1  Ἠὼς μὲν κροκόπεπλος ἐκίδνατο πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν,
2  Ζεὺς δὲ θεῶν ἀγορὴν ποιήσατο τερπικέραυνος
3  ἀκροτάτῃ κορυφῇ πολυδειράδος Οὐλύμποιο·
4  αὐτὸς δέ σφʼ ἀγόρευε, θεοὶ δʼ ὑπὸ πάντες ἄκουον·
5  κέκλυτέ μευ πάντές τε θεοὶ πᾶσαί τε θέαιναι,
6  ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
7  μήτέ τις οὖν θήλεια θεὸς τό γε μήτέ τις ἄρσην
8  πειράτω διακέρσαι ἐμὸν ἔπος, ἀλλʼ ἅμα πάντες
9  αἰνεῖτʼ, ὄφρα τάχιστα τελευτήσω τάδε ἔργα.
10  ὃν δʼ ἂν ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε θεῶν ἐθέλοντα νοήσω
11  ἐλθόντʼ ἢ Τρώεσσιν ἀρηγέμεν ἢ Δαναοῖσι
12  πληγεὶς οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ἐλεύσεται Οὔλυμπον δέ·
13  ἤ μιν ἑλὼν ῥίψω ἐς Τάρταρον ἠερόεντα
14  τῆλε μάλʼ, ἧχι βάθιστον ὑπὸ χθονός ἐστι βέρεθρον,
15  ἔνθα σιδήρειαί τε πύλαι καὶ χάλκεος οὐδός,
16  τόσσον ἔνερθʼ Ἀΐδεω ὅσον οὐρανός ἐστʼ ἀπὸ γαίης·
17  γνώσετʼ ἔπειθʼ ὅσον εἰμὶ θεῶν κάρτιστος ἁπάντων.
18  εἰ δʼ ἄγε πειρήσασθε θεοὶ ἵνα εἴδετε πάντες·
19  σειρὴν χρυσείην ἐξ οὐρανόθεν κρεμάσαντες
20  πάντές τʼ ἐξάπτεσθε θεοὶ πᾶσαί τε θέαιναι·
21  ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐρύσαιτʼ ἐξ οὐρανόθεν πεδίον δὲ
22  Ζῆνʼ ὕπατον μήστωρʼ, οὐδʼ εἰ μάλα πολλὰ κάμοιτε.
23  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἐγὼ πρόφρων ἐθέλοιμι ἐρύσσαι,
24  αὐτῇ κεν γαίῃ ἐρύσαιμʼ αὐτῇ τε θαλάσσῃ·
25  σειρὴν μέν κεν ἔπειτα περὶ ῥίον Οὐλύμποιο
26  δησαίμην, τὰ δέ κʼ αὖτε μετήορα πάντα γένοιτο.
27  τόσσον ἐγὼ περί τʼ εἰμὶ θεῶν περί τʼ εἴμʼ ἀνθρώπων.
28  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ
29  μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἀγόρευσεν.
30  ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·
31  ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε Κρονίδη ὕπατε κρειόντων
32  εὖ νυ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν ὅ τοι σθένος οὐκ ἐπιεικτόν·
33  ἀλλʼ ἔμπης Δαναῶν ὀλοφυρόμεθʼ αἰχμητάων,
34  οἵ κεν δὴ κακὸν οἶτον ἀναπλήσαντες ὄλωνται.
35  ἀλλʼ ἤτοι πολέμου μὲν ἀφεξόμεθʼ ὡς σὺ κελεύεις·
36  βουλὴν δʼ Ἀργείοις ὑποθησόμεθʼ ἥ τις ὀνήσει,
37  ὡς μὴ πάντες ὄλωνται ὀδυσσαμένοιο τεοῖο.
38  τὴν δʼ ἐπιμειδήσας προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·
39  θάρσει Τριτογένεια φίλον τέκος· οὔ νύ τι θυμῷ
40  πρόφρονι μυθέομαι, ἐθέλω δέ τοι ἤπιος εἶναι.
41  ὣς εἰπὼν ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι τιτύσκετο χαλκόποδʼ ἵππω
42  ὠκυπέτα χρυσέῃσιν ἐθείρῃσιν κομόωντε,
43  χρυσὸν δʼ αὐτὸς ἔδυνε περὶ χροΐ, γέντο δʼ ἱμάσθλην
44  χρυσείην εὔτυκτον, ἑοῦ δʼ ἐπεβήσετο δίφρου,
45  μάστιξεν δʼ ἐλάαν· τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην
46  μεσσηγὺς γαίης τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος.
47  Ἴδην δʼ ἵκανεν πολυπίδακα μητέρα θηρῶν
48  Γάργαρον, ἔνθά τέ οἱ τέμενος βωμός τε θυήεις.
49  ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε
50  λύσας ἐξ ὀχέων, κατὰ δʼ ἠέρα πουλὺν ἔχευεν.
51  αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν κορυφῇσι καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων
52  εἰσορόων Τρώων τε πόλιν καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
53  οἳ δʼ ἄρα δεῖπνον ἕλοντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
54  ῥίμφα κατὰ κλισίας, ἀπὸ δʼ αὐτοῦ θωρήσσοντο.
55  Τρῶες δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀνὰ πτόλιν ὁπλίζοντο
56  παυρότεροι· μέμασαν δὲ καὶ ὧς ὑσμῖνι μάχεσθαι
57  χρειοῖ ἀναγκαίῃ, πρό τε παίδων καὶ πρὸ γυναικῶν.
58  πᾶσαι δʼ ὠΐγνυντο πύλαι, ἐκ δʼ ἔσσυτο λαός,
59  πεζοί θʼ ἱππῆές τε· πολὺς δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει.
60  οἳ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐς χῶρον ἕνα ξυνιόντες ἵκοντο
61  σύν ῥʼ ἔβαλον ῥινούς, σὺν δʼ ἔγχεα καὶ μένεʼ ἀνδρῶν
62  χαλκεοθωρήκων· ἀτὰρ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι
63  ἔπληντʼ ἀλλήλῃσι, πολὺς δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει.
64  ἔνθα δʼ ἅμʼ οἰμωγή τε καὶ εὐχωλὴ πέλεν ἀνδρῶν
65  ὀλλύντων τε καὶ ὀλλυμένων, ῥέε δʼ αἵματι γαῖα.
66  ὄφρα μὲν ἠὼς ἦν καὶ ἀέξετο ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,
67  τόφρα μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων βέλεʼ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός.
68  ἦμος δʼ Ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει,
69  καὶ τότε δὴ χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τάλαντα·
70  ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει δύο κῆρε τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο
71  Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,
72  ἕλκε δὲ μέσσα λαβών· ῥέπε δʼ αἴσιμον ἦμαρ Ἀχαιῶν.
73  αἳ μὲν Ἀχαιῶν κῆρες ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ
74  ἑζέσθην, Τρώων δὲ πρὸς οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἄερθεν·
75  αὐτὸς δʼ ἐξ Ἴδης μεγάλʼ ἔκτυπε, δαιόμενον δὲ
76  ἧκε σέλας μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν· οἳ δὲ ἰδόντες
77  θάμβησαν, καὶ πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος εἷλεν.
78  ἔνθʼ οὔτʼ Ἰδομενεὺς τλῆ μίμνειν οὔτʼ Ἀγαμέμνων,
79  οὔτε δύʼ Αἴαντες μενέτην θεράποντες Ἄρηος·
80  Νέστωρ οἶος ἔμιμνε Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν
81  οὔ τι ἑκών, ἀλλʼ ἵππος ἐτείρετο, τὸν βάλεν ἰῷ
82  δῖος Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο
83  ἄκρην κὰκ κορυφήν, ὅθι τε πρῶται τρίχες ἵππων
84  κρανίῳ ἐμπεφύασι, μάλιστα δὲ καίριόν ἐστιν.
85  ἀλγήσας δʼ ἀνέπαλτο, βέλος δʼ εἰς ἐγκέφαλον δῦ,
86  σὺν δʼ ἵππους ἐτάραξε κυλινδόμενος περὶ χαλκῷ.
87  ὄφρʼ ὁ γέρων ἵπποιο παρηορίας ἀπέταμνε
88  φασγάνῳ ἀΐσσων, τόφρʼ Ἕκτορος ὠκέες ἵπποι
89  ἦλθον ἀνʼ ἰωχμὸν θρασὺν ἡνίοχον φορέοντες
90  Ἕκτορα· καί νύ κεν ἔνθʼ ὁ γέρων ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὄλεσσεν
91  εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
92  σμερδαλέον δʼ ἐβόησεν ἐποτρύνων Ὀδυσῆα·
93  διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ
94  πῇ φεύγεις μετὰ νῶτα βαλὼν κακὸς ὣς ἐν ὁμίλῳ;
95  μή τίς τοι φεύγοντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πήξῃ·
96  ἀλλὰ μένʼ ὄφρα γέροντος ἀπώσομεν ἄγριον ἄνδρα.
97  ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἐσάκουσε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,
98  ἀλλὰ παρήϊξεν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
99  Τυδεΐδης δʼ αὐτός περ ἐὼν προμάχοισιν ἐμίχθη,
100  στῆ δὲ πρόσθʼ ἵππων Νηληϊάδαο γέροντος,
101  καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
102  ὦ γέρον ἦ μάλα δή σε νέοι τείρουσι μαχηταί,
103  σὴ δὲ βίη λέλυται, χαλεπὸν δέ σε γῆρας ὀπάζει,
104  ἠπεδανὸς δέ νύ τοι θεράπων, βραδέες δέ τοι ἵπποι.
105  ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐμῶν ὀχέων ἐπιβήσεο, ὄφρα ἴδηαι
106  οἷοι Τρώϊοι ἵπποι ἐπιστάμενοι πεδίοιο
107  κραιπνὰ μάλʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διωκέμεν ἠδὲ φέβεσθαι,
108  οὕς ποτʼ ἀπʼ Αἰνείαν ἑλόμην μήστωρε φόβοιο.
109  τούτω μὲν θεράποντε κομείτων, τώδε δὲ νῶϊ
110  Τρωσὶν ἐφʼ ἱπποδάμοις ἰθύνομεν, ὄφρα καὶ Ἕκτωρ
111  εἴσεται εἰ καὶ ἐμὸν δόρυ μαίνεται ἐν παλάμῃσιν.
112  ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ.
113  Νεστορέας μὲν ἔπειθʼ ἵππους θεράποντε κομείτην
114  ἴφθιμοι Σθένελός τε καὶ Εὐρυμέδων ἀγαπήνωρ.
115  τὼ δʼ εἰς ἀμφοτέρω Διομήδεος ἅρματα βήτην·
116  Νέστωρ δʼ ἐν χείρεσσι λάβʼ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα,
117  μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους· τάχα δʼ Ἕκτορος ἄγχι γένοντο.
118  τοῦ δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτος ἀκόντισε Τυδέος υἱός·
119  καὶ τοῦ μέν ῥʼ ἀφάμαρτεν, ὃ δʼ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα
120  υἱὸν ὑπερθύμου Θηβαίου Ἠνιοπῆα
121  ἵππων ἡνίʼ ἔχοντα βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν.
122  ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, ὑπερώησαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι
123  ὠκύποδες· τοῦ δʼ αὖθι λύθη ψυχή τε μένος τε.
124  Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἡνιόχοιο·
125  τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ εἴασε καὶ ἀχνύμενός περ ἑταίρου
126  κεῖσθαι, ὃ δʼ ἡνίοχον μέθεπε θρασύν· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν
127  ἵππω δευέσθην σημάντορος· αἶψα γὰρ εὗρεν
128  Ἰφιτίδην Ἀρχεπτόλεμον θρασύν, ὅν ῥα τόθʼ ἵππων
129  ὠκυπόδων ἐπέβησε, δίδου δέ οἱ ἡνία χερσίν.
130  ἔνθά κε λοιγὸς ἔην καὶ ἀμήχανα ἔργα γένοντο,
131  καί νύ κε σήκασθεν κατὰ Ἴλιον ἠΰτε ἄρνες,
132  εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·
133  βροντήσας δʼ ἄρα δεινὸν ἀφῆκʼ ἀργῆτα κεραυνόν,
134  κὰδ δὲ πρόσθʼ ἵππων Διομήδεος ἧκε χαμᾶζε·
135  δεινὴ δὲ φλὸξ ὦρτο θεείου καιομένοιο,
136  τὼ δʼ ἵππω δείσαντε καταπτήτην ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι·
137  Νέστορα δʼ ἐκ χειρῶν φύγον ἡνία σιγαλόεντα,
138  δεῖσε δʼ ὅ γʼ ἐν θυμῷ, Διομήδεα δὲ προσέειπε·
139  Τυδεΐδη ἄγε δʼ αὖτε φόβον δʼ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους.
140  ἦ οὐ γιγνώσκεις ὅ τοι ἐκ Διὸς οὐχ ἕπετʼ ἀλκή;
141  νῦν μὲν γὰρ τούτῳ Κρονίδης Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀπάζει
