Iliad, Book 9: Embassy to Achilles

1ὣς οἱ μὲν Τρῶες φυλακὰς ἔχον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς

θεσπεσίη ἔχε φύζα φόβου κρυόεντος ἑταίρη,

πένθεϊ δʼ ἀτλήτῳ βεβολήατο πάντες ἄριστοι.

ὡς δʼ ἄνεμοι δύο πόντον ὀρίνετον ἰχθυόεντα

5Βορέης καὶ Ζέφυρος, τώ τε Θρῄκηθεν ἄητον

ἐλθόντʼ ἐξαπίνης· ἄμυδις δέ τε κῦμα κελαινὸν

κορθύεται, πολλὸν δὲ παρὲξ ἅλα φῦκος ἔχευεν·

ὣς ἐδαΐζετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

1So the Trojans kept their watches, while the Achaeans

were gripped by an uncanny panic, companion to chilling fear,

and all their best men were struck by grief unbearable.

As two winds whip the fish-filled sea to fury—

5Boreas and Zephyrus, blowing down from Thrace,

when they burst upon it suddenly—at once the dark wave

heaves high and spills a mass of seaweed along the shore—

so the Achaeans’ spirit was torn apart within their chests.

9Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἄχεϊ μεγάλῳ βεβολημένος ἦτορ

10φοίτα κηρύκεσσι λιγυφθόγγοισι κελεύων

κλήδην εἰς ἀγορὴν κικλήσκειν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον,

μὴ δὲ βοᾶν· αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ πρώτοισι πονεῖτο.

ἷζον δʼ εἰν ἀγορῇ τετιηότες· ἂν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

ἵστατο δάκρυ χέων ὥς τε κρήνη μελάνυδρος

15ἥ τε κατʼ αἰγίλιπος πέτρης δνοφερὸν χέει ὕδωρ·

ὣς ὃ βαρὺ στενάχων ἔπεʼ Ἀργείοισι μετηύδα·

9The son of Atreus, his heart struck through with heavy grief,

10went about, ordering the clear-voiced heralds

to summon each man by name to the assembly,

not to cry the call aloud; he himself labored among the foremost.

They sat in assembly, hearts distressed. Agamemnon

rose, pouring tears like a black-water spring

15that spills its dusky stream down a sheer cliff.

So, with deep groans, he addressed the Argives:

17ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

Ζεύς με μέγα Κρονίδης ἄτῃ ἐνέδησε βαρείῃ

σχέτλιος, ὃς τότε μέν μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν

20Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντʼ εὐτείχεον ἀπονέεσθαι,

νῦν δὲ κακὴν ἀπάτην βουλεύσατο, καί με κελεύει

δυσκλέα Ἄργος ἱκέσθαι, ἐπεὶ πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν.

οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι,

ὃς δὴ πολλάων πολίων κατέλυσε κάρηνα

25ἠδʼ ἔτι καὶ λύσει· τοῦ γὰρ κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες·

φεύγωμεν σὺν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι Τροίην αἱρήσομεν εὐρυάγυιαν.

17“Friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,

Zeus, son of Cronus, has bound me fast in grievous delusion—

cruel god! Once he promised me and bowed his head in assent

20that I would return after sacking well-walled Ilium,

But now he has devised a wicked deception and orders me

to reach Argos without glory, after bringing so great a host to ruin.

So this, it seems, must be dear to Zeus in his surpassing might,

who has brought down the crowns of many cities

25and will bring down still more—for his power is greatest.

Come then, let us all do as I propose:

let us flee in our ships to our dear native land,

for we shall no longer take broad-streeted Troy.”

29ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.

30δὴν δʼ ἄνεῳ ἦσαν τετιηότες υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

Ἀτρεΐδη σοὶ πρῶτα μαχήσομαι ἀφραδέοντι,

ἣ θέμις ἐστὶν ἄναξ ἀγορῇ· σὺ δὲ μή τι χολωθῇς.

ἀλκὴν μέν μοι πρῶτον ὀνείδισας ἐν Δαναοῖσι

35φὰς ἔμεν ἀπτόλεμον καὶ ἀνάλκιδα· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα

ἴσασʼ Ἀργείων ἠμὲν νέοι ἠδὲ γέροντες.

σοὶ δὲ διάνδιχα δῶκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω·

σκήπτρῳ μέν τοι δῶκε τετιμῆσθαι περὶ πάντων,

ἀλκὴν δʼ οὔ τοι δῶκεν, ὅ τε κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον.

40δαιμόνιʼ οὕτω που μάλα ἔλπεαι υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

ἀπτολέμους τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ ἀνάλκιδας ὡς ἀγορεύεις;

εἰ δέ τοι αὐτῷ θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὥς τε νέεσθαι

ἔρχεο· πάρ τοι ὁδός, νῆες δέ τοι ἄγχι θαλάσσης

ἑστᾶσʼ, αἵ τοι ἕποντο Μυκήνηθεν μάλα πολλαί.

45ἀλλʼ ἄλλοι μενέουσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

εἰς ὅ κέ περ Τροίην διαπέρσομεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

φευγόντων σὺν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

νῶϊ δʼ ἐγὼ Σθένελός τε μαχησόμεθʼ εἰς ὅ κε τέκμωρ

Ἰλίου εὕρωμεν· σὺν γὰρ θεῷ εἰλήλουθμεν.

50ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπίαχον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.

29So he spoke; they all fell still in silence.

30For a long while the distressed sons of the Achaeans sat speechless.

At last Diomedes, good at the war cry, spoke among them:

“Son of Atreus, I will be the first to contend with you in your folly,

as is right, lord, in assembly; do not be angry.

Before, you reproached my battle-strength among the Danaans,

35calling me unwarlike and without courage. All this

the Argives know, young men and old alike.

But the son of crooked-counseling Cronus made you a divided grant:

with the scepter he gave you honor above all others,

but battle-strength he did not give you, though that is the greatest power.

40Strange man, do you truly think the sons of the Achaeans

are so unwarlike and without courage as you claim?

If your own spirit is bent on going home,

go. The road lies open; close beside the sea your ships

stand waiting, the many that followed you from Mycenae.

45But the other long-haired Achaeans will remain

until we sack Troy. Yet if they too

flee in their ships to their dear native land,

still Sthenelus and I will fight until we find the appointed end

of Ilium; for we came here with a god.”

50So he spoke, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted approval,

admiring the declaration of horse-taming Diomedes.

52τοῖσι δʼ ἀνιστάμενος μετεφώνεεν ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Τυδεΐδη περὶ μὲν πολέμῳ ἔνι καρτερός ἐσσι,

καὶ βουλῇ μετὰ πάντας ὁμήλικας ἔπλευ ἄριστος.

55οὔ τίς τοι τὸν μῦθον ὀνόσσεται ὅσσοι Ἀχαιοί,

οὐδὲ πάλιν ἐρέει· ἀτὰρ οὐ τέλος ἵκεο μύθων.

ἦ μὲν καὶ νέος ἐσσί, ἐμὸς δέ κε καὶ πάϊς εἴης

ὁπλότατος γενεῆφιν· ἀτὰρ πεπνυμένα βάζεις

Ἀργείων βασιλῆας, ἐπεὶ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.

60ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐγών, ὃς σεῖο γεραίτερος εὔχομαι εἶναι,

ἐξείπω καὶ πάντα διίξομαι· οὐδέ κέ τίς μοι

μῦθον ἀτιμήσειʼ, οὐδὲ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων.

ἀφρήτωρ ἀθέμιστος ἀνέστιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος

ὃς πολέμου ἔραται ἐπιδημίου ὀκρυόεντος.

52Then Nestor, horseman, rose and spoke among them:

“Son of Tydeus, in war you are mighty above all,

and in counsel you have proved the best among all your peers.

55No Achaean will find fault with what you have said,

or answer against it; yet you have not reached the end of counsel.

True, you are young—you might even be my son,

the youngest born—yet you speak with wisdom

to the Argive kings, since you have spoken rightly.

60But come: I, who boast that I am older than you,

will speak out and go through everything. No one,

not even lord Agamemnon, will dishonor what I say.

Clanless, without ordinance, without hearth is the man

who delights in the horror of civil war.

65ἀλλʼ ἤτοι νῦν μὲν πειθώμεθα νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ

δόρπά τʼ ἐφοπλισόμεσθα· φυλακτῆρες δὲ ἕκαστοι

λεξάσθων παρὰ τάφρον ὀρυκτὴν τείχεος ἐκτός.

κούροισιν μὲν ταῦτʼ ἐπιτέλλομαι· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

Ἀτρεΐδη σὺ μὲν ἄρχε· σὺ γὰρ βασιλεύτατός ἐσσι.

70δαίνυ δαῖτα γέρουσιν· ἔοικέ τοι, οὔ τοι ἀεικές.

πλεῖαί τοι οἴνου κλισίαι, τὸν νῆες Ἀχαιῶν

ἠμάτιαι Θρῄκηθεν ἐπʼ εὐρέα πόντον ἄγουσι·

πᾶσά τοί ἐσθʼ ὑποδεξίη, πολέεσσι δʼ ἀνάσσεις.

πολλῶν δʼ ἀγρομένων τῷ πείσεαι ὅς κεν ἀρίστην

75βουλὴν βουλεύσῃ· μάλα δὲ χρεὼ πάντας Ἀχαιοὺς

ἐσθλῆς καὶ πυκινῆς, ὅτι δήϊοι ἐγγύθι νηῶν

καίουσιν πυρὰ πολλά· τίς ἂν τάδε γηθήσειε;

νὺξ δʼ ἧδʼ ἠὲ διαρραίσει στρατὸν ἠὲ σαώσει.

65For now, then, let us obey black night

and make our suppers ready. Let each of the guards

lie down beside the dug trench, outside the wall.

This is what I command the young men. Afterward,

son of Atreus, take the lead, for you are the foremost king.

70Give a feast to the elders; it befits you, and is no disgrace.

Your shelters are full of wine, which Achaean ships

bring each day from Thrace across the broad sea.

Every means of welcome is yours, and you rule over many.

When many have gathered, follow whoever offers

75the best counsel. All Achaeans have bitter need

of good and shrewd counsel, for near the ships our enemies

burn many fires. Who could take joy in this?

This night will either break the army apart or save it.”

79ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδὲ πίθοντο.

80ἐκ δὲ φυλακτῆρες σὺν τεύχεσιν ἐσσεύοντο

ἀμφί τε Νεστορίδην Θρασυμήδεα ποιμένα λαῶν,

ἠδʼ ἀμφʼ Ἀσκάλαφον καὶ Ἰάλμενον υἷας Ἄρηος

ἀμφί τε Μηριόνην Ἀφαρῆά τε Δηΐπυρόν τε,

ἠδʼ ἀμφὶ Κρείοντος υἱὸν Λυκομήδεα δῖον.

85ἕπτʼ ἔσαν ἡγεμόνες φυλάκων, ἑκατὸν δὲ ἑκάστῳ

κοῦροι ἅμα στεῖχον δολίχʼ ἔγχεα χερσὶν ἔχοντες·

κὰδ δὲ μέσον τάφρου καὶ τείχεος ἷζον ἰόντες·

ἔνθα δὲ πῦρ κήαντο, τίθεντο δὲ δόρπα ἕκαστος.

79So he spoke, and they listened closely and obeyed.

80The guards hurried out under arms,

around Thrasymedes, Nestor’s son and shepherd of the people,

and around Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares;

around Meriones, Aphareus, and Deipyrus,

and around glorious Lycomedes, son of Creon.

85There were seven leaders of the guards, and with each

marched a hundred young men, long spears in hand.

They went and settled midway between trench and wall;

there they lit fires, and each prepared his supper.

89Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ γέροντας ἀολλέας ἦγεν Ἀχαιῶν

90ἐς κλισίην, παρὰ δέ σφι τίθει μενοεικέα δαῖτα.

οἳ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

τοῖς ὁ γέρων πάμπρωτος ὑφαίνειν ἤρχετο μῆτιν

Νέστωρ, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·

95ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

89The son of Atreus led the gathered elders of the Achaeans

90into his shelter and set before them a heart-satisfying feast.

They reached their hands toward the ready food set before them.

When they had satisfied their desire for food and drink,

the old man first of all began to weave a plan for them—

Nestor, whose counsel before this too had proved the best.

