Zeus can’t sleep. He has promised Thetis something, and he needs a plan.
The Iliad · B2+
Book Two: The Dream and the Ships
Urge, warn against, blame for, threaten, deny, be made to, need + -ing, as well as, provided and despite: B2+ grammar for a lying dream, a test that goes wrong, and the loudest man in the army.
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SOPHIA
MARCOS
Odysseus again! Before he got lost at sea!
The story
After Homer’s Iliad, Book Two
Zeus sent a lying Dream to Agamemnon in the shape of Nestor: arm the Greeks, it said, and today you will take Troy. Agamemnon believed it. But first he decided to test the army. In the assembly, he urged the men to sail home: nine years had passed, he said, and the ships needed repairing. To his horror, they believed him, and ran cheering for the ships.
Athena found Odysseus standing by his ship in grief and told him to stop them. He took the king’s sceptre and went through the camp, speaking gently to the leaders and warning them against panicking, while the common men were made to go back to the assembly.
Only Thersites went on shouting. He blamed Agamemnon for everything, until Odysseus threatened to send him naked out of the assembly and struck him with the sceptre. As well as silencing him, Odysseus made the whole army laugh.
Then he reminded them of the omen at Aulis: Calchas had said that Troy would fall in the tenth year, provided they were patient. Agamemnon could hardly deny wanting to fight now. Despite having fought for nine years, the Greeks marched out again, as many as the leaves in spring, and the Trojans came out to meet them.
Sing to me now, Muses, who live on Olympus, who were the leaders of the Greeks…
Urge; warn against; blame for; threaten; deny
MARCOS
He urged them to sail home! Thersites blamed him for everything. Agamemnon denied wanting them to leave.
SOPHIA
urge someone to + verb. warn someone against + -ing. blame someone for (not of). threaten to + verb. deny + -ing, never deny to.
Be made to; need + -ing
PHILO
The men were made to go back. The ships needed repairing.
SOPHIA
make someone do, but in the passive be made to do. need + -ing has a passive meaning: needed repairing = needed to be repaired.
As well as; provided; despite
DEMETRIA
As well as silencing him, he made them laugh. Troy would fall, provided they were patient. Despite having fought for nine years…
SOPHIA
as well as + -ing at the start of a sentence. provided (that) works like if: no will after it. despite + -ing, with no of.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| urge / warn / threaten | reporting what people said | He urged them to sail home. |
| blame for; deny + -ing | reporting accusations and denials | Thersites blamed the king for everything. |
| be made to; need + -ing | passive patterns | The ships needed repairing. |
| as well as + -ing; despite + -ing | adding; contrast | Despite having fought for nine years… |
| provided (that) + present / past | condition | …provided they were patient. |
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. Agamemnon urged the men ___ home.
2. Odysseus warned the kings ___ letting the men go.
3. Thersites blamed the king ___ the war.
4. The men were made ___ back to the assembly.
5. Agamemnon denied ___ the men to leave.
6. Troy would fall, provided they ___ patient.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. After nine years, the ships needed (repair).
8. Odysseus threatened (send) Thersites out of the assembly.
9. As well as (silence) Thersites, he made the army laugh.
10. Despite (fight) for nine years, they hadn’t taken Troy.
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Despite of the plague, the army stayed.”
12. “Odysseus made the men go back.”
13. “Thersites blamed Agamemnon of taking all the prizes.”
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