Iliad 6-8

The battle between the Greeks and the Trojans continues, and now each side must fight without Our help. My Achaians are winning, the Trojans are in full retreat! Menelaus showed a moment of weakness and considers accepting a ransom for a Trojan, but wise Agamemnon reminded him of the dishonor heaped upon him by the Trojans, and his heart was turned instead towards justice.

Then the foolish Hektor decides that a sacrifice to Athene, to tempt her to have pity of the honor less town of Troy, "and the Trojan wives, and their innocent children. So she might hold back form the son of Tydeus, what wild spear-fighter, the strong one who drives men to thoughts of terror" (6:95-98). With Achilles still mourning the unjust lost of his bride, they are indeed right to fear Diomedes. Still, do these fools not know that Athene fights on the side of the Greeks? Have they not been paying attention?

Hektor then tracked down shameful Paris, and rebuked him for his cowardice, hiding in "his" woman's rooms away from the fighting and the death. Even Helen, that fickle creature, chastised Alexandros for his cowardice, saying "I wish I had been the wife of a better man than this" (6:350). While she is at least acknowledging what a waste of skin Paris is, why does the strumpet not recognize the great Menelaus, her lawful husband?

On the battlefield, Hektor and Paris rejoin the fighting and the bloodshed continues. Apollo convinces Athena to end the battle for the day, by staging a duel between Hektor and the Achaians best fighter. Menelaus, seeking to regain his honor, volunteers. His honor and pride out strip his ability to fight against the younger Hektor, and the Greeks instead nominate the giant Aias to fight in his place. The fight commences, with each man trading spear tosses and then lance thrusts. My fickle husband interferes however, and sends heralds to stop the duel, and the two fighters exchanged kind words and shared a feast. Wise Antenor suggests an end to the fighting, and offers to give the fair-haired Helen back to the people with whom she belongs. Vain, proud, spiteful Paris refuses these terms, though he says that he will return the rest of the goods stolen from the Greeks. Sensing the desperation of the falling Trojans, the Greeks reject their proposal-- only the return of Helen will end this war.

Meanwhile, my husband has ordered the Immortals to stand down from the fighting, and threatened Us if we interfere. He, however, did not feel such an impediment and blaming the fates struck out in favor of the Trojans and sent thunderbolts to scare the Greeks.

Poseidon, the Earth-Shaker was the first to feel my wrath at this betrayal. Even he quakes in fear at the thought of facing my husbands wrath, however.

Greek Teukros did not falter in the face of adversity, and struck down many Trojans. We would even have killed Hektor, if Apollo had not turned his spear aside. Still, the Trojans were advancing and murdering many of My Greeks. Athene and I would not let this stand, and prepared to join the battle. He sends Isis to stay Our hands, threatening Athene and belittling Me.

Men. Ugh.
 






Homer., and Richmond Lattimore. The Iliad. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
     1951.