Today the best speech belongs to a king from far away: Sarpedon, son of Zeus.
The Iliad · C1+
Book Twelve: The Battle at the Wall
Fronting for emphasis (Birds I care nothing for; Down fell the snake; Such was the balance that…), steer clear of, bode ill, it is not for nothing that, lead from the front, tooth and nail, evenly matched and against all odds: C1+ grammar for the day the wall fell.
🏰 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are Sarpedon, king of Lycia.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
PHILO
A son of Zeus? Then nothing can happen to him.
The story
After Homer’s Iliad, Book Twelve
At the Greek ditch, Polydamas advised the Trojans to steer clear of it in their chariots and go on foot. Then an eagle appeared with a snake in its claws; the snake bit it, and down fell the snake among the Trojans. The omen boded ill, but Hector refused to listen: “Birds I care nothing for. One omen is best: to fight for your country.”
Sarpedon told Glaucus that it was not for nothing that the Lycians honoured their kings: kings must lead from the front. Since ten thousand deaths stood round them, they should win glory or give it.
Ajax and Teucer defended the wall, and the two sides fought tooth and nail for every battlement. They were so evenly matched that neither could push the other back; such was the balance that Homer compares it to an honest woman weighing wool.
Then Hector lifted a boulder that two men could hardly move, smashed the gate, and leapt in with a face like the night. Against all odds, the Trojans were inside the Greek wall.
Ten thousand deaths stand round us. Let us go, and win glory, or give it to another.
Fronting for emphasis
MARCOS
“Birds I care nothing for!” And down fell the snake! Such was the balance that nobody moved.
SOPHIA
Front an object for contrast, with normal word order: Birds I care nothing for. Front a place or direction with inversion of a noun subject: Down fell the snake (but Down it fell). Such + be + noun + that: formal emphasis.
Steer clear; bode ill; not for nothing; lead from the front
PHILO
Steer clear of that ditch! The omen boded ill. It is not for nothing that we are honoured. Kings must lead from the front.
SOPHIA
steer clear of = avoid. bode well / ill = be a good / bad sign. It is not for nothing that… = there is a good reason. lead from the front.
Tooth and nail; evenly matched; against all odds
DEMETRIA
They fought tooth and nail. They were evenly matched. And against all odds, the Trojans got in.
SOPHIA
fight tooth and nail. evenly matched = equally strong. against all (the) odds = though it seemed impossible.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| Object + subject + verb (fronted) | emphasis and contrast | Birds I care nothing for. |
| Place / direction + verb + noun subject | vivid narrative | Down fell the snake. |
| Such was + noun + that… | formal emphasis | Such was the balance that… |
| steer clear of; bode ill; lead from the front | advice; signs; leadership | The omen boded ill. |
| not for nothing; tooth and nail; evenly matched; against all odds | C1+ phrases | Against all odds, they broke through. |
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. The snake bit the eagle, and down ___ among the Trojans.
2. Hector: “___ I care nothing for!”
3. ___ the balance that neither side moved.
4. Let’s steer ___ of that ditch.
5. The omen boded ___ for the Trojans.
6. It is not for nothing ___ kings are honoured.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. Kings must lead from the .
8. They fought tooth and for every stone.
9. The two sides were evenly .
10. Against all , the Trojans broke through.
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Down it fell among the Trojans.”
12. “Birds do I care nothing for.”
13. “The omen boded well for the Greeks.”
Now play Book Twelve yourself!Play the gamebook →