Helenus, son of Priam and a skilled seer, tells Hector and Aeneas that they must rally the troops lest the soldiers are driven back through the gates. At the end of Book 6, standing beside his cowardly brother Paris, Hector faces the battlefield and speaks words of hope, although by now the audience knows that there is none. Although the Trojans are not of the same culture as the Achaeans, Homer has made them worship the same gods. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Zeus promises him that once the war is over Poseidon can destroy the wall. The long account of the deeds of Diomedes has little to do with the main plot of the Iliad in any direct sense and could easily have been omitted or given in less detail, but it has several important artistic functions. Additionally, the Diomedia is the first and most impressive of the long series of battle scenes and scenes of personal combat that now follow in the absence of Achilles. The gods choose champions, but their decisions are not arbitrary. Bk V:1-83 Diomedes leads the assault . Civilization here is made fragile, shown to be vulnerable before more brutal forces. On the plains before Troy, Hera gives fresh strength to the Achaians while Athena brings the now-wounded Diomedes back to the fray. Priam wants to send messengers relaying Paris' offer and also asking for a temporary truce so that both sides can bury their dead. Book 5 Summary: “Diomedes Fights the Gods” Athena lures Ares away from the battlefield under the guise of avoiding Zeus’s wrath. Diomedes asks who he is, not wanting to fight against a god, and, in grand epic fashion, Glaucos recounts his genealogy and the deeds of his ancestors. His heroes are of a stronger race of men: many times throughout the Iliad, men perform astonishing feats of strength. The poet catalogues both Achaean victors and Trojan victims, including personal details about each life lost. The Trojans must die. During this particular day's fighting, the outstanding warrior is Diomedes, whom the goddess Athena has inspired with exceptional courage and skill. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Iliad. We are told that these guys are the sons of some guy called Dares, who is a priest of the god Hephaistos (we met this god back in Book 1 ). The two men charge for the Achaean hero, and Sthenalus urges Diomedes to retreat. With the gods absent, the Achaean forces again overwhelm the Trojans, who draw back toward the city. Battles follow, including a notable encounter in which Hector wounds Odysseus. With that fact established, the third part is emotionally wrenching. We first saw him in the last book, when he patiently bore the abuse of Agamemnon and encouraged Sthenalus to do the same. Among the Trojans, Antenor tells Paris that he should give back Helen and all of the other treasures he stole from the house of Menelaus. Once all of the Trojans are dead, he argues, they can loot at their leisure. For Poseidon, once forced to toil in a humiliating manner under Laomedon, Priam's father, a more understandable motive exists, but the two goddesses are far more constant defenders of the Achaean forces. Major Characters of the Book. 8-52: Chryses, priest of Apollo, comes to the Greek camp to ransom his daughter, Chryseis, held captive by Agamemnon. Diomedes rescues Nestor, taking him into his own chariot and trusting Nestor's horses to two henchmen. Diomedes wounds Aeneas by throwing a giant boulder at him, "a huge thing which no two men could carry / such as men are now, but by himself he lightly hefted it" (5. By this point, even an audience unfamiliar with the myth knows without a shred of ambiguity that for the Trojans defeat means annihilation. 111-120 Sthenelos draws … Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. With gods behind them, single warriors seem worth more than whole armies. Books 5-8. Book 5. Yet when battle arises and he is called upon to do his duty, Diomedes fights with unmatched intensity. Plot Summary. No one meets the challenge initially, so Menelaus takes the offer. Hector is raging forward, pinning the Achaeans behind their own fortifications, and Agamemnon, stirred by Hera, tries to rally the troops. He realizes immediately that while he was 'distracted' (i.e. It emphasizes that there will be no mercy for the Trojans, and the Achaeans are fighting a war that will end in the destruction of a whole people. Aeneas' chariot is captured by the Greeks. Homeric heroes talk to gods, and are chosen by them; with some help, they can even fight against the gods on the battlefield and win. The battle is fierce, deaths reported by the speaker, as different Trojans and Greeks fight. Meanwhile, Apollo carries Aeneas off to safety in the temple at Pergamos. This pattern reflects Homer's pride in the heroes of his own culture, but it may also reflect the fact that many members of the nobility in Homer's audience traced their ancestry to various Achaean heroes in the Iliad. But we see here also the force of Hector's personality. Diomedes, however, gets the better end of the deal: Diomedes gets Glaucos' golden armor, while Glaucos is stuck with Diomedes' bronze armor. Book 5 continues the graphic warfare that ends Book 4. But Homer tells us at the end of Book 8 that the gods do not accept the sacrifice of the Trojans. Trojan horses are the world's finest, given to Troy by Zeus, and Aeneas' horses are