Dominic Romano
Professor Detzler
Reflection Paper 3
9/19/12
Lessons Learned From The Illiad
The story of Iliad has been one of the most famous and admired ancient Greek epic poems by Homer. The story is intended to teach a moral lesson to its readers. I believe the main theme of this story is about the price one must pay for their arrogance. The self-respect and integrity that Agamemnon and Achilles struggled to keep has resulted in a brutal war between the Achaeans and the Trojans.
Agamemnon’s first fault is pride, and it is shown in the first book of the Iliad. He refused to return Chryseis to her father, even though many of his troops had been killed by a plague from Apollo. Achilles was very angry because he thinks that Agamemnon is too inconsiderate and selfish. After a fiery argument, Agamemnon finally sent Odysseus to bring back Chryseis to her father and to please Apollo, ordered a sacrifice. However, he commanded there be a substitute for Chryseis. He thought that as a forerunner, he could do as he pleases. Then, with force, he took Achilles’ war present, Briseis, to substitute for Chryseis.