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Alexandra Cequeria The Iliad by Homer About the Author Homer composed The Iliad and The Odyssey, two of the oldest and most significant works in Greek literature. There is a lack of certainty when it comes to Homer and his works. In earlier centuries, scholars speculated that Homer was not a singular author, but a name that was attached to works written by multiple people. However, in recent years scholars believe that Homer really was a singular author due to the consistencies in plot and character construction throughout both works. Plot Summary The story begins in the tenth year of the Trojan War and takes place over fifty-one days. The Greeks have taken many spoils of war, including the daughter of Chryses, a priest of the god Apollo. Chryses comes to the Greeks’ camp to ask their leader, King Agamemnon, for his daughter’s release. When Agamemnon refuses, and Apollo bestows a plague on the Greeks. In an assembly summoned by Achilles, the Greeks demand that Agamemnon release the girl to appease Apollo. Agamemnon agrees, but to compensate he takes Briseis, Achilles’s favorite slave. Enraged, Achilles prays to his goddess mother Thetis to get a promise from Zeus that the Greeks will fail in their efforts against the Trojans until Briseis is returned and Achilles’s honor is restored. Achilles’s request is granted, and the Trojans successfully attack the Greeks. Achilles’s best friend Patroclus eventually intervenes, requesting to go into battle in Achilles’s place. Achilles bestows Patroclus with his armor. This fools the Trojans into thinking that Achilles has returned to battle. However, this plan backfires when Hector, the Trojans’ greatest warrior, kills Patroclus. Devastated, Achilles returns to battle and kills many Trojans, including Hector. The Iliad ends with Hector’s funeral, along with the prophecy of Achilles’s eventual death and the fall of Troy. Themes Wrath- The wrath that is expressed in multiple characters cause the prolonged violence of the Trojan War and the eventual fall of Troy. Devastation- There is both physical and emotional devastation in this epic poem. The physical devastation is due to the prolonged battles and war, while the emotional devastation is due to the deaths of beloved friends and family. Gods- The Greek gods often interfere in the dealings of mortals in the epic poem. Apollo spreads plague and assists the Trojans. Achilles is assisted by his mother Thetis and Zeus. Alexandra Cequeria Mortality- Many great mortal men meet their demise in the Trojan War. Achilles, a half-god, eventually dies as well, despite Thetis’s efforts to immortalize her son. Power- Power is represented in both mortal and immortal characters. Achilles and Hector are the best warriors from opposing sides. Apollo and Zeus also have the abilities to influence the war. Connection to the Course The Iliad is a vitally important text to Greek history. However, it does not stand alone. There are other ancient poems from the same time that offer descriptions of events that occurred before, during, or after The Iliad. If the argument that Homer is not a singular author is true, then these works that were collectively written resemble Coetzee’s and Daoud’s efforts to recreate an alternative perspective to an original text. The themes of devastation and destruction can be seen in multiple texts we have read, particularly One Hundred Years of Solitude. The eventual fall of Troy resembles the demise of Macondo. The emotional destruction of war can also be reflected in both stories, even if they are represented differently. While Aureliano loses his ability to feel and sympathize after the war, Achilles rampages after the death of his friend Patroclus. These two characters represent a spectrum of emotional damage, ranging from too little emotion to an excess of emotion. Arvanitakis, Konstantinos I. "The Tragic in the Iliad." Psychoanalytic Scholia on the Homeric Epics. Vol. 20. N.p.: n.p., 2015. 79-97. Print. Contemporary Psychoanalytic Studies. Hernandez, Pura. Nieto. "Reading Homer in the 21st Century." College Literature 34.2 (2007): 29-54. Web. 1 Mar. 2016. Kahane, Ahuvia. Homer: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Bloomsbury, 2012. Print. "LEGENDS." LEGENDS. University of Cincinnati, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. Struck, Peter T. "Greek & Roman Mythology - Homer." Greek & Roman Mythology - Homer. N.p., 2009. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. Struck, Peter T. "Greek & Roman Mythology - The Trojan War." Greek & Roman Mythology - Homer. N.p., 2009. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.