![]() ![]() There follows aninterlude in which Iris (disguised as Priam) induces the Trojans to mustertheir forces, and then the list of Trojan and allied leaders continues to theend of the book. ![]() This list of the leaders (the "Catalogue of Ships") fallsinto two parts. All the Argives assemble for battle,and the poet again asks the aid of the Muses, this time for the task of listingall the contingents. The chiefs sacrifice an ox and pray to Zeus for success inthe fighting, then they feast together. Nestor expresses a similar opinion, advising Agamemnon to allow any whowish to leave to go, so that only those eager for the fight will remain.Agamemnon agrees, and sends the Achaians off to eat and then to preparethemselves for war. Odysseus now addresses Agamemnon, noting that theomens for Greek victory have been good and urging him to stay until Troy istaken. The crowd delights in seeingOdysseus humiliate Thersites. He rails against Agamemnon, calling himgreedy and implying that he is in the wrong in the quarrel with Achilleus.Odysseus rises and shouts Thersites down, chiefly on the grounds that a commonsoldier such as he ought not to defy his betters. When the army is reassembled, a funny-looking commoner namedThersites rises to address the crowd. To noble men he recalls their duty as leaders,and to common soldiers he asserts the authority of the kings, backed by a blowfrom the staff. On Athene's orders, Odysseusgoes around stopping the flight. The Achaians are delighted by this and rush forthe ships, but Hera sends Athene to intervene. Agamemnon takes the sceptre and addressesthe multitude, telling them that the time has come to give up the struggle (nowin its ninth year) and go home. Nestor approves, and the chiefscall an assembly of the whole army. Next morning, Agamemnon summons the chiefs toan assembly and tells them about the dream. ![]() Zeus sends Agamemnon a deceitful dream indicating that this is a goodtime for the Achaians to attack. Hera, who favors the Greeks, expresses herdispleasure over this plan, but Zeus asserts his authority and she is silenced.Hephaistos comforts his mother Hera, and soon all the gods are again at peace,and the day ends. ![]() Thetis meets with Zeusand explains the situation he owes her a favor, so he agrees to give glory tothe Trojans on Achilleus' behalf. Thetis leaves, and the Achaians set aboutreturning Chryseis to her home and propitiating Apollo. He asks her toconvince Zeus to make the Trojans win for a while, so the Greeks will realizehow much they need Achilleus. He then meets with his mother, Thetis the sea-nymph,and tells her the whole story of how he has been dishonoured. When the messengers from Agamemnon arrive,Achilleus hands her over. Achilleus agrees to surrender his captivewoman, Briseis, without a fight. Nestor tries to reconcile thetwo chiefs, but without much success. Instead of attacking Agamemnon,Achilleus berates him some more, and swears an oath to stay out of the battleso that the Achaians can see how important he is. Agamemnon repeatshis threat to take Achilleus' prize, and Achilleus is about to draw his swordwhen Athene appears to him and stops him. Agamemnon agrees to give upChryseis, who is his concubine, but demands some other "prize" to replace her.Achilleus answers that another prize will come later, when Troy is sacked.Agamemnon angrily threatens to take the captive woman of Achilleus or ofanother of the Achaian chiefs, and Achilleus responds to this slight bydenouncing Agamemnon and threatening to go home to Phthia. First Kalchas securesAchilleus' promise that he will protect him from reprisals, then he explainsthe situation. Achilleus calls anassembly to ask the seer Kalchas why Apollo is angry. Apollo's priest Chryses comes to the Achaiancamp and asks to ransom back his daughter Chryseis, who has been captured.Agamemnon sends him rudely away, and Chryses prays to Apollo to punish theGreeks, which Apollo does by sending a plague upon them. The Iliad begins with the poet calling on the Muse to sing of the wrathof Achilleus and its consequences. Outline of Homer's Iliad Outline of Homer's Iliad ![]()
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