Book 1 was 20 pages long...this one is 29, so it's just a little bit longer. I don't think I'm gonna shorten my rough drafts that I post because I like the fact that I can throw in my opinions and give my little 2 cents. It entertains me. But it will be shorter in some ways because I'm not gonna get off topic. If there's anything random that I feel the need to say, it'll either be on my Bored Blog (
http://www.becauseimbored-allison2433.blogspot.com/) OR on my Controversiality and My Opinions Blog (
http://www.iwillnotkeepmythoughtstomyself.blogspot.com/). Otherwise, I'll give you the link to whatever other blog I'll put it up on.
My other blog links (just in case) :
http://www.allison2433.blogspot.com/ (for my poems)
http://www.allison2433-paranormalblog.blogspot.com/ (Paranormal/Spiritual Blog)
http://www.musicmoviesblog-allison2433.blogspot.com/ (Music/Movies Blog)
Okay, so when we left off, Achilles was pissed at Agamemnon for being a selfish, greedy asshole and taking away Briseis because he had to give up Chryseis in order to appease Apollo who had sent a death plague to Agamemnon's army for Agamemnon having kidnapped Chryseis from her father in attempt to force her to become his wife and told the father that he'd never see her again. It just so happens that the father was Apollo's priest, so the Achaeans had to give a very specific sacrifice and give back Chryseis for free, no ransom paid. Achilles and Agamemnon had faught over this because Agamemnon was whining over losing his prize while the rest got to keep theirs. Achilles stood up to him, and in order to prove his place as being more powerful than Achilles, Agamemnon took away Briseis. Apollo was angry and depressed and he told his mom everything, and she got Zeus to agree to give Achilles the honor over Agamemnon by letting the Trojans win battles against Achaea until Agamemnon would admit that he needed Achilles. This caused a large fight between Zeus and Hera, but Hephaestus settled things. So, everything was fine and dandy for everyone except Achilles...for the time being.
That was Book 1: The Rage of Achilles
Now we're starting Book 2: The Great Gathering of Armies
So, everyone but Zeus was sleeping peacefully. How was he supposed to exalt Achilles? How to slaughter the Achaean army? After awhile of sleepless contemplation, he got the idea to send a murderous dream to Agamemnon. He sent him a vision. The vision was to tell Agamemnon (AKA Atrides) to prep his armies and attack full force immediately the army of Troy.
The Dream took on the voice of Nestor the seer. The dream told Agamemnon that Zeus took pity on him. It said that all of the Olympians have come to agreement that the Achaeans will crush the Trojan armies.
The Dream lied. When it had done as it was told by Zeus to do, it went back to Olympus (the Dream being personified). So...I didn't really like Zeus before, but I LOVE the way he puts Hera in her place. She's and irrational, controlling, possessive bitch and Zeus WILL get the point across that SHE doesn't give orders. I do NOT like the fact that he's a manwhore who sleeps around on Hera with the mortal women. That's disturbing in some lights, and others it's just immoral. He was the god of oaths, and marriage is an oath. Hera was his wife. Cheating on her breaks those oaths. In my opinion, they should just get divorced. But it doesn't work like that. Also, it's incest anyway because Hera was also Zeus' sister. I can definately see the way she makes him feel suffocated which is why I portray their arguments in the best way to show her being melodramatic and him being irritable and annoyed by her. I doubt she even loves him. She just wants to be in control. Not necessarily of heaven, but she wants to not have to tollerate the way he treats her. The problem is she goes to the farthest extremities. Like in the case of the Trojan war: they were on opposing sides from each other because Zeus supported the Trojans for Achilles' sake and Hera supported the Achaeans for Agamemnon's sake, when in reality, it wasn't the real reason they got involved. They got involved because of their marital issues. For some reason, their marital problems make for an easier read. Zeus doesn't hold back his opinions when Hera starts being a drama mama. (This is not off topic because it still relates to Zeus and Hera so as to further explain and give background to the situation at hand. So there.)
