A short retelling of the Iliad of the Odyssey. The background of the events of the Iliad - the Trojan War

The Iliad is one of the most famous works in the world, second only to the Bible in its significance and influence on world culture. This is the oldest literary monument Ancient Greece, created approximately in the XI-VIII centuries BC. e. Homer, an ancient poet and storyteller, is traditionally considered the author of the Iliad. Unfortunately, historians cannot say anything for sure about the personality of Homer. Information about his life is very fragmentary and not numerous. However, to argue that the Iliad is the result of creative idea one person would be wrong.

The Iliad has absorbed many folklore tales and epic legends. All these works are based on the story of the Trojan War of the XIII-XII centuries BC. e. The very name of the poem goes back to one of the names of Troy - Ilion. The Homeric epic is the most complete collection of such stories, built into a single narrative canvas.

Before late XIX centuries, historians considered the Trojan War to be real historical fact. The excavations carried out by amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870-90 became a real sensation in the world of archeology. On the shores of the Aegean Sea in what is now Turkey, Schliemann discovered ancient city, which, in his opinion, was the legendary Ilion. To date, several cultural layers have been discovered at the excavation site, the oldest of which dates back to the Neolithic. The study of the layer relating to the period of the Trojan War showed that the city was indeed subjected to enemy invasion. Uncleaned remains of people and numerous arrowheads were found on the streets.

However, despite these findings, modern researchers tend to believe that the Trojan War is rather a mythological reflection of such a global and lengthy process as the conquest and forced colonization of Asia Minor by ancient Greek tribes.

Background of the events described in the Iliad

The events that led to the Trojan War originated on Mount Olympus, where Greek gods. The Olympians celebrated the wedding of the goddess Thetis and the king of the Myrmidons, Peleus. According to the prophecy, the son of Thetis was to be many times stronger than his father, so it was dangerous to marry her to one of the gods. Therefore, it was decided that the husband of Thetis would be a very powerful, but still a mortal person.

All the gods were invited to the wedding feast, except for Eris, the goddess of enmity. The wounded goddess threw a precious apple with the inscription "To the most beautiful" into the banquet hall. The apple caused a quarrel between the three goddesses: Hera - the wife of Zeus, Athena - the goddess of wisdom and Aphrodite - the goddess of beauty and love. Each believed that the apple was meant for her. To resolve their dispute, the celestials turned to Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam. Each of them promised the young man a gift: Hera - wealth, Athena - wisdom, and Aphrodite - the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris, almost without hesitation, gave the apple to Aphrodite.

The most beautiful of mortal women was the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus - Helen. Once upon a time, Elena was married famous heroes Greece and the richest kings. So that there would be no discord among the suitors, the men decided that Elena herself should choose her husband. If someone dares to recapture Elena from her chosen one, the rest must go to war with the insolent. To fulfill her promise to Paris, Aphrodite cast a spell on Helen and she fell in love with the Trojan prince, who was staying at the Spartan court at that time. Paris hid Helen in one of his ships and took her to Troy.

Menelaus got angry and began to call for help from other Greek rulers, many of whom had once been Elena's failed suitors and swore an oath to protect her marriage. It should be noted here that in the era described by Homer, Greece was a collection of small kingdoms formed by various ancient Greek tribes: Achaeans, Ionians, Dorians, Aeolians and others. In the Homeric epic, the word "Greeks" is missing. Instead, the names "Achaeans" and "Danaans" are used. Apparently, in the Homeric era, many called Achaeans all the inhabitants of the Peloponnesian peninsula.

Many Achaean kings responded to the call of Menelaus, first of all, his brother, the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. He became the commander of all the Achaean troops. In addition to Menelaus and Agamemnon, there were other talented warriors in the Achaean camp:

• Argos king Diomedes;
• the princes of Salamis - the brothers Big Ajax and Teurus. The first was famous for his great strength, and the second was an unsurpassed archer;
• Small Ajax - the leader of lightly armed archers and slingers;
• the king of Pylos is the elder Nestor, due to his age he did not take part in the battles, but helped Agamemnon with advice;
• the son of Nestor - Antilochus;
• Cretan king and great spearman Idomeneo;
• the Argonaut Philoctetes, to whom the dying Hercules presented his bow with poisoned arrows;
• cunning king of Ithaca Odysseus.

