Homer (Homeros) c. 750 BC e.

Iliad (Ilias) - Epic poem

The myths of most peoples are myths primarily about gods. The myths of ancient Greece are an exception: for the most part they are not about gods, but about heroes. Heroes are sons, grandsons and great-grandchildren of gods from mortal women; they performed feats, cleansed the land of monsters, punished the villains and entertained their strength in internecine wars. When it became hard for the Earth from them, the gods made it so that they themselves would kill each other in the greatest war - the Trojan: "... and at the walls of Ilion / the Tribe of heroes died - the will of Zeus was done."

"Ilion", "Troy" - two names of the same mighty city in Asia Minor, near the coast of the Dardanelles. From the first of these names, the great Greek poem about the Trojan War is called the Iliad. Before her, only short oral songs about the exploits of heroes, such as epics or ballads, existed among the people. A large poem of them was composed by the legendary blind singer Homer, and he composed it very skillfully: he chose only one episode from a long war and unfolded it so that it reflected the entire heroic age. This episode is the "wrath of Achilles", the greatest of the last generation of Greek heroes.

The Trojan War lasted ten years. Dozens of Greek kings and leaders gathered on a campaign against Troy on hundreds of ships with thousands of soldiers: a list of their names takes up several pages in the poem. The main leader was the strongest of the kings - the ruler of the city of Argos Agamemnon; with him were his brother Menelaus (for whose sake the war began), the mighty Ajax, the ardent Diomedes, the cunning Odysseus, the wise old Nestor and others; but the most courageous, strong and dexterous was the young Achilles, the son of the sea goddess Thetis, who was accompanied by his friend Patroclus. The Trojans were ruled by the gray-haired king Priam, at the head of their army was the valiant son of Priam Hector, with him his brother Paris (because of whom the war began) and many allies from all over Asia. The gods themselves took part in the war: the silver-armed Apollo helped the Trojans, and the heavenly queen Hera and the wise warrior Athena helped the Greeks. The supreme god, the thunderer Zeus, followed the battles from the high Olympus and carried out his will.

The war started like this. The wedding of the hero Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis was celebrated - the last marriage between gods and mortals. (This is the same marriage from which Achilles was born.) At the feast, the goddess of discord threw a golden apple, destined for the "most beautiful." Three people argued over an apple: Hera, Athena and the goddess of love Aphrodite. Zeus ordered the Trojan prince Paris to judge their dispute. Each of the goddesses promised him their gifts: Hera promised to make him king over the whole world, Athena - a hero and sage, Aphrodite - the husband of the most beautiful of women. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite. After that, Hera and Athena became the eternal enemies of Troy. Aphrodite helped Paris seduce and take away to Troy the most beautiful of women - Helen, daughter of Zeus, wife of King Menelaus. Once upon a time, the best heroes from all over Greece wooed her and, in order not to quarrel, they agreed this way: let her choose who she wants, and if someone tries to recapture her from the chosen one, all the rest will go to war with him. (Everyone hoped that he would be the chosen one.) Then Helen chose Menelaus; now Paris has recaptured her from Menelaus, and all her former suitors have gone to war against him. Only one, the youngest, did not marry Elena, did not participate in the general agreement and went to war only in order to show off his valor, show strength and acquire glory. It was Achilles. So that still none of the gods interfered in the battle. The Trojans continue their onslaught, led by Hector and Sarpedon, the son of Zeus, the last of the sons of Zeus on earth. Achilles coldly watches from his tent how the Greeks flee, how the Trojans approach their very camp: they are about to set fire to the Greek ships. From above, Hera also sees the flight of the Greeks and, in desperation, decides to deceive in order to divert the harsh attention of Zeus. She appears before him in the magic belt of Aphrodite, arousing love, Zeus flares up with passion and unites with her at the top of Ida; a golden cloud envelops them, and the earth around them blooms with saffron and hyacinths. After love comes sleep, and while Zeus sleeps, the Greeks gather their courage and stop the Trojans. But sleep is short; Zeus wakes up, Hera trembles before his anger, and he tells her: "Be able to endure: everything will be your way and the Greeks will defeat the Trojans, but not before Achilles pacifies his anger and goes into battle: so I promised the goddess Thetis."

But Achilles is not yet ready to "lay down his anger", and instead of him, his friend Patroclus comes out to help the Greeks: it hurts him to look at his comrades in trouble. Achilles gives him his soldiers, his armor, which the Trojans are used to being afraid of, his chariot harnessed by prophetic horses that can speak and prophesy. “Repel the Trojans from the camp, save the ships,” says Achilles, “but don’t get carried away with the pursuit, don’t endanger yourself! Indeed, seeing the armor of Achilles, the Trojans trembled and turned back; and then Patroclus could not resist and rushed to pursue them. Sarpedon, the son of Zeus, comes out to meet him, and Zeus, looking from a height, hesitates: "Should we not save our son?" - and the unkind Hera recalls:

"No, let fate be done!" Sarpedon collapses like a mountain pine, the battle boils around his body, and Patroclus rushes further, to the gates of Troy. “Away!” Apollo shouts to him, “Troy is not destined to take either you or even Achilles.” He does not hear; and then Apollo, wrapped in a cloud, strikes him on the shoulders, Patroclus loses his strength, drops his shield, helmet and spear, Hector strikes him with the last blow, and Patroclus, dying, says: "But you yourself will fall from Achilles!"

The news reaches Achilles: Patroclus is dead, Hector flaunts in his Achilles armor, his friends hardly carried the dead body of the hero out of the battle, the triumphant Trojans are chasing them. Achilles wants to rush into battle, but he is unarmed; he comes out of the tent and screams, and this scream is so terrible that the Trojans, shuddering, retreat. Night falls, and all night Achilles mourns his friend and threatens the Trojans with terrible revenge; meanwhile, at the request of his mother, Thetis, the lame blacksmith god Hephaestus in his copper forge forges a new marvelous weapon for Achilles. This is a shell, a helmet, greaves and a shield, and the whole world is depicted on the shield: the sun and stars, the earth and the sea, a peaceful city and a warring city, in a peaceful city there is a court and a wedding, an ambush and a battle in front of a warring city, and around - rural areas, plowing , harvest, pasture, vineyard, village festival and dancing round dance, and in the middle of it - a singer with a lyre.

