I.
The Tragedy Begins
Book 1: page 1
II.
Conflict in the Field of Honor: Achilleus v. Agamemnon
Book 1: page 3
III.
The Conflict of the Gods: Thetis, Hera, and Zeus
Book I: page 5
IV.
Comic Conflict: Diomedes (Greek) and Glaukos (Trojan)
Book IV: page 13
V.
Hector and Andromache: Conflict of Heart and Honor
Book VI: page 14
VI.
Hector and his Son
Book VI: page 15
VII.
Achilleus’ Destiny: Conflict of Life and Death
Book IX: page 20
Homer, Iliad 0
Homer, The Iliad, Reading 1
Book 1
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus and its devastation, which put
pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of
Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of
dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first
there stood in division of conflict Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.
What god was it then set them together in bitter collision? Zeus' son and Leto's,
Apollo, who in anger at the king drove the foul pestilence along the host, and the
people perished, since Atreus' son had dishonoured Chryses, priest of Apollo, when
he came beside the fast ships of the Achaians to ransom back his daughter, carrying
gifts beyond count and holding in his hands wound on a staff of gold the ribbons of
Apollo who strikes from afar, and supplicated all the Achaians, but above all
Atreus' two sons, the marshals of the people: 'Sons of Atreus and you other stronggreaved Achaians, to you may the gods grant who have their homes on Olympos
Priam's city to be plundered and a fair homecoming thereafter, but may you give
me back my own daughter and take the ransom, giving honour to Zeus' son who
strikes from afar, Apollo.'
Then all the rest of the Achaians cried out in favour that the priest be respected and the
shining ransom be taken; yet this pleased not the heart of Atreus' son Agamemnon, but
harshly he drove him away with a strong order upon him:
'Never let me find you again, old sir, near our hollow ships, neither lingering now nor
coming again hereafter, for fear your staff and the god's ribbons help you no longer.
The girl I will not give back; sooner will old age come upon her in my own house, in
Argos, far from her own land, going up and down by the loom and being in my bed, is
my companion. So go now, do not make me angry; so you will be safer.'
So he spoke, and the old man in terror obeyed him and went silently away beside the
murmuring sea beach. Over and over the old man prayed as he walked in solitude to
King Apollo, whom Leto of the lovely hair bore: 'Hear me, lord of the silver bow
who… are lord in strength over Tenedos, Smintheus, if ever it pleased your heart that I
built your temple, if ever it pleased you that I burned all the rich thigh pieces of bulls, of
goats, then bring to pass this wish I pray for: let your arrows make the Danaans pay for
my tears shed.'
So he spoke in prayer, and Phoibos Apollo heard him, and strode down along the
pinnacles of Olympos, angered in his heart, carrying across his shoulders the bow and
the hooded quiver; and the shafts clashed on the shoulders of the god walking angrily.
He came as night comes down and knelt then apart and opposite the ships and let go an
arrow. Terrible was the clash that rose from the bow of silver. First he went after the
Homer, Iliad 1
mules and the circling hounds, then let go a tearing arrow against the men themselves
and struck them. The corpse fires burned everywhere and did not stop burning.
Nine days up and down the host ranged the god's arrows, but on the tenth Achilleus
called the people to assembly; a thing put into his mind by the goddess of the white
arms, Hera, who had pity upon the Danaans when she saw them dying. Now when they
were all assembled in one place together, Achilleus of the swift feet stood up among
them andspoke forth:
'Son of Atreus, I believe now that straggling backwards we must make our way home if
we can even escape death, if fighting now must crush the Achaians and the plague
likewise. No, come, let us ask some holy man, some prophet, even an interpreter of
dreams, since a dream also comes from Zeus, who can tell why Phoibos Apollo is so
angry, if for the sake of some vow, some hecatomb he blames us, if given the fragrant
smoke of lambs, of he goats, somehow he can be made willing to beat the bane aside
from us.'
He spoke thus and sat down again, and among them stood up Kalchas, Thestor's son,
far the best of the bird interpreters, who knew all things that were, the things to come
and the things past, who guided into the land of Ilion the ships of the Achaians through
that seercraft of his own that Phoibos Apollo gave him. He in kind intention toward all
stood forth and addressed them: 'You have bidden me, Achilleus beloved of Zeus, to
explain to you this anger of Apollo the lord who strikes from afar. Then I will speak;
yet make me a promise and swear before me readily by word and work of your hands to
defend me, since I believe I shall make a man angry who holds great kingship over the
men of Argos, and all the Achaians obey him. For a king when he is angry with a man
beneath him is too strong, and suppose even for the day itself he swallow down his
anger, he still keeps bitterness that remains until its fulfilment deep in his chest. Speak
forth then, tell me if you will protect me.'
Then in answer again spoke Achilleus of the swift feet: 'Speak, interpreting whatever
you know, and fear nothing. In the name of Apollo beloved of Zeus to whom you,
Kalchas, make your prayers when you interpret the gods' will to the Danaans, no man
so long as I am alive above earth and see daylight shall lay the weight of his hands on
you beside the hollow ships, not one of all the Danaans, even if you mean Agamemnon,
who now claims to be far the greatest of all the Achaians.'
At this the blameless seer took courage again and spoke forth: 'No, it is not for the sake
of some vow or hecatomb he blames us, but for the sake of his priest whom
Agamemnon dishonoured and would not give him back his daughter nor accept the
ransom. Therefore the archer sent griefs against us and will send them still, nor sooner
thrust back the shameful plague from the Danaans until we give the glancing-eyed girl
back to her father without price, without ransom, and lead also a blessed hecatomb to
Chryse; thus we might propitiate and persuade him.'
Homer, Iliad 2
He spoke thus and sat down again, and among them stood up Atreus' son the hero
wide-ruling Agamemnon raging, the heart within filled black to the brim with anger
from beneath, but his two eyes showed like fire in their blazing. First of all he eyed
Kalchas bitterly and spoke to him: 'Seer of evil: never yet have you told me a good
thing. Always the evil things are dear to your heart to prophesy, but nothing excellent
have you said nor ever accomplished. Now once more you make divination to the
Danaans, argue forth your reason why he who strikes from afar afflicts them, because I
for the sake of the girl Chryseis would not take the shining ransom; and indeed I wish
greatly to have her in my own house; since I like her better than Clytaemnestra my own
wife, for in truth she is no way inferior, neither in build nor stature nor wit, not in
accomplishment. Still I am willing to give her back, if such is the best way. I myself
desire that my people be safe, not perish. Find me then some prize that shall be my own,
lest I only among the Argives go without, since that were unfitting; you are all
witnesses to this thing, that my prize goes elsewhere."
Then in answer again spoke brilliant swift-footed Achilleus: 'Son of Atreus, most lordly,
greediest for gain of all men, how shall the great-hearted Achaians give you a prize
now? There is no great store of things lying about I know of. But what we took from
the cities by storm has been distributed; it is unbecoming for the people to call back
things once given. No, for the present give the girl back to the god; we Achaians thrice
and four times over will repay you, if ever Zeus gives into our hands the strong-walled
citadel of Troy to be plundered.'
Then in answer again spoke powerful Agamemnon: 'Not that way, good fighter though
you be, godlike Achilleus, strive to cheat, for you will not deceive, you will not
persuade me. What do you want? To keep your own prize and have me sit here lacking
one? Are you ordering me to give this girl back? Either the great-hearted Achaians shall
give me a new prize chosen according to my desire to atone for the girl lost, or else if
they will not give me one I myself shall take her, your own prize, or that of Aias, or that
of Odysseus, going myself in person; and he whom I visit will be bitter. Still, these are
things we shall deliberate again hereafter. Come, now, we must haul a black ship down
to the bright sea, and assemble rowers enough for it, and put on board it the hecatomb,
and the girl herself, Chryseis of the fair cheeks, and let there be one responsible man in
charge of her, either Aias or Idomeneus or brilliant Odysseus, or you yourself, son of
Peleus, most terrifying of all men, to reconcile by accomplishing sacrifice the archer.'
Then looking darkly at him Achilleus of the swift feet spoke: 'O wrapped in
shamelessness, with your mind forever on profit, how shall any one of the Achaians
readily obey you either to go on a journey or to fight men strongly in battle? I for
my part did not come here for the sake of the Trojan spearmen to fight against
them, since to me they have done nothing. Never yet have they driven away my
cattle or my horses, never in Phthia where the soil is rich and men grow great did
they spoil my harvest, since indeed there is much that lies between us, the shadowy
mountains and the echoing sea; but for your sake, o great shamelessness, we
followed, to do you favour, you with the dog's eyes, to win your honour and
Menelaos' from the Trojans. You forget all this or else you care nothing. And now
Homer, Iliad 3
my prize you threaten in person to strip from me, for whom I laboured much, the
gift of the sons of the Achaians. Never, when the Achaians sack some well-founded
citadel of the Trojans, do I have a prize that is equal to your prize. Always the
greater part of the painful fighting is the work of my hands; but when the time
comes to distribute the booty yours is far the greater reward, and I with some small
thing yet dear to me go back to my ships when I am weary with fighting. Now I am
returning to Phthia, since it is much better to go home again with my curved ships,
and I am minded no longer to stay here dishonoured and pile up your wealth and
your luxury.'
Then answered him in turn the lord of men Agamemnon: 'Run away by all means if
your heart drives you. I will not entreat you to stay here for my sake. There are others
with me who will do me honour, and above all Zeus of the counsels. To me you are the
most hateful of all the kings whom the gods love.
Forever quarrelling is dear to your heart, and wars and battles; and if you are very
strong indeed, that is a god's gift. Go home then with your own ships and your own
companions, be king over the Myrmidons. I care nothing about you. I take no account
of your anger. But here is my threat to you. Even as Phoibos Apollo is taking away my
Chryseis. I shall convey her back in my own ship, with my own followers; but I shall
take the fair-cheeked Briseis, your prize, I myself going to your shelter, that you may
learn well how much greater I am than you, and another man may shrink back from
likening himself to me and contending against me.'
So he spoke. And the anger came on Peleus' son, and within his shaggy breast the heart
was divided two ways, pondering whether to draw from beside his thigh the sharp
sword, driving away all those who stood between and kill the son of Atreus, or else to
check the spleen within and keep down his anger.
Many times stretching forth his hands he called on his mother: 'Since, my mother, you
bore me to be a man with a short life, therefore Zeus of the loud thunder on Olympos
should grant me honour at least. But now he has given me not even a little. Now the
son of Atreus, powerful Agamemnon, has dishonoured me, since he has taken away my
prize and keeps it.'
So he spoke in tears and the lady his mother heard him as she sat in the depths of the sea
at the side of her aged father, and lightly she emerged like a mist from the grey water.
