Jupiter, in pursuance of the request of Thetis, sends a deceitful vision to Agamemnon, persuading him to lead the army to battle in order to make the Greeks sensible of their want of Achilles. The general, who is deluded with the hopes of taking Troy without his assistance, but fears the army was discouraged by his absence and the late plague, as well as by length of time, contrives to make trial of their disposition by a stratagem. He first communicates his design to the princes in council that he would propose a return to the soldiers, and that they should put a stop to them if the proposal was embraced. Then he assembles the whole host, and upon moving for a return to Greece, they unanimously agree to it, and run to prepare the ships. They are detained by the management of Ulysses, who chastises the insolence of Thersites. The assembly is recalled, several speeches made on the occasion, and at length the advice of Nestor followed, which was to make a general muster of the troops, and to divide them into their several nations, before they proceeded to battle. This gives occasion to the poet to enumerate all the forces of the Greeks and Trojans, in a large catalogue. The time employed in this book consists not entirely of one day. The scene lies in the Grecian camp and upon the sea-shore; toward the end it removes to Troy. BOOK II. All night in sleep repos’d the other Gods, And helmed warriors; but the eyes of Jove Sweet slumber held not, pondering in his mind How to avenge Achilles’ cause, and pour Destructive slaughter on the Grecian host. Thus as he mus’d, the wisest course appear’d By a deluding vision to mislead The son of Atreus; and with winged words Thus to a phantom form he gave command: “Hie thee, deluding Vision, to the camp And ships of Greece, to Agamemnon’s tent; There, changing nought, as I command thee, speak. Bid that he arm in haste the long-hair’d Greeks To combat; for the wide-built streets of Troy He now may capture; since th’ immortal Gods Watch over her no longer; all are gain’d By Juno’s pray’rs; and woes impend o’er Troy.”