Study Questions: Iliad. Lombardo Translation THE ESSENTIAL HOMER
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Iliad 5
1. Why does Athena grant Diomedes strength and daring? How does it work in reality?
2. What happens when Athena takes the mist from Diomedes' eyes?
3. Why does Diomedes refuse Sthenelus' suggestion to retreat? (268)
4. What is so special about Aeneas' horses? (277)
5. Why is Diomedes unable to kill Aeneas with the gigantic rock? (327)
6. Why is Diomedes able to continue fighting even after being hit in the shoulder by Pandarus' arrow (207)?
7. Which goddess does Diomedes wound? What flows in her veins? Why does bloodlessness mean deathlessness?
8. Who is Aphrodite's mother, and what does she do for her daughter?
9. How do Hera and Athena respond to the wounding of Aphrodite? Why are they so cruel to her?
10. What does Athena puts on before going to battle (785ff), and what about the costume is unique to the Olympians? How does the poet describe it? What is its purpose?
11. Who likens herself to Stentor, and why? (830ff.) What does the English word 'stentorian' mean?
12. Who pulls Sthenelus out of Diomedes' chariot, and why? What is the result? Why would Sthenelus be the wrong one for this job?
13. When Ares comes to Zeus to complain about being hurt by Diomedes, Zeus replies in a most unkind and unsympathetic way (948). Compare this speech to Agamemnon's speech in book 1 to Achilles (lines 186ff). How do you account for the similarity?
ILIAD 6
14. Who tells Hector to go back into Troy? [What is his occupation? What is his relation to Hector?] What does Hector intend to do there?
15. Why does Diomedes tell Glaucus the story of how Lycurgus persecuted Dionysus? Who are the "nurses of Dionysus"?
16. Why does Glaucus tell Diomedes the stories about Bellerophon?
17. Why does Diomedes grin in reaction to Glaucus' speech? (218) Why does Homer say "Zeus took away Glaucus' good sense"?
18. How does Hector react to his mother Hecuba's greeting?
19. How do the Trojan women supplicate Athena? What is Athena's reaction to their actions?
20. How does Hector react when he sees his brother Paris in his room? How does this compare to his words to Paris in book 3, lines 45 ff.?
21. How does Helen describe herself to Hector? How does Hector react to Helen's speech?
22. What is the effect of Andromache's description of the death of her parents and brothers? That is, how do her words make the reader/hearer react to her?
23. Why do Hector and Andromache laugh at little Astyanax? How would you describe the relationship between Hector and Andromache?
24. What is Hector's wish for his son?
25. Hector knows that Troy will fall, and Priam's people be defeated, and tells Andromache as much. What does he later say to Andromache about "fate"? (511ff)
26. How does Hector react to Paris when Paris comes into battle (539ff)? What does this say about their relationship?
ILIAD 8
27. What is Zeus' boast to the other gods? Why does he make it? What is the reaction of the gods?
28. What does Athena say that shows that in her eyes Zeus is being ungrateful in his treatment of her? What has she done for him that he is not reciprocating? How can Zeus get away with this?
29. When Iris takes Zeus' message to Athena and Hera, what does she add to the original message that Zeus had not said? Why do you think she does so?
30. . Hector makes a boasting speech and plans strategy at the end of the day's fighting. What does the gods' reaction to the Trojan sacrifices tell the audience of the poem about the strength of Hector's boasts?
ILIAD 9
31. What is Achilles doing when Ajax, Phoenix, and Odysseus find him? How does this match the traditional understanding a hero"?
32. What is Achilles' first reaction to the appearance of his friends? What does this say about Agamemnon's choice of messengers?
33. What gifts has Agamemnon offered to Achilles to make him want to return to the war? What is the point of offering so much stuff?
34. What is Achilles' argument against Odysseus' speech? What does he say Agamemnon must do before he will
re-enter the war?
35. What did Phoenix do for Achilles when Achilles was a baby? How would you describe their relationship? How does this relationship compare with the one between Achilles and Aias, or between Achilles and Odysseus?
36. Why does Phoenix tell Achilles the story of Meleager and Cleopatra? What is the point? And why does it not work?
37. Describe some manifestations of xenia in this book? [xenia = "hospitality"]
38. There are five mentions of wine-drinking/libations in this book. Who drinks wine, and when? Is anything besides simple drinking going on?