why Achilles and Agamemnon fight?

Answer 1

They fight over spoils of war.

Get it from here:

Achilles the quick fighter glared and he answered: "You—steeped in insolence and lust for gain:

With what spirit can Achaeans carry out your orders, when we attack in sudden assault,

Or take a broad plain in open warfare?

I fight not for ill done by the Trojans against me or my country.

With them I’ve have no quarrel. They’ve not raided my cattle or taken my horses,

Nor cut down my harvests on the rich plains of Phthia;

For between me and them there is a great distance, both mountains and sea.

We have followed you, Sir Insolence, for your pleasure, not ours—

To gain satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and wife-loser Menelaos.



You forget this, and would rob me of the prize I have fought for,

And which for my valor the sons of the Achaeans have given to me.

When Achaeans beat down a rich Trojan city I get no prize as fine as yours,

Though my hands and my sword and my spear do most of the killing.

When my slaughter is done and we share out the spoils, your share is the largest.

I must humbly and thankfully take back to my ships the pittance I’m given.

Enough! I shall go back to Phthia, not stay here dishonored;

I will do better sailing home with my ships, not harvesting gold and women for you."



Agamemnon's Arrogant Answer


Then Agamemnon spoke back in anger: "Go on, flee if you will, thick-headed Achilles,

My prayers won’t come after you. I have other kings to do me high honor.

No other king here disgusts me like you, forever quarrelsome and uncouthly mannered.

What if you are brave? Were you not born that way? A gift given at birth?

Go home, you green upstart, with your ships and your comrades.

Lord it over your Myrmidons, I care not a toss for you or your anger.



Here’s what I’ll do: Since Chryseis must go, I shall dutifully send her:

With my ship and my followers, she’ll sail back to her father.

But I shall come to your tent and take your Briseis. she’s no longer your prize.

Perhaps then you’ll learn that the leader of kings is much stronger than you,

And others will fear to posture as you do, to set themselves up as being equal to me."



The son of Peleus bellowed with fury, his heart in his chest beating with rage.

His hand rushed to his sword at rest in its scabbard, the sword that had butchered so many men.

He leaned forward to force other kings out the way, and slash at their leader.

But suddenly he paused, held his head back, as prudence told him to hold off from murder,

And wait until Agamemnon saw his own folly and came round begging a favor from him.

His grip relaxed on the hilt of his sword. Unblooded, it was thrust back in its scabbard.



Instead he stabbed King Agamemnon with these bitter words

"Wine-swiller," he raged, "with the face of a dog and the heart of a hind,

You never dare to go out with the host in a fight, nor yet with our men in an ambush.

You shun such danger as you fear death itself. You’d rather get prizes without a fight.

Your way is to go round and filch gifts from him speaking against you.

You drain the spirit of your people, to become lord of the feeble;

Otherwise, son of Atreus, you would not survive your insulting manner.



7 Achilles Swears to Not Fight


But for me, I say this—and make a great oath on this speaker’s scepter,

Which sprouts neither leaf, shoot, nor bud since cut from its tree on the mountain.

The ax stripped bark off and leaf and bark, and now it bears only witness to solemn decrees—

So surely and solemnly I swear by it, that when you seek my help you shall not find me.

When your men are chopped up by man-butchering Hector, Troy’s bloodiest warrior,

In that day of dismemberment, you shall not know how to save them.

You will tear your heart with rage for the hour you insulted the bravest of Achaeans."

Then the son of Peleus slammed the gold-studded scepter into the ground and sat down.

Answer 2

over the girl which was orginally Achilles spoils of war but agamemnon takes her back and gives her to her father I think who was a priest. at any rate he takes the girl from achilles and that's what makes him angry

Answer 3

Have you bothered to actually *read* that section of the Iliad? It's all explained right there.