Disclaimer: I am not an ancient Greek scholar. For the full disclaimer, Read here.
Thus [Agamemnon] prayed, but the son of Saturn would not fulfill his prayer. He accepted the sacrifice, yet none the less increased their toil continually.
Iliad, Book 2; Samuel Butler translation
Book 2 Summary
Zeus decides to honor his promise to Thetis by sending a deceptive dream to Agamemnon, in the form of Nestor, declaring that the Olympians have stopped quarreling with each other. If Agamemnon were to sack Troy he would be successful.
Agamemnon wakes up, summons a war council, and relays his dream. Nestor advises Agamemnon to do as the dream suggests. Agamemnon agrees, but decides to test the resolve of his troops first.
Agamemnon summons the whole army to tell them that the war has been mostly useless, that they have been toyed with by Zeus, and it's time to pack up and head home. The troops hastily begin preparation to go home, but Odysseus—inspired by Athena—begins to chastise the troops and spurs them on to get ready for battle instead.
The book ends with a great sacrifice and feast honoring Zeus, as well as a description of all the groups that are fighting in the war.
For a list of the major characters, with Greek and Latin names, go here.
Something Wicked This Way Cometh
The quote I picked sums up how the divine drama not only influences the story unfolding, but serves to raise the tension of the story to the reader. You, the reader, know that Zeus sent a deceptive dream to Agamemnon as part of the plot for Achilles’ revenge. You, the reader, know that Zeus accepts Agamemnon’s sacrifice, but rejects his prayer. However, Agamemnon and the other Achaeans do not know that. They think they got a favorable dream and are thanking Zeus for it. They think things are going to go well for them. You, the reader, however, know better. And this knowledge will haunt your mind as you continue reading. You don’t know when, but you know that at some point things are going to go horribly wrong for the Achaeans.
The Cruelty of Agamemnon's Test
The portion of Book 2 where Agamemnon tests his army is one of many sections in the Iliad that makes me wish I could talk to an expert on the Iliad and pick their brains. Quite frankly, the test makes no sense to me, and I’m not sure if it’s because I lack context or if my reaction to it is normal.
This book further cemented in my mind that Agamemnon is a terrible leader. In Book 1, he chases off the priest of Apollo who came as a suppliant and in the authority of Apollo, and the result was Agamemnon’s army getting struck with a deadly plague. He further showed he only cared about his own interests when he complained about having to give up the girl Chryseis to stop the plague and demanding compensation from someone else. And rather than listen to Achilles’ rebuke and advice, who just so happens to be the most capable fighter in the Achaean army, Agamemnon alienates him by taking away his girl that he earned as plunder. His pride hurt, the powerful Achilles withdraws from the war.
Now, in Book 2, Agamemnon arbitrarily decides to test his army by telling them he’s given up and now it’s time to go home. How is this an appropriate test? He should know very well most of his army would rather go back home to their families (as they’ve been away for ten years at this point). Achilles also stated in Book 1 that only Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus have any real stakes in the war, but the rest of the army doesn’t. So, Agamemnon’s army is homesick and have no personal investment in the war, and he wants to test them?
Agamemnon is the commander of the army. He’s the head of this expedition. He’s the one at the top. His orders must be followed. Even Achilles, the most powerful of their warriors, had to concede to Agamemnon. Who in their right mind would think the army would see through the speech and realize they're being tested by their commander-in-chief?
So, to me, Agamemnon’s test is both cruel and nonsensical. As far as I’m concerned, we are getting a textbook case of what not to do if you are a leader, especially the leader.
Thersites—Truthteller or Feckless Worm?
Thersites is a very interesting character. He openly criticizes Agamemnon for his actions, but Homer goes out of his way to describe how ugly, deformed, and despicable Thersites is. He’s so bad, you wonder how: 1) He is capable of being a warrior; 2) He hasn’t been kicked out of the army; and 3) He’s survived nine years of this war. Having said all of that, was anything Thersites said untrue? Sure, he was brash, but was he wrong? So, why is he treated so poorly? Other characters later on say much of the same thing to Agamemnon and they are not treated harshly like Thersites was. What is the difference between them and Thersites?
Lastly, this episode comes out of nowhere and just interrupts the flow of the story. Thersites and his diatribe can be taken out and the story wouldn’t suffer. Thersites is also never heard from again. This leads me to wonder if this episode was inserted by a later editor who was critical of Agamemnon, but had their criticism come out of the mouth of a loathsome man like Thersites to avoid backlash for criticizing a legendary figure.
The Bloodthirsty Goddesses
By the end of Book 2, it’s pretty clear the Achaeans want to be done with this war and go home to their families. We’re also going to learn in Book's 3 and 4 that it’s more than just the Achaeans who want this war to be over with. However, there are two goddesses that don’t want this war to end: Hera and Athena. And because the goddesses want war, there’s not much the mortals can do about it.
Also note that Hera has something against the Trojans for some reason. We still don’t know the full story, but it will come up eventually. We also get more of a glimpse why this war is being fought: The Trojans have a woman named Helen that the Achaeans are trying to get back. Helen will be introduced in Book 3 and we’ll learn even more about why the Achaeans are at the gates of Troy.
The Doomsday Prophecy
We learn about the prophecy that will hang over the story almost as much as the anger of Achilles. Before sailing for Troy, the Achaeans saw an omen: a serpent devoured a sparrow and her nine younglings before turning into stone. The prophet Calchas interpreted the omen as the Trojan War lasting for nine years and on the tenth it will end with the Achaeans sacking Troy.
Also, this is why Agamemnon's comment about Calchas in Book 1 is so absurd. Never prophesied good things for Agamemnon? Loves to foretell evil? If you say so.
The Catalogue of Armies
The last part of Book 2 is a rundown of all the groups fighting for both the Achaean side and Trojan side. It’s tempting to skip this section, but don’t! You learn some interesting bits about different characters and the Trojans are introduced for the first time in the Iliad. Notably, you are introduced to Priam, the king of Troy, and his son Hector, both of whom will play significant roles.
Achilles Will Be Back
During the Catalogue of Armies section, we find this little statement:
For her sake Achilles was still grieving, but ere long he was again to join them.
Iliad, Book 2; Samuel Butler translation
Eventually, for some reason, Achilles is going to reenter the war. What’s going to make him look past being humiliated by Agamemnon and rejoin the war effort?
Odysseus Is A Much Better Leader
Odysseus delivers a rousing speech to the troops. Here’s part of it:
“True it is that they have had toil enough to be disheartened. A man chafes at having to stay away from his wife even for a single month, when he is on shipboard, at the mercy of wind and sea, but it is now nine long years that we have been kept here; I cannot, therefore, blame the Achaeans if they turn restive; still we shall be shamed if we go home empty after so long a stay—therefore, my friends, be patient yet a little longer that we may learn whether the prophesyings on Calchas were false or true."
Iliad, Book 2; Samuel Butler translation
While I didn’t like that Odysseus responded to the leaders and the common warriors so differently when they were packing up to leave, his rallying speech shows he’s a far better leader than Agamemnon. Rather than toss out an arbitrary test, he sympathizes with the troops in their longing to go home and encourages them to hang on just a little bit longer. He also takes the opportunity to remind them of Calchas’ prophecy to boost their morale. And guess what? It works! The troops are galvanized and ready to attack Troy.
That’s all for Book 2 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: De Droom van Agamemnon (The Dream of Agamemnon?) by Crispijn van de Passe (I). Created 1613. Public Domain.