Disclaimer: I am not an ancient Greek scholar. For the full disclaimer, Read here.
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.
Iliad, Book 1; Samuel Butler translation
Book 1 Summary
A priest of Apollo approaches Agamemnon with a ransom for his daughter. Agamemnon had taken her as a prize after a raid. The Achaeans were in favor of this, but Agamemnon treated the priest harshly and drove him out. The priest of Apollo prays for retribution and Apollo begins to strike down the Achaean army with a plague.
After ten days, Achilles calls for a council to discuss what to do about the plague. The prophet Calchas states he knows why Apollo is angry and ravaging the army with a plague, but is afraid to say more unless he has Achilles' word that he will protect him. Achilles agrees and Calchas reveals that Apollo is angry at Agamemnon for his harsh treatment of the priest of Apollo and won't stop the plague until the priest's daughter is returned along with an offering.
Agamemnon is angry with this pronouncement, but concedes for the sake of the army. He demands to be compensated from the army in return though. Achilles rebukes Agamemnon for his demand and the two begin to argue. In the end, Agamemnon decides to take Achilles' woman who was given to him after a raid and Achilles removes himself and his army from the war after Athena prevents him from killing Agamemnon. Nestor, the oldest and wisest in the Achaean army, tries in vain to mediate between the two.
Agamemnon wastes no time sending the priest of Apollo's daughter back to her home and sending messengers to Achilles' camp to take his woman away. Achilles goes to the shoreline and cries out to his mother, the sea goddess Thetis. He tells her what happened and implores her to petition Zeus to cause the Trojans to dominate the Achaeans on the battlefield so Agamemnon will regret humiliating him. Thetis reluctantly agrees to deliver Achilles' petition.
Meanwhile, Odysseus, the most cunning of the Achaeans, leads an expedition to where the priest of Apollo lives. He presents the offering and the daughter and the priest prays for Apollo to stop the plague ravaging the Achaean army. Odysseus and his crew sacrifice to Apollo and have a feast in his honor before returning to the Achaean army.
When the gods return to Olympus from a celebration in another land, Thetis finds Zeus and shares Achilles' petition with him. Zeus vows to make it happen—though he is reluctant because it would put him at odds with his wife Hera who despises the Trojans. Hera finds out about the petition and angrily confronts Zeus, but he threatens her and she remains quiet. Hephaestus cheers everyone up and the gods feast and go to bed.
For a list of the major characters, with Greek and Latin names, go here.
Do Not Forget The Opening Lines!
The opening lines of the Iliad say exactly what the poem is about: the anger of Achilles and the effects of it on everyone around him. That’s it. That’s all you have to keep in mind as you read through the poem. This is a story within the Trojan War, not a story about the Trojan War itself. Just about everything that happens in the poem, the anger of Achilles plays a role in it. Even though Achilles appears less in the Iliad compared to other characters, Achilles is without a doubt the main character and the driving force of the story.
So, why is the poem named Iliad and not “Achilles” or “The Anger of Achilles” or something like that? The Greek historian Herodotus popularized the name Iliad or “The Song of Ilium.” Ilium is the Greek name for Troy. I think it’s quite unfortunate, because of how much misunderstanding it has caused, but nothing can be done about it now.
Heroes? Or "Heroes?"
When I finished reading Book 1, I thought: Agamemnon and Achilles are not good people to look up to. To sum up my feeling about both: Agamemnon is a selfish and tyrannical leader and Achilles is self-serving and petulant. I was sympathetic toward Achilles until he wanted the whole Achaean army (who admire Achilles) to suffer just to humiliate Agamemnon. It made me wrestle with whether the Greeks had different ideas of what a "hero" was or whether these characters were meant to be looked up to in the first place. Are they role models or examples of what not to do? Maybe both?
Homer As Social Critic?
