Book 4: Zeus Causes the Trojans To Break the Truce BeCause Hera Said So
The Gods Decide To Cause A Stir
The book opens with the gods on Mount Olympus watching the mortal battle ensue on the plains of Troy. Considering that Hera and Athena have shown themselves to be on Menelaus’ side and Aphrodite has sworn loyalty to Paris, Zeus asks the others if the rest of them should step in to help the mortals come to a peace agreement, or if they should continue to watch them fight it out.
While Zeus is making this speech, Hera and Athena are described as sitting next to one another and plotting evil against the Trojans.
However, hearing Zeus’ words, Athena starts to sulk at the idea of changing the fated course that they know the battle should take.
Hera sees Athena in distress and immediately gets mad at Zeus. She yells at him (something along the lines of) “What the hell do you think you’re saying? If you go through with allowing Troy to stand then no one is going to support this!” Remember: Hera hates the Trojans, and so the idea that Zeus would actively try to help them seems almost a personal insult to her.
Zeus scoffs at his wife, asking her what King Priam ever did to her to cause her to hate the Trojans so much. This speech is actually quite shocking as he equates Hera to Kronos (inexplicitly) by saying that the only way she will be able to get rid of her anger is to eat Priam and all his kids raw. Zeus continues that if Hera is going to be like this now, then if Zeus ever wishes to act in the same way towards a city with men that are dear to HER, she’s not allowed to say anything about it. This is because he’s letting her get her way with the Trojans despite this outcome not being what he believes the mortals deserve. Zeus explains that he loves the Trojans (and further, Priam) because these people consistently honour him and his altars are always loaded with offerings.
Hera doesn’t seem to be bothered by the idea that Zeus may attack a city she loves. In fact, she replies by giving him a list of cities that mean as much to her as Troy does to him: Sparta, Argos and Mycenae. What’s funny is that she essentially tells the king of the gods, “Sure if you hate them, destroy them whenever you see fit. Knock yourself out” … which is certainly a … response. However, Hera clarifies that she’s not in the mood to argue with her husband because Zeus is way stronger than her. She finishes her speech by telling Zeus to instruct Athena to cause the Trojans to attack the Greeks and break the truce.
Zeus does what she says and relays the information to Athena, who was already keen to get back into war.
The Trojans Break The Truce
Athena races down to the Trojans, taking on the guise of Laodokos (Antenor’s son). She goes to find Pandaros to encourage him to shoot one of his bows at Menelaus. However, prior to engaging in war, Pandaros must first pray to Apollo. This is because Apollo is the archer god, and if Panders is to let the god know that he will make great sacrifices of lambs to him after the battle, then Apollo is more likely to favour him.
Homer tells us that Pandaros was easily convinced, immediately picking up his bow and firing an arrow at Menelaus. Unfortunately, Athena did not anticipate how great of an archer Panders really is, and so has to intercept the arrow’s line of fire to redirect the weapon away from Menelaus’ chest (because she obviously does not want Menelaus to actually die). Instead, the arrow hits Menelaus’ war-belt and goes through his corslet. Although the shot doesn’t kill him, it does hit his thigh.
Agamemnon is near Menelaus as the attack happens, and so is first to support him. He yells at the Trojans (something along the lines of) “WE HAD AN OATH!!!!”
Menelaus attempts to calm his brother by assuring him that shot was not enough to kill him.
Being the worried brother that he is, Agamemnon calls for Talthybios to go and retrieve Machaon, the medic for the Greek army, to look at Menelaus’ leg.
Machaon arrives promptly and confirms that Menelaus will not die from the shot. He cleans the wound by sucking on it.
Agamemnon Rallies The Greeks
Despite Menelaus not being on death’s door, Agamemnon is fuming and wants to go into battle with the Trojans … again.
He decides to rally the leaders of the Greek army, and so walks around each of their camps to excite them for war.
Agamemnon stops by the Cretans first, where he sees Idomeneus and his right-hand man, Meriones. The son of Atreus is pleased with what he sees here, and so he praises Idomeneus for his work. Idomeneus acknowledges that the Trojans broke their oath, and so therefore is ready to kill the lot of them whenever Agamemnon decides that he should.
The next stop on Agamemnon’s tour of the camp is Big Ajax and his men. Big Ajax is already doing a great job and so Agamemnon doesn’t need to say anything to him.
Agamemnon comes by Nestor’s army next. Unsurprisingly, Agamemnon is incredibly polite to the old man and leaves him to do whatever he wishes.
