Reading Notes: Part A for Week 3: The Iliad - The Quarrel
For this week's reading that I opted to do over The Iliad, I was most interested about short story of The Quarrel. In the quest of the Greeks to besiege the city of Troy, they took the city of Chrysé and captured the women of the men. The Greeks had taken the priest's daughter as the spoils for Agamemnon. Still, the priest, desperate for his daughter's safe return, ventured into the Greek camp to offer gold and riches for his daughter's return.
Agamemnon, content with his reap of the rewards, reject's the priest's offerings. The priest prays to Apollo for aid; Apollo then takes out his anger on the Greek encampment. Following the onslaught, Agamemnon is angered as Calchas the prophet undermines his superiority by advising the safe return of the priest's daughter to appease Apollo.
At this point the plot starts to escalate with Achilles taking the side of Calchas, protecting him from Agamemnon at all costs. Agamemnon, fit with rage and greed, lashes out at Archilles and his fellow chiefs. He feels cheated of his share of the spoils. Yet, Achilles thinks that Agamemnon thinks too highly of gain and not of the capturing of the city Troy.
Achilles, not equally as angry, chooses to do away with fighting and opts to go home. Agamemnon then asserts that he will take the girl who was rewarded to Achilles as his share of the spoils as his own. Enraged, Achilles half draws his sword to slay Agamemnon then and there. Yet, the goddess Athené holds him back . She persuades him to say his will, rather than slay, for hope of greater returns for all of Agamemnon's wrongdoings.
Achilles then leaves one last word with Agamemnon before his departure from the camp. Agamemnon will be sorry when he sees his fellow Greeks falling before the Trojans and Achilles is nowhere to be found, for then Agamemnon will realize his mistake.
I liked this story because it captured a lot of the emotions that Achilles and Agamemnon both feel. Agamemnon is greedy and selfish because his wife was captured which led to the whole siege of the city of Troy. Achilles feels anger and betrayal because Agamemnon asserts his power and reaps Achilles of his spoils and reputation amongst the Greeks. The story captures the inner emotional turmoil present amongst the Greeks during the siege of Troy, and it demonstrates the core principles and values of both Achilles and Agamemnon.
Bibliography: The Quarrel from The Iliad retold by Alfred J. Church (1907)
Agamemnon, content with his reap of the rewards, reject's the priest's offerings. The priest prays to Apollo for aid; Apollo then takes out his anger on the Greek encampment. Following the onslaught, Agamemnon is angered as Calchas the prophet undermines his superiority by advising the safe return of the priest's daughter to appease Apollo.
At this point the plot starts to escalate with Achilles taking the side of Calchas, protecting him from Agamemnon at all costs. Agamemnon, fit with rage and greed, lashes out at Archilles and his fellow chiefs. He feels cheated of his share of the spoils. Yet, Achilles thinks that Agamemnon thinks too highly of gain and not of the capturing of the city Troy.
Achilles, not equally as angry, chooses to do away with fighting and opts to go home. Agamemnon then asserts that he will take the girl who was rewarded to Achilles as his share of the spoils as his own. Enraged, Achilles half draws his sword to slay Agamemnon then and there. Yet, the goddess Athené holds him back . She persuades him to say his will, rather than slay, for hope of greater returns for all of Agamemnon's wrongdoings.
Achilles then leaves one last word with Agamemnon before his departure from the camp. Agamemnon will be sorry when he sees his fellow Greeks falling before the Trojans and Achilles is nowhere to be found, for then Agamemnon will realize his mistake.
I liked this story because it captured a lot of the emotions that Achilles and Agamemnon both feel. Agamemnon is greedy and selfish because his wife was captured which led to the whole siege of the city of Troy. Achilles feels anger and betrayal because Agamemnon asserts his power and reaps Achilles of his spoils and reputation amongst the Greeks. The story captures the inner emotional turmoil present amongst the Greeks during the siege of Troy, and it demonstrates the core principles and values of both Achilles and Agamemnon.
Athené Stopping Achilles from Drawing His Sword Upon Agamemnon - Courtesy of Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook
Bibliography: The Quarrel from The Iliad retold by Alfred J. Church (1907)
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