Book 9: Everyone begs Achilles to fight, but he’s still being a child
The Greeks Call An Assembly
While the Trojans are carrying out their night watches, personified versions of Panic and Terror grip the Greeks. Agamemnon decides to call an assembly of the Greek princes, gets up in front of them and just starts crying. He says that Zeus has played him in making him think he’d sack Troy — but look at them now: no Troy! In his sadness, he suggests that they should just go home.
Hearing this, Diomedes stands up and pretty much says “no” in response. He explains that Zeus has given Agamemnon gifts to prove that he ... well, at least likes Agamemnon. However, a gift he did not give Agamemnon is a heart, which is the greatest power. He asks if Agamemnon really thinks so low of his men that they would leave without completing their mission. If he does, Diomedes suggests that Agamemnon himself should go home. He taunts the King of Mycenae by saying (something like) “Look — there are your ships. Off you go! But just know that Sthenelos and I are staying and we’re going to keep fighting until we see Troy fall”. All the other men in the assembly cheer in approval of Diomedes's speech.
Nestor gets up and praises Diomedes for his strength both in battle and in words. He instructs Agamemnon to split up the food since he is the king and is technically the host of the evening. Nestor highlights how close the Trojan army is, burning their fires just beyond the camp walls, and says that tonight will either make or break the Greek forces.
The Greek princes are described as gathering their second-in-commands to rally the remainder of their men. Seven leaders had 100 men each — and these men were told by their leaders to go sit in the ditch outside the wall of the camps to eat their dinner (just in case).
Agamemnon invites all the men who were in his original meeting to his tent to eat their own private feast. When they are done, Nestor tells Agamemnon that when he took Briseis from Achilles, no one was on his side. He dishonoured a great man, and Nestor stresses that they must all begin thinking of ways to make it up to Achilles in order to persuade him to come back into war.
Agamemnon replies and agrees with Nestor, saying that he’s willing to give Achilles loads of gifts as an apology. Agamemnon lists the gifts for us, including: seven tripods, ten talents of gold, twenty shining cauldrons, twelve horses, seven women of Lesbos and, of course, Briseis. Along with that, he also throws in the promise of twenty Trojan women (the hottest after Helen) once the Greeks have sacked Troy, as well as offering Achilles his own daughters in marriage — whomever Achilles would prefer. Lastly, Agamemnon offers Achilles seven citadels … so long as Achilles is no longer mad and puts that aside for the sake of war.
Everyone is happy with Agamemnon’s effort. Nestor announces that they should send men to deliver the news to Achilles, and the other princes settle on sending Phoinix (one of Zeus’ favourites), Big Ajax, Odysseus, and two heralds named Odios and Eurybates. However, before they can leave, they must first honour Zeus, which they do. Then they leave.
The Heroes Meet Achilles
The men show up at Achilles’ tent to find him playing the lyre as Patroclus sits close by.
When Odysseus leads the men over, Achilles bolts upright in excitement that his friends have come to see him. He and Patroclus usher them into the tent and sit them down on couches. Achilles instructs Patroclus to make them some wine so that they can get super cosy. Along with the wine, Patroclus also collects various concoctions of meat which Achilles cuts up and skewers. Patroclus adds some bread to the meal when everything is prepared and presents it to their visitors. Achilles goes to sit by Odysseus, orders Patroclus to make an offering to the gods, and then they all eat.
Once they’ve finished feasting, Big Ajax nods towards Phoinix. Odysseus sees his cue, then he lifts up a cup and makes a toast to Achilles’ health. He follows this by saying that now is the time for Achilles to help them save their ships from being burned by the Trojans considering the enemy is literally right outside the walls. Odysseus ends by saying (something along the lines of) “Agamemnon has all these great gifts to also convince you to fight! But if you still hate him, at least think about the rest of the Greeks who are suffering and come back just to help us. If none of that convinces you, at least come back to kill Hector because he thinks none of the other Greeks can take him on”.