Before the campaign, the leaders of the Achaeans turned to the oracle. He predicted to them that Ilion would never fall if the son of Thetis and Peleus, Achilles, did not fight in the Achaean army. It was destined by fate that Achilles would either live to a ripe old age in peace and quiet, or die very young on the battlefield, but gain immortal glory. To protect her son, Thetis hid him on the island of Skyros. There he was to live among the daughters of King Lycamed and wear women's clothing. Odysseus was instructed to deliver Achilles to the camp of the Achaean warriors. To find Achilles, the king of Ithaca disguised himself as a merchant, arrived at Skyros and began to show the daughters of Lykamedes his goods - jewelry and fabrics, among which, as if by chance, lay a spear and a shield. At a signal from Odysseus, his people began to play the noise of battle under the walls of the palace, depicting enemies attacking the possessions of Lycamed. All the girls ran away, and Achilles grabbed his weapon, thereby giving himself away. After a short conversation, Achilles agreed to march against Troy along with other Achaeans.

The king of Ilion at this time was the old Priam. He himself could not fight, so the Trojan troops were led by his eldest son, Hector. Also in the Trojan camp were such warriors as:

• the king of Dardania - Aeneas - the son of Aphrodite;
• Lycian king Sarpedon - son of Zeus;
• relative and co-ruler of Sarpedon - Glaucus;
• Helen's kidnapper is Tsarevich Paris, who was a great archer.

A certain alignment of forces occurred on Olympus. Most of the gods: Hera, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena and Hephaestus supported the Achaeans. And Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Leto and Artemis are Trojans. Zeus, on the other hand, tried to remain neutral in the war that unfolded on earth.

A huge fleet of Achaeans sailed from Aulis to Troy. All the battles of the Trojans and the Greeks unfolded on a wide field near the city. For 9 years, the Greeks failed to take Troy, but from time to time they robbed the surrounding islands and fortresses.

Chapter first. Mor. Anger

The Iliad begins with a description of the tenth year of the war. The poem opens with an episode in which he talks about the wrath of Achilles.

The leader of the Achaeans, King Agamemnon, kidnaps a girl named Chryseis, who was the daughter of Chris, the priest of Apollo. The upset father asks Agamemnon to return his daughter, but he drives him away. Chris turns to Apollo with a request to avenge his offense. God sends diseases and many other troubles to the army of the Achaeans. The Greeks demand that Agamemnon immediately return the daughter of Chris home, only then Apollo will change his anger to mercy. Agamemnon agrees, but on the condition that instead of Chryseis, they give him Briseis, the beloved slave of Achilles.

Angry Achilles, having heard the words of the Mycenaean king, wants to kill Agamemnon on the spot, but Athena, who appeared to him, asks him not to raise weapons against his leader.

Achilles is forced to submit to the will of the goddess, but curses the Achaeans and stops entering the battlefield. He turns to Thetis to help the Trojans prevail until Agamemnon returns Briseis. Thetis prays to Zeus to avenge his son's offense, and the Thunderer agrees to support the Trojans until Agamemnon apologizes for the insult he has caused.

Hera learns about the conversation between Thetis and Zeus, who, after the decision of Paris, acted decisively against the Trojans. She tries to convince her husband, which leads to a quarrel between the divine couple.

Chapter two. Dream. Trial. Boeotia, or list of ships

Zeus sends a false dream to Agamemnon, after which the Mycenaean king begins to believe that the Trojans can be defeated without Achilles. He convenes a people's assembly, but first decides to test his fighters and declares that the further siege of Ilion is pointless and it's time to sail home. Tired of the war, people rush to their ships, but Odysseus gets in their way. By threats and exhortations, he manages to restore order in the Achaean camp. The two armies converge on the battlefield at Batiei Hill.

