Reading Notes: Iliad, Part A
Iliad: How the War with Troy Began
These stories is part of the Iliad retold by Alfred J. Church (1907).
There once was a great king of Sparta who had the most gorgeous daughter named Helen. Every prince in Greece who knew of Helen's beauty wanted to marry her. The king asked something of these princes: " You must all give your word to me to be kind to the man my daughter chooses to be her husband. Give your word to me that if there ever is a man who does wrong and steals her from her husband, you must help him get her back from the thief." They all give their word to do so.
The beautiful Helen chose a prince to marry who went by the name Menelaüs and who was brother to Agamemnon. Agamemnon was the chief of all kings of Greece. Time had passed and Helen's father died, and Menelaüs reigned as king of Sparta.
Helen and Menelaüs lived a pleasant life in Sparta until a young Prince, Paris, arrived. Prince Paris who was the son of the king of Troy, Priam, stole Helen along with gold and other precious valuables.
Menelaüs and Agamemnon sent for the princes of Greece in a message: " It is the time to keep your oaths to the deceased king of Sparta and help me and get my beautiful wife, Helen, back." The princes who made the oath and other men who did not take the oath gathered with Menelaüs and his brother at Alius. Of the men who gathered the most powerful of them were the following: Diomed, son of Tydeus, Ajax the Greater and his brother Teucer the Archer, Ajax the Less, Nestor, who was the oldest man in the world, and Ulysses the wise. Along with these strong men was the most courageous, the strongest, and most skilled in combat of all of Greece Achilles. Accompanying Achilles was his close friend Patroclus.
For long nine years, the greeks blockaded the city of Troy but could not pass Troy's strong walls. In this time the men grew in need of clothes and food. They became so in need they left half of their men to watch the city of Troy and the other half went to diminish other cities. Through this story began the start to a great war.
Iliad: The Quarrel
The Greeks conquered the city of Chrysé the city that worshipped the god Apollo and divided the share among three. Agamemnon got a girl, Chryseïs, who was the daughter of the priest of Apollo. The priest distraught for his daughter begged Agamemnon for his daughter back. He pleaded to buy her from him offering a great amount of gold to Agamemnon.
Agamemnon rejected the priest and said " Go away, priest! If you dare to persist here, I will have no mercy on your life no longer. Your daughter belongs to me and I will take her home with me once Troy is conquered."
The Preist very frightened left and pleaded for Apollos intervention. Apollo heard his Priests plea and was angered at the way Agamemnon treated him. Apollo in a rage went to Olympus as night fell and took his great arrows to show Agamemnon his wrath. These arrows were of great power that carried death with them. His arrows of death first targeted the dogs and mules finally the men fell prey to them. For nine days people died from Apollos wrath and tired of people dying Achilles called for an assemblage.
Once the Greeks were gathered Achilles stood up and spoke: " Many people have died in battle and more are dying from the plague. If this continues we will perish, we must ask the prophets why Appollo is disfavored with us."
Calchas stood up and responded, " I can tell you why Appollo is angry with us but I do not want to perish from Agamemnon from what I tell you."
Achilles told him " Speak, I give my word that no man will bring you harm not even Agamemnon." "
Calchas spoke " Apollo is angered because Agamemnon refused to give a priest of Apollo his daughter back. We must mend this by giving the priest his daughter back at no cost and with her sacrifice a hundred beasts."
Agamemnon responded in Anger " You always speak of wicked things! I will send the girl back for my people but I will not go without my share!"
Achilles told him " You are too greedy Agamemnon. As king, you surely will not take what share has already been given. You shall see when we conquer Troy we will repay you three times as much."
"Do not take my share from me Achilles. If I have to I will take my share from you, or Ajax, or from Ulysses."
Achilles angered said " Agamemnon you are the most greedy king there ever was! The trojans have done me or to my own no harm. I have fought loyal and tirelessly for you and your bother. I will not be treated like this and be stolen what little was given to me when you got the most of the share in the first place. I will go home and will not be treated like this."
Agamemnon responded " Go and take your people with you. Mark my words your share the girl, Briseïs, is mine. I am your king and you must learn that. "
Achilles said to himself " I will kill this wicked man where he sits." Achilles drew his sword ready to kill Agamemnon. Hera then appeared and stopped Achilles by his hair. Achilles could see the goddess behind him but no one else could see her.
Achilles asked her " Have you come to witness his death?"
She responded " No I have come to ease your anger. Do not draw your sword upon him but say that you will for someday we will repay you three to four times for what he will do."
Achilles heard and obeyed.
Achilles said " I will do as you say for those who hear the gods the god hear them in return." Athena then returned to Olympus.
Achilles declared to Agamemnon " You cowardly fool! Hear my words closely! This scepter that you see in my hands was once a branch of a tree and now it is a scepter in the hands of a king. As without any doubt, this scepter will no longer grow leaves so will without a doubt the Greeks miss Achilles. As you see your men fall to the Trojans you will fill with regret for losing the most fearsome man you had on your side."