So, Agamemnon got his hopes up over the dream. He thought that they'd be victorious over Priam that same day. Idiot. But he couldn't have known that the dream was a lie. Agamemnon prepared himself for battle and then went to the ships of the Argives (allies to the Achaeans, I think) and to the ships of the Achaeans so as to tell them to be prepared for war. It was daybreak as he called them all together.
He told the armies of his dream that was sent to him by Zeus. Damn this guy's gullible O.o
He went to prep his armies for battle, but first he decided to test them as was the custom of that time. But the Argives were to man their own stations.
His plan got screwed over, though. When he went back to his seat, Nestor rose to speak to the army. He said that if any of the Achaeans had told them of the dream, they'd call bullshit and drop it. Okay, well he didn't say it like THAT but this is MY version :) <--pedo smiley
So, Nestor was talking to the army. He suggested that they go and arm the Achaeans.
Nestor left, leading the council. Everybody else got up and obeyed him. They all followed him. The troops assembled and the soldiers took their positions. The whole place broke into an uproar. Nine heralds shouted out to them so that they could keep order and then it was quiet.
Agamemnon got up and lifted the scepter which Hephaestus had made. Hephaestus had given it to Zeus who gave it to Hermes (the messenger god/guide) who had given it to Pelops who gave it to Atreus who was the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus and he'd given it to Agamemnon. I don't know why that stuff is important, but it's in there for informational purposes. I'm hungry, so I'll be right back.
* * *
Okay, I'm back. I can eat and type at the same time.
Atrides had some stuff to get off his chest to the armies apparently because he doesn't shut up til like...1 1/2 to 3 pages later.
So, he was talking to his armies. He said that Zeus trapped him in insanity and ruin. He said that he was a cruel and harsh god. He claimed that Zeus had made a vow to him that he would crush Ilium. He said that Zeus had apparently plotted "brutal treachery" because he commands Atrides back to Argos in disgrace.
So basically, he's whining because he thinks that Zeus is out to get him. He sat there feeling sorry for himself saying Zeus had gone mad with power or some shit like that. He started talking about making a truce between the Argives and the Trojans that would be sealed by blood.
Okay, so I'm thinking his little speach is part of the test that he wants to give his army, because he's still under the impression that the Dream left him with. In other words, he still doesn't know that the Dream was a lie. Either that or he just REALLY likes the sound of his own voice. Pansy.
Then he started talking about how much the Achaeans outnumber the Trojans. Which, evidently, is about...10 to 1. So, alot. But that's only counting the ones who come from Troy. It doesn't include their allies. They've got alot of them, too. He said that 9 years had passed since Zeus had promised them victory yet they were still fighting Troy and their wives and children were still at home awaiting their return. Wow, he's a manipulitive little pansy.
So he just whines and says that they should all just go home because there's no real point in staying in a battle that obviously can't be won. This was his test. He wanted to see who would stay and who would leave. It backfired. EVERYONE wanted to go home. So everything was hectic and chaotic and people were yelling out orders left and right.
They might've actually made it home, too, and avoided fate, except that Hera alerted Athena of it. That's why in Mythology it always says that Hera kept the Trojan war going on. Hera wanted to win. She wanted to be able to go up to Zeus and say "My guy won. Your guy lost. Deal with it."
"Inconceivable! Athena, is this the way? The Argives are just giving up and going home. They're just leaving Priam and the Trojans which gives them the satisfaction to where they can claim to have run them out of their country and they can claim to be stronger than the Argives. Besides, they just left Helen of Argos (also called Helen of Troy) there as a trophy!! Many Argives lost their lives in battling Troy over Helen." She then sent Athena to stop as many as she could from leaving.
Here's a little background. Helen had two brothers who were twins. She was considered the most beautiful of all of the mortal women on earth. She was the wife of Menelaus but I think he'd kidnapped her from her brothers to take her as his wife when she was still a little girl and he was going to wait until she'd grown up so that he could marry her. Her brothers were REALLY pissed off. I don't remember what happened exactly, but I do remember that there was another argument: Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena were debating over which of themselves was the most beautiful. They went to a man named Paris, whom I believe was of Troy, to settle it. They each offered him gifts to choose them. Aphrodite's gift was the most appealing. She promised him the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife if he picked her. So he did. The problem is Helen was married to Menelaus. And Menelaus, as you know by this point, is the brother of Agamemnon. They were the two kings. The Battle of Troy was fought primarily over Helen. I'll give a post about all the technical aspects of the Battle of Troy (basically, what is the introduction in the book along with the side notes given by the author, who is technically not the author but he translated this version) at the end and also I'll give posts about it taken from Edith Hamilton's
Mythology for better understanding.