The same chapter describes in detail the ships of the Achaeans, the peoples that were part of the army of Agamemnon, the Greek leaders, as well as the Trojan army and its allies.

Chapter three. Oaths. View of the Achaean army from the wall. Combat of Paris and Menel

It was decided to start the battle with a duel between Paris and Menelaus. The winner gets Helen and the treasures she took away from Sparta. Elena, sad for her former home, climbs the tower, from where a view of the battlefield opens. She tells King Priam about the leaders of the Achaeans. Soon the duel between Paris and Menelaus begins. Paris was much weaker than the Spartan king, but at the very last moment Aphrodite takes the Trojan prince from the battlefield to his chambers.

Meanwhile, Menelaus and other Achaeans demand that the Trojans comply with the agreement and give them Helen.

Chapter Four. Oath breaking. Agamemnon bypass

On Olympus, the gods argue about what should be the outcome of the war. In the end, Hera manages to convince Zeus to unleash the confrontation again. The Trojans begin the offensive, and the Greeks prepare for defense. Agamemnon drives around his troops. He praises some of the Achaean leaders, he makes comments to someone. The gods also descend on the battlefield to inflame the hearts of the fighters.

Chapter five. Labors of Diomedes

The Greeks successfully repel the Trojan attacks. In the thick of the battle is Diomedes, who manages to kill a lot of Trojan warriors and even wound Aphrodite and Ares with a spear.

Chapter six. Meeting Hector with Andromache

The soothsayer Helen convinces the leader of the Trojans - Hector - that in order to defeat the Greeks, Athena must be propitiated. Hector returns to Priam's palace, where he meets his mother, Queen Hecuba. On the advice of his son Hecub, with other noble Trojan women, he goes to the temple of Athena to bring rich gifts to the goddess.

In the house of Priam, Hector finds Paris and reproaches his brother that he is resting while their comrades defend their hometown with weapons in their hands. Already at the city gates, the Trojan commander meets his wife Andromache and his son. There is a touching farewell of Hector with his family. After that, Hector and Paris leave Troy to go into battle again.

Chapter seven. Combat between Hector and Ajax. Burial of the dead

After the return of Hector and Paris, the Trojans begin to fight with renewed vigor. Hector, inspired by the gods, challenges the strongest of the Achaeans to battle. Big Ajax comes up against him. The fighters meet in a duel, but because of the onset of night, its completion has to be postponed. The two sides conclude a truce in order to bury the fallen soldiers. The Greeks also surround their ships with a moat and a wall, which surprises the gods a lot.

Chapter eight. Interrupted Battle

Zeus strictly forbids all gods to interfere in the course of events on earth from now on. Exactly at noon, he descends to the battlefield, where the battle boils with equal success, and throws lightning, foreshadowing the defeat of the Achaeans. From that moment on, the Trojans begin to confidently push the Greeks back to their ships.

At some point, Hera and Athena again try to intervene in the war, but Zeus reproaches the goddesses and foreshadows the defeat of the Greeks.

Chapter nine. Embassy to Achilles. Requests

As night falls, the frightened Achaeans hold a council of war. Many are ready to flee back to Greece. But Elder Nestor dissuades them from shame and offers to propitiate Achilles. Agamemnon promises to return Briseis to him, as well as to present rich gifts. A whole embassy is sent to Achilles, consisting of other famous heroes. But, despite all their requests, he remains adamant.

Chapter ten. Dolonia

In the morning, Odysseus and Diomedes set off for the Trojan camp. They are instructed to find out the location of the Trojan troops and their numbers. With the same purpose, the Ilionian hero Dolon goes from the Trojan camp towards the Achaean camp. On the way, Odysseus and Diomedes see a bird sent by Athena and realize that the goddess will support them. Suddenly they meet Dolon, attack him and demand that he give them all the information he has. Dolon immediately tells the Achaeans everything about the location of the Trojan army, and also indicates the place where the Thracian king Rez, an ally of Ilion, camped.

