Odysseus 's Persuasions To Get Achilles to the Achaean Line
What do you give a man who has everything? The Trojans were defeating the Achaeans in war. Agamemnon declares the war a failure and that they should return back to Greece in shame. Nestor suggest that Agamemnon needed to send three men back to persuade Achilles to come back to the Achaean line and fight in the war. Agamemnon agrees to send his three strongest men, Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix. Each man had their own approach of how to get Achilles to come back with them. Odyssues 's approach began by complimenting Achilles and attempting to make the great warrior open minded to the seriousness of the military situation. He then began bribing Achilles with all of the gifts Agamemnon …show more content…
Odysseus, a prideful mortal admitted to being afraid stating , "But it 's not the flowing feast that is on our minds now-no, a stark disaster […] Achilles bred by the gods, that is what we are starring in the face and we are afraid," (9.274-278). Odysseus then tried to build Achilles up as if he was the only one that could save them in the war, "All hangs in the balance now: whether we save our benched ships or they are destroyed, unless, of course, you put your fighting power in harness."(9.277-279). Odysseus was trying to make Achilles feel good about himself so he would come and save the Achaeans in the war. Odysseus explained the seriousness of the war and how bad the Achaeans were losing. In Book Nine he told Achilles about how Hector prayed for the daylight to break at once and threatened to cut off the high horns of the sterns and gut the ships with fire. Odysseus then told Achilles how he believed that the gods are going to be in favor of Hector and carry out his wishes, causing the fate of Achaeans to die. Odysseus then brings in a major quality of them all, grief. He believed if Achilles did not fight in the war he would regret it and grieve over it forever, "Fail us now? What a grief it will be to you through all the years to come. No remedy, no way to cure the damage once it 's done." …show more content…
"All this... he would extend to you if you would end your anger"(9.362-363) showing once again that if Achilles would just lose his anger, he is vowed to receive the gifts and be honored like a god. Odysseus also added that if he hated Agamemnon as much as he stated then he should go back and fight the war out of pity for the Achaeans so they would honor him like a god. Odysseus 's words were '"Think of the glory you will gather in their eyes, now you can kill Hector-seized with murderous frenzy." ' (9.367-368). Odysseus then stated that there was "no better fighter" (9.369) than Achilles was once again trying to build Achilles up to come and fight again. Odysseus had tried making Achilles doubt himself, showing that he had let his anger get the best of him and keep from helping the Achaeans win the battle. Also, tried to persuade him by telling him if he, Achilles, came and fought the Achaeans would look up to him with glory and
What do you give a man who has everything? The Trojans were defeating the Achaeans in war. Agamemnon declares the war a failure and that they should return back to Greece in shame. Nestor suggest that Agamemnon needed to send three men back to persuade Achilles to come back to the Achaean line and fight in the war. Agamemnon agrees to send his three strongest men, Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix. Each man had their own approach of how to get Achilles to come back with them. Odyssues 's approach began by complimenting Achilles and attempting to make the great warrior open minded to the seriousness of the military situation. He then began bribing Achilles with all of the gifts Agamemnon …show more content…
Odysseus, a prideful mortal admitted to being afraid stating , "But it 's not the flowing feast that is on our minds now-no, a stark disaster […] Achilles bred by the gods, that is what we are starring in the face and we are afraid," (9.274-278). Odysseus then tried to build Achilles up as if he was the only one that could save them in the war, "All hangs in the balance now: whether we save our benched ships or they are destroyed, unless, of course, you put your fighting power in harness."(9.277-279). Odysseus was trying to make Achilles feel good about himself so he would come and save the Achaeans in the war. Odysseus explained the seriousness of the war and how bad the Achaeans were losing. In Book Nine he told Achilles about how Hector prayed for the daylight to break at once and threatened to cut off the high horns of the sterns and gut the ships with fire. Odysseus then told Achilles how he believed that the gods are going to be in favor of Hector and carry out his wishes, causing the fate of Achaeans to die. Odysseus then brings in a major quality of them all, grief. He believed if Achilles did not fight in the war he would regret it and grieve over it forever, "Fail us now? What a grief it will be to you through all the years to come. No remedy, no way to cure the damage once it 's done." …show more content…
"All this... he would extend to you if you would end your anger"(9.362-363) showing once again that if Achilles would just lose his anger, he is vowed to receive the gifts and be honored like a god. Odysseus also added that if he hated Agamemnon as much as he stated then he should go back and fight the war out of pity for the Achaeans so they would honor him like a god. Odysseus 's words were '"Think of the glory you will gather in their eyes, now you can kill Hector-seized with murderous frenzy." ' (9.367-368). Odysseus then stated that there was "no better fighter" (9.369) than Achilles was once again trying to build Achilles up to come and fight again. Odysseus had tried making Achilles doubt himself, showing that he had let his anger get the best of him and keep from helping the Achaeans win the battle. Also, tried to persuade him by telling him if he, Achilles, came and fought the Achaeans would look up to him with glory and