She came and sat beside him as he wept, and stroked him with her hand and called him
by name and spoke to him: 'Why then, child, do you lament? What sorrow has come to
your heart now? Tell me, do not hide it in your mind, and thus we shall both know.'
Sighing heavily Achilleus of the swift feet answered her: 'You know; since you know
why must I tell you all this?
Thetis answered him then letting the tears fall: 'Ah me, my child. Your birth was
bitterness. Why did I raise you? If only you could sit by your ships untroubled, not
Homer, Iliad 4
weeping, since indeed your lifetime is to be short, of no length. Now it has befallen that
your life must be brief and bitter beyond all men's. To a bad destiny I bore you in my
chambers. But I will go to cloud-dark Olympos and ask this thing of Zeus who delights
in the thunder. Perhaps he will do it. Do you therefore continuing to sit by your swift
ships be angry at the Achaians and stay away from all fighting. For Zeus went to the
blameless Aithiopians at the Ocean yesterday to feast, and the rest of the gods went with
him. On the twelfth day he will be coming back to Olympos, and then I will go for
your sake to the house of Zeus, bronze-founded, and take him by the knees and I think I
can persuade him.'
When the twelfth dawn after this day appeared, the gods who live forever came
back to Olympos all in a body and Zeus led them; nor did Thetis forget the
entreaties of her son, but she emerged from the sea's waves early in the morning and
went up to the tall sky and Olympos. She found Kronos' broad-browed son apart
from the others sitting upon the highest peak of rugged Olympos. She came and sat
beside him with her left hand embracing his knees, but took him underneath the
chin with her right hand and spoke in supplication to lord Zeus son of Kronos:
'Father Zeus, if ever before in word or action I did you favour among the
immortals, now grant what I ask for. Now give honour to my son short-lived beyond
all other mortals. Since even now the lord of men Agamemnon dishonours him, who
has taken away his prize and keeps it. Zeus of the counsels, lord of Olympos, now do
him honour. So long put strength into the Trojans, until the Achaians give my son
his rights, and his honour is increased among them.'
She spoke thus. But Zeus who gathers the clouds made no answer but sat in silence a
long time. And Thetis, as she had taken his knees, clung fast to them and urged once
more her question: 'Bend your head and promise me to accomplish this thing, or
else refuse it, you have nothing to fear, that I may know by how much I am the most
dishonoured of all gods.'
Deeply disturbed Zeus who gathers the clouds answered her: 'This is a disastrous
matter when you set me in conflict with Hera, and she troubles me with
recriminations. Since even as things are, forever among the immortals she is at me
and speaks of how I help the Trojans in battle. Even so, go back again now, go away,
for fear she see us. I will look to these things that they be accomplished. See then, I
will bend my head that you may believe me. For this among the immortal gods is the
mightiest witness I can give, and nothing I do shall be vain nor revocable nor a thing
unfulfilled when I bend my head in assent to it.'
He spoke, the son of Kronos, and nodded his head with the dark brows, and the
immortally anointed hair of the great god swept from his divine head, and all Olympos
was shaken.
So these two who had made their plans separated, and Thetis leapt down again from
shining Olympos into the sea's depth, but Zeus went back to his own house, and all the
Homer, Iliad 5
gods rose up from their chairs to greet the coming of their father, not one had courage
to keep his place as the father advanced, but stood up to greet him. Thus he took his
place on the throne; yet Hera was not ignorant, having seen how he had been plotting
counsels with Thetis the silver-footed, the daughter of the sea's ancient, and at once she
spoke revilingly to Zeus son of Kronos: 'Treacherous one, what god has been plotting
counsels with you? Always it is dear to your heart in my absence to think of secret
things and decide upon them. Never have you patience frankly to speak forth to me the
thing that you purpose.'
Then to her the father of gods and men made answer: 'Hera, do not go on hoping that
you will hear all my thoughts, since these will be too hard for you, though you are my
wife. Any thought that it is right for you to listen to, no one neither man nor any
immortal shall hear it before you. But anything that apart from the rest of the gods I
wish to plan, do not always question each detail nor probe me.'
Then the goddess the ox-eyed lady Hera answered: 'Majesty, son of Kronos, what sort
of thing have you spoken?
Truly too much in time past I have not questioned nor probed you, but you are entirely
free to think out whatever pleases you. Now, though, I am terribly afraid you were won
over by Thetis the silver-footed, the daughter of the sea's ancient. For early in the
morning she sat beside you and took your knees, and I think you bowed your head in
assent to do honour to Achilleus, and to destroy many beside the ships of the Achaians.'
Then in return Zeus who gathers the clouds made answer: 'Dear lady, I never escape
you, you are always full of suspicion. Yet thus you can accomplish nothing surely, but
be more distant from my heart than ever, and it will be the worse for you. If what you
say is true, then that is the way I wish it. But go then, sit down in silence, and do as I
tell you, for fear all the gods, as many as are on Olympos, can do nothing if I come close
and lay my unconquerable hands upon you.'
He spoke, and the goddess the ox-eyed lady Hera was frightened and went and sat
down in silence wrenching her heart to obedience, and all the Uranian gods in the house
of Zeus were troubled.
Hephaistos the renowned smith rose up to speak among them, to bring comfort to his
beloved mother, Hera of the white arms: 'This will be a disastrous matter and not
endurable if you two are to quarrel thus for the sake of mortals and bring brawling
among the gods. There will be no pleasure in the stately feast at all, since vile things
will be uppermost. And I entreat my mother, though she herself understands it, to be
ingratiating toward our father Zeus, that no longer our father may scold her and break
up the quiet of our feasting. For if the Olympian who handles the lightning should be
minded to hurl us out of our places, he is far too strong for any. Do you therefore
approach him again with words made gentle, and at once the Olympian will be
gracious again to us.'
Homer, Iliad 6
He spoke, and springing to his feet put a two-handled goblet into his mother's hands
and spoke again to her once more: 'Have patience, my mother, and endure it, though
you be saddened, for fear that, dear as you are, I see you before my own eyes struck
down, and then sorry though I be I shall not be able to do anything. It is too hard to
fight against the Olympian. There was a time once before now I was minded to help
you, and he caught me by the foot and threw me from the magic threshold, and all day
long I dropped helpless, and about sunset I landed in Lemnos, and there was not much
life left in me. After that fall it was the Sintian men who took care of me.'
He spoke, and the goddess of the white arms Hera smiled at him, and smiling she
accepted the goblet out of her son's hand. Thereafter beginning from the left he poured
drinks for the other gods, dipping up from the mixing bowl the sweet nectar. But
among the blessed immortals uncontrollable laughter went up as they saw Hephaistos
bustling about the palace.
Thus thereafter the whole day long until the sun went under they feasted, nor was
anyone's hunger denied a fair portion, nor denied the beautifully wrought lyre in the
hands of Apollo nor the antiphonal sweet sound of the Muses singing.
Afterwards when the light of the flaming sun went under they went away each one to
sleep in his home where for each one the far-renowned strong-handed Hephaistos had
built a house by means of his craftsmanship and cunning. Zeus the Olympian and lord
of the lightning went to his own bed, where always he lay when sweet sleep came on
him. Going up to the bed he slept and Hera of the gold throne beside him.
Book 2
Zeus sends Agamemnon a deceitful dream indicating that this is a good time for the
Achaians to attack. Next morning, Agamemnon summons the chiefs to an assembly and
tells them about the dream. Nestor approves, and the chiefs call an assembly of the whole
army. Agamemnon takes the sceptre and addresses the multitude, telling them that the
time has come to give up the struggle (now in its ninth year) and go home. The Achaians
are delighted by this and rush for the ships, but Hera sends Athene to intervene. On
Athene's orders, Odysseus goes around stopping the flight. To noble men he recalls their
duty as leaders, and to common soldiers he asserts the authority of the kings, backed by a
blow from the staff. When the army is reassembled, a funny-looking commoner named
Thersites rises to address the crowd. He rails against Agamemnon, calling him greedy
and implying that he is in the wrong in the quarrel with Achilleus. Odysseus rises and
shouts Thersites down, chiefly on the grounds that a common soldier such as he ought not
to defy his betters. The crowd delights in seeing Odysseus humiliate Thersites. Odysseus
now addresses Agamemnon, noting that the omens for Greek victory have been good and
urging him to stay until Troy is taken. Nestor expresses a similar opinion, advising
Agamemnon to allow any who wish to leave to go, so that only those eager for the fight
will remain. Agamemnon agrees, and sends the Achaians off to eat and then to prepare
themselves for war. The chiefs sacrifice an ox and pray to Zeus for success in the
fighting, then they feast together. All the Argives assemble for battle, and the poet again
Homer, Iliad 7
asks the aid of the Muses, this time for the task of listing all the contingents. This list of
the leaders (the "Catalogue of Ships") falls into two parts. First, the Greek leaders are
enumerated. There follows an interlude in which Iris (disguised as Priam) induces the
Trojans to muster their forces, and then the list of Trojan and allied leaders continues to
the end of the book.
Book 3
The two armies come together. Paris sees Menelaos and shrinks back into the ranks in
fear, earning a bitter reproach from Hektor. Chastised, Paris proposes a single combat
between himself and Menelaos. Hektor is pleased and conveys this proposal to the
Greeks, whereupon Menelaos quickly accepts the challenge. While the two sides prepare
to seal the bargain with sacrifices, the scene shifts to Helen, whom we find in her
chamber weaving a tapestry depicting the Trojan War. Iris summons Helen to the wall,
and as Helen goes by the Trojan elders marvel at her beauty. Together Helen and Priam
look out over the armies, and Helen identifies various heroes among the Achaian ranks:
first Agamemnon, then Odysseus, then Telamonian Aias. One of the Trojan elders,
Antenor, recalls being impressed by the oratorical skill of Odysseus on a previous
occasion. Priam and Antenor go out onto the battlefield to preside over the oaths under
which Menelaos and Paris are to fight in single combat. The single combat is intended to
end the war, and the winner is to have Helen. Paris draws the lot granting him first cast,
but his spear does not pierce Menelaos' shield. Menelaos throws, but merely grazes
Paris. Although Menelaos closes in to kill Paris with his sword, Aphrodite wraps Paris in
a cloud and spirits him off the battlefield. Aphrodite goes to Helen and summons her to
join Paris in the bedroom. At first Helen protests, but she cannot defy the goddess.
Similarly, when confronting Paris in person she begins by reviling him and suggesting
that he is a coward, but ends up in bed with him.
