Ivana's review of the Iliad by Homer (Books I-VII)

Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I'll review the Iliad by Homer. I will also show you three different ways to style a maxi pink dress. Helen of Troy is often portrayed in a pink dress for symbolic reasons, and I could not resist sneaking in a little sustainable fashion moment into this book review post. I review a lot of classics on my blog, and I actually reread and interpret classics all the time. So, I thought, why not start publishing classical book reviews in the chronological order?  In my last post, I reviewed the Mesopotamian the Epic of Gilgamesh, and today I've got another epic poem review for you, this time not a Mesopotamian, but a Greek one. I will not review the entire epic, just the first seven books of the epic. Hence, there will be more than one review of the Iliad on my blog, this is only part one.

The Iliad by Homer is one of the most influential works of literature even published. The Iliad and the Odyssey can be said Homer's principal works, his legacy to the world. Although, the Homeric question remains open on some accounts, and it is a complex and multilayered question, both of these epic poems show a clear design, so it is unlikely that they were merely composed by adding different preexisting poems together. Therefore, they remain attributed to Homer, even if scholars continue to debate on the subject of its authorship. Whoever the author might be (and it might as well have been Homer), he probably relied on tradition and inserted existing verses and perhaps even composed episodes into these epic poems. In some sense, some parts of the Iliad  and the Odyssey might have existed before Homer, but the public still credits the composition of both the Iliad and the Odyssey to him.  I personally see both of these poems as the work of same author, who relied on the Greek tradition and drew from preexisting poems and myths. 

 As you might know, The Iliad and The Odyssey are not only foundational works of ancient Greek literature, but of European literature in general. These two most famous epic poems of ancient times feel connected both within, and one with another, both composed of 24 books (or rhapsodies) and written in dactylic hexameter.  The Iliad focuses on Greek and Trojan war, while the Odyssey focuses on the journey of a Greek king home.  

In this review, I will focus on the Iliad, the epic poem has been read and enjoyed but for more than two millenniums. What makes it so popular? What made it so popular for so long?  The Iliad  has been adapted for both the big and small screen, it inspired comic books, paintings and other numerous works of literature. European literature as we know is impossible to understand without the Iliad. Ever since it was composed, in the eight or seventh century BC,  the Iliad has moved people. 

What fascinates me about literature is how it is both universal and personal. While the value of literature is universal, there is also a personal aspect of it. Reading a book is a wonderfully personal experience, is it not? The readers why we can appreciate a work of art can be both personal and universal. We can enjoy it for its inherited value, but we can also relate to it on more levels than one. The Iliad is one such work for me. I can appreciate its immense value from a historical, cultural and even civilization aspect. However, here is also a more personal value it has had for me ever since I first  read it. In this post, I shall write from both points of you, from my personal experience of reading the Iliad , and from my professional one. Shall we start with a more professional review, and move onto the personal later? 

The Iliad does not tell us about the entirety of Trojan war, that lasted about a decade, it tells us only of 51 days of the war, and it focuses on key events during those fifty-one days. This epic poem does not tell of the fall of Troy. The Iliad finishes before the end of war and it does not tell us of how the war ended. Unlike what is implied by some popular film adaptations, the Iliad does retell the fall of Troy nor does it features a Trojan horse. In fact, the Trojan horse was Odysseus idea, and we learn of it from the the Odysseys. 

In this post, I'll use quotes from project Gutenberg, translation by Samuel Buter (for no particular reason). I do not speak either modern or ancient Greek, so on translations I must rely. I checked out several English translations that exist in the public domain, while writing this review, but honestly I kind of prefer translations in other languages that I read. I read Iliad in two or three other languages. However, since this review is in English, I'll use the English translations for my quotes. . 

It starts in medias res, with no introduction. This is actually a standard for epic poetry. The Iliad set the standard that was copied by thousands of European writers of epic poetry. Why it does not start with an introduction and an explanation? To understand that, we must understand that for someone living in that date and time, these events would have been common knowledge. Homer had no need to explains the Trojan war to his audience before he or the other narrators started reciting. The audience knew the story. It was their myth and their history. Greek tradition that the Greeks of that time would have been familiar with. 

Now, the Iliad is a long poem. In English, the 24 parts of it are referred as books, not chapters. It would have been recited over a course of several evenings. The narrative thus opens in medias res, at the centre of things, and proceeds from there. During the narrative, however, there are often long digressions and retardations, where the principal characters and their armour are described or other side plots explored. In literary terms, retardation is a literary device where the poet slows down the main narrative. This is done to add debt and sometimes symbolism to the main narrative, and also to make the audience wonder what will happen. Retardation can create a moment of suspense, and perhaps also give audience time to emotionally and intellectually process what they heart. Digressions are also a literary device often applied in the Iliad, and they are basically when the poet takes us ways from the main narrative to share personal histories or myths of its principal characters. 

BOOK I 

The poem opens with the invocation to the muse (goddess) asking her to sing of the rage of Achilles. The wrath of Achilles is at the very centre of the Iliad, brough forward in the first verse.  This wrath propels events forward, as readers we learn of the consequence of this wrath immediately. The poem tells us right away that many a brave soul died because of Achilles death and what is even worse they became a prey to dogs and vultures. Now, I need to stop for  a moment to explain the significance of this. The ancient Greeks believed that without a proper burial, a soul of the deceased could not go to heaven. So, by becoming a prey to dogs and vultures, these warriors are losing eternal life, a fate much worse than death. In addition, it mentions god Jove and his role in events, foreshadowing that gods play an important part in this epic. 

Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, 

that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. 

Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades,

 and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, 

for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day 

on which the son of Atreus, king of men, 

and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.*

Gods in this epic poem play a very active role. At times, it might even seem that the humans are their playthings. Gods in this epic often pick favourites and stand by them. For example, gods will often take offense if someone harms their priest, possibly because they see it as a personal insult. Although, gods can also switch sides on a whim or under under influence of other gods, and abandon those who worship them. Ancient Greeks did not have a single god they believed in, they had many, and all of them would get involved at times, sometimes masking as humans, to the obvious confusion of ordinary mortals. Anyhow, the next verses tell us  not only which god caused the quarrel between the Greek hero Achilles and the leader of Greeks, but also why. 

And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel?

 It was the son of Jove and Leto;

 for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence

 upon the host to plague the people, 

because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest. 

Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, 

and had brought with him a great ransom: 

moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo 

wreathed with a suppliant’s wreath, 

and he besought the Achaeans, 

but most of all the two sons of Atreus, 

who were their chiefs.

The son of Atreus, the one who dishonoured Chryses, the priest of Jove, by stealing his daughter and keeping her as a slave, is Agamemnon. Chryses asks for his daughter from sons of Atreus (Menelej and Agamemnon) as they are chiefs of the Greek. 

“Sons of Atreus,” he cried, “and all other Achaeans, 

may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, 

and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, 

in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove.”

The old man, priest Chryses, comes humbly before the commanders who have captured his daughter, wishes them good luck and asks for her return. It is clear that he is a man who loves her daughter above all else. He risks him life coming in front of an enemy, ready to give them gifts, in order to buy her of the captivity. I found this moment very touching, as we can see free paternal love free of anything else. The old man values the life of his daughter more than any riches, and is ready to do anything to have her back. He is also collected and does not speak in anger, knowing that by doing so, he would jeopardize not only himself, and possibly also his daughter. He respects decorum, and hopes the commanders will answer him respectfully. There is a lesson to learn here, one of many that can be learn in the Iliad. 

 Homer here refers to the Greeks as Acheans (and it other places also as Danaans or Argives). Anyhow, the events in this epic happen towards the end of the war, approximately in the tenth year of fighting. If you remember your history, you know that there was more than one kind in Greece. Odysseus for example, who appears in this epic as well, was also a Greek king, but a minor king, a king of Ithaka. There is a ruler who commands them all and that is Agamemnon.  The  Achaean assembled army consists of different Greek armies joined together, and lead by their kings and princes, with king of Mycenae Agamemnon serving as the main commander.  As you can imagine, much depends on his commanding skills, now in the tenth year of war.

On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest

 and taking the ransom that he offered; 

but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away.

Priest Chryses tactics worked on the rest of the Greek army and kings, but not on their leader, who sent the man away against the wishes of others. This is an important moment, because it shows that the leader of the army listens neither to his men, nor to the other kings, nor to his own brother. Apparently all the Greeks agreed to the elderly's priest moving request to buy off his daughter, respecting his old age, his politeness and the sincerity of his paternal feelings. Only Agamemnon shows no respect to the priest who had but a moment ago addressed all of them with proper politeness and decorum. What is worst, Agamemnon insults the priest, speaking harshly to him, insulting even his god Apollo, and making vulgar remarks about his daughter. It seems like Agamemnon cannot stoop any longer. If you know Greek myths and tragedies, you will know he is quite a depictable character, so maybe this vulgarity will not surprise you.

 “Old man,” said he, 

“let me not find you tarrying about our ships,

 nor yet coming hereafter. 

Your sceptre of the god 

and your wreath shall profit you nothing. 

I will not free her. 

She shall grow old in my house at Argos far from her own home, 

busying herself with her loom and visiting my couch;

so go, and do not provoke me or it shall be the worse for you.”

The old man leaves, seeing there is nothing to do, and prays to his god with tears in eyes. Again, I'm impressed by the character of the old man. Unable to achieve his end in a tactical manner, he turns to strategy, he prays to the god he adores, and that is Apollo. Another lesson to learn, sometimes we should not be afraid to ask for help. If we cannot solve a problem ourselves, why not turn to a higher power. For some it can be a deity, for someone who does not believe in deities, it can be something more abstract.  The act of praying or just believing in something more can be very meaningful in many ways.

"The old man feared him and obeyed. Not a word he spoke, but went by the shore of the sounding sea and prayed apart to King Apollo whom lovely Leto had borne. “Hear me,” he cried, “O god of the silver bow, that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla and rulest Tenedos with thy might, hear me oh thou of Sminthe. If I have ever decked your temple with garlands, or burned your thigh-bones in fat of bulls or goats, grant my prayer, and let your arrows avenge these my tears upon the Danaans.” "

How much can we learn from Chryses, that is, Chryseis' father! Nowadays, there are men who sell their daughters or kills them in the name of 'honour', while for priest Chryses his daughter is his honour, something he values above all else. He sheds tears for her, and god Apollo answers his prayers. Now, the gods of Greek mythology are multilayered. One never knows whether they are honestly moved by the prayers, or acting because they feel themselves wrong. In this instance, I'm not sure does Apollo really feels for the grieving father, or does he feels himself wronged by Agamemnon's words. Perhaps both. At any rate, Apollo does help and decides to revenge the old priest and attack the Greeks. 

"Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his prayer. 

He came down furious from the summits of Olympus, 

with his bow and his quiver upon his shoulder, 

and the arrows rattled on his back with the rage that trembled within him. 

He sat himself down away from the ships with a face as dark as night,

 and his silver bow rang death as he shot his arrow in the midst of them. 

First he smote their mules and their hounds, 

but presently he aimed his shafts at the people themselves, 

and all day long the pyres of the dead were burning."

Apollo's attack is formidable, and described as almost a plague upon the Greeks, with the pyres of the dead during all day. So, we see that the might of the gods is great. It is also interesting how the Greek gods are divided. Some of them are for the Greeks, but some of them are actually on the side of the Trojans. If we understand who started the war in the first place, we can see how the will of gods is a complex thing. Humans can feel like mere toys in the hands of the gods. Moreover, Greek gods are not always benevolent. Sometimes they get angry, and there is hell to pay.  Anyhow, now is Achilles time to shine. Achilles is one of principal warriors, and much depends upon his participation in events. We are told that on the ninth day, Achilles, inspired by Jove, looks for solution. This ninth day reminds us of the war itself, as the Greeks have been fighting for nine years up to this point, so perhaps there is symbolism in that. Of course, as readers we know the cause of the Apollo's actions, and presumably do so does the Greek army. In fact, they all agreed that the daughter should be returned to her father. However, Achilles does not attack Agamemnon directly, but rather asks a question to what might be causing the wrath of Apollo, and calling up to a priest to answer. So, Achilles shows a bit of tact and perhaps even strategy by looking for an authority figure to back him up, and perhaps also to remind the Greek of the cause, and the one who is at fault.

For nine whole days he shot his arrows among the people, but upon the tenth day Achilles called them in assembly—moved thereto by Juno, who saw the Achaeans in their death-throes and had compassion upon them. Then, when they were got together, he rose and spoke among them.

“Son of Atreus,” said he, “I deem that we should now turn roving home if we would escape destruction, for we are being cut down by war and pestilence at once. Let us ask some priest or prophet, or some reader of dreams (for dreams, too, are of Jove) who can tell us why Phoebus Apollo is so angry, and say whether it is for some vow that we have broken, or hecatomb that we have not offered, and whether he will accept the savour of lambs and goats without blemish, so as to take away the plague from us.”

With these words he sat down, and Calchas son of Thestor, wisest of augurs, who knew things past present and to come, rose to speak. He it was who had guided the Achaeans with their fleet to Ilius, through the prophesyings with which Phoebus Apollo had inspired him. With all sincerity and goodwill he addressed them thus:—

“Achilles, loved of heaven, you bid me tell you about the anger of King Apollo, I will therefore do so; but consider first and swear that you will stand by me heartily in word and deed, for I know that I shall offend one who rules the Argives with might, to whom all the Achaeans are in subjection. A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it. Consider, therefore, whether or no you will protect me.”

An augur (that is a priest) steps forward to explain Apollo's acts, but asks of Achilles to promise to protect. Indeed, the man might be aware that Agamemnon would not like what he has to say. We can imagine that all Greeks are silent because they are afraid of what Agamemnon would do.  Achilles assures him of his protection, and the priest gets to the heart of the matter, asking them to free Chryseis in order to appease Apollo: 

And Achilles answered, “Fear not, but speak as it is borne in upon you from heaven, for by Apollo, Calchas, to whom you pray, and whose oracles you reveal to us, not a Danaan at our ships shall lay his hand upon you, while I yet live to look upon the face of the earth—no, not though you name Agamemnon himself, who is by far the foremost of the Achaeans.”