particularly good specimens. Hera and Athena, satisfied, return to Olympus. Homer writes not exactly of real men, but of heroes. She stands in contrast to Hera and Athena who favor the Achaians. Hera fumes with Athena over the fate of the Achaeans, and Athena tells Hera that they should both prepare for battle. Agamemnon convinces his brother that to fight Hector is madness, and Menelaus sits down. There are three important events in Book 6: the consideration and then rejection of Adrestus' plea for mercy, the meeting on the battlefield between Glaucos and Diomedes, and the return of Hector to the city. The brutality of men, even noble men, on both sides, shows us that this war was not fought with mercy or restraint. Iliad study guide contains a biography of Homer, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Hera plays dumb, batting her eyelashes and claiming she had nothing to do with it - it was all Poseidon, she swears! Zeus is angry at this turn of events and orders Aphrodite to stay off the battlefield in the future because warfare is not the same as love, her usual sphere of interest. Chapter Summary for Homer's The Iliad, book 3 summary. The characters and people of Troy, depicted in this section with great sympathy, are doomed. Diomedes and Athena wound Ares, who ascends to Olympus and complains to Zeus. He proposes that Hector call for one of the Achaeans to meet him is single combat. Diomedes responds that the Achaeans should not accept Paris' giftseven if he should offer Helen. Even if the Olympians were to band together, he would still be able to overpower them. In Homer, war is not pure chaos or mass violence; war is an arena in which individual warriors make all the difference. Major Characters of the Book. Athena agrees, and Apollo proposes the idea to Hector. Paris refuses, suggesting instead that he give back the treasures he stole from Menelaus (except for Helen) plus other valuables from among his own goods. Nestor tells Diomedes that Zeus clearly no longer favors him, and they must flee. In these books the reader is presented with the main conflicts, the main characters, and how the Gods are involved in the war. Greek divinities have limits on their power: although Aprhodite is unmatched in the realm of love (her power will later master Zeus himself) in battle she is vulnerable. OUTLINE OF THE ILIAD. This book begins with the exploits of the Greek captain Diomedes whom the goddess Athena inspires with strength and daring. He is insulted and sent away, and Apollo sends a plague on the Greeks. Detailed Summary & Analysis Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 Book 8 Book 9 Book 10 Book 11 Book 12 Book 13 Book 14 Book 15 Book 16 Book 17 Book 18 Book 19 Book 20 Book 21 Book 22 Book 23 Book 24 Themes All Themes Honor and Glory The Gods Fate and Free Will Wartime Versus … She warns him, however, not to fight against any of the gods — with the exception of Aphrodite. When Achilles strides toward Agamemnon to kill him. The two men fight fiercely, and Ajax seems to be winning, but the fight is stopped by the heralds Idaios and Talthybios, messengers of Zeus and of mortals. He also throws his lightning and terrifies the Achaean soldiers, who begin to retreat. Cultural Notes on Iliad Book IV; V Summary. Zeus calls the gods to assembly and warns them not to take part in the Trojan War; any god who does so will be hurled into Tartarus, a deep pit far below Hades. That gods and goddesses enter the battle is an example of the anthropomorphic nature of Greek gods. But the Achaians, led by Diomedes and other Achaian heroes, are able to hold their ground. The Greeks are quarrelling about whether or not to return Chryseis, a Trojan captive of King Agamemnon, to her father, Chryses, a priest of Apollo. His friend Sthenalus tends to the wound, and Diomedes prays for revenge. With tears streaming down her face, Aphrodite flees in terror to Olympos and seeks solace from Dione, her mother. The battle between the Trojans and Achaeans has already claimed many lives, but it still rages fiercely as we begin Book 5 in Homer's The Iliad. Aphrodite is wounded by Diomedes and drops her son, but Apollo picks him up and carries him away. Zeus is satisfied with her explanation and tells he… Agememnon brings us face to face with one of the Iliad's themes. Seeing their strength, Athena comes down from Olympus to aid the Achaeans. Even when swearing solemn oaths of friendship and making a separate peace, Glaucos would have been better off if he had kept his wits about him. The old noblewomen make the offering as instructed, but when the priestess prays that Diomedes might be defeated and Troy saved, Athena turns her head away. THE ILIAD BOOK 5, TRANSLATED BY A. T. MURRAY [1] And now to Tydeus' son, Diomedes, Pallas Athene gave might and courage, that he should prove himself pre-eminent amid all the Argives, and win glorious renown. Borey, Eddie. Diomedes is anxious about fleeing from Hector, but he is persuaded by Nestor's arguments. Hector drives the Achaeans back behind their fortifications again. Hera and Athena then fly to the aid of the Achaians, after gaining permission from Zeus to bring Ares under control. The loser will be stripped of his armor, which will be a trophy for the victor, but the body will be given proper respect and burial. The Trojans anticipate downfall, and the soothsa… Paris refuses to