The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-16
THE STORY OF THE ILIAD.
A short Summary for the Benefit OI
those who Never Read the Great
Poem OF Antiquity. -.-G

A short Summary for the Benefit of
those who Never Read the Great
Poem OF Antiquity. dl- ..l-f
from one OF FeIttorfs recent Lectures on Greece
The story of the Had Is very simple.
1t begins with the quarrel Of Apamem-
non and Achilles about a captiye pirl
in the ninth year of the war Acbj7iss
in anger withdraws from the q Gryaci,n
camp. a series OF battles follows in
which the Greeks, deprived OF their
swim fI-footed champion, suffer defeat
and slaughter. In the meantime the
secondary heroes press forward, and
become the leading figures in the mar
tial picture. In separate chants, the
valiant deeds of Diomedes, Ajax, Mem
claus, AgamemuOn, are commemora-
ted. But the Trojans, led on by the
crested Hector, drive the Greeks down
TO the very ramparts of the ships. One
by one the heroes are wounded and dis
abled, and the prospect of disastrous
overthrow stareS the army in the face.
Agamemnon, at length, convinced of
his fatal error, and anxious to recall
the hero, sends an embassy with the
otfer.of ample reparation.
The proposal is haughtily rejected.
The war again proceeds, with varying
fortune. The Greeks are driven within
their walls, and the Troians, led on by
Hector, threaten to fire the ships. The
battle wavers, Hector is wounded, and
the Trojans are driven back. Achilles
at length consents that Patroclous, his
brother in arms, shall put on mis- armor
and go forth TO battle. The appearance
of this champion, clad in the complete
steel of the son of Thetis, at first strikes
terror into the hosts of Troy, and gives
heart TO the Argives. But he is slain
and despoiled of his arms by Hector,
and herce combats for the possession OF
the dead body follow. The Greeks pre-
vail, and bear the slain hero back to the
camp. Achilles, overwhelmed with
sorrow, abandons himself to unre-
strained lamentation. This calls his
mother, Thetis, up from the sea. She
hnds him PROSTATE with grief, yet
eager TO exact Il bloody vengeance
from Hector and the frojans; but
Hector has the armor. Sue goes
TO the smithy of Hephaistos, who
readily forges new shield of
divine workmanship, a breastplate
brighter than the blaze of fire, strong
wrought hemlet with golden crest and
arms, becomes reconciled with Aga
memnon, who sends him precious gifts
and restores the captive BreSeis. After
iamentlng over the dead PHtrocluS, he
mounts the car and rushes to the field,
careless of life, and longing only for
vengeances. And now the war comes
to its terrible turning point. The Tro-
jan and Grecian champions are arrayed
in deadly strife, and the divided deities
share, according TO their several lik-
ings, in the battle. AS the action an
proaches n close, the description rises
in grandeur. AT length both armies
are Withdrawn from the field, and
Achilles and Hector alone remain. A
single combat follows, and Hector falls.
Achilles insults the body of his foe,
lashes him TO his car, and drags him
down to his tent, in the sight of Priam
and the Trojans, who gaze heart-strick-
en- from the walls upon the dreadful
spectacle.
The Greeks returning to the camp,
funeral games are performed in honor
of Patroclus, and twelve Trojan youths
are slaughtered to appease his shade.
Thus twelve days are consumed. Pri-
am resolves to visit the hostile camp
and to implore Achilles the restoration
of his dead son. An auspicious omen
inspires him with hope. He departs,
taking with him costly gifts, by which
he thinks to appease his vindictive enc
my. He is met by Hermes, in the form
of a young man, who guides him to the
tent of Achilles. The Grecian hero,
astonished at his sudden appearance,
gives him a hospitable reception, and
overcome by pity for his unequalled
woes, consents to surrender the body
of Hector. 1t is borne back to the city;
the Inhabitants receive il with loud
lamentations; funeral rites are per
formed, and so the poem closes.