Thereon the seer spoke boldly. “The god,” he said, “is angry neither about vow nor hecatomb, but for his priest’s sake, whom Agamemnon has dishonoured, in that he would not free his daughter nor take a ransom for her; therefore has he sent these evils upon us, and will yet send others. He will not deliver the Danaans from this pestilence till Agamemnon has restored the girl without fee or ransom to her father, and has sent a holy hecatomb to Chryse. Thus we may perhaps appease him.”

Agamemnon is mad at the priest, and calls his words evil, but decides to give in, or so it seems. I think at this point, Agamemnon can see that the Greeks will turn against him, and he is not entirely stupid, even if he seems to be entirely evil. Most of Homer's character are complex, but not this one. Agamemnon suddenly speaks differently about the priest's daughter. When the priest wanted to buy her, he vulgarly said why he plans to keep her. Now, he suddenly claims he loves her, and compares her to his wife, to whom she is accordingly equal. If you know Greek myths, you know that Agamemnon did not treat his wife well either, so this comparison tells us little apart from the fact that Agamemnon tries to make it as if he is doing a great sacrifice. By mentioning his wife and praising her, and praising the Chryseis in comparison, he perhaps trying to present like he made a great sacrifice first by abandoning his wife for the sake of war, and now Chryseis. Like all of the men did not abandon everything for the sake of the war. Agamemnon does not settles for just putting on a show of victimhood, he demands something in return. 

With these words he sat down, 

and Agamemnon rose in anger. 

His heart was black with rage,

 and his eyes flashed fire 

as he scowled on Calchas and said, 

“Seer of evil, you never yet prophesied 

smooth things concerning me, 

but have ever loved to foretell

 that which was evil. 

You have brought me neither comfort nor performance;

 and now you come seeing among Danaans, 

and saying that Apollo has plagued us because

 I would not take a ransom for this girl,

 the daughter of Chryses. 

I have set my heart on keeping her in my own house, 

for I love her better even than my own wife Clytemnestra, 

whose peer she is alike in form and feature, 

in understanding and accomplishments. 

Still I will give her up if I must, 

for I would have the people live, not die; 

but you must find me a prize instead, 

or I alone among the Argives shall be without one. 

This is not well; for you behold, all of you, 

that my prize is to go elsewhither.”

Archilles gives him a pretty reasonable answer by telling him that they cannot give them what there is not. Archilles promises that he can be rewarded three times more when they take over Troy. Afterall, why should Greek heroes give him what they earned themselves. Had Agamemnon accepted the priest's offerings for his daughter, he could have been rewarded. Agamemnon arrogance caused deaths of numerous Greeks. Of course, as modern readers we can say that we think it is terrible that anyone should be taken as a spoil of war. The very idea seems horrible. However, to the Greeks of the time, it was within their legal rights as warriors. From their point of view, they committed no wrong. They fought in accordance and behaved in accordance to cultural and religious rules of their time. Agamemnon is the one who broke the rules, who ignored the will of Greeks, who insulted the old man and god Apollo himself.  Achilles in this sense, seems more honourable. At least that is how I perceived him, and I found his reply logical:

"And Achilles answered,

 “Most noble son of Atreus, 

covetous beyond all mankind, 

how shall the Achaeans 

find you another prize? 

We have no common store from which to take one. 

Those we took from the cities

 have been awarded;

 we cannot disallow the awards 

that have been made already. 

Give this girl, therefore, to the god, 

if ever Jove grants us to sack the city of Troy

 we will requite you three and fourfold.”"

Achilles answer makes perfect sense, and is accordance with Greek customs and traditions of the time. We can assume that Achilles cares little for Agamemnon, but he keeps decorum, addressing him with kind words. Agamemnon, on the other hand, decides to take away Achilles' captured woman Briseis. 

Then Agamemnon said, 

“Achilles, valiant though you be, 

you shall not thus outwit me. 

You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. 

Are you to keep your own prize, 

while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? 

Let the Achaeans find me a prize in fair exchange to my liking, 

or I will come and take your own, 

or that of Ajax or of Ulysses;

 and he to whomsoever I may come shall rue my coming. 

But of this we will take thought hereafter; 

for the present, let us draw a ship into the sea, 

and find a crew for her expressly; 

let us put a hecatomb on board, and let us send Chryseis also; 

further, let some chief man among us be in command, 

either Ajax, or Idomeneus, or yourself, son of Peleus, 

mighty warrior that you are, 

that we may offer sacrifice and appease the anger of the god.” 

This is where Achilles looses his calm and accuses Agamemnon of being lustful of gain. He also reminded him that it is for the honour of Agamemnon and his brother that they fight, and not for their own. Achilles also points us that Agamemnon is always rewarded the best spoils, even if Achilles is the superior warrior. Achilles' fighting skills are legendary, and through his Nereid mother, he has divine as well as mortal blood. It is easy to understand why he feels wronged. I think here Agamemnon serves as a typical figure of an unjust ruler or a tyrant, someone who cares primarily for his own gain. Archilles' complaints feel more than valid.

Achilles scowled at him and answered, 

“You are steeped in insolence and lust of gain. 

With what heart can any of the Achaeans do your bidding, 

either on foray or in open fighting? 

I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. 

I have no quarrel with them. 

They have not raided my cattle nor my horses, 

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

for between me and them there is a great space, 

both mountain and sounding sea. 

We have followed you, Sir Insolence! 

for your pleasure, not ours—to gain satisfaction from the Trojans

 for your shameless self and for Menelaus. 

You forget this, and threaten to rob me

 of the prize for which I have toiled,

 and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me.

 Never when the Achaeans sack any rich city of the Trojan

s do I receive so good a prize as you do, 

though it is my hands that do the better part of the fighting. 

When the sharing comes, your share is far the largest, 

and I, forsooth, must go back to my ships,

 take what I can get and be thankful, 

when my labour of fighting is done.

 Now, therefore, I shall go back to Phthia; 

it will be much better for me to return home with my ships,

 for I will not stay here dishonoured to gather gold and substance for you.”

Agamemnon does not hold back now either, he insults Achilles, saying he is only brave because heaven made him so, alluding perhaps to his heavenly lineage, and saying he cares not if he leaves them. He also says he hates no other king the way he hates Achilles. Well, at this point Achilles is a prince, because his father the king is still alive, I think but maybe he uses the word king to point out to his royal lineage (or is it a translator's choice?). 

And Agamemnon answered, “Fly if you will, 

I shall make you no prayers to stay you. 

I have others here who will do me honour, 

above all Jove, the lord of counsel. 

There is no king here so hateful to me as you are, 

for you are ever quarrelsome and ill-affected. 

What though you be brave?

 Was it not heaven that made you so? 

Go home, then, with your ships and comrades

 to lord it over the Myrmidons. 

I care neither for you nor for your anger;

 and thus will I do: 

since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, 

I shall send her with my ship and my followers, 

but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, 

that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, 

and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me.”

As might be expected, Achilles is furious and plans to kill Agamemnon on the spot, but he is saved by the intervention of Minerva. Again, we can see that the gods plays an important role. Fate is a strong theme in the Iliad. It is fated that the Troy must fall, and it will, it is fated that Achilles will die in Trojan war and achieve glory, it is also fated that he does not kill Agamemnon at this point. So, a goddess appears, and Achilles obeys her. Achilles is, as we can see, obedient to the gods. He himself is a son of a Nereid Thesis, a sea nymph. 

The son of Peleus was furious, 

and his heart within his shaggy breast 

was divided whether to draw his sword, 

push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, 

or to restrain himself and check his anger. 

While he was thus in two minds, 

and was drawing his mighty sword from its scabbard, 

Minerva came down from heaven

 (for Juno had sent her in the love she bore to them both), 

and seized the son of Peleus by his yellow hair, 

visible to him alone, for of the others no man could see her. 

Achilles turned in amaze, and by the fire 

that flashed from her eyes at once knew that she was Minerva.

 “Why are you here,” said he, “daughter of aegis-bearing Jove? 

To see the pride of Agamemnon, son of Atreus? 

Let me tell you—and it shall surely be—

he shall pay for this insolence with his life.”

And Minerva said, “I come from heaven, 

if you will hear me, to bid you stay your anger.

 Juno has sent me, who cares for both of you alike. 

Cease, then, this brawling, and do not draw your sword; 

rail at him if you will, and your railing will not be vain, 

for I tell you—and it shall surely be—that you shall hereafter

 receive gifts three times as splendid by reason of this present insult. 

Hold, therefore, and obey.”

“Goddess,” answered Achilles, “however angry a man may be,

 he must do as you two command him. 

This will be best, for the gods ever hear the prayers of him

 who has obeyed them.”

Achilles is still angry, though and he tells Agamemnon everything he had coming. I always thought that Achilles must have carried his hate for some time now, in order for it to explode in so many words. I think that as a great warrior, and prince, who has been fighting war for nine years for the honour of Agamemnon, he has reason to be frustrated when insulted by Agamemnon. He resents the fact that Agamemnon does not fight alongside them. Achilles is a prince, son of a king, a leader of the army of his people, and other Greek  army leaders who are king themselves, all fight side by side, only Agamemnon stands back. Agamemnon is the only who put everyone up to the war in the first place. So, Achilles is enraged when he sees him behaving like a tyrant:  

"...He stayed his hand on the silver hilt of his sword, and thrust it back into the scabbard as Minerva bade him. Then she went back to Olympus among the other gods, and to the house of aegis-bearing Jove. But the son of Peleus again began railing at the son of Atreus, for he was still in a rage. “Wine-bibber,” he cried, “with the face of a dog and the heart of a hind, you never dare to go out with the host in fight, nor yet with our chosen men in ambuscade. You shun this as you do death itself. You had rather go round and rob his prizes from any man who contradicts you. You devour your people, for you are king over a feeble folk; otherwise, son of Atreus, henceforward you would insult no man. Therefore I say, and swear it with a great oath—nay, by this my sceptre which shalt sprout neither leaf nor shoot, nor bud anew from the day on which it left its parent stem upon the mountains—for the axe stripped it of leaf and bark, and now the sons of the Achaeans bear it as judges and guardians of the decrees of heaven—so surely and solemnly do I swear that hereafter they shall look fondly for Achilles and shall not find him. In the day of your distress, when your men fall dying by the murderous hand of Hector, you shall not know how to help them, and shall rend your heart with rage for the hour when you offered insult to the bravest of the Achaeans.” "

So, Achilles rages on and vows not to fight anymore. There are many themes that can be discussed in the context of these events, from Greek belief into glory to fate. So, what has basically happened here? In the tenth year of war, the Greeks have attacked and invaded some towns in vicinity or allied with Troy, when they could not take Troy itself. Army needs supplies, so they basically attack towns that are on side of Troy or that are not on their side. During these raids, they had captured two young women, Chryseis and Briseis. When Agamemnon, decides to return Chryseis after being pressured to do so, he took Briseis from Achilles, resulting in his fury and refusal to fight.

Nestor then steps forward trying to be the peacemaker, and convince Agamemnon to return the girl, and make peace with Achilles, but it is all in vain.

With this the son of Peleus dashed his gold-bestudded sceptre on the ground and took his seat, while the son of Atreus was beginning fiercely from his place upon the other side. Then uprose smooth-tongued Nestor, the facile speaker of the Pylians, and the words fell from his lips sweeter than honey. Two generations of men born and bred in Pylos had passed away under his rule, and he was now reigning over the third. With all sincerity and goodwill, therefore, he addressed them thus:—

“Of a truth,” he said, “a great sorrow has befallen the Achaean land. Surely Priam with his sons would rejoice, and the Trojans be glad at heart if they could hear this quarrel between you two, who are so excellent in fight and counsel. I am older than either of you; therefore be guided by me. Moreover I have been the familiar friend of men even greater than you are, and they did not disregard my counsels. Never again can I behold such men as Pirithous and Dryas shepherd of his people, or as Caeneus, Exadius, godlike Polyphemus, and Theseus son of Aegeus, peer of the immortals. These were the mightiest men ever born upon this earth: mightiest were they, and when they fought the fiercest tribes of mountain savages they utterly overthrew them. I came from distant Pylos, and went about among them, for they would have me come, and I fought as it was in me to do. Not a man now living could withstand them, but they heard my words, and were persuaded by them. So be it also with yourselves, for this is the more excellent way. Therefore, Agamemnon, though you be strong, take not this girl away, for the sons of the Achaeans have already given her to Achilles; and you, Achilles, strive not further with the king, for no man who by the grace of Jove wields a sceptre has like honour with Agamemnon. You are strong, and have a goddess for your mother; but Agamemnon is stronger than you, for he has more people under him. Son of Atreus, check your anger, I implore you; end this quarrel with Achilles, who in the day of battle is a tower of strength to the Achaeans.”

None of the man will back down, and it is obvious unfortune will fall onto the Greeks. This Book I of Iliad speaks about many things, and it could be said that it also speaks of misguided or arrogant rule. Agamemnon's actions are arrogant, and even when he gives in, he does it for his own preservation. 

 A ship is sent to bring priest's daughter's back and as Apollo is satisfied. Meanwhile, Achilles' maiden was taken from him. Achilles pines for battle, but is firm in his decision not to fight, as he sees it as a great injustice that the girl was taken from him.

This is interesting to consider, as battle is something that is alien to most people. However, to someone who was raised to be a king and a warrior, it is natural. In the old days, kings often led their armies, we can see the Greek kings doing so, with the exception of Agamemnon, and this is exactly what makes Agamemnon look like a fake in the eyes of the people.  So. Achilles prays to his mother Thesis, recounting the insult that Achilles. His mother decides to take things up with Jove (Zeus).

Thus all day long the young men worshipped the god with song, hymning him and chaunting the joyous paean, and the god took pleasure in their voices; but when the sun went down, and it came on dark, they laid themselves down to sleep by the stern cables of the ship, and when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared they again set sail for the host of the Achaeans. Apollo sent them a fair wind, so they raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft. As the sail bellied with the wind the ship flew through the deep blue water, and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward. When they reached the wide-stretching host of the Achaeans, they drew the vessel ashore, high and dry upon the sands, set her strong props beneath her, and went their ways to their own tents and ships.

But Achilles abode at his ships and nursed his anger. He went not to the honourable assembly, and sallied not forth to fight, but gnawed at his own heart, pining for battle and the war-cry.