Athena did as she was told immediately. There's a hell of a lot of submission in this book...what happened to free will?? She found Odysseus first.
If you don't know who Odysseus is, he's a very important person in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Particularly in the Odyssey. We'll read that one next. But anyways, he's one of the main leaders because he's strong and clever and takes care of his crew...generally speaking. He's the one that comes up with the master plans that always get everyone out of deadly situations. You'll see what I mean. He's also called Ulysses in some translations. He's also the king of Ithaca.
Athena spoke to Odysseus repeating the same words that Hera had said to her. He knew her voice. He flung off his cape, went straight to Atrides Agamemnon (as it calls him in the book, which means I was right and it's the same person) and basically jacked the dude's fancy scepter thing straight from him. Guy's got balls. It's kinda funny, usually. He went to the ships of the Argives.
He went up to all of the kings that he could find, asking them not to leave, winning them over with his words just as Athena had asked him to do. He said that Atrides was only testing them right then, but soon he'll bear down harder. He reminded them of Agamemnon's plan that he'd given in the secret council.
When he caught the attention of soldiers, he would go to them and say he'd beat him with the scepter if the man left. "You idiot! Sit still. Listen to your superior. You're a coward. You're a worthless piece of shit. How could all the Achaeans rule Troy? Too many kings will screw up the whole army. There needs to be only a single commander." Well, that's harsh...Odysseus never actually talked down to people like that. He was playing mind tricks with reverse psychology. A little abuse would make the common soldiers wanna prove themselves to please the king.
He kept it up until he had everyone back on the meeting grounds. They all took their seats once again (WTF?! What were they sitting on?? Did they just leave their shit like "F*** it we'll buy some new crap when we get home"?? F*** you people have no brain.) Thersites, however, continued to rail on (betcha $5 that bitch gets jumped). He was in a complete and total panic. Like, his brain was screaming LET ME THE F*** OUT!! His mind was panicking, but the rest of him was trying to be the "class clown" so-to-speak.
He was considered to be the ugliest man that ever came to Troy. Wow. They're nice. It calls him bandy-legged which I'm guessing is another way to say either bow-legged or saying the boy's got chicken legs. It says one of his feet was clubbed...I have no clue what that means but I assume there was something, like, disfigured about it I guess. It says he was a hunchback with a caved-in chest. Poor guy...his discription kinda makes me wanna put him in a safe house or something where little kids won't point, laugh, and throw rocks at him :/ And apparently he has a pointy head...and, like, nasty wool-like hair. Like a brillow pad or some shit.
It says that both Odysseus and Achilles hated him. It says he abused them...which I assume doesn't mean literally abused them cuz if he did that, being that they are kings, he'd get his ass lynched. That wasn't intended as racism. It's just what kings did when they were disrespected like that. I'm guessing the guy just liked to talk alot of shit about the people in charge and they never did anything because despite the fact that they couldn't for the life of them STAND him, they still kinda felt sorry for him.
But anyways, something at this particular point in time possessed him to talk shit about Agamemnon. He sat there taunting and insulting him. He pissed the Achaeans off. "Why are you still whining, MIGHTY ATRIDES?? Why are you sulking?? Your house is PACKED with money and women. You have the best of the beautiful women from every place we've faught. Or do you want more gold? More ransom? Particularly from Troy? Even though WE'RE the ones that do all the WORK. Or do you want a young woman? Do you wanna go rip away another woman from her husband so you can have her to yourself while the troops get nothing?? You're supposed to be the HIGH and MIGHTY commander. Yet, there you are, a coward, leading the rest of us into a bloody slaughter. Sons?? No. Pathetic excuses. The women are his prize. We should all just go home and leave him here to wallow in all his prizes and riches." Then he brought up the little...disagreement...between Achilles and Agamemnon. He sided with Achilles. I swear on my friggen life I can picture this guy being drunk out the ass when he said all this. I'm actually kinda half expecting him to fall over and pass out.