95With good intent he spoke among them in assembly:

96Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον

ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω, σέο δʼ ἄρξομαι, οὕνεκα πολλῶν

λαῶν ἐσσι ἄναξ καί τοι Ζεὺς ἐγγυάλιξε

σκῆπτρόν τʼ ἠδὲ θέμιστας, ἵνά σφισι βουλεύῃσθα.

100τώ σε χρὴ περὶ μὲν φάσθαι ἔπος ἠδʼ ἐπακοῦσαι,

κρηῆναι δὲ καὶ ἄλλῳ, ὅτʼ ἄν τινα θυμὸς ἀνώγῃ

εἰπεῖν εἰς ἀγαθόν· σέο δʼ ἕξεται ὅττί κεν ἄρχῃ.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα.

οὐ γάρ τις νόον ἄλλος ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοήσει

105οἷον ἐγὼ νοέω ἠμὲν πάλαι ἠδʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν

ἐξ ἔτι τοῦ ὅτε διογενὲς Βρισηΐδα κούρην

χωομένου Ἀχιλῆος ἔβης κλισίηθεν ἀπούρας

οὔ τι καθʼ ἡμέτερόν γε νόον· μάλα γάρ τοι ἔγωγε

πόλλʼ ἀπεμυθεόμην· σὺ δὲ σῷ μεγαλήτορι θυμῷ

110εἴξας ἄνδρα φέριστον, ὃν ἀθάνατοί περ ἔτισαν,

ἠτίμησας, ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχεις γέρας· ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν

φραζώμεσθʼ ὥς κέν μιν ἀρεσσάμενοι πεπίθωμεν

δώροισίν τʼ ἀγανοῖσιν ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι.

96“Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, lord of men,

I will end with you and begin from you, since you rule

over many peoples, and Zeus has placed in your hands

the scepter and the ordinances, so that you may counsel them.

100Therefore you above all must speak your word and listen,

and also carry out another’s counsel whenever his spirit

bids him speak for the common good; what he begins will rest with you.

Now I will tell what seems to me the best.

No one else will devise a thought better than this one

105I have held, long ago and even now,

ever since the day, Zeus-born king, when you went

to furious Achilles’ shelter and carried off the girl Briseis,

not at all according to our counsel. For my part, I

strongly urged you not to—but you yielded to your proud heart

110and dishonored the best man, whom even the immortals honored,

for you seized his prize and still hold it. Yet even now

let us consider how, by making amends, we may persuade him

with gentle gifts and soothing words.”

114τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

115ὦ γέρον οὔ τι ψεῦδος ἐμὰς ἄτας κατέλεξας·

ἀασάμην, οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ἀναίνομαι. ἀντί νυ πολλῶν

λαῶν ἐστὶν ἀνὴρ ὅν τε Ζεὺς κῆρι φιλήσῃ,

ὡς νῦν τοῦτον ἔτισε, δάμασσε δὲ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν.

ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἀασάμην φρεσὶ λευγαλέῃσι πιθήσας,

120ἂψ ἐθέλω ἀρέσαι δόμεναί τʼ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα.

ὑμῖν δʼ ἐν πάντεσσι περικλυτὰ δῶρʼ ὀνομήνω

ἕπτʼ ἀπύρους τρίποδας, δέκα δὲ χρυσοῖο τάλαντα,

αἴθωνας δὲ λέβητας ἐείκοσι, δώδεκα δʼ ἵππους

πηγοὺς ἀθλοφόρους, οἳ ἀέθλια ποσσὶν ἄροντο.

125οὔ κεν ἀλήϊος εἴη ἀνὴρ ᾧ τόσσα γένοιτο,

οὐδέ κεν ἀκτήμων ἐριτίμοιο χρυσοῖο,

ὅσσά μοι ἠνείκαντο ἀέθλια μώνυχες ἵπποι.

δώσω δʼ ἑπτὰ γυναῖκας ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυίας

Λεσβίδας, ἃς ὅτε Λέσβον ἐϋκτιμένην ἕλεν αὐτὸς

130ἐξελόμην, αἳ κάλλει ἐνίκων φῦλα γυναικῶν.

τὰς μέν οἱ δώσω, μετὰ δʼ ἔσσεται ἣν τότʼ ἀπηύρων

κούρη Βρισῆος· ἐπὶ δὲ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμοῦμαι

μή ποτε τῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβήμεναι ἠδὲ μιγῆναι,

ἣ θέμις ἀνθρώπων πέλει ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ γυναικῶν.

114Then Agamemnon, lord of men, answered him:

115“Old man, you have told no lie in recounting my delusions.

I was deluded, and I do not deny it. One man can indeed be worth

many hosts, if Zeus loves him in his heart,

as he has honored this man now and crushed the Achaean host.

But since I was deluded and obeyed my ruinous thoughts,

120I now wish to make amends and give boundless restitution.

Before you all I will name my glorious gifts:

seven tripods untouched by fire, ten talents of gold,

twenty gleaming cauldrons, and twelve horses,

strong, prize-winning racers whose feet have carried off prizes.

125No man would be poor if he possessed all that,

nor lacking in precious gold,

so many prizes have my single-hoofed horses won me.

I will give seven women skilled in flawless handiwork,

women of Lesbos, whom, when Achilles himself took well-built Lesbos,

130I chose out, surpassing all womankind in beauty.

I will give him these, and with them the woman I took then,

Briseis, and I will swear a solemn oath

that I never mounted her bed or lay with her,

as is customary among human beings, men and women.

135ταῦτα μὲν αὐτίκα πάντα παρέσσεται· εἰ δέ κεν αὖτε

ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο θεοὶ δώωσʼ ἀλαπάξαι,

νῆα ἅλις χρυσοῦ καὶ χαλκοῦ νηησάσθω

εἰσελθών, ὅτε κεν δατεώμεθα ληΐδʼ Ἀχαιοί,

Τρωϊάδας δὲ γυναῖκας ἐείκοσιν αὐτὸς ἑλέσθω,

140αἴ κε μετʼ Ἀργείην Ἑλένην κάλλισται ἔωσιν.

εἰ δέ κεν Ἄργος ἱκοίμεθʼ Ἀχαιϊκὸν οὖθαρ ἀρούρης

γαμβρός κέν μοι ἔοι· τίσω δέ μιν ἶσον Ὀρέστῃ,

ὅς μοι τηλύγετος τρέφεται θαλίῃ ἔνι πολλῇ.

τρεῖς δέ μοί εἰσι θύγατρες ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ εὐπήκτῳ

145Χρυσόθεμις καὶ Λαοδίκη καὶ Ἰφιάνασσα,

τάων ἥν κʼ ἐθέλῃσι φίλην ἀνάεδνον ἀγέσθω

πρὸς οἶκον Πηλῆος· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ μείλια δώσω

πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσʼ οὔ πώ τις ἑῇ ἐπέδωκε θυγατρί·

ἑπτὰ δέ οἱ δώσω εὖ ναιόμενα πτολίεθρα

150Καρδαμύλην Ἐνόπην τε καὶ Ἱρὴν ποιήεσσαν

Φηράς τε ζαθέας ἠδʼ Ἄνθειαν βαθύλειμον

καλήν τʼ Αἴπειαν καὶ Πήδασον ἀμπελόεσσαν.

πᾶσαι δʼ ἐγγὺς ἁλός, νέαται Πύλου ἠμαθόεντος·

ἐν δʼ ἄνδρες ναίουσι πολύρρηνες πολυβοῦται,

155οἵ κέ ἑ δωτίνῃσι θεὸν ὣς τιμήσουσι

καί οἱ ὑπὸ σκήπτρῳ λιπαρὰς τελέουσι θέμιστας.

ταῦτά κέ οἱ τελέσαιμι μεταλήξαντι χόλοιο.

δμηθήτω· Ἀΐδης τοι ἀμείλιχος ἠδʼ ἀδάμαστος,

τοὔνεκα καί τε βροτοῖσι θεῶν ἔχθιστος ἁπάντων·

160καί μοι ὑποστήτω ὅσσον βασιλεύτερός εἰμι

ἠδʼ ὅσσον γενεῇ προγενέστερος εὔχομαι εἶναι.

135All these will be ready at once. And if in turn

the gods grant us to sack great Priam’s city,

let him load his ship full of gold and bronze

after he enters, when we Achaeans divide the plunder.

Let him choose for himself twenty Trojan women

140who are loveliest after Argive Helen.

And if we reach Achaean Argos, the udder of the land,

he may become my son-in-law, and I will honor him equally with Orestes,

my late-born son, who is raised amid great plenty.

Three daughters are mine in my well-built hall:

145Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa.

Whichever he desires, let him take as his wife without bride-price

to Peleus’ house, and I will add gifts of conciliation,

many indeed, as no man ever bestowed on his daughter.

I will give him seven well-inhabited cities:

150Cardamyle, Enope, and grassy Hire;

holy Pherae, Antheia of the deep meadows,

lovely Aipeia, and vine-rich Pedasus.

All lie near the sea, on the edge of sandy Pylos,

and in them dwell men rich in sheep and cattle,

155who will honor him like a god with gifts

and beneath his scepter will render him rich dues.

All this I would fulfill for him if he were to cease from his anger.

Let him be subdued. Hades is implacable and unyielding,

and for that reason mortals hate him most of all the gods.

160And let Achilles submit to me, insofar as I am more kingly

and claim to be elder by birth.”

162τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον

δῶρα μὲν οὐκέτʼ ὀνοστὰ διδοῖς Ἀχιλῆϊ ἄνακτι·

165ἀλλʼ ἄγετε κλητοὺς ὀτρύνομεν, οἵ κε τάχιστα

ἔλθωσʼ ἐς κλισίην Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος.

εἰ δʼ ἄγε τοὺς ἂν ἐγὼ ἐπιόψομαι οἳ δὲ πιθέσθων.

Φοῖνιξ μὲν πρώτιστα Διῒ φίλος ἡγησάσθω,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ Αἴας τε μέγας καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

170κηρύκων δʼ Ὀδίος τε καὶ Εὐρυβάτης ἅμʼ ἑπέσθων.

φέρτε δὲ χερσὶν ὕδωρ, εὐφημῆσαί τε κέλεσθε,

ὄφρα Διὶ Κρονίδῃ ἀρησόμεθʼ, αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃ.

ὣς φάτο, τοῖσι δὲ πᾶσιν ἑαδότα μῦθον ἔειπεν.

162Then Gerenian Nestor, horseman, answered:

“Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, lord of men,

the gifts you offer lord Achilles are no longer blameworthy.

165Come, let us urge chosen envoys to go

at once to the shelter of Achilles, son of Peleus.

Come then—I will name those I choose, and let them obey.

Let Phoenix, dear to Zeus, lead first,

and then great Ajax and godlike Odysseus;

170of the heralds, let Odius and Eurybates go with them.

Bring water for our hands and command reverent silence,

so we may pray to Zeus, son of Cronus, in hope he will take pity.”

So he spoke, and what he said pleased them all.

174αὐτίκα κήρυκες μὲν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευαν,

175κοῦροι δὲ κρητῆρας ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο,

νώμησαν δʼ ἄρα πᾶσιν ἐπαρξάμενοι δεπάεσσιν.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιόν θʼ ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός,

ὁρμῶντʼ ἐκ κλισίης Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο.

τοῖσι δὲ πόλλʼ ἐπέτελλε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ

180δενδίλλων ἐς ἕκαστον, Ὀδυσσῆϊ δὲ μάλιστα,

πειρᾶν ὡς πεπίθοιεν ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.

174At once the heralds poured water over their hands;

175the young men filled the mixing bowls to the brim with wine

and served it to everyone, making the first libation from the cups.

When they had poured libations and drunk as much as their spirits wished,

they set out from the shelter of Agamemnon, son of Atreus.

Gerenian Nestor, horseman, laid many instructions on them,

180looking intently at each, but most of all at Odysseus,

to make every effort to persuade the blameless son of Peleus.

182τὼ δὲ βάτην παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης

πολλὰ μάλʼ εὐχομένω γαιηόχῳ ἐννοσιγαίῳ

ῥηϊδίως πεπιθεῖν μεγάλας φρένας Αἰακίδαο.

185Μυρμιδόνων δʼ ἐπί τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἱκέσθην,

τὸν δʼ εὗρον φρένα τερπόμενον φόρμιγγι λιγείῃ

καλῇ δαιδαλέῃ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἀργύρεον ζυγὸν ἦεν,

τὴν ἄρετʼ ἐξ ἐνάρων πόλιν Ἠετίωνος ὀλέσσας·

τῇ ὅ γε θυμὸν ἔτερπεν, ἄειδε δʼ ἄρα κλέα ἀνδρῶν.