Achilles' mother promises to intervene on his behalf with Jove/Zeus, and she does. Basically what Achilles and his mother want is that Jove/Zeus prevents the Greek for winning for as long as they do not start to wish for Achilles back. Neither of them want for the Greek to actually loose the war, only for them to have to beg for Achilles to come back. Still, here we can see a darker side to Achilles. Now, he is acting our of hurt and pride. He must know that if his wish is granted, if Thesis is successful with pleading Jove/Zeus, that many Greek will die. Still, they move forward with the plan: 

" Thetis was not unmindful of the charge her son had laid upon her, so she rose from under the sea and went through great heaven with early morning to Olympus, where she found the mighty son of Saturn sitting all alone upon its topmost ridges. She sat herself down before him, and with her left hand seized his knees, while with her right she caught him under the chin, and besought him, saying:—

“Father Jove, if I ever did you service in word or deed among the immortals, hear my prayer, and do honour to my son, whose life is to be cut short so early. King Agamemnon has dishonoured him by taking his prize and keeping her. Honour him then yourself, Olympian lord of counsel, and grant victory to the Trojans, till the Achaeans give my son his due and load him with riches in requital.”

Jove sat for a while silent, and without a word, but Thetis still kept firm hold of his knees, and besought him a second time. “Incline your head,” said she, “and promise me surely, or else deny me—for you have nothing to fear—that I may learn how greatly you disdain me.”

Jove/Zeus  promises to help Thesis, but is worried about his wife's reaction, and for a good reason for Hera /Juno will be furious to hear that Thesis has paid him a visit. Juno/Hera wants for the Greeks to win, and for the Troy to be destroyed: 

...

"When the pair had thus laid their plans, they parted—Jove to his house, while the goddess quitted the splendour of Olympus, and plunged into the depths of the sea. The gods rose from their seats, before the coming of their sire. Not one of them dared to remain sitting, but all stood up as he came among them. There, then, he took his seat. But Juno, when she saw him, knew that he and the old merman’s daughter, silver-footed Thetis, had been hatching mischief, so she at once began to upbraid him. “Trickster,” she cried, “which of the gods have you been taking into your counsels now? You are always settling matters in secret behind my back, and have never yet told me, if you could help it, one word of your intentions.” 

“Juno,” replied the sire of gods and men, “you must not expect to be informed of all my counsels. You are my wife, but you would find it hard to understand them. When it is proper for you to hear, there is no one, god or man, who will be told sooner, but when I mean to keep a matter to myself, you must not pry nor ask questions.” "

Hera is indeed furious, but is silenced by Zeus/Jove's threads of a beating. They seem to be a toxic couple. I always found it interesting how the main gods of the Greek mythology have such a horrible marriage.  One of her sons  Vulcan ( Hephaestus ) comforts her after the feud with Zeus/Jove. 

As he spoke, he took a double cup of nectar, and placed it in his mother’s hand. “Cheer up, my dear mother,” said he, “and make the best of it. I love you dearly, and should be very sorry to see you get a thrashing; however grieved I might be, I could not help, for there is no standing against Jove. Once before when I was trying to help you, he caught me by the foot and flung me from the heavenly threshold. All day long from mor/n till eve, was I falling, till at sunset I came to ground in the island of Lemnos, and there I lay, with very little life left in me, till the Sintians came and tended me.”

Juno smiled at this, and as she smiled she took the cup from her son’s hands. Then Vulcan drew sweet nectar from the mixing-bowl, and served it round among the gods, going from left to right; and the blessed gods laughed out a loud applause as they saw him bustling about the heavenly mansion.

.....

The first book of Iliand ends with Jove/Zeus going to sleep in his golden bed with his wife Hera/Juno. I must say the gods do not seem to be that concerned about the suffering of the mortals. Still, they have a way of seeing things, and influencing events, so the heroes of this epic do pray to them, and sometimes work with them. 

Book I of the Iliad is interesting in that it focuses on many of the major themes of Iliad. We can see the themes of pride, glory and fate explored. We can see the didactic quality of the text. Those who are humble before gods, get rewarded, those who insult the gods get punished. When it comes to dealings with men, things get more complex. We see an example of an arrogant ruler who only looks up for himself, and brave warrior that stands up for his people, but ultimately decided on taking revenge against his people in order to spite the arrogant tyrant. So, Achilles is not exactly in the right here either, he is a morally complex character. Furthermore, we can see the other side of war, too. The side of the victim. A priest who begs for his daughter and tries to buy her off embodies paternal virtue. When she is returned, there is a feeling of justice. However, due to Agamemnon insult, the problems for the Greek do not end. The first book ends with a view into the Olympus. The gods living on Olympus are serene at the end of the book I, and decide not to argue over the mankind so much. Only one book, and already there is so much to think about. The stage is put for future events and developments. There is some foreshadowing in book I as well, and an abundance of questions to be asked. Indeed, there is so much richness can be found just in the first book of Iliad. 

BOOK II

In the second book of the Iliad, we have Jove/Zeus sending a false dream to Agamemnon, inspiring him to lead his army to fight Trojans, promising victory. However, Jove/Zeus does this to aids the Trojans, that is Achilles. Agamemnon believes the dream and leads his army, but he also does something stupid. 

Now the other gods and the armed warriors on the plain slept soundly, but Jove was wakeful, for he was thinking how to do honour to Achilles, and destroyed much people at the ships of the Achaeans. In the end he deemed it would be best to send a lying dream to King Agamemnon; so he called one to him and said to it, “Lying Dream, go to the ships of the Achaeans, into the tent of Agamemnon, and say to him word for word as I now bid you. Tell him to get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for he shall take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans.”

The dream went when it had heard its message, and soon reached the ships of the Achaeans. It sought Agamemnon son of Atreus and found him in his tent, wrapped in a profound slumber. It hovered over his head in the likeness of Nestor, son of Neleus, whom Agamemnon honoured above all his councillors, and said:—

“You are sleeping, son of Atreus; one who has the welfare of his host and so much other care upon his shoulders should dock his sleep. Hear me at once, for I come as a messenger from Jove, who, though he be not near, yet takes thought for you and pities you. He bids you get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for you shall take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them over to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans at the hands of Jove. Remember this, and when you wake see that it does not escape you.”

Agamemnon lies to his troops to test their loyalty, and he tells them he decides to go back to Greece. The plan backfires spectacularly. The Greek army runs to the ship, happy to return home. When Juno/Hera sees this, she sends Minerva/ Athena to inspire Odysseus to convince them to go back. Thus, Odysseus one of principal characters is introduced again. 

....Minerva was not slack to do her bidding. Down she darted from the topmost summits of Olympus, and in a moment she was at the ships of the Achaeans. There she found Ulysses, peer of Jove in counsel, standing alone. He had not as yet laid a hand upon his ship, for he was grieved and sorry; so she went close up to him and said, “Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, are you going to fling yourselves into your ships and be off home to your own land in this way? Will you leave Priam and the Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen, for whose sake so many of the Achaeans have died at Troy, far from their homes? Go about at once among the host, and speak fairly to them, man by man, that they draw not their ships into the sea.”

Nestor urges Agamemnon to allow for friends and kin to fight side by side. Homer gives us a detailed catalogue of the Greek and Trojan army at this point.  By the end of book II, all the principal characters are introduced.  For me, the second book is not as interesting as the first, but it is important in many ways. Firstly, it shows how Nestor and Odysseus achieve much with their rhetorical prowess.  It is only their power of speech that persuades Greeks to come back. Everything was almost lost! The speeches, inspired by gods, did the trick, though. So, we see how important speeches were for the Greek. Furthermore, in book II we get a detailed view into both armies. This is important for understanding the epic. We are introduced to mighty Hector, the son of Priam, who commands a mighty army. We  can see the full scale of the conflict. The forces of men seem to be evenly matched. Even the gods support is often divided. It is quite a conflict. 

BOOK III 

The third book presents the reader with a fight between Paris and Menelaus  or at attempted fight. This brings us back to why the war started in the first place. If you're familiar with the myth, you'd know that Paris took Helena, the most beautiful woman on Earth from Menelaus. Helena is a daughter of Zeus herself, so her beauty was believed to be truly divine. Aphrodite/Venus promised her to Paris, if he voted her the most beautiful of goddesses, and he did. So, in a way Aphrodite/Venus is to be blamed for this war. But, I digress. Paris known also as Alexandrus, challenges Menelaus, and Menaleus is glad of it. 

When the companies were thus arrayed, each under its own captain, the Trojans advanced as a flight of wild-fowl or cranes that scream overhead when rain and winter drive them over the flowing waters of Oceanus to bring death and destruction on the Pygmies, and they wrangle in the air as they fly; but the Achaeans marched silently, in high heart, and minded to stand by one another.

As when the south wind spreads a curtain of mist upon the mountain tops, bad for shepherds but better than night for thieves, and a man can see no further than he can throw a stone, even so rose the dust from under their feet as they made all speed over the plain.

When they were close up with one another, Alexandrus came forward as champion on the Trojan side. On his shoulders he bore the skin of a panther, his bow, and his sword, and he brandished two spears shod with bronze as a challenge to the bravest of the Achaeans to meet him in single fight. Menelaus saw him thus stride out before the ranks, and was glad as a hungry lion that lights on the carcase of some goat or horned stag, and devours it there and then, though dogs and youths set upon him. Even thus was Menelaus glad when his eyes caught sight of Alexandrus, for he deemed that now he should be revenged. He sprang, therefore, from his chariot, clad in his suit of armour. *

The description of Menelaus and Paris as a hungry lion and panther make sense. Lions will usually kill panthers if an opportunity presents itself, and they will generally be successful because panthers are smaller in size. Lions are one of the largest cats in the feline family, second only to tigers. There might be a bit foreshadowing here because Paris will escape when he sees mighty Menelaus. Paris, the prince of Troy, is not known as a great warrior. 

"Alexandrus quailed as he saw Menelaus come forward, and shrank in fear of his life under cover of his men. As one who starts back affrighted, trembling and pale, when he comes suddenly upon a serpent in some mountain glade, even so did Alexandrus plunge into the throng of Trojan warriors, terror-stricken at the sight of the son of Atreus."

Next scene we see Hector his brother scolding Paris (Alexandrus). The two brothers are contrasted one to another. Hector is brave, virtuous and pious, and Paris, well Paris is a cowardly man who in a way cooked up this whole mess. Hector seems to be aware of this, and goes so far in scolding his brother, that he says it would have been better if Paris had never been born, and that Trojans are weak because they did not stone Paris to death for what he did. Very harsh words indeed. However, we must understand Hector. He is a military commander, one in charge of the defense of the city. He knows that the danger is very real, and that all of them might end up being killed or enslaved. Hector has watched his people die for more than a decade, all for the sake of  Paris. No wonder he is angry. 

Then Hector upbraided him. “Paris,” said he, “evil-hearted Paris, fair to see, but woman-mad, and false of tongue, would that you had never been born, or that you had died unwed. Better so, than live to be disgraced and looked askance at. Will not the Achaeans mock at us and say that we have sent one to champion us who is fair to see but who has neither wit nor courage? Did you not, such as you are, get your following together and sail beyond the seas? Did you not from your a far country carry off a lovely woman wedded among a people of warriors—to bring sorrow upon your father, your city, and your whole country, but joy to your enemies, and hang-dog shamefacedness to yourself? And now can you not dare face Menelaus and learn what manner of man he is whose wife you have stolen? Where indeed would be your lyre and your love-tricks, your comely locks and your fair favour, when you were lying in the dust before him? The Trojans are a weak-kneed people, or ere this you would have had a shirt of stones for the wrongs you have done them.”

Paris answers his brother with reasonable arguments. Instead of contracting his brother, he suggests that he and Menelaus fight among themselves and settle the war. A just suggestion as it would avoid needless carnage. However, there is a question why nobody taught of this before. Paris also kind of blames everything on the goddess Aphrodite / Venus, saying that he could not have rejected her gift. This is also kind of true. If you're familiar with the myth about the golden apple, or the Paris myth in general, you know that three goddesses appeared before Paris: Athena, Aphrodite and Hera, demanding that he chooses the fairest of them. The goddesses all tried to bribe Paris into choosing them by offering gifts. Paris choose Helen, despite knowing that she was a wife of Menelaus. So, it is not exactly that he could not refuse the gift. Maybe he couldn't once he made the choice, but before that, he could. 

And Alexandrus answered, “Hector, your rebuke is just. You are hard as the axe which a shipwright wields at his work, and cleaves the timber to his liking. As the axe in his hand, so keen is the edge of your scorn. Still, taunt me not with the gifts that golden Venus has given me; they are precious; let not a man disdain them, for the gods give them where they are minded, and none can have them for the asking. If you would have me do battle with Menelaus, bid the Trojans and Achaeans take their seats, while he and I fight in their midst for Helen and all her wealth. Let him who shall be victorious and prove to be the better man take the woman and all she has, to bear them to his home, but let the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace whereby you Trojans shall stay here in Troy, while the others go home to Argos and the land of the Achaeans.”

However, Paris can also be read as a tragic character. His mother Hecuba had a prophetic dream she will give birth to a fire that will destroy Troy. His parents then send him away. There are two different accounts of this legend, one that he was left in the wilderness to perish and the other that he was simply send away to be raised in secret. Still, it both accounts he was abandoned by his parents, just like Oedipus.  Also, Paris did achieve some pretty impressive things in his life, displaying both intelligence and courage. True, the Iliad paints him in a dark light, but it still leaves room for the reader to fill in the gaps. We can examine many possible interpretations of Paris, who was only about eighteen when he took Helen from Sparta.  One of them is that he was fated to choose Helen because gods willed Troy to fall. 

The thing that impresses me by far is that Homer does not seem to judge anyone. There is this wonderful open-mindedness that Homer seems to posses, making us care about the protagonists of this epic poem. Humans make mistakes, and pay for them, but it is often gods that set things into motion. Gods can also be a metaphor for acts of fate or forces of nature. We are often driven by our cultural and biological programming, and realise not what we do at times.  

Anyhow, when Paris makes this suggestion, Hector is happy to hear it, and goes on to pass the news to the Greeks. The enemy army aims to kills Hector, but are stopped by Agamemnon who sees that Hector wants to say something. So, for once Agamemnon does what is right. 

