📝 Classical Civilisation revision notes, Year 11. A visual book-by-book summary of Homer’s Iliad — all 24 books.
⚔ THE ILIAD ⚔
Book 1
Apollo brings a plague on the Greeks. Agamemnon takes Achilles’ slave Briseis, so Achilles refuses to fight. Thetis asks Zeus to help the Trojans.Book 2
Zeus sends a dream to Agamemnon. The Greeks and Trojans prepare for battle. The armies assemble and Hector rallies the Trojans.Book 3
Paris challenges Menelaus to single combat. Menelaus nearly wins but Aphrodite spirits Paris away. Helen is forced to go to him.Book 4
The gods renew the war. Agamemnon rallies the Greek leaders. Battle begins. Many casualties on both sides.Book 5
Athena inspires Diomedes with exceptional skill. He is almost invincible, wounds Ares and Aphrodite. A Greek warrior dominates the field.Book 6
Hector returns to Troy to arrange sacrifices. He meets Andromache and little Astyanax in a deeply moving scene, then returns to battle.Book 7
Hector and Ajax fight in single combat — it ends in a draw. Both sides bury their dead. The Trojans debate whether to return Helen but Paris refuses.Book 8
Zeus forbids the gods from interfering. The Greeks are driven back to their ships. The Trojans camp outside Troy overnight for the first time.Book 9
Agamemnon sends gifts to Achilles including Briseis. But Achilles refuses all gifts and threatens to sail home. Ajax and Odysseus cannot change his mind.Book 10
Agamemnon and Diomedes scout at night. Odysseus and Diomedes kill the Trojan spy Dolon, then raid the Thracian camp.Book 11
Agamemnon leads brilliantly but is wounded. Diomedes and Odysseus also wounded. Achilles sends Patroclus to find out what is happening.Books 12–15
The Trojans storm the Greek walls. Gods intervene on both sides. The battle swings back and forth. Ajax wounds Hector with a stone.📝 Classical Civilisation revision notes, Year 11. A visual book-by-book summary of Homer’s Iliad — all 24 books.
⚔ THE ILIAD ⚔
BOOK 1
Apollo brings a plague on the Greeks. Agamemnon takes Achilles’ slave Briseis. Achilles refuses to fight. Thetis asks Zeus to help the Trojans.
BOOK 2
Zeus sends a false dream to Agamemnon. After 9 weeks, the Trojans are rallied to battle. Pandarus breaks the truce by shooting Menelaus.
BOOK 3
Paris challenges Menelaus to single combat. Menelaus nearly kills Paris, but Aphrodite spirits him away to Helen.
BOOK 4
The Greek leaders rally their troops. Heavy casualties on both sides as battle begins in earnest.
BOOK 5
Athena inspires Diomedes — he is almost invincible, wounding both Ares and Aphrodite as the gods intervene.
BOOK 6
Hector returns to Troy. He finds Andromache and baby Astyanax. A poignant farewell before returning to battle.
BOOK 7
Hector and Ajax draw in single combat. Both sides bury their dead. The Trojans debate returning Helen — Paris refuses.
BOOK 8
Zeus forbids the gods from interfering. The Greeks are driven back. The Trojans camp outside Troy overnight.
BOOK 9
Agamemnon offers gifts to Achilles including Briseis. Achilles refuses everything and threatens to sail home.
BOOK 10
Night raid — Odysseus and Diomedes kill the spy Dolon, then raid the Thracian camp.
BOOK 11
Agamemnon leads brilliantly but is wounded. Diomedes and Odysseus also wounded. Achilles sends Patroclus to find out what is happening.
BOOKS 12–15
The Trojans storm the Greek walls. A Greek recovery collapses. Ajax wounds Hector. The gods cause chaos.
BOOK 16
Patroclus begs to fight in Achilles’ armour. He drives back the Trojans but Apollo stuns him and Hector kills him. Achilles is devastated.
BOOK 17
Both sides fight over Patroclus’ body. Hector strips Achilles’ armour. Menelaus defends the corpse.
BOOK 18
Achilles mourns and vows revenge. Thetis asks Hephaestus for new armour. He forges a magnificent shield depicting the whole world.
BOOK 19
Achilles reconciles with Agamemnon and returns to battle, consumed by grief and fury. The gods take sides again.
BOOKS 20–21
Achilles rampages — wounding Aeneas, nearly killing Hector, and fighting the river god Scamander. The gods battle each other.
BOOK 22
Hector stands alone outside Troy. He runs three times around the walls then faces Achilles — and is killed. Achilles drags his body behind his chariot.
BOOKS 23–24
Achilles holds funeral games for Patroclus. He mistreats Hector’s body for days. Finally King Priam comes alone to ransom it. Achilles agrees. The poem ends with Hector’s funeral.
KEY THEMES
⚔ Kleos (glory) and aidos (shame) 🏛 The role of the gods 👨👩👦 Family vs duty 💀 The tragedy of war 🦁 Heroism and its cost ⚖ Fate vs free will
KEY CHARACTERS
🔴 Achilles — greatest Greek warrior 🔵 Hector — greatest Trojan warrior 👑 Agamemnon — Greek commander 🌹 Helen — cause of the war ⚡ Zeus — king of the gods 🛡 Patroclus — Achilles’ companion
ET CETERA ANTIQUA 
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