So, he taunted Agamemnon. But Odysseus stepped in and told him to shut up before he gets himself in deep shit with Atrides. Then he basically put him in his place. I don't understand why Odysseus is being such an ass so far in the Iliad...he's normally the hero who sees everyone as equals. Oh well, maybe he's just being mind-tricky again. He got on Thersites' case over his talking shit about the kings who were his superiors. Then he said if he caught him doing it again "Let my head be wrenched off if I don't grab you, strip your clothes off so that you're ass naked, and whip you while you howl naked back to the ships out of the armies' muster."
Then he cracked the scepter over his back and shoulders. The ugly dude doubled over with tears in his eyes and blood on his back. He was squated low, cringing, stunned with sudden pain, blinking uncontrollably. Aw :/ I feel sorry for him...he wiped at his eyes with his fist and all the others laughed at him...aww :( </3
This guy is gonna end up being one of those people who brings a weapon to school in his backpack and shoots the place up. Wouldn't surprise me at all. For some reason, I keep picturing in my head Lewis Black as Thersites and Gerard Butler as Odysseus...don't ask why because for the life of me I have no idea. Those are just the faces that popped into my head as the characters.
Everyone laughed and taunted
Lewis Black Thersites and praised Odysseus for having shamed the poor wasted bastard (I don't know if he was really wasted or not, but from the context, I wouldn't be surprised AT ALL).
So the soldiers bantered. All except for Odysseus who stood there holding the scepter and close by him Athena came. She ordered them all to silence. Odysseus pointed out that by leaving, they were disgracing their king for having not fulfulled their promise to defeat Troy...yet. "Look at them! Whining to each other. 'Oh, it's too hard. I wanna go home. Let's just give up. Nyeh nyeh nyeh' Shit, y'all are sposed to be defending our country!! True, it's been a long war and I understand you're all homesick. But still. It would be humiliating to us as a whole to have to go home empty-handed. Just hang in a little bit longer."
Then he starts this flashback thing to when the war first started. An omen had appeared to them on their way to Priam. A snake with a blood streaked back. The snake went up a tree where there was a brood of young, helpless sparrows. Eight little ones plus a mother. The snake swallowed all of the babies and the mother struggled with it, fighting it, trying to protect her babies, but it coiled up and struck at her. He swallowed her too. But then Zeus turned it into a sign.
Zeus "struck him to stone" which either means he turned him into stone, or he crushed his head with a stone. I'm pretty sure it's the first, though. Calchas had spoken of the omen. "An event long in the future, late to come to birth, but the fame of that great work will never die." It showed that they would fight in Troy for 9 years, but on the 10th they would be victorious. Odysseus pointed out that it had all passed as was foretold.
"So stand your ground until we take down Priam!"
* * *
Okay, so last time, we left off when Odysseus was trying to keep everyone from leaving because Athena told him to because Hera had told Athena to. Also, some ugly guy that reminds me of Lewis Black just got jumped and I felt bad for him.
So the people were all fired up now. Everybody's shouting and crap and it's echoing, so it's really loud and noisy. Then Nestor thought they might need a little more verbal abuse.
Imagine how psychologically screwed up these men must've been with how often they're yelled at, put on the spot, and degraded. The fact that every second holds the possibility that they might die would've had them on edge anyway. But this had been going on for 9 years at this point. Everyone around them was dying and they missed their families. Imagine having to stare death in the face every day for 9 years without being able to go home and see the ones you love. Now imagine having little food and crappy shelter. Sleeping on a ship. And now you realize the thing that you're fighting for is in the defense of your leader's temper. He's pitching a temper tantrum. That's all it is. Lastly, imagine the verbal, emotional, and mental abuse you recieve from your superiors. These people were physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. They felt that there was no hope for the war to end. It was a fight to the death until someone surrendered. This still happens every day. Support our troops. Not the government's tantrums.
