The Iliad, Books XV-XX

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​The Iliad, Books XV-XX

​Book XV: The Adventure of Diomed & Ulysses

Diomed & Ulysses infiltrate the Trojan side​

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the Trojan spy whom Diomed and Ulysses kill?

• Priam

• Dolon

• Pandarus

• Thraces

​Book XV: Diomed & Ulysses

​Diomed and Ulysses volunteer to spy on the Trojans

Menelaus​ and Agamemnon ask for a Greek soldier to volunteer to spy on the Trojans; Diomed volunteers himself. He then names Ulysses as the man he would most like to accompany him, and Ulysses agrees to go as well.

At the same time, Hector decides to send a Trojan soldier to spy on the Greeks. Dolon (not a very powerful person) volunteers, but in return he demands that he receive the horses of Achilles. ​

So, both spies set​ out for the other camp.

As Ulysses and Diomed travel towards the Trojan camp, they hear someone coming, so they hide themselves and watch Dolon pass by.​

They trail after him and jump him, then interrogate him about the weaknesses of the Trojan camp. Dolon spills all the tea (hoping to get out of it alive), but​ Ulysses and Diomed kill him.

​Diomed & Ulysses ambush Dolon

Diomed and Ulysses move on to the Trojan camp, entering where the men from Thrace are camped (where Dolon said they should enter), and slaughter 13 men (including the king).

Then, they steal their fine horses and return to the Greek camp.

Athena told Ulysses and Diomed to flee because Apollo was rousing the Trojans.​

​Ulysses & Diomed slaughter some Trojans

Multiple Choice

What did Dolon want as a prize for being the spy?

• To marry one of Hector's daughters

• To be named king of a small province

• The horses of Achilles

• The armor and weapons of Achilles

Multiple Choice

The men that Diomed and Ulysses kill were from...

• Minos

• Crete

• Kinly

• Thrace

​Book XVI: The Wounding of the Chiefs

The Greeks push forward, until their leaders are too injured to continue

​Book XVI: Wounded Chiefs

​One by one, the Greek leaders go down

​First chief:

Agamemnon leads the Greek charge, and is successful at pushing the Trojans back towards Troy. Zeus (through Iris) warns Hector not to engage Agamemnon, but wait until he is injured. Agamemnon takes a spear to the arm, and eventually has to retire from the field.

Second chief:

​Diomed is injured when Paris shoots him with an arrow.

​Book XVI: Wounded Chiefs

​One by one, the Greek leaders go down

​Third chief:

Ulysses is left on his own, then, and manages to kill many Trojans. However, he is eventually surrounded and takes a spear to the ribs. He calls out for help and Ajax and Menelaus respond. While Ajax drives the Trojans back, Menelaus takes Ulysses off the battlefield.​

Fourth chief:

​Machaon is wounded by a Trojan arrow, and Nestor rushes him back to the Greek camp.

Reorder

What is the order in which the Greek chiefs were hurt?

• Agamemnon

• Diomed

• Ulysses

• Machaon

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

As Machaon is taken by Achilles's ship, he sends Patroclus to Nestor to find out who was injured.

Nestor criticizes Patroclus for not advising Achilles to join the fight, and tells him that Patroclus should ​put on Achilles's armor and show up at the fight to help the Greeks out a little bit.

​Achilles and Patroclus wonder who was injured​

Multiple Choice

What is Nestor's suggestion to Patroclus?

• That he convince Achilles to join the war again

• That he wear Achilles's armor and go to battle

• That he steal Achilles's armor for Nestor to wear

• That he leave with Achilles and never return

​Book XVII: The Battle at the Wall

The Trojans push the Greeks back towards their ships​

​Book XVII: The Trojans push the Greeks

​The Trojans cross the trench

The Trojans abandon their chariots on their side of the Greek trench and begin crossing over to try to break down the Greek wall.

King Asius tries to batter his way through a Greek gate, but is turned back and forced away from the Greek wall.

​

While the Trojans push forth, a strange sight is seen: an eagle, carrying a snake, which bites it and forces the eagle to drop the snake.

Polydamas, a wise Trojan man, tells Hector that the eagle is the Trojans and the snake is the Greeks, and that they shouldn't pursue the Greeks right now. ​

Hector says, "heck that," and goes forward anyways.​

​A sign from Zeus?

​Trojans push for the wall

When Hector pushes the Trojans forward, Zeus helps out by sending a wind to blow dirt into the Greeks' eyes.

​Sarpedon (son of Zeus) and Glaucus make a run at one of the gates, and the Greek guarding it calls for help; Ajax (the Greater) and Teucer show up to help out. They fight, and Teucer wounds Glaucus.

The Greeks and Trojans go back and forth at this spot, until Hector picks up a big rock and smashes the doors in the gate, opening it up to the Trojans.

