Diomedes wounds Ares. Ares went to Mount Olympus and complains to Zeus. But Zeus tells Ares that he deserves that injury. Athena and Hera also leave the battleground. Book 6 Without the intervention of the gods, the Achaean forces again overwhelm the Trojans, who draw back toward the city. Menelaus considers accepting a ransom in return for the life of Adrestus, the Trojan he has subdued. But Agamemnon tells him to just kill him. Nestor sense the weakening of the Trojans and urges Achaeans to focus on killing as many as possible while they still have the upperhand. The Trojan anticipate downfall. Helenus, the soothsayer urges Hector to return to Troy and ask his mother, Queen Hecuba to pray for mercy at the temple of Athena. Hector obeys Helenus. Then he visits his brother Paris and scorns him for not fighting. Paris then returns to battle. Hector also prepares to return, but he visits his wife, Andromache, first. He finds her nursing g their son Astyanax. Andromache begs Hector no to go back to the battle. But Hector insists. Andromache convinced that Hector will soon die and begins to mourn his death. Hector and Paris then prepare to rejoin the battle....