190Πάτροκλος δέ οἱ οἶος ἐναντίος ἧστο σιωπῇ,

δέγμενος Αἰακίδην ὁπότε λήξειεν ἀείδων,

182The envoys went along the shore of the resounding sea,

praying fervently to the earth-holding Earth-shaker

that they might easily persuade the great heart of Aeacus’ grandson,

185and came to the shelters and ships of the Myrmidons.

They found him delighting his heart with a clear-toned lyre,

beautiful and richly wrought, with a silver crossbar on it.

He had taken it from the spoils when he destroyed Eetion’s city.

With it he delighted his heart, singing the glorious deeds of men.

190Patroclus alone sat facing him in silence,

waiting for the son of Aeacus to leave off singing.

192τὼ δὲ βάτην προτέρω, ἡγεῖτο δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

στὰν δὲ πρόσθʼ αὐτοῖο· ταφὼν δʼ ἀνόρουσεν Ἀχιλλεὺς

αὐτῇ σὺν φόρμιγγι λιπὼν ἕδος ἔνθα θάασσεν.

195ὣς δʼ αὔτως Πάτροκλος, ἐπεὶ ἴδε φῶτας, ἀνέστη.

τὼ καὶ δεικνύμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

χαίρετον· ἦ φίλοι ἄνδρες ἱκάνετον ἦ τι μάλα χρεώ,

οἵ μοι σκυζομένῳ περ Ἀχαιῶν φίλτατοί ἐστον.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας προτέρω ἄγε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,

200εἷσεν δʼ ἐν κλισμοῖσι τάπησί τε πορφυρέοισιν.

αἶψα δὲ Πάτροκλον προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα·

μείζονα δὴ κρητῆρα Μενοιτίου υἱὲ καθίστα,

ζωρότερον δὲ κέραιε, δέπας δʼ ἔντυνον ἑκάστῳ·

οἳ γὰρ φίλτατοι ἄνδρες ἐμῷ ὑπέασι μελάθρῳ.

205ὣς φάτο, Πάτροκλος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπεπείθεθʼ ἑταίρῳ.

192The envoys came forward, godlike Odysseus leading,

and stood before him. Astonished, Achilles sprang up,

lyre and all, leaving the seat where he had been sitting.

195Patroclus likewise rose when he saw the men.

Swift-footed Achilles welcomed them and spoke:

“Welcome. Dear friends have come indeed—there must be great need—

you who, though I am angry, are dearest to me among the Achaeans.”

So godlike Achilles spoke and led them farther in,

200and seated them on chairs and purple rugs.

At once he called to Patroclus, who stood nearby:

“Set down a larger mixing bowl, son of Menoetius;

mix the wine stronger, and make a cup ready for each man,

for the men beneath my roof are dearest to me.”

205So he spoke, and Patroclus obeyed his dear companion.

206αὐτὰρ ὅ γε κρεῖον μέγα κάββαλεν ἐν πυρὸς αὐγῇ,

ἐν δʼ ἄρα νῶτον ἔθηκʼ ὄϊος καὶ πίονος αἰγός,

ἐν δὲ συὸς σιάλοιο ῥάχιν τεθαλυῖαν ἀλοιφῇ.

τῷ δʼ ἔχεν Αὐτομέδων, τάμνεν δʼ ἄρα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

210καὶ τὰ μὲν εὖ μίστυλλε καὶ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειρε,

πῦρ δὲ Μενοιτιάδης δαῖεν μέγα ἰσόθεος φώς.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ πῦρ ἐκάη καὶ φλὸξ ἐμαράνθη,

ἀνθρακιὴν στορέσας ὀβελοὺς ἐφύπερθε τάνυσσε,

πάσσε δʼ ἁλὸς θείοιο κρατευτάων ἐπαείρας.

215αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ὤπτησε καὶ εἰν ἐλεοῖσιν ἔχευε,

Πάτροκλος μὲν σῖτον ἑλὼν ἐπένειμε τραπέζῃ

καλοῖς ἐν κανέοισιν, ἀτὰρ κρέα νεῖμεν Ἀχιλλεύς.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἀντίον ἷζεν Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο

τοίχου τοῦ ἑτέροιο, θεοῖσι δὲ θῦσαι ἀνώγει

220Πάτροκλον ὃν ἑταῖρον· ὃ δʼ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλε θυηλάς.

οἳ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.

206Achilles set down a great chopping block in the firelight,

and laid on it the back of a sheep and a fat goat,

and the chine of a hog, rich with fat.

Automedon held the meat while godlike Achilles carved it.

210He cut it skillfully small and threaded the pieces on spits;

the son of Menoetius, a godlike man, kindled a great fire.

When the fire had burned down and the flame had died away,

he spread the embers and stretched the spits above them,

then raised them over the fire-dogs and sprinkled them with sacred salt.

215When he had roasted the meat, he poured it onto platters.

Patroclus took bread and distributed it along the table

in fair baskets, while Achilles served the meat.

Then Achilles himself sat opposite godlike Odysseus,

against the farther wall, and told Patroclus, his companion,

220to sacrifice to the gods; Patroclus cast the first portions into the fire.

They reached their hands toward the ready food set before them.

222αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

νεῦσʼ Αἴας Φοίνικι· νόησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

πλησάμενος δʼ οἴνοιο δέπας δείδεκτʼ Ἀχιλῆα·

222When they had satisfied their desire for food and drink,

Ajax nodded to Phoenix; godlike Odysseus saw it,

filled a cup with wine, and raised it in greeting to Achilles:

225χαῖρʼ Ἀχιλεῦ· δαιτὸς μὲν ἐΐσης οὐκ ἐπιδευεῖς

ἠμὲν ἐνὶ κλισίῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

ἠδὲ καὶ ἐνθάδε νῦν, πάρα γὰρ μενοεικέα πολλὰ

δαίνυσθʼ· ἀλλʼ οὐ δαιτὸς ἐπηράτου ἔργα μέμηλεν,

ἀλλὰ λίην μέγα πῆμα διοτρεφὲς εἰσορόωντες

230δείδιμεν· ἐν δοιῇ δὲ σαωσέμεν ἢ ἀπολέσθαι

νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους, εἰ μὴ σύ γε δύσεαι ἀλκήν.

ἐγγὺς γὰρ νηῶν καὶ τείχεος αὖλιν ἔθεντο

Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι τηλεκλειτοί τʼ ἐπίκουροι

κηάμενοι πυρὰ πολλὰ κατὰ στρατόν, οὐδʼ ἔτι φασὶ

235σχήσεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνῃσιν πεσέεσθαι.

Ζεὺς δέ σφι Κρονίδης ἐνδέξια σήματα φαίνων

ἀστράπτει· Ἕκτωρ δὲ μέγα σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνων

μαίνεται ἐκπάγλως πίσυνος Διί, οὐδέ τι τίει

ἀνέρας οὐδὲ θεούς· κρατερὴ δέ ἑ λύσσα δέδυκεν.

240ἀρᾶται δὲ τάχιστα φανήμεναι Ἠῶ δῖαν·

στεῦται γὰρ νηῶν ἀποκόψειν ἄκρα κόρυμβα

αὐτάς τʼ ἐμπρήσειν μαλεροῦ πυρός, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς

δῃώσειν παρὰ τῇσιν ὀρινομένους ὑπὸ καπνοῦ.

ταῦτʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα, μή οἱ ἀπειλὰς

245ἐκτελέσωσι θεοί, ἡμῖν δὲ δὴ αἴσιμον εἴη

φθίσθαι ἐνὶ Τροίῃ ἑκὰς Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο.

ἀλλʼ ἄνα εἰ μέμονάς γε καὶ ὀψέ περ υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

τειρομένους ἐρύεσθαι ὑπὸ Τρώων ὀρυμαγδοῦ.

αὐτῷ τοι μετόπισθʼ ἄχος ἔσσεται, οὐδέ τι μῆχος

250ῥεχθέντος κακοῦ ἔστʼ ἄκος εὑρεῖν· ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν

φράζευ ὅπως Δαναοῖσιν ἀλεξήσεις κακὸν ἦμαρ.

225“Achilles, greetings. We do not lack an equal feast,

whether in the shelter of Agamemnon, Atreus’ son,

or here now, for plenty of heart-pleasing food is set before us.

But the pleasure of the feast is not what concerns us.

Zeus-nurtured Achilles, we see a disaster far too great

230and are afraid; it hangs in doubt whether we save our well-benched ships

or perish—unless you clothe yourself in battle-strength.

For close beside the ships and wall are camped

High-hearted Trojans and allies famed afar,

burning many fires throughout their host. They say they will no longer

235hold back, but will fall upon the black ships.

Zeus, son of Cronus, shows them favorable signs

with his lightning; and Hector, exulting greatly in his strength,

rages terribly, trusting in Zeus, and gives no regard

to men or gods; a powerful frenzy has entered him.

240He prays for holy Dawn to appear as quickly as possible,

for he boasts he will cut off the ships’ high stern-posts

and burn the vessels themselves with devouring fire; the Achaeans

beside them he will slaughter as smoke throws them into confusion.

I fear these things terribly in my heart: that the gods may fulfill

245his threats, and it may be our allotted fate

to die here in Troy, far from horse-pasturing Argos.

Up, then, if you still mean, though late, to rescue the sons of the Achaeans

as they are worn down beneath the Trojans’ battle roar.

For you yourself will grieve hereafter; and there is no device

250for finding a cure once disaster is done. Long before it comes,

consider how you will ward off the evil day from the Danaans.

252ὦ πέπον ἦ μὲν σοί γε πατὴρ ἐπετέλλετο Πηλεὺς

ἤματι τῷ ὅτε σʼ ἐκ Φθίης Ἀγαμέμνονι πέμπε·

τέκνον ἐμὸν κάρτος μὲν Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη

255δώσουσʼ αἴ κʼ ἐθέλωσι, σὺ δὲ μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν

ἴσχειν ἐν στήθεσσι· φιλοφροσύνη γὰρ ἀμείνων·

ληγέμεναι δʼ ἔριδος κακομηχάνου, ὄφρά σε μᾶλλον

τίωσʼ Ἀργείων ἠμὲν νέοι ἠδὲ γέροντες.

ὣς ἐπέτελλʼ ὃ γέρων, σὺ δὲ λήθεαι· ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν

260παύεʼ, ἔα δὲ χόλον θυμαλγέα· σοὶ δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

ἄξια δῶρα δίδωσι μεταλήξαντι χόλοιο.

252Dear friend, your father Peleus surely instructed you

on the day he sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon:

‘My child, Athena and Hera will grant you strength

255if they so choose; but restrain your great-hearted spirit

within your breast. A friendly heart is better;

cease from strife that plots evil, so that the Argives,

young and old, may honor you all the more.’

So the old man instructed you, but you forget. Even now,

260stop, and let go the anger that pains your heart. Agamemnon

offers you worthy gifts if you relent from anger.

262εἰ δὲ σὺ μέν μευ ἄκουσον, ἐγὼ δέ κέ τοι καταλέξω

ὅσσά τοι ἐν κλισίῃσιν ὑπέσχετο δῶρʼ Ἀγαμέμνων·

ἕπτʼ ἀπύρους τρίποδας, δέκα δὲ χρυσοῖο τάλαντα,

265αἴθωνας δὲ λέβητας ἐείκοσι, δώδεκα δʼ ἵππους

πηγοὺς ἀθλοφόρους, οἳ ἀέθλια ποσσὶν ἄροντο.

οὔ κεν ἀλήϊος εἴη ἀνὴρ ᾧ τόσσα γένοιτο

οὐδέ κεν ἀκτήμων ἐριτίμοιο χρυσοῖο,

ὅσσʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος ἵπποι ἀέθλια ποσσὶν ἄροντο.

270δώσει δʼ ἑπτὰ γυναῖκας ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυίας

Λεσβίδας, ἃς ὅτε Λέσβον ἐϋκτιμένην ἕλες αὐτὸς

ἐξέλεθʼ, αἳ τότε κάλλει ἐνίκων φῦλα γυναικῶν.

τὰς μέν τοι δώσει, μετὰ δʼ ἔσσεται ἣν τότʼ ἀπηύρα

κούρη Βρισῆος· ἐπὶ δὲ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμεῖται

275μή ποτε τῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβήμεναι ἠδὲ μιγῆναι

ἣ θέμις ἐστὶν ἄναξ ἤτʼ ἀνδρῶν ἤτε γυναικῶν.

262But listen to me, and I will recount to you

all the gifts Agamemnon promised you in his shelters:

seven tripods untouched by fire, ten talents of gold,

265twenty gleaming cauldrons, and twelve horses,

strong, prize-winning racers whose feet have carried off prizes.

No man would be poor if he possessed all that,

nor lacking in precious gold,

so many prizes have Agamemnon’s horses carried off with their feet.

270He will give you seven women skilled in flawless handiwork,

women of Lesbos, whom, when you yourself took well-built Lesbos,

he chose out—then they surpassed all women in beauty.

He will give you these, and with them will be the woman he took from you,

Briseus’ daughter. And he will swear a great oath

275that he never mounted her bed or lay with her,

as is the custom, my lord, between men and women.

277ταῦτα μὲν αὐτίκα πάντα παρέσσεται· εἰ δέ κεν αὖτε

ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο θεοὶ δώωσʼ ἀλαπάξαι,

νῆα ἅλις χρυσοῦ καὶ χαλκοῦ νηήσασθαι

280εἰσελθών, ὅτε κεν δατεώμεθα ληΐδʼ Ἀχαιοί,

Τρωϊάδας δὲ γυναῖκας ἐείκοσιν αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι,

αἵ κε μετʼ Ἀργείην Ἑλένην κάλλισται ἔωσιν.

εἰ δέ κεν Ἄργος ἱκοίμεθʼ Ἀχαιϊκὸν οὖθαρ ἀρούρης

γαμβρός κέν οἱ ἔοις· τίσει δέ σε ἶσον Ὀρέστῃ,

285ὅς οἱ τηλύγετος τρέφεται θαλίῃ ἔνι πολλῇ.

τρεῖς δέ οἵ εἰσι θύγατρες ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ εὐπήκτῳ

Χρυσόθεμις καὶ Λαοδίκη καὶ Ἰφιάνασσα,

τάων ἥν κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα φίλην ἀνάεδνον ἄγεσθαι

πρὸς οἶκον Πηλῆος· ὃ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπὶ μείλια δώσει

290πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσʼ οὔ πώ τις ἑῇ ἐπέδωκε θυγατρί·

ἑπτὰ δέ τοι δώσει εὖ ναιόμενα πτολίεθρα

Καρδαμύλην Ἐνόπην τε καὶ Ἱρὴν ποιήεσσαν

Φηράς τε ζαθέας ἠδʼ Ἄνθειαν βαθύλειμον

καλήν τʼ Αἴπειαν καὶ Πήδασον ἀμπελόεσσαν.

295πᾶσαι δʼ ἐγγὺς ἁλός, νέαται Πύλου ἠμαθόεντος·

ἐν δʼ ἄνδρες ναίουσι πολύρρηνες πολυβοῦται,

οἵ κέ σε δωτίνῃσι θεὸν ὣς τιμήσουσι

καί τοι ὑπὸ σκήπτρῳ λιπαρὰς τελέουσι θέμιστας.

ταῦτά κέ τοι τελέσειε μεταλήξαντι χόλοιο.

277All these will be ready at once. And if in turn

the gods grant us to sack great Priam’s city,

then load your ship full of gold and bronze,

280after you enter, when we Achaeans divide the plunder.

Choose for yourself twenty Trojan women,

the most beautiful after Argive Helen.

And if we reach Achaean Argos, the udder of the land,

you will be his son-in-law; he will honor you equally with Orestes,

285his late-born son, who is raised amid great plenty.

He has three daughters in his well-built hall:

Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa.

Take whichever you wish as your dear wife, without bride-price,

to Peleus’ house. He will add gifts of reconciliation,

290many indeed, as no man ever bestowed on his daughter.

He will give you seven well-inhabited cities:

Cardamyle, Enope, and grassy Hire;

holy Pherae, Antheia of the deep meadows,

lovely Aipeia, and vine-rich Pedasus.

295All lie near the sea, on the edge of sandy Pylos,

and in them dwell men rich in sheep and cattle,

who will honor you like a god with gifts

and beneath your scepter will render you rich dues.

All this he would fulfill for you if you were to cease from your anger.

300εἰ δέ τοι Ἀτρεΐδης μὲν ἀπήχθετο κηρόθι μᾶλλον

αὐτὸς καὶ τοῦ δῶρα, σὺ δʼ ἄλλους περ Παναχαιοὺς

τειρομένους ἐλέαιρε κατὰ στρατόν, οἵ σε θεὸν ὣς

τίσουσʼ· ἦ γάρ κέ σφι μάλα μέγα κῦδος ἄροιο·

νῦν γάρ χʼ Ἕκτορʼ ἕλοις, ἐπεὶ ἂν μάλα τοι σχεδὸν ἔλθοι

305λύσσαν ἔχων ὀλοήν, ἐπεὶ οὔ τινά φησιν ὁμοῖον

οἷ ἔμεναι Δαναῶν οὓς ἐνθάδε νῆες ἔνεικαν.

300But if Atreus’ son himself and his gifts are utterly hateful

to you in your heart, then at least take pity on the other Achaeans

worn down throughout the camp. They will honor you like a god,

for you would win immense ascendancy among them.

For now you could kill Hector; he would come very near you,

305possessed by murderous frenzy, since he says no Danaan

among all whom the ships brought here is his equal.”

307τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ

χρὴ μὲν δὴ τὸν μῦθον ἀπηλεγέως ἀποειπεῖν,

310ᾗ περ δὴ φρονέω τε καὶ ὡς τετελεσμένον ἔσται,

ὡς μή μοι τρύζητε παρήμενοι ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος.

ἐχθρὸς γάρ μοι κεῖνος ὁμῶς Ἀΐδαο πύλῃσιν

ὅς χʼ ἕτερον μὲν κεύθῃ ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἄλλο δὲ εἴπῃ.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα·

315οὔτʼ ἔμεγʼ Ἀτρεΐδην Ἀγαμέμνονα πεισέμεν οἴω

οὔτʼ ἄλλους Δαναούς, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρα τις χάρις ἦεν

μάρνασθαι δηΐοισιν ἐπʼ ἀνδράσι νωλεμὲς αἰεί.

307Swift-footed Achilles answered him:

“Zeus-born son of Laertes, resourceful Odysseus,

I must speak my declaration plainly,

310just as I think and as it will be accomplished,

so you do not sit around me, each buzzing from a different side.

For as hateful to me as the gates of Hades is the man

who hides one thing within his heart and says another.

But I will say what seems best to me:

315I do not think Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, will persuade me,

nor any other Danaan, since there was no gratitude

for fighting our enemies without rest forever.

318ἴση μοῖρα μένοντι καὶ εἰ μάλα τις πολεμίζοι·

ἐν δὲ ἰῇ τιμῇ ἠμὲν κακὸς ἠδὲ καὶ ἐσθλός·

320κάτθανʼ ὁμῶς ὅ τʼ ἀεργὸς ἀνὴρ ὅ τε πολλὰ ἐοργώς.

οὐδέ τί μοι περίκειται, ἐπεὶ πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ

αἰεὶ ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παραβαλλόμενος πολεμίζειν.

ὡς δʼ ὄρνις ἀπτῆσι νεοσσοῖσι προφέρῃσι

μάστακʼ ἐπεί κε λάβῃσι, κακῶς δʼ ἄρα οἱ πέλει αὐτῇ,

325ὣς καὶ ἐγὼ πολλὰς μὲν ἀΰπνους νύκτας ἴαυον,

ἤματα δʼ αἱματόεντα διέπρησσον πολεμίζων

ἀνδράσι μαρνάμενος ὀάρων ἕνεκα σφετεράων.

318The same portion comes to the man who stays behind and the man who fights hard;

the coward and the brave are held in the same honor;

320the idle man dies as surely as the man who has done much.

No advantage remains for me after all the pains I suffered in my spirit,

always putting my life at stake as I fought.

As a bird carries each morsel to her unfledged chicks

once she finds it, though it goes hard with her,

325so I spent many sleepless nights

and fought my way through blood-soaked days,

battling men for the sake of their wives.

328δώδεκα δὴ σὺν νηυσὶ πόλεις ἀλάπαξʼ ἀνθρώπων,

πεζὸς δʼ ἕνδεκά φημι κατὰ Τροίην ἐρίβωλον·

330τάων ἐκ πασέων κειμήλια πολλὰ καὶ ἐσθλὰ

ἐξελόμην, καὶ πάντα φέρων Ἀγαμέμνονι δόσκον

Ἀτρεΐδῃ· ὃ δʼ ὄπισθε μένων παρὰ νηυσὶ θοῇσι

δεξάμενος διὰ παῦρα δασάσκετο, πολλὰ δʼ ἔχεσκεν.

ἄλλα δʼ ἀριστήεσσι δίδου γέρα καὶ βασιλεῦσι·

335τοῖσι μὲν ἔμπεδα κεῖται, ἐμεῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μούνου Ἀχαιῶν

εἵλετʼ, ἔχει δʼ ἄλοχον θυμαρέα· τῇ παριαύων

τερπέσθω. τί δὲ δεῖ πολεμιζέμεναι Τρώεσσιν

Ἀργείους; τί δὲ λαὸν ἀνήγαγεν ἐνθάδʼ ἀγείρας

Ἀτρεΐδης; ἦ οὐχ Ἑλένης ἕνεκʼ ἠϋκόμοιο;

340ἦ μοῦνοι φιλέουσʼ ἀλόχους μερόπων ἀνθρώπων

Ἀτρεΐδαι; ἐπεὶ ὅς τις ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἐχέφρων

τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλέει καὶ κήδεται, ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ τὴν

ἐκ θυμοῦ φίλεον δουρικτητήν περ ἐοῦσαν.

328With my ships I sacked twelve cities of men,

and on foot, I tell you, eleven across the rich land of Troy.

330From every one I took many fine treasures,

and brought them all to Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, handing them over.

He stayed behind beside the swift ships,

received them, and handed out a few, but kept back many.

He gave honor-prizes to champions and kings;

335theirs remain secure, but from me alone among the Achaeans

he took mine. He has my wife, dear to my heart; let him lie beside her

and take his pleasure. Why must the Argives fight the Trojans?

Why did Atreus’ son gather and lead the army here?

Was it not for lovely-haired Helen?

340Are the sons of Atreus the only mortal men

who love their wives? No—every good and sensible man

loves and cares for his own, as I too loved her

from my heart, though she was won by my spear.

344νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ ἐκ χειρῶν γέρας εἵλετο καί μʼ ἀπάτησε

345μή μευ πειράτω εὖ εἰδότος· οὐδέ με πείσει.

ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσεῦ σὺν σοί τε καὶ ἄλλοισιν βασιλεῦσι

φραζέσθω νήεσσιν ἀλεξέμεναι δήϊον πῦρ.

ἦ μὲν δὴ μάλα πολλὰ πονήσατο νόσφιν ἐμεῖο,

καὶ δὴ τεῖχος ἔδειμε, καὶ ἤλασε τάφρον ἐπʼ αὐτῷ

350εὐρεῖαν μεγάλην, ἐν δὲ σκόλοπας κατέπηξεν·

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς δύναται σθένος Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο

ἴσχειν· ὄφρα δʼ ἐγὼ μετʼ Ἀχαιοῖσιν πολέμιζον

οὐκ ἐθέλεσκε μάχην ἀπὸ τείχεος ὀρνύμεν Ἕκτωρ,

ἀλλʼ ὅσον ἐς Σκαιάς τε πύλας καὶ φηγὸν ἵκανεν·

355ἔνθά ποτʼ οἶον ἔμιμνε, μόγις δέ μευ ἔκφυγεν ὁρμήν.

νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐθέλω πολεμιζέμεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ

344Now, since he took my honor-prize from my hands and deceived me,

345let him not test me; I know him well. He will not persuade me.

Odysseus, let him plan with you and the other kings

how to keep destructive fire from the ships.

To be sure, he has worked very hard without me:

he built a wall and dug a ditch beside it,

350broad and great, and planted stakes within it.

Yet even so he cannot hold back the strength of man-killing Hector.

While I fought among the Achaeans,

Hector was never willing to rouse battle far from the wall,

but came only as far as the Scaean Gates and the oak.

355There once he stood against me alone, and barely escaped my onslaught.

