Summary of the Homer's Iliad: An Artistic Interpretation of the Trojan War

The summary of Homer's Iliad is the story of one of the most striking episodes of the famous Trojan War. The narrative describes the wrath of Achilles, as well as its pernicious consequences.

The tiff between Achilles and Agamemnon

It's been nine years since the Greek troops began the siege of Troy. Having raided the neighboring areas, the Greeks captivated Chriside - a girl who was the daughter of a priest in the temple of Apollo. Chriside becomes the concubine of Agamemnon, the commander-in-chief of the Greek army. Of course, Apollo this event was extremely angry. The deity sends the army to the sea. Achilles, the bravest of the Greeks, persuades Agamemnon at the general meeting of the army to return Chriside to her father. However, in return, the commander-in-chief demands that Achilles grant him his captive, a girl named Briseida. Achilles feels insulted and decides to deal with Agamemnon with the sword. However, the goddess Athena, who wanted the victory of the Greeks in the battle, keeps him from an ill-considered act. As a result, Achilles is limited to calling the commander-in-chief a mercenary and shameless coward, and also declares that from this day on he is not going to participate in military operations.

Achilles decides to take revenge on the Greeks

Further on, in the summary of Homer's Iliad, Nestor is included - the oldest and most wise Greek king. However, his attempts to reconcile the quarrels turn into a failure. Diplomatic and amiable leader Odysseus takes Chrysaides to his father, Briseida goes to Agamemnon. Achilles appeals to her mother, the sea goddess Thetis, and asks her to persuade the supreme Zeus to bestow victory on the Trojans. According to the warrior, this would help the Greeks understand how much they are worthless without it. Despite all the objections of Hera, who favored the Greeks, Zeus agrees. He sends an unusual dream to the Commander-in-Chief, after which Agamemnon collects a council of leaders, on which he asks whether the Greeks want to return home. Warriors who took this offer seriously, go to their ships. However, Odysseus stops them, with the submission of Athena. He utters a fiery speech. The wise Nestor gives his soldiers instructions. After hearing his speeches, the Greeks make sacrifices and prepare for battle. Achilles and his companions are not involved in this.

The war continues

We will not include in the summary of the Iliad of Homer a detailed description of the forces that were exposed by the belligerents. The Trojan army is headed by Hector - the son of King Priam. Brother Hector - Paris, who initiated this war (it was he who kidnapped Elena - the beautiful wife of the Spartan king Menelaus), offers Menelaay to fight one on one. The winner was to finally take over Elena and finish the long war. The first few blows allowed Menela to feel the proximity of victory. However, here again the divine forces intervene: Aphrodite, who patronizes Paris, saves her pet. Athena, however, pushes her Trojan enemies to ensure that they first violate the truce concluded before the battle.

Then follows the description of a series of fights, as a result of which the superiority is on the side of the Trojans. Seeing that it's bad, Agamemnon sends the embassy to Achilles. The commander-in-chief proposes to the brave soldier to return to Bricheid and reward him with generous gifts, if he returns to the system again. However, Achilles refuses to Agamemnon.

Clashes of troops continue. The Trojans attack the camp of the Greeks, Hector seems invincible. Fearing that Troy will win the war, Hera dresses up, decorates herself and secures herself with Zeus, her husband, on Mount Ida, to distract his attention from the fight. Having discovered the tricks of his wife, the supreme god is enraged and again helps the Trojans. The Greeks flee in panic. Patroclus, Achilles' best friend, sympathizes with them, puts on armor and goes to combat, but his opponent, Hector, is much stronger and kills Patroclus.

Revenge for a Murdered Friend

Next, a brief summary of Homer's Iliad returns to Achilles. A warrior swears an oath for a murdered friend. Thetis asks the god of blacksmith Hephaestus to forge a new weapon for her son. Armed with new armor, Achilles breaks into the battlefield and destroys many Trojans. After the warrior defeats the god of the river Skamandra and, after long persecution, meets with Hector. With the support of Athena, Achilles manages to deal mercilessly with the enemy, whom he then binds to his chariot and takes him to the Greek camp. The family of Hector is bitterly mourning him.

Then follows the description of the solemn funeral that Achilles arranges Patroclus - this event pays much attention to Homer. "Iliad," the brief content of which you are now reading, continues when the body of the hero is burned, and the ashes are placed in an urn of gold. The end of the day are athletic games in memory of the deceased.

The fate of Hector

Not recovering completely from the loss, Achilles travels the next day the funeral hill of Patroclus, and does it on the chariot to which Hector's body is tied. Apollo asks the gods to stop this blasphemy. Hera objects, but Zeus gives the go-ahead for Priam to redeem his son's body. Thetis is instructed to ask Achilles for consent. And Priam informs about the will of Zeus, the messenger of Iris. Hecuba is trying to dissuade Priam. But he, wanting to redeem his son's body, goes to the tent of Achilles with rich gifts. In this moment Homer describes an exalted pathetic scene. Sadly Achill agrees to accept Priam. He does not forget about the fate of his father, with whom he could not say good-bye, and returns that body to his son. The Trojans weep for Hector's death, and Homer's poem "Iliad," which we summarized, ends with the words: "So they buried the body of Hector Hector."