Book 4
The gods sit in council, and Zeus wonders if there is still a way to get Helen back to
Menelaos without utterly destroying the city of Troy. Hera expresses her displeasure at
this idea and Zeus backs off, although not without some blustering about his position of
supremacy. In response Hera asserts her own ancestry and suggests a compromise: the
war will go on, but the Trojans will be the first to break the truce. Athene flies to earth
and convinces a Trojan, Pandaros, to shatter the truce by firing an arrow at Menelaos.
The arrow only grazes him, but it is enough to break the truce. Machaon, the doctor,
treats the wound. The battle is joined again, and Agamemnon goes through the ranks,
urging on the good fighters with praise and the slackers with reproaches. He encounters
the Kretan Idomeneus, and the two exchange words of encouragement, then Agamemnon
moves on, pausing to deliver pep talks to the two Aiantes and to Nestor and his men.
Coming upon Odysseus and his men, who seem to be hanging back, Agamemnon speaks
harshly to them. But Odysseus responds that he intends to fight hard, and Agamemnon
almost apologizes. Next Agamemnon meets Diomedes standing among the chariots, and
again he speaks harshly, this time comparing Diomedes unfavorably to his father Tydeus.
Diomedes does not respond, being unwilling to challenge Agamemnon's authority, and he
Homer, Iliad 8
even rebukes his friend Sthenelos for trying to defend him. The Trojans attack, shouting
fearfully, and the battle is joined. Several warriors on each side are killed.
Book 5
The aristeia (period of pre-emininence) of Diomedes begins, with Athene at his side
helping him. Several warriors die on each side, as Diomedes rages among them like a
flooded river. Pandaros wounds Diomedes with an arrow, and Diomedes prays to Athene
for help in killing him. She appears and reassures Diomedes, while also warning him not
to attack any of the gods, except Aphrodite. Diomedes rages on, and many Trojans fall
before his spear. Aineias meets Pandaros and asks why he is not shooting arrows at
Diomedes; Pandaros replies that he is disgusted by his two grazing shots (at Menelaos
and Diomedes) and wishes he had come to battle with a chariot and a spear. Aineias
invites him to ride with him, and they set out after Diomedes. Sthenelos advises Diomedes
to flee, but Diomedes refuses. Awaiting the onslaught, he remarks that Sthenelos should
try if possible to capture Aineias' horses, which are from a famous line. Diomedes kills
Pandaros, and when Aineias tries to protect the body he himself is gravely wounded.
Diomedes moves in to finish him off, but Aphrodite comes to whisk Aineias away, while
Sthenelos captures the team. Diomedes remembers Athene's instructions and attacks
Aphrodite, wounding her and sending her back to Olympos. On Olympos, Aphrodite's
mother Dione comforts her with stories of other gods who have had to endure pain and
defeat. Aphrodite is thus forced to abandon Aineias, but Apollo takes her place and is
able to protect Aineias from Diomedes, chiefly by removing the real Aineias and leaving
behind a mere facsimile on the battlefield. Not knowing this, Sarpedon chides Hektor for
allowing Aineias to lie unprotected, and Hektor redoubles his efforts, just as the real
Aineias returns, alive and well. The battle rages on, until Diomedes sees Hektor rushing
upon the Greeks with Ares at his side, and the Achaians retreat a bit. The Achaian
Tlepolemos meets Sarpedon and boasts of his ancestry, for he is the son of Herakles; not
bothering to counter with his own, more glorious father (Zeus) Sarpedon kills
Tlepolemos, though he is wounded in the process. He begs Hektor to save him, but
Hektor is in a hurry to get on with the battle and ignores him. Sarpedon is saved by
someone else, while the Achaians continue to retreat before Hektor and Ares. Athene and
Hera arm themselves and drive their chariot to Zeus. In response to their complaints,
Zeus gives permission for Athene to oppose Ares. Athene visits Diomedes and chides him
for slacking off. He replies that she herself instructed him not to attack any god but
Aphrodite; how can he fight with Ares? Athene says that now he may attack Ares, and she
herself drives his chariot up to the war-god, and Diomedes is able to wound Ares with his
spear. Ares goes to Zeus and complains that Athene is out of control, but Zeus is
unreceptive. Thus all the gods retire from the battlefield.
Book 6
So the grim encounter of Achaians and Trojans was left to itself, and the battle veered
greatly now one way, now in another, over the plain as they guided their bronze spears
at each other in the space between the waters of Xanthos and Sinioeis.
Homer, Iliad 9
First Telamonian Aias, that bastion of the Achaians, broke the Trojan battalions and
brought light to his own company, striking down the man who was far the best of the
Thracians, Akamas, the huge and mighty, the son of Eussoros. Throwing first, he
struck the horn of the horse-haired helmet and the bronze spear-point fixed in his
forehead and drove inward through the bone; and a mist of darkness clouded both eyes.
Diomedes of the great war cry cut down Axylos, Teuthras' son, who had been a
dweller in strong-founded Arisbe, a man rich in substance and a friend to all humanity
since in his house by the wayside he entertained all comers. Yet there was none of these
now to stand before him and keep off the sad destruction, and Diomedes stripped life
from both of them, Axylos and his henchman Kalesios, who was the driver guiding his
horses; so down to the underworld went both men.
Now Euryalos slaughtered Opheltios and Dresos, and went in pursuit of Aisepos and
Pedasos, those whom the naiad nymph Abarbare had born to blameless Boukolion.
Boukolion himself was the son of haughty Laomedon, eldest born, but his mother
conceived him in darkness and secrecy. While shepherding his flocks he lay with the
nymph and loved her, and she conceiving bore him twin boys. But now Mekistios" son
unstrung the strength of these and the limbs in their glory, Euryalos, and stripped the
armour away from their shoulders.
Polypoites the stubborn in battle cut down Astyalos, while Odysseus slaughtered one
from Perkote, Pidytes, with the bronze spear, and great Aretaon was killed by Teukros.
Nestor's son Antilochos with the shining shaft killed Ableros; the lord of men,
Agamemnon, brought death to Elatos, whose home had been on the shores of Satnioeis'
lovely waters, sheer Pedasos. And Leitos the fighter caught Phylakos as he ran away;
and Eurypylos made an end of Melanthios.
Now Menelaos of the great war cry captured Adrestos alive; for his two horses bolting
over the level land got entangled in a tamarisk growth, and shattered the curving chariot
at the tip of the pole; so they broken free went on toward the city, where many beside
stampeded in terror. So Adrestos was whirled beside the wheel from the chariot
headlong into the dust on his face; and the son of Atreus, Menelaos, with the farshadowed spear in his hand, stood over him. But Adrestos, catching him by the knees,
supplicated: 'Take me alive, son of Atreus, and take appropriate ransom. In my rich
father's house the treasures lie piled in abundance; bronze is there, and gold, and
difficultly wrought iron, and my father would make you glad with abundant repayment
were he to hear that I am alive by the ships of the Achaians.'
So he spoke, and moved the spirit inside Menelaos. And now he was on the point of
handing him to a henchman to lead back to the fast Achaian ships; but Agamemnon
came on the run to join him and spoke his word of argument: 'Dear brother, O
Menelaos, are you concerned so tenderly with these people? Did you in your house get
the best of treatment from the Trojans? No, let not one of them go free of sudden death
and our hands; not the young man child that the mother carries still in her body, not
even he, but let all of Ilion's people perish, utterly blotted out and unmourned for.'
Homer, Iliad 10
The hero spoke like this, and bent the heart of his brother since he urged justice.
Menelaos shoved with his hand Adrestos the warrior back from him, and powerful
Agamemnon stabbed him in the side and, as he writhed over, Atreides, setting his heel
upon the midriff, wrenched out the ash spear.
Nestor in a great voice cried out to the men of Argos: 'O beloved Danaan fighters,
henchmen of Ares, let no man any more hang back with his eye on the plunder
designing to take all the spoil he can gather back to the vessels; let us kill the men now,
and afterwards at your leisure all along the plain you can plunder the perished corpses.'
So he spoke, and stirred the spirit and strength in each man. Then once more would the
Trojans have climbed back into Ilion's wall, subdued by terror before the warlike
Achaians, had not Priam's son, Helenos, best by far of the augurs, stood beside Aineias
and Hektor and spoken a word to them: 'Hektor and Aineias, on you beyond others is
leaning the battle-work of Trojans and Lykians, since you are our greatest in every
course we take, whether it be in thought or in fighting: stand your ground here; visit
your people everywhere; hold them fast by the gates, before they tumble into their
women's arms, and become to our enemies a thing to take joy in. Afterwards, when you
have set all the battalions in motion, the rest of us will stand fast here and fight with the
Danaans though we are very hard hit indeed; necessity forces us; but you, Hektor, go
back again to the city, and there tell your mother and mine to assemble all the ladies of
honour at the temple of grey-eyed Athene high on the citadel; there opening with a key
the door to the sacred chamber let her take a robe, which seems to her the largest and
loveliest in the great house, and that which is far her dearest possession, and lay it along
the knees of Athene the lovely haired. Let her promise to dedicate within the shrine
twelve heifers, yearlings, never broken, if only she will have pity on the town of Troy,
and the Trojan wives, and their innocent children. So she might hold back from sacred
Ilion the son of Tydeus, that wild spear-fighter, the strong one who drives men to
thoughts of terror, who I say now is become the strongest of all the Achaians. For never
did we so fear Achilleus even, that leader of men, who they say was born of a goddess.
This man has gone clean berserk, so that no one can match his warcraft against him.'
So he spoke, and Hektor did not disobey his brother, but at once in all his armour leapt
to the ground from his chariot and shaking two sharp spears in his hands ranged over
the whole host stirring them up to fight and waking the ghastly warfare. So they
whirled about and stood their ground against the Achaians, and the Argives gave way
backward and stopped their slaughtering, and thought some one of the immortals must
have descended from the starry sky to stand by the Trojans, the way they rallied. But
Hektor lifted his voice and cried aloud to the Trojans: 'You high-hearted Trojans and
far-renowned companions, be men now, dear friends, and remember your furious
valour until I can go back again to Ilion, and there tell the elder men who sit as
counsellors, and our own wives, to make their prayer to the immortals and promise
them, hecatombs.'
Homer, Iliad 11
So spoke Hektor of the shining helm, and departed; and against his ankles as against his
neck clashed the dark ox-hide, the rim running round the edge of the great shield
massive in the middle.
