LA ILIADA.

Introduccin.
La Ilada es una epopeya griega que consta de 15,693 versos los cuales han sido
divididos en 24 cantos. Se le conoce como el poema ms antiguo de la literatura
occidental y su autora se le atribuye a Homero. El ttulo de la obra deriva del
nombre griego de la ciudad de Troya, es decir, lin. Los acontecimientos que se
narran tienen lugar durante el dcimo y ltimo ao de la guerra de Troya.
La evidencia histrica, arqueolgica y lingstica sugiere que tanto la Ilada como
la Odisea fueron escritas entre el siglo VIII a. C. y el siglo VII a.C., pero se cree
que antes de su escritura fueron transmitidas durante siglos por tradicin oral, ya
que estos poemas eran recitados de memoria por los aedos (poetas cantores).
Debido a lo anterior es que resulta difcil dar una fecha exacta de su composicin.
Para los antiguos griegos, los hechos que se relatan en esta epopeya eran
considerados como verdaderos. Para ellos esta guerra haba ocurrido entre los
siglos XIII a. C. y XII a. C., cerca del estrecho de los Dardanelos ubicado al
noroeste de la pennsula de Anatolia (hoy Turqua). Sin embargo, en tiempos
modernos, tanto la guerra como la ciudad de Troya se consideraron como parte de
la mitologa griega.
En resumen, la Ilada centra su atencin en la ira de Aquiles, narra cul fue la
causa de sta, las consecuencias que tuvo y finaliza con los funerales de su
enemigo Hctor.
Nueve aos despus del inicio de la guerra de Troya, el ejrcito griego (tambin
conocido como los aqueos) saquean Chryse, un pueblo aliado con Troya. Durante
la batalla, los aqueos capturan un par de hermosas doncellas, Criseida y Briseida.
Agamenn, el lder de las fuerzas aqueas, toma a Criseida como premio y Aquiles,
el de los pies ligeros, toma a Briseida. El padre de Criseida, Crises, quien se

desempea como sacerdote del dios Apolo, ofrece un rescate a cambio de su hija,
pero Agamenn se niega a devolver a Criseida. Crises reza a Apolo y ste enva
una plaga sobre el campamento aqueo.

Muchos aqueos mueren a causa de la plaga, as que Agamenn consulta al

profeta Calcante para determinar la causa de la peste. Resulta que Agamenn
tiene que devolver a Criseida para detener la afrenta y, como consecuencia de su
enfado, exige a Briseida como compensacin. Aquiles se pone furioso por este
insulto, regresa a su tienda de campaa en el campamento del ejrcito y se niega
a seguir combatiendo en la guerra. En su afn de venganza anhela ver a los
aqueos destruidos y le pide a su madre, Tetis, que convenza a Zeus, rey de los
dioses, para que cumpla este fin.

Con el apoyo de Zeus a los troyanos y Aquiles negado a luchar, los aqueos
sufren grandes prdidas. Varios das de intensos conflictos sobrevienen, se
suscitan duelos entre Paris y Menelao, as como entre Hctor y Ayax. Los aqueos
no progresan en combate y los troyanos aprovechan para obligarlos a refugiarse
detrs de las murallas que protegen a las naves griegas. Los troyanos rompen las
murallas aqueas, avanzan hasta el lmite del campamento aqueo y prenden fuego
a una de las naves. La derrota parece inminente, ya que sin los barcos, el ejrcito
griego quedara varado en Troya.

Preocupado por sus compaeros, pero an demasiado orgulloso como

para ayudarlos, Aquiles accede a seguir el plan propuesto por Nstor. Dicho plan
implica que Patroclo, su amigo y primo, tome el lugar de Aquiles en la batalla
vestido con su armadura. La presencia de Patroclo en el campo de batalla ayuda a
que los aqueos retiren a las tropas troyanas de nuevo a las murallas de la ciudad.
Apolo entra en auxilio de los troyanos y derriba a Patroclo al suelo, Euforbo lo

hiere y Hctor lo mata. Se desata una lucha entre ambas partes por reclamar el
cuerpo de Patroclo y la armadura Aquiles. Hctor termina con la armadura, pero
los aqueos, gracias a un esfuerzo de Menelao y otros, logran llevar el cuerpo a su
campamento. Cuando Aquiles descubre que Hctor ha matado a Patroclo, se llena
de dolor y rabia y accede a reconciliarse con Agamenn y unirse a la batalla. Tetis
va al monte Olimpo y convence al dios Hefesto para que forje una nueva armadura
para su hijo. A la maana siguiente, Aquiles vuelve a la batalla a la cabeza del
ejrcito aqueo.

