The summary provides a high-level overview of Books IX-XIV of The Iliad in 3 sentences: In Book IX, an embassy is sent to Achilles to convince him to rejoin the fight, but he refuses unless the Greeks are threatened. In Book X, Diomedes and Odysseus spy on the Trojans and kill their leader Rhesus. Book XI describes fighting where Agamemnon, Diomedes, and Odysseus are wounded while Achilles remains absent.

1. Book IX
Agamemnon calls a
meeting, and suggest it is
time to go home.
Nestor convinces
Agamemnon to appease
Achilles, and Agamemnon
agrees to offer an
impressive list of gifts,
including the untouched
Briseis.

2. Odysseus, Phoinix, and Ajax go as an
embassy to Achilles

3. Each man gives a powerful speech, to which
Achilles gives powerful responses of his own

5. Achilles rejects the offers of Agamemnon—for
what good are gifts if they can be taken away?
Achilles does agree to stay, but he will fight only
when the fires of the Trojans threaten his ships

6. The embassy returns and reports;
Diomedes convinces the Greeks to fight on

7. Book X
Unable to sleep, Agamemnon and Menelaus
decide to call the leaders together.
They decide to send a spy to the Trojan camps.
Diomedes volunteers, and chooses Odysseus to
go with him.

8. Meanwhile, Hector offers a reward to
anyone will spy for the Trojans.
A man named
Dolon
volunteers. He
is captured by
Diomedes and
Odysseus.

10. Before Diomedes lops off his head, Dolon reveals the
presence of fresh troops from Thrace

12. Diomedes chops the Thracians and their leader
Rhesus into pieces, while Odysseus steals their horses

14. Book XI
Zeus sends
Eris to rouse
the Greeks.

15. Greek leaders wounded
Agamemnon has an aristeia, but is wounded.
Diomedes is wounded in the foot.
Odysseus is wounded in the ribs.
Paris wounds Machaon, physician to the Greeks.

17. Achilles sees Nestor bringing back
wounded Machaon, and sends Patroclos
to find out what has happened

18. Nestor talks about his
past glories, then
urges Patroclus to get
Achilles to fight, or to
put on Achilles’ armor
and lead the
Myrmidons.

19. Goblet and tripod

21. Book XII
The Trojans forsake their chariots in order to
avoid the ditch and begin attacking the wall.
Zeus’ son Sarpedon leads Trojans against one set
of gates, which Ajax defends.
Meanwhile, Hector bashes through another set
of gates with a huge boulder.

23. Ajax defends Greek ships

25. Book XIII
Poseidon sneaks
around and
helps the
Greeks, inspiring
Ajax and others
to fight fiercely.

26. Poseidon does damage, but not openly, as he is
afraid of his brother Zeus

27. Hector, aware that Zeus is no longer in control of
events, pulls back the Trojans

28. Book XIV
Nestor meets with the wounded leaders, and
once again Agamemnon suggest they get in their
ships and head home.
They refuse to leave, and Diomedes convinces
them that, even wounded, they should all fight.
Poseidon continues to support the Greeks.

29. Hera seduces Zeus
Hera arms herself for
the battle of love, with
help from Aphrodite.
She negotiates with
Morpheus to make
sure Zeus sleeps
soundly after sex.

30. Sleep and his half-brother Death

31. Hera turns Zeus on

32. Zeus tells Hera she excites him more than all the
other women he’s enjoyed

34. While Zeus sleeps, Poseidon openly helps
the Greeks