Morning comes, Achilles puts on divine armor and calls the Greek army to a meeting. His anger did not fade away, but now he is not directed at Agamemnon, but at those who killed his friend - at the Trojans and Hector. He offers reconciliation to Agamemnon, and he accepts it with dignity: "Zeus and Fate blinded me, but I myself am innocent." Briseis is returned to Achilles, rich gifts are brought to his tent, but Achilles almost does not look at them: he is eager to fight, he wants to take revenge.

The fourth battle is coming. Zeus removes the bans: let the gods themselves fight for whom they want! The warrior Athena converges in battle with the frantic Ares, the sovereign Hera with the archer Artemis, the sea Poseidon must converge with Apollo, but he stops him with sad words: “Should we fight with you because of the mortal human race? / Short-lived leaves in the oak forest are like sons human: / Today they bloom in strength, and tomorrow they lie lifeless. / I don’t want to quarrel with you: let them be at enmity! .. "

Achilles is terrible. He grappled with Aeneas, but the gods pulled Aeneas out of his hands: Aeneas is not destined to fall from Achilles, he must survive both Achilles and Troy. Enraged by the failure, Achilles destroys the Trojans without counting, their corpses clutter up the river, the river god Scamander attacks him, sweeping the ramparts, but the fiery god Hephaestus pacifies the river.

The surviving Trojans run in droves to escape to the city; Hector alone, in yesterday's Achilles armor, covers the retreat. Achilles attacks him, and Hector takes flight, voluntary and involuntary: he is afraid for himself, but wants to distract Achilles from others. Three times they run around the city, and the gods look at them from the heights. Again Zeus hesitates: "Should we save the hero?" - but Athena reminds him: "Let fate be done." Again, Zeus lifts the scales, on which two lots lie - this time Hectors and Achilles. The bowl of Achilles flew up, the bowl of Hector leaned towards the underworld. And Zeus gives a sign: Apollo - to leave Hector, Athena - to come to the aid of Achilles. Athena holds Hector, and he comes face to face with Achilles. "I promise, Achilles," says Hector, "if I kill you, I will take off your armor, but I won't touch your body; you promise me the same." "There is no place for promises: for Patroclus I myself will tear you to pieces and drink your blood!" Achilles screams. Hector's spear strikes the Hephaestus shield, but in vain; Achilles' spear strikes Hector's throat, and the hero falls with the words: "Fear the revenge of the gods: and you will fall after me." "I know, but first - you!" Achilles answers. He ties the body of the slain enemy to his chariot and drives the horses around Troy, mocking the dead, and on the city wall old Priam weeps for Hector, the widow Andromache and all the Trojans and Trojans weep.

Patroclus is avenged. Achilles arranges a magnificent burial for his friend, kills twelve Trojan captives over his body, celebrates a commemoration. It would seem that his anger should subside, but it does not subside. Three times a day, Achilles drives his chariot with the body of Hector tied around Patroclus' mound; the corpse would have long since smashed against the stones, but Apollo was invisibly guarding it. Finally, Zeus intervenes - through the sea Thetis, he announces to Achilles: "Do not rage with your heart! After all, you don’t have long to live either. Be humane: accept the ransom and give Hector for burial." And Achilles says, "I obey."

At night, the decrepit king Priam comes to the tent of Achilles; with him is a wagon full of ransom gifts. The gods themselves let him pass through the Greek camp unnoticed. He falls to the knees of Achilles;

"Remember, Achilles, about your father, about Peleus! He is just as old; maybe enemies are pressing him; but it is easier for him, because he knows that you are alive and hopes that you will return. I am alone: ​​from of all my sons, only Hector was my hope - and now he is no more. For the sake of your father, have pity on me, Achilles: here I kiss your hand, from which my children fell. “So saying, he aroused sorrow for his father and tears in him - / Both wept loudly, in their souls remembering their own: / The old man, prostrate at the feet of Achilles, - about Hector the brave, / Achilles himself - now about a dear father, then about friend of Patroclus.

Equal grief brings enemies together: only now the long anger in Achilles' heart subsides. He accepts the gifts, gives Priam the body of Hector and promises not to disturb the Trojans until they betray their hero to the ground. Early at dawn, Priam returns with the body of his son to Troy, and mourning begins: the old mother cries over Hector, the widow Andromache cries, Helen cries, because of whom the war once began. A funeral pyre is lit, the remains are collected in an urn, the urn is lowered into the grave, a mound is poured over the grave, a memorial feast is celebrated for the hero. "So the sons buried the warrior Hector of Troy" - this line ends the Iliad.

Before the end of the Trojan War, there were still many events. The Trojans, having lost Hector, no longer dared to go beyond the city walls. But other, more and more distant peoples came to their aid and fought with Hector: from Asia Minor, from the fabulous land of the Amazons, from distant Ethiopia. The most terrible was the leader of the Ethiopians, the black giant Memnon, also the son of the goddess; he fought with Achilles, and Achilles overthrew him. It was then that Achilles rushed to attack Troy - then he died from the arrow of Paris, which Apollo directed. The Greeks, having lost Achilles, no longer hoped to take Troy by force - they took it by cunning, forcing the Trojans to bring into the city a wooden horse in which the Greek knights were sitting. The Roman poet Virgil will later tell about this in his Aeneid. Troy was wiped off the face of the earth, and the surviving Greek heroes set off on their way back.

The Iliad is the oldest monument of ancient Greek writing, created by the semi-legendary blind genius Homer. The Iliad is tentatively dated to the 8th-9th century BC. e., and the events described in it date back to the 13-12th century BC. e., when the long-term Trojan War unfolded under the walls of the great ancient city.

Despite the fact that Homer's Iliad is dedicated to the Trojan War, it only describes the last 41 days of the legendary battle. During this relatively short period, the author manages to reveal the nature of the war and its main actors.

