The oldest scroll in the Library. Its first word is wrath.
The Iliad · B2+
Book One: The Wrath of Achilles
Mixed conditionals, wish + would, it’s time, had better, object to, demand that, regret, on the point of and unless: B2+ grammar for a plague, a quarrel and the anger of the greatest of the Greeks.
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SOPHIA
MARCOS
Achilles! Finally, someone who can actually fight!
The story
After Homer’s Iliad, Book One
In the tenth year of the war at Troy, Chryses, a priest of Apollo, came to the Greek camp to buy back his daughter, whom King Agamemnon had taken as a prize. The whole army wanted the ransom accepted, but Agamemnon sent the old man away with insults. Had he accepted it, nine days of plague might have been avoided: Apollo answered his priest’s prayer and shot his arrows into the camp, and the pyres of the dead burned day and night.
Achilles called an assembly. The prophet Calchas, who wished Agamemnon would stop glaring at him, asked for protection and then revealed the truth: the plague would not end unless the girl was returned. Agamemnon agreed, furious, but demanded another prize. When Achilles objected to paying for the king’s mistake, the king announced that he would take Achilles’ own prize, Briseis.
Achilles was on the point of drawing his sword when Athena, invisible to everyone else, caught him by the hair and told him to fight with words instead. He swore that a day would come when the Greeks would long for him, and Agamemnon would regret dishonouring him. Then he gave Briseis up to the heralds and sat by the sea, weeping, until his mother, the goddess Thetis, rose from the waves.
At his request, Thetis went to Olympus and begged Zeus to let the Trojans win until the Greeks honoured her son. Zeus nodded, and Olympus shook. Hera was furious, and it was high time somebody calmed things down: her son Hephaestus warned her she had better not anger Zeus, and made the gods laugh. If Achilles weren’t so proud, he would never have asked for this. But he is, and he did.
Wrath, sing, goddess, of Achilles son of Peleus…
Mixed conditionals
DEMETRIA
If Agamemnon had accepted the ransom, the men wouldn’t be dying now. If Achilles weren’t so proud, he wouldn’t have asked Zeus for this.
SOPHIA
if + had + pp, would + verb: a past cause, a present result. if + past simple, would have + pp: a present fact, a past result. Mix the times to match the meaning.
Wish + would; it’s time; had better
PHILO
“I wish Agamemnon would stop glaring at me.” “It’s high time the gods stopped quarrelling.” “You’d better not anger Zeus.”
SOPHIA
wish + would: complaining about someone else’s behaviour. it’s time + subject + past simple: the past form shows something overdue, not past time. had better (not) + base form, never had better to.
Object to; demand that; regret
MARCOS
Achilles objected to giving up his prize! Agamemnon demanded that he hand her over. He’ll regret taking her.
SOPHIA
object to + -ing: to is a preposition here. demand that + subject + base form, never demand someone to. regret + -ing for something you did.
On the point of; unless
DEMETRIA
He was on the point of drawing his sword. Apollo won’t stop unless the girl is returned.
SOPHIA
be on the point of + -ing = just about to do it. unless + present for the future, and unless already means if not, so don’t add another not.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| if + had + pp, would + verb | past cause, present result | If he had accepted the ransom, they wouldn’t be dying now. |
| if + past simple, would have + pp | present fact, past result | If he weren’t so proud, he wouldn’t have asked. |
| wish + would; it’s time + past | complaints; things that are overdue | It’s high time the gods stopped quarrelling. |
| had better (not) + verb | strong advice, a warning | You’d better not anger Zeus. |
| object to + -ing; demand that + base form | reporting with the right pattern | He demanded that Achilles hand her over. |
| regret + -ing; on the point of + -ing; unless + present | past regret; the next moment; “if not” | He was on the point of drawing his sword. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. If Agamemnon had accepted the ransom, the army ___ burning its dead now.
2. Calchas: “I wish the king ___ glaring at me.”
3. Achilles objected to ___ up his prize.
4. Agamemnon demanded that Achilles ___ Briseis.
5. The plague will continue unless the girl ___ returned.
6. If Achilles weren’t so proud, he ___ Zeus to help the Trojans.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
7. It’s high time the Greeks (go) home, said the soldiers.
8. Agamemnon will regret (take) Briseis.
9. Achilles was on the point of (draw) his sword.
10. Hephaestus: “You’d better (not / anger) Zeus, Mother.”
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Agamemnon demanded Achilles to give him Briseis.”
12. “You had better to return the girl.”
13. “If he had listened to Nestor, he wouldn’t be alone by his ships now.”
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