Now Glaukos, sprung of Hippolochos, and the son of Tydeus came together in the
space between the two armies, battle-bent. Now as these advancing came to one place
and encountered, first to speak was Diomedes of the great war cry:
'Who among mortal men are you, good friend? Since never before have I seen you in
the fighting where men win glory, yet now you have come striding far out in front of
all others in your great heart, who have dared stand up to my spear far-shadowing. Yet
unhappy are those whose sons match warcraft against me. But if you are some one of
the immortals come down from the bright sky, know that I will not fight against any
god of the heaven, since even the son of Dryas, Lykourgos the powerful, did not live
long; he who tried to fight with the gods of the bright sky, who once drove the fosterers
of rapturous Dionysos headlong down the sacred Nyseian hill, and all of them shed and
scattered their wands on the ground, stricken with an ox-goad by murderous
Lykourgos, while Dionysos in terror dived into the salt surf, and Thetis took him to he r
bosom, frightened, with the strong shivers upon him at the man's blustering. But the
gods who live at their ease were angered with Lykourgos, and the son of Kronos struck
him to blindness, nor did he live long afterwards, since he was hated by all the
immortals.
Therefore neither would I be willing to fight with the blessed gods; but if you are one
of those mortals who eat what the soil yields, come nearer, so that sooner you may
reach your appointed destruction.'
Then in turn the shining son of Hippolochos answered:
'High-hearted son of Tydeus, why ask of my generation? As is the generation of
leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the
live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one
generation of men will grow while another dies.
Yet if you wish to learn all this and be certain of my genealogy: there are plenty of
men who know it. There is a city, Ephyre, in the corner of horse-pasturing Argos; there
lived Sisyphos, that sharpest of all men, Sisyphos, Aiolos' son, and he had a son named
Glaukos, and Glaukos in turn sired Bellerophontes the blameless. To Bellerophontes the
gods granted beauty and desirable manhood; but Proitos in anger devised evil things
against him, and drove him out of his own domain, since he was far greater, from the
Argive country Zeus had broken to the sway of his sceptre. Beautiful Anteia the wife
of Proitos was stricken with passion to lie in love with him, and yet she could not
beguile valiant Bellerophontes, whose will was virtuous. So she went to Proitos the king
and uttered her falsehood: "Would you be killed, o Proitos? Then murder
Bellerophontes who tried to lie with me in love, though I was unwilling." So she
Homer, Iliad 12
spoke, and anger took hold of the king at her story. He shrank from killing him, since
his heart was awed by such action, but sent him away to Lykia, and handed him
murderous symbols, which he inscribed in a folding tablet, enough to destroy life, and
told him to show it to his wife's father, that he might perish. Bellerophontes went to
Lykia in the blameless convoy of the gods; when he came to the running stream of
Xanthos, and Lykia, the lord of wide Lykia tendered him full-hearted honour. Nine
days he entertained him with sacrifice of nine oxen, but afterwards when the rose
fingers of the tenth dawn showed, then he began to question him, and asked to be
shown the symbols, whatever he might be carrying from his son-in-law, Proitos.
Then after he had been given his son-in-law's wicked symbols first he sent him away
with orders to kill the Chimaira none might approach; a thing of immortal make, not
human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath
of the terrible flame of bright fire. He killed the Chimaira, obeying the portents of the
immortals. Next after this he fought against the glorious Solymoi, and this he thought
was the strongest battle with men that he entered; but third he slaughtered the
Amazons, who fight men in battle. Now as he came back the king spun another
entangling treachery; for choosing the bravest men in wide Lykia he laid a trap, but
these men never came home thereafter since all of them were killed by blameless
Bellerophontes. Then when the king knew him for the powerful stock of the god, he
detained him there, and offered him the hand of his daughter, and gave him half of all
the kingly privilege. Thereto the men of Lykia cut out a piece of land, surpassing all
others, fine ploughland and orchard for him to administer. His bride bore three children
to valiant Bellerophontes, Isandros and Hippolochos and Laodameia. Laodameia lay in
love beside Zeus of the counsels and bore him godlike Sarpedon of the brazen helmet.
But after Bellerophontes was hated by all the immortals, he wandered alone about the
plain of Aleios, eating his heart out, skulking aside from the trodden track of humanity.
As for Isandros his son, Ares the insatiate of fighting killed him in close battle against
the glorious Solymoi, while Artemis of the golden reins killed the daughter in anger.
But Hippolochos begot me, and I claim that he is my father; he sent me to Troy, and
urged upon me repeated injunctions, to be always among the bravest, and hold my head
above others, not shaming the generation of my fathers, who were the greatest men in
Ephyre and again in wide Lykia. Such is my generation and the blood I claim to be born
from." He spoke, and Diomedes of the great war cry was gladdened. He drove his spear
deep into the prospering earth, and in winning words of friendliness he spoke to the
shepherd of the people:
'See now, you are my guest friend from far in the time of our fathers. Brilliant Oineus
once was host to Bellerophontes the blameless, in his halls, and twenty days he detained
him, and these two gave to each other fine gifts in token of friendship. Oineus gave his
guest a war belt bright with the red dye, Bellerophontes a golden and double-handled
drinking-cup, a thing I left behind in my house when I came on my journey. Tydeus,
though, I cannot remember, since I was little when he left me, that time the people of
the Achaians perished in Thebe. Therefore I am your friend and host in the heart of
Argos; you are mine in Lykia, when I come to your country. Let us avoid each other's
spears, even in the close fighting. There are plenty of Trojans and famed companions in
Homer, Iliad 13
battle for me to kill, whom the god sends me, or those I run down with my swift feet,
many Achaians for you to slaughter, if you can do it. But let us exchange our armour,
so that these others may know how we claim to be guests and friends from the days of
our fathers.'
So they spoke, and both springing down from behind their horses gripped each other's
hands and exchanged the promise of friendship; but Zeus the son of Kronos stole away
the wits of Glaukos who exchanged with Diomedes the son of Tydeus armour of gold
for bronze, for nine oxen's worth the worth of a hundred.
Now as Hektor had come to the Skaian gates and the oak tree, all the wives of the
Trojans and their daughters came running about him to ask after their sons, after their
brothers and neighbours, their husbands; and he told them to pray to the immortals, all,
in turn; but there were sorrows in store for many.
Andromache, stood close beside him, letting her tears fall, and clung to his hand and
called him by name and spoke to him:
'Dearest, your own great strength will be your death, and you have no pity on your
little son, nor on me, ill-starred, who soon must be your widow; for presently the
Achaians, gathering together, will set upon you and kill you; and for me it would be
far better to sink into the earth when I have lost you, for there is no other
consolation for me after you have gone to your destiny— only grief; since I have no
father, no honoured mother. It was brilliant Achilleus who slew my father, Eetion,
when he stormed the strong-founded citadel of the Kilikians, Thebe of the towering
gates. He killed Eetion but did not strip his armour, for his heart respected the dead
man, but burned the body in all its elaborate war-gear and piled a grave mound
over it, and the nymphs of the mountains, daughters of Zeus of the aegis, planted
elm trees about it. And they who were my seven brothers in the great house all went
upon a single day down into the house of the death god, for swift-footed brilliant
Achilleus slaughtered all of them as they were tending their white sheep and their
lumbering oxen; and when he had led my mother, who was queen under wooded
Plakos, here, along with all his other possessions, Achilleus released her again,
accepting ransom beyond count, but Artemis of the showering arrows struck her
down in the halls of her father. Hektor, thus you are father to me, and my honoured
mother, you are my brother, and you it is who are my young husband. Please take
pity upon me then, stay here on the rampart, that you may not leave your child an
orphan, your wife a widow, but draw your people up by the fig tree, there where the
city is openest to attack, and where the wall may be mounted. Three times their
bravest came that way, and fought there to storm it about the two Aiantes and
renowned Idomeneus, about the two Atreidai and the fighting son of Tydeus. Either
some man well skilled in prophetic arts had spoken, or the very spirit within
themselves had stirred them to the onslaught.'
Then tall Hektor of the shining helm answered her:
Homer, Iliad 14
'All these things are in my mind also, lady; yet I would feel deep shame before the
Trojans, and the Trojan women with trailing garments, if like a coward I were to
shrink aside from the fighting; and the spirit will not let me, since I have learned to
be valiant and to fight always among the foremost ranks of the Trojans, winning for
my own self great glory, and for my father. For I know this thing well in my heart,
and my mind knows it: there will come a day when sacred Ilion shall perish, and
Priam, and the people of Priam of the strong ash spear. But it is not so much the
pain to come of the Trojans that troubles me, not even of Priam the king nor
Hekabe, not the thought of my brothers who in their numbers and valour shall drop
in the dust under the hands of men who hate them, as troubles me the thought of
you, when some bronze-armoured Achaian leads you off, taking away your day of
liberty, in tears; and in Argos you must work at the loom of another, and carry
water from the spring Messeis or Hypereia, all unwilling, but strong will be the
necessity upon you; and some day seeing you shedding tears a man will say of you:
"This is the wife of Hektor, who was ever the bravest fighter of the Trojans,
breakers of horses, in the days when they fought about Ilion."
So will one speak of you; and for you it will be yet a fresh grief, to be widowed of such
a man who could fight off the day of your slavery. But may I be dead and the piled
earth hide me under before I hear you crying and know by this that they drag you
captive.'
So speaking glorious Hektor held out his arms to his baby, who shrank back to his
fair-girdled nurse's bosom screaming, and frightened at the aspect of his own father,
terrified as he saw the bronze and the crest with its horse-hair, nodding dreadfully,
as he thought, from the peak of the helmet. Then his beloved father laughed out,
and his honoured mother, and at once glorious Hektor lifted from his head the
helmet and laid it in all its shining upon the ground. Then taking up his dear son he
tossed him about in his arms, and kissed him, and lifted his voice in prayer to Zeus
and the other immortals:
'Zeus, and you other immortals, grant that this boy, who is my son, may be as I
am, pre-eminent among the Trojans, great in strength, as am I, and rule strongly
over Ilion; and some day let them say of him: "He is better by far than his father",
as he comes in from the fighting; and let him kill his enemy and bring home the
blooded spoils, and delight the heart of his mother.”
Book 7
Hektor returns and the battle resumes. Athene and Apollo confer, and they decide to slow
the killing by setting up another contest of individuals. Inspired by them, Helenos tells
Hektor to issue his challenge for a single Greek opponent. At first no one of the Achaians
will answer the challenge. Menelaos volunteers, but Agamemnon will not allow it. Nestor
chides the Argives, sounding the theme that they cannot compare to the sort of warriors
whom Nestor knew in his youth. The speech works, and nine Greeks volunteer; they cast
Homer, Iliad 15
lots, and Telamonian Aias wins. Hektor and Aias exchange menacing words, then both
throw their spears, but neither cast is effective. They continue to fight, and Aias appears
to be winning, but night falls and the contest is stopped. Hektor and Aias exchange gifts,
and part with mutual admiration. The Greeks feast, and then Nestor proposes building a
ditch and a rampart to protect the ships. Meanwhile in the Trojan assembly Antenor's
proposal to give Helen back and end the war is quashed by Paris. Next day, on Priam's
orders, the Trojans propose a truce for collecting the dead, and the Greeks agree.
