Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
a way for chariot-driving. And without let us dig a deep foss hard by,
to be about it and to hinder horses and footmen, lest the battle of the
lordly Trojans be heavy on us hereafter.”
So spake he and all the chiefs gave assent. But meanwhile there was in
the high town of Ilios an assembly of the Trojans, fierce, confused,
beside Priam’s gate. To them discreet Antenor began to make harangue:
“Hearken to me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies, that I may tell you
that my soul within my breast commandeth me. Lo, go to now, let us give
Helen of Argos and the wealth with her for the sons of Atreus to take
away. Now fight we in guilt against the oaths of faith; therefore is
there no profit for us that I hope to see fulfilled, unless we do
thus.”
So spake he and sate him down; and there stood up among them noble
Alexandros, lord of Helen beautiful-haired; he made him answer and
spake winged words: “Antenor, these words from thee are no longer to my
pleasure; yet thou hast it in thee to devise other sayings more
excellent than this. But if indeed thou sayest this in earnest, then
verily the gods themselves have destroyed thy wit. But I will speak
forth amid the horse-taming Trojans, and declare outright; my wife will
I not give back; but the wealth I brought from Argos to our home, all
that I have a mind to give, and add more of mine own substance.”
So spake he and sate him down, and there stood up among them Priam of
the seed of Dardanos, the peer of gods in counsel; he made harangue to
them, and said: “Hearken to me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies, that
I may tell you that my soul within my breast commandeth me. Now eat
your supper throughout the city as of old, and take thought to keep
watch, and be wakeful every man. And at dawn let Idaios fare to the
hollow ships to tell to Atreus’ sons Agamemnon and Menelaos the saying
of Alexandros, for whose sake strife is come about: and likewise to ask
them this wise word, whether they are minded to refrain from noisy war
till we have burned our dead; afterwards will we fight again, till
heaven part us and give one or other victory.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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