DAILY CLASS ASSIGNMENT:
ILIAD 21-24 (LOMBARDO TRANSLATION)
DUE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE
ACCEPTED.
Andromache Faints watching Achilles drag her husband Hector’s
body around Troy. Drawing by John Flaxman (1755-1826),
engraved by William Blake.From FLAXMAN’S ILLUSTRATIONS TO
HOMER, ed. R.Essick and J. LaBelle. 1977
PLEASE TYPEANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE THE SAME LAST DIGIT AS
YOUR UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS I.D. NUMBER.
Iliad 21
1. What does Achilles plan to do with the “twelve young Trojans”
he took alive? What does this show about how he is feeling? (1-39)
2. To what do the two similes at the beginning of book 21 compare the
Trojans and Achilles fighting at the river Xanthus? What is the purpose
of these comparisons?
3. Why does Achilles say that he will not heed Lycaon’s supplication?
Is any battlefield supplication heeded in this epic? What do you think the
reason for this is? (40-141)
4. How had the Trojans worshipped the river Scamander? (121-145)
5. How does Achilles respond to the River’s pleas for him to desist?
What kind of strategy does this turn out to be? (220ff.)
6. When Achilles prays to Zeus to save him from the River, what does
he say about his mother Thetis? Why does he wish that Hector had killed
him? (275-307)
7. Who wins when Athena fights Ares? Who helps the loser? What is the
mood of battle? (395-445)
8. When the immortals battle each other (332-532), how do they resemble
the mortal combatants? How do they differ? Give at least one example of
each.
9. How does Apollo save Troy at the end of book 21 (and at the beginning
of book 22)? How does this remind us of his actions in 16.723ff?
Iliad 22
10. How do Hector’s parents try to save his life? Why do they fail? (45-101)
11. What is Achilles’ complaint against Apollo? What does this tell us
about the relation between gods and mortals? (10-25)
12. What is the point of the poet comparing Achilles to the star Sirius?
(31ff.)
13. What arguments does Priam use to persuade Hector not to fight Achilles?
Why do you think he is unsuccessful? (45-85)
14. What is the effect on the narrative of the simile comparing Hector
to a snake (103)? How does the next simile (158) change the image of Hector
in line with the turn of the story?
15. What arguments does Hector use to himself in favor of going out to
face Achilles? (111-145)
16. Why does Zeus want to save Hector, and why does he not do so? (185-210)
17. What is the function of Zeus’ golden scales? (236)
18. What are Achilles’ two reactions to Hector’s reasonable request for
treating his corpse with respect (277ff, 375ff)? How can we account for
these reactions?
19. How does Athena help Achilles kill Hector? (235-333)
20. How do the Greeks and Achilles treat the corpse of Hector? (407-449)
21. How do Hector’s parents and wife react to his death? (450-483)
22. What does Andromache say about the future fate of Astyanax? (530-575)
Iliad 23
23. How does Achilles’ speech of mourning over Patroclus’ corpse (22ff)
compare or contrast with the speeches of mourning by Hector’s mother (22.475)
and wife (22.530)?
24. What is the substance of the message which Patroclus’ Ghost gives
to Achilles? What is Achilles’ reaction? (60-119)
25. Why does Achilles pray to the Winds,
and what is the result of his prayer? Which other god helps him? (209)
26. Why was Hector’s body not given to the dogs? (195ff)
27. What does Achilles do that breaks his intention to honor the River
Spercheius? How does he justify his change of plan? (149ff)
28. What example of human sacrifice occurs here? Why is Hector’s body
still fresh? (175-208)
29. How do the gods interfere in the funeral games? Cite two examples.
30. Why does Menelaus dispute with Antilochus about the prize in the
chariot race? How do they settle the quarrel? (534-633)
31. Whose mouth does Athena fill with cow manure, and why? What is the
reaction of the Achaeans? 780-819
Iliad 24
32. How do the gods force Achilles to give up his wrath at Hector? (35-125)
33. How do the gods initiate Priam’s night mission
to Achilles? (154ff.)
34. Why does Priam curse his own citizens and his sons in Troy? (251-282)
35. To what does the simile (511) compare Priam? Why is this significant
(or ironic)?
36. What does Priam do to bring Achilles to tears? (502-551)
37. Why does Achilles tell Priam the myth of Niobe? (647ff)
38. What arguments does Achilles use in his attempt to get Priam to stop
torturing himself? (557-595)
39. What is the reason that Achilles has Hector’s body prepared away
from himself and Priam? (626ff)
40. Why did Achilles feel the need to ‘apologize’ to the dead Patroclus?
(639ff)
41. How does Achilles’ attitude towards Priam in book 24 compare to what
we have learned about Achilles’ character in the rest of the epic?
42. Four women lament for Hector: his
sister Cassandra (758), his wife Andromache (778), his mother Hecuba (802),
and Helen (815). Which, in your opinion, is the saddest dirge, and why?
Cite some details, please!
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