Agamemnon’s Argument
My soldiers blame me for the plague that has fallen upon our army and is killing my people. Yes, despite the ransom, I refused to return Chryses’ daughter, but will my returning her soothe the fury of Apollo? I am sure that I am not the cause of this horror that has fallen upon the Achaeans. I am willing to give Chryses’ daughter back if it will lift this plague. However, I will not be the only one left without a prize. Achilles asks what prize he may give me to make up for the one I that I will be losing, he promises to give me a prize that will satisfy me. I see through this though. Prometheus tried to outwit Zeus in Hesiod’s Theogony, but like me, Zeus saw through his cunning attempt. Achilles uses his cunningness to fool me into being left without a prize of my own. I will not let myself be tricked by he who is lesser than I.
If the Achaeans are unable to find me such a prize, I shall take Briseis, who I offered to Achilles as his prize, as my own. …show more content…
In the midst of my internal struggle, I am aided by Athena. In Hesiod’s Theogony, it is explained that Athena had burst from the forehead of the mighty Zeus, god above all other gods. Hera, Zeus’ wife, sent Athena to me to warn me against killing Agamemnon, she also explained to me that I will receive three times as many gifts if I do as she says. A man must listen to a goddess in order to stay in their good favor. And furthermore, how can I be wrong in this argument if the gods themselves are telling me that I am right and encouraging me not to fight Agamemnon? The Muses spoke to Hesiod as Athena speaks to me, and Hesiod considers himself some sort of prophet because of that, so how can I ignore this message from the gods. Athena is wise, and she is knowledgeable in the way of war, so I shall pull myself and my warriors from battle and leave the Greeks on their own against the Trojan
My soldiers blame me for the plague that has fallen upon our army and is killing my people. Yes, despite the ransom, I refused to return Chryses’ daughter, but will my returning her soothe the fury of Apollo? I am sure that I am not the cause of this horror that has fallen upon the Achaeans. I am willing to give Chryses’ daughter back if it will lift this plague. However, I will not be the only one left without a prize. Achilles asks what prize he may give me to make up for the one I that I will be losing, he promises to give me a prize that will satisfy me. I see through this though. Prometheus tried to outwit Zeus in Hesiod’s Theogony, but like me, Zeus saw through his cunning attempt. Achilles uses his cunningness to fool me into being left without a prize of my own. I will not let myself be tricked by he who is lesser than I.
If the Achaeans are unable to find me such a prize, I shall take Briseis, who I offered to Achilles as his prize, as my own. …show more content…
In the midst of my internal struggle, I am aided by Athena. In Hesiod’s Theogony, it is explained that Athena had burst from the forehead of the mighty Zeus, god above all other gods. Hera, Zeus’ wife, sent Athena to me to warn me against killing Agamemnon, she also explained to me that I will receive three times as many gifts if I do as she says. A man must listen to a goddess in order to stay in their good favor. And furthermore, how can I be wrong in this argument if the gods themselves are telling me that I am right and encouraging me not to fight Agamemnon? The Muses spoke to Hesiod as Athena speaks to me, and Hesiod considers himself some sort of prophet because of that, so how can I ignore this message from the gods. Athena is wise, and she is knowledgeable in the way of war, so I shall pull myself and my warriors from battle and leave the Greeks on their own against the Trojan