Odysseus and Diomedes kill Dolon, and then rush to Reza's camp, where they kill the Thracian king right in his bed.

Chapter Eleven. The exploits of Agamemnon

In the morning the battle boils with new force. The Achaeans stubbornly attack the Trojan detachments. Especially in the battle, Agamemnon distinguished himself, killing many Trojan warriors. At some point, the defenders of Ilion manage to turn the tide and go on the offensive. Worried, Achilles asks his friend Patroclus to find out about what is happening on the battlefield.

Chapter twelve. Fight at the wall

The Greeks are forced to withdraw behind the wall surrounding their ships. The Trojans are making good progress despite the bad omens. In the end, they even manage to break through the wall protecting the Greek ships.

Chapter thirteen. Fight at the ships

Zeus, confident in the victory of Ilion, is distracted from the battle, which is used by Poseidon, who sympathizes with the Achaeans. With the support of the god of the oceans, the Achaeans continue to resist.

Chapter fourteen. Deceived Zeus

Hera, in order to finally distract the Thunderer from the war, seduces Zeus. At this time, the Achaeans, inspired by Poseidon, push the Trojans away from their ships.

Chapter fifteen. Back pressure from ships

Zeus, waking up from the spell of his wife, is very angry. He predicts that until the insult of Achilles is satisfied, the Achaeans will lose. Poseidon is removed from the battlefield. Apollo comes in his place, restoring Hector's powers. The Trojans come close to the ships and are already preparing to set them on fire.

Chapter sixteen. Patroclus

Seeing the impending catastrophe, Patroclus runs to Achilles and reproaches him for his cruelty. He asks the son of Thetis to at least give him his armor. So, Patroclus, pretending to be Achilles, could once again inspire the Achaeans to fight. Achilles agrees, but instructs Patroclus to take care of himself and withdraw from the battle as soon as the Trojans move away from the ships.

The Achaeans, seeing their hero, again begin to rush into the attack. Patroclus managed to drive them out of the wall into an open field. In this battle, Patroclus kills King Sarpedon and fights his way to the very walls of Troy. Hector manages to save the city, having slain Patroclus with his pike.

Chapter seventeen. Labors of Menelaus

At the walls of Ilion, a battle flares up for the body of Patroclus: the Achaeans want to protect him in order to bury him with all honors, and the Trojans want to take him away for desecration. Zeus predicts quick death Hector.

In the end, Menelaus, Ajaxes and the Cretan Merion recapture the body of Patroclus and carry it away to the ships. They are followed by the rest of the Achaeans, pursued by the Trojans.

Chapter eighteen. Weapon making

Achilles learns of the death of a friend and goes on a rampage. He is ready to go into battle right now to take revenge on Hector. Thetis descends to Achilles from Olympus. She convinces her son to wait until she brings him armor and weapons.

Meanwhile, not far from the ships, the second battle for the body of Patroclus flares up. An angry Achilles goes unarmed to the Trojans, and his very sight makes their entire army flee back to Ilion. With the onset of night, the Trojans begin to develop a plan for tomorrow's attack on the Greeks, the Achaeans are preparing for the funeral of Patroclus, and Thetis comes to the god Hephaestus and asks him to make the best weapon for her son.

Chapter nineteen. Renunciation of anger

At dawn, Thetis brings armor to her son. At a meeting of leaders, Agamemnon asks Achilles for forgiveness, returns Briseis to him and brings rich gifts. Indifferent to all this, Achilles mourns Patroclus, and then goes to equip himself before the battle. When he ascends the chariot, one of the horses predicts Achilles' imminent death.

Chapter Twenty. Battle of the gods

Two troops stand opposite each other for a decisive battle. The gods also descend there to support their favorites. Hector and Achilles fight ahead of their armies.

