The Iliad, Book 2 summary

What happens

1. Jove sends a false dream in Nestor’s shape, telling Agamemnon to attack Troy.
2. Agamemnon tells the chiefs his plan, then tests the soldiers by urging retreat; they rush to launch their ships.
3. At Minerva’s prompting, Ulysses stops the departure, strikes Thersites for attacking Agamemnon, and recalls Calchas’s prophecy of victory.
4. Nestor urges organized fighting, Agamemnon acknowledges offending Achilles, and the chiefs sacrifice and feast before mustering.
5. The narrator lists the Achaean contingents, noting that Achilles and his men remain apart from battle.
6. Iris warns the Trojans, Hector mobilizes them, and the narrator lists their forces and allies.

In this book

What to notice

Agamemnon deliberately presents retreat as an option without meaning it. The soldiers’ enthusiastic response exposes the gap between his plan and their wishes.

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