Transcript Lecture 6 - The Iliad I

The Iliad
Prof. Bretton Rodriguez
October 5, 2016
Outline:
I. Review
II. Historical Context
III. Textual Background
IV. Main Themes of Book I
V. Afterlife of The Iliad
Section I: Review
Key Terms:
Myth
Once believed to be true by a specific people or culture
Attempts to explain the the nature of the world
Provides a rationale for social customs and beliefs
Establishes rules by which people can live their lives
Epic
A long narrative poem dealing with heroic deeds and often
associated with war, vengeance, and adventure
Written in an elevated style and concerns a heroic or semidivine figure whose actions have a national or even cosmic
importance
Key Terms (2):
Monotheism
The doctrine or belief that there is one god alone
Polytheism
System of belief in which there is more than one god
Anthropomorphism
Non-human beings and objects that are described or
thought of as being like humans in appearance,
behavior, etc.
Gilgamesh:
c.1800-1600 BCE
Genesis:
c.950-650 BCE
The Iliad:
c.800 BCE
Iliad - Overview
Earliest work of the
European Literary
Tradition
Covers a few weeks within
a ten-year war
Composed in an archaic
form of Ionian Greek
Written in dactylic
hexameter
Epic poem
Begins in the middle of
the action
Heroes and gods are
characters
Was part of a larger epic
cycle
Oral composition
24 Books
Over 15,000 lines
Section II: Historical
Context
The Trojan War:
c.1200 BCE
The Hellenic World:
c.800-500 BCE
The Homeric Question(s):
Did a poet named Homer
compose The Iliad and the
Odyssey?
Were they composed by
the same author?
Were they composed at
the same time?
How is it possible to
remember a 15,000+ line
poem?
Section III: Textual
Background
Early Manuscripts:
Problem of Translation:
Example of original Greek:
Iliad, lines 1-21
English Translations (Pope):
The Wrath of Peleus' Son, the direful Spring
Of all the Grecian Woes, O Goddess, sing!
That Wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy Reign
The Souls of mighty Chiefs untimely slain;
Whose Limbs unbury'd on the naked Shore
Devouring Dogs and hungry Vultures tore.
Since Great Achilles and Atrides strove,
Such was the Sov'reign Doom, and such the Will of Jove.
English Translations
(Lattimore):
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilles
and its devastation, which put pains thousand-fold upon
the Achaians,
hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong
souls
of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting
of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was
accomplished....
English Translations
(Lombardo):
Rage:
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades' dark,
And left their bodies to rot as feasts
For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done.
Section IV: Main Themes
of Book I
Summary of Book I
Introduction to the world of The Iliad
Introduces the audience to the various divine, semidivine, and mortal characters
Establishes the conflict that will be developed
throughout the rest of the poem
Explores several of the main themes, which will be
further developed throughout The Iliad
1. Role of the Gods
How do we interpret the
role of the gods in The
Iliad?
Are they different than
the gods in Gilgamesh?
How much control do
they have over events?
Book I, Lines 205-219
Athena came, sent by the white-armed goddess
Hera, who loved and watched over both men.
She stood behind Achilles and grabbed his sandy hair,
Visible only to him …
Athena’s eyes glared through the sea’s salt haze.
“I came to see if I could check this temper of yours,
Sent from heaven by the white-armed goddess
Hera, who loves you and watches over both of you men.
2. Heroic Ideal
What does it mean to be a
hero in The Iliad?
Is Achilles a hero at the
beginning?
What is the importance of
honor?
Book I, Lines 361-377
Then Achilles, in tears …
He prayed over and over to his beloved mother:
“Mother, since you bore me for a short life only,
Olympian Zeus was supposed to grant me honor.
Well, he hasn’t given me any at all. Agamemnon
Has taken away my prize and dishonored me.” …
And Thetis, now weeping herself:
“My poor child. I bore you for sorrow,
Nursed you for grief …
Now you’re destined for both an early death
And misery beyond compare.
3. Importance of Destiny
What is the role of destiny
in The Iliad?
Can the characters in The
Iliad change their destiny?
What is its relationship to
the gods?
Book I, Lines 521-562
Thetis did not forget // Her son’s request …
“Father Zeus, if I have ever helped you
In word or deed or among the immortals,
Grant me this prayer:
Honor my son, doomed to die young …
Give the Trojans the upper hand until the Greeks
Grant my son the honor he deserves.” …
This provoked a troubled, gloomy response:
“This is disastrous. You’re going to force me
Into conflict with Hera …
And so you can have some peace of mind,
I’ll say yes to you by nodding my head,
The ultimate pledge. Unambiguous,
Irreversible, and absolutely fulfilled,
What I say yes to with a nod of my head.”
And the son of Cronus nodded.
Section V: Afterlife of The
Iliad
Myths of Origin:
Greek and Trojan origins become incredibly important
in the Ancient and Medieval worlds
Various nations created origin myths that linked
themselves to individual heroes from the war:
Rome
France
Germany
England
Spain
Iceland
Modern Retellings of the
Trojan War
Thank you!