Summary of Homers Iliad Book XXIII

Summary of Homer's Iliad Book XXIII Achilles orders the Myrmidons to drive their chariots in battle formation, and they go three times around the body of Patroclus. Then they have a funeral feast. When Achilles falls asleep, the ghost of Patroclus tells him to hurry up and bury him, but also to make sure their bones are interred in the same urn. The next morning Agamemnon orders the troops to get timber. The Myrmidons cover Patroclus with locks of hair. Achilles cuts one long lock he had been growing for a river god back home, but since he will be dying soon, he cuts it for Patroclus, instead, and places it in his hands. After the men have brought the lumber, they go off to prepare a meal while the chief mourners deal with the pyre cutting piece on fat from sacrificed animals to cover the body. Various animals, including two of Patroclus dogs, and stallions, honey, oil, and the 12 young Trojans are killed and added to the pile. Achilles has to plead with the gods for adequate wind for the pyre, but he gets it and the fire doesnt die down until morning. They douse the fire with wine and then Achilles picks out Patroclus bones and puts them in a golden urn, with a protective layer of fat. Achilles faces the army in a circle and says its time for funeral games. The first game has the most elaborate prizes and is for chariot racing. Achilles says he will not compete because his horses are immortal, and so the competition would not be fair. The contenders are Eumelus, Diomedes, Menelaus, Antilochus, and Meriones. The other men make bets. Diomedes wins, but there is debate over second place because Antilochus fouled Menelaus. The next event is boxing. Epeus and Euryalus fight, with Epeus winning. Wrestling is the third event. Fairly typical, the prizes are a tripod worth 12 oxen for first prize, and a woman worth 4 oxen for the loser. Telamons son Ajax and Odysseus fight, but the result is a stalemate and Achilles tells them to share. The next event is a footrace. Oileus son Ajax, Odysseus, and Antilochus contend. Odysseus is behind, but a quick prayer to Athena brings him to first place, with Antilochus in third. The next contest is for the armor Patroclus had taken from Sarpedon. The fighters are to be in full battle gear and first wound wins. Telamons son Ajax fights with Diomedes. Again, there is a draw, although Achilles gives Diomedes the long sword. The next contest is to see who can throw a lump of pig iron the farthest. The prize is enough iron to last a long time making weapons and chariot wheels. Polypoetes, Leonteus, Telamons son Ajax, and Epeus throw it. Polypoetes wins. Iron is also the prize for an archery contest. Teucer and Meriones compete. Teucer forgets to invoke Apollo, so he misses. Meriones makes appropriate promises and wins. Achilles then sets up more prizes for spear throwing. Agamemnon and Meriones stand, but Achilles tells Agamemnon to sit down because there would be no contest since no one is better than he is. He can just take the first prize. Agamemnon gives the prize to his herald. Major Characters in Book XXIII Achilles: Best warrior and most heroic of the Greeks. After Agamemnon stole his war prize, Briseis, Achilles sat out the war until his beloved comrade Patroclus was killed. Although he knows his death is imminent, Achilles is determined to kill as many Trojans as possible, including Hector whom he blames for Patroclus death.Myrmidons: Achilles troops. Their name means ants and they were called Myrmidons because it is said that they were originally ants.Ajax: The son of Telamon and Periboea, this Ajax is the one most people refer to when talking about Ajax. He was one of the foremost fighters in the Trojan War.Ajax: Of Locris, son of Oileus. Bound by the Oath of Tyndareus and one of the Argonauts, he was in the belly of the Trojan Horse.Antilochus: A son of Nestor.Epeus: A son of Panopeus. A champion boxer.Euryalus: A son of King Mecisteus. Under Diomedes and Sthenelus.Odysseus: From Ithaca. One of the leaders of the Greeks who will vie with Ajax for the status of most worthy after Ac hilles. Patroclus: Loyal friend and companion of Achilles in the Trojan War. The son of Menoetius.Menelaus: Helens Greek husband. Menelaus is not considered a good fighter.Meriones: Son of Molus, a Cretan and the charioteer of Idomeneus.Teucer: A half-brother of Ajax and a son of Telamon.Polypoetes: Son of Pirithous. Co-commands the Lapiths.Sarpedon: King of Lycia, son of Zeus.Agamemnon: Lead king of the Greek forces, the brother of Menelaus.