142  σήμερον· ὕστερον αὖτε καὶ ἡμῖν, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσι,
143  δώσει· ἀνὴρ δέ κεν οὔ τι Διὸς νόον εἰρύσσαιτο
144  οὐδὲ μάλʼ ἴφθιμος, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερός ἐστι.
145  τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
146  ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα γέρον κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες·
147  ἀλλὰ τόδʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἱκάνει·
148  Ἕκτωρ γάρ ποτε φήσει ἐνὶ Τρώεσσʼ ἀγορεύων·
149  Τυδεΐδης ὑπʼ ἐμεῖο φοβεύμενος ἵκετο νῆας.
150  ὥς ποτʼ ἀπειλήσει· τότε μοι χάνοι εὐρεῖα χθών.
151  τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·
152  ὤ μοι Τυδέος υἱὲ δαΐφρονος, οἷον ἔειπες.
153  εἴ περ γάρ σʼ Ἕκτωρ γε κακὸν καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φήσει,
154  ἀλλʼ οὐ πείσονται Τρῶες καὶ Δαρδανίωνες
155  καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι μεγαθύμων ἀσπιστάων,
156  τάων ἐν κονίῃσι βάλες θαλεροὺς παρακοίτας.
157  ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας φύγαδε τράπε μώνυχας ἵππους
158  αὖτις ἀνʼ ἰωχμόν· ἐπὶ δὲ Τρῶές τε καὶ Ἕκτωρ
159  ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ βέλεα στονόεντα χέοντο.
160  τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν ἄϋσε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
161  Τυδεΐδη περὶ μέν σε τίον Δαναοὶ ταχύπωλοι
162  ἕδρῃ τε κρέασίν τε ἰδὲ πλείοις δεπάεσσι·
163  νῦν δέ σʼ ἀτιμήσουσι· γυναικὸς ἄρʼ ἀντὶ τέτυξο.
164  ἔρρε κακὴ γλήνη, ἐπεὶ οὐκ εἴξαντος ἐμεῖο
165  πύργων ἡμετέρων ἐπιβήσεαι, οὐδὲ γυναῖκας
166  ἄξεις ἐν νήεσσι· πάρος τοι δαίμονα δώσω.
167  ὣς φάτο, Τυδεΐδης δὲ διάνδιχα μερμήριξεν
168  ἵππους τε στρέψαι καὶ ἐναντίβιον μαχέσασθαι.
169  τρὶς μὲν μερμήριξε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,
170  τρὶς δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων κτύπε μητίετα Ζεὺς
171  σῆμα τιθεὶς Τρώεσσι μάχης ἑτεραλκέα νίκην.
172  Ἕκτωρ δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·
173  Τρῶες καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Δάρδανοι ἀγχιμαχηταὶ
174  ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.
175  γιγνώσκω δʼ ὅτι μοι πρόφρων κατένευσε Κρονίων
176  νίκην καὶ μέγα κῦδος, ἀτὰρ Δαναοῖσί γε πῆμα·
177  νήπιοι οἳ ἄρα δὴ τάδε τείχεα μηχανόωντο
178  ἀβλήχρʼ οὐδενόσωρα· τὰ δʼ οὐ μένος ἁμὸν ἐρύξει·
179  ἵπποι δὲ ῥέα τάφρον ὑπερθορέονται ὀρυκτήν.
180  ἀλλʼ ὅτε κεν δὴ νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσι γένωμαι,
181  μνημοσύνη τις ἔπειτα πυρὸς δηΐοιο γενέσθω,
182  ὡς πυρὶ νῆας ἐνιπρήσω, κτείνω δὲ καὶ αὐτοὺς
183  Ἀργείους παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀτυζομένους ὑπὸ καπνοῦ.
184  ὣς εἰπὼν ἵπποισιν ἐκέκλετο φώνησέν τε·
185  Ξάνθέ τε καὶ σὺ Πόδαργε καὶ Αἴθων Λάμπέ τε δῖε
186  νῦν μοι τὴν κομιδὴν ἀποτίνετον, ἣν μάλα πολλὴν
187  Ἀνδρομάχη θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος
188  ὑμῖν πὰρ προτέροισι μελίφρονα πυρὸν ἔθηκεν
189  οἶνόν τʼ ἐγκεράσασα πιεῖν, ὅτε θυμὸς ἀνώγοι,
190  ἢ ἐμοί, ὅς πέρ οἱ θαλερὸς πόσις εὔχομαι εἶναι.
191  ἀλλʼ ἐφομαρτεῖτον καὶ σπεύδετον ὄφρα λάβωμεν
192  ἀσπίδα Νεστορέην, τῆς νῦν κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει
193  πᾶσαν χρυσείην ἔμεναι, κανόνας τε καὶ αὐτήν,
194  αὐτὰρ ἀπʼ ὤμοιιν Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο
195  δαιδάλεον θώρηκα, τὸν Ἥφαιστος κάμε τεύχων.
196  εἰ τούτω κε λάβοιμεν, ἐελποίμην κεν Ἀχαιοὺς
197  αὐτονυχὶ νηῶν ἐπιβησέμεν ὠκειάων.
198  ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, νεμέσησε δὲ πότνια Ἥρη,
199  σείσατο δʼ εἰνὶ θρόνῳ, ἐλέλιξε δὲ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,
200  καί ῥα Ποσειδάωνα μέγαν θεὸν ἀντίον ηὔδα·
201  ὢ πόποι ἐννοσίγαιʼ εὐρυσθενές, οὐδέ νυ σοί περ
202  ὀλλυμένων Δαναῶν ὀλοφύρεται ἐν φρεσὶ θυμός.
203  οἳ δέ τοι εἰς Ἑλίκην τε καὶ Αἰγὰς δῶρʼ ἀνάγουσι
204  πολλά τε καὶ χαρίεντα· σὺ δέ σφισι βούλεο νίκην.
205  εἴ περ γάρ κʼ ἐθέλοιμεν, ὅσοι Δαναοῖσιν ἀρωγοί,
206  Τρῶας ἀπώσασθαι καὶ ἐρυκέμεν εὐρύοπα Ζῆν,
207  αὐτοῦ κʼ ἔνθʼ ἀκάχοιτο καθήμενος οἶος ἐν Ἴδῃ.
208  τὴν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη κρείων ἐνοσίχθων·
209  Ἥρη ἀπτοεπὲς ποῖον τὸν μῦθον ἔειπες.
210  οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγʼ ἐθέλοιμι Διὶ Κρονίωνι μάχεσθαι
211  ἡμέας τοὺς ἄλλους, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερός ἐστιν.
212  ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·
213  τῶν δʼ ὅσον ἐκ νηῶν ἀπὸ πύργου τάφρος ἔεργε
214  πλῆθεν ὁμῶς ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἀσπιστάων
215  εἰλομένων· εἴλει δὲ θοῷ ἀτάλαντος Ἄρηϊ
216  Ἕκτωρ Πριαμίδης, ὅτε οἱ Ζεὺς κῦδος ἔδωκε.
217  καί νύ κʼ ἐνέπρησεν πυρὶ κηλέῳ νῆας ἐΐσας,
218  εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκʼ Ἀγαμέμνονι πότνια Ἥρη
219  αὐτῷ ποιπνύσαντι θοῶς ὀτρῦναι Ἀχαιούς.
220  βῆ δʼ ἰέναι παρά τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
221  πορφύρεον μέγα φᾶρος ἔχων ἐν χειρὶ παχείῃ,
222  στῆ δʼ ἐπʼ Ὀδυσσῆος μεγακήτεϊ νηῒ μελαίνῃ,
223  ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε γεγωνέμεν ἀμφοτέρωσε,
224  ἠμὲν ἐπʼ Αἴαντος κλισίας Τελαμωνιάδαο
225  ἠδʼ ἐπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος, τοί ῥʼ ἔσχατα νῆας ἐΐσας
226  εἴρυσαν, ἠνορέῃ πίσυνοι καὶ κάρτεϊ χειρῶν·
227  ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Δαναοῖσι γεγωνώς·
228  αἰδὼς Ἀργεῖοι, κάκʼ ἐλέγχεα, εἶδος ἀγητοί·
229  πῇ ἔβαν εὐχωλαί, ὅτε δὴ φάμεν εἶναι ἄριστοι,
230  ἃς ὁπότʼ ἐν Λήμνῳ κενεαυχέες ἠγοράασθε,
231  ἔσθοντες κρέα πολλὰ βοῶν ὀρθοκραιράων
232  πίνοντες κρητῆρας ἐπιστεφέας οἴνοιο,
233  Τρώων ἄνθʼ ἑκατόν τε διηκοσίων τε ἕκαστος
234  στήσεσθʼ ἐν πολέμῳ· νῦν δʼ οὐδʼ ἑνὸς ἄξιοί εἰμεν
235  Ἕκτορος, ὃς τάχα νῆας ἐνιπρήσει πυρὶ κηλέῳ.
236  Ζεῦ πάτερ, ἦ ῥά τινʼ ἤδη ὑπερμενέων βασιλήων
237  τῇδʼ ἄτῃ ἄασας καί μιν μέγα κῦδος ἀπηύρας;
238  οὐ μὲν δή ποτέ φημι τεὸν περικαλλέα βωμὸν
239  νηῒ πολυκλήϊδι παρελθέμεν ἐνθάδε ἔρρων,
240  ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πᾶσι βοῶν δημὸν καὶ μηρίʼ ἔκηα
241  ἱέμενος Τροίην εὐτείχεον ἐξαλαπάξαι.
242  ἀλλὰ Ζεῦ τόδε πέρ μοι ἐπικρήηνον ἐέλδωρ·
243  αὐτοὺς δή περ ἔασον ὑπεκφυγέειν καὶ ἀλύξαι,
244  μηδʼ οὕτω Τρώεσσιν ἔα δάμνασθαι Ἀχαιούς.
245  ὣς φάτο, τὸν δὲ πατὴρ ὀλοφύρατο δάκρυ χέοντα,
246  νεῦσε δέ οἱ λαὸν σόον ἔμμεναι οὐδʼ ἀπολέσθαι.
247  αὐτίκα δʼ αἰετὸν ἧκε τελειότατον πετεηνῶν,
248  νεβρὸν ἔχοντʼ ὀνύχεσσι τέκος ἐλάφοιο ταχείης·
249  πὰρ δὲ Διὸς βωμῷ περικαλλέϊ κάββαλε νεβρόν,
250  ἔνθα πανομφαίῳ Ζηνὶ ῥέζεσκον Ἀχαιοί.
251  οἳ δʼ ὡς οὖν εἴδονθʼ ὅ τʼ ἄρʼ ἐκ Διὸς ἤλυθεν ὄρνις,
252  μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι θόρον, μνήσαντο δὲ χάρμης.
253  ἔνθʼ οὔ τις πρότερος Δαναῶν πολλῶν περ ἐόντων
254  εὔξατο Τυδεΐδαο πάρος σχέμεν ὠκέας ἵππους
255  τάφρου τʼ ἐξελάσαι καὶ ἐναντίβιον μαχέσασθαι,
256  ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρῶτος Τρώων ἕλεν ἄνδρα κορυστὴν
257  Φραδμονίδην Ἀγέλαον· ὃ μὲν φύγαδʼ ἔτραπεν ἵππους·
258  τῷ δὲ μεταστρεφθέντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πῆξεν
259  ὤμων μεσσηγύς, διὰ δὲ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσεν·
260  ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.
261  τὸν δὲ μετʼ Ἀτρεΐδαι Ἀγαμέμνων καὶ Μενέλαος,
262  τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Αἴαντες θοῦριν ἐπιειμένοι ἀλκήν,
263  τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Ἰδομενεὺς καὶ ὀπάων Ἰδομενῆος
264  Μηριόνης ἀτάλαντος Ἐνυαλίῳ ἀνδρειφόντῃ,
265  τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Εὐρύπυλος Εὐαίμονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·
266  Τεῦκρος δʼ εἴνατος ἦλθε παλίντονα τόξα τιταίνων,
267  στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπʼ Αἴαντος σάκεϊ Τελαμωνιάδαο.
268  ἔνθʼ Αἴας μὲν ὑπεξέφερεν σάκος· αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἥρως
269  παπτήνας, ἐπεὶ ἄρ τινʼ ὀϊστεύσας ἐν ὁμίλῳ
270  βεβλήκοι, ὃ μὲν αὖθι πεσὼν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὄλεσσεν,
271  αὐτὰρ ὃ αὖτις ἰὼν πάϊς ὣς ὑπὸ μητέρα δύσκεν
272  εἰς Αἴανθʼ· ὃ δέ μιν σάκεϊ κρύπτασκε φαεινῷ.
273  ἔνθα τίνα πρῶτον Τρώων ἕλε Τεῦκρος ἀμύμων;
274  Ὀρσίλοχον μὲν πρῶτα καὶ Ὄρμενον ἠδʼ Ὀφελέστην
275  Δαίτορά τε Χρομίον τε καὶ ἀντίθεον Λυκοφόντην
276  καὶ Πολυαιμονίδην Ἀμοπάονα καὶ Μελάνιππον,
277  πάντας ἐπασσυτέρους πέλασε χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ.
278  τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν γήθησεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
279  τόξου ἄπο κρατεροῦ Τρώων ὀλέκοντα φάλαγγας·
280  στῆ δὲ παρʼ αὐτὸν ἰὼν καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·
281  Τεῦκρε φίλη κεφαλή, Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν
282  βάλλʼ οὕτως, αἴ κέν τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένηαι
283  πατρί τε σῷ Τελαμῶνι, ὅ σʼ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα,
284  καί σε νόθον περ ἐόντα κομίσσατο ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ·