When Hector heard this he was glad, and went about among the Trojan ranks holding his spear by the middle to keep them back, and they all sat down at his bidding: but the Achaeans still aimed at him with stones and arrows, till Agamemnon shouted to them saying, “Hold, Argives, shoot not, sons of the Achaeans; Hector desires to speak.”

They ceased taking aim and were still, whereon Hector spoke. “Hear from my mouth,” said he, “Trojans and Achaeans, the saying of Alexandrus, through whom this quarrel has come about. He bids the Trojans and Achaeans lay their armour upon the ground, while he and Menelaus fight in the midst of you for Helen and all her wealth. Let him who shall be victorious and prove to be the better man take the woman and all she has, to bear them to his own home, but let the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace.”

Menelaus, like everyone else, is happy with this proposal,  but asks further proof or assurance from king Priam, and plans a sacrifice to Zeus (Jove), putting more assurance in the promises of older men before god than in those of young ones. He also takes an opportunity to insult the sons of Priam, Hector and Paris.  Probably Menelaus noticed that Paris has run away from him on the battle field. 

Thus he spoke, and they all held their peace, till Menelaus of the loud battle-cry addressed them. “And now,” he said, “hear me too, for it is I who am the most aggrieved. I deem that the parting of Achaeans and Trojans is at hand, as well it may be, seeing how much have suffered for my quarrel with Alexandrus and the wrong he did me. Let him who shall die, die, and let the others fight no more. Bring, then, two lambs, a white ram and a black ewe, for Earth and Sun, and we will bring a third for Jove. Moreover, you shall bid Priam come, that he may swear to the covenant himself; for his sons are high-handed and ill to trust, and the oaths of Jove must not be transgressed or taken in vain. Young men’s minds are light as air, but when an old man comes he looks before and after, deeming that which shall be fairest upon both sides.”

Naturally, both Trojans and Greeks rejoice at the news that might end all the suffering. We also get an interesting view into Helen's heart. Apparently, she longs for former husband and the family she left behind. There are many theories and interpretations of Helen's actions and the fate of the most beautiful woman on Earth. It can be argued that Helen was charmed by goddess Aphrodite and therefore not responsible for her actions, or that she was taken without full consent or that she indeed choose to come herself. Still, Helen refers to her fate as a sad one, meaning she is not happy.

 

The Trojans and Achaeans were glad when they heard this, for they thought that they should now have rest. They backed their chariots toward the ranks, got out of them, and put off their armour, laying it down upon the ground; and the hosts were near to one another with a little space between them. Hector sent two messengers to the city to bring the lambs and to bid Priam come, while Agamemnon told Talthybius to fetch the other lamb from the ships, and he did as Agamemnon had said.

Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-in-law, wife of the son of Antenor, for Helicaon, son of Antenor, had married Laodice, the fairest of Priam’s daughters. She found her in her own room, working at a great web of purple linen, on which she was embroidering the battles between Trojans and Achaeans, that Mars had made them fight for her sake. Iris then came close up to her and said, “Come hither, child, and see the strange doings of the Trojans and Achaeans. Till now they have been warring upon the plain, mad with lust of battle, but now they have left off fighting, and are leaning upon their shields, sitting still with their spears planted beside them. Alexandrus and Menelaus are going to fight about yourself, and you are to be the wife of him who is the victor.”

Thus spoke the goddess, and Helen’s heart yearned after her former husband, her city, and her parents. She threw a white mantle over her head, and hurried from her room, weeping as she went, not alone, but attended by two of her handmaids, Aethrae, daughter of Pittheus, and Clymene. And straightway they were at the Scaean gates.

It seems that Helen's beauty proves to be her curse. Her beauty is often emphasized in this epic poem, and in the next verses we see two sages commenting on the immensity of her beauty, but still concluding it is best she is taken. 

The two sages, Ucalegon and Antenor, elders of the people, were seated by the Scaean gates, with Priam, Panthous, Thymoetes, Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon of the race of Mars. These were too old to fight, but they were fluent orators, and sat on the tower like cicales that chirrup delicately from the boughs of some high tree in a wood. When they saw Helen coming towards the tower, they said softly to one another, “Small wonder that Trojans and Achaeans should endure so much and so long, for the sake of a woman so marvellously and divinely lovely. Still, fair though she be, let them take her and go, or she will breed sorrow for us and for our children after us.”

What follows is Helen's conversation with king Priam. I always found it very touching how she speaks to her father-in-law with much respect, and how he seems to treasure and love her. In general, people of Troy seem to admire Helen, despite of the fact that her arrival brought war to them. 

Helen's conversation with her king Priam of Troy reveals her heavy heart and his gentle feelings, but she also serves as someone who knows the Greeks intimately, and she narrates all the Greek kings, distinguished warriors and lords to king Priam. Hector uses this opportunity to present the Greeks to us in detail. This is one of the narrative techniques often employed in the epics. See how skillfully Hector does it, by using a sad Helen as a narrator to the worried king Priam. This moment also builds suspense. We have already seen Paris flee from battle, if he does so again, what of Troy? 

But Priam bade her draw nigh. “My child,” said he, “take your seat in front of me that you may see your former husband, your kinsmen and your friends. I lay no blame upon you, it is the gods, not you who are to blame. It is they that have brought about this terrible war with the Achaeans. Tell me, then, who is yonder huge hero so great and goodly? I have seen men taller by a head, but none so comely and so royal. Surely he must be a king.”

“Sir,” answered Helen, “father of my husband, dear and reverend in my eyes, would that I had chosen death rather than to have come here with your son, far from my bridal chamber, my friends, my darling daughter, and all the companions of my girlhood. But it was not to be, and my lot is one of tears and sorrow. As for your question, the hero of whom you ask is Agamemnon, son of Atreus, a good king and a brave soldier, brother-in-law as surely as that he lives, to my abhorred and miserable self.”

The old man marvelled at him and said, “Happy son of Atreus, child of good fortune. I see that the Achaeans are subject to you in great multitudes. When I was in Phrygia I saw much horsemen, the people of Otreus and of Mygdon, who were camping upon the banks of the river Sangarius; I was their ally, and with them when the Amazons, peers of men, came up against them, but even they were not so many as the Achaeans.”

The old man next looked upon Ulysses; “Tell me,” he said, “who is that other, shorter by a head than Agamemnon, but broader across the chest and shoulders? His armour is laid upon the ground, and he stalks in front of the ranks as it were some great woolly ram ordering his ewes.”

And Helen answered, “He is Ulysses, a man of great craft, son of Laertes. He was born in rugged Ithaca, and excels in all manner of stratagems and subtle cunning.”

On this Antenor said, “Madam, you have spoken truly. Ulysses once came here as envoy about yourself, and Menelaus with him. I received them in my own house, and therefore know both of them by sight and conversation. When they stood up in presence of the assembled Trojans, Menelaus was the broader shouldered, but when both were seated Ulysses had the more royal presence. After a time they delivered their message, and the speech of Menelaus ran trippingly on the tongue; he did not say much, for he was a man of few words, but he spoke very clearly and to the point, though he was the younger man of the two; Ulysses, on the other hand, when he rose to speak, was at first silent and kept his eyes fixed upon the ground. There was no play nor graceful movement of his sceptre; he kept it straight and stiff like a man unpractised in oratory—one might have taken him for a mere churl or simpleton; but when he raised his voice, and the words came driving from his deep chest like winter snow before the wind, then there was none to touch him, and no man thought further of what he looked like.”

Priam then caught sight of Ajax and asked, “Who is that great and goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the rest of the Argives?”

“That,” answered Helen, “is huge Ajax, bulwark of the Achaeans, and on the other side of him, among the Cretans, stands Idomeneus looking like a god, and with the captains of the Cretans round him. Often did Menelaus receive him as a guest in our house when he came visiting us from Crete. I see, moreover, many other Achaeans whose names I could tell you, but there are two whom I can nowhere find, Castor, breaker of horses, and Pollux the mighty boxer; they are children of my mother, and own brothers to myself. Either they have not left Lacedaemon, or else, though they have brought their ships, they will not show themselves in battle for the shame and disgrace that I have brought upon them.”

She knew not that both these heroes were already lying under the earth in their own land of Lacedaemon.

Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the holy oath-offerings through the city—two lambs and a goatskin of wine, the gift of earth; and Idaeus brought the mixing-bowl and the cups of gold. He went up to Priam and said, “Son of Laomedon, the princes of the Trojans and Achaeans bid you come down on to the plain and swear to a solemn covenant. Alexandrus and Menelaus are to fight for Helen in single combat, that she and all her wealth may go with him who is the victor. We are to swear to a solemn covenant of peace whereby we others shall dwell here in Troy, while the Achaeans return to Argos and the land of the Achaeans.”

The old man trembled as he heard, but bade his followers yoke the horses, and they made all haste to do so. He mounted the chariot, gathered the reins in his hand, and Antenor took his seat beside him; they then drove through the Scaean gates on to the plain. When they reached the ranks of the Trojans and Achaeans they left the chariot, and with measured pace advanced into the space between the hosts.

Many of the Greek heroes are described with epithets , a descriptive word or phrase, that characterise a certain person. Here you can see how epithets are used to characterise the Greek heroes, for example Odysseys  is described as 'a  man of great strength'  and Menelaus as 'broad shouldered'.  

What follows next is that the field of battle is marked, and the two men fight. Menelaus would have proven victorious had not Aphrodite (Venus) carried Paris from the battle. Aphrodite then asks Helen to go to Paris' bedchamber, but interestingly Helen  shows contempt both for her husband and Aphrodite. However, once Aphrodite threatens her, Helens follows her to Paris' room.

  Alexandrus aimed first, and struck the round shield of the son of Atreus, but the spear did not pierce it, for the shield turned its point. Menelaus next took aim, praying to Father Jove as he did so. “King Jove,” he said, “grant me revenge on Alexandrus who has wronged me; subdue him under my hand that in ages yet to come a man may shrink from doing ill deeds in the house of his host.”

He poised his spear as he spoke, and hurled it at the shield of Alexandrus. Through shield and cuirass it went, and tore the shirt by his flank, but Alexandrus swerved aside, and thus saved his life. Then the son of Atreus drew his sword, and drove at the projecting part of his helmet, but the sword fell shivered in three or four pieces from his hand, and he cried, looking towards Heaven, “Father Jove, of all gods thou art the most despiteful; I made sure of my revenge, but the sword has broken in my hand, my spear has been hurled in vain, and I have not killed him.”

With this he flew at Alexandrus, caught him by the horse-hair plume of his helmet, and began dragging him towards the Achaeans. The strap of the helmet that went under his chin was choking him, and Menelaus would have dragged him off to his own great glory had not Jove’s daughter Venus been quick to mark and to break the strap of ox-hide, so that the empty helmet came away in his hand. This he flung to his comrades among the Achaeans, and was again springing upon Alexandrus to run him through with a spear, but Venus snatched him up in a moment (as a god can do), hid him under a cloud of darkness, and conveyed him to his own bedchamber.

Then she went to call Helen, and found her on a high tower with the Trojan women crowding round her. She took the form of an old woman who used to dress wool for her when she was still in Lacedaemon, and of whom she was very fond. Thus disguised she plucked her by perfumed robe and said, “Come hither; Alexandrus says you are to go to the house; he is on his bed in his own room, radiant with beauty and dressed in gorgeous apparel. No one would think he had just come from fighting, but rather that he was going to a dance, or had done dancing and was sitting down.”

With these words she moved the heart of Helen to anger. When she marked the beautiful neck of the goddess, her lovely bosom, and sparkling eyes, she marvelled at her and said, “Goddess, why do you thus beguile me? Are you going to send me afield still further to some man whom you have taken up in Phrygia or fair Meonia? Menelaus has just vanquished Alexandrus, and is to take my hateful self back with him. You are come here to betray me. Go sit with Alexandrus yourself; henceforth be goddess no longer; never let your feet carry you back to Olympus; worry about him and look after him till he make you his wife, or, for the matter of that, his slave—but me? I shall not go; I can garnish his bed no longer; I should be a by-word among all the women of Troy. Besides, I have trouble on my mind.”

Venus was very angry, and said, “Bold hussy, do not provoke me; if you do, I shall leave you to your fate and hate you as much as I have loved you. I will stir up fierce hatred between Trojans and Achaeans, and you shall come to a bad end.”

At this Helen was frightened. She wrapped her mantle about her and went in silence, following the goddess and unnoticed by the Trojan women.

I found this part fascinating because Helen dares to question the goddesses' actions. It also shows the complexity of Helen's character. She demeans herself, blaming herself for the suffering of the people. We can conclude that she both has a kind heart and cares about the customs of her people. Helen's heart seems to be with the Greeks. She chides her husband Paris for losing and says it would have been better if she was returned, but she follows Paris to bed anyway.

When they came to the house of Alexandrus the maid-servants set about their work, but Helen went into her own room, and the laughter-loving goddess took a seat and set it for her facing Alexandrus. On this Helen, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, sat down, and with eyes askance began to upbraid her husband.

“So you are come from the fight,” said she; “would that you had fallen rather by the hand of that brave man who was my husband. You used to brag that you were a better man with hands and spear than Menelaus. Go, then, and challenge him again—but I should advise you not to do so, for if you are foolish enough to meet him in single combat, you will soon fall by his spear.”

And Paris answered, “Wife, do not vex me with your reproaches. This time, with the help of Minerva, Menelaus has vanquished me; another time I may myself be victor, for I too have gods that will stand by me. Come, let us lie down together and make friends. Never yet was I so passionately enamoured of you as at this moment—not even when I first carried you off from Lacedaemon and sailed away with you—not even when I had converse with you upon the couch of love in the island of Cranae was I so enthralled by desire of you as now.” On this he led her towards the bed, and his wife went with him.

