Resumo de The Iliad

The Iliad is the oldest surviving work of European literature. A narrative poem written in Greek in about the 8th Century BCE, it is set during the legendary Trojan war, when the Greek armies besieged the City of Troy (in modern Turkey) to avenge the abduction of Helen, the wife of King Menelaus by the Trojan prince Paris.
The poem recounts an episode from the last year of the conflict, that of a quarrel between King Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother and leader of the Greek armies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior among them.
The quarrel has its roots in Agamemnon's taking as a prisoner of war a young girl called Chryseis, daughter of Chryses priest of Apollo and arrogantly refusing the priest's attempt to ransom her back. Offended by this insult, Apollo sent a plague on the Greek camp. The prophet Calchas correctly diagnoses the problem and says that the plague will not be lifted unless Agamemnon returns the girl unransomed to her father. Agamemnon is angry but agrees. However he demands recompense for his loss as he valued the girl as a concubine. After a heated exchange with Achilles, he announces that he will release Chryseis but will confiscate Achilles own captured concubine Bryseis in exchange.
Achilles with difficulty restrains himself from violence at this and after consultation with his mother, the sea-goddess Thetis, announces that he is withdrawing from the fighting along with his troops.
The loss of their best warrior brings the Greeks to the brink of defeat. Eventually, Patroclus, Achilles' close companion goes out to fight in Achilles armour, in the hope that the Trojans, thinking he is Achilles, will be intimidated. Patroclus is in fact killed by the Trojan champion, Hector, the brother of Paris.
Overcome with rage and grief, Achilles returns to the fray and confronts Hector in battle.
Achillles pursues Hector three times round the walls of Troy before slaying him. Ignoring Hector's dying request that his body be returned to his parents for cremation, Achilles in a frenzy ties his corpse to his chariot and drags it round and round the walls of Troy to the great anguish of the Trojan royal family. The gods are unable to tolerate this behaviour and Achilles is warned by Thetis that he must stop and allow Hector to be cremated. Achilles prepares Hector's body for funeral. King Priam, Hector's father makes his way into the Greek camp with the help of Hermes. Achilles receives him courteously and returns his son's body. In the sharing of grief, both men find relief, a sort of equilibrium is restored. Priam makes his way safely back to the city walls and Achilles returns to his role as warrior.

Resumos Relacionados