![]() ![]() Still, Book 13 leaves the Achaeans in a dangerous position, as Hector remains strong and inches ever closer to the vulnerable Achaean ships.īecause Zeus has turned his gaze elsewhere, with Poseidon's aid the Achaeans are able to regroup and launch a stiff counterattack on the left side. They have moments of glory, but these moments are relatively brief incidents offset by long episodes in which Achaean champions smash through the Trojan forces. Rarely in the Iliad do the Trojans get an unqualified upper hand. So many important Trojan warriors fall that Hector, when he searches for them, finds Paris and lashes out at him in despair. Between Idomenus, Meriones, and the two Aeantes, they kill a huge number of Trojan champions. The beginning of Book 13 focuses almost completely on this goal of psychological salvage, and once Idomenus and Meriones move to the left part of the battlefield we can see that the payoff is high. ![]() He cannot take part directly in the battle, but he can help to salvage the spirits of the hard-pressed Achaean forces. ![]() Poseidon cannot openly defy Zeus, but he is crafty enough to deceive him. The themes of pride and the struggle for glory are present throughout all of this morale-boosting, as heroes try to rally each other through a mixture of encouragement and mild insults designed to motivate a champion through his sense of honor. The struggle is not physical, but psychological, because the Achaeans will need their courage to stop Hector. Poseidon begins the process, inciting the Aeantes and Idomenus, and these heroes in turn find other men to incite to greater acts of valor. In danger of being routed by Hector, a few of the remaining great Achaean warriors struggle to rouse each other's spirits. In the first part of this section, Poseidon and a number of Greek champions fight to keep the Achaean morale high. Still, he gathers the men who are left, including Paris, and this Trojan core battles on. Hector does as Polydamas asks, but as he goes around the battlefield he finds that many of the Trojans' greatest warriors are dead or wounded. He tells Hector to consolidate their bravest so that they can decide their next move together. Although Hector is leading a fierce assault, elsewhere on the battlefield their troops are scattered. Polydamas warns Hector of their situation. The Locrians stand back from the front line and rain arrows on the Trojans, and between the arrows and the ferocity of the soldiers led by the Aeantes, it seems for a moment that the Trojans will have to retreat. Little Ajax commands the Locrians, who are expert archers. In the center, the Aeantes fight side-by-side, struggling to hold back the onslaught led by Hector. Homer describes numerous battles on the left side, and there the tide of war eventually turns in favor of the Achaeans, thanks to Poseidon, Idomenus, and Meriones. Notable encounters include an inconclusive clash between Idomenus and Aeneas. Idomenus kills some of the great warriors of the Trojan army, including Asius, the commander whose troops refused to dismount in Book 12. Zeus continues to hand victory to the Trojans, while Poseidon, covertly, rallies the Achaeans. The two men decide to take position in defense of the ships on the left side of the battlefield, since the Aeantes hold the center. Idomenus tries to rouse Meriones' courage, and he offers him spears from his own shelter since it is closer than the encampment of Meriones. Idomenus runs into Meriones, who is returning to his ship to get a new spear to replace the spear that he lost in battle. Idomenus, on his way back from aiding a wounded friend, returns to battle. Poseidon goes back to camp and takes the form of Thoas to encourage Idomenus to fight with new vigor. Homer describes a number of fights between great warriors of both sides. The two sides clash fiercely, and the Trojan advance is halted. Poseidon goes among the other troops, rousing their courage, and the Achaeans rally behind the two Aeantes and rush to face Hector and his troops. Little Ajax knows then that some god has spoken to them, and the Aeantes' spirits rise. Thus disguised, he encourages the two Aeantes ( Great Ajax and Little Ajax, when they are named as a pair) and gives them new strength before he flies away. Poseidon comes down to the battlefield and takes the form of Calchas the seer. Satisfied, Zeus turns his attention elsewhere. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |