Mindful of Minerva's injunctions, Achilles allows her to depart, but registers a solemn oath that, even were the Greeks to perish, he will lend them no aid.

Then, strolling down to the shore, he summons his mother from the watery deep, and implores her to use her influence to avenge his wrongs.

Knowing his life will prove short though glorious, Thetis promises to visit Jupiter on Olympus in his behalf.

There she wins from the Father of the Gods a promise that the Greeks will suffer defeat as long as her son does not fight in their ranks,--a promise confirmed by his divine nod.

This, however, arouses the wrath and jealousy of Juno, whom Jupiter is compelled to chide so severely that peace and harmony are restored in Olympus only when Vulcan, acting as cup-bearer, rouses the inextinguishable laughter of the gods by his awkward limp.
_Book II._ That night, while all are sleeping, Zeus sends a deceptive dream to Agamemnon to suggest the moment has come to attack Troy.