September 11th- September 17th

Thursday, September 10: Homer’s Iliad, Book 9
Notes:
Notes on journals and class prep
7 minutes in reading time
Composed on medium.com
Address both in-class activity and readings and discussion questions. Avoid summarization; focus instead on passages that struck you as interesting or that you think are key to understanding the Iliad as a whole.
Compose journals as you go, rather than all at once the night before they are due
Study habits:
Read throughout the week
Cultivate a personal interest in what you are reading
Why might ancient Greeks have enjoyed these stories so much?
How do these characters compare to you?
Do you share their values?
Can you relate to the problems they face or their experience of the world?
Is there anything to be avoided or emulated about them?
What behaviors, relationships, decisions could you make based on your readings?
Quiz:

Time: about 3:30 PM
Book 9
In book 9, everything is going berzerkers. In the Achaian camp, everyone is going crazy. Agamemnon makes this speech to the other leaders, which just said that they took an “L” and have to take the walk of shame. Then, Diomedes challenges Agamemnon and says that Agamemnon insulted him and that he and Sthenelaos are going to keep fighting even if it’s only the two of them. Nestor agrees with Diomedes. While the men are eating, Agamemnon talks to commanders in private, and Nestor says that Achilles can help. Agamemnon likes what he says, and agrees. He starts to feel regretful about disrespecting Achilles. Agamemnon says he’s going to give a lot of great stuff to Achilles including, Briseis back unharmed, lots of goods from Troy, seven captive women, and seven cities to rule, and permission to marry one of Agamemnon’s daughters. Nestor gets his best warriors Ajax, Odysseus, and Phoenix, and they leave. Later in the story, Odysseus runs on and tells Achilles how bad things are going for the Achaians. Achilles’ long, and annoying, announces his intention to go home the very next day.
The reason he wants to go home is that his mother told him that if he stays in Troy, he will have a short but beautiful life, but, if he goes home, he will have a long but horrible life. The great warrior decides to leave as well, and he encourages the other Achaians to go home as well.
Phoenix says uh-uh, and declines this offer. Then he tells a long story about his origins and connection to Achilleus. Then Phoenix tells another boring, long story, but, it has meaning to it. Phoenix thinks Achilleus should take the treasure now while the offer’s still good because you never know what might happen in the future. But Achilles still refuses to help the Achaians in battle. Finally, Diomedes speaks up and he says that they don’t need Achilles to help, they can do it themselves.
Questions to prepare and write about in your weekly journal:
If you want to change someone’s mind, what emotions do you try to arouse in them?
To change someone’s mind, the first thing I would do is hear what they have to say. If you listen to what someone has to say, that shows that you are caring and attentive. After I hear what the other person has to say, then I would offer my opinion on what they have to say. After they hear my opinion, then hopefully I can persuade them to change their mind. It’s hard to hear what other people have to say on a certain topic, but I think it is important to hear opposing viewpoints. Many people that I see, especially in politics, never want to hear the other side of the story. They think that they are always right and it’s very hard to change close-minded people’s opinions.
What emotions do Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax try to arouse in Achilles?
They try to make Achilles feel like he is very worthy. They tell Achilles how bad things are going for the Achaian warriors, and they make him seem like he is very important. This makes me wonder how powerful Achilles is. Why do they want him to fight in the battle so badly?
What other ways (other than the emotions) do they try to persuade him to return to the battle?
As I stated, Agamemnon says he’s going to give a lot of great stuff to Achilles including, Briseis back unharmed, lots of goods from Troy, seven captive women, and seven cities to rule, and permission to marry one of Agamemnon’s daughters. Achilles must be really powerful if they keep offering him all of these gifts.

