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The Iliad | Study Guide

Homer

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Course Hero, "The Iliad Study Guide," August 17, 2016, accessed June 2, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Iliad/.

The Iliad | Infographic

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Homer's The Iliad. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

Artboard 1Achilles, Book 21, Lines 123–124ven for me, I tell you / death and the strong force of fate are waiting.Sources: Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Duke University, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Introduction to The Iliad by Bernard KnoxCopyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.The Iliadby the NumbersLines of verse in The Iliad15,693Ships belonging to all the Greeks, as described in Book 2~1,200Papyrus scrolls needed to record The Iliad—possibly the origin of the 24 books24Book some scholars believe was added to The Iliad by a later author10Historians believe that Homer—much like Teiresias, the blind prophet who appears in The Odyssey and Sophocles's writings—may have been blind. Little is known about Homer's life, but historians think he may have been from Ionia, near Troy. Scholars believe many people in classical Greece memorized The Iliad, looking to it for heroic examples.HOMERC. 9TH/8TH CENTURY BCEAchaean ShipsAs the Achaeans' only way home, the ships symbolize theirsurvival and future.EatingFood and discussions about eating symbolize characters' states of mind.SymbolsMain CharactersPriamNoble king of TroyParisHector’s brotherHelenCaptured by ParisGODSSUPPORTING TROJANSSUPPORTING GREEKSHectorTrojan protectorAchillesGreatest Greek warriorAgamemnonProud king of MycenaeMenelausAgamemnon’s brother; Helen’s husbandPatroclusAchilles’s comradeZeusKing of the godsAthenaGoddess of warThetisSea goddess; Achilles’s motherApolloGod of the sunAchilles's ShieldCovered in images of war and peace, it contrasts two inevitable parts of life. As the Trojan War grinds through its 10th year, powerful Achilles grows furious when his pride is insulted. He won't fight for the Achaeans (Greeks) until he gets an apology, even if it means letting Troy win. Tragedy abounds, and Achilles will soon face his own fate—but not before reconnecting with his humanity.Rage against the WorldTHEMESFateThe gods decide humans' fate, but sometimes mortals have a choice. WarViolence is glorious and terrible and an unavoidable fact of life. HumanityA sense of common humanity balances the horror of war. PrideInflexible pride and honor take a heavy toll on the Greeks.Homerc. 750–650 Ancient GreekEpic PoemAuthorYear WrittenOriginal LanguageThe IliadWar Literature
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