QUOTATIONS FROM THE ILIAD – BOOK 24 (Achilles) “The warm tears poured down his cheeks…”. “Apollo saved his body from all pollution and wrapped it in

his golden aegis”. (Apollo to the other gods) “You are hard-hearted folk, you

gods, monsters of cruelty…it is Achilles whom you support, Achilles who has no decent feelings…like the lion, he has killed pity”.

(Zeus about Achilles) “He is not a godless man”. (Hecuba to Priam) “You must have a heart of iron”. (Priam on the dangers of the Greek camp) “Achilles can

kill me out of hand once I have clasped my son in my arms and wept my fill”.

(Priam to his sons) “You good for nothing sons!…Heroes of the dance”.

(Hermes to Priam) “His body is intact…and has not decayed at all..he lies there as fresh as the dew…”.

“Priam kissed his hands, the terrible man-killing hands that had slaughtered so many of his sons”.

(Priam to Achilles) “Fear the gods and be merciful to me, remembering your own father”.

“Overcome by their memories they both broke down… the house was filled with the sounds of their lamentation”.

(Achilles to Priam) “You are indeed a man of sorrows and have suffered much, how could you dare to come by yourself to the Achaean ships?”.

(As above) “We men are wretched things, and the gods, who have no cares themselves, have woven sorrow into the very pattern of our lives. You know that Zeus the Thunderer has two jars standing on the floor of his palace… evils in one, and blessings in the other…”.

(As above) “You must endure and not be broken-hearted, lamenting for your son will do no good at all.”

(As above) “Old man do not drive me too hard…”. (As above) “Even the lady Niobe was not forgetful of her

food….exhausted by her tears”. “Priam saw with admiration how big and beautiful Achilles

was, the very image of a god, and Achilles noted with admiration the noble looks and speech of Priam”.

“He (Achilles) gripped the old man by the wrist of his right hand to banish all apprehension from his heart”.

(Andromache lamenting Hector) “Mine is the bitterest regret of all, because you did not die in bed and…give me some tender word that I might have treasured”.

(Helen on Hector) “I loved you far the best of all my Trojan brothers…from you I never heard a harsh or spiteful word….your father could not be more gentle with me if he were my own…no one else is left to befriend me. They shudder at me as I pass”.

“Such were the funeral rites of Hector, tamer of horses”.