Outline of Iliad
Book I: The Wrath of Achilles
Agamemnon and Achilles clash over the return of Chryseis to her father in order to appease Apollo and stop the plague. Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles, who withdraws from the fighting. Thetis obtains from Zeus promise to favor the Trojans until Achilles's honor is satisfied.
II-XV: The Trojans win upper hand
1st day of fighting (II-VII)
Despite great showing by Diomedes (V), Trojans, now favored by Zeus, gradually win the upper hand, and Achaeans forced to build a defensive wall around the camp. One-day truce for burial of dead.
2nd day of fighting (VIII-X)
Trojans, seemingly on verge of decisive victory, bivouac on open field (VIII), hoping the next day to destroy the Achaean ships. Agamemnon, now recognizing his mistake, tries to be reconciled with Achilles; but despite the pleas of Achilles's own friends, his offer to return Briseis and to give many gifts besides is scornfully rejected (IX). A night-time raid by Odysseus and Diomedes behind Trojan lines follows (X).
3rd day of fighting (XI-XV)
Leading Greek warriors are one by one put out of action, and the Trojans at last penetrate the camp itself; Hector is within a hair's breadth of victory.
XVI-XIX: Achilles returns to battle
Still in 3rd day of fighting, Patroclus persuades Achilles to allow him to fight. Achilles gives him his armor, but orders him to turn back if he pushes the Trojans back from the ships. He does so, but is lured on by apparent victory, and is killed by Hector before the ramparts of Troy. (XVI). A terrible struggle breaks out over the body, but Menelaus and the two Aiantes manage to bring it back to the Achaean camp (XVII). Achilles, maddened with rage, seeks immediate vengeance on Hector, but he must wait for new armor to be forged by Hephaestus himself before he can return to battle (XVIII); meanwhile he has no further thought for his quarrel with Agamemnon, which is now swiftly patched up while Achilles prepares to reenter the fray (XIX).
XX-XXIV: The death and burial of Hector
Achilles, hunting down Hector, wreaks a pitiless slaughter on the Trojans, even testing his strength against the river Scamander. Hector is at last caught up and killed just under the walls of Troy, with his family and fellow-citizens looking on (XX-XXII). Achilles insults Hector's body, but gives Patroclus a splendid funeral (XXIII). The gods are indignant, and finally inspire Priam to go to his son's killer and beg for the return of the body for burial. Achilles is at last moved to pity and puts aside his murderous wrath (XXIV).
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