ARGUMENT OF THE TWENTY-FIRST BOOK. by Homer: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This is a brief summary of Book 21 of Homer's *Iliad*, outlining the events leading up to the full text.
The poem
Achilles having separated the Trojans, and driven one part of them to the city and the other into the Scamander, takes twelve young men alive, his intended victims to the manes of Patroclus. The river overflowing his banks with purpose to overwhelm him, is opposed by Vulcan, and gladly relinquishes the attempt. The battle of the gods ensues. Apollo, in the form of Agenor, decoys Achilles from the town, which in the mean time the Trojans enter and shut the gates against him.
This is a brief summary of Book 21 of Homer's *Iliad*, outlining the events leading up to the full text. Achilles divides the Trojan army, takes twelve prisoners to sacrifice at Patroclus's funeral, battles the river god Scamander, and is ultimately deceived by Apollo, who appears as a Trojan warrior. This trickery leads Achilles to chase after Apollo instead of defending the city walls, allowing the Trojans to retreat safely and secure the gates.
Line-by-line
Achilles having separated the Trojans, and driven one part of them to the city and the other into the Scamander…
…takes twelve young men alive, his intended victims to the manes of Patroclus.
The river overflowing his banks with purpose to overwhelm him, is opposed by Vulcan…
The battle of the gods ensues.
Apollo, in the form of Agenor, decoys Achilles from the town, which in the mean time the Trojans enter and shut the gates against him.
Tone & mood
The tone is brisk and martial — this is a practical summary, not a lyrical poem, so it moves quickly and focuses on action. There's a deep current of raw grief behind everything Achilles does, along with a dark grandeur to the unfolding events: rivers swell, gods clash, and one man's fury transforms the battlefield. The closing scene of Achilles being deceived and left standing outside locked gates carries a sense of bitter irony.
Symbols & metaphors
- The River Scamander — Scamander isn’t merely a geographical feature — as a god, he embodies nature fighting back against human brutality. When Achilles floods the river with Trojan bodies, Scamander's rage serves as nature's outcry against the magnitude of the massacre. His eventual defeat by Vulcan's fire shows that even nature can't hold back Achilles at this point.
- The Twelve Prisoners — The twelve young Trojans taken alive represent grief turned into ritual vengeance. They aren't enemies to be defeated in battle; they're offerings. Their capture illustrates how profoundly Patroclus's death has altered Achilles, transforming him from a warrior into something resembling a priest of destruction.
- Apollo's Disguise — Apollo's transformation into Agenor represents fate's struggle against Achilles' anger. Troy is not ready to fall yet—the gods will employ trickery to postpone its downfall. This disguise also highlights a recurring theme in the *Iliad*: the gods shape human affairs while hiding their true identities, and even the strongest mortals can't always distinguish between what is real and what is illusion.
- The Shut Gates — The closing of Troy's gates at the end of the book creates a striking image of the city's final stand. They symbolize the line between survival and destruction. For Achilles, the barred gates are a source of irritation; for the Trojans inside, they offer a brief moment of safety. But these gates won't last forever.
Historical context
The *Iliad* is an ancient Greek epic poem traditionally credited to Homer, written around the 8th century BCE, although it draws from oral stories that are much older. The poem spans a few weeks toward the end of the ten-year Trojan War and centers on the fury of Achilles, a Greek hero. Book 21 is near the climax of the poem: Achilles has rejoined the fight after the loss of his dear friend Patroclus, and his sorrow has transformed into something fearsome. The "Argument" at the beginning of each book was a common element in classical and early modern editions, providing readers with a guide to what’s to come. This specific argument likely originates from a translation in the style of Pope or Chapman, which included prose summaries to aid readers in understanding the epic's vastness. The battle of the gods (Theomachy) featured in this book is among the most renowned and distinctive sections of the *Iliad*.
FAQ
In older editions of long poems, an 'argument' refers to a brief prose summary that outlines what occurs in that section. You can think of it like a chapter synopsis. This summary was included at the beginning of each book to help readers get their bearings before immersing themselves in the verse. Milton followed this practice in *Paradise Lost*.
He is keeping them for a ritual sacrifice at Patroclus's funeral. In the world of the *Iliad*, properly honoring a fallen hero — through games, offerings, and sacrifices — is a significant religious obligation. Achilles' grief is so intense that he desires human lives to be offered to his friend's spirit. This is one of the most unsettling actions in the poem.
Patroclus is Achilles' closest companion and his dearest friend, often viewed as the person he loves most in the world. He was killed by Hector while wearing Achilles' armor. Achilles' return to battle and the intense anger that fuels all of Book 21 revolves around avenging Patroclus's death.
The Scamander, also known as Xanthus, is a real river located near Troy and also a deity mentioned in the *Iliad*. It becomes enraged at Achilles for killing so many Trojans and dumping their bodies into the river, causing it to be literally clogged with corpses. The river god protests against this treatment — both for practical reasons and moral ones — as he does not want to serve as a mass grave.
Vulcan, known as Hephaestus in Greek mythology, is the god of fire and the forge. He unleashes a tremendous blaze across the plain, causing the river's waters to boil and setting the surrounding vegetation ablaze until Scamander pleads for mercy and recedes. It's a straightforward battle of fire against water, and fire emerges victorious.
The Theomachy is an all-out brawl among the Olympian gods, each supporting different factions in the war. Athena takes on Ares, Hera faces Artemis, and Poseidon goes up against Apollo. It's both epic and absurd — the gods argue and bicker like the very humans they are meant to guide. Homer employs this scene for dark comedy and to illustrate how the divine realm reflects the chaos of the mortal world below.
The gods in the *Iliad* have their limits — they can't always just ignore fate or each other's desires through sheer power. Apollo's role is to postpone Troy's fall, not to stop it indefinitely. Using a disguise and prompting a chase acts like a precise intervention: it gives the Trojans just enough time to enter the walls without causing a direct clash between Achilles and a god.
Book 22 serves as the emotional heart of the entire *Iliad*: Achilles confronts Hector outside the walls of Troy and ultimately kills him. Apollo's trick at the end of Book 21 — trapping Achilles outside the locked gates — sets the stage for this pivotal moment. With Hector alone outside, his fate is inevitable.