285  τὸν καὶ τηλόθʼ ἐόντα ἐϋκλείης ἐπίβησον.
286  σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ ἐξερέω ὡς καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται·
287  αἴ κέν μοι δώῃ Ζεύς τʼ αἰγίοχος καὶ Ἀθήνη
288  Ἰλίου ἐξαλαπάξαι ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,
289  πρώτῳ τοι μετʼ ἐμὲ πρεσβήϊον ἐν χερὶ θήσω,
290  ἢ τρίποδʼ ἠὲ δύω ἵππους αὐτοῖσιν ὄχεσφιν
291  ἠὲ γυναῖχʼ, ἥ κέν τοι ὁμὸν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνοι.
292  τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσεφώνεε Τεῦκρος ἀμύμων·
293  Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε τί με σπεύδοντα καὶ αὐτὸν
294  ὀτρύνεις; οὐ μέν τοι ὅση δύναμίς γε πάρεστι
295  παύομαι, ἀλλʼ ἐξ οὗ προτὶ Ἴλιον ὠσάμεθʼ αὐτοὺς
296  ἐκ τοῦ δὴ τόξοισι δεδεγμένος ἄνδρας ἐναίρω.
297  ὀκτὼ δὴ προέηκα τανυγλώχινας ὀϊστούς,
298  πάντες δʼ ἐν χροῒ πῆχθεν ἀρηϊθόων αἰζηῶν·
299  τοῦτον δʼ οὐ δύναμαι βαλέειν κύνα λυσσητῆρα.
300  ἦ ῥα καὶ ἄλλον ὀϊστὸν ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ἴαλλεν
301  Ἕκτορος ἀντικρύ, βαλέειν δέ ἑ ἵετο θυμός·
302  καὶ τοῦ μέν ῥʼ ἀφάμαρθʼ, ὃ δʼ ἀμύμονα Γοργυθίωνα
303  υἱὸν ἐῢν Πριάμοιο κατὰ στῆθος βάλεν ἰῷ,
304  τόν ῥʼ ἐξ Αἰσύμηθεν ὀπυιομένη τέκε μήτηρ
305  καλὴ Καστιάνειρα δέμας ἐϊκυῖα θεῇσι.
306  μήκων δʼ ὡς ἑτέρωσε κάρη βάλεν, ἥ τʼ ἐνὶ κήπῳ
307  καρπῷ βριθομένη νοτίῃσί τε εἰαρινῇσιν,
308  ὣς ἑτέρωσʼ ἤμυσε κάρη πήληκι βαρυνθέν.
309  Τεῦκρος δʼ ἄλλον ὀϊστὸν ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ἴαλλεν
310  Ἕκτορος ἀντικρύ, βαλέειν δέ ἑ ἵετο θυμός.
311  ἀλλʼ ὅ γε καὶ τόθʼ ἅμαρτε· παρέσφηλεν γὰρ Ἀπόλλων·
312  ἀλλʼ Ἀρχεπτόλεμον θρασὺν Ἕκτορος ἡνιοχῆα
313  ἱέμενον πόλεμον δὲ βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν·
314  ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, ὑπερώησαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι
315  ὠκύποδες· τοῦ δʼ αὖθι λύθη ψυχή τε μένος τε.
316  Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἡνιόχοιο·
317  τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ εἴασε καὶ ἀχνύμενός περ ἑταίρου,
318  Κεβριόνην δʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀδελφεὸν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα
319  ἵππων ἡνίʼ ἑλεῖν· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀπίθησεν ἀκούσας.
320  αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο χαμαὶ θόρε παμφανόωντος
321  σμερδαλέα ἰάχων· ὃ δὲ χερμάδιον λάβε χειρί,
322  βῆ δʼ ἰθὺς Τεύκρου, βαλέειν δέ ἑ θυμὸς ἀνώγει.
323  ἤτοι ὃ μὲν φαρέτρης ἐξείλετο πικρὸν ὀϊστόν,
324  θῆκε δʼ ἐπὶ νευρῇ· τὸν δʼ αὖ κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ
325  αὐερύοντα παρʼ ὦμον, ὅθι κληῒς ἀποέργει
326  αὐχένα τε στῆθός τε, μάλιστα δὲ καίριόν ἐστι,
327  τῇ ῥʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτα βάλεν λίθῳ ὀκριόεντι,
328  ῥῆξε δέ οἱ νευρήν· νάρκησε δὲ χεὶρ ἐπὶ καρπῷ,
329  στῆ δὲ γνὺξ ἐριπών, τόξον δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.
330  Αἴας δʼ οὐκ ἀμέλησε κασιγνήτοιο πεσόντος,
331  ἀλλὰ θέων περίβη καί οἱ σάκος ἀμφεκάλυψε.
332  τὸν μὲν ἔπειθʼ ὑποδύντε δύω ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι
333  Μηκιστεὺς Ἐχίοιο πάϊς καὶ δῖος Ἀλάστωρ
334  νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς φερέτην βαρέα στενάχοντα.
335  ἂψ δʼ αὖτις Τρώεσσιν Ὀλύμπιος ἐν μένος ὦρσεν·
336  οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς τάφροιο βαθείης ὦσαν Ἀχαιούς·
337  Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐν πρώτοισι κίε σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνων.
338  ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε κύων συὸς ἀγρίου ἠὲ λέοντος
339  ἅπτηται κατόπισθε ποσὶν ταχέεσσι διώκων
340  ἰσχία τε γλουτούς τε, ἑλισσόμενόν τε δοκεύει,
341  ὣς Ἕκτωρ ὤπαζε κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιούς,
342  αἰὲν ἀποκτείνων τὸν ὀπίστατον· οἳ δὲ φέβοντο.
343  αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ διά τε σκόλοπας καὶ τάφρον ἔβησαν
344  φεύγοντες, πολλοὶ δὲ δάμεν Τρώων ὑπὸ χερσίν,
345  οἳ μὲν δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐρητύοντο μένοντες,
346  ἀλλήλοισί τε κεκλόμενοι καὶ πᾶσι θεοῖσι
347  χεῖρας ἀνίσχοντες μεγάλʼ εὐχετόωντο ἕκαστος·
348  Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἀμφιπεριστρώφα καλλίτριχας ἵππους
349  Γοργοῦς ὄμματʼ ἔχων ἠδὲ βροτολοιγοῦ Ἄρηος.
350  τοὺς δὲ ἰδοῦσʼ ἐλέησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
351  αἶψα δʼ Ἀθηναίην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
352  ὢ πόποι αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος οὐκέτι νῶϊ
353  ὀλλυμένων Δαναῶν κεκαδησόμεθʼ ὑστάτιόν περ;
354  οἵ κεν δὴ κακὸν οἶτον ἀναπλήσαντες ὄλωνται
355  ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς ῥιπῇ, ὃ δὲ μαίνεται οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτῶς
356  Ἕκτωρ Πριαμίδης, καὶ δὴ κακὰ πολλὰ ἔοργε.
357  τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·
358  καὶ λίην οὗτός γε μένος θυμόν τʼ ὀλέσειε
359  χερσὶν ὑπʼ Ἀργείων φθίμενος ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ·
360  ἀλλὰ πατὴρ οὑμὸς φρεσὶ μαίνεται οὐκ ἀγαθῇσι
361  σχέτλιος, αἰὲν ἀλιτρός, ἐμῶν μενέων ἀπερωεύς·
362  οὐδέ τι τῶν μέμνηται, ὅ οἱ μάλα πολλάκις υἱὸν
363  τειρόμενον σώεσκον ὑπʼ Εὐρυσθῆος ἀέθλων.
364  ἤτοι ὃ μὲν κλαίεσκε πρὸς οὐρανόν, αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ Ζεὺς
365  τῷ ἐπαλεξήσουσαν ἀπʼ οὐρανόθεν προΐαλλεν.
366  εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ τάδε ᾔδεʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πευκαλίμῃσιν
367  εὖτέ μιν εἰς Ἀΐδαο πυλάρταο προὔπεμψεν
368  ἐξ Ἐρέβευς ἄξοντα κύνα στυγεροῦ Ἀΐδαο,
369  οὐκ ἂν ὑπεξέφυγε Στυγὸς ὕδατος αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα.
370  νῦν δʼ ἐμὲ μὲν στυγέει, Θέτιδος δʼ ἐξήνυσε βουλάς,
371  ἥ οἱ γούνατʼ ἔκυσσε καὶ ἔλλαβε χειρὶ γενείου,
372  λισσομένη τιμῆσαι Ἀχιλλῆα πτολίπορθον.
373  ἔσται μὰν ὅτʼ ἂν αὖτε φίλην γλαυκώπιδα εἴπῃ.
374  ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν νῶϊν ἐπέντυε μώνυχας ἵππους,
375  ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ καταδῦσα Διὸς δόμον αἰγιόχοιο
376  τεύχεσιν ἐς πόλεμον θωρήξομαι, ὄφρα ἴδωμαι
377  ἢ νῶϊ Πριάμοιο πάϊς κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ
378  γηθήσει προφανέντε ἀνὰ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας,
379  ἦ τις καὶ Τρώων κορέει κύνας ἠδʼ οἰωνοὺς
380  δημῷ καὶ σάρκεσσι, πεσὼν ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
381  ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη.
382  ἣ μὲν ἐποιχομένη χρυσάμπυκας ἔντυεν ἵππους
383  Ἥρη πρέσβα θεὰ θυγάτηρ μεγάλοιο Κρόνοιο·
384  αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
385  πέπλον μὲν κατέχευεν ἑανὸν πατρὸς ἐπʼ οὔδει
386  ποικίλον, ὅν ῥʼ αὐτὴ ποιήσατο καὶ κάμε χερσίν,
387  ἣ δὲ χιτῶνʼ ἐνδῦσα Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο
388  τεύχεσιν ἐς πόλεμον θωρήσσετο δακρυόεντα.
389  ἐς δʼ ὄχεα φλόγεα ποσὶ βήσετο, λάζετο δʼ ἔγχος
390  βριθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν, τῷ δάμνησι στίχας ἀνδρῶν
391  ἡρώων, τοῖσίν τε κοτέσσεται ὀβριμοπάτρη.
392  Ἥρη δὲ μάστιγι θοῶς ἐπεμαίετʼ ἄρʼ ἵππους·
393  αὐτόμαται δὲ πύλαι μύκον οὐρανοῦ ἃς ἔχον Ὧραι,
394  τῇς ἐπιτέτραπται μέγας οὐρανὸς Οὔλυμπός τε
395  ἠμὲν ἀνακλῖναι πυκινὸν νέφος ἠδʼ ἐπιθεῖναι.
396  τῇ ῥα διʼ αὐτάων κεντρηνεκέας ἔχον ἵππους.
397  Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ Ἴδηθεν ἐπεὶ ἴδε χώσατʼ ἄρʼ αἰνῶς,
398  Ἶριν δʼ ὄτρυνε χρυσόπτερον ἀγγελέουσαν·
399  βάσκʼ ἴθι Ἶρι ταχεῖα, πάλιν τρέπε μηδʼ ἔα ἄντην
400  ἔρχεσθʼ· οὐ γὰρ καλὰ συνοισόμεθα πτόλεμον δέ.
401  ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται·
402  γυιώσω μέν σφωϊν ὑφʼ ἅρμασιν ὠκέας ἵππους,
403  αὐτὰς δʼ ἐκ δίφρου βαλέω κατά θʼ ἅρματα ἄξω·
404  οὐδέ κεν ἐς δεκάτους περιτελλομένους ἐνιαυτοὺς
405  ἕλκεʼ ἀπαλθήσεσθον, ἅ κεν μάρπτῃσι κεραυνός·
406  ὄφρα ἰδῇ γλαυκῶπις ὅτʼ ἂν ᾧ πατρὶ μάχηται.
407  Ἥρῃ δʼ οὔ τι τόσον νεμεσίζομαι οὐδὲ χολοῦμαι·
408  αἰεὶ γάρ μοι ἔωθεν ἐνικλᾶν ὅττί κεν εἴπω.
409  ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὦρτο δὲ Ἶρις ἀελλόπος ἀγγελέουσα,
410  βῆ δʼ ἐξ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἐς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον.
411  πρώτῃσιν δὲ πύλῃσι πολυπτύχου Οὐλύμποιο
412  ἀντομένη κατέρυκε, Διὸς δέ σφʼ ἔννεπε μῦθον·
413  πῇ μέματον; τί σφῶϊν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μαίνεται ἦτορ;
414  οὐκ ἐάᾳ Κρονίδης ἐπαμυνέμεν Ἀργείοισιν.
415  ὧδε γὰρ ἠπείλησε Κρόνου πάϊς, ᾗ τελέει περ,
416  γυιώσειν μὲν σφῶϊν ὑφʼ ἅρμασιν ὠκέας ἵππους,
417  αὐτὰς δʼ ἐκ δίφρου βαλέειν κατά θʼ ἅρματα ἄξειν·
418  οὐδέ κεν ἐς δεκάτους περιτελλομένους ἐνιαυτοὺς
419  ἕλκεʼ ἀπαλθήσεσθον, ἅ κεν μάρπτῃσι κεραυνός·
420  ὄφρα ἰδῇς γλαυκῶπι ὅτʼ ἂν σῷ πατρὶ μάχηαι.
421  Ἥρῃ δʼ οὔ τι τόσον νεμεσίζεται οὐδὲ χολοῦται·
422  αἰεὶ γάρ οἱ ἔωθεν ἐνικλᾶν ὅττι κεν εἴπῃ·
423  ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ αἰνοτάτη κύον ἀδεὲς εἰ ἐτεόν γε
424  τολμήσεις Διὸς ἄντα πελώριον ἔγχος ἀεῖραι.
425  ἣ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπέβη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις,
426  αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίην Ἥρη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
427  ὢ πόποι αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, οὐκέτʼ ἔγωγε
428  νῶϊ ἐῶ Διὸς ἄντα βροτῶν ἕνεκα πτολεμίζειν·
429  τῶν ἄλλος μὲν ἀποφθίσθω, ἄλλος δὲ βιώτω,
430  ὅς κε τύχῃ· κεῖνος δὲ τὰ ἃ φρονέων ἐνὶ θυμῷ
431  Τρωσί τε καὶ Δαναοῖσι δικαζέτω, ὡς ἐπιεικές.
432  ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα πάλιν τρέπε μώνυχας ἵππους·
433  τῇσιν δʼ Ὧραι μὲν λῦσαν καλλίτριχας ἵππους,
434  καὶ τοὺς μὲν κατέδησαν ἐπʼ ἀμβροσίῃσι κάπῃσιν,
435  ἅρματα δʼ ἔκλιναν πρὸς ἐνώπια παμφανόωντα·
436  αὐταὶ δὲ χρυσέοισιν ἐπὶ κλισμοῖσι κάθιζον
437  μίγδʼ ἄλλοισι θεοῖσι, φίλον τετιημέναι ἦτορ.
438  Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ Ἴδηθεν ἐΰτροχον ἅρμα καὶ ἵππους
439  Οὔλυμπον δὲ δίωκε, θεῶν δʼ ἐξίκετο θώκους.
440  τῷ δὲ καὶ ἵππους μὲν λῦσε κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος,
441  ἅρματα δʼ ἂμ βωμοῖσι τίθει κατὰ λῖτα πετάσσας·
442  αὐτὸς δὲ χρύσειον ἐπὶ θρόνον εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
443  ἕζετο, τῷ δʼ ὑπὸ ποσσὶ μέγας πελεμίζετʼ Ὄλυμπος.
444  αἳ δʼ οἶαι Διὸς ἀμφὶς Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη
445  ἥσθην, οὐδέ τί μιν προσεφώνεον οὐδʼ ἐρέοντο·
446  αὐτὰρ ὃ ἔγνω ᾗσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φώνησέν τε·
447  τίφθʼ οὕτω τετίησθον Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη;
448  οὐ μέν θην κάμετόν γε μάχῃ ἔνι κυδιανείρῃ
449  ὀλλῦσαι Τρῶας, τοῖσιν κότον αἰνὸν ἔθεσθε.
450  πάντως, οἷον ἐμόν γε μένος καὶ χεῖρες ἄαπτοι,
451  οὐκ ἄν με τρέψειαν ὅσοι θεοί εἰσʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ.
452  σφῶϊν δὲ πρίν περ τρόμος ἔλλαβε φαίδιμα γυῖα
453  πρὶν πόλεμόν τε ἰδεῖν πολέμοιό τε μέρμερα ἔργα.
454  ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, τὸ δέ κεν τετελεσμένον ἦεν·
455  οὐκ ἂν ἐφʼ ὑμετέρων ὀχέων πληγέντε κεραυνῷ
456  ἂψ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἵκεσθον, ἵνʼ ἀθανάτων ἕδος ἐστίν.
457  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, αἳ δʼ ἐπέμυξαν Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη·
458  πλησίαι αἵ γʼ ἥσθην, κακὰ δὲ Τρώεσσι μεδέσθην.
459  ἤτοι Ἀθηναίη ἀκέων ἦν οὐδέ τι εἶπε
460  σκυζομένη Διὶ πατρί, χόλος δέ μιν ἄγριος ᾕρει·
461  Ἥρῃ δʼ οὐκ ἔχαδε στῆθος χόλον, ἀλλὰ προσηύδα·
462  αἰνότατε Κρονίδη ποῖον τὸν μῦθον ἔειπες.
463  εὖ νυ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν ὅ τοι σθένος οὐκ ἀλαπαδνόν·
464  ἀλλʼ ἔμπης Δαναῶν ὀλοφυρόμεθʼ αἰχμητάων,
465  οἵ κεν δὴ κακὸν οἶτον ἀναπλήσαντες ὄλωνται.
466  ἀλλʼ ἤτοι πολέμου μὲν ἀφεξόμεθʼ, εἰ σὺ κελεύεις·
467  βουλὴν δʼ Ἀργείοις ὑποθησόμεθʼ ἥ τις ὀνήσει,
468  ὡς μὴ πάντες ὄλωνται ὀδυσσαμένοιο τεοῖο.
469  τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·
470  ἠοῦς δὴ καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπερμενέα Κρονίωνα
471  ὄψεαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα, βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη
472  ὀλλύντʼ Ἀργείων πουλὺν στρατὸν αἰχμητάων·
473  οὐ γὰρ πρὶν πολέμου ἀποπαύσεται ὄβριμος Ἕκτωρ
474  πρὶν ὄρθαι παρὰ ναῦφι ποδώκεα Πηλεΐωνα,
475  ἤματι τῷ ὅτʼ ἂν οἳ μὲν ἐπὶ πρύμνῃσι μάχωνται
476  στείνει ἐν αἰνοτάτῳ περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος·
477  ὣς γὰρ θέσφατόν ἐστι· σέθεν δʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀλεγίζω
478  χωομένης, οὐδʼ εἴ κε τὰ νείατα πείραθʼ ἵκηαι
479  γαίης καὶ πόντοιο, ἵνʼ Ἰάπετός τε Κρόνος τε
480  ἥμενοι οὔτʼ αὐγῇς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο
481  τέρποντʼ οὔτʼ ἀνέμοισι, βαθὺς δέ τε Τάρταρος ἀμφίς·
482  οὐδʼ ἢν ἔνθʼ ἀφίκηαι ἀλωμένη, οὔ σευ ἔγωγε
483  σκυζομένης ἀλέγω, ἐπεὶ οὐ σέο κύντερον ἄλλο.
484  ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη λευκώλενος Ἥρη.
485  ἐν δʼ ἔπεσʼ Ὠκεανῷ λαμπρὸν φάος ἠελίοιο
486  ἕλκον νύκτα μέλαιναν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
487  Τρωσὶν μέν ῥʼ ἀέκουσιν ἔδυ φάος, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοῖς
488  ἀσπασίη τρίλλιστος ἐπήλυθε νὺξ ἐρεβεννή.
489  Τρώων αὖτʼ ἀγορὴν ποιήσατο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
490  νόσφι νεῶν ἀγαγὼν ποταμῷ ἔπι δινήεντι,
491  ἐν καθαρῷ ὅθι δὴ νεκύων διεφαίνετο χῶρος.
492  ἐξ ἵππων δʼ ἀποβάντες ἐπὶ χθόνα μῦθον ἄκουον
493  τόν ῥʼ Ἕκτωρ ἀγόρευε Διῒ φίλος· ἐν δʼ ἄρα χειρὶ
494  ἔγχος ἔχʼ ἑνδεκάπηχυ· πάροιθε δὲ λάμπετο δουρὸς
495  αἰχμὴ χαλκείη, περὶ δὲ χρύσεος θέε πόρκης,
496  τῷ ὅ γʼ ἐρεισάμενος ἔπεα Τρώεσσι μετηύδα·
497  κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ Δάρδανοι ἠδʼ ἐπίκουροι·
498  νῦν ἐφάμην νῆάς τʼ ὀλέσας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιοὺς
499  ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν προτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν·
500  ἀλλὰ πρὶν κνέφας ἦλθε, τὸ νῦν ἐσάωσε μάλιστα
501  Ἀργείους καὶ νῆας ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.
502  ἀλλʼ ἤτοι νῦν μὲν πειθώμεθα νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ
503  δόρπά τʼ ἐφοπλισόμεσθα· ἀτὰρ καλλίτριχας ἵππους
504  λύσαθʼ ὑπὲξ ὀχέων, παρὰ δέ σφισι βάλλετʼ ἐδωδήν·
505  ἐκ πόλιος δʼ ἄξεσθε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα
506  καρπαλίμως, οἶνον δὲ μελίφρονα οἰνίζεσθε
507  σῖτόν τʼ ἐκ μεγάρων, ἐπὶ δὲ ξύλα πολλὰ λέγεσθε,
508  ὥς κεν παννύχιοι μέσφʼ ἠοῦς ἠριγενείης
509  καίωμεν πυρὰ πολλά, σέλας δʼ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἵκῃ,
510  μή πως καὶ διὰ νύκτα κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
511  φεύγειν ὁρμήσωνται ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.
512  μὴ μὰν ἀσπουδί γε νεῶν ἐπιβαῖεν ἕκηλοι,
513  ἀλλʼ ὥς τις τούτων γε βέλος καὶ οἴκοθι πέσσῃ
514  βλήμενος ἢ ἰῷ ἢ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι
515  νηὸς ἐπιθρῴσκων, ἵνα τις στυγέῃσι καὶ ἄλλος
516  Τρωσὶν ἐφʼ ἱπποδάμοισι φέρειν πολύδακρυν Ἄρηα.
517  κήρυκες δʼ ἀνὰ ἄστυ Διῒ φίλοι ἀγγελλόντων
518  παῖδας πρωθήβας πολιοκροτάφους τε γέροντας
519  λέξασθαι περὶ ἄστυ θεοδμήτων ἐπὶ πύργων·
520  θηλύτεραι δὲ γυναῖκες ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἑκάστη
521  πῦρ μέγα καιόντων· φυλακὴ δέ τις ἔμπεδος ἔστω
522  μὴ λόχος εἰσέλθῃσι πόλιν λαῶν ἀπεόντων.
523  ὧδʼ ἔστω Τρῶες μεγαλήτορες ὡς ἀγορεύω·
524  μῦθος δʼ ὃς μὲν νῦν ὑγιὴς εἰρημένος ἔστω,
525  τὸν δʼ ἠοῦς Τρώεσσι μεθʼ ἱπποδάμοις ἀγορεύσω.
526  ἔλπομαι εὐχόμενος Διί τʼ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσιν
527  ἐξελάαν ἐνθένδε κύνας κηρεσσιφορήτους,
528  οὓς κῆρες φορέουσι μελαινάων ἐπὶ νηῶν.
529  ἀλλʼ ἤτοι ἐπὶ νυκτὶ φυλάξομεν ἡμέας αὐτούς,
530  πρῶϊ δʼ ὑπηοῖοι σὺν τεύχεσι θωρηχθέντες
531  νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐγείρομεν ὀξὺν Ἄρηα.
532  εἴσομαι εἴ κέ μʼ ὁ Τυδεΐδης κρατερὸς Διομήδης
533  πὰρ νηῶν πρὸς τεῖχος ἀπώσεται, ἤ κεν ἐγὼ τὸν
534  χαλκῷ δῃώσας ἔναρα βροτόεντα φέρωμαι.
535  αὔριον ἣν ἀρετὴν διαείσεται, εἴ κʼ ἐμὸν ἔγχος
536  μείνῃ ἐπερχόμενον· ἀλλʼ ἐν πρώτοισιν ὀΐω
537  κείσεται οὐτηθείς, πολέες δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ἑταῖροι
538  ἠελίου ἀνιόντος ἐς αὔριον· εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν ὣς
539  εἴην ἀθάνατος καὶ ἀγήρως ἤματα πάντα,
540  τιοίμην δʼ ὡς τίετʼ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἀπόλλων,
541  ὡς νῦν ἡμέρη ἥδε κακὸν φέρει Ἀργείοισιν.
542  ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἀγόρευʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ Τρῶες κελάδησαν.
543  οἳ δʼ ἵππους μὲν λῦσαν ὑπὸ ζυγοῦ ἱδρώοντας,
544  δῆσαν δʼ ἱμάντεσσι παρʼ ἅρμασιν οἷσιν ἕκαστος·
545  ἐκ πόλιος δʼ ἄξοντο βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα
546  καρπαλίμως, οἶνον δὲ μελίφρονα οἰνίζοντο,
547  σῖτόν τʼ ἐκ μεγάρων, ἐπὶ δὲ ξύλα πολλὰ λέγοντο.
548  ἔρδον δ’ ἀθανάτοισι τεληέσσας ἑκατόμβας
549  κνίσην δʼ ἐκ πεδίου ἄνεμοι φέρον οὐρανὸν εἴσω.
550  ἡδεῖαν· τῆς δ’ οὔ τι θεοὶ μάκαρες δατέοντο,
551  οὐδ’ ἔθελον· μάλα γάρ σφιν ἀπήχθετο Ἴλιος ἱρή,
552  καὶ Πρίαμος καὶ λαὸς ἐϋμμελίω Πριάμοιο
553  οἳ δὲ μέγα φρονέοντες ἐπὶ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας
554  εἴατο παννύχιοι, πυρὰ δέ σφισι καίετο πολλά.
555  ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἄστρα φαεινὴν ἀμφὶ σελήνην
556  φαίνετʼ ἀριπρεπέα, ὅτε τʼ ἔπλετο νήνεμος αἰθήρ·
557  ἔκ τʼ ἔφανεν πᾶσαι σκοπιαὶ καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι
558  καὶ νάπαι· οὐρανόθεν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπερράγη ἄσπετος αἰθήρ,
559  πάντα δὲ εἴδεται ἄστρα, γέγηθε δέ τε φρένα ποιμήν·
560  τόσσα μεσηγὺ νεῶν ἠδὲ Ξάνθοιο ῥοάων
561  Τρώων καιόντων πυρὰ φαίνετο Ἰλιόθι πρό.
562  χίλιʼ ἄρʼ ἐν πεδίῳ πυρὰ καίετο, πὰρ δὲ ἑκάστῳ
563  εἴατο πεντήκοντα σέλᾳ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο.
564  ἵπποι δὲ κρῖ λευκὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι καὶ ὀλύρας
565  ἑσταότες παρʼ ὄχεσφιν ἐΰθρονον Ἠῶ μίμνον.


The Embassy to Achilles.

      Thus did the Trojans watch. But Panic, comrade of blood-stained
      Rout, had taken fast hold of the Achaeans, and their princes were
      all of them in despair. As when the two winds that blow from
      Thrace—the north and the northwest—spring up of a sudden and
      rouse the fury of the main—in a moment the dark waves uprear
      their heads and scatter their sea-wrack in all directions—even
      thus troubled were the hearts of the Achaeans.

      The son of Atreus in dismay bade the heralds call the people to a
      council man by man, but not to cry the matter aloud; he made
      haste also himself to call them, and they sat sorry at heart in
      their assembly. Agamemnon shed tears as it were a running stream
      or cataract on the side of some sheer cliff; and thus, with many
      a heavy sigh he spoke to the Achaeans. “My friends,” said he,
      “princes and councillors of the Argives, the hand of heaven has
      been laid heavily upon me. Cruel Jove gave me his solemn promise
      that I should sack the city of Troy before returning, but he has
      played me false, and is now bidding me go ingloriously back to
      Argos with the loss of much people. Such is the will of Jove, who
      has laid many a proud city in the dust as he will yet lay others,
      for his power is above all. Now, therefore, let us all do as I
      say and sail back to our own country, for we shall not take
      Troy.”

      Thus he spoke, and the sons of the Achaeans for a long while sat
      sorrowful there, but they all held their peace, till at last
      Diomed of the loud battle-cry made answer saying, “Son of Atreus,
      I will chide your folly, as is my right in council. Be not then
      aggrieved that I should do so. In the first place you attacked me
      before all the Danaans and said that I was a coward and no
      soldier. The Argives young and old know that you did so. But the
      son of scheming Saturn endowed you by halves only. He gave you
      honour as the chief ruler over us, but valour, which is the
      highest both right and might he did not give you. Sir, think you
      that the sons of the Achaeans are indeed as unwarlike and
      cowardly as you say they are? If your own mind is set upon going
      home—go—the way is open to you; the many ships that followed you
      from Mycene stand ranged upon the sea-shore; but the rest of us
      stay here till we have sacked Troy. Nay though these too should
      turn homeward with their ships, Sthenelus and myself will still
      fight on till we reach the goal of Ilius, for heaven was with us
      when we came.”

