Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
“Infuriated one, infatuated in mind, thou art undone! are thy ears
indeed useless for hearing, and have thy sense and shame perished? Dost
thou not hear what the white-armed goddess Juno says, and she has just
now come from Olympian Jove? Dost thou thyself wish, having fulfilled
many misfortunes, to return to Olympus very much grieved, and by
compulsion, and also to create a great evil to all the rest? For he
will immediately leave the Trojans and magnanimous Greeks, and will
come against us, about to disturb us in Olympus; and will seize us one
after the other, whoever is culpable and who is not. Wherefore I exhort
thee now to lay aside thy wrath on account of thy son, for already some
one, even superior to him in strength and in hands, either is slain, or
will be hereafter; for it would be a difficult task to liberate [from
death] the race and offspring of all men.”
So saying, she seated impetuous Mars upon his throne. But Juno called
Apollo outside the house, and Iris, who is the messenger among the
immortal gods, and addressing them, spoke winged words:
“Jove orders you twain to repair with all haste to Ida, but when ye
arrive, and look upon the countenance of Jove, do whatsoever he may
urge and command.”
Then indeed, having thus spoken, venerable Juno retired, and sat down
upon her throne; but they, hastening, flew and arrived at Ida of many
rills, the mother of wild beasts. They found the far-seeing son of
Saturn sitting upon lofty Gargarus, and an odoriferous cloud encircled
him around. But coming before cloud-compelling Jove, they stood; nor
was he enraged in his mind, beholding them, because they quickly obeyed
the commands of his dear wife. And first to Iris he addressed winged
words:
“Haste, begone, fleet Iris, tell all these things to king Neptune, nor
be thou a false messenger. Order him, having ceased from the battle and
the war, to repair to the assemblies of the gods, or to the vast sea.
If, however, he will not obey my words, but shall despise them, let him
then consider in his mind and soul, lest, however powerful he may be,
he may not be able to withstand me coming against him; for I say that I
am superior to him in strength, and elder in birth; but his heart fears
riot to assert himself equal to me, whom even the others dread.”
Thus he spoke, nor was wind-footed, swift Iris disobedient: but she
descended from the Idæan mountains to sacred Ilium. And as when snow
drifts from the clouds, or cold hail, by the impulse of
cloud-dispelling 486 Boreas, so quickly swift Iris with eagerness flew
along, and standing near illustrious Neptune, she addressed him:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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