3 Thetis Pleads for Her Son

CHAPTER 3 Thetis Pleads for Her Son Meanwhile, Odysseus arrived at the island where Chryses lived. Odysseus and his men unloaded the Achaeans' sacrifice for Apollo. The lovely daughter of Chryses stepped off the ship. The old priest was overjoyed to hold his daughter in his arms again. As Odysseus and his men prepared their sacrifice, the priest stretched out his arms and raised them to heaven. "Hear me now, Apollo! End your battle with the Achaeans!" Then everyone on the island enjoyed a feast. The men poured drops of wine on the

ground to honor the gods. They sang songs praising the gods. Apollo heard the prayers and saw the Achaeans' gifts to him. He was pleased. He ended his storm of arrows over the Achaean camps. The next morning Odysseus and his men set sail back to King Agamemnon's ships. They left at dawn while the sky was still rosy pink. Apollo provided a strong wind to make their journey easier.

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Despite the passing of days, Achilles was still filled with rage. He stayed in his camp with his ship anchored near the shore. He could stand on the deck of his ship to see Agamemnon's ships. But Achilles did not talk to the other generals or his old friends. Only his friend Patroclus stayed by his side. Meanwhile, when Thetis arrived at Mount Olympus, she found Zeus sitting by himself. She knelt before him and placed her hand on his knee. "Lord Zeus, please hear my son's prayer," she said. "Agamemnon has disgraced Achilles." Thetis told Zeus the story of Achilles and Agamemnon. She pointed out that the king was not treating his subjects fairly. "Zeus, I know that you would always be fair to your subjects," she said. "What would you like from me?" Zeus asked. He spoke gently. He had always liked the noble sea goddess Thetis.

"We ask that you help the Trojans fight against the Achaeans," she said, "until Agamemnon respects my son and gives him the honor he deserves." Zeus was not pleased with this request. He stood up from his chair and raised his voice in anger. "This is not a simple request! You know this will cause trouble among the gods." "I only ask for my son," Thetis said calmly. "This will drive me into a war with my wife, Hera. She favors the Achaean army and will be very angry if I help the Trojans. She hates the Trojans since Paris chose Aphrodite in that silly contest," he thundered. Zeus sat back down in his chair. "You saved me once, so I owe you this favor," he said. "I give you my promise. I will help Achilles by favoring the Trojans in battle. But leave me now." Thetis returned to the sea, and Zeus

returned to the great hall of the gods. The gods rose when Zeus arrived, then returned to their seats. Only Hera suspected that something was wrong. She knew Zeus was forming a plan. She sat on the throne beside him. "What are you up to?" she asked. Zeus did not reply. Hera's anger was growing. "I know that Thetis came to see you. I assume she asked for a favor for her son. I know that he is angry with his king." Zeus still refused to speak to or look at his wife. Hera spoke in a harsh whisper. Her voice was almost a hiss. "If you plan to punish the Achaeans to help Achilles, I will make disaster happen. Athena and I will never let the Trojans win. You will only cause more pain and suffering among the mortals if you side with the Trojans. You have my word!" Zeus ignored his wife's comments. He had already made his decision. He had honored