The characters of the poem are divided into two opposing camps - the Trojans and the Greeks (they appear in the text under the name - Achaeans, Danaans). The most notable figures of the Trojan camp:

• noble Hector, prince of the besieged city, son of the old king Priam and chief military leader;
• Hector's brother Paris, who kidnapped Helen and initiated a great war;
• the hero Aeneas, doomed, like Odysseus, to long post-war wanderings, which became the basis for independent works (for example, Virgil's Aeneids);
• Antenor is the wisest among the Trojan elders.

The main characters of the Greek camp:

• King Menelaus of Sparta, husband of the stolen Helen;
• the Mycenaean king Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, military commander-in-chief, who persuaded the Greek rulers to go to war;
• Achilles, a hero, a demigod, the son of the Myrmidon king Peleus and the divine nymph Thetis, the greatest of the Greek warriors, famous for his invulnerability;
• cunning Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, his many years of wandering formed the basis of the second part of the Homeric dilogy "Odyssey".

For ten years now, the exhausting war between the Achaeans (Greeks) and the Trojans has been going on. The Greek troops are desperately attacking the walls of the glorious city, and the Trojans bravely hold the siege. And there is no end in sight to this battle. Tension is rising in the Greek camp. The Hellenes are cut off from their homes, embroiled in a protracted war, and more than anything else they dream that the long-term slaughter will end as soon as possible.

The events of the Iliad begin on that fateful day when Chris, the priest of Apollo, came to the military camp of the Greeks. The old man turned to the Greek leader, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, with a request to release his beloved daughter Astin, who was taken prisoner. Agamemnon resists, he does not want to part with his concubine, whom he devotes more time to than his lawful wife Clytemnestra. The commander-in-chief rudely sends the priest away, throwing after him that Astinoma will grow old among the Greeks and will always share a bed with Agamemnon. The heartbroken father appeals to Apollo, asking him to send punishment to the Greeks who took away any of his children.

From that moment on, a terrible plague sets in in the camp of the Achaeans, taking the lives of strong warriors. The Greeks are going to the council. The speech is held by the greatest Hellenic hero, invulnerable Achilles. He bravely accuses Agamemnon of the trouble that befell the army. “Oh, you, dressed in shamelessness, all your thoughts are about profit!” - Achilles fearlessly exclaims, demanding that the king of Mycenae, as befits the supreme commander, push his desires into the background and think about the army. The hero reminds Agamemnon that it was he who dragged the Greeks into war. The Trojans did nothing wrong to Achilles and other Hellenes, they did not attack their cities, they did not trample on arable land, they did not kill relatives and friends. In this war, we "observe the honor of Menelaus and yours, the image of a dog!"

Agamemnon agrees to give away his beloved concubine, but, in order to take revenge on Achilles who denigrated him, he takes away his slave Briseis. The hero is beside himself with anger. He appeals to his divine mother Thetis and she begs the Thunderer Zeus to send bad luck to the Greeks. Achilles himself closes in his tent and refuses to take part in the battles, despite the fact that the Greek troops suffer one defeat after another.

Apple of discord
According to ancient Greek epic legends, the beginning of the Trojan War was laid at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles' parents). Everyone was invited to the celebration, except for the goddess of discord, Eris. The offended deity threw a golden apple on which was written "to the most beautiful."

Zeus ordered Paris to give the apple to one of the goddesses - Hera, Athena or Aphrodite. Paris chose the beautiful Aphrodite. For this, Aphrodite fell in love with him the most beautiful of mortals - Helen, the wife of King Menelaus. Paris kidnapped Helen and took him to his native Troy. To take revenge on Paris, Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon gather a huge army and set off on a campaign against Troy. Hera and Athena, who were ignored by Paris, became the faithful patrons of the Greeks.

Achilles is still in anger and does not enter the battlefield. The Trojans nearly defeat the Greeks. Hera comes to the aid of her pets. She appears before Zeus in the belt of Aphrodite, which causes a passionate attraction. The Thunderer is distracted from the battle, which makes it possible for the Achaeans to gather strength and repel the decisive attack of the enemy.

The war thus does not end. Achilles' best friend Patroclus is sent to the next battle. He dresses in the armor of his glorious comrade. Their mere sight terrifies the enemy. The Trojans scatter in fear, mistaking Patroclus for the invulnerable Achilles. However, Patroclus could not control his pride. He sets off in pursuit of the enemy army. His deception is soon exposed and Hector mortally wounds Patroclus.

The death of a friend becomes a deep shock for Achilles. He leaves his tent and decides to return to the battlefield to avenge Patroclus.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the mythological poem of Homer, which tells about the adventures of a hero named Odysseus during his return to his homeland at the end of the Trojan War.

Achilles (Achilles) - the son of the Myrmidonian king Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis, a demigod, a hero. According to one legend, Thetis dipped her little son into the waters of the underground river Stigs. Since then, Achilles has become invulnerable. Only the heel, by which the mother held the boy, remained vulnerable. It is in her that the Parisian arrow hits, which brought death to the legendary hero. The expression "Achilles heel" has become a household word. It denotes a weak point / side / character trait of someone.

Achilles asks Hephaestus to forge him new armor and weapons. Thirsty for bloody retribution, he goes into battle. It was a terrible battle, not only people fought, but also the gods: Athena fought with Ares, Hera with Artemis, Poseidon with Apollo, but Achilles raged the most. He exterminated hundreds of thousands of Trojans, almost took the life of the hero Aeneas, who was carried away from the battlefield by the gods (Aeneas was not destined to die in this war), and even enters into battle with the river god Scamander (the latter is pacified by Apollo).

The main goal of Achilles still remained Hector, who killed Patroclus. Several times the heroes go around Troy in their fast chariots. Zeus lifts the scales, on one bowl is the fate of Achilles, on the other - Hector. The scales are outweighed in favor of the first, which means that the great Trojan will have to die. The gods turn away from the heroes - let fate be decided, because even the celestials are powerless before it.