The son of Atreus briefly stops by Menestheus’ camp, but quickly continues on to visit Odysseus. Agamemnon discovers that the Ithacans are doing absolutely nothing. In fact, Homer lets the reader know that it was as if the Ithacans were waiting for some other army to attack the Trojans for them!
Agamemnon is FUMING at Odysseus and begins to slander him, saying that the King of Ithaca is always one of the first to eat at the feasts before the battles, and yet hangs back for the actual action (an attempt to embarrass Odysseus and call him lazy). Obviously, Odysseus tells him that he’s talking crap, to which Agamemnon then laughs and says he knows that Odysseus has a kind heart and that all his words were a rouse to simply make Odysseus war hungry. Agamemnon then walks away (this is always so bizarre I don’t even know where to begin, honestly).
The final stop on our tour of the camp is Diomedes’ army. Agamemnon approaches the hero and speaks of the great reputation that Diomedes’ father, Tydeus, had. He then ends this by saying that it is a shame this great man had a son who could never match his achievements.
Diomedes just kind of stares at him, unbothered. Sthenelos, Diomedes’ right-hand man, steps in to tell Agamemnon that he is insane because he knows how good of a warrior they BOTH are, considering they participated in the Seven Against Thebes thing and obliterated much larger groups of men than Agamemnon has. In response, Diomedes advises Sthenelos to stop talking because he knows that Agamemnon is just trying to get people ready for battle. Plus, if Agamemnon fails here at Troy, then it will be way worse for him and his reputation rather than reflecting on Diomedes or Sthenelos.
The Armies Fight (Again)
While this is happening in the Greek camp, the Trojans are described as preparing for battle. Once they are done, they start letting out cries to — I presume — assert their vocal dominance.
The god of active war, Ares, is described as spurring on the Trojan army, while Athena is encouraging the Greeks. Both armies charge into war and it quickly becomes a total bloodbath.
Nestor’s son, Antilochus, is the first Greek to kill a Trojan. He throws a spear at a guy’s helmet, which then goes straight through the guy’s skull. As he falls, Elephenor catches him to strip his armour and bring it back to the Greek ships.
However, Agenor sees Elphenor doing this, so he throws his spear at Elphenor’s ribcage, killing him. The surrounding Trojans and Greeks continue to fight over the body after this.
Big Ajax then kills Simoeisios by stabbing him in the chest with his spear, which goes out clean the other side of his body. Simoeisios is noted as dropping to the ground like a tree.
Because of this, Priam’s son Antiphos throws his spear at Big Ajax, but he misses and hits another Greek called Leukos. Leukos, at this time, was dragging another Trojan body off the battlefield and so wasn’t paying attention. Antiphos hits Leukos in the groin and Leukos dies on the spot.
Odysseus sees this happening and is NOT HAPPY because Leukos was one of Odysseus’ men. He walks out a little further from where he is (the Trojans are described as giving him space) and he throws his spear at another son of Priam called Demokoon. Odysseus’ spear hits Demokoon in the temple, and the spear goes clean out the other side of his head.
With all this madness happening, the Trojan army starts to gather up their dead and retreat back to their camps. Seeing this, Apollo is MAD as he’s their main protector and can not understand their lack of courage. He yells at them that the Greeks aren’t superhuman and don’t have skin made of stone or iron, therefore the Trojans shouldn’t be so scared of continuing the fight. (Do remember that Athena is still on the Greek side spurring them on and so she’s clearly better at this job than Apollo is).
Back in the thick of battle, a Greek soldier called Diores is killed by a Thracian by the name of Peiros. Diores has a boulder thrown at him, and it smashes the tendons and bones in the spot that it hit him. Peiros runs towards him and stabs Diores right next to his belly button to finish him off (Homer notes his guts just pour out everywhere). But as Peiros is running away, Thoas throws his spear at him, piercing his lung.
Thoas goes over to Peiros’ body to pull his spear out. However, he was not able to retrieve Peiros’s armour as the Thracians had come to protect the body.
The book ends with a note that loads more men died on the plains of Troy in that battle. The whole time, Athena was there to guide the Greek spears.
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Thumbnail image: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248593
Fragment of a terracotta skyphos (deep drinking cup)
Attributed to the Palermo Painter ca. 430–400 BCE.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 161
Enthroned Zeus
”The Palermo Painter was a follower of the Amykos Painter but shows a much greater interest in detail and texture. The king of the gods sits on a throne whose armrest is embellished with a lion and a small face. He holds a scepter surmounted by a bird. Eros, god of love, hovers with a wreath and looks back at a figure who may be the seated Hera, Zeus's wife.” (Copied from the Met Museum website).