Nestor said that they were a disgrace. "You're all idiots. You aren't even thinking about battle. So now what happens to all the oaths and pacts and promises we made? You're sending them all straight to hell. We always fight with words. Only words. What good does that do? We can't find anything. No matter how long we stay here. Agamemnon, don't change anything of your action. Stick with your first plan. Lead your armies into war. As for the rest, those who try to make their own plans aside from the troops, they can rot. It won't do them any good. They'd run home before they even knew if Zeus' promises were true or not." He reminded them of the signs Zeus had sent and dreams and good omens about the end of the war. "So no one go home yet."
He said something about 'not till he beds down with a faithful Trojan wife' which I think is a metaphor, or he could be saying for them not to leave until the Trojans go to bed. I don't really know at this point...but I've read about the Trojan Horse before, so it might be something like that. 'Payment in full for the groans and shocks of war we have all borne for Helen.' I'm thinking that with these two statements combined, he's saying that they shouldn't leave until they've payed the Trojans back for all the time they've spent trying to get back Helen. Or something like that.
Then Nestor said, basically, "Anyone who's so impatient that they wanna leave for home right this second, just try to. The second you put your hand on that ship, we'll slice you down in front of the whole crew." Then he said to Agamemnon to guard himself. "Listen to what I say. I have some advice for you. I'll make it clear. Arrange your men clan by clan. This way, you can see which captain is a coward. You can also see who is loyal and brave. And you can also see, if you fail to sack the city, if it was the will of a god or if it was a fault of your troops."
Agamemnon agreed with him. "If I had 10 men like Nestor, we would've been done with Troy in a day. But Zeus insists on inflicting me with difficult men and pointless arguments. Imagine- me and Achilles fighting over a girl!! And I was the first to get mad...if we could just work together, we'd defeat Troy in a heartbeat. Everyone go eat. The sooner you do, the sooner we can get back to the war. While you're at it, feed your horses and prep yourselves for battle. Yes, it's going to be long and difficult and you'll be sweaty and tired. But if I catch any of you trying to hide away in the ships and avoid the combat, you're dead. You won't escape the dogs and birds." Wow. He's friendly. No wonder his wife hates him.
So the troops did what they were told and went back to their ships for food. They each made sacrifices to the gods and prayed for protection and survival. But Agamemnon sacrificed to Zeus. He called in all the chiefs of all the Argive forces (Nestor, Idomeneus, Great and Little Ajax, Diomedes, and Odysseus). Menelaus came in addition, though he'd not been called. But he knew what had been bothering his brother.
They all stood in a ring as Agamemnon prayed to Zeus. He prayed that the sun not go down and night not come until they had torched Priam and killed Hector.
But Zeus would not give him what he asked for...yet. He accepted the sacrifices, but he doubled the weight of war. More gorey details of animal sacrifice...another "feast" or "banquet" or whatever...this is kinda irritating me because they get these full banquet meals between the 8 of them and they're feeding the military their scraps. And Agamemnon and Menelaus don't even fight with their men.
Then Nestor spoke out to Agamemnon. "No more delaying. No more stalling. We need to gather the men and let them know it's time to go back to war."
Agamemnon didn't resist. He commanded the heralds to summon the troops to battle. They gathered quickly, the warlords leading the troops. And Athena was with them prepared to fight for them. She swept through the Argive armies, driving the soldiers harder, filling their hearts with burning passion to fight and win this war. They were unstoppable. They were pumped up for the war - excited, even. Teehee ^-^ weird how it took Athena to make that happen. I'm gonna have a cat and name it after her. Just sayin'. Her and Apollo are my favorites. And Aphrodite.
It goes on to describe pretty much what it already said, just more metaphors and junk...then it talks about the armies gathering...it gives very..what's the word? Not "descriptive" exactly...luminous? discription and...dammit that's not the right word either....something that appeals to the senses. It makes you picture it. Like a painting. You can see everything clearly as if you're watching it happen. Vivid works. But that's not the word I was looking for. But it's the closest I'm gonna get.
