Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Thus he spoke; and to them he aroused the heart in their breasts, to
all throughout the multitude, whoever had not heard his scheme. 88 And
the assembly was moved, as the great waves of the Icarian Sea, which,
indeed, both the south-east wind and the south are wont to raise, 89
rushing from the clouds of father Jove. And as when the west wind 90
agitates the thick-standing corn, rushing down upon it impetuous, and
it [the crop] bends with its ears; so was all the assembly agitated.
Some with shouting rushed to the ships, but from beneath their feet the
dust stood suspended aloft; and some exhorted one another to seize the
vessels, and drag them to the great ocean; and they began to clear the
channels. The shout of them, eager [to return] home, rose to the sky,
and they withdrew the stays from beneath the vessels. Then truly a
return had happened to the Argives, contrary to destiny, had not Juno
addressed herself to Minerva:
Footnote 88: (return) _I. e._ his real object. Cf. vs. 75, sqq.
Footnote 89: (return) Spitzner and the later editors unite in reading
κινήση for κινήσει from the Venice MS. See Arnold.
Footnote 90: (return)
——“As thick as when a field
Of Ceres, ripe for harvest, waving bends
Her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind
Sways them.”—Paradise Lost, iv. 980.
“Alas! indomitable daughter of ægis-bearing Jove, thus now shall the
Argives fly home to their dear native land, over the broad back of the
deep, and leave to Priam glory, and to the Trojans Argive Helen, on
whose account many Greeks have perished at Troy, far from their dear
native land? But go now to the people of the brazen-mailed Greeks, and
restrain each man with thy own flattering words, nor suffer them to
launch to the sea their evenly-plied 91 barks.” Thus she spoke, nor did
the azure-eyed goddess Minerva refuse compliance. But she, hastening,
descended down from the summits of Olympus, and quickly reached the
swift ships of the Achæans. Then she found Ulysses, of equal weight
with Jove in counsel, standing still; nor was he touching his
well-benched, sable bark, since regret affected him in heart and mind.
But standing near him, azure-eyed Minerva said:
Footnote 91: (return) _I.e._ rowed on both sides. But Rost and Liddell
(s.v.) prefer “swaying, rocking on both sides.”
“Jove-sprung son of Laertes, Ulysses of many wiles, thus then will ye
fly home to your dear native land, embarking in your many-benched
ships? And will ye then leave to Priam glory, and to the Trojans Argive
Helen, on whose account many Greeks have fallen at Troy, far from their
dear native land? But go now to the people of the Greeks, delay not;
and restrain each man by thy own flattering words, nor suffer them to
launch to the sea their evenly-plied barks.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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