“Most mighty Agamemnon, King of men, With thee, Atrides, my discourse shall end, With thee begin: o’er many nations thou Hold’st sov’reign sway; since Jove to thee hath giv’n The sceptre, and the high prerogative, To be thy people’s judge and counsellor, ’Tis thine to speak the word, ’tis thine to hear And to determine, when some other chief Suggestions offers in the gen’ral cause: What counsel shall prevail, depends on thee: Yet will I say what seems to me the best. Sounder opinion none can hold than this, Which I maintain, and ever have maintain’d, Ev’n from the day when thou, great King, didst bear The fair Briseis from Achilles’ tent Despite his anger—not by my advice: I fain would have dissuaded thee, but thou, Following the dictates of thy wrathful pride, Didst to our bravest wrong, dishon’ring him Whom ev’n th’ Immortals honour’d; for his prize Thou took’st and still retain’st; but let us now Consider, if ev’n yet, with costly gifts And soothing words, we may his wrath appease.” To whom the monarch Agamemnon thus: “Father, too truly thou recall’st my fault: I err’d, nor will deny it; as a host Is he whom Jove in honour holds, as now Achilles hon’ring, he confounds the Greeks, But if I err’d, by evil impulse led, Fain would I now conciliate him, and pay An ample penalty; before you all I pledge myself rich presents to bestow. Sev’n tripods will I give, untouch’d by fire; Of gold, ten talents, twenty caldrons bright, Twelve pow’rful horses, on the course renown’d, Who by their speed have many prizes won. Not empty-handed could that man be deem’d, Nor poor in gold, who but so much possess’d As by those horses has for me been won. Sev’n women too, well skill’d in household cares, Lesbians, whom I selected for myself, That day he captur’d Lesbos’ goodly isle, In beauty far surpassing all their sex: These will I give; and with them will I send The fair Briseis, her whom from his tent I bore away; and add a solemn oath, I ne’er approach’d her bed, nor held with her Such intercourse as man with woman holds. All these shall now be his: but if the Gods Shall grant us Priam’s city to destroy, Of gold and brass, when we divide the spoil, With countless heaps he shall a vessel freight, And twenty captives he himself shall choose, All only less than Argive Helen fair. And if it be our fate to see again The teeming soil of Argos, he shall be My son by marriage; and in honour held As is Orestes, who, my only son, Is rear’d at home in luxury and ease. Three daughters fair I have, Chrysothemis, Iphianassa, and Laodice; Of these, whiche’er he will, to Peleus’ house, No portion ask’d for, he shall take to wife; And with her will I add such wedding gifts, As never man before to daughter gave. Sev’n prosp’rous towns besides; Cardamyle, And Enope, and Ira’s grassy plains; And Pherae, and Antheia’s pastures deep, Æpeia fair, and vine-clad Pedasus; All by the sea, by sandy Pylos’ bounds. The dwellers there in flocks and herds are rich,