Habits and Traits of Backswimmers

Habits and Traits of Backswimmers The name tells you just about everything you need to know about members of the family Notonectidae. Backswimmers do just that – they swim upside down, on their backs. The scientific name Notonectidae originates from the Greek words notos, meaning back, and nektos, meaning swimming. Description of Backswimmers A backswimmer is built like an upside down boat. The backswimmers dorsal side is convex and V-shaped, like the keel of a boat. These aquatic insects use their long back legs as oars to propel themselves across the water. The rowing legs lack claws but are fringed with long hairs. The backswimmers coloration is the opposite of most insects, presumably because they live their lives upside down. A backswimmer typically has a dark belly and a light-colored back. This makes them less conspicuous to predators as they backstroke around the pond. The backswimmers head is typical of an aquatic true bug. It has two large eyes, positioned close together, but no ocelli. A cylindrical beak (or rostrum) folds neatly under the head. The short antennae, with just 3-4 segments, are almost hidden below the eyes. Like other Hemiptera, backswimmers have piercing, sucking mouthparts. Adult backswimmers bear functional wings and will fly, though doing so requires them to first exit the water and right themselves. They grasp prey and cling to aquatic vegetation using their first and second pairs of legs. At maturity, most backswimmers measure less than  ½ inch in length. Classification Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – HemipteraFamily - Notonectidae Backswimmer Diet Backswimmers prey on other aquatic insects, including fellow backswimmers, as well as on tadpoles or small fish. They hunt by either diving down to catch submerged prey or by releasing their hold on vegetation and simply drifting up under prey above them. Backswimmers feed by piercing their prey and then sucking the fluids from their immobilized bodies. Life Cycle As all true bugs do, backswimmers undergo incomplete or simple metamorphosis. Mated females deposit eggs in or on aquatic vegetation, or on the surface of rocks, usually in spring or summer. Hatching may occur in just a few days, or after several months, depending on the species and on environmental variables. Nymphs look similar to adults, though lack fully developed wings. Most species overwinter as adults. Special Adaptations and Behaviors Backswimmers can and will bite people if handled carelessly, so use caution when skimming specimens from a pond or lake. Theyve also been known to bite unsuspecting swimmers, a habit for which theyve earned the nickname water wasps. Those whove felt the wrath of the backswimmer will tell you their bite feels quite like a bee sting. Backswimmers can stay underwater for hours at a time, by virtue of a portable SCUBA tank they carry with them. On the underside of the abdomen, the backswimmer has two channels covered by inward-facing hairs. These spaces allow the backswimmer to store air bubbles, from which it draws oxygen while submerged. When oxygen stores become low, it must breach the surface of the water to replenish the supply. Males of some species possess stridulatory organs, which they use to sing courtship overtures to receptive females. Range and Distribution Backswimmers inhabit ponds, freshwater pools, lake edges, and slow-moving streams. About 400 species are known throughout the world, but only 34 species inhabit North America. Sources: Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Family Notonectidae - Backswimmers, BugGuide.Net. Accessed February 25, 2013.Aquatic and Semiaquatic Heteroptera of Michigan - True Bugs - Identification, a website by Ethan Bright, University of Michigan. Accessed February 8, 2016.Water Boatmen and Backswimmers, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Accessed February 25, 2013.Notonectidae - Backswimmers, by Dr. John Meyer, North Carolina State University. Accessed February 25, 2013.A Dictionary of Entomology, by Gordon Gordh, David H. Headrick.