Meleanus And Paris

621 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay about helen from iliad

In book 3 of the Iliad, Paris and Meleanus engaged in a duel meant to determine the outcome of the Trojan war. If Meleanus defeated Paris, Helen would be returned to him and Troy would surrender. If Paris were to defeat Meleanus, Helen would remain his and the Argives would return home in defeat. The battle was left unfinished as Aphrodite intervened and took Paris from the battle grounds before Melanus had a chance to strike a finishing blow. At the start of book 4, Zeus now must determine how to proceed with the war since the duel between Meleanus and Paris was left undecided. Although it is ultimately Zeus’ descision, he sits in council with the other gods and voices the two available courses of action. While it is clear that Meleanus

Show More
Related

  • Shamhat's Treatment Of Women In The Iliad

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    / Now you have to help me, if you can” (1.406-408). Thetis went to speak with Zeus and Achilles did not fight in the Trojan War for some time. While Shamhat, in Gilgamesh, influenced Enkidu to fight and be a better man, Chryseis’ influence affected Agamemnon to make a foolish decision, which influenced him to take Briseis, and Briseis being taken influenced Achilles to withdraw from

    Read More

  • Summary of The Illidad by Homer

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Iliad is a long poem that is composed by a series of books. The narrative begins nine years after the start of the war. Agamemnon and Achilles get into a skirmish about two maidens, Chryseis and Briseis that were captured in a Trojan-allied town. After Apollo releases a plague for not returning Chryseis, Agamemnon goes into a rage and says that he will return Chryseis only if Achilles gives him Briseis. Agamemnon’s demand infuriates and humiliates Achilles. The men argue, and Achilles threatens to withdraw from the battle and take his people, back home to Phthia. That night Achilles prays to his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus to punish the Achaeans. She promises to ask Zeus about his offer. After twelve days, Thetis makes her appeal to Zeus. Zeus is reluctant to help the Trojans but he finally agrees. The next day Zeus sends a false dream to Agamemnon that he can take Troy if he launches a full-scale assault on the city’s walls. The next day, Agamemnon gathers the troops and prepares for the attack. After that The Trojan army ...

    Read More

  • Greek Mythology

    344 Words  | 1 Pages

    Then Zeus and his brothers waged a mighty battle

    Read More

  • Summaries Of Books Of The Aeneid

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aeneas begins to tell her the story of the Trojan War. He tells the story of the Trojan horse and how the Greeks surprised the Trojans. He tells about his futile attempt to fight off the Greeks. Aeneas tries to kill Helen, but Venus intervenes and tells Aeneas to leave.

    Read More

  • Honor in the Iliad and Antigone

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...

    Read More

  • Xenia In Homer's Iliad

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is the first, and only, breach of xenia in all of the Iliad, with good cause. Paris was Menelaus’ guest, but chose to steal Menelaus’ wife and much of his riches instead of honoring xenia as he should have. Paris’ transgression against xenia is what initially agitated Menelaus’. Although this act is not explicitly pictured in the Iliad, the Trojan War is essentially the fallout of Paris’ breach of xenia and without his infraction, many lives would have been spared. It is also worth noting that many, many kings and warlords mobilized a very large part of their power in the pursuit of one man’s wife, which speaks to the prestige of xenia and how much the Danaans valued

    Read More

  • Telemachus: A Character Analysis

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the end of book four, the reader is left to feel that Telemachus is a good and, in all likelihood, a virtuous young man. Athena, it is assumed, would not have gone to the trouble to assist in his cause if this were not the case. By the time he reaches Sparta, however, he remains untested. Athena tells him where to go and with whom to meet, she teaches him what to say, and she even physically grooms him for the role. One suspects that there are likely to be trials that lie ahead for him. Athena tells Telemachus that his actions will be a combination of instinct and divine guidance. One can only hope, if the goddess is not by his side, that these instincts will see him through these upcoming struggles.

