The Iliad Iris Quotes

But ceaseless war's upon us - quote with picture of Hector

But ceaseless war’s upon us!
Time and again I’ve gone to battle, fought with men
but I’ve never seen an army great as this. Too much –
like piling leaves or sand, and on and on they come,
advancing across the plain to fight before our gates.

– Homer

The Iliad, Book 2, lines 906-910. Zeus sends messenger goddess Iris to Troy, alerting them to assemble their armies to meet the Achaeans advancing towards the city. She warns Trojan King Priam and his son Hector that she has never seen an army as great as this. She likens them in a simile to piling leaves or sand.

Down she plunged to the bottom fast as a lead weight
sheathed in a glinting lure of wild hull’s horn,
bearing hooked death to the ravenous fish.

– Homer

The Iliad, Book 24, lines 99-101. Iris the messenger goddess plunges into the sea to find Thetis, queen of the sea nymphs and mother of Achilles. Iris has a message from Zeus for Thetis to instruct her son Achilles to return Hector’s body for a ransom. An epic simile tells how Iris plunges to the bottom as fast as a lead weight fastened to a lure to hook hungry fish.
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