BOOK 1-6 CHARACTERS

Book 1
1. Chryseis and Briseis- two maidens captured by the Achaeans
2. Agamemnon- commander-in-chief of the Achaeans army
3. Achilles- one of the Achaeans most valuable warriors
4. Chryses- father of Chryseis and serves as a priest of the god Apollo
5. Calchas- soothsayer who revealed that the plague is a vengeful and strategic move
made by Chryses and Apollo
6. Athena- the goddess sent by Hera who checks the anger of Achilles and gives him
advice that prevents the duel between him and Agamemnon
7. Nestor- the wise advisor who also help in preventing the duel
8. Thetis- a sea-nymph, mother of Achilles
9. Odysseus- Achaean commander
10. Zeus- king of the gods
11. Hephaestus- son of Hera
Book 3
12. Paris- Trojan prince who precipitated the war by stealing Helen from her husband
13. Helen- wife of Menelaus
14. Menelaus- husband of Helen
15. Hector- brother of Paris and leader of Trojan forces
16. Iris- a goddess disguised as Hector’s sister (Laodice)
17. Priam- city’s elder
18. Aphrodite- ally of the Trojans, Aeaneas’ mother
Book 4
19. Pandarus- the archer who shoots at Menelaus under Athena’s persuasion
Book 5
20. Diomedes- Achaean hero
21. Aeneas- the noble Trojan hero immortalized in Virgil’s Aeneid
22. Dime- Aphrodite’s mother
23. Ares- god of war
Book 6
24. Adrestus- a Trojan subdued by Menelaus
25. Helenus- the soothsayer who urges Hector to return to Troy to ask his mother along
with her noble women to pray for mercy at the temple of Athena
26. Queen Hecuba- mother of Hector
27. Andromache- wife of Hector
28. Astyanax- son of Hector and Andromache

BOOK 1-6 SUMMARIES

Book 1
The story begins nine years after the start of Trojan War. The Achaeans captured
two maidens from a Trojan-allied town, Chryses and Briseis. Agamemnon the
commander-in-chief of Achaeans army wants Chryses and Achilles one of the
Achaeans’ most valuable warriors, claims Briseis. Chryses, the father of Chryses beg
Agamemnon to return his daughter and offered him an enormous amount. However,
Agamemnon refuses, so as a priest who serves Apollo, Chryses, ask Apollo for help.
Apollo sends plague to the Greek camp where many died. Agamemnon seeks for a help
from a soothsayer to reveal the cause of the plague and he found out form Calchus, the
soothsayer, that it was a vengeful move by Chryses and Apollo. But Agamemnon made
a condition that he’s only going to give back Chryses if Achilles was willing to give him
Briseis. This made Achilles angry and was ready to kill Agamemnon. However through
the help of Athena who was sent by Hera, and a wise advisor Nestor they prevent the
duel between Agamemnon and Achilles. Odysseus navigates the ship that Chryseis has
boarded, she was sent back to her father and Chryses pray to Apollo to lift the plague.
But, Briseis was taken by Agamemnon. Achilles then ask for the help of his mother,
Thetis, a sea-nymph, to ask Zeus, the king of gods to punish the Achaeans. The plague
ended, but since the quarrel between him and Agamemnon happened, Achilles refused
to participate in battle. Then Zeus decided to finally help the Trojans which made his
wife Hera, who favors the Greek, became livid. But her son Hephaestus persuades her
no to plunge the gods into conflict over the mo rtals.
Book 2
Zeus kept his promise in helping the Trojans, so he sent false dream to
Agamemnon. In which he uses the figure of Nestor to persuade Agamemnon that he
can take down Troy if he launches a full-scale assault on the city’s walls. Upon knowing
this, he gathers his troops for attack but he wants to test their courage so he said they
will give up the war and return to Greece but he was disappointed that the troops do not
hesitate to run to their ships.
Hera sees this and alerts Athena to call the men back. Athena gives this order to
Odysseus, so he shouts encouragement and insult to regain their confidence and
remind them of the prophecy that Calchas gave them, a water snake had slithered to
shore and devoured a nest of nine sparrows which was interpreted as nine years would
pass before the Achaeans would finally take Troy. This made the men vowed that they
would not abandon their struggle until the city fell.
Nestor encourages Agamemnon to arrange his troops by city and clan and singles out
the bravest of the Achaeans, which include Achilles and Ajax. Then Zeus sends
messenger to the Trojan court telling the Greek’s awesome formation. The Trojans
muster their own troops under the command of Priam’s son Hector.

