25/9/06 - Classical Literature - Iliad: An Introduction

Composed for a performance.

Story of war. Whoever wins takes wives and children of opponent as slaves or kills them. Brutality. Primitive perception of women. Ironic undertones. Celebrates nobility and grandeur of warriors. Larger-than-life heroes.

Pay special attention to books 1, 6, 9, 19, 22, 24.

Two ages: age in which Iliad was written; age in which it was set.

Debate: did Trojan war really happen?

There is a Troy. Poems that talked about a great war. Homer's version of the story surpassed others; thus it survives.

We know more than original audience of Iliad. They believed in the story, but archaeology has given us evidence. But they know more about the myths, Gods, etc.

Epic: genre. Probably not invented by Greeks. Long narrative in verse involving gods and wars. Gilgamech, hero of myth.

Gods
Zeus - King of Gods. Son of Kronos and Rheia (also known as the Titans).
Poseidon - God of Sea. Brother of Zeus.
Hades - God of underworld. Greedy.
Apollo - Archer God. Pro-Trojan. Potent, youthful.
Hera - Sister and wife of Zeus. Goddess of marriage. Pro-Achaian.
Athene - Sprang fully formed from Zeus's head. No mother. Warlike. Crafty.
Aphrodite - Goddess of sex and love.

In art, Gods portrayed naked to show their perfection.

Trojan cycle
Iliad only spans 40 days of story.

Achilleus, Agamemnon; main heroes of Iliad. Other stories of Trojan cycle mentioned in Iliad, e.g. Hercules, book 8; Seven Against Thebes, one generation before Iliad, Thebes attacked by Argives, Diomedes (son of Tydeus); Jason and the Argonauts, one generation before Iliad; Meleger and the Calydonian Boar (book 9:529-549).

In medias res. In the middle of the story. Homer selective. Intro: 12-13. Background touched on, but it's significant. Skill of poet makes Iliad great, not the content or telling great war.