Achilles has a rather long reply. In short, he says no AND rejects all of Agamemnon’s gifts. You see, Achilles argues that he has been brave since the beginning of the war. He has stormed twelve cities from his boat, and another eleven on land since they’ve come to Troy. However, when the men retrieved the treasures of these places and brought them back to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus kept most of them for himself. So not only is he still mad at Agamemnon for that, but then Agamemnon stole “the bride of [Achilles’] heart” (aka Briseis). Achilles says that nothing any of them say will persuade him out of the tent, and says that they’ve been doing fine without him (although he would have never let Hector go beyond his own walls of Troy to get as close as the Trojans are now, but alas). He threatens to leave in the morning and tells Odysseus to let Agamemnon know. But about Agamemnon offering his daughters in marriage, Achilles says that this is an insult to him as he could get any woman he wants without Agamemnon’s help. On an entirely unrelated note, he mentions now that Thetis told him he has two destinies: one is to die in Troy and be remembered forever, but the second is to go home and live a very normal life, not to be remembered — and now he is choosing the latter course. Before excusing the Greek heroes from his tent, Achilles requests that Phoinix stays over night since in the morning they’re all going home and Phoinix is also from Phthia (but he does note that he won’t force Phoinix to go anywhere if he doesn’t want to).
Phoenix breaks the silence by crying in fear at the prospect of what will happen to the Greek ships without Achilles’ help. He then launches into his entire family backstory — but don’t worry, this isn’t really important. It’s here to stress just how close he is to Achilles, as he ends by sharing that the only reason he came to Troy was because Peleus sent him. Phoinix continues by telling Achilles not to insult these men and to separate his anger for Agamemnon from the men sitting in front of him. As far as Phoinix is concerned, there are only three outcomes to this meeting: one is that Achilles denies the gifts from Agamemnon and leaves to go home, the second is that Achilles accepts the gifts and returns to war, but the third is that Achilles rejects the gifts, remains at Troy, watches the Greek ships burn AND THEN returns to battle. Phoinix stresses that option 2 is not really an option at the moment, given Achilles’ attitude, however would be the best one for Achilles to take as it would give him honour and glory. Option one would result in the men thinking that he was a coward, and option three would be the worst.
Achilles retorts that he doesn’t need honour or glory as he believes that he’s already an honoured man. He tells Phoinix that he’s not changing his mind but states that Phoinix should stay in the tent and they’ll make a group decision in the morning about whether to stay or to leave. Achilles then nods to Patroclus, prompting him to go make up a bed for Phoinix to sleep in.
Big Ajax finally stands up to speak, but he just tells Odysseus they should leave since Achilles is not budging. Big Ajax announces that it’s a shame Achilles doesn’t remember his friendships, nor want to honour any of their sacrifices regardless of Agamemnon’s pigheadedness. He reminds him that his anger is all for one woman — but Agamemnon has offered him loads more once they take down the Trojans. Shouldn’t that be enough?
Achilles replies by saying that he’s still mad when he thinks about the disrespect Agamemnon showed him. He tells Big Ajax to tell Agamemnon that Achilles won’t even consider war until Hector comes knocking at the Myrmiddon ships and/or his tent. Only then will he come out to play.
The men leave and Achilles makes a little offering to the gods by pouring out wine. Phoinix chooses to stay, and so Patroclus orders the serving people to make up a bed. Then all of them retire for the night: Achilles with some woman from Lesbos and Patroclus with another woman.
Meanwhile, the other men make it back to Agamemnon and he is thrilled to see them. He asks Odysseus whether Achilles has agreed to come out and fight, but obviously, Odysseus has to break the bad news. He also lets the son of Atreus know that Phoinix has remained with Achilles in his tent, and they plan to leave in the morning. Once Odysseus finishes speaking, he is met only with silence.
Eventually, Diomedes speaks. He says (something along the lines of) “Gosh Agamemnon, I wish you hadn’t just done that, offering Achilles all of those gifts. He’s a proud man and now he’s been driven deeper into that mindset with everything you just offered him.” Although, Diomedes does finish on a lighter note by saying that he knows Achilles will fight once more because it’s part of who he is. He instructs Agamemnon to be ready for war in the morning.
Everyone cheers, pours out an offering of wine, and then goes to bed.
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