Meanwhile, the Menleus (and possibly also other Greeks and Trojans) look for Paris, and demand Helen. Afterall, it is obvious Paris has fled. Carried by goddess or not, he refused the fight and if he has any honour, he should hand over Helen. In this moment, I felt that the justice was with Greeks, especially since Helen herself wants to leave and only the fear of goddess Aphrodite and the bloodshed she promised, makes Helen go to Paris' bedchamber. To me, it seemed right that Agamemnon demanded Helen from Trojan at this point. However, when I think of what he did to get the Greeks to sail to Troy, it seems to me that he is no position to call upon the honour of Trojans. Agamemnon basically killed his daughter, that is sacrificed her to the gods, for favourable wind for Greek sails. I cannot read these lines and not to think of that. The justice might be on the side of Greeks, but Agamemnon is still a tyrant.

Thus they laid themselves on the bed together; but the son of Atreus strode among the throng, looking everywhere for Alexandrus, and no man, neither of the Trojans nor of the allies, could find him. If they had seen him they were in no mind to hide him, for they all of them hated him as they did death itself. Then Agamemnon, king of men, spoke, saying, “Hear me, Trojans, Dardanians, and allies. The victory has been with Menelaus; therefore give back Helen with all her wealth, and pay such fine as shall be agreed upon, in testimony among them that shall be born hereafter.”

Thus spoke the son of Atreus, and the Achaeans shouted in applause.

One of the things that fascinates me about Greek literature is that in almost every Greek work you can find warnings against tyranny. If you look at the Greek tragedy Antigone, you'll see that it is didactic in the sense that it shows a tyrant who repents after he is struck by personal tragedy. It also shows a woman whose courage and loyalty can put kings to shame. In connection to the Iliad, there is a number of Greek tragedies that focus on life of Agamemnon and his family. To say he gets his due is an understatement.  Agamemnon's family perishes in the most tragic way, and this might be due to his sins. 

Anyhow, book III is one of my favourite in the Iliad. It gives a closer view of Helen, who is a fascinating character itself. It examines so many of key themes in the  Iliad: the honour, the glory, and the fate.  I also like  book III because it really introduces Hector, my favourite character in the Iliad. He is mentioned before, but it is in book III that he speaks for the very first time, and although he does not play a key part in this book III, we can see that he will be important. Who does play a key part is a love triangle of sorts- Paris, Menelaus, and Helen. Besides this  love triangle, there is almost another triangle, that between Paris, Helen and Aphrodite. Helen suggests to Aphrodite that he should wed Paris herself, if she likes him so much. We could say that Aphrodite loves her vanity above anyone else, for her desire to be the most beautiful is what causes the whole mess. Helen on the other hand, seems to be actually capable of empathy, but is unable to fight against a goddess. 

The power of gods is really stressed in Book III, but even more so in BOOK IV where we have gods arguing over the Trojans and the Greeks. Gods are not as entirely on the side of Greeks as you might imagine, and for me this is what makes this epic so rich and complex. Homer does not present the Greeks as superior to Trojans in virtues, nor in their god-worship. The Trojans worship and honour the same gods that Greeks do, and this connects them. 

BOOK IV

As I said, book four stresses the role of the gods even more. It opens Zeus (Jove) making fun of his wife Hera (Juno) and his daughter Athena (Minerva) for they have done nothing to help their champion Menaleus, while Aphrodite (Venus) carried Paris to safety.  Zeus (Jove) also proposes the war be ended by Helen being given back to Menalaus. 

Now the gods were sitting with Jove in council upon the golden floor while Hebe went round pouring out nectar for them to drink, and as they pledged one another in their cups of gold they looked down upon the town of Troy. The son of Saturn then began to tease Juno, talking at her so as to provoke her. “Menelaus,” said he, “has two good friends among the goddesses, Juno of Argos, and Minerva of Alalcomene, but they only sit still and look on, while Venus keeps ever by Alexandrus’ side to defend him in any danger; indeed she has just rescued him when he made sure that it was all over with him—for the victory really did lie with Menelaus. We must consider what we shall do about all this; shall we set them fighting anew or make peace between them? If you will agree to this last Menelaus can take back Helen and the city of Priam may remain still inhabited.”

However, goddesses Hera and Athena are keen bent on destroying Troy and want no peace. So, we have gods arguing over the fate of Troy, with Zeus (Jove) defending the lives of Trojan, asking for peace, saying how they never failed to honour them, as Hera (Juno) and Athena (Minerva) absolutely set on destroying and killing them all. 

Minerva and Juno muttered their discontent as they sat side by side hatching mischief for the Trojans. Minerva scowled at her father, for she was in a furious passion with him, and said nothing, but Juno could not contain herself. “Dread son of Saturn,” said she, “what, pray, is the meaning of all this? Is my trouble, then, to go for nothing, and the sweat that I have sweated, to say nothing of my horses, while getting the people together against Priam and his children? Do as you will, but we other gods shall not all of us approve your counsel.”

Jove was angry and answered, “My dear, what harm have Priam and his sons done you that you are so hotly bent on sacking the city of Ilius? Will nothing do for you but you must go within their walls and eat Priam raw, with his sons and all the other Trojans to boot? Have it your own way then; for I would not have this matter become a bone of contention between us. I say further, and lay my saying to your heart, if ever I want to sack a city belonging to friends of yours, you must not try to stop me; you will have to let me do it, for I am giving in to you sorely against my will. Of all inhabited cities under the sun and stars of heaven, there was none that I so much respected as Ilius with Priam and his whole people. Equitable feasts were never wanting about my altar, nor the savour of burning fat, which is honour due to ourselves.”

Hera reminds Zeus that she is a god of the same race as him, and as his wife, above others because he is the king of all gods. That's an interesting argument, that she is superior to her husband because she is his wife and he is superior to others. At any rate, Hera and Zeus are famous for always arguing. There is more than a little irony in Greek depictions of gods. The goddess of marriage seems to be always arguing with her husband. 

“My own three favourite cities,” answered Juno, “are Argos, Sparta, and Mycenae. Sack them whenever you may be displeased with them. I shall not defend them and I shall not care. Even if I did, and tried to stay you, I should take nothing by it, for you are much stronger than I am, but I will not have my own work wasted. I too am a god and of the same race with yourself. I am Saturn’s eldest daughter, and am honourable not on this ground only, but also because I am your wife, and you are king over the gods. Let it be a case, then, of give-and-take between us, and the rest of the gods will follow our lead. Tell Minerva to go and take part in the fight at once, and let her contrive that the Trojans shall be the first to break their oaths and set upon the Achaeans.”

Both Athena and Juno are determined to destroy Troy, and I had to wondered whether it was possible that it all because Paris did not choose them? Are they that vain? Or is there something more behind it? Do gods see things we mortals could never? Is there more wisdom to their words then it seems. Here we have Hera (Juno) telling she cares not if Zeus (Jove) destroys her favourite cities. Why does she not care? Anyhow, Jove grants her wish and Athena (Minerva) is send to inspire the Trojans to break their truce with the Greeks, thus giving the Greeks a valid excuse to attack. Athena inspires Fandarus to violate the truce by wounding Menelaus with an arrow. This frightens both the mighty warrior and his brother, Agamemnon who then makes a fiery speech. 

The sire of gods and men heeded her words, and said to Minerva, “Go at once into the Trojan and Achaean hosts, and contrive that the Trojans shall be the first to break their oaths and set upon the Achaeans.”

This was what Minerva was already eager to do, so down she darted from the topmost summits of Olympus. She shot through the sky as some brilliant meteor which the son of scheming Saturn has sent as a sign to mariners or to some great army, and a fiery train of light follows in its wake. The Trojans and Achaeans were struck with awe as they beheld, and one would turn to his neighbour, saying, “Either we shall again have war and din of combat, or Jove the lord of battle will now make peace between us.”

So, Zeus lets his wife and daughter have their way, and Athena (Minerva) takes a form of a soldier to convince Pandarus to shot Menelaus, thus resulting in Greeks rallying up for the fight. We see that  when gods set to do something, the humans are defenseless. Gods can charm them, take forms, make them see things that are not there, cloud their minds, drive them to maddness and so on. 

Thus did they converse. Then Minerva took the form of Laodocus, son of Antenor, and went through the ranks of the Trojans to find Pandarus, the redoubtable son of Lycaon. She found him standing among the stalwart heroes who had followed him from the banks of the Aesopus, so she went close up to him and said, “Brave son of Lycaon, will you do as I tell you? If you dare send an arrow at Menelaus you will win honour and thanks from all the Trojans, and especially from prince Alexandrus—he would be the first to requite you very handsomely if he could see Menelaus mount his funeral pyre, slain by an arrow from your hand. Take your home aim then, and pray to Lycian Apollo, the famous archer; vow that when you get home to your strong city of Zelea you will offer a hecatomb of firstling lambs in his honour.”

Pandarus takes the bow and shots Meneleus, as book IV states, and we also get a detailed descrpition of the bow. This is another example of retardation, a narrative device used in epics: "His fool’s heart was persuaded, and he took his bow from its case. This bow was made from the horns of a wild ibex which he had killed as it was bounding from a rock; he had stalked it, and it had fallen as the arrow struck it to the heart. Its horns were sixteen palms long, and a worker in horn had made them into a bow, smoothing them well down, and giving them tips of gold. When Pandarus had strung his bow he laid it carefully on the ground, and his brave followers held their shields before him lest the Achaeans should set upon him before he had shot Menelaus. Then he opened the lid of his quiver and took out a winged arrow that had not yet been shot, fraught with the pangs of death. He laid the arrow on the string and prayed to Lycian Apollo, the famous archer, vowing that when he got home to his strong city of Zelea he would offer a hecatomb of firstling lambs in his honour. He laid the notch of the arrow on the ox-hide bowstring, and drew both notch and string to his breast till the arrow-head was near the bow; then when the bow was arched into a half-circle he let fly, and the bow twanged, and the string sang as the arrow flew gladly on over the heads of the throng.

Next we witness a tender moment between Agamemnon and his brother, whereupon Agamemnon calls upon ruin of Priam.  This moment also humanizes Agamemnon, as he promises to return immediately shall his brother die, making us question whether he is really fighting his war for the sake of riches, or does he really care about his brother's happiness. 

When King Agamemnon saw the blood flowing from the wound he was afraid, and so was brave Menelaus himself till he saw that the barbs of the arrow and the thread that bound the arrow-head to the shaft were still outside the wound. Then he took heart, but Agamemnon heaved a deep sigh as he held Menelaus’s hand in his own, and his comrades made moan in concert. “Dear brother,” he cried, “I have been the death of you in pledging this covenant and letting you come forward as our champion. The Trojans have trampled on their oaths and have wounded you; nevertheless the oath, the blood of lambs, the drink-offerings and the right hands of fellowship in which we have put our trust shall not be vain. If he that rules Olympus fulfil it not here and now, he will yet fulfil it hereafter, and they shall pay dearly with their lives and with their wives and children. The day will surely come when mighty Ilius shall be laid low, with Priam and Priam’s people, when the son of Saturn from his high throne shall overshadow them with his awful aegis in punishment of their present treachery. This shall surely be; but how, Menelaus, shall I mourn you, if it be your lot now to die? I should return to Argos as a by-word, for the Achaeans will at once go home. We shall leave Priam and the Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen, and the earth will rot your bones as you lie here at Troy with your purpose not fulfilled. Then shall some braggart Trojan leap upon your tomb and say, ‘Ever thus may Agamemnon wreak his vengeance; he brought his army in vain; he is gone home to his own land with empty ships, and has left Menelaus behind him.’ Thus will one of them say, and may the earth then swallow me.”

Anyhow, Agamemnon sends Machaon to fech a physical for Menelaus and he himself starts rallying up the men and seems eager to fight, a different man than the one met in BOOK I and II. 

You would not have then found Agamemnon asleep nor cowardly and unwilling to fight, but eager rather for the fray. He left his chariot rich with bronze and his panting steeds in charge of Eurymedon, son of Ptolemaeus the son of Peiraeus, and bade him hold them in readiness against the time his limbs should weary of going about and giving orders to so many, for he went among the ranks on foot. When he saw men hasting to the front he stood by them and cheered them on. “Argives,” said he, “slacken not one whit in your onset; father Jove will be no helper of liars; the Trojans have been the first to break their oaths and to attack us; therefore they shall be devoured of vultures; we shall take their city and carry off their wives and children in our ships.”

But he angrily rebuked those whom he saw shirking and disinclined to fight. “Argives,” he cried, “cowardly miserable creatures, have you no shame to stand here like frightened fawns who, when they can no longer scud over the plain, huddle together, but show no fight? You are as dazed and spiritless as deer. Would you wait till the Trojans reach the sterns of our ships as they lie on the shore, to see whether the son of Saturn will hold his hand over you to protect you?”

Thus did he go about giving his orders among the ranks. Passing through the crowd, he came presently on the Cretans, arming round Idomeneus, who was at their head, fierce as a wild boar, while Meriones was bringing up the battalions that were in the rear. Agamemnon was glad when he saw him, and spoke him fairly. “Idomeneus,” said he, “I treat you with greater distinction than I do any others of the Achaeans, whether in war or in other things, or at table. When the princes are mixing my choicest wines in the mixing-bowls, they have each of them a fixed allowance, but your cup is kept always full like my own, that you may drink whenever you are minded. Go, therefore, into battle, and show yourself the man you have been always proud to be.”

Idomeneus answered, “I will be a trusty comrade, as I promised you from the first I would be. Urge on the other Achaeans, that we may join battle at once, for the Trojans have trampled upon their covenants. Death and destruction shall be theirs, seeing they have been the first to break their oaths and to attack us.”

Agamemnon is reassured as he goes among his people. Different Greek heroes are mentioned at this point, and he praises them and is glad of their readiness to fight. So, go Agamemnon  goes among them until he finally finally finds Ulysses and Sthenelus, and they seem to be one of mind as well. Ulysses answers him that he is ready to fight, and resents the fact that Agamemnon questions that. Agamemnon is happy and reassures Ulysses, so they are on good terms again, it could be said.  Finally, Sthenelus gives Agamemnon some hard words, but Diomed halts him, and checks him in a way. All in all, the Greeks are getting ready to fight. 

The son of Atreus went on, glad at heart, till he came upon the two Ajaxes arming themselves amid a host of foot soldiers. As when a goat-herd from some high post watches a storm drive over the deep before the west wind—black as pitch is the offing and a mighty whirlwind draws towards him, so that he is afraid and drives his flock into a cave—even thus did the ranks of stalwart youths move in a dark mass to battle under the Ajaxes, horrid with shield and spear. Glad was King Agamemnon when he saw them. “No need,” he cried, “to give orders to such leaders of the Argives as you are, for of your own selves you spur your men on to fight with might and main. Would, by father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo that all were so minded as you are, for the city of Priam would then soon fall beneath our hands, and we should sack it.”