give up Helen. His only response is to tell them to pray. In the heat of the battle, Diomedes is approached by two Trojans, Phegeus and Idaios. Diomedes leaps into battle, slaughtering warrior after warrior. Her entry into the battle here also connects her with Aeneas, who is her son. The people of the city should light fires and keep careful watch as well, because the army will be camped on the field. The Trojans sacrifice oxen and sheep, but, unbeknownst to the Trojans, the gods do not partake of the offerings. Despite some deep foreboding that Troy is lost, he prays that his son might grow to greatness. They swear an oath of friendship and a permanent open offer of hospitality, exchanging armor to seal the oath. Glaucos, of the Lycians (Trojan allies), comes face to face with Diomedes in battle. Even as the Trojans reach their high tide, we are reminded of their certain destruction. Diomedes realizes that their families have a history of friendship, and the two agree to be friends. Book 5 begins a passage of extended individual heroism for Diomedes, something that the Greeks called an aristeia. The two men charge Hector, and Diomedes spears Hector's chariot driver. Zeus scolds and insults him, but calls for a healer. Hector's pride (activated by Apollo's suggestion) leads him to suggest the duel for no purpose other than the pursuit of glory. When Pandaros (who wounded Menelaos) wounds Diomedes, the valiant Achaian soldier appeals to Athena for aid. Hector proposes that a man meet him in single combat. 76-94 The fury of Diomedes is like a winter torrent. Although Menelaus considers Adrestus' pleas for mercy, his more bloodthirsty brother convinces him that they are here to bring total destruction on the people of Troy. We see here gods who can be wounded. The elders and especially Priam treat Helen better than she deserves, and she knows it. Sarpedon, a Trojan ally, insults Hector and goads him into new heights of valor. Naturally, a goddess, Athena, assists him in attaining this glory. Book 5: Summary: Athena temporarily gives Diomedes, son of King Tydeus of Argos, unmatched battle prowess. Zeus is pretty ticked at Hera for orchestrating Hector's assault and the rout of the Trojans. Aeneas, Trojan warrior and mortal son of Anchises and Aphrodite, asks Pandarus to strike Diomedes down with an arrow, but Pandarus despairs of having failed to kill both Menelaus and Diomedes. Book 4 Summary. Nestor becomes stuck when one of the horses drawing his chariot has been wounded, and Hector closes in for the kill. We are also given a much richer characterization of Hector. Book 9 Summary: “The Embassy to Achilles” With Achaean morale low, Agamemnon calls an assembly and tearfully says that Zeus has tricked him: They will never conquer Troy and should return home. VII Summary. Character Descriptions Discussion Questions Pandarus is killed, but before Diomedes can kill Aeneas, Aphrodite whisks him away. Athena goes to stand beside Diomedes, telling him that because Ares has broken his vow to leave the battlefield she will help Diomedes to bring him down. She comforts her with the knowledge that no mortal who fights the gods gets away with it. Hera and Athena mock Aphrodite, and Zeus comforts her. These three events reward a closer look. Diomedes, because of Athena's gift, can see the god, and so he warns the Achaeans to fall back. She wants Hector to stay away from the front lines and set up a defensive force for blocking a weak point in the city walls. Menelaus kills him, and Nestor calls out to the men to waste no time on plunder: they shall kill now, and loot the bodies later at their leisure. Hector then speaks wishfully of a day when the Achaeans will be driven away forever and the Trojans can give thanks to the gods. Diomedes smashes through the Trojan ranks with Athena's help, just as later Hector drives the Achaeans back with Ares by his side. T he Iliad is an epic poem by Homer that tells the story of several weeks in the last year of the decade-long Trojan War. The poignancy of an offer of friendship in the middle of a battlefield provides relief from the gruesome descriptions of combat and warriors' deaths. Zeus returns to Olympus also, where Hera and Athena sit apart and plan pain for the Trojans. He kills many Trojans, including Pandaros, and then he wounds Aeneas, the son of the goddess Aphrodite. In Andromache's lament, there is foreshadowing of Hector's destiny. Diomedes gallops into combat, encounters Ares, and drives a spear into his belly. Helen, disgusted and angry with Paris, asks Hector to rest for a moment. If the Achaeans are defeated, they return home and suffer dishonor and the pain of wasted effort. Hector is respected not only by the Trojans, but by the Achaeans as well. His friend Sthenalus tends to … Homer writes about a heroic past, one where men are supposedly stronger than any living during Homer's own time. Zeus generally tries to keep the gods out of the battle, though this effort often proves futile. Ares, the savage god of war, enters the Trojan ranks and helps Hektor rally his forces. The passages is designed to commemorate Diomedes’ bravery and glory as a hero. He cannot hit Hector, however, though he kills Hector's chariot driver. It is as if the war makes it difficult to create any pure space for the gentler virtue of friendship. 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