Mientras tanto, Hctor, no esperaba que Aquiles volviera al combate, as

que ordena a sus hombres que acampen fuera de las murallas de Troya. Cuando
el ejrcito troyano atisba a Aquiles, huye de terror detrs de las murallas de la
ciudad. Aquiles reduce cada troyano que ve. Finalmente, Aquiles se enfrenta con
Hctor fuera de las murallas de Troya. Avergonzado por el mal consejo que dio a
sus compaeros, Hctor se niega a replegarse al interior de la ciudad con ellos.
Aquiles le persigue en la periferia de la ciudad tres veces, pero la diosa Atenea
finalmente convence a Hctor de dar la vuelta y luchar contra Aquiles. En un duelo
dramtico, Aquiles mata a Hctor. Acto seguido amarra los talones del cuerpo sin
vida de Hctor a la parte de atrs de su carro y lo arrastra a travs del campo de
batalla. Despus de esto, los aqueos celebran el funeral de Patroclo con una larga
serie de juegos deportivos en su honor. Durante los prximos nueve das Aquiles
arrastra el cuerpo de Hctor alrededor del fretro de Patroclo.

Los dioses acuerdan en que Hctor merece un entierro digno. Zeus enva
al dios Hermes para escoltar a Pramo, padre de Hctor y rey de Troya, al
campamento aqueo. Con lgrimas, Pramo ruega a Aquiles que se apiade de un
padre privado de su hijo y regrese el cuerpo de Hctor. Conmovido, Aquiles
finalmente cede y devuelve el cadver de Hctor a los troyanos. Ambas partes
acuerdan una tregua temporal, y Hctor recibe el funeral de un hroe.

Tabla de Contenidos

Introduccin
Resumen y anlisis por seccin

Canto 1 - 4
Canto 5 - 8
Canto 9 - 12
Canto 13 - 16
Canto 17 - 20
Canto 21 - 24

Temas, motivos y smbolos

Datos clave
Citas significativas
Puntos a considerar
Temas o tpicos a discutir
Realiza un examen
Lecturas posteriores

Canto 1 - 4

Canto 1

The poet invokes a muse to help you tell the story of the rage of Achilles, the
greatest hero of Greece who fought in the Trojan War. The narrative begins nine
years after the war began, with the looting by the Achaeans to an allied city of Troy.
They captured two beautiful maidens, Chryseis and Briseis. Agamemnon, the
commander of the Achaean army gets Chryseis as a prize. While Achilles, the most
valiant of the Greeks, is left with Briseis. Chryseis's father, a man named Chryses,
who is a priest of the god Apollo, Agamemnon asks you back to his daughter and
offers to pay a huge ransom. When Agamemnon refuses, Chryses prays to Apollo
for help.

Apollo sent a plague upon the Greek camp, killing many soldiers. After ten
days of suffering, Achilles calls an assembly of the Achaean army and asks a
soothsayer to reveal the cause of the plague. Calchas, a powerful seer, stands up
and offers his services. Despite fearing reprisals from Agamemnon, Calchas
reveals the plague as a retaliatory action by Chryses and Apollo. Agamemnon is
furious and says he will return Chryseis only if Achilles gives him Briseis as
compensation.

Agamemnon's demand humiliates and infuriates the proud Achilles. The

two men discussed and Achilles threatens to withdraw from the battle and lead
your troops, the Myrmidons, back home to Phthia. Agamemnon threatens to go to
the store and take Briseis Achilles himself. Achilles is about to draw his sword and
kill the Achaean commander when the goddess Athena appears to him. With the

guidance of Athena and the discourse of wise counselor Nestor, finally prevents the
duel.

That night, Agamemnon puts Chryseis back in a boat with his father and
also sends heralds to Achilles' tent to seize Briseis. Achilles asks his mother, the
sea nymph Thetis, to talk to Zeus, king of the gods, so that he punish the
Achaeans. He tells of his quarrel with Agamemnon, and she promises to take the
matter with Zeus-who owes a favor as soon as the god return from a period of
thirteen days of feasting. Meanwhile, the Achaean commander Odysseus (Ulysses)
Criseida the boat crew has boarded. Return to the maid and make sacrifices in the
name of Apollo. Crises, happy to see his daughter, pray to God to lift the plague on
the Achaean camp. Apollo recognizes his prayer and Odysseus returns with their
peers.