With this he left them and went onward to Nestor, the facile speaker of the Pylians, who was marshalling his men and urging them on, in company with Pelagon, Alastor, Chromius, Haemon, and Bias shepherd of his people. He placed his knights with their chariots and horses in the front rank, while the foot soldiers, brave men and many, whom he could trust, were in the rear. The cowards he drove into the middle, that they might fight whether they would or no. He gave his orders to the knights first, bidding them hold their horses well in hand, so as to avoid confusion. “Let no man,” he said, “relying on his strength or horsemanship, get before the others and engage singly with the Trojans, nor yet let him lag behind or you will weaken your attack; but let each when he meets an enemy’s chariot throw his spear from his own; this be much the best; this is how the men of old took towns and strongholds; in this wise were they minded.”

Thus did the old man charge them, for he had been in many a fight, and King Agamemnon was glad. “I wish,” he said to him, “that your limbs were as supple and your strength as sure as your judgment is; but age, the common enemy of mankind, has laid his hand upon you; would that it had fallen upon some other, and that you were still young.”

And Nestor, knight of Gerene, answered, “Son of Atreus, I too would gladly be the man I was when I slew mighty Ereuthalion; but the gods will not give us everything at one and the same time. I was then young, and now I am old; still I can go with my knights and give them that counsel which old men have a right to give. The wielding of the spear I leave to those who are younger and stronger than myself.”

Agamemnon went his way rejoicing, and presently found Menestheus, son of Peteos, tarrying in his place, and with him were the Athenians loud of tongue in battle. Near him also tarried cunning Ulysses, with his sturdy Cephallenians round him; they had not yet heard the battle-cry, for the ranks of Trojans and Achaeans had only just begun to move, so they were standing still, waiting for some other columns of the Achaeans to attack the Trojans and begin the fighting. When he saw this Agamemnon rebuked them and said, “Son of Peteos, and you other, steeped in cunning, heart of guile, why stand you here cowering and waiting on others? You two should be of all men foremost when there is hard fighting to be done, for you are ever foremost to accept my invitation when we councillors of the Achaeans are holding feast. You are glad enough then to take your fill of roast meats and to drink wine as long as you please, whereas now you would not care though you saw ten columns of Achaeans engage the enemy in front of you.”

Ulysses glared at him and answered, “Son of Atreus, what are you talking about? How can you say that we are slack? When the Achaeans are in full fight with the Trojans, you shall see, if you care to do so, that the father of Telemachus will join battle with the foremost of them. You are talking idly.”

When Agamemnon saw that Ulysses was angry, he smiled pleasantly at him and withdrew his words. “Ulysses,” said he, “noble son of Laertes, excellent in all good counsel, I have neither fault to find nor orders to give you, for I know your heart is right, and that you and I are of a mind. Enough; I will make you amends for what I have said, and if any ill has now been spoken may the gods bring it to nothing.”

Fighting between the Greek and the Trojans starts again, as both armies move to battle. A comrade of Odysseus (Ulysses) is killed in battle, and Ulysseus kills one of sons of Priam in retribution. The book IV ends with god Apollo urging on Trojans, and goddess Athena (Minerva)  doing the same for the Greeks, resulting in many deaths. 

 But Apollo looked down from Pergamus and called aloud to the Trojans, for he was displeased. “Trojans,” he cried, “rush on the foe, and do not let yourselves be thus beaten by the Argives. Their skins are not stone nor iron that when you hit them you do them no harm. Moreover, Achilles, the son of lovely Thetis, is not fighting, but is nursing his anger at the ships.”

Thus spoke the mighty god, crying to them from the city, while Jove’s redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, went about among the host of the Achaeans, and urged them forward whenever she beheld them slackening....

BOOK V

In Book V, gods are again directly involved in the war. Athena gives Diomedes great strength in battle, and we see him at the peak of his military glory. This is the summary of this chapter found in the translation I cited: "The exploits of Diomed, who, though wounded by Pandarus, continues fighting—He kills Pandarus and wounds AEneas—Venus rescues AEneas, but being wounded by Diomed, commits him to the care of Apollo and goes to Olympus, where she is tended by her mother Dione—Mars encourages the Trojans, and AEneas returns to the fight cured of his wound—Minerva and Juno help the Achaeans, and by the advice of the former Diomed wounds Mars, who returns to Olympus to get cured."

As you can see, there is a lot of fighting going on in Book V. Numerous gods get involved into fighting directly. For example, we can see Ideaus is saved by god Vulcan, because his father was a priest of Vulcan. 

Then Pallas Minerva put valour into the heart of Diomed, son of Tydeus, that he might excel all the other Argives, and cover himself with glory. She made a stream of fire flare from his shield and helmet like the star that shines most brilliantly in summer after its bath in the waters of Oceanus—even such a fire did she kindle upon his head and shoulders as she bade him speed into the thickest hurly-burly of the fight.

Now there was a certain rich and honourable man among the Trojans, priest of Vulcan, and his name was Dares. He had two sons, Phegeus and Idaeus, both of them skilled in all the arts of war. These two came forward from the main body of Trojans, and set upon Diomed, he being on foot, while they fought from their chariot. When they were close up to one another, Phegeus took aim first, but his spear went over Diomed’s left shoulder without hitting him. Diomed then threw, and his spear sped not in vain, for it hit Phegeus on the breast near the nipple, and he fell from his chariot. Idaeus did not dare to bestride his brother’s body, but sprang from the chariot and took to flight, or he would have shared his brother’s fate; whereon Vulcan saved him by wrapping him in a cloud of darkness, that his old father might not be utterly overwhelmed with grief; but the son of Tydeus drove off with the horses, and bade his followers take them to the ships. The Trojans were scared when they saw the two sons of Dares, one of them in fright and the other lying dead by his chariot. 

Athena (Minerva) at this point cunningly convinces Areas( Mars) to retread form the battle or risk the anger of Zeus, thus ensuring advantage for the Greeks. This is an interesting moment as it confirms that Zeus has authority over all the gods and in the end it is his will that matters. However, it also shows not only Athena's cunning, but also the extend to which she is engaged in this conflict. 

Minerva, therefore, took Mars by the hand and said, “Mars, Mars, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of cities, may we not now leave the Trojans and Achaeans to fight it out, and see to which of the two Jove will vouchsafe the victory? Let us go away, and thus avoid his anger.”

So saying, she drew Mars out of the battle, and set him down upon the steep banks of the Scamander. 

What follows is description of the battle, and during the course of which much killing occurred. One moment that I found interesting is when Aeneid noticed Diomedes, and asks about him, and in answered that a god must be assisting him for the arrows aimed at him cannot pass through. This is true as Athena is helping Diomedes. 

When Aeneas saw him thus making havoc among the ranks, he went through the fight amid the rain of spears to see if he could find Pandarus. When he had found the brave son of Lycaon he said, “Pandarus, where is now your bow, your winged arrows, and your renown as an archer, in respect of which no man here can rival you nor is there any in Lycia that can beat you? Lift then your hands to Jove and send an arrow at this fellow who is going so masterfully about, and has done such deadly work among the Trojans. He has killed many a brave man—unless indeed he is some god who is angry with the Trojans about their sacrifices, and has set his hand against them in his displeasure.”

And the son of Lycaon answered, “Aeneas, I take him for none other than the son of Tydeus. I know him by his shield, the visor of his helmet, and by his horses. It is possible that he may be a god, but if he is the man I say he is, he is not making all this havoc without heaven’s help, but has some god by his side who is shrouded in a cloud of darkness, and who turned my arrow aside when it had hit him. I have taken aim at him already and hit him on the right shoulder; my arrow went through the breast-piece of his cuirass; and I made sure I should send him hurrying to the world below, but it seems that I have not killed him. There must be a god who is angry with me...”

Aeneid mounts the chariot and attacks Diomedes, who refuses to run away, despite being made aware that his attacker is a fierce hero, whose mother is Aphrodite herself. Diomedes also adds mention shall he die, the horses must be preserved for they are glorious. 

They then mounted the chariot and drove full speed towards the son of Tydeus. Sthenelus, son of Capaneus, saw them coming and said to Diomed, “Diomed, son of Tydeus, man after my own heart, I see two heroes speeding towards you, both of them men of might the one a skilful archer, Pandarus son of Lycaon, the other, Aeneas, whose sire is Anchises, while his mother is Venus. Mount the chariot and let us retreat. Do not, I pray you, press so furiously forward, or you may get killed.”

Diomed looked angrily at him and answered: “Talk not of flight, for I shall not listen to you: I am of a race that knows neither flight nor fear, and my limbs are as yet unwearied. I am in no mind to mount, but will go against them even as I am; Pallas Minerva bids me be afraid of no man, and even though one of them escape, their steeds shall not take both back again. I say further, and lay my saying to your heart—if Minerva sees fit to vouchsafe me the glory of killing both, stay your horses here and make the reins fast to the rim of the chariot; then be sure you spring Aeneas’ horses and drive them from the Trojan to the Achaean ranks. They are of the stock that great Jove gave to Tros in payment for his son Ganymede, and are the finest that live and move under the sun. King Anchises stole the blood by putting his mares to them without Laomedon’s knowledge, and they bore him six foals. Four are still in his stables, but he gave the other two to Aeneas. We shall win great glory if we can take them.”

What follows is a glorious account of the battle between Diomedes and Aphrodite's son. Aeneas would have been killed had not his mother protected him by throwing her arms around him and covered him with her garment....

Aeneas sprang from his chariot armed with shield and spear, fearing lest the Achaeans should carry off the body. He bestrode it as a lion in the pride of strength, with shield and spear before him and a cry of battle on his lips resolute to kill the first that should dare face him. But the son of Tydeus caught up a mighty stone, so huge and great that as men now are it would take two to lift it; nevertheless he bore it aloft with ease unaided, and with this he struck Aeneas on the groin where the hip turns in the joint that is called the “cup-bone.” The stone crushed this joint, and broke both the sinews, while its jagged edges tore away all the flesh. The hero fell on his knees, and propped himself with his hand resting on the ground till the darkness of night fell upon his eyes. And now Aeneas, king of men, would have perished then and there, had not his mother, Jove’s daughter Venus, who had conceived him by Anchises when he was herding cattle, been quick to mark, and thrown her two white arms about the body of her dear son. She protected him by covering him with a fold of her own fair garment, lest some Danaan should drive a spear into his breast and kill him.....

With Athena's inspiration, Diomedes kills two sons of Priam, and almost the Aeneas, the hero Aeneus, but Aphrodite (Venus) who is his mother shields him.  Diomedes recognizes Aphrodites (Venus) and attacks her with a speak, succeeding in wounding her as she was carrying away Aeneus. Now, in this moment I must admit that I forgot all about the mess that Aphrodite has cooked up so far. I saw her only as a mother trying to save her son. I thought of the cruelty of Athena who instructs Diomedes to aim at Aphrodite with a spear if he sees her. He knows she is not strong like Athena, and he sees his chance in this, aiming an unarmed mother trying to carry her son from the battlefield. True, Aphrodite is a goddess, but still, she is a mother and her divine attributes do not include strengh like Athena's. It seems Aphrodite is actually risking her life, exposing herself on the battlefield in order to save the life of her son. Fortunately, as wounded Aphodite drops her son from her hands, her brother Apollo steps in and tells her to save herself. 

Now the son of Tydeus was in pursuit of the Cyprian goddess, spear in hand, for he knew her to be feeble and not one of those goddesses that can lord it among men in battle like Minerva or Enyo the waster of cities, and when at last after a long chase he caught her up, he flew at her and thrust his spear into the flesh of her delicate hand. The point tore through the ambrosial robe which the Graces had woven for her, and pierced the skin between her wrist and the palm of her hand, so that the immortal blood, or ichor, that flows in the veins of the blessed gods, came pouring from the wound; for the gods do not eat bread nor drink wine, hence they have no blood such as ours, and are immortal. Venus screamed aloud, and let her son fall, but Phoebus Apollo caught him in his arms, and hid him in a cloud of darkness, lest some Danaan should drive a spear into his breast and kill him; and Diomed shouted out as he left her, “Daughter of Jove, leave war and battle alone, can you not be contented with beguiling silly women? If you meddle with fighting you will get what will make you shudder at the very name of war.”

The goddess went dazed and discomfited away, and Iris, fleet as the wind, drew her from the throng, in pain and with her fair skin all besmirched. She found fierce Mars waiting on the left of the battle, with his spear and his two fleet steeds resting on a cloud; whereon she fell on her knees before her brother and implored him to let her have his horses. 

When Aphrodite's says to Mars that she was gravely wounded by a mortal who would fought Zeus himself, she is not joking, for the mortal in question will turn on Apollo soon, and only when the god reminded him they are not equals, did he stand back. Aphrodite's' words come true, when Diomedes fought Apollo himself. 

But Diomed sprang upon Aeneas, though he knew him to be in the very arms of Apollo. Not one whit did he fear the mighty god, so set was he on killing Aeneas and stripping him of his armour. Thrice did he spring forward with might and main to slay him, and thrice did Apollo beat back his gleaming shield. When he was coming on for the fourth time, as though he were a god, Apollo shouted to him with an awful voice and said, “Take heed, son of Tydeus, and draw off; think not to match yourself against gods, for men that walk the earth cannot hold their own with the immortals.”

Meanwhile, Aphrodite's mother Dione comforts her saying that men who harm gods never live for long, even if supported by other gods, and she lists many instances when gods suffered at the hands of men. I found it fascinating, because I never really taught of that. Another thing that Dione says is that gods often make one another suffer because of men. “Bear it, my child,” replied Dione, “and make the best of it. We dwellers in Olympus have to put up with much at the hands of men, and we lay much suffering on one another.  *   Now, this is also very true. The gods in the Iliad do fight over mankind, sometimes even causing each other to get hurt. Does this imply there is also something that moves the gods? Some greater fate that makes them ally themselves with one man and against other? That makes gods picks side? 