Book 3
 Trojan army marches from the city gate to meet the Achaeans. Paris who
precipitated the war by stealing Helen from Menelaus, challenges the Achaeans to
single combat with any of their warriors. Menelaus steps forward so Paris shrinks back
to the Trojan ranks. Then Hector, brother of Paris, chastises Paris for his cowardice.
This made Paris agrees to duel with Menelaus and this contest will establish peace
between Trojans and Achaeans. When Paris and Menelaus prepare for combat, the
goddess Iris who disguised as Laodice, sister of Hector, visits Helen. She urges Helen
to witness the battle between Paris and Menelaus. Helen saw the city elder’s including
Priam gathered in the city gates. Priam eventually leave the scene unable to watch Pris
fight to death. The duel began and neither was able to fell the other with his spear.
Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’ helmet and grabs Paris by the helmet and drags
him through the dirt. But Aphrodite, an ally of the Trojans, snaps the strap of the helmet.
Then Menelaus, retrieves his spear and is about to drive it into Paris when Aphrodite
whisks Paris away to his room in Priam’s palace. She also summon Helen there. On the
battlefield, the Trojan and the Greeks search for Paris. Agamemnon then insists that
Menelaus won and to bring Helen back.
Book 4
The gods engage in their own duels. Zeus argues that Menelaus won and that
the war should end as the mortals had agreed. But Hera, wants a complete destruction
of Troy. So, Zeus sends Athena to the battlefield and rekindles the fighting. Athena
disguises as a Trojan soldier and convince Pandarus, the archer, to take aim at
Menelaus. Pandarus fires but Athena deflects the arrow so that it only wounds
Menelaus. So, Agamemnon rallies the Achaean ranks and meets Nestor, Odysseus and
Diomedes among others and challenges their pride or recounting the great deeds of
their fathers. Battle breaks out, none of the major characters was killed or wounded.
The gods also become involved, Athena helps the Achaeans and Apollo helps the
Trojans.
Book 5
During the battle, Pandarus wounds Diomedes, the Achaean hero. Diomedes
prays to Athena for revenge. Athena endows him with superhuman strength and
extraordinary power to discern gods on the battlefield but warns him not to challenge
any of them except Aphrodite. Diomedes killed Pandarus and wounded Aeneas, the
noble Trojan hero immortalized in Virgil’s Aeneid. When Aphrodite, his mother come to
help him, she was also wounded by Diomedes, he cut her wrist and sends her back to
Mount Olympus. Dione, Aphrodite mother heals her and Zeus warns Aphrodite not to try
her hand at warfare again. Apollo tend to Aeneas in Aphrodite’s stead was also
attacked by Diomedes. This made the breach of agreement between Athena and
Diomedes who tells him not to challenge the gods except Aphrodite. Apollo sternly
warns Diomedes and whisks Aeneas off the field. But he leaves the replica of Aeneas
body on the ground. Apollo also rouses Ares, the god of war, to fight on the Trojan side.
 Through the help of the gods, Trojans take the upper hand in the battle. Hector
and Ares prove too much for the Achaeans. The Trojan Sarpedon kills the Achaean
Tlepolemus. Odysseus, as a response, slaughters entire lines of Trojans. But Hector
cuts down still more Greeks. Zeus gives Hera and Athena permission to intervene on
the Achaeans behalf. Hera rallies the rest of the Achaean troops and Athena
encourages Diomedes. She withdraws her previous warning not to attack any of the
gods except Aphrodite and helps him challenge Ares. Then Diomedes wounds Ares.
Ares went to Mount Olympus and complains to Zeus. But Zeus tells Ares that he
deserves that injury. Athena and Hera also leave the battleground.
Book 6
Without the intervention of the gods, the Achaean forces again overwhelm the
Trojans, who draw back toward the city. Menelaus considers accepting a ransom in
return for the life of Adrestus, the Trojan he has subdued. But Agamemnon tells him to
just kill him. Nestor sense the weakening of the Trojans and urges Achaeans to focus
on killing as many as possible while they still have the upperhand. The Trojan anticipate
downfall. Helenus, the soothsayer urges Hector to return to Troy and ask his mother,
Queen Hecuba to pray for mercy at the temple of Athena. Hector obeys Helenus. Then
he visits his brother Paris and scorns him for not fighting. Paris then returns to battle.
Hector also prepares to return, but he visits his wife, Andromache, first. He finds her
nursing g their son Astyanax. Andromache begs Hector no to go back to the battle. But
Hector insists. Andromache convinced that Hector will soon die and begins to mourn
his death. Hector and Paris then prepare to rejoin the battle.

KEY IDEAS
War, honor, pride, love and duty.

QUESTIONS:
What is the role of the gods in the Iliad?
The gods and goddesses are the ones ultimately responsible for the human’s
fate or outcome. They like manipulating, plotting, and playing against the human they
despise and they influence the battles or wars that happened in the poem.
Where does the battlefield in the Iliad located?
SETTING
The Iliad takes place on the 10 th year of the Trojan War. The battlefield in the
Iliad is situated between the Greek camp and the walls of Troy. Troy's walls are
characterized as massive and invincible. The battle takes place mostly behind the walls
of Troy and in the palace of Priam, the King of Troy.
Troy was a genuine place on the west coast of modern Turkey, facing the
Aegean Sea.