Iliad Book III English Translation | Summary | Major Figures | Notes | Iliad Study Guide
"...the Trojans advanced as a flight of wild fowl or cranes that scream overhead when rain and winter drive them over the flowing waters of Oceanus to bring death and destruction on the Pygmies, and they wrangle in the air as they fly...."
Pygmies were legendary creatures who lived either in India or Africa. They may have been as short as a 1.5 feet. They were brothers of the giant Antaeus and all were children of Gaia (Earth). Every so often, cranes would swoop down on the Pygmies and they would fight. The cranes would try to scoop them into their beaks and eat them and the pygmies, riding animals into the charge would poke at them with their weapons.
Paris (Alexandrus) and Menelaus are both among the weaker fighters for their respective sides, but they are the two men whose interest in Helen sparked the Trojan War. Paris is afraid to face Menelaus until his brother scolds him.
Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-in-law....
Iris, the messenger goddess gets Helen to come to the fight. The fight is over her and her wealth. The winner is to take all. This is one of the few appearances of Helen in the entire Iliad. Helen goes to the Scaean Gates where Priam, sitting among other old men of Troy, asks her to identify some of the Greek fighters. He probably already knows who they are.
Agamemnon is identified as huge, great, and regal. Odysseus, is shorter by a head but broader than Agamemnon, and is very cunning. Ajax comes next and is said to tower head and broad shoulders over the Argives. Helen mentions that Idomeneus, captain of the Cretans, stands beside him. Thus the most important men of the Greeks are described.
Great Hector now turned his head aside while he shook the helmet, and the lot of Paris flew out first.
Single combat meant that one person threw his spear first and then if the other survived, he threw his spear. The choice of first thrower was determined by lot.
Menelaus would have dragged him off to his own great glory had not Jove's daughter Venus been quick to mark and to break the strap of oxhide, so that the empty helmet came away in his hand. This he flung to his comrades among the Achaeans, and was again springing upon Alexandrus to run him through with a spear, but Venus snatched him up in a moment (as a god can do), hid him under a cloud of darkness, and conveyed him to his own bedchamber.
Had it not been for Venus Paris would have lost, but Venus cheats here, to save Paris, and carries him away. She then calls Helen to join Paris in the bedchamber, which Helen doesn't want to do since her husband is now a proven coward who has lost the combat, but not paid the forfeit, which should have been Helen, her treasure, and his life.