Moreover, she is taunted by Hera and Athena, who are not afraid of battle.  There is some symbolism here. Aphrodite, the goddess of love has no place on the battlefield.  Zeus confirms this and says so to Aphrodite. I could not help but feeling that Zeus mocks her when he reminds her of her duty as a wife, as obviously she was wounded in saving  her son Aeneus born out of wedlock and is famously unfateful to her husband. However, Zeus is really not the one to talk, is he now? "The sire of gods and men smiled, and called golden Venus to his side. “My child,” said he, “it has not been given you to be a warrior. Attend, henceforth, to your own delightful matrimonial duties, and leave all this fighting to Mars and to Minerva.”

Aphrodite is at least comforted by her mother if mocked by others, possibly even including her father. Athena, herself, does not have a mother, being born of Zeus' head, so she perhaps does not comprehend Aphrodite's motherly feelings or thinks herself suprior on some ground. Perhaps Athena simply does not care if her sister lives or dies. Interesting how gods seem to care so little about each other. I must say that book V made me warm up to Aphrodite again. This is in part the genius of Homer. He can make us hate one character in one book of the Iliad, but love them in the next. 

Meanwhile, an ally Sarpedon taunts Hector to fight and he does so,  leading his army, and Mars helps the Trojans but covering them in darkness. Apollo helps them by returning Aeneaus who was healed by the gods and is eager to fight again:

"So spoke Sarpedon, and Hector smarted under his words. He sprang from his chariot clad in his suit of armour, and went about among the host brandishing his two spears, exhorting the men to fight and raising the terrible cry of battle. Then they rallied and again faced the Achaeans, but the Argives stood compact and firm, and were not driven back. As the breezes sport with the chaff upon some goodly threshing-floor, when men are winnowing—while yellow Ceres blows with the wind to sift the chaff from the grain, and the chaff-heaps grow whiter and whiter—even so did the Achaeans whiten in the dust which the horses’ hoofs raised to the firmament of heaven, as their drivers turned them back to battle, and they bore down with might upon the foe. Fierce Mars, to help the Trojans, covered them in a veil of darkness, and went about everywhere among them, inasmuch as Phoebus Apollo had told him that when he saw Pallas Minerva leave the fray he was to put courage into the hearts of the Trojans—for it was she who was helping the Danaans. Then Apollo sent Aeneas forth from his rich sanctuary, and filled his heart with valour, whereon he took his place among his comrades, who were overjoyed at seeing him alive, sound, and of a good courage; but they could not ask him how it had all happened, for they were too busy with the turmoil raised by Mars and by Strife, who raged insatiably in their midst."

The Trojans had to time to ask their hero how he managed to return full of courage and unharmed, for the battle never stops. It is interest to dwell on Aeneas' fate for a bit. Humans born out gods seems to have an unique destiny, and can be survive what others could not, any yet they are mortal. The bridge between the gods and the humans can sometimes be crossed, or so it seems. These demi-gods or children of Greek gods are really fascinating. Anyhow, the Trojans are advancing, but the Greeks also have their heroes to lead them on, and gods who support them, encouraging them to fight bravely for fate favours the brave: 

The two Ajaxes, Ulysses and Diomed, cheered the Danaans on, fearless of the fury and onset of the Trojans. They stood as still as clouds which the son of Saturn has spread upon the mountain tops when there is no air and fierce Boreas sleeps with the other boisterous winds whose shrill blasts scatter the clouds in all directions—even so did the Danaans stand firm and unflinching against the Trojans. The son of Atreus went about among them and exhorted them. “My friends,” said he, “quit yourselves like brave men, and shun dishonour in one another’s eyes amid the stress of battle. They that shun dishonour more often live than get killed, but they that fly save neither life nor name.”

 Many heroes perish in the battle and there is much bloodshed.  I will not reflect on all of them, but I will mention the important ones. In addition, I will stress that gods are very much involved. Apollo asks of Areas (Mars) to join him and he does, and they both inspire Trojans to fight. From that point on, the battle takes many turns, and it is really uncertain what will happen. Aeneas kills two Greek champtions and saddened by it, brave Menelaus marches on, encourgaed by Mars so that he kills Aeneas, but Nestor rushes to help him, realising all would be lost if Meneleus was killed, for the army would turn back. Of course, some might prefer the end of war, but Nestor sees it as lost effort. At any rate, Anead gives up on attacking Menelaus upon seein Nestor, for " Aeneas, bold though he was, drew back on seeing the two heroes side by side in front of him, so they drew the bodies of Crethon and Orsilochus to the ranks of the Achaeans and committed the two poor fellows into the hands of their comrades. They then turned back and fought in the front ranks."

Diomedes shakes with passion upon seeing the Trojan advance, guessing correctly the Trojan forces, led by Hector, are aided by god Mars:  “My friends, how can we wonder that Hector wields the spear so well? Some god is ever by his side to protect him, and now Mars is with him in the likeness of mortal man. Keep your faces therefore towards the Trojans, but give ground backwards, for we dare not fight with gods.” Diomedes remembers Athena's advice, and urges him men not to fight with gods. His wisdom is praised by Athena later on herself when she appears and nor too long after that. Presently, however, there is much killing going on.  "Presently the strong hand of fate impelled Tlepolemus, the son of Hercules, a man both brave and of great stature, to fight Sarpedon...."and the son of Hercules is killed : "...and Tlepolemus upraised his spear. They threw at the same moment, and Sarpedon struck his foe in the middle of his throat; the spear went right through, and the darkness of death fell upon his eyes. Tlepolemus’s spear struck Sarpedon on the left thigh with such force that it tore through the flesh and grazed the bone, but his father as yet warded off destruction from him."

Seeing this,  Ulysses was moved to pity, and  doubted whether to pursue the son of Jove, or to make slaughter of the Lycian rank and file but Minerva, inspired him to fight the Trojan army, and so he killed Coeranus, Alastor, Chromius, Alcandrus, Halius, Noemon, and Prytanis, and  was stopped only by Hector. 

Wounded Sarpedon was glad when he saw Hector coming, and besought him for help saying, “Son of Priam, let me not be here to fall into the hands of the Danaans. Help me, and since I may not return home to gladden the hearts of my wife and of my infant son, let me die within the walls of your city. Hector made him no answer, but rushed onward to fall at once upon the Achaeans and kill many among them. His comrades then bore Sarpedon away and laid him beneath Jove’s spreading oak tree. Pelagon, his friend and comrade, drew the spear out of his thigh, but Sarpedon fainted and a mist came over his eyes. Presently he came to himself again, for the breath of the north wind as it played upon him gave him new life, and brought him out of the deep swoon into which he had fallen."

Hector kills a number of Greek heroes while Sarpedon is coming to his senses. So, in a way despite not answering him directly, he did help him in his way, simply by fighting the Trojans. Hector has gained momentum, now that Mars is with him. We can see how lively and detailed the descriptions of the battle are. We can see Homer noting how silly it was that the men did not think of taking the speak out of Sarpedon's leg right away, and also how he fainted when they did but was revived by fresh air. I mean Homer spears us no details. The Book V of the Iliad is filled with moving descriptions of the battle, we see heroes mourning each other and going into their deaths.  The Greeks neither retreat nor take on Trojans, being in quite e predicament.  Meanwhile the Argives were neither driven towards their ships by Mars and Hector, nor yet did they attack them; when they knew that Mars was with the Trojans they retreated, but kept their faces still turned towards the foe.

However, the Greeks are not without godly help either, as Hera (Juno) says to Zeus' Athena (Minerva) and her ally, that they must go and help as they promised: "Now when the goddess Juno saw the Argives thus falling, she said to Minerva, “Alas, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, unweariable, the promise we made Menelaus that he should not return till he had sacked the city of Ilius will be of no effect if we let Mars rage thus furiously. Let us go into the fray at once.”"

What follow is a long and detailed description of Athena (Minerva)  and Hera (Juno) arming themselves for battle and of their gold carriage and Juno's mighty horses. Juno asks Jove is he not angry with Mars, and gets instructed by Jove to let Minerva punish him. 

When Minerva (Athena) appears before Diomed he confirms his loyalty to her, and she tells him not to fear Mars for Minerva will aid them and Jove approved of it: “Diomed, son of Tydeus,” replied Minerva, “man after my own heart, fear neither Mars nor any other of the immortals, for I will befriend you. Nay, drive straight at Mars, and smite him in close combat; fear not this raging madman, villain incarnate, first on one side and then on the other. But now he was holding talk with Juno and myself, saying he would help the Argives and attack the Trojans; nevertheless he is with the Trojans, and has forgotten the Argives.”

Mars attacks Diomedes, not knowing that Minerva who made herself invisible, is with Diomed who with her helo wounds Mars:  Diomed then threw, and Pallas Minerva drove the spear into the pit of Mars’s stomach where his under-girdle went round him. There Diomed wounded him, tearing his fair flesh and then drawing his spear out again. Mars roared as loudly as nine or ten thousand men in the thick of a fight, and the Achaeans and Trojans were struck with panic, so terrible was the cry he raised.

Areas escapes to Olympus to complains of his wounds to Zeus, but his father responds that he hates him and that he would banish him if we could. The book V leaves  us with an angry Zeus who scorns his son Areas and insults Areas's mother Hera in process, but still demands that Areas be treated. 

Jove looked angrily at him and said, “Do not come whining here, Sir Facing-both-ways. I hate you worst of all the gods in Olympus, for you are ever fighting and making mischief. You have the intolerable and stubborn spirit of your mother Juno: it is all I can do to manage her, and it is her doing that you are now in this plight: still, I cannot let you remain longer in such great pain; you are my own offspring, and it was by me that your mother conceived you; if, however, you had been the son of any other god, you are so destructive that by this time you should have been lying lower than the Titans.”

He then bade Paeeon heal him, whereon Paeeon spread pain-killing herbs upon his wound and cured him, for he was not of mortal mould. As the juice of the fig-tree curdles milk, and thickens it in a moment though it is liquid, even so instantly did Paeeon cure fierce Mars. Then Hebe washed him, and clothed him in goodly raiment, and he took his seat by his father Jove all glorious to behold.

I guess blood is thicker than water after all. Finally, the book V ends with the return of Juno and Minerva, who have been very active on the battlefield and have reasons to be satisfied with themselves: Juno of Argos and Minerva of Alalcomene, now that they had put a stop to the murderous doings of Mars, went back again to the house of Jove.

We can see that the two of them were clever here, but asking the permission of Jove first, thus ensuring Jove's support. At the same time, Jove does not fail his promise to Achilles' mother, for the Greek will need of Achilles if they want to win. However, all that happens a bit later. Let us move now to book six of the Iliad, where we learn even more of Hector's virtue. It is one of the things that never seem to fascinate me. Hector, albeit an enemy of Greek, is portrayed as Homer as the most virtuous of man. 

BOOK VI

Book VI opens with the ongoing battle and much killing. At some point,  Adrestus looses to Menelaus and begs for his life, promising that his father will buy him off and Menelaus is moved until his brother insists they must kill all Trojans : "... Let us not spare a single one of them—not even the child unborn and in its mother’s womb; let not a man of them be left alive, but let all in Ilius perish, unheeded and forgotten.” Nestor also encourages the Greek to kill as many Trojans as possible, and take the spoils later, "With these words he put heart and soul into them all. And now the Trojans would have been routed and driven back into Ilius, had not Priam’s son Helenus, wisest of augurs..." told Hector and Aeneas to urge on the Trojans to battle, and then do sacrifices to gods- and Hector did as his brother bade him. He sprang from his chariot, and went about everywhere among the host, brandishing his spears, urging the men on to fight, and raising the dread cry of battle. Thereon they rallied and again faced the Achaeans, who gave ground and ceased their murderous onset, for they deemed that some one of the immortals had come down from starry heaven to help the Trojans, so strangely had they rallied. And Hector shouted to the Trojans, “Trojans and allies, be men, my friends, and fight with might and main, while I go to Ilius and tell the old men of our council and our wives to pray to the gods and vow hecatombs in their honour.”

Meanwhile, two  enemy men meet on the battlefield,  Diomed of the loud war-cry was the first to speak. “Who, my good sir,” said he, “who are you among men?I have never seen you in battle until now, but you are daring beyond all others if you abide my onset. Woe to those fathers whose sons face my might. If, however, you are one of the immortals and have come down from heaven, I will not fight you; for even valiant Lycurgus, son of Dryas, did not live long when he took to fighting with the gods

The other man, the son of Hippolochus, answers so poetically:  “... why ask me of my lineage? Men come and go as leaves year by year upon the trees. Those of autumn the wind sheds upon the ground, but when spring returns the forest buds forth with fresh vines. Even so is it with the generations of mankind, the new spring up as the old are passing away...." but elaborates on his lineage anyway and it turns out their families are on friendly terms (you are an old friend of my father’s house, Diomedes says) and they exchange gifts. This little tender moment of friendship between a Trojan soldier and Diomedes contrasts the bloodshed, and perhaps put it into perspective. It makes one wonder why humankind cannot live without war? Why cannot we find glory in other pursuits? Why cannot men demonstrate their courage in other ways? 

The battle never stops, though. When brave Hector enters the Troy, he talks first with his mother, refusing the wine that the offers him, lest it interfere with his clarity of mind. Women surrounding him, asking about their husbands, and Hector instructs the women of Troy to pray to gods, bringing tears to their eyes, for they must sense the danger is very real. After that, Hector went to his brother house. "He found Alexandrus within the house, busied about his armour, his shield and cuirass, and handling his curved bow; there, too, sat Argive Helen with her women, setting them their several tasks; and as Hector saw him he rebuked him with words of scorn. “Sir,” said he, “you do ill to nurse this rancour; the people perish fighting round this our town; you would yourself chide one whom you saw shirking his part in the combat. Up then, or ere long the city will be in a blaze.”

And Alexandrus answered, “Hector, your rebuke is just; listen therefore, and believe me when I tell you that I am not here so much through rancour or ill-will towards the Trojans, as from a desire to indulge my grief. My wife was even now gently urging me to battle, and I hold it better that I should go, for victory is ever fickle. Wait, then, while I put on my armour, or go first and I will follow. I shall be sure to overtake you.”

