Source-groundedThe Iliad
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Book 12

Chapter 12

21 passages44 observations · 2 observed placesSHA 88d5e9cb4b28…

Passage 1

Lines 4–5

Canonical text · read-only

Source text

SO THE son of Menoetius was attending to the hurt of Eurypylus within the tent, but the Argives and Trojans still fought desperately, nor were the trench and the high wall above it, to keep the Trojans in check longer. They had built it to protect their ships, and had dug the trench all round it that it might safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had taken, but they had not offered hecatombs to the gods. It had been built without the consent of the immortals, and therefore it did not last. So long as Hector lived and Achilles nursed his anger, and so long as the city of Priam remained untaken, the great wall of the Achaeans stood firm; but when the bravest of the Trojans were no more, and many also of the Argives, though some were yet left alive—when, moreover, the city was sacked in the tenth year, and the Argives had gone back with their ships to their own country—then Neptune and Apollo took counsel to destroy the wall, and they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander, with Simois, where many a shield and helm had fallen, and many a hero of the race of demigods had bitten the dust. Phoebus Apollo turned the mouths of all these rivers together and made them flow for nine days against the wall, while Jove rained the whole time that he might wash it sooner into the sea. Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place where it had been. This done he turned the rivers back into their old courses.

Location presence

1

Neptunegreat wall of the Achaeans

·Direct

In the narrated future destruction, Neptune is physically present at the Achaean wall, surveying it and throwing its foundations into the sea.

See evidence text
“Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil”

Claims for this passage

16
Achaeans’ trench·Location·Direct

The Achaean trench runs around the wall to safeguard the ships and captured spoils.

See evidence text
“had dug the trench all round it that it might safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had taken”
Aesepus·Location·Direct

Aesopus is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus”
Apollo·Deity·Direct

Apollo is foretold to gather the river mouths and make them flow against the wall for nine days.

See evidence text
“Phoebus Apollo turned the mouths of all these rivers together and made them flow for nine days against the wall”
Caresus·Location·Direct

Caresus is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus”
Eurypylus — son of Euaemon·Character·Direct

Eurypylus is hurt and receives Patroclus’s attention inside the tent.

See evidence text
“the hurt of Eurypylus within the tent”
great wall of the Achaeans·Location·Direct

The Achaean wall was built to protect the ships without divine consent and therefore did not endure.

See evidence text
“They had built it to protect their ships, and had dug the trench all round it that it might safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had taken, but they had not offered hecatombs to the gods. It had been built without the consent of the immortals, and therefore it did not last”
Grenicus·Location·Direct

Grenicus is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus”
Hellespont·Location·Direct

Neptune uses the Hellespont’s mighty stream to level the swept-away wall site before spreading a great beach of sand over it.

See evidence text
“Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place where it had been”
Heptaporus·Location·Direct

Heptaporus is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus”
Jove·Deity·Direct

Jove is foretold to rain continuously so the wall washes into the sea sooner.

See evidence text
“while Jove rained the whole time that he might wash it sooner into the sea”
Neptune·Deity·Direct

Neptune, trident in hand, is foretold to cast the wall’s foundations into the sea, level its site, cover it with sand, and restore the rivers.

See evidence text
“Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place where it had been. This done he turned the rivers back into their old courses”
Patroclus·Character·Direct

Patroclus attends the wounded Eurypylus inside the tent.

See evidence text
“SO THE son of Menoetius was attending to the hurt of Eurypylus within the tent”
Rhesus — river from Mount Ida·Location·Direct

Rhesus is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus”
Rhodius·Location·Direct

Rhodius is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius”
Scamander·Location·Direct

Scamander is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall.

See evidence text
“they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander”
Simois·Location·Direct

Simois is among the streams from Mount Ida foretold to be turned against the Achaean wall; many shields, helmets, and heroes of the race of demigods had fallen there.

See evidence text
“then Neptune and Apollo took counsel to destroy the wall, and they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander, with Simois, where many a shield and helm had fallen, and many a hero of the race of demigods had bitten the dust”

Published summary

While the son of Menoetius tends wounded Eurypylus and the armies fight around the Achaeans’ unsanctioned wall, the narrator foretells that after Troy falls Neptune, Apollo, and Jove will use rivers and rain to sweep the wall away and restore the river courses.

Passage preview

Book 12 · Passage 1

SO THE son of Menoetius was attending to the hurt of Eurypylus within the tent, but the Argives and Trojans still fought desperately, nor were the trench and the high wall above it, to keep the Trojans in check longer. They had built it to protect their ships, and had dug the trench all round it that it might safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had taken, but they had not offered hecatombs to the gods. It had been built without the consent of the immortals, and therefore it did not last. So long as Hector lived and Achilles nursed his anger, and so long as the city of Priam remained untaken, the great wall of the Achaeans stood firm; but when the bravest of the Trojans were no more, and many also of the Argives, though some were yet left alive—when, moreover, the city was sacked in the tenth year, and the Argives had gone back with their ships to their own country—then Neptune and Apollo took counsel to destroy the wall, and they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander, with Simois, where many a shield and helm had fallen, and many a hero of the race of demigods had bitten the dust. Phoebus Apollo turned the mouths of all these rivers together and made them flow for nine days against the wall, while Jove rained the whole time that he might wash it sooner into the sea. Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place where it had been. This done he turned the rivers back into their old courses.