Iliad: Book 1 - The Rage of Achilles | Ascend The Great Books Podcast
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Deacon Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan discuss the Rage of Achilles and what happens in Book 1 of the Iliad. Join us for this year with Homer!
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What happens in the first half of book one?
The rage of Achilles is both the theme of book one and of the Iliad as a whole. Achilles is the son of Peleus, King of Phthia, a legendary city-state in ancient Greece. Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae and leader of the federation of ancient Greek tribes that have come to war with Troy, holds as his slave and concubine a girl named Chryseis-a spoil of war (1.30). Her father, a priest of Apollo named Chryses, offers Agamemnon a “priceless ransom” (1.14) for his daughter. Despite the Achaeans (another name for the ancient Greeks), petitioning Agamemnon to accept the offer, he does not; thus, Apollo, moved by his priest’s prayer (1.42), strikes the Achaean army with a plague, i.e., his “arrows” (1.56, 69, 78, et al.), until Agamemnon finally agrees to return the daughter of Apollo’s priest and offer to the god a fitting sacrifice (1.135). However, Agamemnon finds it unfair that he, as high king, should have his “prize” taken from him while the lesser kings retain their women, their “prizes,” from war (1.158). He then demands that the concubine of Achilles, a girl named Briseis, be handed over to him (1.141, 203-221). The contention between Agamemnon and Achilles provides the catalyst for the events at the beginning of the Iliad that will shape the entire narrative.
What a great time to be alive!
I wish you'll be here 20 years from now
Camões invokes the muses in his Os Lusiadas, his epic poem about Vasco da Gama
How apropos!!!! I just started reading the lliad for the first time after trying a few times and I cant reccomend it enough...for anyone on the fence by the time you get to book 2 or 3 you get the flow of thing's and it becomes super easy and surprisingly fun to read. My tip is to circle the name any time it says "x speaks" as the book is really a bunch of speeches intermixed with brutal fight scenes.
Just know as these gentlemen say the book begins at year 9 of a 10 year war. Which threw me off at first.
Congrats on starting the Iliad!
Regarding the relationship between Thetis and Zeus and the relationship between Hera and Hephaestus. (This is off the top of my head so it may not be completely correct)
Cronos usurps his father Uranus and Zeus usurps his father Cronos.
As a consequence Zeus is told that he will be usurped in turn.
This relates to his relationship with Thetis.
At one point he desired her but was told that she would bear a son greater than his father. So Zeus backs off on account of the prophecy of his usurpation. And Thetis bears Achilles, a son indeed greater than his father Peleus. This brings light to Thetis’ prayer to Zeus and his strange silence. He is in some way compelled to answer her prayer. It also explains Heras immediate suspicion and anger.
Regarding Hephaestus:
There’s one account that Hera produced Hephaestus without Zeus out of jealously for Zeus producing Athena without her. And in this account Hephaestus is born lame and Hera hurls him from Olympus in disgust and shame.
Again, this is off the top of my head so I may be mistaken.
This is great!
@@AscendTheGreatBooksPodcast I jumped in before the Edith Hamilton correction on Hephaestus and Hera. I'm enjoying the podcast so far and looking forward to the rest of the year.
This is great analysis and could be used for schools too! I like this
Thank you!
it's pre Aristotelian virtue. Virtue as potency. As what wins.
presumptuous, right?