It is tempting to see Homer, the composer of the Iliad, as some sort of social critic. This will become more apparent as we get through later books. There are parts of the Iliad where some social commentary seems to be happening. However, it must be kept in mind that the Iliad is first and foremost an epic poem that tells a dramatic story. It’s fun to criticize the characters and wonder about what you can learn from the Iliad (and I will be doing that a lot… because it’s fun), but never forget it’s just a story. Events occur and decisions are made to raise the tension or create drama.
Recurring Topics
A handful of topics are established in Book 1 that continue throughout the Iliad. They are:
The Divine Comedy: The gods are in the background, so to speak, scheming and quarreling and throwing parties. The gods also serve as comic relief to relieve the tension or further solidify how disconnected they are from the affairs of mortals. This will be on full display in Book 21.
The Divine Conspiracy: The gods frequently intervene in what’s going on in the mortal realm. Their divine intervention forces an outcome that would not have happened on its own, as well as render mortal strengths and weaknesses irrelevant. On one level, it seems the gods are just doing things for the sake of their own interests. On another level, it seems that the gods are carrying out something above them like fate or destiny. The Iliad seems to hint that mortals could defy fate were it not for divine intervention.
Flawed Characters: Before it was in vogue to make beloved characters dark and flawed so they were “multi-dimensional” and “authentic;” before our recent fascination with antiheroes; before our insistence that villains be “complex” and “nuanced,” the Iliad had it all. You might be surprised at how ridiculous you find the Greeks and how much you sympathize with the Trojans.
Foreknowledge: Oftentimes, you, the reader, know something the characters do not. You know the scheming the gods are doing behind the scenes. You know what other characters are doing. Sometimes, Homer just comes right out and says, "this is what's going to happen." Normally, knowing what's going to happen ahead of time spoils the story. Not for a supremely talented storyteller like Homer. It’s like watching a video about a train that’s going to wreck. You know it’s going to happen, and yet knowing the outcome doesn’t spoil the video for you. You just watch and wait and are still shocked when the moment happens.
Stories From Ancient Greek Tradition: The Iliad is packed with references to legends and myths from its past. Ancient Greek tradition was rich and you can learn a lot about it just by looking up all the people and stories the Iliad references. For a list of all the references I found, click here.
Who Is This War For?
This is Achilles to Agamemnon during their spat:
"With what heart can any of the Achaeans do your bidding, either on foray or in open fighting? I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. I have no quarrel with them... We have followed you, Sir Insolence! for your pleasure, not ours—to gain satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and for Menelaus."
Iliad, Book 1; Samuel Bulter translation
We learn from Achilles that neither he nor most of the army has any real stakes in the war. Only Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus have a real reason for being there. If you’ve read the Iliad before, or know about the Trojan War, you know why the war is happening. At this point in the story though, Homer does not give the reason why the Trojans and Achaeans are fighting. The reader will learn soon enough.
Power Tends To Corrupt...
The prophet Calchas says this to Achilles before he reveals why the Achaean army is being hit with a plague because he wants Achilles’ protection:
“A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallowed his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it.”
Iliad, Book 1; Samuel Butler translation
And here is part of Agamemnon’s response after learning he’s the reason the plague hit them.
“Seer of evil, you never yet prophesied smooth things concerning me, but have ever loved to foretell that which was evil.”
Iliad, Book 1; Samuel Butler translation
The first quote I think is a good warning for anyone who gets into positions of power and influence or about anyone in positions of power and influence. It reminds me that any clout or responsibility I get in my life I must handle with care or risk becoming corrupt or tyrannical.
The second quote struck me for two reasons:
It seems no matter the culture, people who warn of impending events or that particular actions will have negative consequences will always be disparaged—especially by the leaders
As we’ll learn in Book 2, this statement is quite an exaggeration or perhaps even false. Calchas is far more important to the Achaeans' war effort than Agamemnon is giving him credit for in this moment.
That’s all for Book 1 of the Iliad.
May your days be filled with grace.
-Andronikos
The booklist I am going through can be found here.
If you want to learn a little more about the Iliad, I have a page devoted to it.
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Thumbnail: The Wrath of Achilles by Michel Martin Drolling. Created 1810. Public domain.