Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
But her, sighing deeply, swift-footed Achilles addressed: “Thou
knowest; why should I tell all these things to thee, already knowing
[them]? We went against Thebe, 46 the sacred city of Eëtion; and this
we plundered, and brought hither all [the spoil]. And these things
indeed the sons of the Greeks fairly divided among themselves, and
selected for Agamemnon the fair-cheeked daughter of Chryses. But
Chryses, priest of the far-darting Apollo, came afterwards to the fleet
ships of the brazen-mailed Greeks, about to ransom his daughter, and
bringing invaluable ransoms, having in his hand the fillets of
far-darting Apollo, on his golden sceptre. And he supplicated all the
Greeks, but chiefly the two sons of Atreus, the leaders of the people.
Upon this all the other Greeks shouted assent, that the priest should
be reverenced, and the splendid ransoms accepted: yet it was not
pleasing to Agamemnon, son of Atreus, in his mind; but he dismissed him
evilly, and added a harsh mandate. The old man therefore went back
enraged; but Apollo hearkened to him praying, for he was very dear to
him. And he sent a destructive arrow against the Greeks; and the forces
were now dying one upon another, and the shafts of the god went on all
sides through the wide army of the Greeks. But to us the skilful seer
unfolded the divine will of the Far-darter. Straightway I first
exhorted that we should appease the god; but then rage seized upon the
son of Atreus, and instantly rising, he uttered a threatening speech,
which is now accomplished; for the rolling-eyed Greeks attend her to
Chrysa with a swift bark, and bring presents to the king; but the
heralds have just now gone from my tent, conducting the virgin daughter
of Brisëis, whom the sons of the Greeks gave to me. But do thou, if
thou art able, aid thy son. Going to Olympus, supplicate Jove, if ever
thou didst delight the heart of Jove as to anything, by word or deed;
for I frequently heard thee boasting in the palaces of my sire, when
thou saidest that thou alone, amongst the immortals, didst avert
unworthy destruction from the cloud-collecting son of Saturn, when the
other Olympian inhabitants, Juno, and Neptune, and Pallas Minerva,
wished to bind him. But thou, O goddess, having approached, freed him
from his chains, having quickly summoned to lofty Olympus, the
hundred-handed, whom the gods call Briareus, and all men Ægeon, because
he was superior to his father in strength, 47 who then sat by the son
of Saturn, exulting in renown. Him then the blessed gods dreaded, nor
did they bind [Jove]. Of these things now reminding him, sit beside
him, and embrace his knees, if in anywise he may consent to aid the
Trojans, and hem in 48 at their ships, and along the sea, the Greeks
[while they get] slaughtered, that all may enjoy their king, and that
the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, may know his baleful folly,
49 when he in no wise honoured the bravest of the Greeks.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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