The story in one page
Agamemnon insults a priest of Apollo, triggering a plague that decimates the Achaean camp. To compensate for losing his own captive, Agamemnon seizes Briseis, the war prize of his strongest warrior, Achilles. Outraged, Achilles withdraws from the fighting and asks his mother, Thetis, to convince Jove to let the Trojans gain the upper hand. The Trojans, led by Hector, drive the Achaeans back to their ships. The stalemate ends only after Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles' closest companion. Blinded by grief, Achilles returns to the field, hunts Hector, and drags his body behind a chariot. The story closes as King Priam risks his life to enter the enemy camp and reclaim his son’s remains for burial.
Who's who
- Achilles
A demi-god warrior whose personal grudge nearly destroys his own army.
- Hector
Troy’s primary defender who kills Patroclus and faces Achilles’s wrath.
- Agamemnon
The prideful Achaean commander-in-chief who triggers Achilles's strike.
- Jove
The king of gods who tips the scales of battle toward Troy.
- Thetis
A sea-nymph who lobbies the gods on behalf of her son, Achilles.
- Priam
The elderly King of Troy who personally ransoms his son's corpse.
What it's really about
- The Cost of Pride
- Leadership failures and personal ego result in thousands of preventable deaths.
- Divine Interference
- Gods treat the mortal war like a choreographed board game.
Why it's memorable
- Hector lifting a stone so heavy two modern men couldn't move it.
- Thetis rising from the sea with a crowd of screaming nymphs to comfort Achilles.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Achilles relents and returns Hector's body, the Trojans observe an eleven-day truce to burn their fallen prince and hold a funeral feast in Priam’s house.
For your book club
- Is Achilles a hero or a petulant liability to his people?
- Does the interference of the gods diminish the bravery of the human soldiers?
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