Reading Notes: Homer's Illiad

 I enjoyed getting to read this story.  I think I read it, but that might have been back in middle school.  There is so much drama in this story! Even people on the same side are going at one another.  I don't think I'd trust Agamemnon as my king.  One of my favorite stories from part a was the Embassy to Achilles.  I thought it was pretty cool how the Greeks had to send the A team in order to swoon Achilles into fighting again.  I guess his mom really knew what she was doing.  I thought it was pretty interesting in the scene between Thetis and Zeus.  He seemed to really know that he was in a bind.  I wonder why he decided to side with Thetis over Hera.  I understand honoring a past debt, but you could be setting yourself up for bigger problems in the future by going behind your wife.  Achilles seems like a fascinating character to me.  He is one that I would definitely like to write about.  I'm glad to be able to read about and write about some Greek heroes : ) The idea of an army sending an envoy just to one man because they thought he could swing the tides of the war is really exciting to me.  In the embassy scene I really like the role of Ulysses.  He seemed to be vital in getting to Achilles--maybe Achilles had a particular soft spot for him as he made him the guest of honor.  Ulysses had quite the convincing speech as well.  He appealed to Achille's emotions by bringing up what his father had once told him.  And then he set up the prospect of redemption by coming and helping them.  If the glory and honor wasn't enough, Ulysses then threw on a ton of gifts from the king which would make Achilles rich beyond belief.  This seems like it would be a really cool scene to write on or base a story off of.  


Bibliography: The Embassy to Achilles story from The Iliad retold by Alfred J Church 



Ulysses finds Achilles.  

source: commons


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