Achilles and his Emotions
Who made the first sacrifice to the gods, and what was the sacrifice?
“Agamemnon drew the knife that always hung by the scabbard of his sword, and cut the bristles of the boar–first sacrifice" (19.329–331).
Agamemnon sacrificing the bristles.
At the beginning of book 19, someone brings Achilles his glorious new armor forged by Hephaestus. Who is this individual, and why do they do this?
“Thetis carried the god’s gifts to the ships” (19.3–4).
The mother of Achilles Thetis, who brings him the armor, so he can have the ability to fight back against Hector.
What is “the source of strength and courage,” and who brings up its importance?
“Food and wine, the source of strength and courage” (19.215).
Food and Wine (Odysseus)
How does the contrast between Achilles’ emotional urgency and the formal, almost legalistic speech of Agamemnon reshape our understanding of heroism and leadership?
Achilles speaks with emotional urgency and intensity. His language is direct, driven by grief for Patroclus and focused on immediate action—especially revenge against Hector. His identity as a hero becomes personal and emotional rather than political. He is not concerned with rules, negotiations, or compensation anymore; instead, he is motivated by loyalty, loss, and rage.
What were the gifts brought out for Achilles?
“They went to Agamemnon’s hut from which, no sooner said than done, they carried out the seven tripods… Odysseus weighed out ten pounds of gold, then led the way back to the camp, and with him, the other men came carrying gifts” (19.316-324).
Seven tripods, twenty bright cauldrons, twelve stallions, seven skillful working-women, beautiful Briseis, and 10 pounds of gold.
At the beginning of Agamemnon’s oath to Achilles, he invokes the name of Zeus before 3 other prominent figures. Who are these 3 and what is the purpose of invoking their names?
“First Zeus, the highest, greatest of the gods, then Earth and Sun and Furies, who take vengeance on any human who forswears an oath–” (19.336–338)
Earth, Sun, and the Furies. Invoking their name means suffering punishment from them if the oath is broken.
Towards the end of his initial speech to Achilles and Agamemnon on page 470, Odysseus remarks, “A lord who picks a fight need not be blamed, if he can make amends.” Who is Odysseus referring to? Why does this person need to “make amends”
"A lord who picks a fight need not be blamed, if he can make amends” (19.238–239).
Odysseus is referring to Agamemnon, who needs to make the effort to apologize to Achilles through oaths and gifts so that they can truly put their grievances to rest.
As Achilles arms himself and prepares for war, the narrator repeats the description of a specific item of great power that showed up earlier with Patroclus. What is this item, and why does the narrator choose to repeat its description?
“And then Achilles, shepherd of the people, took from its case his father’s massive spear… a Pelian spear that Peleus was given to ply by Chiron, to deal death to men" (19.504–510).
The Pelian Spear. Repetition is likely due to the two moments where the description was used being spoken at different times (the Iliad is an oral story)
What was the initial reaction of the Myrmidons to Achilles' new armor? Is the reaction from Myrmidons different from Achilles's, and why?
“With this, the goddess laid the splendid, finely decorated armor before Achilles, and it clanged and clashed… He felt joy as he took the god’s gifts in his hands" (19.15-23).
The Myrmidons reacted with fear, while Achilles reacted with rage and eventually joy, likely being filled with the desire for revenge after seeing the divine weapons built for him.
Towards the end of book 19, in a surprising reveal, one of the divine companions of Achilles warns him of a cruel fate. Who is this individual, and how does his status reflect how the Greeks value?
“Certainly we shall save you for the moment mighty Achilles… it is fated that you will be killed both by a human and a god” (19.532–545).
It is Bay, the immortal horse. Reflects how Greeks view horses as important creatures, even giving Bay the capacity to speak through godly intervention.
Towards the beginning of book 19, Achilles calls a meeting with all the Greek leaders before giving a speech that ends with a big but expected decision. Who is the speech directed to, and what is Achilles’ important decision?
“Now, son of Atreus, did this benefit either of us, you or me– that we were so upset, so full of rage… But that is in the past now. Let it go, despite our grief" (19.72–86).
The speech is directed at Agamemnon, where Achilles chooses to put aside his hurt pride and once again work with Agamemnon. The choice is expected as the death of Patroclus has overshadowed anything else in Achilles’ life, making his abandonment of his pride to get revenge reasonable.
