Epic Summer: The Iliad, post 6

Can we talk about the Cretins? People from Crete are called Cretins (maybe Crete-ans? I dunno, I'm listening to it) but it usually makes me wonder...why did "Cretin" become a euphemism for uncivilized dolt?  Maybe it has nothing to do with Crete.  I should look into that.  Later, maybe.

End of Book 11: They finally get around to talking to Patroclus and asking him to persuade Achilles to help.  Patroclus is all "but I can only do what Achilles tells me" and they're all like "EVERYONE IS HURT AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIIEEEE!"  And so Patroclus goes off to do whatever he's going to do. (It's unclear in the book at this point, but I KNOW ALREADY, BOOYA!)

Book 12:  Apparently the Greeks built a moat and a wall to protect their ships, but they didn't sacrifice to the gods when they did it, so Zeus and Poseidon decide to knock them down.  Poseidon reroutes some rivers to wash it out, and Zeus does some stuff too.  I forget. 

But all that happens later (foreshadowing!) 

For now the Trojans are right at the door of the Greeks, banging on the wall, and Zeus is showing mega-favoritism to the Trojans which pisses off Poseidon, who decides to rally the Greeks.  But only in secret, because Zeus is a big bully.

Sidenote: I did not realize that "bite the dust" was a Roman phrase. In this book people are "biting the dust" left and right.  It's kind of distracting, because "Another one bites the dust" starts in my head every time I hear the phrase.

Also, I took the time to record the actual phrase used when someone dies (when it's not "bite the dust" or "a fog comes over his eyes"): "His armor rang rattling 'round him as he fell heavily to the ground."

I used my phone's speech-to-text feature to record myself saying that as I walked, and it was transcribed as: "His armor ring rattling around him as fell happily to the ground."  Gives it a very "Love not war" vibe.

According to Sparknotes, someone got showered with blood by Zeus during this book.  I...must have missed that.

Beginning of Book 13: Now there's more fighting and dying and regrouping and discussing of what happens next.  Poseidon's helping out the Greeks (Achaeans) while Zeus takes a little break.