Iliad Reading Notes

Iliad Reading Notes
Book 1
2/13/07

Summaries of the stanzas

Stanza 30
· Greeks ask Agamemnon to ask a ransom but he refuses
Stanza 40
· Priest asks the god Apollo to bring wrath upon Agamemnon

Stanza 50
· Apollo hears the priest’s prayer and comes down from Mt. Olympus with his bow and arrow in rage
Stanza 60
· Apollo fires upon Agamemnon’s army
Stanza 70
· Achilles says that if they sacrifice a lamb to Apollo maybe he will defend them against the plague


Questions about the reading:

1. What is Achilles’ trying to say in Stanza 70? What are they supposed to do?
2. Why do you think the priest asked Apollo to attack Agamemnon’s army?

Predict what will happen next

I think Apollo will keep on attacking, but he will put a plague, not on the army, but on the city instead.