HUMA 1105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Odysseus, Iliad
11 Dec 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
HUMA 1105 F
October 30th
Lecture 13, The iliad book 9
We ended with the Trojans burning thousands of fires at night, having gained power
over the Greeks !
Book 9 is all about Achilles !
Book 9 opens with Agamemnon shedding tears, complaining that Zeus has tricked
him, and has caused the Greeks to lose. !
•He then says that he is done, and that they should run away with their ships back to
Greece!
•Both Diomedes and Nestor say no, and suggest that they should bring back
Achilles !
•Agamemnon says that he admits he made a mistake, and that he will give Achilles
gifts to make it up to him !
They send Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax to offer these items to Achilles. Agamemnon
himself does not go because of his pride !
•They find Achilles playing the lyre, with Patroklos sitting with him !
•Odysseus appeals to Achilles using pity, and his love of his father !
•Achilles says that all his life he has fought and gotten nothing. He says that at the end
death is the same for those who fight and those who don’t, so there is no point !
•He says that Agamemnon hasn’t offered him the right thing because there is no
right thing !
•he talks about his fear and anxiety that he has gotten from fighting !
•Achilles refuses the offer of Agamemnon because he says that he took from him the
one thing that he loves, and that if he were to give him 20 times the gifts he would
still decline !
Achilles would never say yes to the offerings of Agamemnon because that would
tarnish his honour. If he were to accept them, it would mean he is accepting being
under Agamemnon for the rest of his life, and thats what he has been trying to avoid
this whole time !
We learn here that a prophecy has been made about Achilles !
•the prophecy said that if he stays at Troy, he will die, but glorious !
•If he leaves, he will live a long happy life as a no body !
•He questions whether honour is worth it because once you’re dead you’re dead, and
nothing will bring you back !
Phoenix gives a long speech to Achilles after hearing what he said !
•He says that they’ve been there for 9 years, and that they were sent there to learn
how to battle, as well as how to debate !
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
We ended with the trojans burning thousands of res at night, having gained power over the greeks. Book 9 opens with agamemnon shedding tears, complaining that zeus has tricked him, and has caused the greeks to lose: he then says that he is done, and that they should run away with their ships back to. Greece: both diomedes and nestor say no, and suggest that they should bring back. Achilles: agamemnon says that he admits he made a mistake, and that he will give achilles gifts to make it up to him. They send odysseus, phoenix, and ajax to o er these items to achilles. Achilles would never say yes to the o erings of agamemnon because that would tarnish his honour. If he were to accept them, it would mean he is accepting being under agamemnon for the rest of his life, and thats what he has been trying to avoid this whole time.