But now, since I have no wish to fight godlike Hector,

357αὔριον ἱρὰ Διὶ ῥέξας καὶ πᾶσι θεοῖσι

νηήσας εὖ νῆας, ἐπὴν ἅλα δὲ προερύσσω,

ὄψεαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα καὶ αἴ κέν τοι τὰ μεμήλῃ,

360ἦρι μάλʼ Ἑλλήσποντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα πλεούσας

νῆας ἐμάς, ἐν δʼ ἄνδρας ἐρεσσέμεναι μεμαῶτας·

εἰ δέ κεν εὐπλοίην δώῃ κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος

ἤματί κε τριτάτῳ Φθίην ἐρίβωλον ἱκοίμην.

ἔστι δέ μοι μάλα πολλά, τὰ κάλλιπον ἐνθάδε ἔρρων·

365ἄλλον δʼ ἐνθένδε χρυσὸν καὶ χαλκὸν ἐρυθρὸν

ἠδὲ γυναῖκας ἐϋζώνους πολιόν τε σίδηρον

ἄξομαι, ἅσσʼ ἔλαχόν γε· γέρας δέ μοι, ὅς περ ἔδωκεν,

αὖτις ἐφυβρίζων ἕλετο κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

Ἀτρεΐδης· τῷ πάντʼ ἀγορευέμεν ὡς ἐπιτέλλω

357tomorrow I will make sacrifice to Zeus and all the gods,

load my ships well, and launch them into the sea.

You will see, if you wish and if it matters to you,

360my ships at early dawn sailing over the fish-filled Hellespont,

with men aboard eager at the oars.

If the renowned Earth-shaker grants fair sailing,

on the third day I would reach fertile Phthia.

I have very many possessions there, which I left when I came here,

365and from here I will carry home more gold and red bronze,

well-girdled women and gray iron—

all that fell to my lot. But the honor-prize he himself gave me,

wide-ruling Agamemnon took back with arrogant insult.

Tell Atreus’ son everything openly, just as I command,

370ἀμφαδόν, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλοι ἐπισκύζωνται Ἀχαιοὶ

εἴ τινά που Δαναῶν ἔτι ἔλπεται ἐξαπατήσειν

αἰὲν ἀναιδείην ἐπιειμένος· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔμοιγε

τετλαίη κύνεός περ ἐὼν εἰς ὦπα ἰδέσθαι·

οὐδέ τί οἱ βουλὰς συμφράσσομαι, οὐδὲ μὲν ἔργον·

375ἐκ γὰρ δή μʼ ἀπάτησε καὶ ἤλιτεν· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτʼ αὖτις

ἐξαπάφοιτʼ ἐπέεσσιν· ἅλις δέ οἱ· ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος

ἐρρέτω· ἐκ γάρ εὑ φρένας εἵλετο μητίετα Ζεύς.

ἐχθρὰ δέ μοι τοῦ δῶρα, τίω δέ μιν ἐν καρὸς αἴσῃ.

οὐδʼ εἴ μοι δεκάκις τε καὶ εἰκοσάκις τόσα δοίη

380ὅσσά τέ οἱ νῦν ἔστι, καὶ εἴ ποθεν ἄλλα γένοιτο,

οὐδʼ ὅσʼ ἐς Ὀρχομενὸν ποτινίσεται, οὐδʼ ὅσα Θήβας

Αἰγυπτίας, ὅθι πλεῖστα δόμοις ἐν κτήματα κεῖται,

αἵ θʼ ἑκατόμπυλοί εἰσι, διηκόσιοι δʼ ἀνʼ ἑκάστας

ἀνέρες ἐξοιχνεῦσι σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν·

385οὐδʼ εἴ μοι τόσα δοίη ὅσα ψάμαθός τε κόνις τε,

οὐδέ κεν ὧς ἔτι θυμὸν ἐμὸν πείσειʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

πρίν γʼ ἀπὸ πᾶσαν ἐμοὶ δόμεναι θυμαλγέα λώβην.

370so the other Achaeans too may be indignant

if he still hopes to deceive another Danaan,

always clothed in shamelessness. Yet he would not dare,

dog though he is, to look me in the face.

I will share no counsel with him, nor any action.

375He deceived me and did me wrong; not again

will he cheat me with words. Enough for him. Let him go to ruin undisturbed—

Zeus, lord of counsel, has taken away his wits.

I hate his gifts, and value him no more than a splinter.

Not even if he gave me ten times and twenty times as much

380as he has now, and more besides from some other source;

not all the wealth that flows into Orchomenus, nor all that enters

Egyptian Thebes, where the greatest treasures lie in its houses—

the city of a hundred gates, through each of which two hundred men

go out with horses and chariots—

385not even if he gave me as much as sand and dust,

even then Agamemnon would not persuade my heart

until he had repaid me in full for the outrage that pains my heart.

388κούρην δʼ οὐ γαμέω Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο,

οὐδʼ εἰ χρυσείῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ κάλλος ἐρίζοι,

390ἔργα δʼ Ἀθηναίῃ γλαυκώπιδι ἰσοφαρίζοι·

οὐδέ μιν ὧς γαμέω· ὃ δʼ Ἀχαιῶν ἄλλον ἑλέσθω,

ὅς τις οἷ τʼ ἐπέοικε καὶ ὃς βασιλεύτερός ἐστιν.

ἢν γὰρ δή με σαῶσι θεοὶ καὶ οἴκαδʼ ἵκωμαι,

Πηλεύς θήν μοι ἔπειτα γυναῖκά γε μάσσεται αὐτός.

395πολλαὶ Ἀχαιΐδες εἰσὶν ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε

κοῦραι ἀριστήων, οἵ τε πτολίεθρα ῥύονται,

τάων ἥν κʼ ἐθέλωμι φίλην ποιήσομʼ ἄκοιτιν.

ἔνθα δέ μοι μάλα πολλὸν ἐπέσσυτο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

γήμαντα μνηστὴν ἄλοχον ἐϊκυῖαν ἄκοιτιν

400κτήμασι τέρπεσθαι τὰ γέρων ἐκτήσατο Πηλεύς·

388I will not marry the daughter of Agamemnon, Atreus’ son,

not even if she rivaled golden Aphrodite in beauty

390and matched bright-eyed Athena in handiwork.

Even so I will not marry her. Let him choose another Achaean,

one suited to him and more of a king than I am.

If the gods preserve me and I reach home,

Peleus himself will surely seek a wife for me.

395There are many Achaean women throughout Hellas and Phthia,

daughters of nobles who guard their cities.

Whichever I choose, I will make her my dear wife.

There my proud spirit strongly urges me

to marry a wife properly courted, a fitting partner,

400and enjoy the possessions old Peleus acquired.

401οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ ψυχῆς ἀντάξιον οὐδʼ ὅσα φασὶν

Ἴλιον ἐκτῆσθαι εὖ ναιόμενον πτολίεθρον

τὸ πρὶν ἐπʼ εἰρήνης, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν,

οὐδʼ ὅσα λάϊνος οὐδὸς ἀφήτορος ἐντὸς ἐέργει

405Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος Πυθοῖ ἔνι πετρηέσσῃ.

ληϊστοὶ μὲν γάρ τε βόες καὶ ἴφια μῆλα,

κτητοὶ δὲ τρίποδές τε καὶ ἵππων ξανθὰ κάρηνα,

ἀνδρὸς δὲ ψυχὴ πάλιν ἐλθεῖν οὔτε λεϊστὴ

οὔθʼ ἑλετή, ἐπεὶ ἄρ κεν ἀμείψεται ἕρκος ὀδόντων.

410μήτηρ γάρ τέ μέ φησι θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα

διχθαδίας κῆρας φερέμεν θανάτοιο τέλος δέ.

εἰ μέν κʼ αὖθι μένων Τρώων πόλιν ἀμφιμάχωμαι,

ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος, ἀτὰρ κλέος ἄφθιτον ἔσται·

εἰ δέ κεν οἴκαδʼ ἵκωμι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

415ὤλετό μοι κλέος ἐσθλόν, ἐπὶ δηρὸν δέ μοι αἰὼν

ἔσσεται, οὐδέ κέ μʼ ὦκα τέλος θανάτοιο κιχείη.

401For nothing is worth as much as life—not even all the wealth

they say well-settled Ilium possessed

in former days of peace, before the sons of the Achaeans came,

nor all the wealth enclosed within the stone threshold

405of Phoebus Apollo the Archer at rocky Pytho.

Cattle and strong sheep can be seized in raids,

and tripods and tawny-headed horses can be acquired;

but a man’s life cannot be won back by raiding or capture

once it has crossed the barrier of his teeth.

410For my mother, silver-footed goddess Thetis, tells me

that two fates carry me toward death’s end.

If I remain here and fight around the city of the Trojans,

my homecoming is lost, but my fame will be imperishable.

But if I return home to my dear native land,

415my noble fame is lost, but my lifetime will be long,

and death’s end will not overtake me quickly.

417καὶ δʼ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἐγὼ παραμυθησαίμην

οἴκαδʼ ἀποπλείειν, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι δήετε τέκμωρ

Ἰλίου αἰπεινῆς· μάλα γάρ ἑθεν εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

420χεῖρα ἑὴν ὑπερέσχε, τεθαρσήκασι δὲ λαοί.

ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς μὲν ἰόντες ἀριστήεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν

ἀγγελίην ἀπόφασθε· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ γερόντων·

ὄφρʼ ἄλλην φράζωνται ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μῆτιν ἀμείνω,

ἥ κέ σφιν νῆάς τε σαῷ καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν

425νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇς, ἐπεὶ οὔ σφισιν ἥδέ γʼ ἑτοίμη

ἣν νῦν ἐφράσσαντο ἐμεῦ ἀπομηνίσαντος·

Φοῖνιξ δʼ αὖθι παρʼ ἄμμι μένων κατακοιμηθήτω,

ὄφρά μοι ἐν νήεσσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἕπηται

αὔριον ἢν ἐθέλῃσιν· ἀνάγκῃ δʼ οὔ τί μιν ἄξω.

417And I would advise all the others as well

to sail home, since you will no longer find

steep Ilium’s appointed end. Far-seeing Zeus

420has stretched his hand over her, and her people have taken courage.

But go and report my message to the Achaean champions;

for that is the prerogative of elders,

so they may devise in their minds another, better plan,

one that may save the ships and the Achaean host

425beside the hollow ships, since this one is not available to them—

the plan they have now devised—while I remain apart in wrath.

But let Phoenix stay here with us and sleep,

so that tomorrow he may follow me in the ships to my dear native land,

if he wishes. I will not take him by force.”

430ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἀπέειπεν·

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Φοῖνιξ

δάκρυʼ ἀναπρήσας· περὶ γὰρ δίε νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν·

430So he spoke, and all fell silent,

astonished at his words, for his refusal had been stern indeed.

At last the old horseman Phoenix spoke among them,

bursting into tears, for he feared greatly for the Achaeans’ ships:

434εἰ μὲν δὴ νόστόν γε μετὰ φρεσὶ φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ

435βάλλεαι, οὐδέ τι πάμπαν ἀμύνειν νηυσὶ θοῇσι

πῦρ ἐθέλεις ἀΐδηλον, ἐπεὶ χόλος ἔμπεσε θυμῷ,

πῶς ἂν ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ σεῖο φίλον τέκος αὖθι λιποίμην

οἶος; σοὶ δέ μʼ ἔπεμπε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Πηλεὺς

ἤματι τῷ ὅτε σʼ ἐκ Φθίης Ἀγαμέμνονι πέμπε

440νήπιον οὔ πω εἰδόθʼ ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο

οὐδʼ ἀγορέων, ἵνα τʼ ἄνδρες ἀριπρεπέες τελέθουσι.

τοὔνεκά με προέηκε διδασκέμεναι τάδε πάντα,

μύθων τε ῥητῆρʼ ἔμεναι πρηκτῆρά τε ἔργων.

434“If, then, glorious Achilles, you are setting your return in mind

435and have no will at all to defend the swift ships

from destructive fire, since anger has fallen on your spirit,

how then could I, dear child, be left behind here

alone, apart from you? The old horseman Peleus sent me with you

on the day he sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon,

440still a child, not yet versed in leveling war

or in assemblies, where men become distinguished.

For this he sent me forth—to teach you all these things,

to be a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.

