In the as we have it, digression, re tardation or preparation fill the greater part of Books II–XI. Book II exhibits a debate in the assembly on the continuation of the war, a march out for battle, and a muster roll of the forces, the of Ships,' a sort of domesday book of early Greece. In Book III a truce is arranged, and the issue is staked upon a single combat between Paris, the author of the war, and the injured husband, Menelaus. Helen and King Priam survey the Greek army from the walls of Troy and Helen's description introduces to us many of the leading personages of the poem. In the 4th book the breaking of the truce by the Trojans is distinctly in terpreted by the poet as insuring the moral superiority and the ultimate triumph of the Greek cause. The exploits of Diomede and the confused fighting of the 5th book may seem a mere digression to modern readers, but would not offend hearers who are interested in Diomede and who enjoy vivid descriptions of fighting for its own sake. Diomede's suc cess provides a fairly plausible motive for Hector's return to Troy in the 6th book to invoke the aid of Athena, guardian of the city. And this gives occasion for the meeting with his wife and the exquisite episode known as the parting of Hector and Andromache. Like the scene of Priam and Helen on the wall this may be justified as a device of poetic perspective. The poet had to bring within the action of 45 days whatever scenes were needful for our in telligence of the story or to make it impressive to our feeling. The subsequent fortunes of Hector in the battle interest us infinitely more after we have seen him Kiss his child and tossing high in air Thus to the gods prefer a father's prayer, and have overheard the ineffable tenderness and patriotic resignation of his farewell to his wife.
Hector's return to the battlefield is marked by what strict logic regards as a superfluous replica of the duel between Paris and Mene laus —a similar single combat between Hector and Ajax, the mightiest Greek champion in the absence of Achilles. The general course of the fighting in books VII and VIII finally goes against the Greeks, who at the end of the 7th book build a wall to protect their camp, another instance perhaps of the unavoidable license of poetic perspective. All this prepares and supplies a motive for the episode of the 9th book, the embassy of Ajax, Odysseus and old Phoenix to offer atonement to Achilles on the part of Agamemnon and implore him to come to the rescue of his old companions in arms. Achilles' refusal was thought by Glad stone to be the finest speech in the world. To gether with the parting of Hector and An dromache it should be meditated by critics who really believe that our enlightened age can feel only an historical curiosity about the rude and primitive art of Homer.
The 10th book relates how on the same night Odysseus and Diomede capture and kill the Trojan spy Dolon, and surprising the Trojan camp slay the newly arrived ally Rhesus, king of the Thracians, and drive away his white steeds. At the beginning of the 11th book the
dawn of the 26th day ushers in a long and con fused battle which lasts to the end of the 18th book. Near the end of the 11th book Achilles standing at the stern of his great ship observes the retreat of the Greek wounded, exults over their desperate need of him in language that literal minded critics have deemed incompatible with Agamemnon's offer of atonement in the 9th book, and dispatches Patroclus to learn the course of the battle. Various delays detain Patroclus in conversation with prolix old Nestor or in attendance on a wounded friend until after many alternations the battle goes against the Greeks and Ajax makes a last stand against Hector endeavoring to fire the ships. Then at the end of the 15th book Patroclus hastens back, and with his reproachful appeal to Achilles at the beginning of the 16th book we enter into the main current of the dramatic action that moves swiftly to the tragic dénoue ment. The descriptions of the fighting in books X I to XV may be said to be strung together on the thread of Patroclus' mission, and are re lieved by vicissitudes of fortune, splendid ex ploits such as Hector's first breach in the Gre cian wall (end of Book XII) and the mythologi cal machinery (in Book XIV) of Hera's seduc tion and beguilement of Zeus in order to give Poseidon opportunity to aid the Trojans.
In the 16th book Patroclus clothed in the armor of Achilles goes forth to battle at the head of the Myrmidons, and after slaying the great Lycian champion, Sarpedon, is himself killed and stripped of Achilles' arms by Hector whose death he foretells as he dies. Another book of fighting, the 17th, recounts the contest for the corpse of Patroclus and the exploits of Menelaus. The 18th book tells—in Mrs. Browning's words — How Achilles at the portal Of the tent heard footsteps nigh.
And his strong heart halt immortal Met the Keticti (he lies dead] with a cry.
His lamentations as in the 1st book call his goddess mother from the sea. She promises to procure him new armor from Hephxstus, and meanwhile he steps unarmed to the trench and shouts so terribly that the Trojans give way and the Greeks recover the body of Patroclus. This is one of the two passages that Tenny son selected for experimental translation. The other is the description or simile of the shep herds in the moonlight at the end of the 8th book—in which Pope's translation so conspicu ously failed and which is often used by critics to test the merits of new translations. The last 200 lines of the 18th book are occupied by a description of the scenes of Homeric life de picted by Hephmstus' art on Achilles' shield a wedding, a trial for homicide, a siege and an ambuscade and a battle, a harvest scene, a vintage scene, a fight with lions attacking a herd, a dance.