Book 2 Summary

Zeus lays awake planning how best to bring honor to Achilles, and decides to send a dream to Agamemnon, tricking him into believing the Greeks will be victorious over the Trojans in the next battle. This makes Agamemnon eager to attack the Trojan forces, but first he wants to test the loyalty of his men. After telling his Greek leaders what he was really told in the dream, he gathers his men and tells them the opposite. He suggests they all return to their homelands and give up, since Zeus is never going to help them win against the Trojans. Ironically, he is right about that, but he doesn't know it, he only wants to see who will stay and fight.

The soldiers, however, are perfectly content to go home. Swept up in eagerness to be home after nine years fighting a war...