The Wrath of Achilles - The Fight between Agamemnon and the Great Warrior - The Trojan War Saga Ep16

Summary

The script narrates the pivotal events of the Trojan War, focusing on the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles. Agamemnon's refusal to return Chryseis, a priest's daughter, to her father, Priest of Apollo, incurs Apollo's wrath, leading to a plague among the Greeks. Despite Calchas' revelation of the cause, Agamemnon's stubbornness and a heated dispute with Achilles over Briseis, Achilles' war prize, further escalate tensions. Achilles' withdrawal and Zeus's promise to aid the Trojans set the stage for Hector's decisive assault, highlighting the war's turning points and the gods' influence on mortal affairs.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Greeks were unable to conquer Troy despite a 10-year siege due to the city's divinely fortified walls.
• 🔥 A dispute arose between the Greeks over Agamemnon's refusal to return a captured priest's daughter, which led to internal conflict.
• 🙏 The priest of Apollo, Chryses, sought the return of his daughter, Chryseis, but was insulted and threatened by Agamemnon.
• 🏹 As retribution, Apollo, the god of the silver bow, sent a plague among the Greeks for their disrespect towards his priest.
• 🤔 The seer Calchas, with Apollo's gifts, knew the cause of the plague but feared revealing it without protection.
• 🛡️ Achilles promised to protect Calchas, leading to the revelation that Agamemnon's actions had angered Apollo, causing the plague.
• ⚔️ Agamemnon's stubbornness led to a heated confrontation with Achilles, who threatened to withdraw from the war.
• 😠 Achilles, enraged by Agamemnon's refusal to return Briseis, was only calmed by the intervention of the goddess Athena.
• 😢 Achilles retreated to the sea, lamenting his mistreatment, while his mother Thetis pleaded with Zeus to aid the Trojans.
• 🏺 The Trojans, learning of the Greek discord, saw an opportunity to push their enemies back, leading to decisive battles in the Trojan War.

Q & A

What was the duration of the siege of Troy by the Greeks?

The Greeks besieged the city of Troy for nearly 10 years.

Who were the gods credited with erecting the walls of Troy?

The gods Poseidon and Apollo were credited with erecting the remarkable walls of Troy.

What event on the beaches of Ilion changed the course of the war?

A dispute between the Greeks over Agamemnon's treatment of the priest of Apollo's daughter, Chryseis, changed the course of the war.

Who was Chryseis and why was she significant in the script?

Chryseis was the daughter of the priest of Apollo who had been captured as a slave and was Agamemnon's favorite war prize, her situation sparked a conflict that led to divine punishment for the Greeks.

What was the name of the priest who demanded the return of his daughter from Agamemnon?

The priest's name was Chryses, and he was allied to Troy.

What did Agamemnon threaten to do with Chryses if he returned to the Greeks' camp?

Agamemnon threatened to take Chryses to his palace in Mycenae and keep him there until death took him in his old age.

How did Apollo punish the Greeks for their disrespect towards Chryses?

Apollo punished the Greeks by sending a plague that caused many warriors to die an unworthy death.

Who was Calchus and what role did he play in revealing the cause of Apollo's wrath?

Calchus was a seer with gifts from Apollo, and he revealed the cause of Apollo's wrath to the Achaean leaders after being protected by Achilles.

What was Agamemnon's reaction to Calchus's revelation about the cause of the plague?

Agamemnon was furious and accused Calchus of only prophesying misfortune, demanding that he return Chryseis to Chryses without a prize in return.

What was Achilles' response to Agamemnon's refusal to return Chryseis without a prize?

Achilles offered to return to Greece with his Myrmidons if Agamemnon disregarded his right to his prizes, but Agamemnon was unyielding.

How did Achilles react when Agamemnon threatened to steal Briseis from him?

Achilles was consumed by fury, grabbed his sword, and decided to advance against Agamemnon, but was stopped by Athena.

What was the consequence of the division among the Greeks as reported by the Trojan spy to Hector?

The division weakened the Achaean camp, which was already suffering from the plague and without their champions, prompting Hector to seize the opportunity to push the Greeks back toward the sea.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Siege of Troy and Divine Retribution

This paragraph narrates the ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks, who were unable to breach the city's divinely constructed walls. The story takes a turn when Agamemnon, the Greek leader, refuses to return Chryseis, a priest's daughter and his war prize, causing Apollo's wrath. The god inflicts a plague upon the Greeks, leading to confusion and suffering. Calchas, a seer, reveals the cause of Apollo's anger and suggests a resolution: Agamemnon must return Chryseis and offer sacrifices to appease the god. However, Agamemnon's pride and refusal to be the only leader without a prize escalates the conflict, especially when he threatens to take Achilles' war prize, Briseis. Achilles, in turn, is ready to confront Agamemnon but is restrained by Athena's intervention, who assures him of future glory.

