Books XII and XIII:

“Because no battle is ever won, he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools---” (William Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury)


 “Achilles is sitting out the war, nursing his anger. Suspense is building. He’ll be back. Meanwhile we are seeing the consequences of his rage in what is happening on the battlefield.” ---Dr. Lombardo

“The word for Achilles’ rage, the first word of the Iliad in Greek, is menis, which is related to our ‘mania.’ Another common word is kholos, which is used to describe Agamemnon’s anger, and which literally means ‘bile.’”--Dr. Lombardo

“What does one do with anger in a practical way. Psychologically or morally, to prevent the potential harm to oneself, and others around one”—-Jonathan.


“But as it is, death is everywhere In more shapes than we can count And since no mortal is immune or can escape, Let’s go forward, either to give glory To another man or get glory from him.” (lines 338ff)

  • 1. Is THIS the definition of why they fight, what a hero is? If not what is the definition?
  • What sort of philosophy is this called?

  • 2. What is happening to Hector? “ No one Cold have stopped him, except the gods. …his eyes glowed with fire.” (493).
  • Temple talks about warnings from Polydamas to Hector and “note when and where he stops listening.”
  • Had you noticed anything about warnings?
  • Are Omens warnings?
  • Compare the bird omen in Book XII and Book XIII, can you figure out why one side cheers and the other despairs? Do you understand either omen?


  • 3. “He never dreamed that any of the immortals Would go to help the Trojans or the Greeks.” (l. 9ff)

    How Zeus can be so dense? He told them all to sit back, but apparently Poseidon, King of the Sea is his brother and thus figures….at least while Zeus is away, he’ll do his own thing. Why does he appear in the guise of as Calchas the Seer. The reader of Omens, bird entrails. Why Calchas? What do all of the human disguises of the gods mean?


  • 5. In line 110 we see something new:

    "Because, thanks to our leader’s cowardice…"
  • Who is the leader being spoken of? What does this mean?
  • Who is the speaker?
  • What other epithets are used in this section?


  • 6. " line 360ff:
    As to which human heroes they should afflicted,
    Zeus planned victory for Hector and the Trojans
    To honor Achilles. He had no desire
    To destroy the Greeks on Troy’s dusty plain,
    But meant only to honor Thetis and her son.
  • What does this mean? To what does it refer? How would conquering Troy honor Achilles, he’s not fighting?

  • 7. Polydamas AGAIN, (how many times IS this?) approaches Hector and tries to reason with him. What does this do to the reader? Does it give you a lot of confidence in Hector’s leadership ability, to have somebody constantly trying to reason with him? What effect does this have on the listener?

  • What is the effect this time of Polydamas’s warning? Does it have anything to do with this line, (line 787)
    He is still waiting back there, you know, and he loves To fight. He won’t sit out the whole war.
  • 8. Another Omen!! (line 864ff: )
    His words were not out before a bird flew past
    On the right, a high-soaring eagle.
    The Achaeans shouted, taking heart.
    At the omen.
  • What does the juxtaposition of the omen which gave the Achaeans heart and Hector’s threat to Ajax have to do with each other? What happens in the closing paragraph of Book 13??