      The sons of the Achaeans shouted applause at the words of Diomed,
      and presently Nestor rose to speak. “Son of Tydeus,” said he, “in
      war your prowess is beyond question, and in council you excel all
      who are of your own years; no one of the Achaeans can make light
      of what you say nor gainsay it, but you have not yet come to the
      end of the whole matter. You are still young—you might be the
      youngest of my own children—still you have spoken wisely and have
      counselled the chief of the Achaeans not without discretion;
      nevertheless I am older than you and I will tell you everything;
      therefore let no man, not even King Agamemnon, disregard my
      saying, for he that foments civil discord is a clanless,
      hearthless outlaw.

      “Now, however, let us obey the behests of night and get our
      suppers, but let the sentinels every man of them camp by the
      trench that is without the wall. I am giving these instructions
      to the young men; when they have been attended to, do you, son of
      Atreus, give your orders, for you are the most royal among us
      all. Prepare a feast for your councillors; it is right and
      reasonable that you should do so; there is abundance of wine in
      your tents, which the ships of the Achaeans bring from Thrace
      daily. You have everything at your disposal wherewith to
      entertain guests, and you have many subjects. When many are got
      together, you can be guided by him whose counsel is wisest—and
      sorely do we need shrewd and prudent counsel, for the foe has lit
      his watchfires hard by our ships. Who can be other than dismayed?
      This night will either be the ruin of our host, or save it.”

      Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The
      sentinels went out in their armour under command of Nestor’s son
      Thrasymedes, a captain of the host, and of the bold warriors
      Ascalaphus and Ialmenus: there were also Meriones, Aphareus and
      Deipyrus, and the son of Creion, noble Lycomedes. There were
      seven captains of the sentinels, and with each there went a
      hundred youths armed with long spears: they took their places
      midway between the trench and the wall, and when they had done so
      they lit their fires and got every man his supper.

      The son of Atreus then bade many councillors of the Achaeans to
      his quarters and prepared a great feast in their honour. They
      laid their hands on the good things that were before them, and as
      soon as they had enough to eat and drink, old Nestor, whose
      counsel was ever truest, was the first to lay his mind before
      them. He, therefore, with all sincerity and goodwill addressed
      them thus.

      “With yourself, most noble son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon,
      will I both begin my speech and end it, for you are king over
      much people. Jove, moreover, has vouchsafed you to wield the
      sceptre and to uphold righteousness, that you may take thought
      for your people under you; therefore it behooves you above all
      others both to speak and to give ear, and to out the counsel of
      another who shall have been minded to speak wisely. All turns on
      you and on your commands, therefore I will say what I think will
      be best. No man will be of a truer mind than that which has been
      mine from the hour when you, sir, angered Achilles by taking the
      girl Briseis from his tent against my judgment. I urged you not
      to do so, but you yielded to your own pride, and dishonoured a
      hero whom heaven itself had honoured—for you still hold the prize
      that had been awarded to him. Now, however, let us think how we
      may appease him, both with presents and fair speeches that may
      conciliate him.”

      And King Agamemnon answered, “Sir, you have reproved my folly
      justly. I was wrong. I own it. One whom heaven befriends is in
      himself a host, and Jove has shown that he befriends this man by
      destroying much people of the Achaeans. I was blinded with
      passion and yielded to my worser mind; therefore I will make
      amends, and will give him great gifts by way of atonement. I will
      tell them in the presence of you all. I will give him seven
      tripods that have never yet been on the fire, and ten talents of
      gold. I will give him twenty iron cauldrons and twelve strong
      horses that have won races and carried off prizes. Rich, indeed,
      both in land and gold is he that has as many prizes as my horses
      have won me. I will give him seven excellent workwomen, Lesbians,
      whom I chose for myself when he took Lesbos—all of surpassing
      beauty. I will give him these, and with them her whom I erewhile
      took from him, the daughter of Briseus; and I swear a great oath
      that I never went up into her couch, nor have been with her after
      the manner of men and women.

      “All these things will I give him now, and if hereafter the gods
      vouchsafe me to sack the city of Priam, let him come when we
      Achaeans are dividing the spoil, and load his ship with gold and
      bronze to his liking; furthermore let him take twenty Trojan
      women, the loveliest after Helen herself. Then, when we reach
      Achaean Argos, wealthiest of all lands, he shall be my son-in-law
      and I will show him like honour with my own dear son Orestes, who
      is being nurtured in all abundance. I have three daughters,
      Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa, let him take the one of
      his choice, freely and without gifts of wooing, to the house of
      Peleus; I will add such dower to boot as no man ever yet gave his
      daughter, and will give him seven well-established cities,
      Cardamyle, Enope, and Hire, where there is grass; holy Pherae and
      the rich meadows of Anthea; Aepea also, and the vine-clad slopes
      of Pedasus, all near the sea, and on the borders of sandy Pylos.
      The men that dwell there are rich in cattle and sheep; they will
      honour him with gifts as though he were a god, and be obedient to
      his comfortable ordinances. All this will I do if he will now
      forgo his anger. Let him then yield; it is only Hades who is
      utterly ruthless and unyielding—and hence he is of all gods the
      one most hateful to mankind. Moreover I am older and more royal
      than himself. Therefore, let him now obey me.”

      Then Nestor answered, “Most noble son of Atreus, king of men,
      Agamemnon. The gifts you offer are no small ones, let us then
      send chosen messengers, who may go to the tent of Achilles son of
      Peleus without delay. Let those go whom I shall name. Let
      Phoenix, dear to Jove, lead the way; let Ajax and Ulysses follow,
      and let the heralds Odius and Eurybates go with them. Now bring
      water for our hands, and bid all keep silence while we pray to
      Jove the son of Saturn, if so be that he may have mercy upon us.”

      Thus did he speak, and his saying pleased them well. Men-servants
      poured water over the hands of the guests, while pages filled the
      mixing-bowls with wine and water, and handed it round after
      giving every man his drink-offering; then, when they had made
      their offerings, and had drunk each as much as he was minded, the
      envoys set out from the tent of Agamemnon son of Atreus; and
      Nestor, looking first to one and then to another, but most
      especially at Ulysses, was instant with them that they should
      prevail with the noble son of Peleus.

      They went their way by the shore of the sounding sea, and prayed
      earnestly to earth-encircling Neptune that the high spirit of the
      son of Aeacus might incline favourably towards them. When they
      reached the ships and tents of the Myrmidons, they found Achilles
      playing on a lyre, fair, of cunning workmanship, and its
      cross-bar was of silver. It was part of the spoils which he had
      taken when he sacked the city of Eetion, and he was now diverting
      himself with it and singing the feats of heroes. He was alone
      with Patroclus, who sat opposite to him and said nothing, waiting
      till he should cease singing. Ulysses and Ajax now came
      in—Ulysses leading the way—and stood before him. Achilles sprang
      from his seat with the lyre still in his hand, and Patroclus,
      when he saw the strangers, rose also. Achilles then greeted them
      saying, “All hail and welcome—you must come upon some great
      matter, you, who for all my anger are still dearest to me of the
      Achaeans.”

      With this he led them forward, and bade them sit on seats covered
      with purple rugs; then he said to Patroclus who was close by him,
      “Son of Menoetius, set a larger bowl upon the table, mix less
      water with the wine, and give every man his cup, for these are
      very dear friends, who are now under my roof.”

      Patroclus did as his comrade bade him; he set the chopping-block
      in front of the fire, and on it he laid the loin of a sheep, the
      loin also of a goat, and the chine of a fat hog. Automedon held
      the meat while Achilles chopped it; he then sliced the pieces and
      put them on spits while the son of Menoetius made the fire burn
      high. When the flame had died down, he spread the embers, laid
      the spits on top of them, lifting them up and setting them upon
      the spit-racks; and he sprinkled them with salt. When the meat
      was roasted, he set it on platters, and handed bread round the
      table in fair baskets, while Achilles dealt them their portions.
      Then Achilles took his seat facing Ulysses against the opposite
      wall, and bade his comrade Patroclus offer sacrifice to the gods;
      so he cast the offerings into the fire, and they laid their hands
      upon the good things that were before them. As soon as they had
      had enough to eat and drink, Ajax made a sign to Phoenix, and
      when he saw this, Ulysses filled his cup with wine and pledged
      Achilles.

