Book 9 of the Iliad Lines  643-709

1. Book 9 of the IliadLines643-709 By Ben Chapman, Karina De La Rosa and Alessia Stefani

2. Paraphrase • Lines 643-668Achilleus: “Aias, everything you said was what I was thinking. However, I’m still angry because I remember when Agamemnon dishonored me. So, go back and tell the Greeks that I will not return to battle. Even when Hektor comes and destroys everything, I will refuse to fight.” Then, Odysseus left but Phoinix stayed because Achilleus was like his son.

3. Paraphrase Cont. • Lines 669-675 Meanwhile, Odysseus returns to the Greek camp to find everyone celebrating because they think Achilleus will come back. Agamemnon says, “Did Achilleus accept or refuse my proposal?”

4. Paraphrase Cont. • Lines 676-692 Then Odysseus says, “He refused your proposal and is still very angry with you. He threatens to leave Troy and go home since he wants nothing to do with you or the battle. However, Phoinix stayed with Achilleus to accompany him on his voyage home.”

5. Paraphrase Cont. • Lines 693-709 Everyone was shocked, but Diomedes then said, “Agamemnon, you shouldn’t have offered Achilleus so many gifts because it wounds his pride. He will come back on his own sooner or later, so we don’t need to push him to come back. So, let’s sleep and eat and forget about Achilleus for now. And tomorrow, we will be ready to fight.”

6. Context and Purpose • At the beginning, Achilleus is saying to Aias that he refuses Agamemnon’s gifts and won’t return to battle. Before this, Aias had presented Agamemnon’s offer and Achilleus had just responded to Aias’ speech. After this, Aias returns to camp and Agamemnon asks him what Achilleus thought of his proposal. Achilleus’ goal in this section is he won’t return to battle regardless of the terms. After this, Odysseus speaks to Agamemnon to tell Achilleus’ answer to Agamemnon’s proposal, which is a no.

7. Context and Purpose Cont. • After Odysseus delivers his speech, everyone is shocked. Odysseus’ purpose from his speech is to convey how much Achilleus hates Agamemnon. Everyone is still shocked into silence, when Diomedes stands and tells Agamemnon that offering so many gifts has wounded his pride, but he will come back eventually. Diomedes says this to raise everyone’s spirits and continue the party.

8. Unknown Vocabulary • Vagabond (line 648): idle wanderer, hobo, good for nothing person • Libation (line 657): pouring out wine as an offering to a god • Citadel (line 667): a fortress, especially one in a city • Ravening (line 674): greedy or hungry

9. Personification • “Ravening fire” (line 674) They say this because they want the audience to realize how serious the war is.

10. Metaphors and Similes • “Quench his anger” (line 679) This means Achilleus is stubborn and nothing will satisfy him.

11. Greek Values • (line 643-657): Achilleus shows the opposite of time towards Odysseus and Aias when he refuses to return to battle. He emphasizes this because he doesn’t feel like he would gain anything from returning to battle. This helps Achilleus’ argument because he states how ashamed he feels without his prize, Briseis.

12. Greek Values Cont. • (line 658-662): Achilleus shows xeinos toward Phoinix in letting him stay in his shelter and allowing him to accompany him on his journey home. This is emphasized because Achilleus feels sorry for Phoinix after Phoinix’s speech about how Achilleus is like his son.

13. Persuasive Techniques • (lines 675-689): Odysseus tells the Greeks of how angry Achilleus is by using the words, like “ravening fire” and “angry fire” to describe Achilleus’ mood.

14. Ethos, Pathos and Logos • Pathos is found in lines 644-655 when Achilleus says how he refuses Agamemnon’s offer and tells Aias and Odysseus how angry he still is. • Pathos is also found in lines 676-692 when Odysseus reports back to Agamemnon and tells how angry Achilleus still is.