Achilles finally catches up with Hector and pierces his armor with a spear. And at this time, a long groan is heard on the Trojan wall. This is Queen Andromache mourning her beloved husband.

Gods, but not omnipotent
According to Homer, the gods influence the course of military events in every possible way, help their favorites, plot intrigues on those who fell out of favor, but even they are powerless before moira - the goddesses of fate, who determine the greatest law of nature. In the Greek mythological tradition, there were three of them - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Cloto, or "spinner", spins the thread of life, Lachesis, "fate", determines the fate, Atropos, "inevitable", measures the age of a person and cuts off the thread of fate.

With the death of Hector, Achilles' anger does not go away. He ties the body of a sworn enemy to his horse and rushes with him to the camp. During a magnificent memorial service for Patroclus, Achilles circles around the mound of his deceased friend every day, dragging the corpse of Hector with him. It would have turned into a bloody mess long ago, if not for Apollo, who invisibly protected the Trojan prince.

The aged king Priam, Hector's father, comes to Achilles to ask for his dead son. The gods help him pass unnoticed through the enemy camp. Priam begs Achilles to remember the people close to his heart, his aged father Peleus. Empathetic Achilles sobs on Priam's chest and he gives the body of his son to the parent. The anger of Achilles passes, and the Trojans arrange a magnificent funeral for the noble warrior, the Trojan prince Hector.

The ten-year Trojan War ended with the victory of the Greeks, but they managed to take the city not by force, but by cunning. The Greeks announced their surrender and brought a huge wooden horse as a gift to the winners. Blinded by the long-awaited victory, the Trojans accepted the gift and brought the horse into the city. A feast went on all night in Troy. The townspeople did not suspect that the best Greek warriors were in the body of the wooden giant, and the Hellenic ships were standing in the bay and waiting for the gates of the city to be opened to them. This cunning plan came up with the king of Ithaca, Odysseus. The cunning plan worked. That night Troy fell.

Homer's Iliad: a summary

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epic poetry grew out of the folk song tradition. Writing appeared in Greece no later than the second half of the 8th century, so that earlier it was not possible to fix the texts of the poems. The Odyssey has 12,083 verses. As far as is known, its text was first ordered in the middle of the 6th century BC. e., and in the II-III centuries BC. e. Alexandrian philologists divided the text into 24 books, according to the number of letters in the Greek alphabet. An antique "book" is 500-1000 lines placed on a papyrus scroll. Today, more than 250 papyri with fragments of the text of the Odyssey are known, and about 150 papyrus texts are taken into account in the latest editions of the poem. Poems were originally designed for oral performance. They were recited by rhapsodos singers (from the Greek rhapsodos - "song stitchers") in front of an unfamiliar audience or at folk festivals.

Scientists have proved that the first of the Homeric poems - "Iliad" - was created around 800 BC. e., and the Odyssey was written a century or two later. These are monuments of the era of transition from the communal-tribal to the slave-owning system, monuments of the earliest stage in the development of ancient Greek literature. Both poems were created in the most developed of the then Greek regions, in Ionia, that is, in the Greek cities along the coast of Asia Minor, and are connected by plot.

"Iliad" tells about a short episode during the Trojan War (the title of the poem comes from the Greek name for Troy - Ilion). In popular memory, the real campaign of the Achaean leaders against the rich city, which they destroyed around 1200, was transformed into a great nine-year war. According to the myth, the cause of the war was the abduction by the Trojan prince Paris of Helen the Beautiful, the wife of the Achaean king Menelaus. The plot of the Iliad is based on the great "wrath of Achilles", a quarrel over military booty between the two largest heroes of the Achaeans, the mighty Achilles and the brother of Menelaus, the main commander of the Achaeans, Agamemnon. The Iliad depicts bloody battles, valiant duels and military courage.

AT "Odyssey" tells about the return home after the fall of Troy, one of the Greek kings - Odysseus, thanks to whose cunning with a wooden horse the Greeks eventually took Troy. This return lasted for a long ten years, and the story of them is not in chronological order, but, which is typical for the epic, with numerous digressions and slowdowns. The actual action in the "Odyssey" takes only 40 days - these are the last trials of Odysseus on the way to his native island of Ithaca: a story about how his faithful wife Penelope and son Telemak resist the excesses of impudent suitors, and about his revenge on the suitors. But in numerous episodes of the poem, Odysseus indulges in memories of Troy, then of various adventures that fell to his lot during the years of wandering, so that the actual span of time in the poem is 20 years. Compared to the Iliad, the Odyssey contains more descriptions of everyday life, and the adventure element in the plot is more represented.

In the Homeric epic, along with people, gods and other mythological creatures act. Odysseus is patronized by the beloved daughter of Zeus, the bright-eyed goddess of wisdom Athena, and the sea god Poseidon acts as his persecutor. Odysseus communicates with the messenger of the gods Hermes, is captured by the evil sorceress Circe, who turns his companions into pigs, spends seven long years on the island of the beautiful nymph Calypso, who promises him immortality if he stays with her. He descends into the realm of the dead, gloomy Hades, where he communicates with the souls of the dead - Achilles, Agamemnon and the soothsayer Tiresias - that is, the mythological plan is constantly invading reality. Simultaneously with the events that came from the folklore fairy tale, there are socially pointed episodes in the poem, in particular, Odysseus is shown as a zealous owner who takes care of his property. This heterogeneity of the poem is explained by the fact that the Homeric epic absorbed and reflected a whole millennium of epic knowledge of the world. The poem highlights the most ancient basis, the historical "grain" of the legend about the Trojan War, which refers to the so-called Mycenaean era of Greek history; the everyday realities of the poem belong to the "dark time" that followed the fall of the Mycenaean culture; by the time of the Ionian archaic - the social conflicts outlined in it - and all this is presented from the point of view of epic syncretism, that is, holistically, unanimously and at the same time heterogeneous, diverse. "Odyssey" captured the evolution of the epic consciousness from the original solidity, integrity to the splitting of the unity of the world, to multi-layeredness. The gods play an incomparably smaller role in this poem than in the Iliad; the relationship between the Olympians, who explained the relationship between people in the first poem, faded into the background in the Odyssey, and the conflicts of private and public life came to the fore.

