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Greek Mythology
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Iliad, Homer's epic poem
15-02-2013 19:52Iliad is an epic poem, written by Homer and describes the incidents of the Trojan War happened before its end. The Gods are also involved in this war as they have parts that favour and help. God Apollo causes a plague in the Greek army in favor of his priest Chryses, whose daughter Chryseis has been a captive of Agamemnon, the Greek leader, as her father offers him wealth for the return of his daughter and Agamemnon refuses.
After nine days of plague, Agamemnon agrees to return Chryseis to her father, but also decides to take Achilles's captive, Briseis, as compensation. Angered, Achilles declares that he and his men will no longer fight for Agamemnon, but will go home. In the meantime, Achilles asks his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus that the Greeks will start getting defeated in battle and realize how much they depend on him.
The very next day the Trojans make a successful counterattack, led by Hektor, their greatest warrior. Several days of violent fighting follow, at the end of which the Trojans have the Greeks driven back at the beach and are threatening to burn their ships. At this point, Achilleus's best friend Patroklos goes into battle in Achilleus's place wearing his armor. The Trojans see him, they think he must be Achilleus and become absolutely terrified, but Hektor kills Patroklos and then takes the armor off his body.
When Achilles learns of the death of his friend, he swears revenge and the next day rejoins the battle and kills Hektor in a single mortal combat. But this is not enough for his revenge. For the next few days, Achilles abuses Hektor's dead body and gives it up only when Hektor's father Priamos, the Trojan King, comes himself unarmed to ask for his son's body.
The poem ends with the funeral of Hektor and the major events leading to the siege of Troy are not narrated by Homer. Soon after Hektor’s funeral, Achilles will be killed by Paris and the siege will come to an end with the Trojan horse, a huge wooden hollow horse which was constructed by Greeks after Odysseus’ idea. The citizens of Troy, believing it was a gift sent by gods open the gates and take it in. The Trojan horse is full with Greek warriors who come out in the night and start slaughtering the people of Troy setting the city on fire.
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