Chapter twenty one. Battle by the river

Achilles rages the most in the battle. He kills two brothers of Hector and many other heroes.

Chapter twenty two. Killing Hector

The Trojan army flees in fear under the protection of the walls of the city. Hector is left alone on the battlefield. The heroes enter into a duel, during which Achilles manages to mortally wound Hector. Before his death, the Trojan prince asks his opponent for a decent burial. But the angry Achilles refuses him and gives Hector's body to the Achaeans for reproach. The death of Hector mourns all of Troy.

Chapter twenty three. Games in honor of Patroclus

After the return of Achilles to the Achaean camp, the funeral of Patroclus begins. Near the funeral pyre, many victims were brought, including twelve Trojan youths. In honor of the deceased, Achilles announces games. Throughout the night, the Achaean heroes compete with each other in driving a chariot, archery, running, wrestling and throwing a spear.

Chapter twenty-four. Ransom of Hector

After the funeral, Achilles ties Hector's body to a chariot and drags him around the tomb of Patroclus. Reproach resists Apollo, all this time keeping the body intact. Many gods condemn the act of Achilles and even begin to prepare for the theft of Hector's body. But Zeus intervenes. At his command, Thetis convinces his son to stop the ferocity. At the same time, the goddess Irida appears to Priam. She convinces the old king to collect rich offerings and go after Hector's body. Achilles, touched by the prayers of Priam, gives him the body of his son and kindly offers to settle in the Achaean camp for the night.

In the morning, Priam returns to Ilion with the body of Hector. To meet the fallen hero, all the Trojans take to the streets. With great honors, Hector is put on fire. The Homeric epic ends with a description of his funeral and feast at Priam's.

The myths of most peoples are myths primarily about gods. The myths of Ancient Greece are an exception: for the most and best part of them, they are not about gods, but about heroes. Heroes are the sons, grandsons, and great-grandchildren of gods by 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 killed each other in the greatest war - the Trojan War: "... and at the walls of Ilion / the Tribe of heroes died - Zeus's will was fulfilled."

"Ilion", "Troy" - two names of the same city in Asia Minor, near the coast of the Darda Nell. By 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, like 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 leader of the last generation of Greek heroes.

The Trojan War lasted ten years. On a campaign against Troy, dozens of Greek kings and leaders gathered on hundreds of ships with thousands of soldiers: the list of their names takes 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 cunningly clever 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 participated in the war: the silver-bowed 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 did his will.

This is how the war started. The wedding of the hero Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis was celebrated - 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 also 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 gods from all over Greece wooed her, and in order not to quarrel, they agreed like this: let her choose who she wants, and if someone tries to recapture her from the chosen Nick, 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 to show off his valor, show strength and gain glory. It was Achilles. So that, as before, none of the gods intervened 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 stern attention of Zeus. She appears before him in the magic belt of Afro-dita, arousing love, Zeus flares up with passion and connects with her at the top of Ida; a golden cloud envelops them, and the earth around them blooms with saffron and hyacinths. Sleep follows love, and while Zeus sleeps, the Greeks gather their spirit and stop the Trojans. But sleep is short; Zeus awakens, 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 warriors, 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 persecution, don’t expose yourself to danger! Oh, let everyone die, both the Greeks and the Trojans - we would take Troy together with you alone! Indeed, when they saw 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?” - a unkind Hera remind-mi-naet:

“No, let fate be done!” Sarpedon collapses like a mountain pine, a 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 has died, Hector is beautiful in his Achilles armor, his friends hardly carried the dead body of the hero out of the battle, the triumphant Trojans are chasing them on their heels. 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 for a 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, in front of a warring city there is an ambush and a battle, and around - a village -shina, 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 convenes the Greek army for a gathering. His anger did not fade away, but now it is directed not at Agamemnon, but at those who killed his friend - at the Trojans and Hector. He offers reconciliation to Agamem-non, 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 into 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 for the mortal human race? / The sons of men are like short-lived leaves in the oak forest: / Today they bloom in strength, and tomorrow lie the abyss-hannas. / I don’t want to quarrel with you: let them themselves be at enmity! .. "