"Odyssey" is not only a journey of the protagonist, but also a journey through different levels of epic consciousness. The most ancient is represented by a terrible archaism - these are the Cyclopes giants, the children of the gods (for the blinding of one of them, his son Polyphemus, Poseidon takes revenge on Odysseus); these are the chthonic (from the Greek chtonos - earth) gods of the underworld Hades and Persephone; these are the fantastic mysterious monsters Scylla and Charybdis; these are cannibals-lestrigons; these are sirens, destroying careless sailors with their mellifluous singing. Of all the meetings with these incomprehensible primitive horrors, Odysseus emerges victorious thanks to the presence of mind and ingenuity. The second level of epic consciousness reflects the harmony of the golden age: the feasts of the gods on Olympus, the serene life of people on the happy island of the feacs. The third level is the beginning of the destruction of harmony, as evidenced by the impudence of the suitors of Penelope, the infidelity of individual slaves and slaves of Odysseus.

BOOK 5
The exploits of Diomedes are recounted, assisted by Athena. He is wounded by Pandarus, but Athena heals the wound. Aeneas helps Pandarus fight Diomedes. Pandarus is killed, and Aeneas is saved by his mother, Aphrodite, who is wounded in the hand by Diomedes. Apollo comes to the aid of Aeneas and takes him to the Pergamon temple in Troy, where his wounds are treated. Ares comes to the aid of the Trojans. Aeneas returns to the battlefield. Hector and Aeneas kill many Achaeans. Hera and Athena come to the aid of the Achaeans. With the help of Athena, Diomedes injures Ares, who then complains and rushes off to heaven.

BOOK 6
Achaean assembly. Hector is called to Troy to lead a religious procession to the temple of Athena, where Hecuba and other matrons ask the goddess to lead Diomedes from the battlefield. During the battle, Diomedes meets the Trojan Glaucus. Upon learning that their ancestors were bound by sacred bonds of hospitality, they exchange weapons as a token of friendship. Hector convinces Paris to return to the battle. Hector himself says goodbye to his wife Andromache and son Astyanax and returns to the field.

BOOK 7
Athena helps the Achaeans. Apollo begs her to postpone the battle and tell Hector to challenge one of the Achaeans to fight. Of the nine Achaean leaders, the lot to fight Hector falls to Ajax. The night is coming. The Trojans meet for a council. Antenor offers to return Helen to the Achaeans, but Helen refuses and in turn offers to give the Achaeans all her wealth. Priam sends a messenger to announce this decision to the Achaeans, and also to ask for a temporary truce for the burial of the fallen. Agamamnon agrees to the second, but refuses Elena's wealth. After burning the dead, the Achaeans, on the advice of Nestor, build fortifications to protect the ships and the camp. Poseidon, the patron saint of the Trojans, protests against this, but Zeus reassures him. Both armies spend the night feasting. Zeus frightens the Trojans with lightning, thunder, and other signs of discontent.

BOOK 8
At the council, Zeus threatens to punish the gods if they continue to interfere in the war; but Athena persuades him to let her give one piece of advice to the Achaeans. The battle begins. On Mount Ida, Zeus weighs the fate of the Achaeans and Trojans. Then he strikes terror into the Achaeans with thunder and lightning. One Nestor continues to fight and exposes himself to great danger. Diomedes comes to his aid. The exploits of Diomedes and Hector are recounted. Hera tries to convince Poseidon to defect to the Achaeans, but in vain. In a battle with Hector, Teucer is wounded. Hera and Athena want to help the Achaeans, but Zeus forbids them to do so. The Achaeans are driven out behind the fortifications and the Trojans spend the night on the plain.

BOOK 9
Agamemnon invites the Achaeans to return home, but Diomedes and Nestor protest. Nestor convinces Agamamnon to send to Achilles with promises of gifts and the return of Briseis to him. Odysseus and Ajax go to Achilles, accompanied by Felix, an old friend of Achilles. Achilles accepts the Phoenix, but drives Odysseus and Ajax away.

BOOK 10
Agamemnon, alarmed by Achilles' refusal, spends the night among the leaders discussing the situation. They decide to send a scout to Troy in order to reveal the intentions of the Trojans. Diomedes and Odysseus go to Troy and on the way they meet Dolon, who was sent to the Achaeans for the same purpose. From Dolon, the Achaean leaders learn about the state of the Trojan troops and about the arrival of Thracian reinforcements in Troy led by Reza.

BOOK 11
Zeus, Athena and Hera approve of the proposal for war. Zeus sends Iris to warn Hector not to interfere in the battle until Agamemnon is wounded and leaves the field. Then Hector comes out. Diomedes and Odysseus fight him. Paris wounds Diomedes, and Odysseus is rescued by Ajax and Menelaus. Machaon, shot by Paris with a bow, is taken out of the field on Nester's chariot. Achilles sends Patroclus to inquire about the progress of the battle. Nestor tells Patroclus all the news, hoping that he can convince Achilles to join the battle. On the way back, Patroclus meets the wounded Euripilus and helps him.

BOOK 12
The Trojans beat off the Achaeans behind the fortifications, but they cannot jump over the ditch and pursue the Achaeans. Then they decide to abandon the chariots and fight on foot, but suddenly an eagle appears in the sky, carrying a snake. The Trojan leader Polydal takes this as a bad omen and orders him to stop. But Hector continues the battle. Sarpedon breaks through the wall, and Hector breaks through the gates of the Achaean camp. The Trojans break into the camp.

BOOK 13
Poseidon unexpectedly helps the Achaeans: he takes the form of the soothsayer Calchas and convinces the Achaeans to continue to fight against Hector. Two Ajax block Hector. The Cretan Idomeneo distinguishes himself in battle by killing three Trojan chiefs, but is held back by Aeneas and Deiphobus. Menelaus also excels in battle. Hector fights against the Ajaxes and tries to inspire the Trojans.