In Book 19, how does Achilles’ return to battle reflect both his personal grief and his shifting sense of honor?
“The only comfort that his heart could feel was entering the bloody mouth of war” (19.409–410).
Earlier in the epic, Achilles refuses to fight because he feels disrespected by Agamemnon—his sense of honor is tied to pride, status, and recognition. But in Book 19, after the death of Patroclus, his motivation changes completely. He is overwhelmed by grief and guilt, feeling responsible for Patroclus’ death because he stayed out of the war.
After Agamemnon offers Achilles compensation for their quarrel, how does Achilles react? How does this moment show a shift in Achilles’ mentality and motivation?
“Then swift-footed Achilles answered… All of you, follow my lead, and fight as I shall do" (19.196–206).
Before this point, Achilles has been largely focused on his honor, previously refusing Agamemnon’s attempts at resolving their interpersonal issues due to his feeling personally attacked, but now his mentality has shifted, with him rejecting the gifts now due to his depressive state and lack of care for his own honor.
Following Achilles refusal to eat due to his despair over Patroclus’ death, Zeus takes pity on him and instructs Athena to aid Achilles. What is the aid Zeus asks Athena to give Achilles and how does this moment from Zeus humanize the god?
“Child, have you completely abandoned your own man? Or does your heart no longer care at all about Achilles… Go to him and drip nectar and ambrosia into his body, so he will not starve" (19.450–457).
Nectar and ambrosia. Shows a level of care from Zeus and an attention to the suffering of others.
Although Achilles is more than ready to set out against the Trojans, Odysseus delivers a speech to try to convince him to stand down and offers a better plan for the Greeks. What is his plan, and how does his rationale highlight the strengths of Odysseus?
“But sensible Odysseus spoke up… A lord who picks a fight need not be blamed, if he can make amends” (19.207–239).
Strengths: wisdom and cunning intelligence
Plan: To give the soldiers time to rest and recuperate their strength so they can fight better against the Trojans.
TRUE OR FALSE: The Iliad is the best
TRUE!
When the other leaders try to make Achilles eat, he refuses and laments the death of Patroclus. How do Achilles’s words express the true extent of his emotions? Does he truly only feel rage, or is there more beneath the surface?
“My dearest love! My poor, unlucky friend… I think that Peleus has either already died, or barely clings to life, suffering from the miseries of age, and constantly expecting bitter news of me–the day he learns that I am dead” (19.412–444).
On a surface level, Achilles’ words appear extremely vengeful over the death of Patroclus, but his regretful lamentations and reflections on his life with Patroclus unveil a deeper, and much sadder, core to his feelings.
When attempting to make amends with Achilles, Agamemnon brings up Deadly Delusion. How does his description of the goddess and her story give insight into both the behavior of the gods and the ability for mortals to rationalize decision-making? Is Aggamemnon’s reasoning valid?
“It was not my fault! The ones to blame are Destiny and Zeus.. let the stewards go and get the gifts out of my ship and bring them here for you, so you may see that I shall give you things to satisfy your spirit" (19.112–195).
The introduction of Deadly Delusion paints the gods in a more human light, with even Zeus being susceptible to her trance. It additionally reinforces the tendency for mortals to rationalize decisions by putting the blame and weight of their mistakes on the gods.
Though Odysseus’ plan is well received by Agamemnon, Achilles still refuses to yield his position and maintains that he wants to go on the offensive against the Trojans, which leads to Odysseus giving a second speech. How does Odysseus defend the legitimacy of his initial plan? Is there time to rest in war?
“Intelligent Odysseus replied… Assemble quickly and let us arouse sharp, cruel Ares, god of war, against the Trojans, lords of horses” (19.282–311).
Defends his logic through age, as he is older than Achilles. Reiterates the importance of proper rest and highlights that it is important to honor the dead.
Following the return of Briseis to Achilles, she gives a soliloquy over Patroclus’ dead body. How do her words shine light on Greek gender roles and expectations? Why is she so broken up about Patroclus' death?
“Patroclus, in my desperate plight I loved you most… because you always were so kind to me” (19.373–392).
Broken up about Patroclus’s death as he was kind and caring towards her. Her behavior, especially her love of Patroclus, is Homer's commentary on the expectation for how female slaves should treat their captors.