Kent-Drury
English 206
Exploring Greek Attitudes in The Iliad:  Class Responses

Marriage

Hera & Zeus--fight constantly (p. 150)
Andromache & Hektor--affectionate and faithful (p. ??)
Priam & Hekabe--had 19 children (Priam has 31 by other women as well, and they live(d) in the palace!
Helen & Menelaus/paris--comments?
Agamemnon & Klytemnestra--Agamemnon says he'd rather have his war prize than his own wife (p. 137)
gods
Respect paid to the gods because help is needed (p. 135)
Khryses prays to Apollo
Gods actions were final
Athena tells Achilles to use words instead of swords--breaks up a fight between mortals (p. 140)
No one vies in honor with him who holds authority from Zeus (p. 142, l. 329)
Appease the gods--were scared of gods and their wrath (p. 145)
Thetis talks to Zeus to get honor for Achilles--Zeus will control outcome of war (p. 150)
Ritual where they prepared food for the gods so Apollow wouldn't be angry again (p. 147)
Kinds of sacrifice--spilling wine on the ground (p. 167), strewing barley and sacrificing animals (p. 147), throwing meat in the fire (p. 270), giving rich clothing to the gods (p. 155); can't give wine to Zeus with bloody hands (must be purified) (p. 154)
Gods have human characteristics (lust, jealousy, they eat and have sex), but are powerful and capricious.  They demand that people honor them; forgetting to do so results in misfortune, death, or disease.
Women
Women were the "spoils of war"; the Greeks and Trojans are fighting over the ownership of the women
In the beginning, the goddesses' vanity was evident when they were fighting over the golden apple and chose sides in the war based upon the result of something so petty.
When goddesses & women are described, it is based on their physical characteristics.  The gods and men are described by their skill (p. 151, l. 688)
Authority
In some instances, there seems to be no problem with disrespecting authority.  One example is Achilles blatantly disregarding Agamemnon's authority (p. 138).  Another example is Agamemnon refusing to take the ransom which was disregarding Apollo's authority (p. 134-15).  The gods also disregarded authority as seen when Hera talks back to Zeus (p. 150).  Another example is when Agamemnon is ready to give up the fight, but Diomedes refuses and is ready to continue (p. 162-163).