Meanwhile the gods meet in council, and Poseidon expresses frustration at the prospect
that the wall built by the Greeks will be more famous than the one he himself built around
Troy. Zeus replies that the Greeks' wall will be destroyed soon after the city is taken.
Book 8
The gods meet in council, and Zeus orders them all to stay out of the battle. He then
retires to Mt. Ida to watch the war unfold. The Trojans pour out of the city gates, and
Zeus' scales show that they are fated to win the day. Paris wounds Nestor with an arrow,
and Diomedes is forced to take the old man onto his chariot. Diomedes comes close to
Hektor in the battle, but he is unwilling to attack the son of Priam, since both sides are
aware that fate is on the Trojan side this day. Hektor urges the Trojans on, longing to kill
Nestor and Diomedes. Hera is enraged and tries to convince Poseidon to intervene, but
he is mindful of the injunction of Zeus. Hera acts alone, however, inspiring Agamemnon
to cry out words of encouragement to the Argives, and to make a prayer to Zeus for the
preservation of the Greeks. Zeus responds affirmatively with a bird-sign, and the Greeks
regain their valor. Teukros has a brief aristeia, striking down many Trojans with arrows
from his bow. Again and again he tries to hit Hektor and misses, until finally Hektor
charges him and wounds him gravely with a stone. The tide again turns in favor of the
Trojans. Hera and Athene arm themselves and drive their chariot towards the battlefield,
but Zeus sees them and sends Iris to intercept them. Zeus' threat to hit their chariot with a
thunderbolt is too much for the two goddesses, and they retire back again to Olympos.
Zeus returns to Olympos to tell Hera and Athene not to sulk, since they are no match for
his power. Hera is still angry, but she meekly acquiesces. Zeus foretells the fighting close
by the ships over the body of Patroklos (Book 17). Night falls, and the Greeks are glad.
The Trojan forces hold an assembly, and Hektor proposes making camp there on the
plain, so that in the morning the Trojans may force their way up to the ships. This plan is
adopted, and the book ends with a picture of the Trojan campfires burning in the plain.
Book 9
Meanwhile immortal Panic, companion of cold Terror, gripped the Achaians as all their
best were stricken with grief that passes endurance. As two winds rise to shake the sea
where the fish swarm, Boreas and Zephyros, north wind and west, that blow from
Thraceward, suddenly descending, and the darkened water is gathered to crests, and far
across the salt water scatters the seaweed; so the heart in the breast of each Achaian was
troubled.
Homer, Iliad 16
And the son of Atreus, stricken at heart with the great sorrow, went among his heralds
the clear-spoken and told them to summon calling by name each man into the assembly
but with no outcry, and he himself was at work with the foremost. They took their seats
in assembly, dispirited, and Agamemnon stood up before them, shedding tears, like a
spring dark-running that down the face of a rock impassable drips its dim water. So,
groaning heavily, Agamemnon spoke to the Argives: 'Friends, who are leaders of the
Argives and keep their counsel: Zeus son of Kronos has caught me badly in bitter
futility. He is hard: who before this time promised me and consented that I might sack
strong-walled Ilion and sail homeward. Now he has devised a vile deception and bids
me go back to Argos in dishonour having lost many of my people. Such is the way it
will be pleasing to Zeus, who is too strong, who before now has broken the crests of
many cities and will break them again, since his power is beyond all others.
Come then, do as I say, let us all be won over; let us run away with our ships to the
beloved land of our fathers since no longer now shall we capture Troy of the wide
ways.'
So he spoke, and all of them stayed stricken to silence. For some time the sons of the
Achaians said nothing in sorrow; but at long last Diomedes of the great war cry
addressed them:
'Son of Atreus: I will be first to fight with your folly, as is my right, lord, in this
assembly; then do not be angered. I was the first of the Danaans whose valour you
slighted and said I was unwarlike and without courage. The young men of the Argives
know all these things, and the elders know it. The son of devious-devising Kronos has
given you gifts in two ways: with the sceptre he gave you honour beyond all, but he
did not give you a heart, and of all power this is the greatest. Sir, sir, can you really
believe the sons of the Achaians are so unwarlike and so weak of their hearts as you call
them? But if in truth your own heart is so set upon going, go. The way is there, and
next to the water are standing your ships that came—so many of them!—with you from
Mykenai, and yet the rest of the flowing-haired Achaians will stay here until we have
sacked the city of Troy; let even these also run away with their ships to the beloved land
of their fathers, still we two, Sthenelos and I, will fight till we witness the end of Ilion;
for it was with God that we made our way hither.'
So he spoke, and all the sons of the Achaians shouted acclaim for the word of Diomedes,
breaker of horses. And now Nestor the horseman stood forth among them and spoke to
them:
'Son of Tydeus, beyond others you are strong in battle, and in counsel also are noblest
among all men of your own age. Not one man of all the Achaians will belittle your
words nor speak against them. Yet you have not made complete your argument, since
you are a young man still and could even be my own son and my youngest born of all;
yet still you argue in wisdom with the Argive kings, since all you have spoken was
spoken fairly. But let me speak, since I can call myself older than you are, and go
through the whole matter, since there is none who can dishonour the thing I say, not
Homer, Iliad 17
even powerful Agamemnon. Out of all brotherhood, outlawed, homeless shall be that
man who longs for all the horror of fighting among his own people.
But now let us give way to the darkness of night, and let us make ready our evening
meal; and let the guards severally take their stations by the ditch we have dug outside
the ramparts. This I would enjoin upon our young men; but thereafter do you, son of
Atreus, take command, since you are our kingliest. Divide a feast among the princes; it
befits you, it is not unbecoming. Our shelters are filled with wine that the Achaian ships
carry day by day from Thrace across the wide water. All hospitality is for you; you are
lord over many. When many assemble together follow him who advises the best
counsel, for in truth there is need for all the Achaians of good close counsel, since now
close to our ships the enemy burn their numerous fires. What man could be cheered to
see this? Here is the night that will break our army, or else will preserve it.'
So he spoke, and they listened hard to him, and obeyed him, and the sentries went forth
rapidly in their armour, gathering about Nestor's son Thrasymedes, shepherd of the
people, and about Askalaphos and lalmenos, sons both of Ares, about Meriones and
Aphareus and Dei'pyros and about the son of Kreion, Lykomedes the brilliant. There
were seven leaders of the sentinels, and with each one a hundred fighting men followed
gripping in their hands the long spears. They took position in the space between the
ditch and the rampart, and there they kindled their fires and each made ready his supper.
But the son of Atreus led the assembled lords of the Achaians to his own shelter, and set
before them the feast in abundance. They put their hands to the good things that lay
ready before them. But when they had put away their desire for eating and drinking,
the aged man began to weave his counsel before them first, Nestor, whose advice had
shown best before this. He in kind intention toward all stood forth and addressed them:
'Son of Atreus, most lordly and king of men, Agamemnon, with you I will end, with
you I will make my beginning, since you are lord over many people, and Zeus has
given into your hand the sceptre and rights of judgment, to be king over the people. It is
yours therefore to speak a word, yours also to listen, and grant the right to another also,
when his spirit stirs him to speak for our good. All shall be yours when you lead the
way. Still I will speak in the way it seems best to my mind, and no one shall have in his
mind any thought that is better than this one that I have in my mind either now or long
before now ever since that day, illustrious, when you went from the shelter of angered
Achilleus, taking by force the girl Briseis against the will of the rest of us, since I for my
part urged you strongly not to, but you, giving way to your proud heart's anger,
dishonoured a great man, one whom the immortals honour, since you have taken his
prize and keep it. But let us even now think how we can make this good and persuade
him with words of supplication and with the gifts of friendship.'
Then in turn the lord of men Agamemnon spoke to him:
'Aged sir, this was no lie when you spoke of my madness. I was mad, I myself will not
deny it. Worth many fighters is that man whom Zeus in his heart loves, as now he has
Homer, Iliad 18
honoured this man and beaten down the Achaian people. But since I was mad, in the
persuasion of my heart's evil, I am willing to make all good, and give back gifts in
abundance. Before you all I will count off my gifts in their splendour: seven-unfired
tripods; ten talents' weight of gold; twenty shining cauldrons; and twelve horses,
strong, race-competitors who have won prizes in the speed of their feet. That man
would not be poor in possessions, to whom were given all these have won me, nor be
unpossessed of dearly honoured gold, were he given all the prizes these single-foot
horses have won for me. I will give him seven women of Lesbos, the work of whose
hands is blameless, whom when he himself captured strong-founded Lesbos I chose, and
who in their beauty surpassed the races of women. I will give him these, and with them
shall go the one I took from him, the daughter of Briseus. And to all this I will swear a
great oath that I never entered into her bed and never lay with her as is natural for
human people, between men and women. All these gifts shall be his at once; but again, if
hereafter the gods grant that we storm and sack the great city of Priam, let him go to his
ship and load it deep as he pleases with gold and bronze, when we Achaians divide the
war spoils, and let him choose for himself twenty of the Trojan women who are the
loveliest of all after Helen of Argos. And if we come back to Achaian Argos, pride of
the tilled land, he may be my son-in-law; I will honour him with Orestes my growing
son, who is brought up there in abundant luxury.
Then when [Nestor and Odysseus] had poured out wine, and drunk as much as their
hearts wished, they set out from the shelter of Atreus' son, Agamemnon.
So these two walked along the strand of the sea deep-thundering with many prayers to
the holder and shaker of the earth, that they might readily persuade the great heart of
Aiakides. Now they came beside the shelters and ships of the Myrmidons and they
found Achilleus delighting his heart in a lyre, clear-sounding, splendid and carefully
wrought, with a bridge of silver upon it, which he won out of the spoils when he ruined
Eetion's city. With this he was pleasuring his heart, and singing of men's fame, as
Patroklos was sitting over against him, alone, in silence, watching Aiakides and the time
he would leave off singing. Now these two came forward, as brilliant Odysseus led
them, and stood in his presence. Achilleus rose to his feet in amazement holding the lyre
as it was, leaving the place where he was sitting. In the same way Patroklos, when he
saw the men come, stood up. And in greeting Achilleus the swift of foot spoke to them:
'Welcome. You are my friends who have come, and greatly I need you, who even to this
my anger are dearest of all the Achaians.'
Then in answer to [their proposition] spoke Achilleus of the swift feet:
'Son of Laertes and seed of Zeus, resourceful Odysseus: without consideration for you I
must make my answer, the way I think, and the way it will be accomplished, that you
may not come one after another, and sit by me, and speak softly. For as I detest the
doorways of Death, I detest that man, who hides one thing in the depths of his heart, and
speaks forth another. But I will speak to you the way it seems best to me: neither do I
think the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, will persuade me, nor the rest of the Danaans,
since there was no gratitude given for fighting incessantly forever against your enemies.
