The Iliad Book 9- 606-655

1. The Iliad Book 9- 606-655 MarghiDemer, Ryan Yee, Colleen Magee-Uhlik

2. Summary • In this passage, Achilles and some other Greeks are in Achilles’ tent. The Greeks have been sent to Achilles from Agamemnon to try to get him to rejoin their side. Achilles is answering Phoinix pleading with him to fight with the Greeks. Phoinix is Achilles’ father’s friend, and so Achilles wants Phoinix to support him. Aias said at Achilles should take the Greeks’ offer of gold and women. Achilles tells the Greeks to give Agamemnon a message: that he would not fight until Hector reaches the Greek ships.

3. Who is speaking? • This passage starts out with Achilles responding to an earlier speech by Phoinix. After that, Aias jumps in to talk to Achilles. Achilles retorts to both Aias and the rest of the Greeks.

4. Context • Right before this passage occurs, Agamemnon sends some of his warriors to try and pacify Achilles’ anger so he will return to the fight. They are sent to offer Achilles gifts of gold, jewels, and other women. Unfortunately, Achilles refuses to take anything from Agamemnon, and send the Greeks back to him with the news that Achilles will not fight.

5. Goal • Here, the speakers’ main goals are to get to Achilles to come back to the Greek army and fight the Trojans. When Achilles speaks, his main purpose is to get revenge on Agamemnon for stealing his time. He feels he has to punish Agamemnon, and he does that by refusing to fight.

6. Diction • One word that is repeated often is ‘honor.’ This is because it is the main focus of the passage. The Greeks are trying to get Achilles to come back and trying to replenish his tîme, but Achilles feels that his honor was insulted too much to forgive, so he decides not to fight with the Greek army.

7. Examples • “Phoinix, my father, such honor is a thing I need not. I think I am honored already in Zeus’ ordinance…” • “Be king equally with me; take half my honor.” • “He is hard, and does not remember that friends’ affection wherein we honored him by the ships, far beyond all others.” • “Respect your own house; see, we are under the same roof with you, from the multitude of the Danaans, we who desire beyond all others to have your honor and love, out of all the Achaians.” • “Yet the heart in me swells up in anger, when I remember the disgrace wrought upon me before the Argives, the son of Atreus, as if I were some dishonored vagabond.”

8. Word Choice • ‘Son of Laertes, and seed of Zeus, resourceful Odysseus: Let us go. I think that nothing will be accomplished by argument o this errand; it is best to back quickly and tell this story, though it is not good, to the Danaans, who sit there waiting for us to come back, seeing that Achilles has made savage the proud-hearted spirit within his body.’ • In this passage, Aais is speaking to the Greeks. • His word choice here is used to emphasize his feelings about Achilles. His use of the word ‘savage’, which is in reference to how stubborn Achilles is being, has a negative connotation and stresses the fact that Aais thinks Achilles is making the wrong decision.

9. Greek Values • Tîmé- Achilles will not fight due to Agamemnon taking his tîmé. Yet the Greeks say that they will give back his tîmé if he fights with them. Achilles still refuses to fight because he feels as though his tîmé his been slighted. • Aias emphasizes tîmé because Achilles’ tîmé was very important to him and the Greeks. This makes Achilles think harder about rejoining the fight with the Greeks. If he chooses to fight, he gets his tîmé back and his prize, Briseis. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t gain anything.

10. Persuasive Techniques • Ethos-Achilles is loved by Zeus. “I think I’m honored already in Zeus’ ordinance which will hold me here beside my curved ships…” • Pathos- bring Phoinix to his side by making him feel guilty because he is family and should be on his side. “It does not become you to love this man, for fear you turn hateful to me, who love you.” • Logos-The Greeks are trying to get Achilles back to the fight by offering him all these valuable gifts “Yet now we offer you seven, surpassingly lovely, and much beside these.”

11. The End