BOOK 14
Nestor, alarmed by the furious onslaught of the Trojans, searches for Agamemnon and finds him next to Diomedes and Odysseus. Agamemnon wants to back off at night, but Diomedes and Odysseus are against it. Hera, seeing that Zeus is beginning to sympathize with the Trojans, decides to divert his attention. She borrows a magic belt from Aphrodite, calls on the god of sleep, Hypnos, and goes to Zeus on Mount Ida, where she puts him to sleep. While Zeus sleeps, Poseidon helps the Achaeans. Ajax throws a rock at Hector and he is carried away from the battlefield. The Trojans retreat.

BOOK 15
Waking up, Zeus sees that the Trojans are beaten off and becomes angry at Hera's cunning, but she quickly calms him down. Hera goes to the council of the gods and turns everyone against Zeus. Zeus orders Poseidon to withdraw from the battle; he reluctantly obeys. Apollo refills Hector with power. The Trojans break through to the Achaean ships and want to set them on fire, but Ajax beats them off.

BOOK 16
Patroclus asks Achilles to give him his weapons and troops. Achilles agrees, but on the condition that Patroclus will only help to weaken the attack on the ships. The Trojans are horrified to see the Achilles and retreat. Sarpedon is slain. Patroclus forgets Achilles' instructions and pursues the Trojans to the gates of Troy. There Apollo disarms him, Euphorbus wounds him, Hector kills him.

BOOK 17
The battle for the body of Patroclus at the walls of Troy. Gctor and Aeneas attempt to capture Achilles' chariot driven by Automedon, but fail. The chariot is drawn by horses that speak human language. They mourn for Patroclus. Zeus covers the body of Patroclus with darkness when Ajax pleaded for help.

BOOK 18
The news of the death of Patroclus reaches Achilles. He is heartbroken, his mother Thetis and the sea nymphs console him. Zeus orders Achilles to appear on the walls. Seeing him, the Trojans are horrified and retreat. Thetis goes to Hephaestus and asks him to forge new weapons and armor for her son. The famous description of the shield.

BOOK 19
Thetis brings new armor to Achilles. She keeps Patroclus' body from decay and orders Achilles to announce the end of his quarrel with Agamemnon. The two leaders reconcile in front of the entire army. Achilles is eager to fight, but Odysseus holds him back, saying that the soldiers need to rest. Briseis mourns Patroclus, who was always kind to her. Athena strengthens Achilles with nectar and ambrosia. Achilles reproaches the talking horses for the death of Patroclus. The horse Xanthus warns Achilles of his imminent death.

BOOK 20
Zeus allows the gods to participate in the war. The battle begins. Aeneas meets Achilles. Poseidon clouds Achilles' eyes to save the Trojans. Achilles then nearly kills Hector, but Apollo saves the latter.

BOOK 21
Achilles pursues the Trojans to the Scamander River. He takes 12 youths prisoner "for Patroclus". Achilles kills Lycaon, son of Priam, and Asteropaeus, son of Pelagon. The river boils up and almost kills Achilles, but Poseidon and Athena save him. The Simoeis River joins Scamander's wrath. Hephaestus threatens to dry up the rivers to the bottom if they do not calm down. The rivers are quiet. The battle between the gods begins. Achilles drives the Trojans back to Troy. Only Agenor remains on the battlefield. Apollo assumes his image, and Agenor is carried away.

BOOK 22
Trojans in the city. One Hector wants to meet with Achilles; his parents, Priam and Hecuba, plead in vain for him to stay. Achilles pursues Hector, running around Troy three times. The gods discuss the fate of Hector. Finally, Athena helps Achilles kill Hector. Achilles drags the body of Hector behind his chariot. Lamentations of Priam, Hecuba and Andromache.

BOOK 23
Achilles and the Myrmidons honor Patroclus. Achilles spends the night on the seashore and in a dream Patroclus appears to him with a request to observe all funeral rituals. The next morning, the Achaeans gather a huge funeral pyre on the seashore and burn the body of Patroclus on it. The winds fan the fire and it burns all night. The bones of Patroclus are collected in a golden urn and buried.

BOOK 24
The gods decide to return Hector's body to the Trojans. Thetis is sent to Achilles to propitiate him; Iris convinces Priam to go personally to Achilles and ask him for the body of his son. Priam with rich gifts goes to the murderer of his son. Hermes, in the form of a shepherd, leads him to Achilles. The Trojan king rushes to the feet of Achilles and kisses his hands, asking him to return the body of Hector. Achilles raises Priam and with honors returns to him the richly decorated body of Hector. The Trojans mourn their hero. The Achaeans conclude a 12-day truce so that the Trojans have time to bury Hector. The Iliad ends here.

Chris. He begged all the Greeks, and above all their leaders, to return to him for a rich ransom his daughter Chryseis, who had been taken prisoner. After listening to Chris, everyone agreed to accept a rich ransom for Chryseis and give her to her father. But the chief leader of the Greeks, the mighty king Agamemnon, got angry and said to Chris:

- Old man, go away and never dare to show yourself here, near our ships, otherwise the fact that you are a priest of the god Apollo will not save you. I will not return the Chryseides to you. No, she will languish in captivity all her life. Beware of angering me if you want to return home unharmed.

Iliad. Canto 1. Audiobook

In fear, Chris left the camp of the Greeks and went saddened to the seashore. There, raising his hands to the sky, he so prayed to the great son of Latona, the god Apollo:

- Oh, silver-eyed god! Listen to me, your faithful servant! Take revenge on the Greeks with your arrows for my grief and resentment.

Apollo heard the complaint of his priest Chris. He quickly rushed from the bright Olympus with a bow and a quiver behind his shoulders. Golden arrows thundered menacingly in the quiver. Apollo rushed to the camp of the Greeks, blazing with anger; Darker than the night was his face. Rushing to the camp of the Achaeans, he took an arrow from his quiver and sent it into the camp. The string of Apollo's bow rang menacingly. For the first arrow, Apollo sent a second, a third, - arrows rained down in a hail into the camp of the Greeks, bringing death with them. A terrible plague struck the Greeks. Many Greeks perished. Funeral pyres were burning everywhere. It seemed that the hour of death had come for the Greeks.