Tuesday, September 15: Homer’s Iliad, Books 10–12
Book 10
Quiz: I did pretty well on the quiz, but I forgot What the musical instrument was that we discussed. An accordion, who would’ve thought?
Date: September 11, 2020 Time: About 2:15 PM
So, in this part of the story, Agamemnon and Menelaos can’t get ready for battle and they need a plan to save the Achaians. Agamemnon goes to find Nestor, and when Agamemnon finds Nestor, he suggests they go check on the guards. They see that all the guards are all doing just fine. Nestor then says they should check on the Trojan warriors. He seems very worrisome in this book. Anyways, Diomedes and Agamemnon go to help Nestor, and instructs him to make his choice on success. They head off, with Athena coming out of nowhere and looking over them. Meanwhile, among the Trojans, Hector asks for someone to go spy on the Achaians. Some guy called Dolon volunteers to help, but only if he gets Achilles’ chariot. Hector agrees, gives it to him, and Dolon takes off. Odysseus and Diomedes see him coming, so they chase him down. Dolon surrenders quickly, and Odysseus promises they won’t kill him. Dolon thought he did something! But I’m confused why Hector just gave him the chariot like that.
Odysseus and Diomedes press Dolon for details about the layout of the Trojan camp and Dolon tells them about the horses and chariot of King Rhesos.
Odysseus and Diomedes make their way into the Trojan camp, where they find King Rhesos and his men, just as Dolon described. Diomedes murders a lot of them in their sleep then leaves.
Book 11
Date: September 12, 2020 Time: About 1:45 PM
In this book, Zeus sends panic among the troops and makes the heavens rain blood.
Hate is the only god battling, but Zeus is watching from above. Agamemnon kills many people at the beginning, including some who begged to stay alive. The Trojans start to go to Troy with Agamemnon in mind. Seeing this, Zeus tells Hector that he and the Trojans should fight hard. That said, as soon as they see Agamemnon get wounded, they have Zeus’s permission to attack him viciously. The Achaians keep coming at them hard. Before killing one guy, Agamemnon gets a stab in the forearm. He keeps fighting for a while, but eventually realizes he has to go back to the ships for help. When Hector sees this, he calls on his soldiers to give it to the Achaians. Odysseus and Diomedes lead a counterattack and kill various Trojan warriors. So basically, all that’s happening is there is a lot of violence going on, and The fighting rages on.
After that, Nestor gets to the point and he suggests that Patroclus should lead the Myrmidons into battle. Maybe he could even wear Achilleus’s armor, to strike terror into the hearts of the Trojans. Patroclos is thrilled by this suggestion and runs off to find Achilleus. Along the way, he encounters the Achaian warrior Eurypylos, who has been injured by an arrow. Eurypylos gives Patroclos even more of the bad news on how they’re doing. Patroclos helps Eurypylos back to his tent and removes the arrow.

Book 12
Date: September 17, 2020 Time: About 1:35 AM
The will of the gods easily outlasts the temporary wills or structures of men. Zeus, not the Trojans, controls the fate of the fortress, and he has decided that natural forces will destroy it in the future. Hector’s strength is described using a familiar hunting metaphor, linking battle with the pastoral cycle of Greek life. Polydamas’ advice signals that the Trojans will fight on foot, implying that there will be a great deal of killing at close quarters. Asius’ attempt to charge the Achaean fortifications in his chariot is a sign of bad strategy. Zeus has decided that the glory accorded for being the first to storm the ramparts will not belong to Asius. The eagle and bloody serpent is an example of the unclear way in which the gods send signals of fate to men. Hector’s refusal to yield to the omen is a sign of both his bravery and his poor judgment. His position that men must fight for the country no matter no what is noble, but it will not save him from defeat. The melee between many different Trojans and Achaeans demonstrates the constant tension of power between the two forces. Any individual man can make a contribution that might break through and turn the tide of the war.
Questions to prepare and write about in your weekly journal:
In what ways could Agamemnon be criticized as a leader in Books 1–2 of the Iliad (re-read to refresh your memory)?
He can be kind of stubborn. For example, because Agamemnon is the most powerful king, he believes that he is entitled to the largest share of the war’s spoils.Also, Agamemnon repeatedly refuses to give up the girl Chryseis, even though hundreds of his soldiers are dying from the plague.
What does Agamemnon do to lead the Greek army in Books 9–11?
When Agamemnon realizes that he needs Achilles help, he starts to become a better leader, which lead to the Greek Army

How would you advise him to improve his leadership at this point?
I would advise him to stop being so power-hungry and think about others.