Book IV
15 argumentative units
- 01Jove Proposes Peace on Olympus
Jove suggests ending the war to provoke Juno, praising Venus's intervention while other gods watched from afar.
- 02Juno's Fury and Jove's Bargain
Enraged, Juno rails against Jove, who grants her permission to destroy Troy but warns her against future interference.
- 03Minerva Descends to Break the Truce
Juno offers her own cities for Troy's destruction and suggests Minerva break the truce, a plan Jove approves.
- 04Pandarus Persuaded to Shoot Menelaus
Disguised as a mortal, Minerva convinces the archer Pandarus to break the truce by shooting an arrow at Menelaus.
- 05Agamemnon Laments Menelaus's Wound
Pallas deflects Pandarus's arrow, but Menelaus is wounded, causing Agamemnon to deliver a long, despairing lament.
- 06Machaon Heals the Spartan King
Menelaus reassures his brother the wound is minor, and Agamemnon summons the healer Machaon to treat it.
- 07Agamemnon Rallies the Greek Army
As the Trojans attack, Agamemnon moves through the ranks, inspiring the brave warriors and reproaching the cowardly.
- 08Agamemnon Praises Idomeneus and the Ajaxes
Agamemnon praises the battle-readiness of the Cretan king Idomeneus and the formidable, silent ranks of the two Ajaxes.
- 09Agamemnon and Nestor Discuss Strategy
Agamemnon finds Nestor skillfully arranging his troops and praises his wisdom, though Nestor laments his lost youth.
- 10Agamemnon's Reproof and Apology to Ulysses
Agamemnon mistakenly reproves Ulysses for inaction, but after Ulysses's sharp reply, the king quickly apologizes.
- 11Agamemnon Goads the Son of Tydeus
Agamemnon finds Diomedes and sternly reproaches him for inaction, unfavorably comparing him to his famously heroic father, Tydeus.
- 12The Armies Advance to Battle
After Diomedes defends Agamemnon's right to command, he leaps into action, and the silent Greeks advance against the shouting Trojans.
- 13The Clash of Armies
Inspired by the gods, the two armies clash with a sound like roaring torrents, and the first warriors fall.
- 14Ajax and Ulysses Avenge Their Comrades
Ajax kills the young Simoisius, and after a Trojan spear kills his friend Leucus, Ulysses takes revenge on Democoon.
- 15Apollo's Rally and the Carnage of Battle
Apollo rallies the Trojans, leading to more deaths, as the narrator reflects on the vast and glorious slaughter.