The Iliad: Book 4 Flashcards
World of the Hero (MSD)
Plot Summary
The Oath is Broken and Battle Joined, sees the delicate truce between the Greeks and Trojans shatter due to divine intervention, leading to the resumption of full-scale battle.
The gods debate
The gods gather on Mount Olympus to discuss the fate of the war. Zeus considers ending the conflict, as the duel between Paris and Menelaus should, in theory, resolve the dispute. However, Hera and Athena disagree, wanting to see Troy fall. They convince Zeus to allow the war to continue.
The truce is broken
A truce had been agreed upon, stipulating that the Greeks and Trojans would cease fighting while Paris and Menelaus fought their duel. But when the gods intervene, they manipulate the events, causing the truce to be broken. Athena specifically sends the Trojan archer Pandarus to break the peace by shooting at Menelaus.
Pandarus’ Action
At the instigation of Athena, Pandarus takes aim and shoots an arrow at Menelaus, wounding him. This act of treachery leads to the breakdown of the truce, and both sides are now committed to fighting once again.
The Greek and Trojan forces react
The Greeks, incensed by the breach of the truce, prepare for battle. The Greek leaders rally their forces, including notable heroes like Agamemnon, Diomedes, Odysseus, and Ajax. The Trojans also prepare for the renewed conflict under the leadership of Hector and Priam.
Renewed battle
The battle resumes with fierce fighting. Menelaus, although wounded, is not seriously hurt and continues to encourage the Greek forces. The two armies clash in a violent and bloody confrontation, with no clear winner emerging from the first exchanges of combat.
Agamemmnon
Shows leadership by using Menelaus’ injury to rally the Greek troops back into action in how he motivates different members of the Greek forces: through encouragement, through rebuke and humiliation (compares them to deer), and even through
mentioning how Diomedes’ father would have behaved. Agamemnon demonstrates his arrogance when Menelaus is injured, as he seems to be more preoccupied with the backlash he will receive.
Zeus
The king of the gods, who briefly considers ending the war but ultimately allows it to continue, subject to the influence of other gods.
Hera
The goddess who wants the Greeks to prevail and encourages the resumption of hostilities.
Athena
The goddess of wisdom and warfare, who manipulates Pandarus into breaking the truce, ensuring the fighting resumes.
Pandarus
The Trojan who wounds Menelaus with his arrow. He
is described as a ‘fool’, easily wooed by Athene’s
promises of kleos and timê if he kills Agamemnon.
Menelaus
The Greek king and husband of Helen, who is wounded by Pandarus but not fatally. His injury triggers the resumption of hostilities.
Hector
The Trojan hero, who leads his forces in the battle after the truce is broken.
Greek soldiers
Idomeneus, Meriones, Ajax and Teucer, Nestor (too old to fight), Menestheus, Odysseus, Diomedes, Sthenelus, Antilochus, Elephenor (dies), Leucus
(dies), Diores (dies), Thoas (backs away).
Trojan soldiers
Echepolos (dies), Agenor, Simoeisius (dies), Antiphus,
Democoon (dies), Hector, Peiros (dies) and the
Thracians.
Theme 1 - Divine Intervention
Zeus argues that Menelaus won the duel and that the war should end, but Hera is not finished attacking the Trojans. They agree that the Trojans should break the truce and begin the war again, all so that the issue ‘ceases to be a source of strife’ between Hera and Zeus. Homer parallels the gods’ bickering with the very real conflict on the ground, asking whether the gods
care about the humans involved or whether they are simply playthings for the gods’ entertainment. The gods are also there during the battle, urging on
their preferred side.
Theme 2 - War
In Book 4 we see the first real battle of the Iliad. The Greeks and Trojans fight a violent and bloody battle, in which both Greeks and Trojans die. The Greeks show more prowess in battle than the Trojans, who target more vulnerable Greeks (or, in Antiphus’ case, hit a
Greek they weren’t actually aiming for). The book ends with an image of Greeks and Trojans lying dead on the plain, in a brutal depiction of the horrors of
war. Simoeisius’ backstory reiterates that the soldiers are all humans with families, as does Homer’s use of patronyms, increasing the pathos of the scene.
