HOMER PREPARES
THE BATTLE FOR THE SHIPS
The BATTLE FOR THE SHIPS comprises four interlinked performances covering Iliad Books 13-16: The drawn out and multi-faceted battle fought around the Greek ships.
Book 13 starts as Hector bursts through the wall protecting the ships. A day of close-in fighting, a long drawn out and locked encounter, follows. In Book 14, Hera, desperate to save the Greek expedition, seduces Zeus to distract him and engineer a Greek revival. This leads to the final pitched battle of the Iliad which takes up all of Book 15. The Trojans press towards the ships and start burning them. In Book 16 Achilles’ closest friend, Patroclos, persuades Achilles to lend him his armour. Patroclos can enter battle dressed as Achilles, panic the Trojans and save the Greeks. This venture ends in Patroclos’ death.
The Battle For The Ships: Excerpt
