BRISEIS Captive girl originally awarded to Achilleus but taken by Agamemnon, precipitating the “wrath of Achilleus.” CATALOG OF SHIPS Long descriptive passage in Book II outlining all the battle contingents at Troy. CHRYSEIS Captive girl taken by Agamemnon. Apollo forces him to return her by sending a plague on the Greek forces. CHRYSES Father of Chryseis, priest of Apollo. DACTYLIC HEXAMETER The metrical form used by Homer in his epic poems, consisting of six feet of variable quantity. DANAANS One of three interchangeable terms for the Greeks DARDANIANS Trojan contingent headed by Aineias. DECEPTION OF ZEUS Passage in Book XIV in which Hera seduces DIOMEDES Great Greek warrior, son of Tydeus (sometimes referred to as Tydeides).
Book V is often called the Diomedeia DOLON Trojan spy caught by Diomedes and Odysseus in Book X, which is called the Doloneia after him. EPIC CYCLE Group of poems by various authors that make up the EPITHET Short descriptive term used by Homer to describe a character, frequently repeated throughout the poem. EROS Love-power governed by Aphrodite. EUPHORBOS Trojan warrior, killed by Menelaos. His death in Book XVII is described in a famous simile. EURYPYLOS Greek warrior, wounded in battle. GLAUKOS Trojan warrior, ancestral friend of Diomedes, who HADES Ruler of the underworld, brother of Zeus and HEKABE Wife of Priam, mother of Hektor. HEKTOR Greatest and most beloved Trojan warrior, arch enemy of Achilleus, son of Priam and Hekabe, husband of Andromache. HELEN Beautiful woman; wife of Menelaos but mistress of Paris. The Trojan War is fought on her behalf. HELENOS Trojan warrior, brother of Hektor. HEPHAISTOS Lame god of the blacksmith’s art, creator of HERA Ever-scheming and powerful goddess; wife of Zeus, major HERMES Also called Argeiphontes, god who protects Priam. HOMERIC HYMNS Group of narrative poems sometimes attributed ICHOR Divine substance that runs through the immortals’ veins IDOMENEUS Kretan commander, a great Greek fighter.
The Essay on The Greeks and gods
The Greeks looked at their gods with attributes they only wished they could attain. They developed stories of extraordinary people that were the offspring of immortals such as Nymphs or gods like Hermes or Zeus. Most of these stories consisted of labors, quests, or bloody wars, where the heroes were at the epicenter of the tale. What made these heroes so great was not just the fact they had godly ...
ILION Another name for Troy, from which the Iliad gets its KALCHAS Soothsayer for the Greeks. KEBRIONES Trojan warrior killed by Patroklos, sparking a KRETE Largest of the Greek islands, whose forces are led by KRONOS One of the ancient Greek gods, overthrown by Zeus, his LEDA Mother of Helen, perhaps by mating with Zeus in the form LYKAON Trojan warrior, killed by Achilleus. MACHAON Physician for the Greeks. MEDUSA The “Gorgon”: snake-haired creature whose severed MELEAGROS Legendary hero whose story is used by Phoinix to MENELAOS Ruler of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, cuckolded MERIONES Greek fighter, companion of Idomeneus. MUSE One of the nine goddesses who inspire the various arts, invoked by Homer to begin the Iliad. MYKENAI Powerful Greek city, ruled by Agamemnon. MYRMIDONS Greek contingent led by Achilleus. NEREIDS Sea nymphs, companions of Thetis, daughters of NESTOR Elder statesman of the Greeks, a great talker. ODYSSEUS Brilliant Greek warrior and counselor. His travels home from the war are the subject of Homer’s epic, the OILEUS Father of one of the fighters called Aias. OKEANOS Primal waters surrounding the world, depicted on the OLYMPOS Mountainous abode of the immortals.
PANDAROS Trojan warrior who breaks the truce in Book IV. PARIS Another name for Alexandros, Trojan prince. PATROKLOS Greek commander, comrade of Achilleus, whose death causes Achilleus to reenter the war. PHOINIX An elder of the Greeks, old friend of Achilleus. POLYDOROS Son of Priam, killed by Achilleus. POSEIDON Fierce god of the sea and of earthquakes, brother of Zeus and Hades, defender of the Greeks. POULYDAMAS Trojan warrior and friend of Hektor. PRIAM King of Troy, father of Hektor and many others. PYLOS Greek city, domain of Nestor. RHAPSODE Ancient Greek singer who recited epics. RHESOS Trojan ally, killed by Diomedes; possessor of great SARPEDON Son of Zeus, a Trojan fighter whose death almost SKAIAN GATES Landmark gates before the walls of Troy. SKAMANDROS River that crosses the plain of Troy (also called the plain of Skamandros).
The Essay on Trojan War Troy Great Greece
World History 6 October 2004 The Trojan War The city of Troy, now known as Turkey, was believed to had a great war with Greece. Major sources of this war include historical evidence and depictions through the epic poem The Iliad, written by Homer. While visiting Greece to request the return of a Trojan Princess, Prince of Troy Paris falls in love with the Spartan Princess, Helen. Because of their ...
Also referred to as Xanthos. SPARTA Greek city, home of Menelaos. TEICHOSCOPEIA “View from the wall”: referring to Helen’s description of the Greek forces as seen from the Trojan walls. TELEMON Father of one of the Greek fighters called Aias. TEUKROS Younger brother of Telemonian Aias, a great archer. THEOMACHIA “Battle of the gods”: referring to the immortals’ THERSITES Offensive Greek fighter; a buffoon and a whiner. THETIS Sea goddess, mother of Achilleus. TROY Walled city on the coast of Turkey; also called Ilion. TYDEUS Father of Diomedes; sometimes referred to as TYNDAREUS Father, perhaps, of Helen. XANTHOS Another name for the river Skamandros. ZEUS Most powerful of the immortals, a thunder-and-lightning sky god. His plan outlines the plot of the Iliad.