It's like a lucid dream sorta...I actually think lucid might've been the word...or eloquent. I don't know. He gets really vivid. But it's still describing the same things that've already been said. It's just being...built up on...made more complex...shit, I can't think of the word I wanna use here either. Not exaggerated...just...extended...I don't know.
It talks about the massive size of the armies. Obviously, this guy isn't as inarticulate as I am. Seriously, cuz I almost couldn't remember the word "inarticulate". That's just sad.
It talks about the armies grouping...there comes a point where a piece of writing can be called "overly descriptive". Being that I've read
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickons, I can appreciate THIS amount of overly-descriptive because it wasn't TOO much overboard. That one was just awful.
It keeps making indirect references to Ares. Let me explain. Ares was the god of war. He was also the son of Zeus and Hera, both of which hated and regretted him. So, they aren't talking about him DIRECTLY, they're more personifying him as a metaphor. They're personifying war.
Evidently Zeus exalted Agamemnon in battle that day. I seriously love the way this is written...
The Iliad is actually a freakishly huge poem, so everything is poetic, but it's written in prose. But the way it's written is to the point where it not only appeals to the senses, but to the mindset and the emotions. Hence my getting pissed at the assholes in charge.
He just wrote two friggen pages full of saying nothing really except that the soldiers gathered and took position, but the way it's written makes it not seem pointless...it tells of the passion Athena set in their hearts to fight. It describes how she looked and the fierceness about her. It tells how Agamemnon looked - heading the very front - saying that he was like Zeus, Poseidon, and Ares combined. Some of it doesn't even make since, but it doesn't have to. It's...damn I can't think of the word I wanna use here either. The next book I read is gonna be the Dictionary. Actually, I doubt that.
Now it's telling the order of the units and who they were led by. It's just a list of names, not very important at the moment. Dude!! This list of names is longer than Jesus' genealogy. Not kidding.
I just finished reading through the first group. It says they have 50 ships with 120 men manning each. So,
Group 1: the Boeotians led by Leitus and Peneleos
Group 2 was led by Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, the sons of Ares and Astyoche. Apparently, she had been a shy, young girl who had climbed into the upper rooms of I don't know where and secretly made love to the god of war, sharing in his strength...that's kinda sexy. Anyway, her sons had command over 30 ships.
Good thing Group 2 is on our side, else we'd be f***ed.
Group 3: the Phocians with 40 ships led by Schedius and Epistrophus
Group 4: the Locrians led by Ajax with 40 ships (little Ajax)
Group 5 was led by Elephenor, a friend of Ares. They were the Abantes with 40 ships
Group 6 were the Athenians led by Menestheus with 50 ships
Group 7 was led by the other Ajax in the defense of the Athenians with 12 ships
Group 8 were the Argives led by Diomedes with 80 ships
Group 9 were the Corinthians (and I'm pretty sure this was the miscellaneous category) led by Agamemnon with the largest army (it doesn't say how many ships they had)
Group 10 were the Spartans along with more miscellaneousness...that confuses me that the Spartans and the people of Athens were fighting for the same side. Anyway, they were led by Menelaus with 60 ships and he was the MOST pissed off at the Trojans cuz as I said before, Helen was his wife.
Group 11 more miscellaneous. Ooo!! Something cool just happened!! Hang on I have to pee.
* * *
Back!! Sorry guys, I'm having weirdness going on with my bladder this week. Plus I'm really tired...but I have to keep this up til 4, so for the next...hour and 15 minutes. Then imma get popcorn and milk and watch more scary movies for the continuation of the Halloween Moviethon or Fear Fest. Whatever you wanna call it. But, yeah, I'm gonna try to watch all the typical scary movies 1-recent as many as I can (the Saw movies, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddie vs Jason, Child's Play) the originals up through the most recent ones. Problem being they're about $3/movie. I'll figure something out, but I may just continue it into November when I'll have my b'day money to buy some.
Anyways, cool part of the book that I just saw: there was something mentioned about someone in this group being from Oechalia. It says that there had been a king there, King Eurytus, who boasted to the high heavens that he could outsing the Muses. They got pissed off and maimed him. Teehee :) it also says they "ripped away his voice", so I guess that means made him unable to speak, and "wiped all arts of harping from his mind" which includes music, instruments, singing, or any fine art like painting, sketching, sculpting, the sciences, or acting. They took the creativity part of his brain out. I would be sad :(
Anyway, Nestor led that group with 90 ships.
