Disclaimer: I am not an ancient Greek scholar. For the full disclaimer, read here.
[Hera] set herself to think how she might hoodwink [Zeus], and in the end she deemed that it would be best for her to go to Ida and array herself in rich attire, in the hope that Jove might become enamoured of her, and wish to embrace her.
Iliad, Book 14; Samuel Butler translation
Book 14 Summary
Agamemnon, Diomedes, Odysseus, and Nestor meet together and Agamemnon once again suggests they should retreat and sail home. His suggestion is immediately turned down and they decide instead to return to battle in more of a support role (since three of them are injured and Nestor is too old to fight). While Poseidon continues to covertly lead the Achaeans against the Trojans, Hera devises a plan to keep Zeus occupied. She bathes, dresses up, gets some magic charms from Aphrodite, convinces Hypnos to use some of his sleep power on Zeus, and goes to meet Zeus. When Zeus sees her, he forgets everything else and wants nothing more than to sleep with her. After a moment of passion, Zeus falls asleep.
When Hypnos tells Poseidon that Zeus is out of the picture, he begins to openly lead the Achaeans into battle. Since Hector has now lost the protection of Zeus, Telamonian Ajax is able to incapacitate him with a large rock. With Hector seriously wounded and off the battlefield, the Achaeans renew their push-back on the Trojans and more warriors on both sides die on the battlefield.
For a list of the major characters, with Greek and Latin names, go here.
The Divine Comedy – Hera’s Antics
I haven’t really mentioned this subject since I introduced it in Book 1’s post. The divine comedy, as I’m using it, refers to how aloof the gods are toward the mortal realm. They quarrel with each other, bitterly complain about the mortals, and yet refuse to take things very seriously. All the while a brutal war is going on and men are dying. On the hand, their attitudes and antics provides some comic relief. We can point and laugh at their whining and the little things they do to try and get their way. On the other hand, they are unconcerned with how their attitudes and antics are adversely affecting the mortals they rule over. It’s appears to be all a game to them and the mortals are the game pieces.
Here’s a recap of some of these instances:
Book 1: The gods throw a feast to ease tensions between Zeus and Hera—all the while the Trojans and Achaeans are about ready to clash on the battlefield.
Hephaestus: “It will be intolerable if you two fall to wrangling and setting heaven in an uproar about a pack of mortals.”
Book 4: Hera “trades” her favorite cities Argos, Sparta, and Mycenae to Zeus for his favorite city Troy—all so Hera can destroy it.
Book 5: Aphrodite and Ares complaints after they are wounded
Dione to Aphrodite: “We dwellers in Olympus have to put up with much at the hands of men, and we lay much suffering on one another.”
Ares to Zeus: “We gods are continually suffering in the most cruel manner at one another’s hands while helping mortals”
Book 8: Hera and Athena try to go around Zeus’ back and help the Achaeans. When Zeus sees this, he threatens them with severe punishment and they back off.
Hera to Athena (before Zeus threatens them): “Alas, child of aegis-bearing Jove, shall you and I take no more thought for the dying Danaans, though it be the last time we ever do so? See how they perish and come to a bad end before the onset of but a single man.”
Hera to Athena (after Zeus threatens them): “Of a truth, child of aegis-bearing Jove, I am not for fighting men’s battles further in defiance of Jove. Let them live or die as luck will have it, and let Jove mete out his judgments upon the Trojans and Danaans according to his own pleasure.”
Book 13: Zeus, after everything he does to intervene in the war, turns his attention to other parts of the world, believing that none of the other Olympians will try to do anything.
Even though that’s all they’ve been doing before this point.
And now we get to Book 14. Hera decides to seduce Zeus and make him sleep for a little bit so Poseidon can act more openly in the war. I can imagine two scenes in this part of the story fitting within a comedy.
The first one is the scene between Hera and Hypnos. Hera asks Hypnos for help in putting Zeus into a deep sleep. He initially refuses, since last time he helped Hera Zeus almost tossed him into the depths of the earth, but agrees after Hera bribes him with marrying a goddess he’s wanted to be with. I can imagine the comedy going like this:
Hera: Hypnos, I have a favor to ask. I need you to put Zeus to sleep.
Hypnos: You want me to what?!
Hera: [sighs] I just need you to have him sleep for a little bit so Poseidon can help the Achaeans.
Hypnos: Oh… that kind of sleep.
Hera: Yeah. Can you do it?
Hypnos: Heck no! The last time I did that for you he almost threw me into oblivion. No way. Not happening. I don’t care what you say.
Hera: I’ll marry you to that goddess you’ve always had your eyes on.
Hypnos: One deep sleep for Zeus coming right up!