Homer, Iliad 19
Fate is the same for the man who holds back, the same if he fights hard. We are all
held in a single honour, the brave with the weaklings. A man dies still if he has done
nothing, as one who has done much. Nothing is won for me, now that my heart has
gone through its afflictions in forever setting my life on the hazard of battle.
Of possessions cattle and fat sheep are things to be had for the lifting, and tripods
can be won, and the tawny high heads of horses, but a man's life cannot come back
again, it cannot be lifted nor captured again by force, once it has crossed the teeth's
barrier. For my mother Thetis the goddess of the silver feet tells me I carry two
sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside
the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting;
but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is
gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end in death will not come to
me quickly. And this would be my counsel to others also, to sail back home again,
since no longer shall you find any term set on the sheer city of Ilion, since Zeus of
the wide brows has strongly held his own hand over it, and its people are made bold.
Short Summary of Books 10-15
X.
Odysseus and Diomede, going by night towards the Trojan camp, slay Dolon, a
Trojan spy; then they slay the sleeping Rhesus, chief of the Thracians, and take
his horses.
XI.
Agamemnon does great deeds, but in vain; many of the leading Greek chiefs are
disabled; and Patroclus, sent by Achilles to ask about the wounded physician
Machaon, learns that the plight of the Greeks is desperate.
XII.
The Trojans, led by Hector, break through the wall of the Greek camp.
XIII.
Zeus having turned his eyes for a while away from the Trojan plain, the sea-god
Poseidon, watching rom the peak of Samothrace, seizes the moment to encourage
the Greeks. The Cretan Idomeneus does great deeds.
XIV. The Sleep-god, and Hera, lull Zeus to slumber on Ida. Poseidon urges on the
Greeks, and the Trojan Hector is wounded.
XV.
Zeus awakens on Ida. At his bidding, Apollo puts new strength into Hector. The
Trojan host presses again on the Greek ships; ajax valorously defends them.
Long Summary Click Here
Homer, Iliad 20
Homer Readings II
Achilleus and Patroklos’ plan
Book XVI, page 18
The Shield of Achilleus
Book XVIII, page 23
[Hecktor Meets Achilleus]
Book 22, page 28
Achilleus kills Hecktor
Book 22, page 31
Priam asks for the body of his son
Book 24, page 34f
The final reconciliation?
Book 24, page 37
Homer, Iliad
16
Homer, The Iliad Reading 2
Book 16
Meanwhile Patroklos came to the shepherd of the people, Achilleus, and stood by him
and wept warm tears, like a spring dark-running that down the face of a rock impassable
drips its dim water; and swift-footed brilliant Achilleus looked on him in pity, and spoke
to him aloud and addressed him in winged words: 'Why then are you crying like some
poor little girl, Patroklos, who runs after her mother and begs to be picked up and carried,
and clings to her dress, and holds her back when she tries to hurry, and gazes tearfully
into her face, until she is picked up? You are like such a one, Patroklos, dropping these
soft tears. Could you have some news to tell, for me or the Myrmidons? Have you, and
nobody else, received some message from Phthia? Yet they tell me Aktor's son Menoitios
lives still and Aiakos' son Peleus lives still among the Myrmidons. If either of these died
we should take it hard. Or is it the Argives you are mourning over, and how they are
dying against the hollow ships by reason of their own arrogance? Tell me, do not hide it
in your mind, and so we shall both know.'
Then groaning heavily, Patroklos the rider, you answered: 'Son of Peleus, far greatest of
the Achaians, Achilleus, do not be angry; such grief has fallen, upon the Achaians. For all
those who were before the bravest in battle are lying up among the ships with arrow or
spear wounds.
The son of Tydeus, strong Diomedes, was hit by an arrow, and Odysseus has a pike
wound, and Agamemnon the spear-famed, and Eurypylos has been wounded in the thigh
with an arrow. And over these the healers skilled in medicine are working to cure their
wounds. But you, Achilleus; who can do anything with you? May no such anger take me
as this that you cherish! Cursed courage. What other man born hereafter shall be
advantaged unless you beat aside from the Argives this shameful destruction? Pitiless: the
rider Peleus was never your father nor Thetis was your mother, but it was the grey sea
that bore you and the towering rocks, so sheer the heart in you is turned from us. But if
you are drawing back from some prophecy known in your own heart and by Zeus' will
your honoured mother has told you of something, then send me out at least, let the rest of
the Myrmidon people follow me, and I may be a light given to the Danaans. Give me
your armour to wear on my shoulders into the fighting; so perhaps the Trojans might
think I am you, and give way from their attack, and the fighting sons of the Achaians get
wind again after hard work. There is little breathing space in the fighting. We unwearied
might with a mere cry pile men wearied back upon their city, and away from the ships
and the shelters.'
So he spoke supplicating in his great innocence; this was his own death and evil
destruction he was entreating. But now, deeply troubled, swift-footed Achilleus answered
him: 'Ah, Patroklos, illustrious, what is this you are saying? I have not any prophecy in
mind that I know of; there is no word from Zeus my honoured mother has told me, but
this thought comes as a bitter sorrow to my heart and my spirit when a man tries to foul
one who is his equal, to take back a prize of honour, because he goes in greater authority.
Homer, Iliad
17
This is a bitter thought to me; my desire has been dealt with roughly. The girl the sons of
the Achaians chose out for my honour, and I won her with my own spear, and stormed a
strong-fenced city, is taken back out of my hands by powerful Agamemnon, the son of
Atreus, as if I were some dishonoured vagabond. Still, we will let all this be a thing of the
past; and it was not in my heart to be angry forever; and yet I have said I would not give
over my anger until that time came when the fighting with all its clamour came up to my
own ships.
So do you draw my glorious armour about your shoulders; lead the Myrmidons whose
delight is battle into the fighting, if truly the black cloud of the Trojans has taken position
strongly about our ships, and the others, the Argives, are bent back against the beach of
the sea, holding only a narrow division of land, and the whole city of the Trojans has
descended upon them boldly; because they do not see the face of my helmet glaring
close; or else they would run and cram full of dead men the water-courses; if powerful
Agamemnon treated me kindly. Now the Argives fight for their very encampment. For
the spear rages not now in the hands of the son of Tydeus, Diomedes, to beat destruction
aside from the Danaans, nor have I heard the voice of the son of Atreus crying from his
hated head; no, but the voice of murderous Hektor calling to the Trojans crashes about
my ears; with their war cry they hold the entire plain as they beat the Achaians in battle.
But even so, Patroklos, beat the bane aside from our ships; fall upon them with all
your strength; let them not with fire's blazing inflame our ships, and take away our
desired homecoming. But obey to the end this word I put upon your attention so
that you can win, for me, great honour and glory in the sight of all the Danaans, so
they will bring back to me the lovely girl, and give me shining gifts in addition.
When you have driven them from the ships, come back; although later the
thunderous lord of Hera might grant you the winning of glory, you must not set
your mind on fighting the Trojans, whose delight is in battle, without me. So you
will dimmish my honour.
You must not, in the pride and fury of fighting, go on slaughtering the Trojans, and
lead the way against Ilion, for fear some one of the everlasting gods on Olympos
might crush you. Apollo who works from afar loves these people dearly. You must
turn back once you bring the light of salvation to the ships, and let the others go on
fighting in the flat land. Father Zeus, Athene and Apollo, if only not one of all the
Trojans could escape destruction, not one of the Argives, but you and I could
emerge from the slaughter so that we two alone could break Troy's hallowed
coronal.'
Now they who were armed in the company of great-hearted Patroklos went onward, until
in high confidence they charged on the Trojans. The Myrmidons came streaming out like
wasps at the wayside when little boys have got into the habit of making them angry by
always teasing them as they live in their house by the roadside; silly boys, they do
Homer, Iliad
18
something that hurts many people; and if some man who travels on the road happens to
pass them and stirs them unintentionally, they in heart of fury come swarming out each
one from his place to fight for their children. In heart and in fury like these the
Myrmidons streaming came out from their ships, with a tireless clamour arising, and
Patroklos called afar in a great voice to his companions: 'Myrmidons, companions of
Peleus' son, Achilleus, be men now, dear friends, remember your furious valour; we must
bring honour to Peleus' son, far the greatest of the Argives by the ships, we, even the
henchmen who fight beside him, so Atreus' son wide-ruling Agamemnon may recognize
his madness, that he did no honour to the best of the Achaians.'
And watching them the son of devious-devising Kronos was pitiful, and spoke to Hera,
his wife and his sister:
'Ah me, that it is destined that the dearest of men, Sarpedon, must go down under the
hands of Menoitios' son Patroklos. The heart in my breast is balanced between two ways
as I ponder, whether I should snatch him out of the sorrowful battle and set him down
still alive in the rich country of Lykia, or beat him under at the hands of the son of
Menoitios.'
In turn the lady Hera of the ox eyes answered him: 'Majesty, son of Kronos, what sort of
thing have you spoken? Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since
doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death and release him? Do it, then; but not all
the rest of us gods shall approve you. And put away in your thoughts this other thing I tell
you; if you bring Sarpedon back to his home, still living, think how then some other one
of the gods might also wish to carry his own son out of the strong encounter; since
around the great city of Priam are fighting many sons of the immortals. You will waken
grim resentment among them. No, but if he is dear to you, and your heart mourns for him,
then let him be, and let him go down in the strong encounter underneath the hands of
Patroklos, the son of Menoitios; but after the soul and the years of his life have left him,
then send Death to carry him away, and Sleep, who is painless, until they come with him
to the countryside of broad Lykia where his brothers and countrymen shall give him due
burial with tomb and gravestone. Such is the privilege of those who have perished.'
But Patroklos, with a shout to Automedon and his horses, went after Trojans and Lykians
in a huge blind fury. Besotted: had he only kept the command of Peleiades he might have
got clear away from the evil spirit of black death. But always the mind of Zeus is a
stronger thing than a man's mind. He terrifies even the warlike man, he takes away
victory lightly, when he himself has driven a man into battle as now he drove on the fury
in the heart of Patroklos.
As east wind and south wind fight it out with each other in the valleys of the mountains to
shake the deep forest timber, oak tree and ash and the cornel with the delicate bark; these
whip their wide-reaching branches against one another in inhuman noise, and the crash
goes up from the splintering timber; so Trojans and Achaiaiis springing against one
another cut men down, nor did either side think of disastrous panic, and many sharp
spears were driven home about Kebriones and many feathered arrows sprung from the
Homer, Iliad
19
bowstrings, many great throwing stones pounded against the shields, as they fought on
hard over his body, as he in the turning dust lay mightily in his might, his horsemanship
all forgotten.
