ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND BOOK. by Homer: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
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.
The poem
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.
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.
Line-by-line
Jupiter, in pursuance of his purpose to distress the Grecians...
He, in consequence of it, calls a council...
Thersites is mutinous, and is chastised by Ulysses.
Ulysses, Nestor, and Agamemnon, harangue the people...
An exact account follows of the forces on both sides.
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
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.
It’s a rhetorical tactic—he anticipates the men will push back and reassert their dedication to the war. However, things take a turn for the worse when they actually flee toward the ships. This test exposes just how fatigued and disheartened the army has become after nine years of siege, requiring the united efforts of Ulysses, Nestor, and Agamemnon himself to bring them back.
Not completely. Thersites’ claim that Agamemnon is greedy and self-serving mirrors Achilles’ complaints from Book I. However, Achilles is a powerful warrior with the authority to confront a king, while Thersites is just a lowly soldier without that privilege. Homer appears to suggest that the *substance* of a grievance is less important than *who* expresses it and *the manner* in which it is expressed.
It’s a list of all the Greek contingents at Troy—29 groups in total, including their leaders, home regions, and the number of ships they brought. The length of the list reflects its cultural significance: it honors the names of communities and heroes, allowing audiences to see their own ancestors represented. You might think of it as a verse-based national war memorial.
Achilles is noticeably missing from the action in Book II — he's sulking in his tent after his argument with Agamemnon in Book I. Jupiter's misleading dream is a direct result of Thetis asking him to punish the Greeks for Agamemnon's treatment of her son. Thus, everything in Book II stems from Achilles' wounded pride, even though he doesn't make an appearance.
Ulysses (Odysseus) is the most cunning leader among the Greeks — quick-witted, persuasive, and ready to take action, even if it means physically confronting Thersites. Nestor is the oldest king in attendance, whose authority stems from years of experience. Together, they embody what an army needs: sharp tactical thinking and the strength of tradition.
What we have here is an **argument** — a prose summary of the book's contents, which is something you often find in older printed editions of Homer. The *Iliad* is a poem written in dactylic hexameter, one of the toughest verse forms in ancient Greek. Editors and translators included these arguments to help readers make sense of the epic’s 24 books.
Book II is a masterclass in the failures and recoveries of authority. Agamemnon's dream-fueled confidence nearly leads to the army's ruin. Thersites reveals that resentment is always lurking beneath the surface. The three speeches that follow illustrate that effective leadership isn't just about rank; it demands the right words, spoken at the right time, by the right person.