The end of the pest to the Achaeans only marks the beginning of a greater
suffering. Since its dispute with Agamemnon, Achilles has refused to participate in
the battle and, after twelve days, Thetis makes her appeal to Zeus, as he had
promised. Zeus is reluctant to help the Trojans, but finally agrees. Hera, who
supports the Greeks and is the wife of Zeus, is enraged when he discovers that
Zeus agrees to help the Trojans. However, not convinces Hephaestus to a conflict
between the gods because of mortals.

Analysis edge 1

The Iliad presents from the beginning his main theme: the rage of Achilles.
Although the Trojan War is a subject that is present throughout the work, is in the
end a conflict that serves as background to situate the problems that will develop
the main characters, in this case Achilles and Agamemnon. Thus, the current war
is not important in itself, but the pretext to give rise to individual conflicts that arise
in this event. The fight that ensues in this first song between Achilles and
Agamemnon is what triggers the poem Iliad , Achilles wrath how this has and will
have implications for both sides, both Achaeans and Trojans.

Although the poem focuses on the rage of a deadly, motivations and

actions of the gods is a subject that is also present. You can see that the gods
interfere in the affairs of mortals in three ways. First, they act as external forces on
the course of events, as when Apollo sends the plague on the Achaean army.
Second, we represent the internal forces acting on individuals, as when Athena,
the goddess of wisdom, advises Achilles reason not to leave and convinces him to
use words and insults towards Agamemnon rather than the sword . Third, the
presence of the gods also serves as a touch of humor, as his scheming, double
dealings and disputes generally look silly humor that contrasts with what happens
in the mortal realm. This makes the gods in the Iliad , are presented as gods and
goddesses not invincible and imperturbable but as characters whose sensibilities
and dysfunctional relationships are comparable to humans or mortals.

Canto 2

To help the Trojans, Zeus sends a false dream to Agamemnon in which Nestor
convinces you can take Troy if you launch a large-scale assault on the city walls.
The next day, Agamemnon gathers his troops, but the tests and says he has
decided to renounce war and must return to Greece. To his surprise, the soldiers
are headed to the ships to leave.

When Hera see that the Achaeans are removed, Athena warns of the situation and
it goes with Odysseus, the most eloquent of the Achaeans, and what inspires them
to call back troops. Before the hearing, he shouts words of encouragement but also
insults his pride and this is how manages to recover the confidence of men.
Odysseus also recalls the prophecy that the soothsayer Calchas gave when the
Achaeans sail from Greece: The water snake glided to shore and devoured a nest
with nine sparrows. Calchas interpreted this signal in the sense that nine years
would pass before the Achaeans finally took Troy. Upon hearing this, the Achaean
soldiers decide not to abandon their struggle until the city falls.

Nestor encourages Agamemnon to organize his troops and fight together.

At this point the poet narrator takes the opportunity to detail the troops that make
up the Greek army. On the other hand, Zeus sent a messenger to the court Trojan,
warning of the intentions of the Greeks. The Trojans gather their troops under the
command of Hector, son of Priam. The poet, like the Greeks did, going on to detail
the Trojan forces.

Analysis edge 2

At the end of this song, the reader already has sketched a profile of Agamemnon
and Achilles. The first is proud and stubborn, while the second is powerful and
temperamental. The dispute was between the two will be the reason that
dominates the trajectory of this epic.

Two other characters are starting to have presence Nestor and Odysseus.
The speeches of both are very important as they provide advice and counsel,
demonstrate their rhetorical qualities, same as the Achaeans maintain its course of
struggle.

Also, this song is important to give a dimension of the situation in which the
army was Greek. As mentioned in the previous section, the question of honor was
paramount to the Greek value system because it contrasts with the fact that the
troops preferred to go home rather than continue fighting. This highlights the
glorious image of the Greeks, since in the time of Homer, the audience listened to
the story knew that the war between Greeks and Trojans ended with the defeat of
Troy. However, presenting this scene is crucial because it is in keeping with the
obstacles that must suffer and overcome every hero, as in the tales of Greek
mythology. Thus, the Greeks would hear the story would see their ancestors
(soldiers and leaders who participated in this war) as heroes and at the same time,
would identify with this heritage honorable feeling proud to be Greek.