So long as the sun was climbing still to the middle heaven, so long the thrown weapons
of both took hold, and men dropped under them; but when the sun had gone to the time
for unyoking of cattle, then beyond their very destiny the Achaians were stronger and
dragged the hero Kebriones from under the weapons and the clamour of the Trojans, and
stripped the armour from his shoulders.
And Patroklos charged with evil intention in on the Trojans. Three times he charged in
with the force of the running war god, screaming a terrible cry, and three times he cut
down nine men; but as for the fourth time he swept in, like something greater than
human, there, Patroklos, the end of your life was shown forth, since Phoibos came against
you there in the strong encounter dangerously, nor did Patroklos see him as he moved
through the battle, and shrouded in a deep mist came in against him and stood behind
him, and struck his back and his broad shoulders with a flat stroke of the hand so that his
eyes spun. Phoibos Apollo now struck away from his head the helmet four-horned and
hollow-eyed, and under the feet of the horses it rolled clattering, and the plumes above it
were defiled by blood and dust. Before this time it had not been permitted to defile in the
dust this great helmet crested in horse-hair; rather it guarded the head and the gracious
brow of a godlike man, Achilleus; but now Zeus gave it over to Hektor to wear on his
head, Hektor whose own death was close to him. And in his hands was splintered all the
huge, great, heavy, iron-shod, far-shadowing spear, and away from his shoulders dropped
to the ground the shield with its shield sling and its tassels. The lord Apollo, son of Zeus,
broke the corselet upon him. Disaster caught his wits, and his shining body went
nerveless.
He stood stupidly, and from close behind his back a Dardanian man hit him between the
shoulders with a sharp javelin: Euphorbos, son of Panthoos, who surpassed all men of his
own age with the throwing spear, and in horsemanship and the speed of his feet. He had
already brought down twenty men from their horses since first coming, with his chariot
and his learning in warfare. He first hit you with a thrown spear, o rider Patroklos, nor
broke you, but ran away again, snatching out the ash spear from your body, and lost
himself in the crowd, not enduring to face Patroklos, naked as he was, in close combat.
Now Patroklos, broken by the spear and the god's blow, tried to shun death and shrink
back into the swarm of his own companions. But Hektor, when he saw high-hearted
Patroklos trying to get away, saw how he was wounded with the sharp javelin, came
close against him across the ranks, and with the spear stabbed him in the depth of the
belly and drove the bronze clean through. He fell, thunderously, to the horror of all the
Achaian people. As a lion overpowers a weariless boar in wild combat as the two fight in
their pride on the high places of a mountain over a little spring of water, both wanting to
drink there, and the lion beats him down by force as he fights for his breath, so Hektor,
Priam's son, with a close spear-stroke stripped the life from the fighting son of Menoitios,
who had killed so many, and stood above him, and spoke aloud the winged words of
Homer, Iliad
20
triumph: 'Patroklos, you thought perhaps of devastating our city, of stripping from the
Trojan women the day of their liberty and dragging them off in ships to the beloved land
of your fathers. Fool! When in front of them the running horses of Hektor strained with
their swift feet into the fighting, and I with my own spear am conspicuous among the
fighting Trojans, I who beat from them the day of necessity. For you, here the vultures
shall eat you. Wretch! Achilleus, great as he was, could do nothing to help you. When he
stayed behind, and you went, he must have said much to you: "Patroklos, lord of horses,
see that you do not come back to me and the hollow ships, until you have torn in blood
the tunic of manslaughtering Hektor about his chest." In some such manner he spoke to
you, and persuaded the fool's heart in you.'
And now, dying, you answered him, o rider Patroklos: 'Now is your time for big words,
Hektor. Yours is the victory given by Kronos' son, Zeus, and Apollo, who have subdued
me easily, since they themselves stripped the arms from my shoulders. Even though
twenty such as you had come in against me, they would all have been broken beneath my
spear, and have perished. No, deadly destiny, with the son of Leto, has killed me, and of
men it was Euphorbos; you are only my third slayer. And put away in your heart this
other thing that I tell you. You yourself are not one who shall live long, but now already
death and powerful destiny are standing beside you, to go down under the hands of
Aiakos' great son, Achilleus.'
He spoke, and as he spoke the end of death closed in upon him, and the soul fluttering
free of his limbs went down into Death's house mourning her destiny, leaving youth and
manhood behind her. Now though he was a dead man glorious Hektor spoke to him:
'Patroklos, what is this prophecy of my headlong destruction? Who knows if even
Achilleus, son of lovely-haired Thetis, might before this be struck by my spear, and his
own life perish?'
He spoke, and setting his heel upon him wrenched out the bronze spear from the wound,
then spurned him away on his back from the spear.
Thereafter armed with the spear he went on, aiming a cast at Automedon, the godlike
henchman for the swift-footed son of Aiakos, with the spear as he was carried away by
those swift and immortal horses the gods had given as shining gifts to Peleus.
Book 17
Menelaos fight Euphorbos over Patroklos' body and kills him, but is then forced to
withdraw before Hektor and the Trojans. Hektor strips the armor from Patroklos' corpse,
but Aias and Menelaos together are able to take a stand over the body. This causes a
crisis of confidence among the Trojans, and Glaukos denounces Hektor. Hektor
withdraws and dons the armor of Achilleus, then summons the Trojans for another try at
Patroklos' body. Battle rages on at length over the corpse. In a short interlude, we see the
immortal horses of Achilleus grieving over the death of Patroklos, until Zeus breathes
new life into them and they carry the charioteer Automedon back into the fray. The focus
shifts briefly away from the struggle for Patroklos' body as Hektor and Aineias try,
Homer, Iliad
21
without success, to to capture the divine horses. Athene intervenes to inspire Menelaos,
but Apollo encourages Hektor, and with Zeus' help the Trojans begin to gain the upper
hand. At the insistance of Aias, Menelaos sends Antilochos to get word to Achilleus that
Patroklos' corpse is in danger of being dragged away by the Trojans. But the issue is
decided when Menelaos and Meriones are able to carry the body back to the ships, while
the two Aiantes hold the Trojans at bay.
Book 18 (beginning)
Antilochos reports the death of Patroklos to Achilleus, whose cry of woe reaches the ears
of Thetis. She leads all the nymphs in a song of mourning (threnody), then goes to see
Achilleus. He explains that Patroklos is dead, and mother and son grieve together, both
knowing that this means Achilleus must reenter the battle and eventually die young at
Troy. Without admitting fault, Achilleus regrets that there is such a thing as anger among
men. Thetis agrees that he must fight now, but tells him to wait while she fetches new
armor from Hephaistos. Meanwhile on the battlefield Hektor again threatens to win
Patroklos' body. On Iris' instructions, Achilleus steps out beside the ditch and shouts his
war cry. This, together with Athene's own shout and a terrifying flame she creates above
Achilleus' head, is enough to frighten off the Trojans and to get Patroklos' body back to
Achilleus' shelter. The Trojans withdraw and assemble; Poulydamas suggests that they
retreat within the walls and defend the city rather than face Achilleus on the plain. But
Hektor rejects this good advice and declares himself ready to take on Achilleus. In
ceremony over Patroklos' body, Achilleus swears not to bury him until Hektor's head and
body lie beside their shelter. He also promises to decorate Patroklos' funeral pyre with
the heads of twelve Trojans (human sacrifice). Hera acknowledges to Zeus that she is
happy about Achilleus' return. Now Thetis arrives at Hephaistos' workshop
Book 18: The Shield of Achilleus
'Why is it, Thetis of the light robes, you have come to our house now? We honour you
and love you; but you have not come much before this. Speak forth what is in your mind.
My heart is urgent to do it if I can, and if it is a thing that can be accomplished.'
Then in turn Thetis answered him, letting the tears fall: 'Hephaistos, is there among all
the goddesses on Olympos one who in her heart has endured so many grim sorrows as the
griefs Zeus, son of Kronos, has given me beyond others? Of all the other sisters of the sea
he gave me to a mortal, to Peleus, Aiakos' son, and I had to endure mortal marriage
though much against my will. And now he, broken by mournful old age, lies away in his
halls. Yet I have other troubles. For since he has given me a son to bear and to raise up
conspicuous among heroes, and he shot up like a young tree, I nurtured him, like a tree
grown in the pride of the orchard. I sent him away in the curved ships to the land of Ilion
to fight with the Trojans; but I shall never again receive him home again to his country
and into the house of Peleus. Yet while I see him live and he looks on the sunlight, he has
sorrows, and though I go to him I can do nothing to help him. And the girl the sons of the
Homer, Iliad
22
Achaians chose out for his honour powerful Agamemnon took her away again out of his
hands. For her his heart has been wasting in sorrow; but meanwhile the Trojans pinned
the Achaians against their grounded ships, and would not let them win outside, and the
elders of the Argives entreated my son, and named the many glorious gifts they would
give him. But at that time he refused himself to fight the death from them; nevertheless
he put his own armour upon Patroklos and sent him into the fighting, and gave many men
to go with him. All day they fought about the Skaian Gates, and on that day they would
have stormed the city, if only Phoibos Apollo had not killed the fighting son of Menoitios
there in the first ranks after he had wrought much damage, and given the glory to Hektor.
Therefore now I come to your knees; so might you be willing to give me for my shortlived son a shield and a helmet and two beautiful greaves fitted with clasps for the ankles
and a corselet. What he had was lost with his steadfast companion when the Trojans
killed him. Now my son lies on the ground, heart sorrowing.'
Hearing her the renowned smith of the strong arms answered her: 'Do not fear. Let not
these things be a thought in your mind. And I wish that I could hide him away from death
and its sorrow at that time when his hard fate comes upon him, as surely as there shall be
fine armour for him, such as another man out of many men shall wonder at, when he
looks on it.'
So he spoke, and left her there, and went to his bellows. He turned these toward the fire
and gave them their orders for working. And the bellows, all twenty of them, blew on the
crucibles, from all directions blasting forth wind to blow the flames high now as he
hurried to be at this place and now at another, wherever Hephaistos might wish them to
blow, and the work went forward.
He cast on the fire bronze which is weariless, and tin with it and valuable gold, and silver,
and thereafter set forth upon its standard the great anvil, and gripped in one hand the
ponderous hammer, while in the other he grasped the pincers.
First of all he forged a shield that was huge and heavy, elaborating it about, and
threw around it a shining triple rim that glittered, and the shield strap was cast of
silver. There were five folds composing the shield itself, and upon it he elaborated
many things in his skill and craftsmanship.
