Greek Epics XVIII: Iliad Book 17, or You Were Expecting More Achilles, Weren’t You

Posted byTriumvir ClioPosted inGreek Epics, The Greeks

The death of Patroklos in Book 16 is a turning point in the Iliad. In this episode we start to see the aftermath.

Discussion Prompts
  1. There aren’t many named women in the Iliad. Earlier, we met Hektor’s wife, Andromache. Why do you think Zeus mentions her when he endows Hektor with strength after Hektor dons Achilles’s armor?
  2. An ongoing theme in Book 17 is struggle. What are some examples where you see this theme in action?
  3. What do you think about the role of the gods in this book? We see Athena, Zeus, and Apollo. Are they playing fair? Why or why not?
  4. At one point, Big Ajax kills “many”. How many is “many”?

Published by Triumvir Clio

I have a BA in History and Classical Civilization from Loyola University Chicago and an MPH from Western Michigan University. I've been a geometry teacher, a religion teacher, a writing tutor. I'm a writer, a knitter, a dancer, a singer, an actor. And, yes, for fun I like to reread everything that was assigned while getting my classics degree.

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