What are the major themes in The Iliad?

Love and friendship, fate and free will, and honor are the main themes of Homer’s The Iliad. All three themes follow Achilles and the other main characters of the epic poem. We see how Achilles’ friendship with Patroclus and his hunger for honor guides much of the epic, which lead to both his and Hector’s demises.

What happens in Book 21 of The Iliad?

Summary: Book 21 Achilles routs the Trojans and splits their ranks, pursuing half of them into the river known to the gods as Xanthus and to the mortals as Scamander. He very nearly kills Achilles, but the gods intervene. Hephaestus, sent by Hera, sets the plain on fire and boils the river until he relents.

Who dies in Book 21 of The Iliad?

Asteropaeus tries to draw his spear three times but Achilles kills him. Achilles exults some more and continues to slaughter Trojans. Xanthus demands that he stop because he is cluttered with blood and corpses. Achilles agrees to stop killing in the river, but pledges to keep killing.

When Achilles is about to be drowned by Xanthus the river god which deity saves him?

Hera
Xanthus calls for help from his river god brother, Simois, and the two of them renew their assault on Achilles. They are determined to drown him and bury him so deeply that his body will never be found. Seeing that Achilles is now facing two angry river gods, Hera, another immortal, panics.

What was the summary of book 21 of the Iliad?

Iliad Summary and Analysis of Books 21-24. Book 21: Summary: Achilles single-handedly splits the Trojan forces, driving one half towards the city and one half into the river. Hera sends a mist to confuse and slow the retreat of the men going back towards the city.

What are the themes in the book The Iliad?

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Iliad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Achilles pursues the Trojans to the ford of the river Xanthus. The Trojan force has split in half: one group runs back to Troy, while the other group tries to cross the river to escape Achilles.

Who are the main characters in the Iliad?

The Iliad book summary in under five minutes! Homer’s epic poem The Iliad tells the story of the Trojan war and the epic heroes and gods, including Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Athena, Ares, Paris and Helen of Troy. This video provides an in-depth summary and analysis of the plot, characters and themes of Book 21 of Homer’s epic poem The Iliad.

What was the weighing of Fates in the Iliad?

The weighing of Hector’s and Achilles’ fates, for example, recalls but inverts the first weighing of fates in Book 8, when the Trojan army’s fate rises above that of the Achaeans.