Iliad - Public domain English translationZeus wakes up to see Poseidon leading the Greeks (NB: Homer refers to them mostly as Achaeans, and sometimes Argives or Danaans; Greek is our term), and Hector lying injured. He realizes his wife, Hera, is responsible for putting him to sleep, and he believes she is responsible for the mischief fomented by Poseidon among the mortals. Zeus reminds Hera that when she made him sleep so she and Boreas could send Hercules "beyond the seas to Cos," he had punished her severely. Trembling Hera says she is not responsible for what Poseidon is doing.
Zeus tells Hera to go back to the gods and tell Iris come to him so he can tell her to tell Poseidon to leave off and tell Apollo to restore Hector to battle form. He adds that after Hector drives back the Greeks, Achilles will send Patroclus into battle, Hector will kill him, Achilles will rejoin the battle, and then Zeus will support the Greeks, but until Achilles is given his glory, no god is to help the Greeks.
Hera goes to Olympus and gathers the gods at table. She gives Ares the bad news about the death of his son. Ares is about to ride down to the mortals for revenge not caring what Zeus says or how strong he is, but Athena restrains him.
After Iris receives instructions from Zeus, she flies to Poseidon and relays the message. Poseidon is outraged that Zeus should threaten him when he, Zeus, and Hades are equal brothers of Rhea and Cronus.
Iris asks if he will reconsider his answer and Poseidon backs down, but says that if Troy is not completely destroyed, the gods responsible will bear his eternal hostility.
With that Poseidon leaves the battlefield, and his loss is felt by the Greeks. Apollo is sent to scare the Greeks and rouse the Trojans to the point of causing the Greeks to panic. Apollo asks Hector about his wound and Hector asks which god is addressing him before telling him that Ajax hit him. Apollo tells him he will help the Trojans.
The Greeks were still bearing down on the Trojans when they saw Hector and grew afraid. The leader of the Aetolians, Thoas, says that some god must have resurrected Hector. Thoas advises that the body of the soldiers return to the ships, but the best men remain with their spears pointed at Hector. The Greeks follow Thoas' advice. Apollo holds the aegis of Zeus and when he shakes it, immobilizes the Greeks.
Hector, Aeneas, and Paris kill Greek leaders. The Greeks run back to the ships and Hector leads his men on a charge to the Greek ships. They fight in hand-to-hand combat around the ship of the dead warrior Protesilaus, and from chariot and ship. When Patroclus sees the fight in danger of being taken to the ships, he rushes to Achilles, hoping to be able to persuade him to fight.
Hector and Ajax fight in a stalemate. Hector and Ajax each kill others of the enemy, and then Ajax calls to Teucer to bring out his bow (from Apollo) and arrows. Teucer killed a Trojan and would have done so to Hector had not Zeus broken his newly strung bowstring. Ajax tells Teucer to take up his spear since the gods won't let him be effective with the bow. Hector also notices the divine help the Trojans are receiving. Hector encourages the Trojans to set fire to the ships. Ajax tells the men that there is no glory in flight and that a man who respects the opinions of others is less likely to be killed. Then Hector, still terrifying, kills only Periphetes of Mycenae, who tripped. Meanwhile Nestor keeps urging them on using the same logic as Ajax had earlier and continues to use now. The Greeks now fighting from their ships believe they are doomed and fight all the harder. Ajax kills 12 men.
Next: Major Characters in Book XV
For information on people and places mentioned in Book I of the Iliad, see Iliad Book I - Who? What? Where?Read a public domain translation of Homer's Iliad Book XV.