Theme 3 - Family and relationships
Agamemnon and Menelaus are brothers, yet Agamemnon seems far more worried about his own reputation than whether Menelaus is alright. However, he does say he will lament Menelaus ‘bitterly’. Ajax and Teucer are presented as a united front with loyal followers. Diomedes is compared to
his father by Agamemnon, who is pressuring him to live up to his father’s reputation by fighting.
Theme 4 - Heroism
Athene uses timê and kleos to persuade Pandarus to injure Menelaus. We also see in Book 4 one of the truest marks of a hero: prowess in battle. The Greeks in particular are great and powerful warriors, although both sides have their victories.
Theme 5 - Death and mortality
Homer does not shy away from depicting death. We are given information about each person to humanise them just before they die, increasing pathos. Homer’s descriptions are gory (e.g. Diores’ ‘entrails spilled out on the ground’; the spear hurled at Democoon ‘struck him on one temple, the bronze point exiting through the other’), reiterating throughout the violence and
bloodshed of the battle. Powerful warriors topple like trees (Simoeisius ‘toppled…like a poplar’), showing how quickly life can be taken away even for heroes.
Imagery
Homer provides vivid descriptions of the renewed battle, detailing the clash of armies and the violence that ensues. The imagery of bloodshed and chaos underscores the brutality of war.
Symbolism
The arrow shot by Pandarus symbolizes the fragility of the truce and the immediate return to conflict. It also symbolizes how the gods’ actions disrupt mortal lives.
Irony
There is a deep irony in the gods’ actions, as they manipulate the situation despite having seemingly set up the conditions for peace. This highlights the capricious nature of divine will in the epic.
Personification
The arrow is ‘eager to wing its way towards the foe’ and the string ‘sang out’ – movement and energy of the arrow is brought to life to make the moment vivid and dramatic.
Similes
Athene brushes the arrow away from Menelaus ‘as a mother brushes a fly away from her sweetly sleeping child’ – maternal, also powerful. Blood seeps over Menelaus’ body ‘as a woman of
Maeonia or Caria stains a slice of ivory’ – brings to life the brightness and movement of the blood, and also reiterates Menelaus’ importance as he is likened to an ornament ‘coveted by many riders’. Ajax and Teucer’s soldiers likened to a ‘black cloud’ Greeks are likened to ‘sea-swell’, whilst the Trojans
are likened to ‘countless ewes in a rich man’s yard’.
Formulae
The fatal blow is described in a formulaic way but the
entry and exit points of the weapon vary, and each
account is gruesomely compelling.
Formulae with scholar
Peter Jones describes Homeric battle narrative: ‘There is a common pattern for A to throw at B, miss and kill C; for A to miss B and B to kill A (B is always Greek here); for A to miss B, B to hit but not to pierce the armour, and A to kill B (A again is always a Greek)’
Descriptive Language
Description of Pandarus’ bow is detailed, showing
that Panduras is an important warrior and building up
tension. Similarly, Homer gives us a detailed
description of Menelaus’ armour and the medical
treatment he receives to show his importance.
“But the gods were not agreed on this.” (Zeus about the end of the war)
This quote demonstrates the influence of the gods on human affairs, as Zeus’ intention to end the war is thwarted by the gods’ desires, highlighting their arbitrary control over mortal destinies.
“He (Pandarus) let fly with an arrow at Menelaus, hoping to kill him.”
This moment shows how easily the truce is broken, and Pandarus’ action, spurred by divine intervention, symbolises the powerlessness of mortals in the face of divine wills.
“It is a bad thing, men of Troy, to have broken the truce.” (Agamemnon)
Agamemnon’s condemnation of the truce-break highlights the importance of oaths and agreements in the context of honour and war.
“So the battle raged on, and the Greeks and Trojans were at each other like hungry wolves.”
Homer’s use of similes, here comparing warriors to wolves, emphasises the ferocity and unrelenting nature of war.
Summarisation
The Oath is Broken and Battle Joined showcases the power of divine manipulation in shaping the course of the Trojan War. The temporary truce between the Greeks and Trojans is shattered by the intervention of Athena, leading to the renewal of violence. Homer emphasises the fragility of peace and the inevitability of war in a world ruled by both divine and human forces. Through vivid imagery, divine interaction, and intense battle sequences, this book further explores the themes of honour, fate, and the cost of war.
