The document provides background information on Homer's epic poem The Iliad. It describes the Trojan War between the Greeks and Trojans, which was sparked when Paris judged Aphrodite as the fairest goddess and was awarded Helen, the wife of Menelaus. This led Menelaus and other Greek suitors who had sworn an oath to defend him to lay siege to Troy for ten years to reclaim Helen, as chronicled in Homer's poem focusing on the rage of Achilles.

1. THE ILIAD BY HOMER
Introduction to the Text

2. THE ILIAD: INTRODUCTION
Iliad” is word that means “a poem about Ilium”
(another name for Troy)
n the fifth century, the Greek historian
Herodotus referred to Homer’s work by that
name (the Iliad), and it’s been called it ever since
eally the poem could be called the Achillead,
since the primary focus is Achilles and his rage.
riginally the poem had 15,693 lines of
hexameter verse
he poet is known as “Homer,” but little about
his life is known

3. THE ILIAD: INTRODUCTION
irst printed edition of Homer was in Florence in 1488;
before that Homer’s work existed only in handwritten
copies
reek a difficult language to read; Petrarch tried to learn and
gave up
ante puts Homer in the first circle of Hell as a “Virtuous
Heathen,” but had never read Homer’s work.

4. ILIAD: INTRODUCTION
rgument about when exactly Homer lived
erodotus believed he lived in the 9th
century B.C.,
ther reports have him as far back as 12th
century B.C. (about 140 years
after Trojan War).
eneral agreement: Homer was a blind poet
niversally acknowledged as a genius; Iliad and the Odyssey are epics of

5. THE TROJAN WAR
he Iliad takes place in the 10th
and final year of
the Trojan War, which was the greatest conflict
in Greek mythology
he war was fought between the Greeks and
Trojans (with their allies), upon the city of Troy
(Ilium), on Asia Minor (modern Turkey).
he war lasted for ten years and it has been
traditionally dated from 1194 to 1184 BC.
he Trojan War influenced art, literature, music,
and philosophy for generations to come.

6. BACKGROUND TO THE TROJAN
WAR
he Gods Apollo and Poseidon construct the city of Troy for
Laomedon.
or many years, Troy is ruled by King Priam (Laomedon’s son)
and Queen Hecuba.
roy famous for its massive walls, which prophecy said could
never be breached.
ecuba dreams while pregnant that she gave birth to a firebrand
or flaming torch.
assandra, Priam’s daughter who has the gift of prophecy,
interprets the dream: the new-born son (Paris), should be
killed; otherwise he will lead to the destruction of Troy.

7. TROJAN WAR BACKGROUND
aris is taken away to Mount Ida to be killed, but is
rescued by shepherds and lived with them as such
for several years.
ne version says that Paris was “suckled by a bear”
while living on Mount Ida.
imilar events take place on Mount Cithaeron
involving a prophecy, a shepherd and a foundling
take place in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.

8. TROJAN WAR BACKGROUND
arallel Story: the marriage of the mortal Peleus and immortal
nymph Thetis (it all connects, trust me)
eleus marries the sea-nymph Thetis on Mount Ida, and all the
Gods attend the ceremony.
hetis and Peleus are the mother and father of the great Greek
warrior, Achilles.
Hera, wife of Zeus, organizes a spectacular wedding, and all
the gods and goddesses are invited (well, almost all).

9. TROJAN WAR: BACKGROUND
ris, the goddess of discord and strife, was
deliberately left off the invitation list.
ris comes anyway, and at the ceremony throws out a
golden apple with the inscription “for the fairest,”
among the crowd.
hree Goddesses Contend for the apple and for the
label of the “fairest”
era: Wife of Zeus, queen of the Gods
thena: Goddess of wisdom, military strategy

10. TROJAN WAR BACKGROUND:
THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS
he three goddesses ask Zeus to choose, but he wisely refuses.
nstead, he enlists the aid of the shepherd boy, Paris, and
appoints him the judge.
ll three goddesses attempt to win Paris’ favor with gifts
era offers him worldly power so that he can be a ruler with
unlimited riches.
thena offers him the ability to be a great hero or general,
endowed with wisdom.
phrodite offers him the love of the most beautiful women in
the world.

11. THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS
aris chooses Aphrodite’s offer, and he awards her the Golden
Apple.
he in return gives him the love of Helen of Sparta, the wife of
the Greek commander Menelaus (Agamemnon’s brother).
elen is reportedly the most beautiful woman who has ever
lived; she is later and better know as Helen of Troy, as Paris’
“wife.”
ey ** Athena and Hera hate Paris and all of Troy from that
moment on. Aphrodite will support the Trojans.
aris has a wife on Mount Ida, Oenone, but he abandons her to
pursue Helen.

12. HELEN OF SPARTA
elen is the daughter Leda and Zeus, who took the
form of a swan when he copulated with her.
eda’s mortal husband, Tyndareus, became Helen’s
legitimate “father.”
When it was time for Helen to marry, many kings
and princes from around the world came to seek her
hand or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf.
any Greek commanders wanted to marry her,
including Ajax, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus,
Diomedes, and Patroclus.

13. HELEN OF SPARTA
yndareus was afraid of choosing a husband for
Helen among all the suitors (fearing bloodshed
among the rejected rivals)
dysseus proposes a pact:
• the suitors must swear an oath to defend the
chosen husband against whoever should quarrel
with him.
ll agree, and Menelaus is the chosen husband.
enelaus becomes king of Sparta and lives for nine
years with Helen there.
hey have one daughter, Hermione.

14. THE SEDUCTION OF HELEN
aris has by this time returned home to Troy, been recognized,
and assumes his rightful place in the royal family.
e prepares for his journey to Sparta to win Helen, but is
warned by Cassandra that his trip would cause the ruin of
Troy; he goes anyway.
aris travels to Sparta and is the guest of Menelaus there.
elen of course falls in love with him, and the two elope while
Menelaus is away at his grandfather’s funeral.
elen leaves Hermione behind to start her new life in Troy as
Paris’ “wife.”

15. BEGINNING OF THE TROJAN
WAR
hen he finds Helen gone, an enraged Menelaus calls on
the former suitors of Helen to fulfill their oath.
elen becomes “the face that launched a thousand ships,”
as Christopher Marlowe famously says in the English
Renaissance play Dr. Faustus.
he Trojan War becomes a quest for the Greeks to return
Helen to Menelaus.
ey Theme**: Objectification of Women. The female as
possession, trophy, for the male pursuer.
gamemnon, the Greek commander, also wants to take
Troy and its riches.

16. he politics of war
ublic vs. Private agendas
chilles:
-vs. The Trojans
-vs. Agamemnon
ILIAD: KEY THEMES
pic Conventions
olytheistic Universe
pic Conventions
ragic Hero
eputation and Shame