Flashcards for The Iliad

Achilles

Achilles, the son of Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis, stands out as the greatest warrior among the Achaeans and is the central character of the Iliad.

greatest Achaean warrior, whose anger drives the epic

Aeneas

Aeneas stands out as a top Trojan warrior and commander of the Dardanians, earning respect among the Trojan fighters.

leading Trojan warrior, repeatedly rescued by gods

Agamemnon

Agamemnon, son of Atreus and king of Mycenae, commands the Achaean forces besieging Troy.

king of the Achaeans, commander of the Greek forces

Ajax

Ajax, the son of Telamon, emerges as the leading Achaean warrior during the extended period when Achilles refuses to engage in battle.

mighty Achaean warrior, son of Telamon

Andromache

Andromache, the wife of Hector, is the daughter of Eetion, the Cilician king who ruled Thebe on the wooded slopes of Mt.

wife of Hector, who mourns his death

Diomed

Diomed, son of Tydeus, stands out as one of the fiercest Achaean warriors in the Iliad.

fierce Achaean warrior who wounds gods in battle

Hector

Hector is Troy's greatest warrior and its main protector, the son of King Priam and the champion of Trojan hopes.

greatest Trojan warrior, son of Priam

Helen

The Trojan elders at the Scaean gates comment on her "marvellously and divinely lovely" appearance, but they also warn that she will bring sorrow to them and their children.

Spartan queen whose abduction sparked the war

Menelaus

Menelaus, the son of Atreus and brother of Agamemnon, is the wronged husband whose wife Helen was taken, igniting the Trojan War.

king of Sparta, husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon

Nestor

Nestor, the king of Pylos and the oldest of the Achaean leaders at Troy, plays the role of the army's primary advisor and moral compass throughout the Iliad.

elder Achaean king and counsellor

Odysseus

Odysseus, referred to as Ulysses in Butler's translation, stands out as one of the key leaders among the Achaeans in the Iliad.

cunning Achaean leader and envoy to Achilles (Ulysses in Butler's translation)

Paris

Paris, also called Alexandrus, is a Trojan prince whose kidnapping of Helen from Sparta ignites the war between the Achaeans and Troy.

Trojan prince whose taking of Helen caused the war (also called Alexandrus)

Patroclus

Patroclus is Achilles' cherished companion and squire, and his death is the key tragedy that drives the latter half of the Iliad.

Achilles' beloved companion, killed by Hector

Priam

Priam is the king of Troy and the father of a large royal family that includes Hector, Paris (also known as Alexandrus), Helenus, Deiphobus, and several others who are mentioned in battle.

king of Troy, father of Hector and Paris

Thetis

Thetis is a sea goddess and Achilles' mother, the daughter of Nereus, the old man of the sea, and one of the Nereids.

sea-goddess, mother of Achilles

Zeus

Zeus, known as Jove in Butler's translation, reigns as the king of the gods and holds supreme authority over both the divine and mortal realms in the Iliad.

king of the gods, who turns the war as he promised Thetis (Jove in Butler's translation)

“Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.”

These opening lines of the poem set the stage for its central theme: Achilles' rage and the havoc it unleashes on the Greek army.

The narrator · Book I

“My good friend, if, when we were once out of this fight, we could escape old age and death thenceforward and forever, I should neither press forward myself nor bid you do so”

Sarpedon speaks to Glaucus in Book XII as they get ready to attack the Achaean wall.

Sarpedon · Book XII

“My mother Thetis tells me that there are two ways in which I may meet my end. If I stay here and fight, I shall not return alive but my name will live for ever: whereas if I go home my name will die, but it will be long ere death shall take me.”

Achilles delivers these lines in Book IX when Ulysses, Phoenix, and Ajax visit his tent to present Agamemnon's gifts and plead for his return to battle.

Achilles · Book IX

“There is one omen, and one only—that a man should fight for his country.”

Hector delivers this line in Book XII when Polydamas interprets the sight of an eagle dropping a blood-red snake as a warning against attacking the Achaean wall.