Achilles is terrible. He fought 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. Furious with failure, Achilles destroys the Trojans without counting, their corpses clutter up the river, the river god Scamander attacks him, flooding with shafts, 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 swoops down on him, and Hector turns to 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 not save the hero?” - but Athena reminds him:

"Let fate be done." Again, Zeus raises the scales, on which two lots lie - this time Hectors and Achilles. The cup of Achilles soared up, the cup of Hector leaned towards the underworld. And Zeus gives a sign: Apollo - leave Hector, Athena - 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 and not touch your body; promise me the same and you. “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 Hektor'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 of Andro-Machus and all the Trojans and Trojans.

Patroclus is avenged. Achilles arranges for a friend a magnificent burial, 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 tied body of Hector around the Patro-Clov 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! because you don't have long to live. Be human: 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 unmarked. He falls to the knees of Achilles: “Remember, Achilles, about your father, about Peleus! He is just as old; maybe he is being pressed by enemies; but it is easier for him, because he knows that you are alive, and he hopes that you will return. But I am alone: ​​of all my sons, only Hector was my hope - and now he is gone. For the sake of your father, take 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, prostrated at the feet of Achilles, - about Hector the brave, / Achilles himself - then about a dear father, then about a friend 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 lamentation begins: the old mother cries over Hector, the widow of Andro-Mach cries, Elena cries, because of which it began when - that's a war. 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.

Until the end of the Trojan War, there are still a lot of events left. 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 fairy land 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 defeated 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 sat. 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.

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 killed 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 great 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 latest generation 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 as follows: 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 awakens, 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 has died, 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 gathering. 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 Odyssey was the second poem after the Iliad, the creation of which is attributed to the great ancient Greek poet Homer. According to researchers, the work was written in the 8th century BC, perhaps a little later. The poem is divided into 24 songs and consists of 12110 verses. Presumably, the "Odyssey" was created on the Asia Minor coast of Hellas, where the Ionian tribes lived (currently Turkey is located on this territory).

Probably, the primordial "Odyssey" does not exist. However, many of the plots and mythological characters mentioned in the poem already existed at the time of the creation of the work. In addition, echoes of Hittite mythology and Minoan culture can be found in the poem. Despite the fact that many researchers find features of various dialects of Greek in the Odyssey, the work does not correspond to any of the regional variants of the language. Perhaps Homer used the Ionian dialect, however great amount archaic forms indicates belonging to the Mycenaean era. Elements of the Aeolian dialect are found, the origin of which is unknown. A significant number of inflectional forms used in the poem have never been used in real life. colloquial speech.

Like the Iliad, the Odyssey begins with an appeal to the Muse, whom the author asks to tell about the "experienced husband."

The poem describes the events that took place 10 years after the fall of Troy. The protagonist Odysseus, returning home after the war, was captured by the nymph Calypso, who refuses to let him go. Faithful wife Penelope is waiting for Odysseus in Ithaca. Every day, numerous applicants for a hand and heart woo her. Penelope is sure that Odysseus will return, and refuses everyone. The gods gathered in council decide to make Athena their messenger. The goddess comes to Telemachus, the son of the protagonist, and encourages him to go to Sparta and Pylos to find out about the fate of Odysseus.

Nestor, the king of Pylos, gives Telemachus some information about the Achaean leaders, and then invites him to contact Menelaus in Sparta, from whom the young man learns that his father became a prisoner of Calypso. Upon learning of Telemachus' departure, Penelope's numerous suitors want to ambush and kill him when he returns home.