Canto 3

The Trojan army march from the gates of the city and move to where the
Achaeans. Paris, prince of Troy, who provoked the war by stealing the beautiful
Helen from her husband Menelaus, challenges any Achaean to a fight. When
Menelaus takes a few steps forward, Paris cowers and returns to the Trojan ranks.
Hector's brother Paris, and leader of the Trojan forces, punishes him. Paris, exalted
by the insult of Hector, accepts a duel with Menelaus, and declares that this fight
will define peace between Trojans and Achaeans, and the winner will have to
Helena as his wife. Hector presents the terms to Menelaus, who accepts. With this
both armies expect to end the war. While Paris and Menelaus prepare for combat,
the goddess Iris, disguised as Laodicea (Hector's sister), visit Helena in the palace
of Priam. Iris urges Helen to go to the gates of the city and witness the battle that
played for her.

Paris and Menelaus arm themselves and begin their duel. Neither is able to
reach the other with his spear. Menelaus breaks his sword on the helmet of Paris.
Then Agamemnon grabs Paris by the helmet and drags him through the mud, but
Aphrodite, a goddess ally of the Trojans, helmet strap loose so that is released
from the hands of Menelaus. Frustrated, Menelaus takes his spear and tries to
pass through Paris when Aphrodite interferes and sends Paris into her room in the
palace of Priam. In the room is Helena, who rebukes Paris for his cowardice, then
lie together in bed. On the battlefield, both the Trojans and the Greeks seek after
Paris, who seems to have magically disappeared. Agamemnon insists that
Menelaus has won the duel, and calls back to Helena.

Analysis singing 3

In this section of the book the battle between the Greeks and Trojans is personified
in the duel between Menelaus and Paris, the two men whose dispute Helena is the
cause of the war. In this unfinished fight Menelaus wins the battle, but Paris, to be
transported to the room by Aphrodite, wins the girl. Furthermore, this struggle can
be seen as a parallel to Helen herself, since she lives an internal conflict between
reason and the passions.

In this song III the theme of human passion is evident. In the Greek
tradition the passions they are known under the concept of hubris and involves
excess, lack of impulse control, which if unchecked leads to irrationality and
imbalance. This can be seen in the same Paris as he could end the war that his
actions caused (acts that were favored by their passions). By leaving the battlefield
and stay in your room with Helena, sets aside his honor and duty (core values to
the Greeks), and as Agamemnon and Achilles can not control his pride and anger,
Paris can not control his inordinate love Helena. Pride, anger, honor, passion, all
these human traits must be controlled if men are to succeed. This lack of control
has terrible consequences for the Trojans, as these actions cause rabies Paris of
the Achaeans is increased and, therefore, that the war encarnice harder.

A counter example is the case of Odysseus, because it's a Greek who uses
reason (logos) to control their emotions, is moderation and that leads him to
develop a plan that will end the war.

Canto 4

Meanwhile, the gods are concerned with their own fighting. Zeus argues that
Menelaus has won the duel and that the war should end as mortals had agreed.
But Hera, who has invested heavily in the Greek cause, want the complete
destruction of Troy. In the end, Zeus assigns and sends Athena to the battlefield for
the struggle to start again. Disguised as a soldier of Troy, Athena convinces the
archer Pandarus to shoot his arrow at Menelaus. But Athena Achaeans just want to
give a pretext for war, so that diverts the arrow and superficially wounded
Menelaus.

Agamemnon meets the Achaean ranks. Encourage Nestor, Odysseus,

Diomedes, among others, and exalts to fight on behalf of their ancestors. The
battle explodes and blood flows relentlessly. The gods are involved again, Athena
helps Apollo Achaeans and Trojans.

Analysis rim 4

In this song can be seen a parallel between the gods and mortals. Agamemnon's
attitude toward his warriors is similar to Zeus's attitude towards gods. The
comments of both intend to produce a particular response. Zeus makes fun of the
other gods to produce in them a reaction. Meanwhile, criticism or praise depending
Agamemnon warrior who goes. The difference between them is that for the gods,
their decisions are almost jokes involving the fate of men can mock Zeus and
Athena Hera despite knowing that the war will continue. In contrast, for
Agamemnon and soldiers, teasing and fighting are a matter of life and death, a
matter of individual and collective survival. This humorous touch of the gods makes

a counterweight to the descriptions made by the narrator about the battle between
Achaeans and Trojans.