Iliad Reading-Book 16 (Beggining)

Iliad Reading-Book 16
Pages 412-421 Lines 1-333
1. Patroclus proposed to Achilles that he want to take leadership over his army. He wants to take lead and tell Achilles’ group what to do. So Patroclus wants to go to war with the Trojans. Achilles response to his proposal was that he will let him go and gives him permission to lead his group only for this war because Patroclus must come back after the battle. Achilles grant Patroclus’ request because he hates Agamemnon and so that Patroclus can win great honor and glory for Achilles so he’s taking most of the credit.

2. When Patroclus says that Achilles is “cursed with his own courage” I think Patroclus means that Achilles’ is cursed because of his own courage. So it goes back to Phoenix telling him to learn how to forgive. Maybe if Achilles lets go of all the anger he has he won’t be cursed. But Achilles is not a coward so I don’t really think that he is cursed, because Achilles has a lot of courage and braveness. He fights his own battles but he doesn’t want to fight this one because he hates Agamemnon.

3. Words I did not understand:
a) Myrmidons - one of the warlike people of ancient Thessaly who accompanied Achilles to the Trojan War.
b) Vagabond - leading an unsettled or carefree life or wandering from one place to another without a home
c) Forged – To form or make something