05:01

🛡 Achilles' Withdrawal and Hector's Opportunity

In this paragraph, Achilles, enraged by Agamemnon's actions, decides to withdraw his Myrmidons from the war, predicting the Greeks' desperate need for his help against Hector. Odysseus intervenes by returning Chryseis and offering sacrifices to Apollo, but the damage is done. Achilles' mother, Thetis, pleads with Zeus to aid the Trojans as a form of gratitude for past favors. Zeus agrees to support the Trojans until Achilles' honor is restored. Meanwhile, Hector, learning of the Greek discord and weakened state, seizes the moment to push the Greeks back to the sea, setting the stage for decisive battles in the Trojan War.

Keywords

💡Troy

Troy is an ancient city in modern-day Turkey, renowned for the legendary Trojan War described in Greek mythology and Homer's 'Iliad.' In the video, Troy is the city besieged by the Greeks for nearly ten years, symbolizing the central conflict of the narrative.

💡Agamemnon

Agamemnon is the king of Mycenae and the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. He is a key character in the video, particularly for his refusal to return Chryseis, a war prize and daughter of a priest of Apollo, which triggers the main conflict with the deity.

💡Achilles

Achilles is a central figure in the Trojan War and a prominent Greek hero known for his exceptional combat skills. In the script, he is depicted as a strong ally who threatens to withdraw his support from Agamemnon due to the latter's refusal to respect the rights of a war prize.

💡Apollo

Apollo is the Greek god of light, music, and prophecy, among other things. In the video, he is the father of Chryseis and the deity whose wrath is invoked when Agamemnon disrespects his priest, leading to a plague among the Greeks.

💡Plague

A plague in the script refers to a devastating epidemic sent by Apollo as a form of divine retribution against the Greeks for their disrespect towards his priest. It is a pivotal event that brings about suffering and death among the Greek warriors.

💡Chryseis

Chryseis is the daughter of the priest of Apollo and a war prize held by Agamemnon. Her refusal to be returned to her father by Agamemnon is the catalyst for the divine punishment that befalls the Greek army.

💡Calchas

Calchas is a Greek seer and priest of Apollo who has the gift of prophecy. In the video, he reveals the reason behind the plague affecting the Greeks and suggests a solution to appease Apollo.

💡Hector

Hector is the prince of Troy and the leader of the Trojan forces in the war. The video mentions him as the head of the Trojan army who takes advantage of the Greeks' weakened state to launch decisive attacks.

💡Thetis

Thetis is the divine mother of Achilles in Greek mythology. In the script, she is depicted as a caring figure who comforts her son and listens to his lament about the injustices he faces during the war.

💡Zeus

Zeus is the king of the gods in Greek mythology, known for his power and authority. The video describes Thetis pleading to Zeus to aid the Trojans, showing the complex interplay of divine forces in the war.

💡Trojan War

The Trojan War is a legendary conflict between the Greeks and the city of Troy, central to the script's narrative. It is the backdrop for the various events and divine interventions described in the video.

Highlights

The Greeks besieged Troy for nearly 10 years without success due to the city's divinely erected walls.

A dispute on the beaches of Ilion changed the course of the Trojan War.

Agamemnon's refusal to release a priest's daughter as a war prize led to divine retribution.

The priest of Apollo, Chryses, prayed for vengeance against the Greeks for their disrespect.

Apollo punished the Greeks with a plague for nine days as a result of Agamemnon's actions.

Calchas, the seer, revealed the cause of Apollo's wrath and the solution to appease the god.

Agamemnon's fury at the seer for predicting only misfortune and his demand for a prize of equal value.

Achilles' promise to protect Calchas and his role in revealing the truth to the Achaean leaders.

Agamemnon's threat to take Briseis from Achilles as compensation for returning the priest's daughter.

Achilles' anger and near-combat with Agamemnon, halted by the intervention of Athena.

Agamemnon's men searched Achilles' tent for Briseis, who refused to leave, escalating the conflict.

Achilles' decision to withdraw from the war and his belief that the Greeks would regret their actions.

The intervention of Achilles' divine mother, Thetis, who pleaded with Zeus to aid the Trojans.

Zeus' promise to assist the Trojans until Achilles' honor was restored.

The Trojan spy's report to Hector about the internal strife among the Greeks, providing a strategic opportunity.

Hector's decision to exploit the weakened state of the Greeks and push them back towards the sea.

The impending decisive battles of the Trojan War, set to determine the fate of both sides.