Group 12 were primarily the Arcadians who didn't need ships, and I don't see anything that says who the leader was...
Group 13 was led by four warlords with 10 ship flotillas each. Don't ask me what that is, I have no clue. So, this group was primarily Epeans, I think...led by Thalpius and Amphimacus, then the next part of the group was led by Diores, and then the last part of the group was led by Polyxinus
Group 14 were the ocean men led by Meges with 40 ships
Group 15 were the Cephallenian companies (including those of Ithaca, so I bet this one was Odysseus' group)...Yup! I was right. It's Odysseus' group with 12 ships
Group 16 were the units of Aetolia led by Thaos with 40 ships
Group 17 were the Cretans and the Meriones led by Idomeneus with 80 ships
Group 18 more miscellaneous led by Tlepolemus with 9 ships
It says that when he had become of age, Tlepolemus (the son of Heracles, not Hercules...I'm slightly dyslexic) killed his father's uncle, Licymnius and fled his home country from the death threats he'd recieved from his brothers. But Zeus loved him and he settled in Rhodes and became, like, Top Dog or some shit...I don't know. I also don't know why he killed his uncle. I'll check him out on Wikipedia. Eventually...
Group 19 [I have no clue how many friggen groups there are, but this feels redundant and I HATE repetitiveness] were a small miscellaneous group led by Nireus who was said to be the most handsome man to ever have come to Troy. So basically, Homer just said this guy was the sexiest man in the country...damn. And they had 3 ships.
Group 20 [I think this is the last group] were the island countries led by Antiphus and Phidippus with 30 ships
-gasp- FINALLY!!
.....
Oh f*** are you shittin' me? Oh okay never mind this is the group that Achilles would've led but since he quit, it's tellin what's up with that.
That group was of the Achaeans, Hellenes, and Myrmidons with 50 ships, with Achilles as their leader. But Achilles wasn't there. So they didn't have a leader.
Achilles was hangin' out at his ships pissed over losing Briseis. Understandable.
Really? There's seriously STILL more?! Okay. Fine. Group 22.
Group 22 were who gives a shit and were originally led by Protesilaus before he died. He'd been killed by a Dardan. His place was then taken by Podarces, his younger brother with 40 ships
Y'all just bear with me another half hour then you can go check out a different part of my blog. Imma post some stuff on my Music and Movies Blog and also on my Bored Blog when I get done with this. Here's the links:
http://www.becauseimbored-allison2433.blogspot.com/ ;
http://www.musicmoviesblog-allison2433.blogspot.com/
Okay, next group.
Group 23 was led by Eumelus with 11 ships
Group 24 was led by Philoctetes with 7 ships, but they had no captain cuz he'd been bitten by a viper. Medon took his place. It says that Medon was the bastard son of Rhene (the mom) and Oileus (the dad). I don't see how that's significant, but Homer called someone a bastard, so I'll shed some light on it.
Group 25 was led by the two skilled healers Podalirius and Machaon, brothers. With 40 ships.
15 minutes, guys.
Group 26 was led by Eurypylus with 40 ships
Group 27 was led by Polypoetes with 40 ships. He was vengeful toward the enemy as was Leonteus
Group 28 was led by Guneus with 22 ships.
Group 29 was led by Prothous with 40 ships
Yay! No more groups! Thank God...but now it's gonna list the bravest or something...oh well. That's shorter.
The Names: Telamonian Ajax, Achilles (best of them all), 9999999999999999o sorry there was something stuck between my keys. After Achilles on the list, Atrides Agamemnon, ...randomly cut off...
Okay. Done with the list. So, it's talking about all the armies going out to meet the Trojans at battle, on their way to take their individual positions.
F***. Now I have to list the Trojans. Screw that, I'll pick up there either tomorrow or Monday. I'm clockin' out 5 minutes early today. Sue me.
* * *
(to be continued...)
