mirrored file at http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== The Iliad I What is the plot? Troy called Illium. King of Trojans is Priam, his sons are Hector and Paris. The Greeks are called the Danaans, Achaeans, or Argives The kings of Greece are Agamemnon (of Mycenae) and his brother Menalaus (of Sparta). Their father was Atreus, so his sons are sometimes called Atreus or Atreid Achilles is the Greek hero, sometimes called king of the Myrmidons Before the story takes place, 3 goddesses: Aphrodite (sexual love); Hera (queen of Olympus and of the home); Athena (wisdom and war) are in a competition. Paris, the most beautiful young man in the world, must decide who is the fairest goddess. Paris awards the golden apple to Aphrodite who promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world but also the wife of Menalaus. Paris kidnaps (well, she wanted to go) Helen from Menalaus, and Menalaus and Agamemnon gather a huge army of Greeks to sail for Troy to wreck the city in revenge, steal its incredible riches, and return Helen to her husband. Athena and Hera are on the side of the Greeks. Zeus favors the Trojans. The story begins after the Greeks have been waging war for almost ten years and are still unable to breach the walls of Troy. The story begins with a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles over the slave girls, Briseis (Achilles's property) and Chryseis (Agamemnon's). Chryses -- a priest of the god, Apollo -- is Chryseis's father, who wants to ransom her back. Chryseis's has been captured when the Greeks were on their way to Troy. It was customary to take a price for a man or woman; it was considered foolish not to take the money. But Agamemnon won't give Chryseis back. This angers the god, Apollo, and he causes the Greeks great damage in the war. Agamemnon finally says that if he has to give up Chryseis, he will take Achilles's girl, Briseis, as recompense. Achilles is so mad, he refuses to fight. [wl1.gif] [aw.jpg] [back.gif]