Transcripts

for nearly 10 years the greeks besieged

the glorious city of troy and could not

bring down the remarkable walls erected

by the gods poseidon and apollo but on

the beaches of ilion a dispute between

the greeks changed the course of the war

in the millennia that followed the muses

would inspire iodos bards and minstrels

who sang the story of how agamemnon

aroused achilles wrath driving the souls

of thousands of greeks straight into the

realm of hades agamemnon was relaxing in

his tent in the care of crises

she was his war prey for whom he had

developed some affection displaying her

like a trophy due to her remarkable

beauty

suddenly

one of the soldiers warned him that a

priest of apollo demanded an audience

with the great leader of the achaeans

at the gates of the camp was a priest

allied to troy named crisis

he intended to free his daughter who had

been captured as a slave precisely

agamemnon's favorite

he was willing to pay a large ransom for

his beloved daughter

but after hearing crisis's request

the great leader quickly refused the

chance to release her

he threatened and insulted the priest

demanding that he not return to the

greeks camp he said that crises would be

taken to his palace in mycenae until

thanatos took her in her old age

fearing the threats of such a powerful

man the priest of apollo withdrew with

his head down

but he knew he had a powerful ally who

would not abandon him in a complicated

moment

in front of the waves of the sea

crisis began a fervent prayer addressed

to the god apollo son of zeus with leto

he asked the luminous god to pour his

vengeance on the achaeans for they had

treated their priest who had the sacred

insignia with arrogance disrespecting

the god himself

at night the god of the silver bow began

to punish the greeks

at first he attacked their animals but

quickly advanced against targeting men

these men did not notice the terrible

arrows shot by apollo and fell

slaughtered by a terrible plague for

nine days the greeks suffered from

apollo's punishment

warriors one after another died an

unworthy death

the funeral pyres were constantly

burning and the achaeans did not

understand the reason for that heavy

punishment imposed by the gods

calcus the seer who had apollo's gifts

already knew the reason for the god's

immense fury but he feared revealing the

information without having a guarantee

of protection

so he turned to achilles asking him to

protect him from agamemnon's fury since

he always punished excessively the weak

who went against him

achilles promised that he would protect

his life

at a meeting among the chief leaders of

the achaeans calcus revealed the whole

truth

he claimed that the plague was because

agamemnon had offended and refused to

return the daughter of apollo's priest

to reconcile with the god the great

leader should return his war prey and

offer a heck of tomb to the god apollo

furious agamemnon vociferated against

the seer saying that he only prophesied

misfortune and that he had never made an

optimistic prediction

he said he would return his slave crises

for he wished only good for his men

but he did not think it fair that he be

the only one to go without a prize

he thought it fair to receive a reward

of equal value

achilles said that there were no other

cities to be plundered on the trojan

coast

so it would be impossible to find such a

prize

but when troy fell he would be rewarded

agamemnon said that achilles couldn't

fool him making him wait while he

himself enjoyed the beautiful brices

achilles said he would return to greece

along with his myrmidons if agamemnon

disregarded the right to his prizes

but the king of mycenaea did not bow to

the threat

he said achilles could leave for he

would not be missed

but before that

he would go to achilles tent to steal

the beautiful brices

achilles was consumed by fury

grabbed his sword and decided to advance

against agamemnon

but someone held him by the hair

he turned even more wrathfully but found

the image of the goddess athena whom

only he could see

the goddess asked achilles to calm his

heart and not to worry for his true

prize would soon be repaid to him in

glories

achilles put away his sword and told

atria that he and the greeks should not

reckon with the son of paleous and his

myrmidons

he also said that the greeks would cry

out for achilles but he would not appear

to deliver them from the deadly blade of

the magnificent hector

thus they all regretted that they had

allowed such an injury

after heated exchanges of insults

achilles left agamemnon's tent full of

anger in his heart

odysseus decided to deliver crises back

to her father along with the animals

that would be sacrificed in the

magnificent hecatom

agamemnon's men went to achilles tent

and searched for the beautiful brices

who refused to leave

in the evening achilles went to the

seaside where he knelt and wept

fetus his divine mother approached her

son to hear those laments

achilles could not understand why he was

so wronged even with such a short life

he wished the greeks would pay for their

injuries

fetus knelt before zeus's throne and

begged him to help the trojans during

the war

after all

he was indebted to the goddess for she

had been responsible for saving him when

the olympian gods rebelled against zeus

and put him in chains

zeus promised that he would assist the

trojans until achilles glory was

repaired

achilles retreated to meet with

agamemnon the division between greeks

was all the trojans desired

a trojan spy reported to hector head of

the trojan army all the events in the

camp of the achaeans

weakened by the plague and already

without their champions the achaeans

were deteriorated

hector seized the opportunity to try to

push the greeks back toward the sea

the decisive battles of the trojan war

were about to take place

[Music]

you