The paper
examines Achilles as he appears in Book IX of Homer's "Iliad", after a long but visible absence from the action
of the poem and gauges the intensity of his rage. It also
examines the overtures of Agamemnon and how little he understands the situation, while those heroes which carry the message are also analysed. Their different styles of address are compared and the parable of Meleager is considered, especially as to its place in the oral poetic tradition.