​

Multiple Choice

What sign from Zeus does Hector ignore?

• A snake carrying a rat

• A leopard carrying a gazelle

• A raven being choked by a snake

• An eagle carrying a snake

Multiple Choice

Which soldier opens the way for the Trojans to enter the Greeks' wall?

• Sarpedon

• Hector

• Glaucus

• Paris

​Book XVIII: The Battle at the Ships

The Greeks have some success, but the Trojans push forward

​Poseidon helps the Greeks

While Zeus's eyes are turned away, Poseidon helps the Greeks out.​ He disguises himself as the Greek prophet Calchas and encourages Greater and Lesser Ajax (Lesser Ajax recognizes him as a god) to keep fighting.

Teucer kills a famous Trojan chief (Imbrius) and Greater Ajax injures Hector by hitting him with a rock, which makes him withdraw from the battlefield.

All is going the Greeks' way when...Zeus realizes what has happened. ​

Zeus sends Iris to tell Poseidon to knock it off; Poseidon is bitter, but Iris warns him not to go against Zeus's wishes.​

Zeus has Iris tell Apollo to encourage the Trojans and heal Hector from his wound. When Hector reenters the battle, Apollo shines the sun on him and uses the great shield of Zeus to protect him.​

​Zeus chastises Poseidon

​Hector fights his way to the ships. He is met there by Ajax, and the two sides battle fiercely.

​The Trojans push forward

Multiple Choice

Which god defies Zeus's orders and helps the Greeks?

• Poseidon

• Hera

• Athena

• Apollo

Fill in the Blank

Greater ??? is the primary Greek warrior defending the ships from hector.

​Book XIX: The Deeds & Death of Patroclus

Patroclus comes to help the Greeks...and dies.​

​

​-Foreshadowing indicating that Patroclus will die.

"So Patroclus spoke, entreating Achilles, but he did not know that it was for his own death that he asked." 

​Patroclus goes forth

Patroclus begs Achilles for his armor, and Achilles agrees that Patroclus can wear it to go aid the Greeks. He warns Patroclus of these things, though:

1. After you chase the Trojans away, come back

2. When you feel battle-lust, don't be bold​

3. Don't chase the Trojans back to the city

​Ajax is struggling to hold the Trojans back while Patroclus and Achilles chat.

Patroclus dresses in Achilles's armor (breastplate, shield, and helmet) and takes to the field.

He does not take Achilles's Pelian spear, as only Achilles can wield it.

The Trojans are frightened by Patroclus's appearance (thinking it's Achilles), and many retreat.

Sarpedon (Zeus's son) doesn't, and is killed by Patroclus.​

​Patroclus wears Achilles's armor

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an order Achilles gives to Patroclus?

• After you chase the Trojans away, come back

• When you feel battle-lust, don't be bold​

  ​

• Don't chase the Trojans back to the city

• Don't kill Sarpedon, as it will make Zeus angry

​

​Apollo takes a hand in things...

​The Greeks manage to strip Sarpedon's armor and weapons from him, but they don't dishonor his body. As the Trojans surge forward, Zeus sends Apollo to retrieve Sarpedon's body.

​Patroclus tries to climb the walls surrounding Troy; three times he tries and fails. As he goes to try again, Apollo speaks to him and tells him that it is not his destiny to conquer Troy.

Apollo encourages Hector to go battle Patroclus. ​Three times they charge at each other with no harm. On the fourth charge, Apollo weakens Patroclus by hitting him in the back of the head, stripping his helmet off, and loosening his breastplate. This allows Hector to thrust his spear into Patroclus's side, fatally wounding him.

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Fill in the Blank

Which god(dess) played the biggest role in Patroclus's death?

​Book XX: The Rousing of Achilles

Hector steals Achilles's armor and there is a great battle over Patroclus's body

​Hector puts on Achilles's armor

Hector retrieves​ Achilles's armor and puts it on. This angers Zeus, who says, "Hector will pay for that."

Zeus takes pity on Achilles's horses, and prevents Hector from taking them.

The Greeks realize they cannot defend Patroclus's body for long, so they send Antilochus to tell Achilles that Patroclus has died.

Achilles tears his hair and cries over the loss of BFF Patroclus.​

Thetis comes to comfort Achilles. He tells her he doesn't care if he dies, and she finally agrees to let him go to battle. She reminds him, though, that he doesn't have armor.

She tells him to wait until the next day and she will ask Hephaestus to make him new armor.​

​Achilles mourns

Achilles still wants to help the Greeks, so Iris advises him to show himself at the wall.

He does this three times, and three times it causes the Trojans to pull back. On the third time, the Greeks ​manage to save Patroclus's body.

So, the battle ends for a time.​

​Achilles shows himself

Multiple Choice

Who is going to make new armor for Achilles?

• Hermes

• Hephaestus

• Hera

• Thetis