444ὡς ἂν ἔπειτʼ ἀπὸ σεῖο φίλον τέκος οὐκ ἐθέλοιμι

445λείπεσθʼ, οὐδʼ εἴ κέν μοι ὑποσταίη θεὸς αὐτὸς

γῆρας ἀποξύσας θήσειν νέον ἡβώοντα,

οἷον ὅτε πρῶτον λίπον Ἑλλάδα καλλιγύναικα

φεύγων νείκεα πατρὸς Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο,

ὅς μοι παλλακίδος περιχώσατο καλλικόμοιο,

450τὴν αὐτὸς φιλέεσκεν, ἀτιμάζεσκε δʼ ἄκοιτιν

μητέρʼ ἐμήν· ἣ δʼ αἰὲν ἐμὲ λισσέσκετο γούνων

παλλακίδι προμιγῆναι, ἵνʼ ἐχθήρειε γέροντα.

τῇ πιθόμην καὶ ἔρεξα· πατὴρ δʼ ἐμὸς αὐτίκʼ ὀϊσθεὶς

πολλὰ κατηρᾶτο, στυγερὰς δʼ ἐπεκέκλετʼ Ἐρινῦς,

455μή ποτε γούνασιν οἷσιν ἐφέσσεσθαι φίλον υἱὸν

ἐξ ἐμέθεν γεγαῶτα· θεοὶ δʼ ἐτέλειον ἐπαρὰς

Ζεύς τε καταχθόνιος καὶ ἐπαινὴ Περσεφόνεια.

ἔνθʼ ἐμοὶ οὐκέτι πάμπαν ἐρητύετʼ ἐν φρεσὶ θυμὸς

πατρὸς χωομένοιο κατὰ μέγαρα στρωφᾶσθαι.

444So, dear child, I would not choose to be left apart from you,

445not even if a god himself should promise me

to scrape away my old age and make me young and vigorous,

as when I first left Hellas, land of lovely women,

fleeing my quarrel with my father, Amyntor son of Ormenus.

He was furious with me over a lovely-haired concubine

450whom he himself loved, while dishonoring his wife,

my mother. Again and again she clasped my knees and begged me

to lie first with the concubine, so the woman would hate the old man.

I obeyed her and did it. My father suspected it at once

and cursed me bitterly, calling on the hateful Erinyes:

455never, he prayed, might a dear son born from me

sit upon my knees. The gods fulfilled his curses—

Zeus below the earth and dread Persephone.

Then my spirit within me could no longer be restrained

from roaming through the halls while my father raged.

464ἦ μὲν πολλὰ ἔται καὶ ἀνεψιοὶ ἀμφὶς ἐόντες

465αὐτοῦ λισσόμενοι κατερήτυον ἐν μεγάροισι,

πολλὰ δὲ ἴφια μῆλα καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς

ἔσφαζον, πολλοὶ δὲ σύες θαλέθοντες ἀλοιφῇ

εὑόμενοι τανύοντο διὰ φλογὸς Ἡφαίστοιο,

πολλὸν δʼ ἐκ κεράμων μέθυ πίνετο τοῖο γέροντος.

470εἰνάνυχες δέ μοι ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ παρὰ νύκτας ἴαυον·

οἳ μὲν ἀμειβόμενοι φυλακὰς ἔχον, οὐδέ ποτʼ ἔσβη

πῦρ, ἕτερον μὲν ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ εὐερκέος αὐλῆς,

ἄλλο δʼ ἐνὶ προδόμῳ, πρόσθεν θαλάμοιο θυράων.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ δεκάτη μοι ἐπήλυθε νὺξ ἐρεβεννή,

475καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ θαλάμοιο θύρας πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας

ῥήξας ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ὑπέρθορον ἑρκίον αὐλῆς

ῥεῖα, λαθὼν φύλακάς τʼ ἄνδρας δμῳάς τε γυναῖκας.

φεῦγον ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε διʼ Ἑλλάδος εὐρυχόροιο,

Φθίην δʼ ἐξικόμην ἐριβώλακα μητέρα μήλων

480ἐς Πηλῆα ἄναχθʼ· ὃ δέ με πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο,

καί μʼ ἐφίλησʼ ὡς εἴ τε πατὴρ ὃν παῖδα φιλήσῃ

μοῦνον τηλύγετον πολλοῖσιν ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσι,

καί μʼ ἀφνειὸν ἔθηκε, πολὺν δέ μοι ὤπασε λαόν·

ναῖον δʼ ἐσχατιὴν Φθίης Δολόπεσσιν ἀνάσσων.

464My clansmen and cousins thronged around me,

465begging me to stay, and held me there within the halls.

They slaughtered many sturdy sheep and shambling, curved-horned cattle,

and many pigs, fat and thriving,

were singed and stretched across Hephaestus’ flame.

Much wine from the old man’s jars was drunk.

470For nine nights they slept around me there.

Taking turns, they kept watch, and the fires never went out:

one beneath the portico of the well-fenced courtyard,

the other in the forehall, before my chamber doors.

But when the tenth dark night came upon me,

475I broke through the closely fitted doors of my chamber

and went out, then easily vaulted the courtyard wall,

unseen by the men on guard and the women servants.

I fled far away through broad Hellas

and reached fertile Phthia, mother of flocks,

480and lord Peleus. He welcomed me with a ready heart

and loved me as a father loves his own son,

his only, late-born child among many possessions.

He made me wealthy and gave me many people,

and I lived on Phthia’s frontier, ruling the Dolopians.

485καί σε τοσοῦτον ἔθηκα θεοῖς ἐπιείκελʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ,

ἐκ θυμοῦ φιλέων, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐθέλεσκες ἅμʼ ἄλλῳ

οὔτʼ ἐς δαῖτʼ ἰέναι οὔτʼ ἐν μεγάροισι πάσασθαι,

πρίν γʼ ὅτε δή σʼ ἐπʼ ἐμοῖσιν ἐγὼ γούνεσσι καθίσσας

ὄψου τʼ ἄσαιμι προταμὼν καὶ οἶνον ἐπισχών.

490πολλάκι μοι κατέδευσας ἐπὶ στήθεσσι χιτῶνα

οἴνου ἀποβλύζων ἐν νηπιέῃ ἀλεγεινῇ.

ὣς ἐπὶ σοὶ μάλα πολλὰ πάθον καὶ πολλὰ μόγησα,

τὰ φρονέων ὅ μοι οὔ τι θεοὶ γόνον ἐξετέλειον

ἐξ ἐμεῦ· ἀλλὰ σὲ παῖδα θεοῖς ἐπιείκελʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ

495ποιεύμην, ἵνα μοί ποτʼ ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀμύνῃς.

485And I made you as great as you are, godlike Achilles,

loving you from my heart, since you would never go with another

to a feast or eat within the halls,

until I took you and set you upon my knees,

cut your meat, fed you your fill, and held the wine for you.

490Often you soaked the tunic on my chest,

spitting up the wine in the troubles of infancy.

So much I suffered for you, and so much I labored,

reflecting that the gods would grant me no child

born from myself. Instead, godlike Achilles, I made you

495my son, so that one day you might ward shameful ruin from me.

496ἀλλʼ Ἀχιλεῦ δάμασον θυμὸν μέγαν· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

νηλεὲς ἦτορ ἔχειν· στρεπτοὶ δέ τε καὶ θεοὶ αὐτοί,

τῶν περ καὶ μείζων ἀρετὴ τιμή τε βίη τε.

καὶ μὲν τοὺς θυέεσσι καὶ εὐχωλῇς ἀγανῇσι

500λοιβῇ τε κνίσῃ τε παρατρωπῶσʼ ἄνθρωποι

λισσόμενοι, ὅτε κέν τις ὑπερβήῃ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ.

καὶ γάρ τε λιταί εἰσι Διὸς κοῦραι μεγάλοιο

χωλαί τε ῥυσαί τε παραβλῶπές τʼ ὀφθαλμώ,

αἵ ῥά τε καὶ μετόπισθʼ ἄτης ἀλέγουσι κιοῦσαι.

505ἣ δʼ ἄτη σθεναρή τε καὶ ἀρτίπος, οὕνεκα πάσας

πολλὸν ὑπεκπροθέει, φθάνει δέ τε πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν

βλάπτουσʼ ἀνθρώπους· αἳ δʼ ἐξακέονται ὀπίσσω.

ὃς μέν τʼ αἰδέσεται κούρας Διὸς ἆσσον ἰούσας,

τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὤνησαν καί τʼ ἔκλυον εὐχομένοιο·

510ὃς δέ κʼ ἀνήνηται καί τε στερεῶς ἀποείπῃ,

λίσσονται δʼ ἄρα ταί γε Δία Κρονίωνα κιοῦσαι

τῷ ἄτην ἅμʼ ἕπεσθαι, ἵνα βλαφθεὶς ἀποτίσῃ.

ἀλλʼ Ἀχιλεῦ πόρε καὶ σὺ Διὸς κούρῃσιν ἕπεσθαι

τιμήν, ἥ τʼ ἄλλων περ ἐπιγνάμπτει νόον ἐσθλῶν.

496But Achilles, master your great spirit. You should not

keep a pitiless heart. Even the gods themselves can be turned,

though their excellence, honor, and power are greater.

Yet with burnt offerings and gentle prayers,

500with libation and sacrificial savor, mortals turn them aside

by supplication, whenever someone transgresses and goes astray.

For Prayers too are daughters of great Zeus,

lame and wrinkled, their eyes cast askance,

and following behind Delusion, they tend those she has harmed.

505But Delusion is strong and sound of foot, and so

she runs far ahead of them all and reaches the whole earth first,

harming human beings, while the Prayers heal them afterward.

Whoever respects Zeus’s daughters as they draw near,

they greatly help him and hear him when he prays.

510But if a man rejects them and sternly refuses,

they go and supplicate Zeus son of Cronus,

asking that Delusion follow him, so he too may be harmed and pay.

Achilles, you too must let honor follow Zeus’s daughters,

the honor that bends the minds of other noble men as well.

515εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ δῶρα φέροι τὰ δʼ ὄπισθʼ ὀνομάζοι

Ἀτρεΐδης, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἐπιζαφελῶς χαλεπαίνοι,

οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγέ σε μῆνιν ἀπορρίψαντα κελοίμην

Ἀργείοισιν ἀμυνέμεναι χατέουσί περ ἔμπης·

νῦν δʼ ἅμα τʼ αὐτίκα πολλὰ διδοῖ τὰ δʼ ὄπισθεν ὑπέστη,

520ἄνδρας δὲ λίσσεσθαι ἐπιπροέηκεν ἀρίστους

κρινάμενος κατὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιϊκόν, οἵ τε σοὶ αὐτῷ

φίλτατοι Ἀργείων· τῶν μὴ σύ γε μῦθον ἐλέγξῃς

μηδὲ πόδας· πρὶν δʼ οὔ τι νεμεσσητὸν κεχολῶσθαι.

οὕτω καὶ τῶν πρόσθεν ἐπευθόμεθα κλέα ἀνδρῶν

525ἡρώων, ὅτε κέν τινʼ ἐπιζάφελος χόλος ἵκοι·

δωρητοί τε πέλοντο παράρρητοί τʼ ἐπέεσσι.

μέμνημαι τόδε ἔργον ἐγὼ πάλαι οὔ τι νέον γε

ὡς ἦν· ἐν δʼ ὑμῖν ἐρέω πάντεσσι φίλοισι.

515If Atreus’ son were bringing no gifts and promising none afterward,

but kept on raging with relentless fury,

I would not urge you to cast away your wrath

and defend the Argives, however great their need.

But now he gives you much at once and promises more afterward,

520and he has sent forth the best men to supplicate you,

chosen from the Achaean host, men who to you yourself

are dearest among the Argives. Do not put their words to shame,

nor their feet. Before this no one could blame your anger.

So too we have heard the fame of heroes of old,

525men overtaken by the fury of violent anger:

they could be won with gifts and persuaded by words.

I remember an ancient deed, no recent thing,

as it happened. I will tell it among you, all my friends.

529Κουρῆτές τʼ ἐμάχοντο καὶ Αἰτωλοὶ μενεχάρμαι

530ἀμφὶ πόλιν Καλυδῶνα καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον,

Αἰτωλοὶ μὲν ἀμυνόμενοι Καλυδῶνος ἐραννῆς,

Κουρῆτες δὲ διαπραθέειν μεμαῶτες Ἄρηϊ.

