Lecture Terms and Questions

September 14, 2000

Meleagros

goös

threnos

aulos

prothesis

In the Iliad, Homer combines two story types or plots. What are they, and what are the effects of this innovative combination for the overall meaning of the poem?
When does Achilles finally eat and sleep again, after he has abstained from these activities since Patroklos' death? What is the importance of this resumption within the poem, and what does it signify?
Examine in detail the goös over Hektor's body sung by Andromache, Hekabe, and Helen, differentiating each woman's lament from the others'. How does a lament, a goös, differ from typical epic kleos? How do the two combine in Homer's poem?