To this Achilles dropped the scepter on the ground and took his seat.
These stories is part of the Iliad retold by Alfred J. Church (1907).
There once was a great king of Sparta who had the most gorgeous daughter named Helen. Every prince in Greece who knew of Helen's beauty wanted to marry her. The king asked something of these princes: " You must all give your word to me to be kind to the man my daughter chooses to be her husband. Give your word to me that if there ever is a man who does wrong and steals her from her husband, you must help him get her back from the thief." They all give their word to do so.
The beautiful Helen chose a prince to marry who went by the name Menelaüs and who was brother to Agamemnon. Agamemnon was the chief of all kings of Greece. Time had passed and Helen's father died, and Menelaüs reigned as king of Sparta.
Helen and Menelaüs lived a pleasant life in Sparta until a young Prince, Paris, arrived. Prince Paris who was the son of the king of Troy, Priam, stole Helen along with gold and other precious valuables.
Menelaüs and Agamemnon sent for the princes of Greece in a message: " It is the time to keep your oaths to the deceased king of Sparta and help me and get my beautiful wife, Helen, back." The princes who made the oath and other men who did not take the oath gathered with Menelaüs and his brother at Alius. Of the men who gathered the most powerful of them were the following: Diomed, son of Tydeus, Ajax the Greater and his brother Teucer the Archer, Ajax the Less, Nestor, who was the oldest man in the world, and Ulysses the wise. Along with these strong men was the most courageous, the strongest, and most skilled in combat of all of Greece Achilles. Accompanying Achilles was his close friend Patroclus.
For long nine years, the greeks blockaded the city of Troy but could not pass Troy's strong walls. In this time the men grew in need of clothes and food. They became so in need they left half of their men to watch the city of Troy and the other half went to diminish other cities. Through this story began the start to a great war.
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| Helen |
Iliad: The Quarrel
The Greeks conquered the city of Chrysé the city that worshipped the god Apollo and divided the share among three. Agamemnon got a girl, Chryseïs, who was the daughter of the priest of Apollo. The priest distraught for his daughter begged Agamemnon for his daughter back. He pleaded to buy her from him offering a great amount of gold to Agamemnon.
Agamemnon rejected the priest and said " Go away, priest! If you dare to persist here, I will have no mercy on your life no longer. Your daughter belongs to me and I will take her home with me once Troy is conquered."
The Preist very frightened left and pleaded for Apollos intervention. Apollo heard his Priests plea and was angered at the way Agamemnon treated him. Apollo in a rage went to Olympus as night fell and took his great arrows to show Agamemnon his wrath. These arrows were of great power that carried death with them. His arrows of death first targeted the dogs and mules finally the men fell prey to them. For nine days people died from Apollos wrath and tired of people dying Achilles called for an assemblage.
Once the Greeks were gathered Achilles stood up and spoke: " Many people have died in battle and more are dying from the plague. If this continues we will perish, we must ask the prophets why Appollo is disfavored with us."
Calchas stood up and responded, " I can tell you why Appollo is angry with us but I do not want to perish from Agamemnon from what I tell you."
Achilles told him " Speak, I give my word that no man will bring you harm not even Agamemnon." "
Calchas spoke " Apollo is angered because Agamemnon refused to give a priest of Apollo his daughter back. We must mend this by giving the priest his daughter back at no cost and with her sacrifice a hundred beasts."
Agamemnon responded in Anger " You always speak of wicked things! I will send the girl back for my people but I will not go without my share!"
Achilles told him " You are too greedy Agamemnon. As king, you surely will not take what share has already been given. You shall see when we conquer Troy we will repay you three times as much."
"Do not take my share from me Achilles. If I have to I will take my share from you, or Ajax, or from Ulysses."
Achilles angered said " Agamemnon you are the most greedy king there ever was! The trojans have done me or to my own no harm. I have fought loyal and tirelessly for you and your bother. I will not be treated like this and be stolen what little was given to me when you got the most of the share in the first place. I will go home and will not be treated like this."
Agamemnon responded " Go and take your people with you. Mark my words your share the girl, Briseïs, is mine. I am your king and you must learn that. "
Achilles said to himself " I will kill this wicked man where he sits." Achilles drew his sword ready to kill Agamemnon. Hera then appeared and stopped Achilles by his hair. Achilles could see the goddess behind him but no one else could see her.
Achilles asked her " Have you come to witness his death?"
She responded " No I have come to ease your anger. Do not draw your sword upon him but say that you will for someday we will repay you three to four times for what he will do."
Achilles heard and obeyed.
Achilles said " I will do as you say for those who hear the gods the god hear them in return." Athena then returned to Olympus.
Achilles declared to Agamemnon " You cowardly fool! Hear my words closely! This scepter that you see in my hands was once a branch of a tree and now it is a scepter in the hands of a king. As without any doubt, this scepter will no longer grow leaves so will without a doubt the Greeks miss Achilles. As you see your men fall to the Trojans you will fill with regret for losing the most fearsome man you had on your side."
To this Achilles dropped the scepter on the ground and took his seat.
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