καὶ γὰρ τοῖσι κακὸν χρυσόθρονος Ἄρτεμις ὦρσε

χωσαμένη ὅ οἱ οὔ τι θαλύσια γουνῷ ἀλωῆς

535Οἰνεὺς ῥέξʼ· ἄλλοι δὲ θεοὶ δαίνυνθʼ ἑκατόμβας,

οἴῃ δʼ οὐκ ἔρρεξε Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο.

ἢ λάθετʼ ἢ οὐκ ἐνόησεν· ἀάσατο δὲ μέγα θυμῷ.

ἣ δὲ χολωσαμένη δῖον γένος ἰοχέαιρα

ὦρσεν ἔπι χλούνην σῦν ἄγριον ἀργιόδοντα,

540ὃς κακὰ πόλλʼ ἕρδεσκεν ἔθων Οἰνῆος ἀλωήν·

πολλὰ δʼ ὅ γε προθέλυμνα χαμαὶ βάλε δένδρεα μακρὰ

αὐτῇσιν ῥίζῃσι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἄνθεσι μήλων.

τὸν δʼ υἱὸς Οἰνῆος ἀπέκτεινεν Μελέαγρος

πολλέων ἐκ πολίων θηρήτορας ἄνδρας ἀγείρας

545καὶ κύνας· οὐ μὲν γάρ κε δάμη παύροισι βροτοῖσι·

τόσσος ἔην, πολλοὺς δὲ πυρῆς ἐπέβησʼ ἀλεγεινῆς.

ἣ δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ θῆκε πολὺν κέλαδον καὶ ἀϋτὴν

ἀμφὶ συὸς κεφαλῇ καὶ δέρματι λαχνήεντι,

Κουρήτων τε μεσηγὺ καὶ Αἰτωλῶν μεγαθύμων.

529The Curetes and the steadfast Aetolians fought

530around the city of Calydon and killed one another,

the Aetolians defending lovely Calydon,

the Curetes straining to sack it in war.

Golden-throned Artemis had raised the evil among them,

angry because Oeneus offered her no first fruits

535from the ridge of his orchard. The other gods feasted on hecatombs,

but to her alone, great Zeus’s daughter, he made no offering.

Either he forgot or failed to notice; in his heart he went gravely astray.

Enraged, the archer goddess raised against him a beast of divine breed:

a savage wild boar with white tusks.

540Ravaging Oeneus’ orchard, it worked him endless harm.

It flung many tall trees flat upon the ground, roots and all,

together with the very blossoms of their fruit.

Oeneus’ son Meleager killed the boar,

after gathering hunters from many cities,

545and hounds—for no small band of mortals could have brought it down,

so huge it was, and it sent many men to the grievous pyre.

But around its body the goddess raised a mighty clash and outcry

over the boar’s head and shaggy hide,

between the Curetes and the great-hearted Aetolians.

550ὄφρα μὲν οὖν Μελέαγρος ἄρηι φίλος πολέμιζε,

τόφρα δὲ Κουρήτεσσι κακῶς ἦν, οὐδὲ δύναντο

τείχεος ἔκτοσθεν μίμνειν πολέες περ ἐόντες·

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Μελέαγρον ἔδυ χόλος, ὅς τε καὶ ἄλλων

οἰδάνει ἐν στήθεσσι νόον πύκα περ φρονεόντων,

555ἤτοι ὃ μητρὶ φίλῃ Ἀλθαίῃ χωόμενος κῆρ

κεῖτο παρὰ μνηστῇ ἀλόχῳ καλῇ Κλεοπάτρῃ

κούρῃ Μαρπήσσης καλλισφύρου Εὐηνίνης

Ἴδεώ θʼ, ὃς κάρτιστος ἐπιχθονίων γένετʼ ἀνδρῶν

τῶν τότε· καί ῥα ἄνακτος ἐναντίον εἵλετο τόξον

560Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος καλλισφύρου εἵνεκα νύμφης,

τὴν δὲ τότʼ ἐν μεγάροισι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

Ἀλκυόνην καλέεσκον ἐπώνυμον, οὕνεκʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῆς

μήτηρ ἀλκυόνος πολυπενθέος οἶτον ἔχουσα

κλαῖεν ὅ μιν ἑκάεργος ἀνήρπασε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·

565τῇ ὅ γε παρκατέλεκτο χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσων

ἐξ ἀρέων μητρὸς κεχολωμένος, ἥ ῥα θεοῖσι

πόλλʼ ἀχέουσʼ ἠρᾶτο κασιγνήτοιο φόνοιο,

πολλὰ δὲ καὶ γαῖαν πολυφόρβην χερσὶν ἀλοία

κικλήσκουσʼ Ἀΐδην καὶ ἐπαινὴν Περσεφόνειαν

570πρόχνυ καθεζομένη, δεύοντο δὲ δάκρυσι κόλποι,

παιδὶ δόμεν θάνατον· τῆς δʼ ἠεροφοῖτις Ἐρινὺς

ἔκλυεν ἐξ Ἐρέβεσφιν ἀμείλιχον ἦτορ ἔχουσα.

550As long as Meleager, dear to Ares, fought,

the Curetes suffered, and despite their numbers

they could not hold their ground outside the wall.

But when anger entered Meleager—anger that swells

the mind within the breast, even in those who think with care—

555then, angry at heart with his own mother Althaea,

he lay beside his wedded wife, beautiful Cleopatra,

daughter of fair-ankled Marpessa, Euenus’ daughter,

and of Idas, the strongest of men upon the earth

in his day; he even took up his bow against the lord

560Phoebus Apollo, for the sake of the fair-ankled maiden.

In the halls her father and lady mother

used to call Cleopatra by the name Alcyone,

because her mother, bearing the fate of a much-grieving halcyon,

had wept when far-working Phoebus Apollo carried her away.

565Beside Cleopatra Meleager lay, brooding on heart-paining anger,

enraged by his mother’s curses. Grieving bitterly

for her brother’s killing, she prayed again and again to the gods,

and again and again she beat the all-nourishing earth with her hands,

calling on Hades and dread Persephone.

570She knelt bowed forward, and her breast was soaked with tears,

asking them to give death to her son. From Erebus the mist-walking Erinys

heard her, with a heart that cannot be appeased.

573τῶν δὲ τάχʼ ἀμφὶ πύλας ὅμαδος καὶ δοῦπος ὀρώρει

πύργων βαλλομένων· τὸν δὲ λίσσοντο γέροντες

575Αἰτωλῶν, πέμπον δὲ θεῶν ἱερῆας ἀρίστους,

ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἀμῦναι ὑποσχόμενοι μέγα δῶρον·

ὁππόθι πιότατον πεδίον Καλυδῶνος ἐραννῆς,

ἔνθά μιν ἤνωγον τέμενος περικαλλὲς ἑλέσθαι

πεντηκοντόγυον, τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ οἰνοπέδοιο,

580ἥμισυ δὲ ψιλὴν ἄροσιν πεδίοιο ταμέσθαι.

πολλὰ δέ μιν λιτάνευε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Οἰνεὺς

οὐδοῦ ἐπεμβεβαὼς ὑψηρεφέος θαλάμοιο

σείων κολλητὰς σανίδας γουνούμενος υἱόν·

πολλὰ δὲ τόν γε κασίγνηται καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

585ἐλλίσσονθʼ· ὃ δὲ μᾶλλον ἀναίνετο· πολλὰ δʼ ἑταῖροι,

οἵ οἱ κεδνότατοι καὶ φίλτατοι ἦσαν ἁπάντων·

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς τοῦ θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθον,

πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ θάλαμος πύκʼ ἐβάλλετο, τοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ πύργων

βαῖνον Κουρῆτες καὶ ἐνέπρηθον μέγα ἄστυ.

573Soon a roar and crash rose around the gates

as the towers were battered. The elders of the Aetolians begged him

575and sent the best priests of the gods,

promising a mighty gift if he would come out and defend them.

Wherever the plain of lovely Calydon was richest,

there they urged him to choose a splendid demesne,

fifty plowlands in extent, one half planted in vines,

580the other half open field to mark off for plowing.

The old horseman Oeneus begged him again and again,

standing upon the threshold of his high-roofed chamber,

shaking the fitted doors as he implored his son.

His sisters and his lady mother implored him

585again and again, but he refused them all the more. His companions too,

the truest and dearest to him of them all, pleaded with him.

Yet even so they could not persuade the spirit within his breast,

until at last his chamber was battered hard, the Curetes mounted

the towers and began to set the great city on fire.

590καὶ τότε δὴ Μελέαγρον ἐΰζωνος παράκοιτις

λίσσετʼ ὀδυρομένη, καί οἱ κατέλεξεν ἅπαντα

κήδεʼ, ὅσʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέλει τῶν ἄστυ ἁλώῃ·

ἄνδρας μὲν κτείνουσι, πόλιν δέ τε πῦρ ἀμαθύνει,

τέκνα δέ τʼ ἄλλοι ἄγουσι βαθυζώνους τε γυναῖκας.

595τοῦ δʼ ὠρίνετο θυμὸς ἀκούοντος κακὰ ἔργα,

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι, χροῒ δʼ ἔντεʼ ἐδύσετο παμφανόωντα.

ὣς ὃ μὲν Αἰτωλοῖσιν ἀπήμυνεν κακὸν ἦμαρ

εἴξας ᾧ θυμῷ· τῷ δʼ οὐκέτι δῶρα τέλεσσαν

πολλά τε καὶ χαρίεντα, κακὸν δʼ ἤμυνε καὶ αὔτως.

600ἀλλὰ σὺ μή μοι ταῦτα νόει φρεσί, μὴ δέ σε δαίμων

ἐνταῦθα τρέψειε φίλος· κάκιον δέ κεν εἴη

νηυσὶν καιομένῃσιν ἀμυνέμεν· ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ δώρων

ἔρχεο· ἶσον γάρ σε θεῷ τίσουσιν Ἀχαιοί.

εἰ δέ κʼ ἄτερ δώρων πόλεμον φθισήνορα δύῃς

605οὐκέθʼ ὁμῶς τιμῆς ἔσεαι πόλεμόν περ ἀλαλκών.

590Then Meleager’s finely belted wife

begged him in lamentation and recounted all the sufferings

that come upon people whose city is taken:

they kill the men, and fire grinds the city to ruin,

and other men lead away the children and deep-girdled women.

595His spirit stirred as he heard of these dreadful deeds.

He rose and went, clothing his body in gleaming armor.

So he warded the evil day from the Aetolians,

yielding to his own spirit. But they no longer paid him

the many gracious gifts; he warded off their ruin all the same.

600Do not, then, set such thoughts within your mind. May no god,

dear child, turn you down that path. It would be worse

to defend the ships once they are burning. Come while there are gifts.

The Achaeans will honor you like a god.

But if without gifts you enter man-destroying war,

605you will no longer be held in equal honor, even if you drive the war away.”

606τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Φοῖνιξ ἄττα γεραιὲ διοτρεφὲς οὔ τί με ταύτης

χρεὼ τιμῆς· φρονέω δὲ τετιμῆσθαι Διὸς αἴσῃ,

ἥ μʼ ἕξει παρὰ νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν εἰς ὅ κʼ ἀϋτμὴ

610ἐν στήθεσσι μένῃ καί μοι φίλα γούνατʼ ὀρώρῃ.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσι·

μή μοι σύγχει θυμὸν ὀδυρόμενος καὶ ἀχεύων

Ἀτρεΐδῃ ἥρωϊ φέρων χάριν· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

τὸν φιλέειν, ἵνα μή μοι ἀπέχθηαι φιλέοντι.

615καλόν τοι σὺν ἐμοὶ τὸν κήδειν ὅς κʼ ἐμὲ κήδῃ·

ἶσον ἐμοὶ βασίλευε καὶ ἥμισυ μείρεο τιμῆς.

οὗτοι δʼ ἀγγελέουσι, σὺ δʼ αὐτόθι λέξεο μίμνων

εὐνῇ ἔνι μαλακῇ· ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι

φρασσόμεθʼ ἤ κε νεώμεθʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέτερʼ ἦ κε μένωμεν.

606Swift-footed Achilles answered him:

“Phoenix, old father, Zeus-nurtured, I have no need

of this honor. I believe Zeus’s allotment has honored me,

and it will keep me here beside the beaked ships as long as breath

610remains in my chest and my own knees still move.

One thing more I will tell you; lay it well within your mind:

do not trouble my spirit by lamenting and grieving

to do the hero, Atreus’ son, a favor. You should not

love him, or you will be hateful to me, who loves you.

