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The Annotated Edition

ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND BOOK. by Homer

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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Jupiter deceives the Greek commander Agamemnon by sending him a misleading dream, making him believe that he can achieve total victory if he attacks Troy right away.

Poet
Homer
Themes
dreams, identity, justice
The PoemFull text

ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND BOOK.

Homer

Jupiter, in pursuance of his purpose to distress the Grecians in answer to the prayer of Thetis, deceives Agamemnon by a dream. He, in consequence of it, calls a council, the result of which is that the army shall go forth to battle. Thersites is mutinous, and is chastised by Ulysses. Ulysses, Nestor, and Agamemnon, harangue the people; and preparation is made for battle. An exact account follows of the forces on both sides.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Jupiter deceives the Greek commander Agamemnon by sending him a misleading dream, making him believe that he can achieve total victory if he attacks Troy right away. Agamemnon gathers his leaders, rallies the army for battle, and a brash soldier named Thersites is quickly put in his place by Ulysses. The book concludes with a well-known roll-call of every Greek and Trojan force preparing for the fight.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Jupiter, in pursuance of his purpose to distress the Grecians...

    Editor's note

    Jupiter (Zeus) continues to keep his promise to the sea-goddess Thetis, who requested that he make the Greeks endure hardship so her son Achilles could be avenged. He does this through a **deceptive dream** delivered straight to Agamemnon, the Greek commander-in-chief. The dream appears as the wise elder Nestor to enhance its credibility — a god cloaking a falsehood in a familiar and trusted form.

  2. He, in consequence of it, calls a council...

    Editor's note

    Agamemnon wakes up truly convinced by the dream's promise of quick victory. He tests his troops by proposing they sail home — a risky move that almost leads to disaster when the men actually dash for the ships. The council scene highlights how fragile morale can be and how crucial strong leadership is for keeping the army united.

  3. Thersites is mutinous, and is chastised by Ulysses.

    Editor's note

    Thersites is the only common soldier in the *Iliad* who gets to speak, and Homer portrays him as ugly, loud, and contemptible. He criticizes Agamemnon's greed, and while there’s some truth in his words, his approach is chaotic rather than just. Ulysses (Odysseus) hits him with a staff and humiliates him in front of others. This scene clearly distinguishes between a valid complaint and outright rebellion.

  4. Ulysses, Nestor, and Agamemnon, harangue the people...

    Editor's note

    Three of the Greeks' finest speakers take turns addressing the army. Ulysses invokes honour and mentions the prophecy that Troy will fall in the tenth year — which is *now*. Nestor leverages his age and authority. Agamemnon offers promises of glory and plunder. Together, they restore the army's determination and channel the energy that nearly led everyone to abandon the fight.

  5. An exact account follows of the forces on both sides.

    Editor's note

    This is the well-known **Catalogue of Ships** — a detailed list of every Greek contingent, including their leaders and the number of ships they contributed. It serves as an epic roll of honour, keeping the names of cities and heroes alive for future generations. Following this is a shorter catalogue related to the Trojan War. Ancient audiences would have recognized many of these place names as their own ancestral homes, creating a strong sense of collective identity within the passage.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is grand and ceremonial, as you'd expect from epic poetry, but it has a pulse. There's palpable dramatic tension during the near-mutiny, a sharp satirical edge in the Thersites episode, and a sense of solemn pride in the Catalogue of Ships. Homer seamlessly shifts between the divine and the human, maintaining the integrity of both — the gods come across as truly powerful, while the soldiers feel authentically scared and imperfect.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The deceptive dream
The dream that Jupiter sends isn’t merely a plot device — it represents the disconnect between divine intention and human understanding. Agamemnon thinks he has the gods on his side; in truth, he’s being led to disaster. This brings up a crucial question: how can anyone truly trust their own certainty?
Thersites
Thersites embodies the perspective of the ordinary soldier — bitter, unremarkable, and ultimately hushed. His depiction as physically unattractive in Homer's narrative deliberately contrasts with the heroic ideal. He serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of a failing hierarchy, while also being an unsettling reminder that the complaints he raises are valid.
The Catalogue of Ships
The extensive list of forces represents our shared memory and cultural identity. It turns individual soldiers into a lasting tribute, making sure that even those who fall at Troy are remembered. It also communicates the immense, nearly unfathomable scale of the war.
The sceptre of Agamemnon
Passed down from the gods to generations of kings, the sceptre symbolizes true authority. When Ulysses uses it to strike Thersites, that action carries weight — a divinely sanctioned power physically silencing opposition.
The rush to the ships
The scene of the Greek army rushing toward their ships to head home illustrates just how easily an organized force can turn into a chaotic mob. It reflects the delicate balance of their shared mission and the ever-present risk of disintegration that looms over the entire Greek campaign.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Book II of the *Iliad* is positioned early in Homer's tale of the Trojan War, a conflict that the Greeks believed occurred around the 12th century BCE. By the time Homer wrote or compiled the poem (around the 8th century BCE), the war had been mythologized for generations. This book stands out because it shifts focus from Achilles' personal rage—the main theme of the *Iliad*—to provide a broader perspective on the entire war effort. The Catalogue of Ships is particularly notable, as it is thought to retain genuinely ancient geographical and political details, likely stemming from oral traditions that trace back to the Bronze Age. Ancient scholars intensely debated its accuracy. The Thersites episode is one of the rare instances in Greek epic where a non-aristocratic voice is heard, serving as a key reference point for later discussions about democracy, social class, and the politics of heroic literature.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Because Jupiter's aim is to *harm* the Greeks, not assist them. He wants Agamemnon to lead the army into a battle they're not prepared to win — at least not just yet. A straightforward command would be too apparent, so a dream that resembles a trusted figure (Nestor) serves as the ideal instrument. It also allows Jupiter to keep his hands technically clean.

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