The Iliad (Summarized)

By Homer

The Iliad recounts a brief but crucial period of the Trojan War, a conflict between the city
of Troy and its allies against a confederation of Greek cities, collectively known as the Achaeans.
The conflict began when Paris, the son of Troy’s king Priam, seized a willing Helen, the most
beautiful woman in the world, from the Achaean king Menelaus. The Achaeans raised a massive
army and sailed to Troy, bent on winning Helen back by force.
As the story begins, the war is in its ninth year. The Achaeans have recently sacked a nearby
city, taking several beautiful women captive along with a lot of treasure. Chryses, a priest
of Apollo from the sacked city, approaches the Achaean camp and asks Agamemnon, the leader
of the Achaeans, to release his daughter, who is one of the captives, from slavery. Agamemnon
refuses. Chryses prays to Apollo to punish the Achaeans, and Apollo rains down a plague on the
Achaean army.
The plague ravages the Achaean army. Desperate for an answer, the Achaeans ask the
prophet Calchas about the plague’s cause. Calchas instructs Agamemnon to give back Chryses’
daughter. Agamemnon agrees reluctantly, but demands that he be given Briseis, the captive girl
given to the warrior Achilles, as compensation. Achilles is enraged by Agamemnon’s demand and
refuses to fight for Agamemnon any longer.
Achilles, the greatest of the Achaean fighters, desires revenge on Agamemnon. He calls to
his mother Thetis, an immortal sea-nymph, and asks her to beseech Zeus to turn the tide of the war
against the Achaeans. Since Achilles is fated to die a glorious death in battle, an Achaean collapse
will help give Achilles glory, allowing him to come to their aid. Zeus assents to Thetis’ request.
On the battlefield, Paris and Menelaus agree to duel to end the war. Menelaus is victorious,
but the Trojans break the agreement sworn to beforehand. The armies plunge into a battle that lasts
several days. In the fighting, many soldiers distinguish themselves, including the
Achaean Diomedes and Priam’s son Hector. The tide of battle turns several times, but the Trojan
forces under Hector eventually push the Achaeans back to the fortifications they have built around
their ships.
Meanwhile, a surrogate conflict is being waged between the gods on behalf of the Trojans
and Achaeans. Athena, Hera, and Poseidon support the Achaean forces, while Apollo, Aphrodite,
and Ares support the Trojans. As the battle rages on, the gods give strength and inspiration to their
respective champions. Eventually Zeus, planning to shape the conflict by himself so that he may
fulfill his promise to Thetis, bans intervention in the war by the other gods. Zeus helps engineer
the Trojan advance against the Achaeans.
Under immense pressure, the elderly Achaean captain Nestor proposes that an embassy be
sent to Achilles in order to convince him to return to battle. Achilles listens to their pleas but
ultimately refuses, stating that he will not stir until the Trojans to attack his own ships. After a
prolonged struggle, the Trojans finally break through the Achaean fortress, threatening to burn the
ships and slaughter the Achaeans.
Achilles’ inseparable comrade Patroclus, fearing the destruction of the Achaean forces,
asks Achilles if he can take his place in battle. Achilles eventually agrees, and as the first Achaean
ship begins to burn, Patroclus leads out Achilles’ army, dressed in Achilles’ armor in order to
frighten the Trojans. Patroclus fights excellently, and the Trojans are repulsed from the ships.
However, Patroclus disobeys Achilles’ order to return after driving back the Trojans. He pursues
the Trojans all the way to the gates of Troy. Zeus, planning this sequence of events all along,
allows Apollo to knock Patroclus over. Hector then kills Patroclus as he lies on the ground, and a
battle breaks out over Patroclus’ body. Hector strips Achilles’ armor from Patroclus, but Menelaus
and others manage to save the body.
When Achilles learns of Patroclus’ death, he is stricken with grief. Desiring revenge on
Hector and the Trojans, Achilles reconciles with Agamemnon. His mother Thetis visits the smith
god Hephaestus, who forges new, superhuman armor for Achilles, along with a
magnificent shield that depicts the entire world. Meanwhile, the Trojans camp outside their city’s
walls, underestimating Achilles’ fury. The next day, Achilles dons his armor and launches into
battle, slaughtering numerous Trojans on the plains of Troy. Achilles also fights the river
god Xanthus, who becomes upset with Achilles for killing so many Trojans in his waters.
The Trojans flee from the rage of Achilles and hide inside the walls of Troy. Hector alone
remains outside the wall, determined to stand fast against Achilles, but as Achilles approaches
him, Hector loses his nerve and begins to run. Achilles chases Hector around the walls of Troy
four times, but eventually Hector turns and faces Achilles. With the help of Athena, Achilles kills
Hector. He attaches Hector’s corpse to his chariot and drags the body back to the Achaean camp
as revenge for Patroclus’ death.
Achilles, still grieving, holds an elaborate funeral for Patroclus, which is followed by a
series of commemorative athletic games. After the games, Achilles continues to drag Hector’s
body around Patroclus’ corpse for nine days. The gods, wishing to see Hector buried properly,
send Priam, escorted by Hermes, to ransom Hector’s body. Priam pleads with Achilles for mercy,
asking Achilles to remember his own aging father. Achilles is moved by Priam’s entreaty and
agrees to give back Hector’s body. Priam returns to Troy with Hector, and the Trojans grieve for
their loss. A truce is declared while the Trojans bury Hector.