He made the earth upon it, and the sky, and the sea's water, and the tireless sun, and the
moon waxing into her fullness, and on it all the constellations that festoon the heavens,
the Pleiades and the Hyades and the strength of Orion and the Bear, whom men give also
the name of the Wagon, who turns about in a fixed place and looks at Orion and she
alone is never plunged in the wash of the Ocean.
On it he wrought in all their beauty two cities of mortal men. And there were marriages in
one, and festivals. They were leading the brides along the city from their maiden
chambers under the flaring of torches, and the loud bride song was arising. The young
men followed the circles of the dance, and among them the flutes and lyres kept up their
Homer, Iliad
23
clamour as in the meantime the women standing each at the door of her court admired
them. The people were assembled in the market place, where a quarrel had arisen, and
two men were disputing over the blood price for a man who had been killed. One man
promised full restitution in a public statement, but the other refused and would accept
nothing. Both then made for an arbitrator, to have a decision; and people were speaking
up on either side, to help both men. But the heralds kept the people in hand, as meanwhile
the elders were in session on benches of polished stone in the sacred circle and held in
their hands the staves of the heralds who lift their voices. The two men rushed before
these, and took turns speaking their cases, and between them lay on the ground two
talents of gold, to be given to that judge who in this case spoke the straightest opinion.
But around the other city were lying two forces of armed men shining in their war gear.
For one side counsel was divided whether to storm and sack, or share between both sides
the property and all the possessions the lovely citadel held hard within it. But the city's
people were not giving way, and armed for an ambush. Their beloved wives and their
little children stood on the rampart to hold it, and with them the men with age upon them,
but meanwhile the others went out. And Ares led them, and Pallas Athene. These were
gold, both, and golden raiment upon them, and they were beautiful and huge in their
armour, being divinities, and conspicuous from afar, but the people around them were
smaller. These, when they were come to the place that was set for their ambush, in a
river, where there was a watering place for all animals, there they sat down in place
shrouding themselves in the bright bronze. But apart from these were sitting two men to
watch for the rest of them and waiting until they could see the sheep and the shambling
cattle, who appeared presently, and two herdsmen went along with them playing happily
on pipes, and took no thought of the treachery. Those others saw them, and made a rush,
and quickly thereafter cut off on both sides the herds of cattle and the beautiful flocks of
shining sheep, and killed the shepherds upon them. But the other army, as soon as they
heard the uproar arising from the cattle, as they sat in their councils, suddenly mounted
behind their light-foot horses, and went after, and soon overtook them.
These stood their ground and fought a battle by the banks of the river, and they were
making casts at each other with their spears bronze-headed; and Hate was there with
Confusion among them, and Death the destructive; she was holding a live man with a
new wound, and another one unhurt, and dragged a dead man by the feet through the
carnage. The clothing upon her shoulders showed strong red with the men's blood. All
closed together like living men and fought with each other and dragged away from each
other the corpses of those who had fallen.
He made upon it a soft field, the pride of the tilled land, wide and triple-ploughed, with
many ploughmen upon it who wheeled their teams at the turn and drove them in either
direction. And as these making their turn would reach the end-strip of the field, a man
would come up to them at this point and hand them a flagon of honey-sweet wine, and
they would turn again to the furrows in their haste to come again to the end-strip of the
deep field. The earth darkened behind them and looked like earth that has been ploughed
though it was gold. Such was the wonder of the shield's forging.
Homer, Iliad
24
He made on it the precinct of a king, where the labourers were reaping, with the sharp
reaping hooks in their hands. Of the cut swathes some fell along the lines of reaping, one
after another, while the sheaf-binders caught up others and tied them with bind-ropes.
There were three sheaf-binders who stood by, and behind them were children picking up
the cut swathes, and filled their arms with them and carried and gave them always; and
by them the king in silence and holding his staff stood near the line of the reapers,
happily. And apart and under a tree the heralds made a feast ready and trimmed a great ox
they had slaughtered. Meanwhile the women scattered, for the workmen to eat, abundant
white barley.
He made on it a great vineyard heavy with clusters, lovely and in gold, but the grapes
upon it were darkened and the vines themselves stood out through poles of silver. About
them he made a field-ditch of dark metal, and drove all around this a fence of tin; and
there was only one path to the vineyard, and along it ran the grape-bearers for the
vineyard's stripping. Young girls and young men, in all their light-hearted innocence,
carried the kind, sweet fruit away in their woven baskets, and in their midst a youth with
a singing lyre played charmingly upon it for them, and sang the beautiful song for Linos
in a light voice, and they followed him, and with singing and whistling and light dancesteps of their feet kept time to the music.
He made upon it a herd of horn-straight oxen. The cattle were wrought of gold and of tin,
and thronged in speed and with lowing out of the dung of the farmyard to a pasturing
place by a sounding river, and beside the moving field of a reed bed. The herdsmen were
of gold who went along with the cattle, four of them, and nine dogs shifting their feet
followed them. But among the foremost of the cattle two formidable lions had caught
hold of a bellowing bull, and he with loud lowings was dragged away, as the dogs and the
young men went in pursuit of him. But the two lions, breaking open the hide of the great
ox, gulped the black blood and the inward guts, as meanwhile the herdsmen were in the
act of setting and urging the quick dogs on them. But they, before they could get their
teeth in, turned back from the lions but would come and take their stand very close, and
bayed, and kept clear
And the renowned smith of the strong arms made on it a meadow large and in a lovely
valley for the glimmering sheepflocks, with dwelling places upon it, and covered shelters,
and sheepfolds.
And the renowned smith of the strong arms made elaborate on it a dancing floor, like that
which once in the wide spaces of Knosos Daidalos built for Ariadne of the lovely tresses.
And there were young men on it and young girls, sought for their beauty with gifts of
oxen, dancing, and holding hands at the wrist. These wore, the maidens long light robes,
but the men wore tunics of finespun work and shining softly, touched with olive oil. And
the girls wore fair garlands on their heads, while the young men carried golden knives
that hung from sword-belts of silver. At whiles on their understanding feet they would
run very lightly, as when a potter crouching makes trial of his wheel, holding it close in
his hands, to see if it will run smooth. At another time they would form rows, and run,
rows crossing each other. And around the lovely chorus of dancers stood a great
Homer, Iliad
25
multitude happily watching, while among the dancers two acrobats led the measures of
song and dance revolving among them.
He made on it the great strength of the Ocean River which ran around the uttermost rim
of the shield's strong structure.
Then after he had wrought this shield, which was huge and heavy, he wrought for him a
corselet brighter than fire in its shining, and wrought him a helmet, massive and fitting
close to his temples, lovely and intricate work, and laid a gold top-ridge along it, and out
of pliable tin wrought him leg-armour. Thereafter when the renowned smith of the strong
arms had finished the armour he lifted it and laid it before the mother of Achilleus. And
she like a hawk came sweeping down from the snows of Olympos and carried with her
the shining armour, the gift of Hephaistos.
Short Summary of Books 19-22
XIX. Achilles renounces his wrath. He is reconciled to Agamemnon before the
assemble of the Greek host. He makes ready to go forth to war with them; the
horses are yoked to his chariot; when the horse Xanthus speaks with human voice,
and foretells the doom of Achilles.
XX.
The gods come down from Olympus to join in the fight on the Trojan plain--some
with the Greeks, some with the Trojans. Achilles fights with Aeneas, who is
saved by Poseidon; and with Hector, who is saved by Apollo.
XXI. The River-god Scamander fights with Achilles, who is saved by Hephaestus.
Long Summary Click Here
Book 22
So along the city the Trojans, who had run like fawns, dried the sweat off from their
bodies and drank and slaked their thirst, leaning along the magnificent battlements.
Meanwhile the Achaians sloping their shields across their shoulders came close to the
rampart. But his deadly fate held Hektor shackled, so that he stood fast in front of Ilion
and the Skaian gates. Now Phoibos Apollo spoke aloud to Peleion: 'Why, son of Peleus,
do you keep after me in the speed of your feet, being mortal while I am an immortal god?
Even yet you have not seen that I am a god, but strain after me in your fury. Now hard
fighting with the Trojans whom you stampeded means nothing to you. They are crowded
in the city, but you bent away here. You will never kill me. I am not one who is fated.'
Deeply vexed Achilleus of the swift feet spoke to him: 'You have balked me, striker from
afar, most malignant of all gods, when you turned me here away from the rampart, else
many Trojans would have caught the soil in their teeth before they got back into Ilion.
Now you have robbed me of great glory, and rescued these people lightly, since you have
no retribution to fear hereafter. Else I would punish you, if only the strength were in me.'
Homer, Iliad
26
He spoke, and stalked away against the city, with high thoughts in mind, and in tearing
speed, like a racehorse with his chariot who runs lightly as he pulls the chariot over the
flat land. Such was the action of Achilleus in feet and quick knees.
The aged Priam was the first of all whose eyes saw him as he swept across the flat land in
full shining, like that star which comes on in the autumn and whose conspicuous
brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's darkening, the star they
give the name of Orion's Dog, which is brightest among the stars, and yet is wrought as a
sign of evil and brings on the great fever for unfortunate mortals. Such was the flare of
the bronze that girt his chest in his running. The old man groaned aloud and with both
hands high uplifted beat his head, and groaned amain, and spoke supplicating his beloved
son, who there still in front of the gateway stood fast in determined fury to fight with
Achilleus. The old man stretching his hands out called pitifully to him: 'Hektor, beloved
child, do not wait the attack of this man alone, away from the others. You might
encounter your destiny beaten down by Peleion, since he is far stronger than you are. A
hard man: I wish he were as beloved of the immortal as loved by me. Soon he would lie
dead, and the dogs and the vultures would eat him, and bitter sorrow so be taken from my
heart. He has made me desolate of my sons, who were brave and many. He killed them,
or sold them away among the far-lying islands. Even now there are two sons, Lykaon and
Polydoros, whom I cannot see among the Trojans pent up in the city, sons Laothoe a
princess among women bore to me. But if these are alive somewhere in the army, then I
can set them free for bronze and gold; it is there inside, since Altes the aged and
renowned gave much with his daughter. But if they are dead already and gone down to
the house of Hades, it is sorrow to our hearts, who bore them, myself and their mother,
but to the rest of the people a sorrow that will be fleeting beside their sorrow for you, if
you go down before Achilleus. Come then inside the wall, my child, so that you can
rescue the Trojans and the women of Troy, neither win the high glory for Peleus' son, and
yourself be robbed of your very life. Oh, take pity on me, the unfortunate still alive, still
sentient but ill-starred, whom the father, Kronos' son, on the threshold of old age will
blast with hard fate, after I have looked upon evils and seen my sons destroyed and my
daughters dragged away captive and the chambers of marriage wreck...
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