Students are to complete the following assignment in class on Friday 5/29.
The Iliad-books 12 & 14-(20pts)
“The Fight at the Barricade”
This is the single most powerful image of Hector. What heroic qualities does he display?
"Drive forward, you horse-taming Trojans. [440]Breach that Argive wall. Then burn the shipswith a huge fire."
With these words, he drove them on.Their ears all caught his call. Hurling themselves at the wallin a dense mass, gripping sharp spears, they began to climb. 490Hector picked up a rock lying before the gates,thick at its base but tapering sharply on the top.Two of the best working men now livingcould not lever that stone out of the ground easilyinto their cart, but Hector carried it with ease alone.Crooked-minded Cronos' son made it light for him[H1] . [450]Just as a shepherd has no trouble carrying a ram's fleece in one hand, hardly noticing the weight,so Hector lifted up that rock, then carried it straight to the doors guarding the strongly fitted gates, 500high double doors with two cross pieces holding them insidesecured with a single bolt. Hector moved up closer,planted himself before the doors, his legs wide apartto throw with greater force, then hurled that rockright at the centre of the doors. He smashed both hinges. [460]The stone's momentum took it clear through the doors.The gates groaned loudly. The bolts were sheared right off. The impact of that boulder shattered all the planks.Glorious Hector, his face like night's swift darkness,leapt inside. The bronze which covered his whole body 510was a terrifying glitter. In his hand he held two spears.Once he'd jumped inside the gates, no one moving out to stop him could hold him back, except the gods.From his eyes fire blazed. Wheeling through the throng,he shouted to his Trojans to climb the wall.His men responded to his call. Some scaled the wall,others came pouring through the hole made in the gates.Danaans were driven back among their hollow ships [470]in a rout, and the noisy tumult never stopped.
“Zeus Deceived”
How/why is Hera able to deceive Zeus so easily? What is the modern relevance of this scene?
As this was happening, on a peak of Mount OlympusHera of the golden throne was standing watching.She recognized her brother-in-law at once,as he kept busy in the war where men win glory,for he was her brother and her husband's, too. 190Hera's heart was pleased. She looked across at Zeus, sitting on the highest peak on top of Ida,with its many fountains. Hatred filled her heart.So ox-eyed queen Hera then began consideringhow she might deceive the mind of aegis-bearing Zeus. [160]In her heart the best course of action seemed to beto make herself look most attractive, go to Ida,then see if Zeus would want to lie down with her,embrace her, and make love. Then she could pour outon his eyelids and his crafty mind a deep warm sleep. 200She went off to her bedroom, which Hephaestus,her dear son, had made for her, with close-fitting doorsset against their posts, secured with a secret lock,which no other god could open. She went in there,then closed the shining doors. First, with ambrosia [170]she washed from her lovely body all the stains,then rubbed her skin with fragrant oil, divinely sweet,made specially for her. If this perfume were merely stirredinside Zeus' bronze-floored house, its scent would then diffusethroughout heaven and earth. She used this perfume 210all over her fair body, then arranged her hair. With her own hands she combed her shining locks in braids,a stunning style for an immortal goddess.Then she wrapped around herself a heavenly robe,which Athena made for her from silky fabric,adorning it with gorgeous embroidery.She pinned the robe around her breast with golden brooches. [180]On her waist she put a belt with a hundred tassels.Hera then fixed earrings in her pierced ear lobes,each with three gemstones, an enchanting glitter. 220Next the queen of goddesses placed on her head a fine new dazzling shawl, white as the sun.She then slipped lovely sandals over her sleek feet.
Once Hera had dressed her body in this finery,she left the room and summoned Aphrodite.Some distance from the other gods, she said to her:
"My dear child, will you agree to do [190]what I ask of you, or will you refuse,because you're angry with me in your heart,since I help Danaans and you aid the Trojans?" 230
Zeus' daughter Aphrodite answered her:
"Hera, honoured goddess, daughter of great Cronos,say what's on your mind. My heart tells meI should do what you ask, if I can,if it's something that can be carried out."
Then queen Hera, with her devious mind, replied:
"Then give me Love and Sexual Desire,which you use to master all immortals,and mortal men as well. I'm going to visitthe limits of this all-nourishing earth, 240 [200]to see Oceanus, from whom the gods arose, and mother Tethys, the two who reared me,taking good care of me inside their home,once they got me from Rhea, that time Zeus,who sees far and wide, forced Cronosunderground, under the restless seas.I'm going to visit them. And I'll resolvetheir endless quarrel. For a long time now,they've stayed apart from one another,not sharing love there in the marriage bed, 250since anger fills their hearts. If my wordscould reconcile the hearts in these two gods,bring them to bed again, once more in love,they'd think of me with loving reverence." [210]
Laughter-loving Aphrodite answered Hera:
"It wouldn't be appropriate for meto say no to your demand, since you sleepin the arms of Zeus, the greatest of the gods."
Aphrodite spoke, then loosened from her breaststhe finely decorated, embroidered garment 260in which all her magic charms were fixed—for love, erotic lust, flirtation, and seduction,which steals the wits even of clear-thinking men.Aphrodite put this in Hera's hands, then said:
"Take this garment. Tie it round your breasts.Everything is interwoven in the cloth. [220]I don't think you'll come back unsuccessfulin getting what it is your heart desires."