615It is right for you to join me in hurting the man who hurts me.

Rule equally with me and take half my honor.

These men will carry the message. You stay and lie here

in a soft bed. When Dawn appears,

we will decide whether to return to our own land or remain.”

620ἦ καὶ Πατρόκλῳ ὅ γʼ ἐπʼ ὀφρύσι νεῦσε σιωπῇ

Φοίνικι στορέσαι πυκινὸν λέχος, ὄφρα τάχιστα

ἐκ κλισίης νόστοιο μεδοίατο· τοῖσι δʼ ἄρʼ Αἴας

ἀντίθεος Τελαμωνιάδης μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπε·

620So he nodded silently to Patroclus with his brows,

to spread a thick bed for Phoenix, so the others might quickly

think of their return from the shelter. Then godlike Ajax,

son of Telamon, spoke among them:

624διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ

625ἴομεν· οὐ γάρ μοι δοκέει μύθοιο τελευτὴ

τῇδέ γʼ ὁδῷ κρανέεσθαι· ἀπαγγεῖλαι δὲ τάχιστα

χρὴ μῦθον Δαναοῖσι καὶ οὐκ ἀγαθόν περ ἐόντα

οἵ που νῦν ἕαται ποτιδέγμενοι. αὐτάρ Ἀχιλλεὺς

ἄγριον ἐν στήθεσσι θέτο μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν

630σχέτλιος, οὐδὲ μετατρέπεται φιλότητος ἑταίρων

τῆς ᾗ μιν παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐτίομεν ἔξοχον ἄλλων

νηλής· καὶ μέν τίς τε κασιγνήτοιο φονῆος

ποινὴν ἢ οὗ παιδὸς ἐδέξατο τεθνηῶτος·

καί ῥʼ ὃ μὲν ἐν δήμῳ μένει αὐτοῦ πόλλʼ ἀποτίσας,

635τοῦ δέ τʼ ἐρητύεται κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

ποινὴν δεξαμένῳ· σοὶ δʼ ἄληκτόν τε κακόν τε

θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι θεοὶ θέσαν εἵνεκα κούρης

οἴης· νῦν δέ τοι ἑπτὰ παρίσχομεν ἔξοχʼ ἀρίστας,

ἄλλά τε πόλλʼ ἐπὶ τῇσι· σὺ δʼ ἵλαον ἔνθεο θυμόν,

640αἴδεσσαι δὲ μέλαθρον· ὑπωρόφιοι δέ τοί εἰμεν

πληθύος ἐκ Δαναῶν, μέμαμεν δέ τοι ἔξοχον ἄλλων

κήδιστοί τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ φίλτατοι ὅσσοι Ἀχαιοί.

624“Zeus-born son of Laertes, resourceful Odysseus,

625let us go. I do not think the end of our appeal

will be accomplished by this path. We must report the message

to the Danaans at once, though it is no good news.

They must be sitting there now awaiting us. But Achilles

has made the great-hearted spirit within his breast savage.

630Hard-hearted, he has no regard for his companions’ friendship,

the friendship by which we honored him at the ships beyond all others.

Pitiless! A man will even accept compensation from his brother’s killer

or for his own dead son.

The killer remains there among his people after paying much,

635while the other man’s heart and proud spirit are restrained

when he accepts the payment. But the gods have set in you

an implacable, evil spirit for the sake of one girl.

Now we offer you seven women, outstanding among the best,

and much else besides. Make your spirit gracious.

640Show regard for your roof: we are beneath it as your guests,

we come from the Danaan host, eager beyond all others

to be the dearest and most cherished Achaeans in your eyes.”

643τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Αἶαν διογενὲς Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν

645πάντά τί μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἐείσαο μυθήσασθαι·

ἀλλά μοι οἰδάνεται κραδίη χόλῳ ὁππότε κείνων

μνήσομαι ὥς μʼ ἀσύφηλον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔρεξεν

Ἀτρεΐδης ὡς εἴ τινʼ ἀτίμητον μετανάστην.

ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς ἔρχεσθε καὶ ἀγγελίην ἀπόφασθε·

650οὐ γὰρ πρὶν πολέμοιο μεδήσομαι αἱματόεντος

πρίν γʼ υἱὸν Πριάμοιο δαΐφρονος Ἕκτορα δῖον

Μυρμιδόνων ἐπί τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἱκέσθαι

κτείνοντʼ Ἀργείους, κατά τε σμῦξαι πυρὶ νῆας.

ἀμφὶ δέ τοι τῇ ἐμῇ κλισίῃ καὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ

655Ἕκτορα καὶ μεμαῶτα μάχης σχήσεσθαι ὀΐω.

643Swift-footed Achilles answered him:

“Ajax, Zeus-born son of Telamon, leader of the host,

645almost everything you have said seems to accord with my spirit.

Yet my heart swells with anger whenever I remember

how Atreus’ son treated me with contempt among the Argives,

as if I were some dishonored alien without standing.

Go now and report the message.

650I will give no thought to bloody war

until godlike Hector, son of battle-wise Priam,

comes to the shelters and ships of the Myrmidons,

killing Argives and burning their ships down with fire.

But around my own shelter and my black ship,

655I think Hector, however eager for battle, will be brought to a halt.”

656ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δὲ ἕκαστος ἑλὼν δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον

σπείσαντες παρὰ νῆας ἴσαν πάλιν· ἦρχε δʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἰδὲ δμωῇσι κέλευσε

Φοίνικι στορέσαι πυκινὸν λέχος ὅττι τάχιστα.

660αἳ δʼ ἐπιπειθόμεναι στόρεσαν λέχος ὡς ἐκέλευσε

κώεά τε ῥῆγός τε λίνοιό τε λεπτὸν ἄωτον.

ἔνθʼ ὃ γέρων κατέλεκτο καὶ ἠῶ δῖαν ἔμιμνεν.

αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς εὗδε μυχῷ κλισίης εὐπήκτου·

τῷ δʼ ἄρα παρκατέλεκτο γυνή, τὴν Λεσβόθεν ἦγε,

665Φόρβαντος θυγάτηρ Διομήδη καλλιπάρῃος.

Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐλέξατο· πὰρ δʼ ἄρα καὶ τῷ

Ἶφις ἐΰζωνος, τήν οἱ πόρε δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς

Σκῦρον ἑλὼν αἰπεῖαν Ἐνυῆος πτολίεθρον.

656So he spoke. Each man took a two-handled cup,

poured a libation, and went back beside the ships, Odysseus leading.

Patroclus ordered his companions and the women servants

to spread a thick bed for Phoenix with all speed.

660The women obeyed and spread the bed as he commanded:

fleeces, a blanket, and the finest weave of linen.

There the old man lay down and awaited shining Dawn.

Achilles slept in the recess of his well-built shelter,

and beside him lay a woman he had brought from Lesbos,

665fair-cheeked Diomede, daughter of Phorbas.

Patroclus lay down on the other side, and beside him too

lay finely belted Iphis, whom godlike Achilles had given him

when he took steep Scyros, city of Enyeus.

669οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίῃσιν ἐν Ἀτρεΐδαο γένοντο.

670τοὺς μὲν ἄρα χρυσέοισι κυπέλλοις υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

δειδέχατʼ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος ἀνασταδόν, ἔκ τʼ ἐρέοντο·

πρῶτος δʼ ἐξερέεινεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

εἴπʼ ἄγε μʼ ὦ πολύαινʼ Ὀδυσεῦ μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν

ἤ ῥʼ ἐθέλει νήεσσιν ἀλεξέμεναι δήϊον πῦρ,

675ἦ ἀπέειπε, χόλος δʼ ἔτʼ ἔχει μεγαλήτορα θυμόν;

669When the envoys reached the shelters of Atreus’ son,

670the sons of the Achaeans greeted them with golden cups;

men rose from every side and questioned them.

Agamemnon, lord of men, was first to ask:

“Come, tell me, much-praised Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans:

is he willing to defend the ships from hostile fire,

675or did he refuse, his great-hearted spirit still held by anger?”

676τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον

κεῖνός γʼ οὐκ ἐθέλει σβέσσαι χόλον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον

πιμπλάνεται μένεος, σὲ δʼ ἀναίνεται ἠδὲ σὰ δῶρα.

680αὐτόν σε φράζεσθαι ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἄνωγεν

ὅππως κεν νῆάς τε σαῷς καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·

αὐτὸς δʼ ἠπείλησεν ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι

νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους ἅλαδʼ ἑλκέμεν ἀμφιελίσσας.

καὶ δʼ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἔφη παραμυθήσασθαι

685οἴκαδʼ ἀποπλείειν, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι δήετε τέκμωρ

Ἰλίου αἰπεινῆς· μάλα γάρ ἑθεν εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

χεῖρα ἑὴν ὑπερέσχε, τεθαρσήκασι δὲ λαοί.

ὣς ἔφατʼ· εἰσὶ καὶ οἵδε τάδʼ εἰπέμεν, οἵ μοι ἕποντο,

Αἴας καὶ κήρυκε δύω πεπνυμένω ἄμφω.

690Φοῖνιξ δʼ αὖθʼ ὃ γέρων κατελέξατο, ὡς γὰρ ἀνώγει,

ὄφρά οἱ ἐν νήεσσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἕπηται

αὔριον, ἢν ἐθέλῃσιν· ἀνάγκῃ δʼ οὔ τί μιν ἄξει.

676Much-enduring godlike Odysseus answered him:

“Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, lord of men,

he has no wish to quench his anger. Instead it grows still greater:

he is filled with fury and rejects you and your gifts.

680He commands you yourself to consider among the Argives

how you might save the Achaeans’ ships and people.

And he himself threatened that when Dawn appears

he will drag his well-benched, double-curved ships to the sea.

He said he would urge the others as well

685to sail home, since you will no longer find

steep Ilium’s appointed end. Far-seeing Zeus

has stretched his hand over her, and her people have taken courage.

So he said. These men who followed me can tell you the same,

Ajax and the two heralds, both men of sound judgment.

690But old Phoenix has lain down there, just as Achilles commanded,

so that tomorrow he may follow him in the ships to his dear native land,

if he wishes. He will not take him by force.”

693ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἀγόρευσε.

695δὴν δʼ ἄνεῳ ἦσαν τετιηότες υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον

μὴ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα

μυρία δῶρα διδούς· ὃ δʼ ἀγήνωρ ἐστὶ καὶ ἄλλως·

700νῦν αὖ μιν πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀγηνορίῃσιν ἐνῆκας.

693So he spoke, and all fell silent,

astonished at his words, for he had spoken with stern force.

695For a long while the distressed sons of the Achaeans sat speechless.

At last Diomedes, good at the war cry, spoke among them:

“Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, lord of men,

you should never have begged the blameless son of Peleus

and offered countless gifts. He was proud enough before;

700now you have driven him much further into his pride.

701ἀλλʼ ἤτοι κεῖνον μὲν ἐάσομεν ἤ κεν ἴῃσιν

ἦ κε μένῃ· τότε δʼ αὖτε μαχήσεται ὁππότε κέν μιν

θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἀνώγῃ καὶ θεὸς ὄρσῃ.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες·

705νῦν μὲν κοιμήσασθε τεταρπόμενοι φίλον ἦτορ

σίτου καὶ οἴνοιο· τὸ γὰρ μένος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀλκή·

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κε φανῇ καλὴ ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

καρπαλίμως πρὸ νεῶν ἐχέμεν λαόν τε καὶ ἵππους

ὀτρύνων, καὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐνὶ πρώτοισι μάχεσθαι.

710ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνησαν βασιλῆες

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.

καὶ τότε δὴ σπείσαντες ἔβαν κλισίην δὲ ἕκαστος,

ἔνθα δὲ κοιμήσαντο καὶ ὕπνου δῶρον ἕλοντο.

701But we shall leave him be, whether he goes

or stays. He will fight again whenever

the spirit in his breast commands him and a god rouses him.

Come then, let us all do as I propose:

705for now, lie down to sleep, having satisfied your dear hearts

with food and wine, for in these lie force and battle-strength.

But when fair rosy-fingered Dawn appears,

swiftly array troops and horses before the ships,

urge them on, and fight yourself among the foremost.”

710So he spoke, and all the kings gave their approval,

admiring the declaration of horse-taming Diomedes.

Then they poured libations and went each to his shelter.

There they lay down and took the gift of sleep.