The pestilence had already raged for nine days. On the tenth day, on the advice given by the goddess Hera, the great hero Achilles convened for a national assembly of all Greeks to decide how to be him, how to propitiate the gods. When all the soldiers gathered, Achilles was the first to address Agamemnon with a speech:

“We will have to sail back to our homeland, son of Atreus,” said Achilles, “you see that soldiers are dying both in battles and from pestilence. But perhaps we will first ask the fortune-tellers: they will tell us how we angered the silver-armed Apollo, for which he sent a disastrous plague on our army.

As soon as Achilles said this, the soothsayer Calchas rose up, having already revealed to the Greeks the will of the gods many times. He said that he was ready to reveal what the far-striking god was angry about, but he would reveal this only if Achilles protected him from the wrath of King Agamemnon. Achilles promised his protection to Calchas and swore this to Apollo. Then Calchas only said:

- The great son of Latona is angry because King Agamemnon dishonored his priest Chris, drove him out of the camp, not accepting a rich ransom from him for his daughter. We can propitiate God only by returning the black-eyed Chryseis to her father and sacrificing a hundred calves to God.

Hearing what Calchas said, Agamemnon burned with terrible anger at him and Achilles; however, seeing that he still had to return Chryseis to his father, he finally agreed, but demanded only himself a reward for her return. Achilles reproached Agamemnon for selfishness. This angered Agamemnon even more. He began to threaten that with his power he would take for himself a reward for Chryseis from what Achilles, or Ajax, or Odysseus had inherited.

- Shameless, treacherous greed! Achilles screamed. “You threaten us that you will take our awards from us, although none of us has ever had an equal share in awards with you. But we did not come to fight for our cause; we came here to help Menelaus and you. You want to take away from me a part of the booty that I got for the great deeds that I accomplished. So it is better for me to return back to my native Phthia, I do not want to increase your booty and treasures.

- Well, run to Phthia! Agamemnon shouted back to Achilles. “I hate you more than all kings!” You are the only one who stirs up controversy. I am not afraid of your anger. That's what I'll tell you! I will return Chryseis to my father, since this is the desire of the god Apollo, but for this I will take away the captive Briseis from you. You will know how much more power I have! Let everyone be afraid to consider himself equal in power to me!

Terrible anger seized Achilles when he heard this threat from Agamemnon. The son of Thetis grabbed his sword; he had already drawn it halfway from its scabbard and was ready to throw himself at Agamemnon. Suddenly Achilles felt a light touch on his hair. He turned around and recoiled in horror. Before him, invisible to others, stood the great daughter of the Thunderer Zeus Pallas Athena. Hera sent Athena. The wife of Zeus did not want the death of either one or the other of the heroes, both of them - Achilles and Agamemnon - were equally dear to her. Achilles asked the goddess Athena with trepidation:

- Oh, daughter of the Thunderer Zeus, why did you descend from the high Olympus? Have you really come here to see how Agamemnon rages? Oh, soon he will ruin himself with his pride!

- No, mighty Achilles, - the bright-eyed Pallas answered, - I didn’t come for that. I have come to tame your wrath, if only you obey the will of the Olympian gods. Do not draw your sword, be content with only words, they scourge Agamemnon. Believe me! soon here, in the same place, they will pay you for your offense with gifts that will be many times richer. Humble yourself and submit to the will of the immortal gods.

Achilles submitted to the will of the gods: he sheathed his sword, and Athena again ascended to the bright Olympus in the host of the gods.

Achilles also said many angry words to Agamemnon, calling him a devourer of the people, a drunkard, a coward, a dog. Achilles threw his scepter on the ground and swore to them that the time would come when his help against the Trojans would be needed, but Agamemnon would pray for her in vain, since he offended him so hard. In vain did the wise king of Pylos, Elder Nestor, try to reconcile the warring. Agamemnon did not listen to Nestor, and Achilles did not reconcile. Wrathful, the great son of Peleus left with his friend Patroclus and the brave Myrmidons to their tents. Anger at Agamemnon, who had offended him, raged furiously in his chest.

Meanwhile, King Agamemnon ordered to lower a high-speed ship to the sea, carry sacrifices to the god Apollo on it, and take the beautiful daughter of the priest Chris. This ship was to sail under the command of the cunning Odysseus to Thebes, the city of Estion, and the Greeks in the camp, at the command of Agamemnon, were to make rich sacrifices to Apollo in order to propitiate him.

The ship sent by Agamemnon quickly rushed along the waves of the boundless sea. Finally, the ship entered the harbor of Thebes. The Greeks lowered their sails and moored to the pier. Odysseus descended from the ship at the head of a detachment of warriors to the shore, took the beautiful Chryseis to his father and addressed him with such a greeting:

“Oh, servant of Apollo! I came here at the behest of Agamemnon to return your daughter to you. We also brought a hundred bulls to propitiate with these sacrifices the great god Apollo, who sent a grave disaster to the Greeks.

Elder Khris rejoiced at the return of his daughter and tenderly embraced her. Immediately began the sacrifice to Apollo. Chris prayed to the archer-god:

- Oh, silver-eyed god! Listen to me! And before you listened to my prayers. Hear me now too! Avert the great calamity from the Greeks, stop the disastrous pestilence!

The god Apollo heard the prayer of Chris and stopped the pestilence in the camp of the Greeks. When the sacrifices to Apollo were made by Chris, a sumptuous feast was held. The Greeks feasted merrily in Thebes. The young men carried the wine, filling the feasting bowls with it to the top. The majestic sounds of the hymn in honor of Apollo, which were sung by Greek youths, were loudly heard. The feast continued until sunset, and in the morning, refreshed by sleep, Odysseus and his squad set off on their way back to the vast camp. Apollo sent them a fair wind. Like a seagull, the ship rushed through the waves of the sea. The ship quickly reached the camp. The swimmers dragged him ashore and dispersed to their tents.

