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Wed. April 10

After the Greek losses in battle, Agamemnon sends an embassy to Achilles, seeking reconcilliation. He expresses his remorse (through his emissaries though, not in person) and offers many gifts, following the rules of honor, including armor, land, and slaves, in recompense for the wrong Achilles has suffered. Agamemnon seems genuinely concerned for those who are his followers, not just for his own pride, now that the Greeks have met defeat in battle (surely not for the first time though, after ten years of war).  

However, it is not enough for Achilles. Even the return of the maiden Briseis, who was originally awarded to him as a prize, then taken away by Agamemnon, does not sway him. She is only a symbol of the honor accorded him by his comrades in battle, like a trophy, not a love interest as protrayed in the movie, Troy, starring Brad Pitt. Achilles believes now that Troy is “heaven defended” and that the glory he was promised is therefore unattainable. He regrets his decision to come to Troy. He plans to return home, rejecting the pursuit of glory, to live out his life in peace. This is not mere petulance and pouting, but truly weighing the personal cost of war (a short life) against the comforts of peace and a long life. Such comforts were not negligible to the Greeks, though they were often uncertain (see Aristophanes, The Peace). The only reward which means anything to him is the achievement of immortal glory.