Through Hermes, the gods give the order to Calypso to release the prisoner. Having received the long-awaited freedom, Odysseus builds a raft and sets sail. Poseidon, with whom main character is in a conflict relationship, raises a storm. However, Odysseus managed to survive and get to the island of Scheria. Phaeacs live here - sailors with fast ships. The protagonist meets Nausicaa, the daughter of the local king Alcinous, who arranges a feast in honor of his guest. During the holiday, Odysseus tells about his adventures that happened to him before he got to the island of Calypso. After listening to the guest's story, the faeacs want to help him return home. However, Poseidon again tries to kill the hated Odysseus and turns the ship of the feacs into a cliff. Athena turned the protagonist into a beggarly old man. Odysseus goes to live with the swineherd Eumeus.

Returning home, Telemachus was able to avoid an ambush set by his mother's suitors. Then the protagonist's son sends Eumea to the swineherd, where he meets his father. Arriving at the palace, Odysseus found that no one recognized him. The servants mock and laugh at him. The protagonist intends to take revenge on his wife's suitors. Penelope decided to arrange a competition between applicants for a hand and a heart: it is necessary to pass an arrow through 12 rings using her husband's bow. Only the true owner of the bow was able to cope with this task. Odysseus tells his wife a secret that was known only to the two of them, thanks to which Penelope finally recognizes her husband. Enraged, Odysseus kills all the servants and suitors of his wife who mocked him. The relatives of the dead rebel, but Odysseus manages to make peace with them.

Despite the fact that the main character trait of Odysseus is heroism, the author does not try to emphasize this trait. Events take place after the end of the war in Troy, that is, the reader does not have the opportunity to evaluate the main character on the battlefield. Instead, the author wants to show completely different qualities of his character.

The image of Odysseus has two dissimilar sides. On the one hand, this is a patriot devoted to his homeland, loving son, spouse and parent. The protagonist is not just a talented military leader, he is well versed in trade, hunting, carpentry and maritime affairs. All actions of the hero are guided by an irresistible desire to return to the family.

The other side of the Odyssey is not as perfect as the first. The author does not hide the fact that the brave warrior and navigator enjoys his adventures and in the depths of his soul wishes that the return home would be delayed. He likes to overcome all sorts of obstacles, pretend and go for tricks. Odysseus is able to show greed and cruelty. He, without hesitation, cheats on his faithful wife, lies for his own benefit. The author points out minor, but very unpleasant details. For example, at a feast, the main character chooses the best piece for himself. At some point, Homer realizes that he "went too far", and rehabilitates Odysseus, forcing him to mourn his dead comrades.

Analysis of the work

Chronology of events

The odyssey itself, that is, the wanderings of the protagonist, took 10 years. Moreover, all the events of the poem fit in 40 days. Researchers from the US National Academy of Sciences, relying on the astronomical signs mentioned in the work, were able to establish that the protagonist returned home on April 16, 1178 BC.

It is assumed that the character of Odysseus appeared long before the creation of the poem. Researchers believe that the main character is a pre-Greek figure, that is, the image was not created by the ancient Greeks themselves, but borrowed. Passing into Greek folklore, Odysseus received a Hellenized name.

At least 2 folklore plots can be found in the poem. Firstly, this is a story about a son who went in search of his father. Secondly, the plot is about the head of the family, who returns to his homeland after years travel for one reason or another. The husband usually returns on the day of his wife's wedding with another man. The wife, considering her first husband dead, tries to arrange her happiness a second time. At first, no one recognizes the Stranger, but then they still manage to identify him by some sign, for example, a scar.

It is possible to draw analogies not only with ancient Greek folklore, but also with well-known works of world literature. Most a prime example considered the novel "Dead Souls".

Features of the work

"Odyssey" has a symmetrical composition. This means that both the beginning and the end of the poem are dedicated to the events in Ithaca. The compositional center is the story of the protagonist about his journey.

Narrative style
The description of wanderings is conducted in the first person, that is, the protagonist speaks directly. The feature is traditional for the works of this genre. A similar technique is known from Egyptian literature. It was often used in the folklore of seafarers.

Conclusion (my opinion)