his slave. Her father Chryses, a priest of Apollo, begs Agamemnon to return her to him. Agamemnon refuses, and Apollo sends a plague amongst the Greeks. The prophet Calchas correctly determines the source of the troubles but will not speak unless Achilles vows to protect him. Achilles does so, and Calchas declares that Chryseis must be returned to her father. Agamemnon consents, but then commands that Achilles' battle prize Briseis, the daughter of Briseus, be brought to him to replace Chryseis. Angry at the dishonour of having his plunder and glory taken away (and, as he says later, because he loves Briseis), with the urging of his mother Thetis, Achilles refuses to fight or lead his troops alongside the other Greek forces. At the same time, burning with rage over Agamemnon's theft, Achilles prays to Thetis to convince Zeus to help the Trojans gain ground in the war, so that he may regain his honour. As the battle turns against the Greeks, thanks to the influence of Zeus, Nestor declares that the Trojans are winning because Agamemnon has angered Achilles, and urges the king to appease the warrior. Agamemnon agrees and sends Odysseus and two other chieftains, Ajax and Phoenix. They promise that, if Achilles returns to battle, Agamemnon will return the captive Briseis and other gifts. Achilles rejects all Agamemnon offers him and simply urges the Greeks to sail home as he was planning to do. The Trojans, led by Hector, subsequently push the Greek army back toward the beaches and assault the Greek ships. With the Greek forces on the verge of absolute destruction, Patroclus leads the Myrmidons into battle, wearing Achilles' armour, though Achilles remains at his camp. Patroclus succeeds in pushing the Trojans back from the beaches, but is killed by Hector before he can lead a proper assault on the city of Troy. After receiving the news of the death of Patroclus from Antilochus, the son of Nestor, Achilles grieves over his beloved companion's death. His mother Thetis comes to comfort the distraught Achilles. She persuades Hephaestus to make new armour for him, in place of the armour that Patroclus had been wearing, which was taken by Hector. The new armour includes the Shield of Achilles, described in great detail in the poem. Enraged over the death of Patroclus, Achilles ends his refusal to fight and takes the field, killing many men in his rage
{
        'QUESTION: Who is Chryses?' : 'Chryses is a priest of Apollo.',
        'QUESTION: What did Chryses request from Agamemnon?' : 'He requested the return of his daughter, who was held as a slave by Agamemnon.',
        'QUESTION: Why did Apollo send a plague among the Greeks?' : 'Apollo sent a plague because Agamemnon refused to return Chryseis to her father.',
        'QUESTION: How did Calchas determine the cause of the trouble?' : 'Calchas determined the cause of the trouble when Achilles promised to protect him; he said that Chryseis needed to be returned to her father.',
        'QUESTION: Why did Achilles refuse to fight?' : 'Achilles refused to fight because his honor was hurt when Agamemnon took away his prize, Briseis, and gave it to himself.',
        'QUESTION: Who urged Achilles to pray to Thetis?' : 'His mother, Thetis, urged Achilles to pray to her.',
        'QUESTION: What happened after Achilles prayed to Thetis?' : 'Zeus helped the Trojans win battles, making the situation worse for the Greeks.',
        'QUESTION: What did Agamemnon offer Achilles to get him to rejoin the battle?' : 'Agamemnon offered to give back Briseis and provide additional gifts.',
        'QUESTION: Why didn\'t Achilles accept Agamemnon\'s offer?' : 'Achilles rejected the offer because he wanted the Greeks to leave and go home.',
        'QUESTION: Who led the Myrmidons into battle after Achilles?' : 'Patroclus led the Myrmidons into battle without Achilles.',
        'QUESTION: What happened to Patroclus during the battle?' : 'Hector, a Trojan leader, killed Patroclus.',
        'QUESTION: How did Achilles react to the death of Patroclus?' : 'Achilles became extremely upset and grieved over Patroclus\'s death.',
        'QUESTION: What did Thetis do to help Achilles cope with Patroclus\'s death?' : 'Thetis went to console Achilles and asked Hephaestus to create new armor for him.',
        'QUESTION: What special features were included in the new armor made for Achilles?' : 'The new armor included the famous Shield of Achilles, which was described in great detail.'
        }