The Iliad
And loosing a savage yell, Hector led the way and his captains followed close with unearthly cries and Trojan ranks behind them crying shrill. But facing them the Achaean ranks cried back, not forgetting their courage, braced hard for assault as the Trojans' bravest charged and roars from both armies struck the high clear skies, the lightning world of Zeus. -"Battling for the Ships," p. 368

The Iliad, credited to the Greek poet Homer, dates back as far as at least the 7th century BC, and potentially even later. For those that don't know (although everyone should) a major, if not the major Greek myth surrounds the Trojan War, during which a collection of Greek kings (or Achaean kings) laid siege to the city of Troy (in present-day Turkey) for a period of ten years. The purpose of the war was to win back Helen, the wife of Menelaus of Sparta, who was spirited off by the Trojan prince Paris. The most famous figures in Greek lore battle during the Trojan War, among them: Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus, and Hector. The Iliad takes place during the ninth year of the war, and covers roughly a period of twenty days, culminating in the death of the Trojan hero Hector at the hands of Achilles. It is a fantastic piece of work that serves as the foundation for all future Western thought and is a must-read.

As I read The Iliad for a college class, I kept a log of some of the better quotes from it, which I will reprint here. They are organized thusly, except the "Miscellaneous" and "Gods" sections which have an extra "Speaker" column:

Quote

Chapter and page number. The poem is divided into 24 "books," the page number is from Robert Fagles' 1990 translation.

Here we go, I arranged them by doing the miscellaneous speakers first, then the gods, then the "heroes," then the narrator. I also arranged the quotes by how much I like them (within each section) from least to most...

Miscellaneous

Speaker	Quote	Chapter and Page Number
Aeneas, Trojan general, to Apollo	That is why no mortal can fight Achilles head-to-head: at every foray one of the gods goes with him, beating back his death.	"Olympian Gods in Arms," p. 506
Phoenix, Achilles' mentor, to Achilles	It's wrong to have such an iron, ruthless heart. Even the gods themselves can bend and change, and theirs is the greater power, honor, strength. Even the gods, I say, with incense, soothing vows, with full cups poured and the deep smoky savor men can bring them round, begging for pardon when one oversteps the mark, does something wrong.	"The Embassy to Achilles," p. 268
Polydamas, Trojan general, to Hector	Impossible man! Won't you listen to reason? Just because some god exalts you in battle you think you can beat the rest at tactics too. How can you hope to garner all the gifts at once?	"Battling for the Ships," p.364
Aeneas, to Achilles	A man's tongue is a glib and twisty thing...plenty of words there are, all kinds at its command--with all the room in the world for talk to range and stray.	"Olympian Gods in Arms," p. 511
Sarpedon, Trojan captain, to Hector	Beware the toils of war...the mesh of the huge dragnet sweeping up the world, before you're trapped, your enemies' prey and plunder--soon they'll raze your sturdy citadel to the roots! All this should obsess you, Hector, night and day.	"Diomedes Fights the Gods," p. 180
Epeus, Greek soldier	How can a man be first in all events?	"Funeral Games for Patroclus," p. 580
Glaucus, Trojan captain, to Diomedes	Like the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal men. Now the wind scatters the old leaves across the earth, now the living timber bursts with the new buds and spring comes round again. And so with men: as one generation comes to life, another dies away.	"Hector Returns to Troy," p. 200
Phoenix, to Achilles	We do have Prayers, you know, Prayers for forgiveness, daughters of mighty Zeus...and they limp and halt, they're all wrinkled, drawn, they squint to the side, can't look you in the eye, and always bent on duty, trudging after Ruin, maddening, blinding Ruin. But Ruin is strong and swift--She outstrips them all by far, stealing a march, leaping over the whole wide earth to bring mankind to grief. And the Prayers trail after, trying to heal the wounds. And then, if a man reveres these daughters of Zeus as they draw near him, they will help him greatly and listen to his appeals. But if one denies them, turns them away, stiff-necked and harsh--off they go to the son of Cronus, Zeus, and pray that Ruin will strike the man down, crazed and blinded until he's paid the price.	"The Embassy to Achilles," p. 268
Teucer, Greek archer, to Agamemnon	Great field marshal, why bother to spur me on? I go all-out as it is.	"The Tide of Battle Turns," p. 201
Aeneas, to Achilles	Anger stirs up lies.	"Olympian Gods in Arms," p. 511
Antilochus, Nestor's son, to Menelaus	Well you know how the whims of youth break all the rules. Our wits quicker than wind, our judgment just as flighty.	"Funeral Games for Patroclus," p. 577
Phoenix, to Achilles	Harder to save the warships once they're up in flames.	"The Embassy to Achilles," p. 271
Hippolochus, Glaucus' father, to Glaucus	Always be the best, my boy, the bravest, and hold your head up high above the others. Never disgrace the generations of your fathers.	"Hector Returns to Troy," p. 202
Sarpedon, to Glaucus	Ah my friend, if you and I could escape this fray and live forever, never a trace of age, immortal, I would never fight on the front lines again or command you to the field where men win fame. But now, as it is, the fates of death await us, thousands poised to strike, and not a man alive can flee them or escape--so in we go for attack! Give our enemy glory or win it for ourselves!	"The Trojans Storm the Rampart," p. 336-7

The Gods

Speaker	Quote	Chapter and Page Number
Zeus	Achilles is no madman, no reckless fool, not the one to defy the gods' commands.	"Achilles and Priam," p. 594
Hera	The gods are hard to handle--when they come blazing forth in their true power.	"Olympian Gods in Arms," p. 507
Thetis, to Iris	A high decree of the Father must not come to nothing--whatever he commands.	"Achilles and Priam," p. 591
Ares, to Zeus	We everlasting gods...Ah what chilling blows we suffer--thanks to our own conflicting wills--whenever we show these mortal men some kindness.	"Diomedes Fights the Gods," p. 193
Hephaestus, to Olympian Assembly	It's hard to fight the Olympian strength for strength.	"The Rage of Achilles," p. 97
Poseidon, to Idomeneus	May that man, that coward never get home from Troy--let him linger here, ripping sport for the dogs, whoever shirks the fight while this day lasts.	"Battling for the Ships," p. 349
Zeus	There is nothing alive more agonized than man of all that breathe and crawl across the earth.	"Menelaus' Finest Hour," p.457
Thetis, to Achilles	No coward's work, to save your exhausted friends from headlong death.	"The Shield of Achilles," p. 471
Hephaestus, to Olympian Assembly	No more joy for us in the sumptuous feast when riot rules the day.	"The Rage of Achilles," p. 97
Athena, to Zeus	It is no small labor to rescue all mankind, every mother's son.	"The Achaean Armies at Bay," p. 392
Poseidon, to Idomeneus	The worst cowards, banded together, have their power but you and I have got the skill to fight their best!	"Battling for the Ships," p. 349
Zeus, to Thetis	No word or work of mine--nothing can be revoked, there is no treachery, nothing left unfinished once I bow my head to say it shall be done.	"The Rage of Achilles," p. 95
Iris, to Helen	Think of it: Paris and Menelaus loved by Ares go to fight it out with their rugged spears--all for you!	"Helen Reviews the Champions," p. 133
Dione, to Aphrodite	Doesn't the son of Tydeus know, down deep, the man who fights the gods does not live long?	"Diomedes Fights the Gods," p. 177