For now if Zeus who thunders on high in evil intentiontoward these is destroying them utterly, sending aid to the Trojans,this is the way I would wish it, may it happen immediatelythat the Achaians be destroyed here forgotten and far fromArgos; but if they turn again and a backrush comes on usout of the ships, and we are driven against the deep ditch,then I think no longer could one man to carry a messageget clear to the city, once the Achaians have turned back upon us.Come then, do as I say, let us all be persuaded; let ustell our henchmen to check our horses here by the ditch, thenlet ourselves, all of us dismounted and armed in our war gear,follow Hektor in mass formation. As for the Achaians,they will not hold, if the bonds of death are fastened upon them.
In this passage, Poulydamas is trying to convince Hector during a Trojan advance on Achaian positions that it is necessary for the horses to be left behind due to the presence of a large ditch with sharp stakes in front of the Achaian fortifications. Attacking well defended fortifications on foot is more dangerous than on a chariot due to a loss in mobility, therefore Poulydamas has to inspire confidence in Hector to act on his plan. A method that he uses to convince Hector in the passage is by claiming that the odds are in their favour. He mentions that Zeus is “sending aid to the Trojans”. Zeus is the most powerful God and therefore his support in a bloody conflict is a strong sign of success in war. In fact, throughout the entire poem, the support of the Gods always played an instrumental role in whichever side succeeds in battle. Therefore, Zeus’s support is a compelling reason to take such a military risk. Additionally, he tries to bolster Hector’s confidence by claiming that “the bonds of death are fastened upon them”. In this case, the bonds of death are fastened upon the Achaians by Zeus, and indirectly, by Achilles, who is the reason Zeus supports the Trojans. Finally, Poulydamous proposes to Hector that all of his men “follow Hector in mass formation”. This proposal reveals that Poulydamous has a lot of trust in his commander, enough to follow him into the heat of a battle, and contributes to Homer’s image in the poem as a brave, heroic warrior.