The second scene is possibly funnier. While Hera, all dressed up, smelling nice, and wearing Aphrodite’s charms, approaches Zeus, he’s immediately inflamed with lust toward her. She lies about where she’s going, but Zeus won’t let her go. Despite her protests, Zeus covers up the area so no one can see them, and sleeps with Hera. He then falls into a deep sleep. I can imagine the comedy going like:
[Hera approaches]
Zeus: Wowsers!
Hera: Hi, honey. I just came here to let you know I’m visiting the in-laws. I was told they’re fighting. Again.
Zeus: You’re not going anywhere! I haven’t wanted a woman more than I want you right now! Even more than that one woman that one time, or that other woman that other time, or even that one goddess who-
Hera: Oh, you… you charmer, you...
Zeus: [clears throat] Anyway, I want you here and now!
Hera: Ugh, not here! We could get caught! [to herself] Plus, I don’t want to give Hypnos a free show.
Zeus: No problem! [Zeus creates a shroud of golden clouds and a bed of flowers] Now get over here!
Hera: [sighs and mumbles] You’ll really do it anywhere with anyone…
Zeus: What?
Hera: Nothing, honey!
[Zeus and Hera “do the deed” and Zeus falls asleep almost immediately]
Hera: [sighs] Typical man.
This episode with Hera is a brief reprieve from the brutal and anguishing war going on below. It also serves to give Poseidon a chance to help the Achaeans with a counterattack. The “knot of war and battle” between Zeus and Poseidon continues.
Agamemnon’s Poor Leadership Bears Fruit
While Agamemnon, Odysseus, Diomedes, and Nestor gather, Agamemnon says this:
“Alas! Others of the Achaeans, like Achilles, are in anger with me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of our ships.”
Iliad, Book 14; Samuel Butler translation
There are a number of men who are so fed up with Agamemnon they’re sitting out of the battle. He is once again filled with despair and suggests they find a way to retreat and sail back home.
This time it’s Odysseus’ turn to rebuke him.
“Hold your peace, lest some other of the Achaeans hear you say what no man who knows how to give good counsel, no king over so great a host as that of the Argives should ever have let fall from his lips.”
Iliad, Book 14; Samuel Butler translation
Odysseus once again shows he knows proper leadership (see Book 2 for another notable instance).
Agamemnon has had numerous opportunities to change his attitude, reflect on his actions, and properly reconcile with Achilles, but he was too full of himself to do it. And now the Trojans have broken through the “impregnable” wall they put up, are threatening to burn down the Achaeans’ ships, and a part of the army is refusing to fight despite the dire circumstances. It takes divine intervention from Poseidon to change the Achaeans’ fortunes a little bit.
Once again, Agamemnon shows how not to be a leader.
These Epically Brutal Fight Scenes (Or, Why Isn’t The Iliad Taught More In Schools?)
Iron indeed must be his courage who could take pleasure in the sight of such a turmoil, and look on it without being dismayed.
Iliad, Book 13; Samuel Butler translation
It’s been my contention for years that the Iliad would be a hit in schools—especially for teenage boys.
Sure, you can weave in an anti-war message if you want, or at least give the students the chance to think more realistically and less romantically about war.
However, if you want to be more apolitical, just point to all the death scenes scattered throughout the Iliad. Yes, there are heart-wrenching scenes, but there are also gnarly ones as well. I’ll just bring up three from the most recent books (there are plenty more):
Hippolochus fled, but him too did Agamemnon smite; he cut off his hands and his head – which he sent rolling in among the crowd as though it were a ball.
Iliad, Book 11; Samuel Butler translation
He fell heavily to the ground, and the spear stuck in his heart, which still beat, and made the butt-end of the spear quiver till dread Mars put an end to his life.
Iliad, Book 13; Samuel Butler translation
Peneleos now wounded [Ilioneus] in the eye under his eyebrows, tearing the eye-ball from its socket: the spear went right through the eye into the nape of the neck, and he fell, stretching out both hands before him. Peneleos then drew his sword and smote him on the neck, so that both head and helmet came tumbling down to the ground with the spear skill sticking in the eye; he then held up the head, as though it had been a poppy-head, and showed it to the Trojans…
Iliad, Book 14; Samuel Butler translation
There are few teenage boys who would not be in awe of those scenes. There are few teenage boys who would not want to see if they have courage of iron by getting through this poem. The Iliad, on top of being a great work, would be useful for helping increase the literacy of our boys and young men today. The Odyssey would also be a fantastic work to help toward this end as well, but I’ll talk more about that when I get to the Odyssey.
Come on, teachers and schools. Introduce the Iliad to your students. Show them that, even though it was written almost 3000 years ago, it’s still entertaining and enlightening today.
That’s all for Book 14 of the Iliad.
May your days be filled with grace.
-Andronikos
The booklist I am going through can be found here.
If you want to learn a little more about the Iliad, I have a page devoted to it.
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Thumbnail: The Wedding of Zeus and Hera. Roman fresco. 1st century AD.