Summary of 'The Host Musters'

The Host Musters

    This chapter took place in Troy, where the beginning of the Trojan War was taking place. Thousands of black ships were at sea, long rows of huts housing the warriors were set up.The gods gathered to see the start of the famous battle. At first the Greeks were behind but eventually Achilles murdered the Trojan king, Cycnus, by strangling him; and the great battle was at a standstill. Even the start of the war was terrible especially for the Trojans "...the mourning cries of woman on the air of Troy." (pg 57)

Charactor Catalog

Zeus-

"... ruler of gods and men." (pg 3)

"...allfather Zeus..." (pg3)

"Zeus wooed silver-footed Thetis..." (pg3)

"Zeus...own rule must be ended if a god became greater then he"(pg 4)

"Zeus... no longer desired the goddess...[his] own rule must be ended if a god became greater than he."

(pg 4)

Thetis-

"... Thetis the sea nymph..." (pg 3)
"...she was as hard to catch as the sun on the dancing water." (3-4)
"...a curious prophacy was roumered about her: she was to have a son who would be greater than his father."
(pg 4)
"the unwilling bride sat silently beside Peleus..." (pg 4)

Peleus-
"Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, was the chosen bridegroom [to Thetis] (pg 4)
"...Peleus would not let her go untill she had promised to be his bride." (pg 4)
"Few mortals had been done sucha n honor as Peleus..." (pg 4)

Hera-
"... queen of queens..." (pg 8)
"... statly Hera Queen of the gods..." (pg 6)

Athene-
"...gray eyed Athene..." (pg 6)
"...Athene stood before him in her simple dress. Her head was bare of her helmet and she laid aside her weapons of war the little violets around her perfumed the air..." (pg 6)

Aphrodite-
"..smiling Aphrodite around whose white feet grew heavy scented narcissi and golden daffodils." (pg 10)
"Her voice was confident and merry..." (pg 10)

Priam-
"'what is the life of one child against the welfare of all? Take him into the wilds of Mount Ida and leave him there to die'." (pg 7)

Hecuba-
"...Queen Hecuba had... sent messengers running through the streets of Troy to summon the soothsayers." (pg 6)

Paris-
"...Mount Ida where Paris, a young shephard kept his flocks..." (pg 6)
"[he]was as beautiful as a star." (pg 7)
"Paris tended to his sheep and was happy there because his nature was soft and peaceful and he was ignorant of the world. Nor was his life hard, for a nymph,..." (pg 7)

Discord-
"...the evil goddess, dark discord..." (pg 4)
"She...sat in the empty hall of Ollypus brooding over revenge." (pg 4)

Iphigenia-
"His gay young daughter..."(pg 29)
"The poor girl came full of eagerness..." (pg 29)

Iphigenia was unfortunate enough to have Agamemnon as her father. Her life was not difficult and when her father tricked her into thinking she was getting married "The poor girl came full of eagerness..."
(pg 29) Iphigenia was genu a  very happy and positive girl.


Agamemnom-
"...they found Agamemnon highhanded and haughty."(pg 27)
"He was genuinely fond of his daughter, but she was less to him than his pride.
" (pg 29)

One of the kings of Greece was Agamemnon who was a haughty self-centered man. "...the kings nature could not bear the reproach of failure..." (pg 30) Agamemnon was much too prideful for his own good. In order to be thought of as some brave king that never backs down he killed his own daughter.

Calchas-
"... Calchas, the prophet..."(pg 27)
"... knew the minds of the gods and could foretell the future."(pg 27-28)

Calchas was Agamemnon's prophet and "[he]...knew the minds of the gods and could foretell the future."(pg 28-29) He was trustworthy but his foretellings were sometimes harsh as he left Agamemnon with a terrible decision.

Protesilaus-
 "...such a hero..." (pg 49) 


 

Homer

    Homer, the respected Greek poet,was believed to be the composer of the incredible Iliad and also the Odyssey. Both of these pieces of art were very influential to other people and to the ancient Greek culture. He was born in the 700’s BC, and scholars think that the pieces were written between the 700-800’s BC. The Iliad was an amazing work of art that tells the story of the Trojan War and the extreme bravery and honor in the soldiers. The Odyssey was based on the Greek hero Odysseus when Greece defeated Troy and the Trojans. Homer may have lived on the Eastern shore of he Aegean  Sea or the island of Khios. Some people do not think he ever lived. The Trojan war which was written about in The Odyssey was fought between Troy and Greece in 1250 BC.

Olivia Ensor Coolidge

Olivia Ensor Coolidge was born in London, England on October the sixteenth 1908. She studied at Oxford University at Somerville College. Later Olivia received a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in 1931 and an MA (Master of Arts) in 1940. For a while Ms. Coolidge was a teacher in both the USA and England. The very first book that Coolidge wrote -and was published- was called “Greek Myths”; she is well known for her historical fiction and her biographies. During her career she earned the Newberry Award for her book “ Men of Athens”.