Myrgalen – homepage

Tues. June 4

Alarmed by the clamor of the battle so near the ships, Nestor consults the wounded Agamemnon, who suggests launching the fleet under the cover of night and returning home to save the army from desturction. He seems to feel genuine compassion for his troops, a good quality in a leader, but contrary to the way he is often portrayed as a egotistical tyrant. 

However, Odysseus, who is also wounded and out of the battle at the moment, upbraids Agamemnon, questioning his courage and leadership, claiming that Zeus has given them the heroic destiny to fight for glory, and it would be cowardly to flee their fate. This speech seems to embody the warrior ethos in the poem, and reminds me of Tennyson’s Ullysses, who is determined “not to yield” to fate, even in his old age. Here we do not have a full coucil, but one warrior speaking to his king as a peer, which perhaps explains Odysseus’ blunt words. 

Also in this book, we see Hera beautifying herself and borrowing the “magic girdle” of Aphrodite to put a love spell on Zeus and lull him to sleep, while Poseidon helps the Greeks beat back the Trojan advance. Hector is knocked down and wounded by a stone thrown by Ajax the greater. It is remarkable how often rocks are used as weapons, not just in slings, but randomly picked up from the field and thrown when another weapon is not at hand. It makes the combat seem even more primitive.