Hera sped off, leaving the crest of mount Olympus.
There she met Sleep, Death's brother. Clasping his hand,she spoke to him:
"Sleep, king of all men and gods,if you've ever listened to what I say, 280obey me now. I'll be grateful always. Lull Zeus' radiant eyes to sleep for me,when I'm stretched out for sex beside him.I'll give you as a gift a lovely throne,indestructible gold which my own sonHephaestus with his ambidextrous skillswill make for you. Under it he'll set a stool, [240]so you can rest your feet when drinking wine."
Sweet Sleep then said in reply:
"Honoured goddess Hera,daughter of mighty Cronos, I could with ease 290bring some other immortal one to sleep, even the streams of river Ocean,the source of all of them. But I won't comenear Zeus, lull him to sleep, unless he bids me,asks in person. Your request some time agotaught me my lesson, on that very day [250]when Hercules, son of almighty Zeus,set sail from Ilion, after he'd sackedthe Trojans' city. That's when I seducedthe mind of aegis-bearing Zeus, pouring 300my sweetness over him. You then carried evil in your heart for Hercules, drivingblasts of hostile winds across the sea,taking him at last to well-settled Cos,far from all his friends. When Zeus woke up,he was incensed, throwing gods around his house,looking, above all, for me. He'd have tossed mefrom heaven into the sea, if Night,who subdues gods and men, had not saved me. [260]I ran away to her, and Zeus held back, 310though still enraged, not wishing to offend swift Night. Now here you are again, asking meto do something I simply must not do."
Ox-eyed queen Hera then answered him:
"Sleep,why concern your heart about these matters?Do you think all-seeing Zeus feels for Trojansthe same rage he felt then for Hercules,his own son? But come, I'll give you as your wifeone of the younger Graces. You can marryPasithea, whom you long for every day." 320
Hera finished. Sleep was overjoyed and said: [270]
"All right, then. Swear to me by watersof the inviolable river Styx, settingone hand on the all-nourishing earth,the other on the shimmering sea,so all may witness our agreement,even those gods underground with Cronos,that you will give me one of the Graces,Pasithea, whom I long for every day."
White-armed goddess Hera agreed to Sleep's request.
Hera moved quickly on to Ida's peak, high Gargarus.Cloud-gatherer Zeus caught sight of her. As he looked,his wise heart became suffused with sexual desire,as strong as when they'd first made love together,lying on a couch without their parents' knowledge. 350Zeus stood up in front of her, called her, and said:
"Hera, what are you looking for, comingdown here from Olympus? Your chariotand your horses are not here. You should use them."
Queen Hera with her crafty mind then answered Zeus: [300]
"I'm going to visit the outer limitsof this all-nourishing earth, to Oceanus,from whom gods came, and mother Tethys,who looked after me in their own home.They raised me well. I'll try to mediate 360their endless quarrel. For a long time now,they've stayed apart from one another,not sharing love there in the marriage bed,since anger fills their hearts. As for my horses,they're standing at the foot of Ida,with its many springs, to carry meacross dry land and sea. I've come here now,down from Mount Olympus, to stop youfrom being angry with me afterwards, [310]if I say nothing about going to visit 370deep-flowing Oceanus in his home."
Cloud-gatherer Zeus then answered:
"Hera,you can go there later. But why don't welie down and make joyful love together?I've never felt such sexual desire beforefor any goddess, for any mortal woman.It's flooding through me, overpowering the hearthere in my chest—not even when I lusted forIxion's wife, who bore me Peirithoös,a man as wise as gods, or Danaë, 380with her enchanting ankles, daughter of Acrisius, who gave birth to Perseus, [320]most illustrious of men, nor the daughterof famous Phoenix, who bore me Minosand godlike Rhadamanthus, nor Alcmene,who gave birth to Hercules in Thebes,a mighty hearted son, nor Semele,who bore that joy to mortals Dionysus,nor fair-haired lady Demeter, nor Leto,that glorious girl, not even for yourself— 390I felt for none of these the love I feelfor you right now—such sweet desire grips me."
Queen Hera with her cunning mind then said in reply:
"Most fearsome son of Cronos, what are you saying? [330]If you now want us to make love lying here,on Ida’s peaks, where anyone can see,what if one of the immortal gods observes us,as we sleep, then goes and tells the other gods?I could not get up from this bed and gointo your home. That would be scandalous. 400But if that's your wish, if your heart's set on it, you have that bedroom your own son Hephaestushad built for you. It has close-fitting doorsfixed into posts. Let's go and lie down there,since you're so keen for us to go to bed."
Underneath them divine Earth made fresh flowers grow—dew-covered clover, crocuses, and hyacinths,lush and soft, to hold the lovers off the ground.They lay together there covered with a cloud, [350]a lovely golden mist, from which fell glistening dew.Then Zeus slumbered peacefully on Mount Gargarus,overcome with love and sleep, his wife in his embrace.
Sweet Sleep rushed to the Achaean ships, to inform 420Poseidon, the Encircler and Shaker of the Earth.Coming up to him, Sleep spoke—his words had wings:
"Poseidon, you could now assist the Argivesquite readily and give them glory,if only for a while—Zeus is fast asleep.I’ve covered him with a delicious sleep.Hera has seduced him on a bed of love."
