Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle on the Ad Navseam Podcast as they dive into Book 9 of Homer’s Iliad. Discover why the Trojan Horse isn’t in the poem, the real meaning of Achilles’ rage, and why the “Bible of the Greeks” is essential reading for understanding the ancient world and the Latin language.
Introduction: The Book That Built a Civilization
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 3 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe continue their exploration of the bedrock of Western literature: Homer’s Iliad.
If you think you know the story of Troy—the wooden horse, the arrow in the heel, the fall of the city—you might be surprised. Today’s episode peels back the layers of pop culture to reveal the raw, brutal, and deeply human poem that actually exists.
Dr. Noe kicks things off with a quote from scholar Anthony Long that frames the stakes perfectly:
“Throughout classical antiquity, well into the Roman Empire, Homer held a position in Mediterranean culture that can only be compared with the position the Bible would later occupy.”
For the Greeks and Romans, Homer wasn’t just a story; he was the encyclopedia, the theology textbook, and the moral compass. To understand the ancient world—and the Roman authors like Virgil who emulated him—you must understand Homer.
What’s Missing from the Iliad?
One of the first shocks for new readers is realizing what isn’t in the Iliad.
- The Trojan Horse: It’s nowhere to be found.
- The Death of Achilles: That famous arrow to the heel? Absent. Achilles is very much alive when the poem ends.
- The Fall of Troy: The poem ends while the city still stands.
As Dr. Winkle points out, if you buy a children’s book on the Iliad, it inevitably features the Trojan Horse on the cover, yet the most famous symbol of the war is missing from the text. For the full story of the horse and the city’s destruction, you have to wait for the Roman poet Virgil and Book 2 of the Aeneid.
The Iliad isn’t a chronicle of the whole war; it is a laser-focused examination of a few weeks of rage, honor, and mortality.
Homer’s Artistry: The Epic Simile
Before diving into the plot, the hosts discuss one of Homer’s most distinct artistic tools: the Epic Simile. These are extended comparisons that transport the reader from the blood-soaked battlefield to the world of nature or domestic life.
In Book 9, as the Greeks lie awake terrified by their losses, Homer describes their anxiety:
“As when two winds upturned the fishy deep… the black waves rise at once and fling the seaweed to the shore. Thus were the Achaeans troubled in their hearts.”
Dr. Noe notes the beauty of the phrase “the fishy deep” (from the William Cullen Bryant translation), which captures the alien, terrifying power of the sea—a fitting metaphor for an army on the brink of destruction.
The Embassy to Achilles (Book 9)
The core of this episode focuses on Book 9, one of the three critical “hinge points” of the epic (along with Books 1 and 22).
The Situation:
Achilles is sulking in his tent. Without their “star quarterback,” the Greeks are losing badly. Agamemnon, the “Lord of Men” who sparked the feud by stealing Achilles’ war prize, is desperate. He realizes he can’t win without Achilles, so he devises a plan to buy him back.
The Envoys:
Agamemnon sends a “dream team” of ambassadors to persuade Achilles:
- Odysseus: The wily orator and trickster.
- Phoenix: Achilles’ childhood tutor and father figure.
- Ajax: The brawny, shield-wielding warrior.
The Hospitality (Xenia):
When the envoys arrive, they find Achilles relaxing with his friend Patroclus. Despite the bad blood with Agamemnon, Achilles greets them with supreme hospitality (Xenia).
- The Glamping Trip: Achilles isn’t sleeping in the dirt. He has “easy chairs with purple coverlets”.
- The Menu: He serves a “chine of mutton,” a “fat chine of goat,” and “savory pork chine.” As the hosts joke, he breaks out the BBQ and the strong wine for his guests.
This scene reminds us that these heroes operate under a code of conduct that transcends the immediate conflict. As Dr. Noe notes, “You dance with the gods that brung you,” and Xenia is a law protected by Zeus himself.
The Bribes and the Refusal
Odysseus delivers the offer. Agamemnon promises an absurd amount of wealth:
- 7 tripods and 10 bars of gold.
- 20 shining cauldrons and 12 thoroughbred horses.
- 7 skilled women from Lesbos.
- The return of Briseis (the girl he stole), with an oath that he never touched her.
- Marriage to his own daughter and seven prosperous cities.
It is a king’s ransom. But Odysseus shrewdly leaves out Agamemnon’s final instruction: “Tell him to accept all these things and then submit to me”.
Achilles’ Choice
Achilles rejects it all. Why? Because Agamemnon thinks honor (Time) is just about “stuff”—piles of gold and tripods. But Achilles realizes that life is the ultimate price.
He reveals the prophecy given by his mother, Thetis:
- Stay and fight: Short life, but eternal glory (Kleos).
- Go home: Long, peaceful life, but his name will be forgotten.
For a moment, Achilles claims he chooses life. He threatens to sail home. But as Dr. Winkle points out, Achilles is likely lying to himself. He knows he is destined for the short, glorious path. His rejection of the bribes is a rejection of Agamemnon’s authority and a declaration that his life is worth more than material goods.
The “Scottie Pippen” Moment
Is Achilles being selfish? The hosts compare him to Scottie Pippen sitting out the final seconds of a playoff game because the play wasn’t designed for him. It seems petty to modern eyes, but in the context of the heroic code, Achilles cannot accept disrespect. He is the best, and he refuses to be treated as a subordinate.
The Doloneia (Book 10): A Dark Turn
The episode concludes with a look at Book 10, known as the Doloneia. This book stands out as a strange, almost “non-Homeric” interlude.
Odysseus and Diomedes go on a night raid. They capture a Trojan spy named Dolon, interrogate him, and then brutally kill him. They then sneak into the Trojan camp and slaughter men while they sleep.
Dr. Winkle argues this behavior is “out of character” for heroes who usually value open combat and the “Geneva Convention” of heroic duels. Killing sleeping men offers no glory because the victims don’t know who killed them. It is a grim, bloody chapter that foreshadows the darker turns the war will take.
Conclusion: Just Eat It
As the episode wraps up, the hosts look ahead to the climax of the poem: the death of Hector and the tragic meeting between Priam and Achilles in Book 24.
But first, a “Gustatory Parting Shot.” In honor of the heavy feasting in Achilles’ tent, Dr. Winkle leaves us with the wisdom of “Michael Jackson, by way of Weird Al”: “Just Eat It.”
Whether you are feasting on “chines of goat” or just grabbing a sandwich, remember that the Classics offer a feast for the mind that never runs dry.
Resources Mentioned:
- Ad Navseam Podcast: Subscribe for more “delectable discussions” of the ancient world.
- Hackett Publishing: For excellent translations of the classics.
- LatinPerDiem.com: If you want to learn the languages of Achilles and Aeneas yourself.
Valete!