      “Hail,” said he, “Achilles, we have had no scant of good cheer,
      neither in the tent of Agamemnon, nor yet here; there has been
      plenty to eat and drink, but our thought turns upon no such
      matter. Sir, we are in the face of great disaster, and without
      your help know not whether we shall save our fleet or lose it.
      The Trojans and their allies have camped hard by our ships and by
      the wall; they have lit watchfires throughout their host and deem
      that nothing can now prevent them from falling on our fleet.
      Jove, moreover, has sent his lightnings on their right; Hector,
      in all his glory, rages like a maniac; confident that Jove is
      with him he fears neither god nor man, but is gone raving mad,
      and prays for the approach of day. He vows that he will hew the
      high sterns of our ships in pieces, set fire to their hulls, and
      make havoc of the Achaeans while they are dazed and smothered in
      smoke; I much fear that heaven will make good his boasting, and
      it will prove our lot to perish at Troy far from our home in
      Argos. Up, then, and late though it be, save the sons of the
      Achaeans who faint before the fury of the Trojans. You will
      repent bitterly hereafter if you do not, for when the harm is
      done there will be no curing it; consider ere it be too late, and
      save the Danaans from destruction.

      “My good friend, when your father Peleus sent you from Phthia to
      Agamemnon, did he not charge you saying, ‘Son, Minerva and Juno
      will make you strong if they choose, but check your high temper,
      for the better part is in goodwill. Eschew vain quarrelling, and
      the Achaeans old and young will respect you more for doing so.’
      These were his words, but you have forgotten them. Even now,
      however, be appeased, and put away your anger from you. Agamemnon
      will make you great amends if you will forgive him; listen, and I
      will tell you what he has said in his tent that he will give you.
      He will give you seven tripods that have never yet been on the
      fire, and ten talents of gold; twenty iron cauldrons, and twelve
      strong horses that have won races and carried off prizes. Rich
      indeed both in land and gold is he who has as many prizes as
      these horses have won for Agamemnon. Moreover he will give you
      seven excellent workwomen, Lesbians, whom he chose for himself,
      when you took Lesbos—all of surpassing beauty. He will give you
      these, and with them her whom he erewhile took from you, the
      daughter of Briseus, and he will swear a great oath, he has never
      gone up into her couch nor been with her after the manner of men
      and women. All these things will he give you now down, and if
      hereafter the gods vouchsafe him to sack the city of Priam, you
      can come when we Achaeans are dividing the spoil, and load your
      ship with gold and bronze to your liking. You can take twenty
      Trojan women, the loveliest after Helen herself. Then, when we
      reach Achaean Argos, wealthiest of all lands, you shall be his
      son-in-law, and he will show you like honour with his own dear
      son Orestes, who is being nurtured in all abundance. Agamemnon
      has three daughters, Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa; you
      may take the one of your choice, freely and without gifts of
      wooing, to the house of Peleus; he will add such dower to boot as
      no man ever yet gave his daughter, and will give you seven
      well-established cities, Cardamyle, Enope, and Hire where there
      is grass; holy Pherae and the rich meadows of Anthea; Aepea also,
      and the vine-clad slopes of Pedasus, all near the sea, and on the
      borders of sandy Pylos. The men that dwell there are rich in
      cattle and sheep; they will honour you with gifts as though were
      a god, and be obedient to your comfortable ordinances. All this
      will he do if you will now forgo your anger. Moreover, though you
      hate both him and his gifts with all your heart, yet pity the
      rest of the Achaeans who are being harassed in all their host;
      they will honour you as a god, and you will earn great glory at
      their hands. You might even kill Hector; he will come within your
      reach, for he is infatuated, and declares that not a Danaan whom
      the ships have brought can hold his own against him.”

      Achilles answered, “Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, I should give
      you formal notice plainly and in all fixity of purpose that there
      be no more of this cajoling, from whatsoever quarter it may come.
      Him do I hate even as the gates of hell who says one thing while
      he hides another in his heart; therefore I will say what I mean.
      I will be appeased neither by Agamemnon son of Atreus nor by any
      other of the Danaans, for I see that I have no thanks for all my
      fighting. He that fights fares no better than he that does not;
      coward and hero are held in equal honour, and death deals like
      measure to him who works and him who is idle. I have taken
      nothing by all my hardships—with my life ever in my hand; as a
      bird when she has found a morsel takes it to her nestlings, and
      herself fares hardly, even so many a long night have I been
      wakeful, and many a bloody battle have I waged by day against
      those who were fighting for their women. With my ships I have
      taken twelve cities, and eleven round about Troy have I stormed
      with my men by land; I took great store of wealth from every one
      of them, but I gave all up to Agamemnon son of Atreus. He stayed
      where he was by his ships, yet of what came to him he gave
      little, and kept much himself.

      “Nevertheless he did distribute some meeds of honour among the
      chieftains and kings, and these have them still; from me alone of
      the Achaeans did he take the woman in whom I delighted—let him
      keep her and sleep with her. Why, pray, must the Argives needs
      fight the Trojans? What made the son of Atreus gather the host
      and bring them? Was it not for the sake of Helen? Are the sons of
      Atreus the only men in the world who love their wives? Any man of
      common right feeling will love and cherish her who is his own, as
      I this woman, with my whole heart, though she was but a fruitling
      of my spear. Agamemnon has taken her from me; he has played me
      false; I know him; let him tempt me no further, for he shall not
      move me. Let him look to you, Ulysses, and to the other princes
      to save his ships from burning. He has done much without me
      already. He has built a wall; he has dug a trench deep and wide
      all round it, and he has planted it within with stakes; but even
      so he stays not the murderous might of Hector. So long as I
      fought the Achaeans Hector suffered not the battle range far from
      the city walls; he would come to the Scaean gates and to the oak
      tree, but no further. Once he stayed to meet me and hardly did he
      escape my onset: now, however, since I am in no mood to fight
      him, I will to-morrow offer sacrifice to Jove and to all the
      gods; I will draw my ships into the water and then victual them
      duly; to-morrow morning, if you care to look, you will see my
      ships on the Hellespont, and my men rowing out to sea with might
      and main. If great Neptune vouchsafes me a fair passage, in three
      days I shall be in Phthia. I have much there that I left behind
      me when I came here to my sorrow, and I shall bring back still
      further store of gold, of red copper, of fair women, and of iron,
      my share of the spoils that we have taken; but one prize, he who
      gave has insolently taken away. Tell him all as I now bid you,
      and tell him in public that the Achaeans may hate him and beware
      of him should he think that he can yet dupe others for his
      effrontery never fails him.

      “As for me, hound that he is, he dares not look me in the face. I
      will take no counsel with him, and will undertake nothing in
      common with him. He has wronged me and deceived me enough, he
      shall not cozen me further; let him go his own way, for Jove has
      robbed him of his reason. I loathe his presents, and for himself
      care not one straw. He may offer me ten or even twenty times what
      he has now done, nay—not though it be all that he has in the
      world, both now or ever shall have; he may promise me the wealth
      of Orchomenus or of Egyptian Thebes, which is the richest city in
      the whole world, for it has a hundred gates through each of which
      two hundred men may drive at once with their chariots and horses;
      he may offer me gifts as the sands of the sea or the dust of the
      plain in multitude, but even so he shall not move me till I have
      been revenged in full for the bitter wrong he has done me. I will
      not marry his daughter; she may be fair as Venus, and skilful as
      Minerva, but I will have none of her: let another take her, who
      may be a good match for her and who rules a larger kingdom. If
      the gods spare me to return home, Peleus will find me a wife;
      there are Achaean women in Hellas and Phthia, daughters of kings
      that have cities under them; of these I can take whom I will and
      marry her. Many a time was I minded when at home in Phthia to woo
      and wed a woman who would make me a suitable wife, and to enjoy
      the riches of my old father Peleus. My life is more to me than
      all the wealth of Ilius while it was yet at peace before the
      Achaeans went there, or than all the treasure that lies on the
      stone floor of Apollo’s temple beneath the cliffs of Pytho.
      Cattle and sheep are to be had for harrying, and a man buy both
      tripods and horses if he wants them, but when his life has once
      left him it can neither be bought nor harried back again.

      “My mother Thetis tells me that there are two ways in which I may
      meet my end. If I stay here and fight, I shall not return alive
      but my name will live for ever: whereas if I go home my name will
      die, but it will be long ere death shall take me. To the rest of
      you, then, I say, ‘Go home, for you will not take Ilius.’ Jove
      has held his hand over her to protect her, and her people have
      taken heart. Go, therefore, as in duty bound, and tell the
      princes of the Achaeans the message that I have sent them; tell
      them to find some other plan for the saving of their ships and
      people, for so long as my displeasure lasts the one that they
      have now hit upon may not be. As for Phoenix, let him sleep here
      that he may sail with me in the morning if he so will. But I will
      not take him by force.”

      They all held their peace, dismayed at the sternness with which
      he had denied them, till presently the old knight Phoenix in his
      great fear for the ships of the Achaeans, burst into tears and
      said, “Noble Achilles, if you are now minded to return, and in
      the fierceness of your anger will do nothing to save the ships
      from burning, how, my son, can I remain here without you? Your
      father Peleus bade me go with you when he sent you as a mere lad
      from Phthia to Agamemnon. You knew nothing neither of war nor of
      the arts whereby men make their mark in council, and he sent me
      with you to train you in all excellence of speech and action.
      Therefore, my son, I will not stay here without you—no, not
      though heaven itself vouchsafe to strip my years from off me, and
      make me young as I was when I first left Hellas the land of fair
      women. I was then flying the anger of father Amyntor, son of
      Ormenus, who was furious with me in the matter of his concubine,
      of whom he was enamoured to the wronging of his wife my mother.
      My mother, therefore, prayed me without ceasing to lie with the
      woman myself, that so she hate my father, and in the course of
      time I yielded. But my father soon came to know, and cursed me
      bitterly, calling the dread Erinyes to witness. He prayed that no
      son of mine might ever sit upon knees—and the gods, Jove of the
      world below and awful Proserpine, fulfilled his curse. I took
      counsel to kill him, but some god stayed my rashness and bade me
      think on men’s evil tongues and how I should be branded as the
      murderer of my father; nevertheless I could not bear to stay in
      my father’s house with him so bitter against me. My cousins and
      clansmen came about me, and pressed me sorely to remain; many a
      sheep and many an ox did they slaughter, and many a fat hog did
      they set down to roast before the fire; many a jar, too, did they
      broach of my father’s wine. Nine whole nights did they set a
      guard over me taking it in turns to watch, and they kept a fire
      always burning, both in the cloister of the outer court and in
      the inner court at the doors of the room wherein I lay; but when
      the darkness of the tenth night came, I broke through the closed
      doors of my room, and climbed the wall of the outer court after
      passing quickly and unperceived through the men on guard and the
      women servants. I then fled through Hellas till I came to fertile
      Phthia, mother of sheep, and to King Peleus, who made me welcome
      and treated me as a father treats an only son who will be heir to
      all his wealth. He made me rich and set me over much people,
      establishing me on the borders of Phthia where I was chief ruler
      over the Dolopians.