While Odysseus sailed to Thebes, Agamemnon fulfilled what he threatened Achilles with. He summoned the heralds Talthybius and Eurybates and sent them for Briseis. The messengers of Agamemnon went reluctantly to the tent of Achilles. They found him sitting in deep thought at the tent. The ambassadors approached the mighty hero, but in embarrassment they could not utter a word. Then the son of Peleus said to them:

Hello, heralds. I know that you are not guilty of anything, only Agamemnon is guilty. You have come for Briseis. My friend, Patroclus, give them Briseis. But let them themselves be witnesses that the hour will come when I will be needed to save the Greeks from destruction. Then Agamemnon, who has lost his mind, will not be able to save the Greeks!

Shedding bitter tears, Achilles left his friends, went to the deserted shore, stretched out his hands to the sea and loudly called his mother, the goddess Thetis:

- My mother, if you have already given birth to me doomed to a short life, why then deprives me of glory the Thunderer Zeus! No, he did not give me glory! King Agamemnon dishonored me by taking away my reward for my deeds. My mother, hear me!

The goddess Thetis heard the call of Achilles. She left the deep sea and the marvelous palace of the god Nereus. Quickly, like a light cloud, she emerged from the foaming sea waves. Thetis came ashore and, sitting down near her dearly beloved son, hugged him.

Why are you weeping so bitterly, my son? she asked. - Tell me your grief.

Achilles told his mother how severely Agamemnon had offended him. He began to ask his mother to ascend to the bright Olympus and there pray to Zeus to punish Agamemnon. Let Zeus help the Trojans, let them drive the Greeks to the very ships. Let Agamemnon understand how foolishly he acted when he offended the bravest of the Greeks. Achilles assured his mother that Zeus would not refuse her request. After all, she only has to remind Zeus how she once helped him when the gods of Olympus planned to overthrow Zeus by fettering him. Then Thetis called the hundred-armed giant Briareus to help Zeus; seeing him, all the gods were embarrassed and did not dare to raise their hands against Zeus. Let Thetis remind the great Zeus the Thunderer about this, and he will not refuse her her request. So Achilles prayed to his mother Thetis.

Oh, my beloved son, - exclaimed, crying bitterly, Thetis, - why did I give birth to you for so many disasters! Yes, your life will be short, your end is near. And now you are both short-lived and the most unhappy of all! Oh no, don't grieve like that! I will rise to the bright Olympus, there I will pray to the Thunderer Zeus to help me. But you remain in your tent and take no more part in the battles. Zeus has now left Olympus, he, with all the immortals, went to a feast to the Ethiopians, to the southern edge of the earth. But when Zeus returns in twelve days, then I will fall at his feet and, I hope, I will beg him!

Thetis left her sad son, and he went to the tents of his brave Myrmidons. From that day on, Achilles did not participate either in meetings of leaders or in battles. Sad he sat in his tent, although he longed for military glory.

Eleven days have passed. On the twelfth day, in the early morning, along with a gray mist, the goddess Thetis ascended from the abyss of the sea to the bright Olympus. There she fell at the feet of Zeus, hugged his knees and with a prayer stretched out her hands to him, touching his beard.

- Oh, our father! Thetis pleaded. “I beg you, help me avenge my son!” Fulfill my request if I have ever done you a favor. Send victory to the Trojans until the Greeks beg my son to help them, until they give him great honors.

For a long time the cloudmaker Zeus Thetis did not answer. But Thetis implored him relentlessly. Finally, with a deep sigh, the Thunderer said:

- Know, Thetis! With your request, you provoke the wrath of Hera, she will be angry with me. Already, she constantly reproaches me for helping the Trojans in battles. But you have now left the high Olympus so that Hera does not see you. I promise to fulfill your request. Here is a sign for you that I will keep my promise.

Having said this, Zeus frowned menacingly, the hair on his head rose, and the whole of Olympus shuddered. Thetis calmed down. She quickly rushed from the high Olympus and plunged into the abyss of the sea.

Zeus went to the feast, where the gods gathered. They all stood up to meet Zeus, not one dared to greet him while sitting. When the king of gods and people sat on his golden throne, Hera turned to him. She saw that Thetis came to Zeus.

“Tell me, insidious,” Hera said to Zeus, “with which of the immortals did you have a secret council?”

“You always hide your thoughts and thoughts from me, Hera,” Zeus answered her, “you don’t expect that you will ever know everything I think about. What you can know, you will know before all the gods, but do not try to find out all my secrets and do not ask about them.

“Oh, cloud chaser,” Hera answered, “you know that I never tried to find out your secrets. You always decide everything without me. But I am afraid that today Thetis persuaded you to avenge her son Achilles and destroy many Greeks. I know that you promised to fulfill her request.

Zeus looked menacingly at Hera, he was angry with his wife for always following everything he does. Zeus angrily ordered her to sit silently and obey him if she did not want him to punish her. Hera was afraid of the wrath of Zeus. Silently she sat on her golden throne. The gods were also frightened by this quarrel between Zeus and Hera. Then the lame god Hephaestus arose; he reproached the gods for starting quarrels over mortals.

“After all, if we quarrel over mortals, then the feasts of the gods will always be deprived of fun,” the god Hephaestus said and prayed to his mother Hera to submit to the power of Zeus, since he is formidable in anger and can overthrow all the Olympian gods from the thrones.

Hephaestus reminded Hera how Zeus himself had thrown himself to earth because he hastened to help his mother when Zeus, throwing lightning, was angry with her. He took the goblet Hephaestus and, filling it with nectar, brought it to Hera. Hera smiled. Hephaestus, limping, began to draw nectar from the bowl with a goblet and distribute it to the gods. All the gods laughed, seeing how the lame Hephaestus hobbled along the banquet hall. Again, fun reigned at the feast of the gods, and they feasted serenely until sunset to the sounds of the golden cithara of Apollo and to the singing of the muses. When the feast ended, the gods dispersed to their chambers, and the whole of Olympus fell into a calm sleep.

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