Iliad Books 11-15 Review
Book 11 In the morning (they were feasting the night before because they learned all of that information from the Trojan they captured and killed), Zeus rains blood on the Greek lines as they enter into battle. The first half of the day – they suffer hugely. By the afternoon, Agamemnon begins to turn things around. They beat the Trojans back to the city gates. Zeus tells Hector to wait until Agamemnon is wounded to attack. Agamemnon is injured and Hector attacks driving the Greeks back. The Greeks panic and want to run. They are stopped by the encouraging words of Odysseus and Diomedes. Then, Diomedes throws a spear at Hector, The spear almost hits Hector in the head…this brush of death stuns him and he retreats. In response to that act, Paris shots an arrow at Diomedes and hits him. This puts Diomedes on the sidelines for the rest of the epic. The Trojans then encircle Odysseus. He is able to fight off most of the men but is injured when hit in his ribs. Ajax carries him back to the camp so he isn’t injured further. Hector rejoins the fight and begins pushing the Greeks back as they begin to panic about him fighting.
Book 11 One of the men that Hector injures is Machaon, a Greek healer. As Machaon is rushed back to the camp, Achilles sees him returning. He sends his good friend/companion, Patroclus, to check things out. Nestor is there helping Machaon when Patroclus appears. Nestor begs him to ask Achilles to join the battle. Patroclus states he will not listen Nestor then convinces Patroclus to at least dress in Achilles armor and fight – hoping just the fact that Achilles is on the battlefield will put fear into the Trojans.
Book 12 As of right now, the only thing holding the Trojans back from breaking through the Greek fortifications (means a structure for defense), is the fact that the Greeks built a trench around their fort. Hector, listening to a young military general (named Polydamas), calls all men to get off their chariots and charge the fort on foot. As they begin to charge, an eagle flies over the Trojans and drops a serpent in the middle of the them. This is a strong sign that the attack will not work. Hector ignores it and pushes on. Hector shatters the wall with a boulder and the Greeks are pushed back to the very edge of the beach completely terrified.
Book 13 Zeus, happy with the way the war is going with the Trojans dominating the battle, takes a break from the battlefield. Poseidon, who is rooting for the Greeks, notices that Zeus is gone and approaches the Greeks. He talks with little Ajax and big Ajax. He rallies them to keep fighting the Trojans. Hector kills Poseidon’s grandson (Amphimachus) Poseidon pours anger into Idomeneus and uses him to get a vengeance on the Trojans. Idomenaus takes down many Trojans. And the tide of the battle begins. (There is talk of different warriors fighting and/or getting injured).
Book 13 Hector continues to fight as many of Trojans begin to fall back from out of the Greek walls. Hector is finally convinced to regroup his men and basically retreat. Ajax insults Hector and as he does, an eagle flies by him showing an omen of goodness to the Greeks.
Book 14 Nestor leaves Machaon in his tent to join the other commanders They look around and see how much they have lost. Agamemnon wants to give up and sail home. (Odysseus yells at him and Diomedes tells all of them to go to the lines and encourage their men) Poseidon encourages Agamemnon and gives more strength to the Greeks.
Book 14 While this is happening, Hera notices Zeus is on Mt. Ida overlooking Troy. She decides to come up with a plan to help the Greeks. She tricks Aphrodite into giving her an enchanted breast band with the powers of Love and Longing. Then she goes to the spirit of Sleep. She promises his hand in marriage to one of her daughters in exchange for him to lull Zeus to sleep. He agrees and changes himself into a bird and waits on a tree near Zeus Hera puts on the Love band and goes to Zeus. Zeus reacts to the band and makes love to her. Once all is done, he goes into a deep sleep. She calls Poseidon to lead the Greeks to victory. Poseidon gathers the Greeks, they begin pushing back the Trojans, and Hector is injured to the point where he must be carried back to Troy. Once he is gone, the Trojans start dying in great numbers.
Book 15 Zeus wakes and sees the havoc that Hera and Poseidon have wreaked while he dozed in his enchanted sleep. Hera tries to blame Poseidon, but Zeus comforts her by making clear that he has no personal interest in a Trojan victory over the Achaeans. He tells her that he will again come to their aid, but that Troy is still fated to fall and that Hector will die after he kills Patroclus. He then asks Hera to summon Iris and Apollo. Iris goes to order Poseidon to leave the battlefield, which Poseidon reluctantly agrees to do, while Apollo seeks out Hector and fills him and his comrades with fresh strength. Hector leads a charge against the Achaeans, and while their leaders initially hold their ground, they retreat in terror when Apollo himself enters the battle. Apollo covers over the trench in front of the Greek fortifications, allowing the Trojans to beat down the ramparts once again. The armies fight all the way to the ships and very nearly into the Greek camp. At the base of the ships, furious hand-to-hand fighting breaks out. Great Ajax and Hector again tangle. The archer Teucer fells several Trojans, but Zeus snaps his bowstring when he takes aim at Hector. Ajax encourages his troops from the decks of the ships, but Hector rallies the Trojans, and inch by inch the Trojans advance until Hector is close enough to touch a ship.