Hector · Book XII

“Nay—Hector—you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband—have mercy upon me; stay here upon this wall; make not your child fatherless, and your wife a widow”

Andromache stands at the Scaean gates in Book VI, desperately urging Hector not to return to battle.

Andromache · Book VI

“Fate and the son of Leto have overpowered me, and among mortal men Euphorbus; you are yourself third only in the killing of me.”

These words are from Patroclus's last moments in Book XVI, after Apollo has struck him from behind, Euphorbus has wounded him, and Hector has delivered the final blow.

Patroclus · Book XVI

“I will not live nor go about among mankind unless Hector fall by my spear, and thus pay me for having slain Patroclus son of Menoetius.”

Achilles utters these lines in Book XVIII right after he learns about Patroclus’s death.

Achilles · Book XVIII

“Alas! the gods have lured me on to my destruction. I deemed that the hero Deiphobus was by my side, but he is within the wall, and Minerva has inveigled me”

Hector utters these words in Book XXII when he realizes he has been tricked.

Hector · Book XXII

“he clasped his knees and kissed the dread murderous hands that had slain so many of his sons.”

This image from Book XXIV — Priam gripping Achilles' knees and kissing the hands that took his sons' lives — stands out as one of the most powerful moments in the poem.

The narrator · Book XXIV

“on the floor of Jove’s palace there stand two urns, the one filled with evil gifts, and the other with good ones.”

Achilles shares these thoughts during a poignant meeting with Priam in Book XXIV, using the metaphor of two urns on Jove's floor—one containing evil gifts and the other good—to illustrate the nature of human suffering.

Achilles · Book XXIV

“Men come and go as leaves year by year upon the trees. Those of autumn the wind sheds upon the ground, but when spring returns the forest buds forth with fresh vines.”

Glaucus speaks these words in Book VI when Diomed asks him to introduce himself before their duel.

Glaucus · Book VI

“You sleep, Achilles, and have forgotten me; you loved me living, but now that I am dead you think for me no further.”

The ghost of Patroclus speaks these words in Book XXIII, appearing to Achilles in a dream and scolding him for neglecting his burial.

The ghost of Patroclus · Book XXIII

Achilles' divine armor

The armor that Vulcan forged for Achilles symbolizes heroic identity, fate, and the price of glory.

the anger of Achilles

Achilles' anger drives the entire poem and pushes the story along.

the ghost and body of Patroclus

Patroclus's journey in death—first as a body contended over on the battlefield, then as a haunting spirit, and finally as a figure laid on the pyre—drives the entire second half of the poem.

the golden scales of Zeus

Zeus's golden scales symbolize fate, acting beyond the control of any god or hero.

the Scaean gates and Troy's walls

Troy's walls and the Scaean gates symbolize the divide between safety and destruction, life and death, for both the Trojans and the Achaeans.

the sea and the shore

The sea and the shoreline serve as a backdrop for grief, prayer, and solitude, providing a stark contrast to the chaos of battle.

Imagery

Homer creates striking sensory images throughout the epic.

Simile

The poem is filled with vivid comparisons drawn from nature and daily life.

Foreshadowing

The poem gives hints of impending disaster long before it happens.

Dramatic Irony

The reader often knows things that the characters do not.

Apostrophe

Characters and the narrator frequently speak to absent or deceased figures during crucial emotional scenes.

Motif

The weighing of fates on golden scales shows up at two crucial moments, creating a repeated theme of divine judgment.

Juxtaposition

Homer often juxtaposes contrasting scenes or values to amplify their meaning.

Extended Metaphor

In Book VI, Glaucus responds to Diomed's inquiry about his lineage by reflecting on the transient nature of humanity: "Men come and go as leaves year by year upon the trees.

Irony

Situational and verbal irony weave through the poem's take on heroic ambition.