      “It was I, Achilles, who had the making of you; I loved you with
      all my heart: for you would eat neither at home nor when you had
      gone out elsewhere, till I had first set you upon my knees, cut
      up the dainty morsel that you were to eat, and held the wine-cup
      to your lips. Many a time have you slobbered your wine in baby
      helplessness over my shirt; I had infinite trouble with you, but
      I knew that heaven had vouchsafed me no offspring of my own, and
      I made a son of you, Achilles, that in my hour of need you might
      protect me. Now, therefore, I say battle with your pride and beat
      it; cherish not your anger for ever; the might and majesty of
      heaven are more than ours, but even heaven may be appeased; and
      if a man has sinned he prays the gods, and reconciles them to
      himself by his piteous cries and by frankincense, with
      drink-offerings and the savour of burnt sacrifice. For prayers
      are as daughters to great Jove; halt, wrinkled, with eyes
      askance, they follow in the footsteps of sin, who, being fierce
      and fleet of foot, leaves them far behind him, and ever baneful
      to mankind outstrips them even to the ends of the world; but
      nevertheless the prayers come hobbling and healing after. If a
      man has pity upon these daughters of Jove when they draw near
      him, they will bless him and hear him too when he is praying; but
      if he deny them and will not listen to them, they go to Jove the
      son of Saturn and pray that he may presently fall into sin—to his
      ruing bitterly hereafter. Therefore, Achilles, give these
      daughters of Jove due reverence, and bow before them as all good
      men will bow. Were not the son of Atreus offering you gifts and
      promising others later—if he were still furious and implacable—I
      am not he that would bid you throw off your anger and help the
      Achaeans, no matter how great their need; but he is giving much
      now, and more hereafter; he has sent his captains to urge his
      suit, and has chosen those who of all the Argives are most
      acceptable to you; make not then their words and their coming to
      be of none effect. Your anger has been righteous so far. We have
      heard in song how heroes of old time quarrelled when they were
      roused to fury, but still they could be won by gifts, and fair
      words could soothe them.

      “I have an old story in my mind—a very old one—but you are all
      friends and I will tell it. The Curetes and the Aetolians were
      fighting and killing one another round Calydon—the Aetolians
      defending the city and the Curetes trying to destroy it. For
      Diana of the golden throne was angry and did them hurt because
      Oeneus had not offered her his harvest first-fruits. The other
      gods had all been feasted with hecatombs, but to the daughter of
      great Jove alone he had made no sacrifice. He had forgotten her,
      or somehow or other it had escaped him, and this was a grievous
      sin. Thereon the archer goddess in her displeasure sent a
      prodigious creature against him—a savage wild boar with great
      white tusks that did much harm to his orchard lands, uprooting
      apple-trees in full bloom and throwing them to the ground. But
      Meleager son of Oeneus got huntsmen and hounds from many cities
      and killed it—for it was so monstrous that not a few were needed,
      and many a man did it stretch upon his funeral pyre. On this the
      goddess set the Curetes and the Aetolians fighting furiously
      about the head and skin of the boar.

      “So long as Meleager was in the field things went badly with the
      Curetes, and for all their numbers they could not hold their
      ground under the city walls; but in the course of time Meleager
      was angered as even a wise man will sometimes be. He was incensed
      with his mother Althaea, and therefore stayed at home with his
      wedded wife fair Cleopatra, who was daughter of Marpessa daughter
      of Euenus, and of Ides the man then living. He it was who took
      his bow and faced King Apollo himself for fair Marpessa’s sake;
      her father and mother then named her Alcyone, because her mother
      had mourned with the plaintive strains of the halcyon-bird when
      Phoebus Apollo had carried her off. Meleager, then, stayed at
      home with Cleopatra, nursing the anger which he felt by reason of
      his mother’s curses. His mother, grieving for the death of her
      brother, prayed the gods, and beat the earth with her hands,
      calling upon Hades and on awful Proserpine; she went down upon
      her knees and her bosom was wet with tears as she prayed that
      they would kill her son—and Erinys that walks in darkness and
      knows no ruth heard her from Erebus.

      “Then was heard the din of battle about the gates of Calydon, and
      the dull thump of the battering against their walls. Thereon the
      elders of the Aetolians besought Meleager; they sent the chiefest
      of their priests, and begged him to come out and help them,
      promising him a great reward. They bade him choose fifty
      plough-gates, the most fertile in the plain of Calydon, the
      one-half vineyard and the other open plough-land. The old warrior
      Oeneus implored him, standing at the threshold of his room and
      beating the doors in supplication. His sisters and his mother
      herself besought him sore, but he the more refused them; those of
      his comrades who were nearest and dearest to him also prayed him,
      but they could not move him till the foe was battering at the
      very doors of his chamber, and the Curetes had scaled the walls
      and were setting fire to the city. Then at last his sorrowing
      wife detailed the horrors that befall those whose city is taken;
      she reminded him how the men are slain, and the city is given
      over to the flames, while the women and children are carried into
      captivity; when he heard all this, his heart was touched, and he
      donned his armour to go forth. Thus of his own inward motion he
      saved the city of the Aetolians; but they now gave him nothing of
      those rich rewards that they had offered earlier, and though he
      saved the city he took nothing by it. Be not then, my son, thus
      minded; let not heaven lure you into any such course. When the
      ships are burning it will be a harder matter to save them. Take
      the gifts, and go, for the Achaeans will then honour you as a
      god; whereas if you fight without taking them, you may beat the
      battle back, but you will not be held in like honour.”

      And Achilles answered, “Phoenix, old friend and father, I have no
      need of such honour. I have honour from Jove himself, which will
      abide with me at my ships while I have breath in my body, and my
      limbs are strong. I say further—and lay my saying to your
      heart—vex me no more with this weeping and lamentation, all in
      the cause of the son of Atreus. Love him so well, and you may
      lose the love I bear you. You ought to help me rather in
      troubling those that trouble me; be king as much as I am, and
      share like honour with myself; the others shall take my answer;
      stay here yourself and sleep comfortably in your bed; at daybreak
      we will consider whether to remain or go.”

      On this he nodded quietly to Patroclus as a sign that he was to
      prepare a bed for Phoenix, and that the others should take their
      leave. Ajax son of Telamon then said, “Ulysses, noble son of
      Laertes, let us be gone, for I see that our journey is vain. We
      must now take our answer, unwelcome though it be, to the Danaans
      who are waiting to receive it. Achilles is savage and
      remorseless; he is cruel, and cares nothing for the love his
      comrades lavished upon him more than on all the others. He is
      implacable—and yet if a man’s brother or son has been slain he
      will accept a fine by way of amends from him that killed him, and
      the wrong-doer having paid in full remains in peace among his own
      people; but as for you, Achilles, the gods have put a wicked
      unforgiving spirit in your heart, and this, all about one single
      girl, whereas we now offer you the seven best we have, and much
      else into the bargain. Be then of a more gracious mind, respect
      the hospitality of your own roof. We are with you as messengers
      from the host of the Danaans, and would fain be held nearest and
      dearest to yourself of all the Achaeans.”

      “Ajax,” replied Achilles, “noble son of Telamon, you have spoken
      much to my liking, but my blood boils when I think it all over,
      and remember how the son of Atreus treated me with contumely as
      though I were some vile tramp, and that too in the presence of
      the Argives. Go, then, and deliver your message; say that I will
      have no concern with fighting till Hector, son of noble Priam,
      reaches the tents of the Myrmidons in his murderous course, and
      flings fire upon their ships. For all his lust of battle, I take
      it he will be held in check when he is at my own tent and ship.”

      On this they took every man his double cup, made their
      drink-offerings, and went back to the ships, Ulysses leading the
      way. But Patroclus told his men and the maid-servants to make
      ready a comfortable bed for Phoenix; they therefore did so with
      sheepskins, a rug, and a sheet of fine linen. The old man then
      laid himself down and waited till morning came. But Achilles
      slept in an inner room, and beside him the daughter of Phorbas
      lovely Diomede, whom he had carried off from Lesbos. Patroclus
      lay on the other side of the room, and with him fair Iphis whom
      Achilles had given him when he took Scyros the city of Enyeus.

      When the envoys reached the tents of the son of Atreus, the
      Achaeans rose, pledged them in cups of gold, and began to
      question them. King Agamemnon was the first to do so. “Tell me,
      Ulysses,” said he, “will he save the ships from burning, or did
      he refuse, and is he still furious?”

      Ulysses answered, “Most noble son of Atreus, king of men,
      Agamemnon, Achilles will not be calmed, but is more fiercely
      angry than ever, and spurns both you and your gifts. He bids you
      take counsel with the Achaeans to save the ships and host as you
      best may; as for himself, he said that at daybreak he should draw
      his ships into the water. He said further that he should advise
      every one to sail home likewise, for that you will not reach the
      goal of Ilius. ‘Jove,’ he said, ‘has laid his hand over the city
      to protect it, and the people have taken heart.’ This is what he
      said, and the others who were with me can tell you the same
      story—Ajax and the two heralds, men, both of them, who may be
      trusted. The old man Phoenix stayed where he was to sleep, for so
      Achilles would have it, that he might go home with him in the
      morning if he so would; but he will not take him by force.”

      They all held their peace, sitting for a long time silent and
      dejected, by reason of the sternness with which Achilles had
      refused them, till presently Diomed said, “Most noble son of
      Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, you ought not to have sued the
      son of Peleus nor offered him gifts. He is proud enough as it is,
      and you have encouraged him in his pride still further. Let him
      stay or go as he will. He will fight later when he is in the
      humour, and heaven puts it in his mind to do so. Now, therefore,
      let us all do as I say; we have eaten and drunk our fill, let us
      then take our rest, for in rest there is both strength and stay.
      But when fair rosy-fingered morn appears, forthwith bring out
      your host and your horsemen in front of the ships, urging them
      on, and yourself fighting among the foremost.”

      Thus he spoke, and the other chieftains approved his words. They
      then made their drink-offerings and went every man to his own
      tent, where they laid down to rest and enjoyed the boon of sleep.