    Read More

  • Role Of Zeus In The Iliad

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before Menelaus and Paris fought in Book 3, Agamemnon prayed to Zeus, “if Paris brings down Menelaus in blood, he keeps Helen himself…but if Menelaus brings down Paris the Trojans surrender Helen…but Zeus would not fulfill their prayers” (3.335-9). Then Menelaus prayed as well, “Zeus, king, give me revenge, he wronged me first Illustrious Paris crush him under my hand”(3.409-10). Zeus did not answer either of their prayers and in both the exact opposite occurred. When Paris and Menelaus fought, Menelaus had Paris “choking, strangling [and] now he’d have hauled him off and won undying glory but Aphrodite Zeus’s daughter quick to the mark…snatched Paris away”(3.431-9). Menelaus would’ve outright killed Paris winning the duel, and having his wife Helen returned to him, but Aphrodite swooped in and saved him. Zeus then claimed that Menelaus won and that the war is over, but Hera stops him and tells him that she desires the whole city of Troy to go down in flames. He accepted Hera’s remarks and he renews the fighting between them. He is the almighty and could’ve stopped Aphrodite from saving Paris, but instead he just argued about how it was wrong. The treaty had been violated and Zeus disregarded both Agamemnon’s request and Menelaus’ plead to kill

    Read More

  • Why Did The Trojan War Happen

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Trojan war is a very controversial topic on if it did happen, or if it didn’t happen. Some archaeologists believe that the Trojan war was more than one battle, in more than one location, some people believe it is all a myth. Because there is no sufficient evidence that the Iliad is true, I think that it happened, but not how it was described in The Iliad. With the finding of the believed to be the city of Troy, to the jewelry of Helen, I still believe that the battle of Troy didn’t happen the way Homer described.

    Read More

  • The Iliad Rhetorical Analysis And Persuasion

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    Book 1 of The Iliad takes place nine years after the Trojan War has begun. As the Greek warriors, also known as Achaeans, were ransacking a town, two women, Chryseis and Briseis were taken captive. Those women ended up with the King, Agamemnon and the pride of the Achaean army, Achilles. Apollo’s priest who resides in the town pleads for Agamemnon to

    Read More

  • Paris the Cowardly Prince

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hector insults Paris in front of all of Troy. Paris is deeply ashamed and decides to fight the duel. Troy rejoices because if Paris defeats Menelaos, it would be a tremendous victory for Troy, however, if Paris is defeated, Helen is returned and therefore a truce would be reached and the war would be over.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In The Iliad Essay

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hektor’s criticism lies in Paris’ reluctance to fight Menelaos which is seen as cowardice and weak. Since Homer uses masculinity to define heroism in war, Paris is not viewed as a hero and is emasculated by his brother who is the Trojan’s “bravest champion”. This again falls under the Homer’s ideals as a reflection of Greek cultural norms that men fight and since they fight, they are strong.

    Read More

  • Troy vs. The Iliad

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    The suspected start of the war- over the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta- was caused entirely by a godly conflict over who was the most beautiful- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, was selected to judge. He chose Aphro...

    Read More

  • The Iliad and the Odyssey

    1521 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the reader goes through the many books in the Iliad, he or she may notice the battle of immortal versus immortal on Mount Olympus. The gods are introduced in this book as major characters that have taken a side on either Team Trojans or Team Achaeans. Aphrodite, Apollo, and Ares are the main gods on Team Trojans, while Hera and Athena fight for Team Achaeans. Zeus is supposedly neutral, but in book one Thetis approaches Zeus saying, “honor my son Achilles!-doomed to live the shortest life of any man on earth […] grant the Trojans victory […] till the Achaean armies pay my dea...

    Read More

  • Helen Of Troy

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soon afterward Paris sailed to Greece, where Helen and her husband hospitably received him, Menelaus, king of Sparta. Helen, as the fairest of her sex, was the prize destined for Paris. Although she was living happily with Menelaus, Helen fell under the influence of Aphrodite and allowed Paris to persuade her to run off with him, and he carried her off to Troy. Menelaus then called upon the Greek leaders, including Helen's former suitors, to help him rescue his wife, and with few exceptions they responded to his call. Agamemnon his brother led the forces to Troy. During ten years of conflict, the Greeks and Trojans fought irresolutely. Then Paris and Menelaus agreed to meet in single combat between the opposing armies, and Helen was summoned to view the duel. As she approached the tower, where the aged King Priam and his counselors sat, her beauty was still so matchless and her sorrow so great that no one could feel for her anything but compassion. Although the Greeks claimed the victory in the battle between the two warriors, Aphrodite helped Paris escape from the enraged Menelaus by enveloping him in a cloud and taking him safely to Helen's chamber, where Aphrodite compelled the unwilling Helen to lie with him.

    Read More

More about Meleanus And Paris

Open Document