The Iliad

My Thoughts

I followed two ideas throughout this incredible epic. They both show up on page one – the cataclysmic wrath of Achilles and the plan of Zeus. I chose Dr. Emily Wilson’s translation, even changed my reading list around to accommodate the Sept 26 release date. I was planning on reading her Odyssey translation and thought it would be interesting to read her Iliad as well.

Dr. Wilson says the plan of Zeus unfolded 10 years into the Greek attack against Troy, starting with a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles. Only it doesn’t seem like Zeus is in control nor does it appear that he has much of a plan at all. The gods are conspiring against each other and behave much like humans. Is Zeus weaving together the wills of gods and men or is he controlling the action like chess pieces on a board? It’s hard to tell. I found myself questioning the narrator throughout the story. Was Homer telling the truth about Zeus’ unfolding plan?

That wrath of Achilles against Agamemnon keeps him out of the battle, one where he could turn the tide rather easily. Later on, when Achilles’ wrath shifts from Agamemnon to Hector and the Trojans, Achilles moves from inaction to grave action. Zeus intervenes and prompts the father of Hector to visit Achilles. This seems like a rather silly move by Zeus. Won’t Achilles’ wrath we heard about on page one consume this father as well?

Perhaps Zeus’ plan did unfold. He know Achilles beyond just the wrath. Zeus banks his unfolding plan on something deeper within Achilles. And he turns out to be right. So those two threads from page one come together in an astounding way in this epic. It shifts the wrath and the plan in delightful ways.