The Iliad, Book 1 answers

Additional notes:
The poet, Homer, singles out
Achilles rage as his major theme
in book 1.
Calchas urges the return of
Chryseis and urges them to
perform a hecatomb=the sacrifice
of 10 animals. This has been a
long standing argument between
Agamemnon and Calchas.
Causes of Conflict between Achilles
and Agamemnon:
Agamemnon refuses to
surrender Chryseis to her father
and causes the plague from
Apollo.

 Achilles intervenes and urges

Agamemnon to give back Chryseis
because of the plague that has
been sent from Apollo.
Achilles challenge to
Agamemnons overall authority
causes Agamemnon to confiscate
Achilles prize which insults
Achilles.
Answers to questions on sheet:
1.
Chryses asks the Achaeans
to set his daughter, Chryseis, free.
2. He is referring to Agamemnon.
The clues are Agamemnons role
of supreme ruler of the Greeks
and his harsh treatment of
Chryseis which has incurred
Apollos wrath (he is the god of
music, poetry, and medicine).

3. The penalty for Achilles taking

Calchass side and testing
Agamemnons wrath will be
death.
4. Apollo will protect Chryseis at
all costs.
5. Apollo is enraged because
Agamemnon dishonored the gods
priest Chryses.
6. Homeric warriors considered
prizes and war booty an outward
sign or symbol or their heroism
and military achievement.
7. Achilles believes Agamemnon
has gravely insulted him by
threatening to confiscate his prize

and believes that the war is futile

(this is referring to the war that
started due to Paris stealing
Helen, but has escalated into a
war over Greek city states for
Agamemnon).
8. Agamemnon claims Briseis,
the captive who was awarded to
Achilles as his war prize.
9. The passage echoes Homers
emphasis on Achilles fateful rage
at the beginning of the epic.
10. Thetis seeks the help of Zeus,
King of the gods.