Hector scolds his brother, and Paris promises to join him in the fight, to which Hector makes no answer,  and  then Helen addresses him, lamenting that Paris is not to be trusted, and praising Hector instead. I found it very touching how Helen respects and loves her brother-in-law for his virtue, urging him to rest but Hector has no time for rest, virtuous that he is, for he thinks of his own wife.

....And Hector answered, “Bid me not be seated, Helen, for all the goodwill you bear me. I cannot stay. I am in haste to help the Trojans, who miss me greatly when I am not among them; but urge your husband, and of his own self also let him make haste to overtake me before I am out of the city. I must go home to see my household, my wife and my little son, for I know not whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether the gods will cause me to fall by the hands of the Achaeans.”

 Hector goes on to look for his wife, and when they meet, it is, in my opinion, one of the most touching moments ever described in literature. But first we get some background information about Andromache, his wife and Homer also introduces us to their son, who is a mere baby. 

When he had gone through the city and had reached the Scaean gates through which he would go out on to the plain, his wife came running towards him, Andromache, daughter of great Eetion who ruled in Thebe under the wooded slopes of Mt. Placus, and was king of the Cilicians. His daughter had married Hector, and now came to meet him with a nurse who carried his little child in her bosom—a mere babe. Hector’s darling son, and lovely as a star. Hector had named him Scamandrius, but the people called him Astyanax, for his father stood alone as chief guardian of Ilius.

Hector now looks upon his baby boy, and talks with his wife. What a tender moment it is. I love how Homer gave Andromache place and time to speak her mind, that he have her a voice to tell her history, the tragedy that have befallen her and to express her love and admiration for her husband. So, she pleads with Hector to stay, telling him he is all has, and indeed her entire family was killed, but Hector knows that he must  stay not for it is his duty to fight. Moreover, if Troy is to have any chance of winning at all, Hector must fight. 

 Hector smiled as he looked upon the boy, but he did not speak, and Andromache stood by him weeping and taking his hand in her own. “Dear husband,” said she, “your valour will bring you to destruction; think on your infant son, and on my hapless self who ere long shall be your widow—for the Achaeans will set upon you in a body and kill you. It would be better for me, should I lose you, to lie dead and buried, for I shall have nothing left to comfort me when you are gone, save only sorrow. I have neither father nor mother now. Achilles slew my father when he sacked Thebe the goodly city of the Cilicians. He slew him, but did not for very shame despoil him; when he had burned him in his wondrous armour, he raised a barrow over his ashes and the mountain nymphs, daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, planted a grove of elms about his tomb. I had seven brothers in my father’s house, but on the same day they all went within the house of Hades. Achilles killed them as they were with their sheep and cattle. My mother—her who had been queen of all the land under Mt. Placus—he brought hither with the spoil, and freed her for a great sum, but the archer-queen Diana took her in the house of your father. Nay—Hector—you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband—have mercy upon me; stay here upon this wall; make not your child fatherless, and your wife a widow; as for the host, place them near the fig-tree, where the city can be best scaled, and the wall is weakest. Thrice have the bravest of them come thither and assailed it, under the two Ajaxes, Idomeneus, the sons of Atreus, and the brave son of Tydeus, either of their own bidding, or because some soothsayer had told them.”

When Hector answers his wife, he reminds her that he cannot be a coward, even if he knows that Ilius that is Troy will be destroyed. 

And Hector answered, “Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so: I know nothing save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host and win renown alike for my father and myself. 

I found in interesting that Hector knows that Troy will fall, and even more so that he tells his wife about this. There might be different interpretations of this moment, and how he might possibly know that the Greek victory is immanent. Maybe it is a realistic estimate of a military commander in chief, and maybe he was given prophetic vision by the gods, or has always possessed some prophetic vision it himself. It might also be another proof of his intelligence. After all, if the Greeks have not given up in the tenth year of the war, why would they ever give up? Moreover, Hector tells his wife Andromache about her feelings, telling her he will grieve for no one the way he grieves for her, professing his love for her. 

Well do I know that the day will surely come when mighty Ilius shall be destroyed with Priam and Priam’s people, but I grieve for none of these—not even for Hecuba, nor King Priam, nor for my brothers many and brave who may fall in the dust before their foes—for none of these do I grieve as for yourself when the day shall come on which some one of the Achaeans shall rob you for ever of your freedom, and bear you weeping away. It may be that you will have to ply the loom in Argos at the bidding of a mistress, or to fetch water from the springs Messeis or Hypereia, treated brutally by some cruel task-master; then will one say who sees you weeping, ‘She was wife to Hector, the bravest warrior among the Trojans during the war before Ilius.’ On this your tears will break forth anew for him who would have put away the day of captivity from you. May I lie dead under the barrow that is heaped over my body ere I hear your cry as they carry you into bondage.”

Hector knows the fate of his wife is to be more tragic than his. After all, Hector shall die in battle. For a man as himself, it is natural to die defending her wife and child, his city and family. What is not natural is to know they will be enslaved and tortured, to know that the fate that awaits them is worse than death. Why does Hector tells of this to his wife? Is  it because they have no secrets one before the other? Is it to prepare her what is to come? Is it to make her understand that their parting might be indeed the final one? Is it so she would be comforted in her slavery knowing that her husband grieved for her while she was still alive, while they were still alive? Is it to know, finally, that her husband loved her above all else? Above destiny, glory and death? Above everything that came in between them. 

After telling her all this, Hector shares a tender moment with his infant son. Again, we see the genius of Homer in the tenderness with which he describes how the baby boy was scared of his father's helmed, and then the parents laughed a shared a brief fleeting moment of happiness together. The father then picks up his son and plays with him, knowing it is probably the last time he holds him in his arms: 

He stretched his arms towards his child, but the boy cried and nestled in his nurse’s bosom, scared at the sight of his father’s armour, and at the horse-hair plume that nodded fiercely from his helmet. His father and mother laughed to see him, but Hector took the helmet from his head and laid it all gleaming upon the ground. Then he took his darling child, kissed him, and dandled him in his arms, praying over him the while to Jove and to all the gods.

Hector prays to Jove, meaning that he still hopes for life. A moment ago, he lamented the fate of his wife and child, now touched by a moment of pure parental joy, Hector dares to hope for life, and he prays that his son rules Troy. 

 “Jove,” he cried, “grant that this my child may be even as myself, chief among the Trojans; let him be not less excellent in strength, and let him rule Ilius with his might. Then may one say of him as he comes from battle, ‘The son is far better than the father.’ May he bring back the blood-stained spoils of him whom he has laid low, and let his mother’s heart be glad.”

After he returns his son to his wife's hands, Hector caresses her and comforts her in a way, saying, “My own wife, do not take these things too bitterly to heart. No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man’s hour is come, be he brave or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born. Go, then, within the house, and busy yourself with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the ordering of your servants; for war is man’s matter, and mine above all others of them that have been born in Ilius.”

When Hector leaves, his wife mourns him, although he is still alive. She must have had somewhat of a prophetic vision herself, leading me to ask myself, is is better to know the future or not? Can we ever truly prepare for the tragedies of this life?

He took his plumed helmet from the ground, and his wife went back again to her house, weeping bitterly and often looking back towards him. When she reached her home she found her maidens within, and bade them all join in her lament; so they mourned Hector in his own house though he was yet alive, for they deemed that they should never see him return safe from battle, and from the furious hands of the Achaeans.

Paris does keep his word and meets his brother, and as Hector answers him we see that there is still some hope in him: 

"My good brother,” answered Hector, “you fight bravely, and no man with any justice can make light of your doings in battle. But you are careless and wilfully remiss. It grieves me to the heart to hear the ill that the Trojans speak about you, for they have suffered much on your account. Let us be going, and we will make things right hereafter, should Jove vouchsafe us to set the cup of our deliverance before ever-living gods of heaven in our own homes, when we have chased the Achaeans from Troy.” "

So, ends the book VI, the most touching book of the Iliad for me. The one that made me fall in love with Iliad all those years ago. Who could not be touched by husband and wife, perfect and virtuous, sharing sincere love, and yet mourning one another while they still live? Who would not shed a tear over virtuous Hector? Who would not shed a tear over tragic Andromache? 

BOOK VII

Trojan army is only too happy to see the two brothers, and Homer describes this moment poetically: "As when heaven sends a breeze to sailors who have long looked for one in vain, and have laboured at their oars till they are faint with toil, even so welcome was the sight of these two heroes to the Trojans."

Again, there is much killing, and the battle rages on, until gods intervene to end the fighting for that day. Apollo and Minerva meet next to to an oak tree, and Apollo proposes that Hector challenges someone from the Greeks in single combat, and the goddess agrees. Thus the two reach a compromise, and Hector's brother tells him of the gods' will. Hector then addresses the armies, telling he is ready to fight any of the Greek man. Menelaus wants to fight Hector, but Agamemnon stops him, sensing Menelaus is no match for him. Hector is the greatest fighter of Troy, it is not easy to find a match for him. Nestor tries to inspire Greek men to fight, being too old to fight Hector who is in his prime....and "Thus did the old man rebuke them, and forthwith nine men started to their feet. Foremost of all uprose King Agamemnon, and after him brave Diomed the son of Tydeus. Next were the two Ajaxes, men clothed in valour as with a garment, and then Idomeneus, and Meriones his brother in arms. After these Eurypylus son of Euaemon, Thoas the son of Andraemon, and Ulysses also rose. Then Nestor knight of Gerene again spoke, saying: “Cast lots among you to see who shall be chosen. If he come alive out of this fight he will have done good service alike to his own soul and to the Achaeans.”

Seven men volunteer to fight, and Ajax is the one chosen to fight. He and Hector fight bravely, starting their dual with spears, moving onto lances, with Ajax drawing blood. The heroes were about to end it with swords when the evening approached, and messengers from Jove  instructed them to stop on account on nightfall. Ajax and Hector depart on friendly terms, and even exchange gifts. I found this endearing because it showed that both men had honour and respected one another. 

Then Hector said, “Ajax, heaven has vouchsafed you stature and strength, and judgement; and in wielding the spear you excel all others of the Achaeans. Let us for this day cease fighting; hereafter we will fight anew till heaven decide between us, and give victory to one or to the other; night is now falling, and the behests of night may not be well gainsaid. Gladden, then, the hearts of the Achaeans at your ships, and more especially those of your own followers and clansmen, while I, in the great city of King Priam, bring comfort to the Trojans and their women, who vie with one another in their prayers on my behalf. Let us, moreover, exchange presents that it may be said among the Achaeans and Trojans, ‘They fought with might and main, but were reconciled and parted in friendship.’”

On this he gave Ajax a silver-studded sword with its sheath and leathern baldric, and in return Ajax gave him a girdle dyed with purple. Thus they parted, the one going to the host of the Achaeans, and the other to that of the Trojans, who rejoiced when they saw their hero come to them safe and unharmed from the strong hands of mighty Ajax. They led him, therefore, to the city as one that had been saved beyond their hopes. On the other side the Achaeans brought Ajax elated with victory to Agamemnon.

Meanwhile, the Trojans debate, and the idea to return Helen and end the war is presented. Paris rejects this idea, although he is prepared to return Helen's weath and add his own to Menelaus.

Meanwhile the Trojans held a council, angry and full of discord, on the acropolis by the gates of King Priam’s palace; and wise Antenor spoke. “Hear me,” he said, “Trojans, Dardanians, and allies, that I may speak even as I am minded. Let us give up Argive Helen and her wealth to the sons of Atreus, for we are now fighting in violation of our solemn covenants, and shall not prosper till we have done as I say.”

He then sat down and Alexandrus husband of lovely Helen rose to speak. “Antenor,” said he, “your words are not to my liking; you can find a better saying than this if you will; if, however, you have spoken in good earnest, then indeed has heaven robbed you of your reason. I will speak plainly, and hereby notify to the Trojans that I will not give up the woman; but the wealth that I brought home with her from Argos I will restore, and will add yet further of my own.”

King Priam has the final word, though. He wants to ask the Greeks for time to burn the dead, and after that let the matters be resolved in battle. King Priam will also let the Greeks now of Paris' offer.  It is interesting to think of why he does not want to return Helen, who herself expressed the desire to return to her husband. 

On this, when Paris had spoken and taken his seat, Priam of the race of Dardanus, peer of gods in council, rose and with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus: “Hear me, Trojans, Dardanians, and allies, that I may speak even as I am minded. Get your suppers now as hitherto throughout the city, but keep your watches and be wakeful. At daybreak let Idaeus go to the ships, and tell Agamemnon and Menelaus sons of Atreus the saying of Alexandrus through whom this quarrel has come about; and let him also be instant with them that they now cease fighting till we burn our dead; hereafter we will fight anew, till heaven decide between us and give victory to one or to the other.”

The Greeks care not for Paris' offer of wealth and money, but they agree to halt the fighting for a day, to burn the dead. Both side thus prove that it was never about the money. Paris' does not care for Helen's wealth, nor does her husband it seems. So, what is really at core? This is a very complex question, actually.

The Greeks build a high wall, and Neptun takes offesnse no sacrifies were offered to him. Book seven ends in an ominous way,  with Neptun complaining to Jove (Zeus), and him causally telling Neptun (Poseidon) he can kill the Greeks on their way home if he feels like it. 

Jove was displeased and answered, “What, O shaker of the earth, are you talking about? A god less powerful than yourself might be alarmed at what they are doing, but your fame reaches as far as dawn itself. Surely when the Achaeans have gone home with their ships, you can shatter their wall and fling it into the sea; you can cover the beach with sand again, and the great wall of the Achaeans will then be utterly effaced.”

I mean Greek goods seem positively homicidal and blood-thirsty at times. Promising Neptun that he can kill as many Greeks as he likes is apparently not enough, so Jove scares them for good measure: ...."But all the time Jove boded them ill and roared with his portentous thunder. Pale fear got hold upon them, and they spilled the wine from their cups on to the ground, nor did any dare drink till he had made offerings to the most mighty son of Saturn. Then they laid themselves down to rest and enjoyed the boon of sleep."

Anyway, that is all for today. I will continue my review of the Iliad soon enough!

Location: The Spanish square, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sustainable fashion files: The maxi prink dress (second hand, from Terra Nova) / the white heels (old) /The red bag (a gift)

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