Essay about Homers Iliad - 982 Words

The Iliad is an epic that tells the story of how Achilles avenges the death of his friend Petrocolus. Many of the events that took place were influenced by the God’s. The God either had control of the situation or took control of the situation at some point in time, not allowing the free will of the mortals to interfere with what was destined to happen. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the beginning of the Iliad, Agamemnon who the commander-in-chief of the Achaean forces, takes a liking to the Chryseis and takes her away from the her father. Chryses, Chryseis’s father, visits Agamemnon in hopes of making an exchange for his daughter. This confrontation did not end the way Chryses had hoped, only leading to Agamemnon threatening to kill†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Another example of the Gods intervening is when Achilles was so angry at Agamemnon. Agamemnon was forced to give Chryseis back to her father and was not pleased about this. In order for Agamemnon to be compensated for his loss he demands that he be given Briseis, Achilles’ girl. Achilles was so angry at the very thought of Agamemnon getting what was rightfully his that his only thought was to kill Agamemnon. After his first stride was taken to seize Agamemnon, the goddess Hera sends Athena down to stop Achilles. Achilles was the only person that could see Athena and she tells him not to kill the king, justice for Achilles will be served in due time. This goddess’ actions stopped an event that could have ended up in a tragic happening that would have caused more grief that it was worth. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;After Briseis is handed over to Agamemnon, Achilles calls out to his mother, the goddess Thetis. His mother could hear his weeping tears and she emerged from the sea. Achilles pleads with his mother that justice be served. He asks that Zeus might intervene so that the Achaeans might know suffering as long as Achilles does not fight. Zeus grants Achilles request and the Achaeans suffer tremendously throughout the war. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;As the heated battle of the Trojan War continues, the Achaeans continue to have bad luck. Iris is sent by the goddess Hera to tell Achilles to rise up and defend Petrocolus.Show MoreRelated Homers Iliad Essay3961 Words   |  16 PagesHomers Iliad The Iliad is an epic of death. It is a tale of conflict, batle, agony, and horific mutilation. Honor and glory are atained through warfare. The great shield of Achiles stands out in this context because it depicts the glories of an orderly, functioning, productive civilization. This depiction of life stands in stark contrast to the scenes of death that constitute a large portion of the narative. An examination of the shield of Achiles in Homer’s Iliad reveals many ideas in conflict:Read MoreHomers The Iliad1027 Words   |  5 Pagesauthor, and story teller. 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