Iliad Book Twenty

This s a translation of the twentieth book of Homer’s Iliad, continuing the sequence of books already available.


This book features some serious intervention in the battle by various of the gods, this time with Zeus’s blessing. Poseidon and Apollo are the main protagonists but there are cameo appearances from others. The coming confrontation of Hektor and Akhilleus is again delayed as Apollo prompts Ai-neias to try his luck against the latter, with the inevitable consequence. Despite being a supporter of the Greek cause Poseidon is moved to rescue him if only to appease Zeus who is expecting Ai-neias to give rise to a dynasty of kings. 

Hektor is indeed warned by Apollo to stay clear of Akhilleus for the while, but when Hektor sees one of his brothers slaughtered by Akhilleus he is moved to attack him. However Athena and Apollo effectively defuse this potentially definitive fight and the book ends with Akhilleus raging off indiscriminately slaying any Trojan unlucky enough to encounter him.