Pathetic Fallacy

The natural world reflects and intensifies human emotions in different ways.

everywhither

In every direction at once; to all places across a wide area. Used here to show arrows flying out randomly across the entire crowd.

adverb · Chapter 1

gold-bestudded

Decorated all over with gold studs or nail-like ornaments fixed into the surface, giving a rich, ornamented appearance.

adjective · Chapter 1

hundred-handed

Having a hundred hands; used here as an epithet for a mythological giant of extraordinary power, whose many hands made him virtually unstoppable in battle.

adjective · Chapter 1

smooth-tongued

Skilled at speaking in a pleasing, flattering, or persuasive way; able to talk people around with clever, agreeable words.

adjective · Chapter 1

five-pronged

Having five pointed tines or prongs, like a fork with five spikes, used here to describe the skewers for roasting meat over a fire.

adjective · Chapter 1

ill-affected

Hostile in feeling or disposition; bearing ill will toward others and prone to stirring up quarrels or resentment.

adjective · Chapter 1

bandy-legged

Having legs that curve outward at the knees so the feet are closer together than the knees, giving an ungainly, bowed appearance.

adjective · Chapter 2

householders

The male heads of individual households; here used as the unit by which the Trojans counted their fighting force, one man per family.

noun · Chapter 2

shamefacedness

A feeling of deep shame and embarrassment that shows on a person's face; the state of being unable to hold one's head up out of disgrace.

noun · Chapter 3

love-tricks

The arts and stratagems used to attract or charm a lover; flirtatious skills and seductive behaviour used to win someone's affection.

noun · Chapter 3

transgressed

Broken or violated a solemn agreement, law, or oath; gone beyond what was permitted by a binding rule or sacred covenant.

verb · Chapter 3

cheek-piece

A shaped piece attached to the side of a helmet or bridle; here it is a curved piece of ivory fitted to the side of a horse's headgear.

noun · Chapter 4

give-and-take

A mutual exchange of concessions or benefits between two parties; a deal where each side gives something up and receives something in return.

phrase · Chapter 4

archer-queen

An epithet for the goddess Diana (Artemis), who was worshipped as a divine huntress carrying a bow, and as the queen or mistress of the hunt.

noun · Chapter 6

introduction

Here specifically a written letter of introduction — a document carried by a traveller that introduces him to a host and vouches for him, used here deceitfully to carry a death warrant.

noun · Chapter 6

frankincense

A fragrant resin burned as incense in religious rituals; the sweet smoke that rises when it is burned on an altar was considered an offering pleasing to the gods.

noun · Chapter 9

halcyon-bird

The kingfisher, a bird whose plaintive, mournful cry was associated in ancient myth with grief and lamentation, especially a mother's mourning for a lost child.

noun · Chapter 9

clan-gatherings

Formal assemblies or social feasts held by a tribe or kin group; occasions where members of the same clan meet together for community business or celebration.

noun · Chapter 10

apothecaries

Medical practitioners who compound and apply medicines and herbs to treat wounds; in this context, battlefield healers who dress and treat injuries with medicinal plants.

noun · Chapter 16

gore-bedrabbled

Spattered and smeared with blood; covered in gore so that the surface is wet and dirty with it.

adjective · Chapter 13

compunction

A feeling of guilt or moral unease about doing something wrong; a scruple or twinge of conscience that makes a person hesitate before acting.

noun · Chapter 14

clubfooted

Born with a deformed foot that is twisted or misshapen, causing a limp; used here as a physical epithet for the smith-god Vulcan.

adjective · Chapter 14

winnowing-shovel

A broad, flat tool like a large shovel or fan used to toss grain into the air so the wind blows away the light chaff, leaving the heavier grain to fall back down.

noun · Chapter 13

crest-socket

The hollow fitting on top of a helmet that holds the upright plume or crest in place; a small tube or slot through which the decorative crest is inserted.

noun · Chapter 17

saffron-mantled

Wearing or wrapped in a robe of deep golden-yellow, the colour of saffron; used as an epithet for the goddess of dawn, whose appearance fills the sky with that warm golden hue.

adjective · Chapter 23