The Iliad, Homer [big screen ebook reader .txt] 📗

erewhile took from him, the
daughter of Briseus; and I swear a great oath that I never went up into
her couch, nor have been with her after the manner of men and women.

"All these things will I give him now, and if hereafter the gods
vouchsafe me to sack the city of Priam, let him come when we Achaeans
are dividing the spoil, and load his ship with gold and bronze to his
liking; furthermore let him take twenty Trojan women, the loveliest
after Helen herself. Then, when we reach Achaean Argos, wealthiest of
all lands, he shall be my son-in-law and I will show him like honour
with my own dear son Orestes, who is being nurtured in all abundance. I
have three daughters, Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa, let him
take the one of his choice, freely and without gifts of wooing, to the
house of Peleus; I will add such dower to boot as no man ever yet gave
his daughter, and will give him seven well established cities,
Cardamyle, Enope, and Hire, where there is grass; holy Pherae and the
rich meadows of Anthea; Aepea also, and the vine-clad slopes of
Pedasus, all near the sea, and on the borders of sandy Pylos. The men
that dwell there are rich in cattle and sheep; they will honour him
with gifts as though he were a god, and be obedient to his comfortable
ordinances. All this will I do if he will now forgo his anger. Let him
then yield; it is only Hades who is utterly ruthless and
unyielding--and hence he is of all gods the one most hateful to
mankind. Moreover I am older and more royal than himself. Therefore,
let him now obey me."

Then Nestor answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, king of men,
Agamemnon. The gifts you offer are no small ones, let us then send
chosen messengers, who may go to the tent of Achilles son of Peleus
without delay. Let those go whom I shall name. Let Phoenix, dear to
Jove, lead the way; let Ajax and Ulysses follow, and let the heralds
Odius and Eurybates go with them. Now bring water for our hands, and
bid all keep silence while we pray to Jove the son of Saturn, if so be
that he may have mercy upon us."

Thus did he speak, and his saying pleased them well. Men-servants
poured water over the hands of the guests, while pages filled the
mixing-bowls with wine and water, and handed it round after giving
every man his drink-offering; then, when they had made their offerings,
and had drunk each as much as he was minded, the envoys set out from
the tent of Agamemnon son of Atreus; and Nestor, looking first to one
and then to another, but most especially at Ulysses, was instant with
them that they should prevail with the noble son of Peleus.

They went their way by the shore of the sounding sea, and prayed
earnestly to earth-encircling Neptune that the high spirit of the son
of Aeacus might incline favourably towards them. When they reached the
ships and tents of the Myrmidons, they found Achilles playing on a
lyre, fair, of cunning workmanship, and its cross-bar was of silver. It
was part of the spoils which he had taken when he sacked the city of
Eetion, and he was now diverting himself with it and singing the feats
of heroes. He was alone with Patroclus, who sat opposite to him and
said nothing, waiting till he should cease singing. Ulysses and Ajax
now came in--Ulysses leading the way--and stood before him. Achilles
sprang from his seat with the lyre still in his hand, and Patroclus,
when he saw the strangers, rose also. Achilles then greeted them
saying, "All hail and welcome--you must come upon some great matter,
you, who for all my anger are still dearest to me of the Achaeans."

With this he led them forward, and bade them sit on seats covered with
purple rugs; then he said to Patroclus who was close by him, "Son of
Menoetius, set a larger bowl upon the table, mix less water with the
wine, and give every man his cup, for these are very dear friends, who
are now under my roof."

Patroclus did as his comrade bade him; he set the chopping-block in
front of the fire, and on it he laid the loin of a sheep, the loin also
of a goat, and the chine of a fat hog. Automedon held the meat while
Achilles chopped it; he then sliced the pieces and put them on spits
while the son of Menoetius made the fire burn high. When the flame had
died down, he spread the embers, laid the spits on top of them, lifting
them up and setting them upon the spit-racks; and he sprinkled them
with salt. When the meat was roasted, he set it on platters, and handed
bread round the table in fair baskets, while Achilles dealt them their
portions. Then Achilles took his seat facing Ulysses against the
opposite wall, and bade his comrade Patroclus offer sacrifice to the
gods; so he cast the offerings into the fire, and they laid their hands
upon the good things that were before them. As soon as they had had
enough to eat and drink, Ajax made a sign to Phoenix, and when he saw
this, Ulysses filled his cup with wine and pledged Achilles.

"Hail," said he, "Achilles, we have had no scant of good cheer, neither
in the tent of Agamemnon, nor yet here; there has been plenty to eat
and drink, but our thought turns upon no such matter. Sir, we are in
the face of great disaster, and without your help know not whether we
shall save our fleet or lose it. The Trojans and their allies have
camped hard by our ships and by the wall; they have lit watchfires
throughout their host and deem that nothing can now prevent them from
falling on our fleet. Jove, moreover, has sent his lightnings on their
right; Hector, in all his glory, rages like a maniac; confident that
Jove is with him he fears neither god nor man, but is gone raving mad,
and prays for the approach of day. He vows that he will hew the high
sterns of our ships in pieces, set fire to their hulls, and make havoc
of the Achaeans while they are dazed and smothered in smoke; I much
fear that heaven will make good his boasting, and it will prove our lot
to perish at Troy far from our home in Argos. Up, then, and late though
it be, save the sons of the Achaeans who faint before the fury of the
Trojans. You will repent bitterly hereafter if you do not, for when the
harm is done there will be no curing it; consider ere it be too late,
and save the Danaans from destruction.

"My good friend, when your father Peleus sent you from Phthia to
Agamemnon, did he not charge you saying, 'Son, Minerva and Juno will
make you strong if they choose, but check your high temper, for the
better part is in goodwill. Eschew vain quarrelling, and the Achaeans
old and young will respect you more for doing so.' These were his
words, but you have forgotten them. Even now, however, be appeased, and
put away your anger from you. Agamemnon will make you great amends if
you will forgive him; listen, and I will tell you what he has said in
his tent that he will give you. He will give you seven tripods that
have never yet been on the fire, and ten talents of gold; twenty iron
cauldrons, and twelve strong horses that have won races and carried off
prizes. Rich indeed both in land and gold is he who has as many prizes
as these horses have won for Agamemnon. Moreover he will give you seven
excellent workwomen, Lesbians, whom he chose for himself, when you took
Lesbos--all of surpassing beauty. He will give you these, and with them
her whom he erewhile took from you, the daughter of Briseus, and he
will swear a great oath, he has never gone up into her couch nor been
with her after the manner of men and women. All these things will he
give you now down, and if hereafter the gods vouchsafe him to sack the
city of Priam, you can come when we Achaeans are dividing the spoil,
and load your ship with gold and bronze to your liking. You can take
twenty Trojan women, the loveliest after Helen herself. Then, when we
reach Achaean Argos, wealthiest of all lands, you shall be his
son-in-law, and he will show you like honour with his own dear son
Orestes, who is being nurtured in all abundance. Agamemnon has three
daughters, Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa; you may take the one
of your choice, freely and without gifts of wooing, to the house of
Peleus; he will add such dower to boot as no man ever yet gave his
daughter, and will give you seven well-established cities, Cardamyle,
Enope, and Hire where there is grass; holy Pheras and the rich meadows
of Anthea; Aepea also, and the vine-clad slopes of Pedasus, all near
the sea, and on the borders of sandy Pylos. The men that dwell there
are rich in cattle and sheep; they will honour you with gifts as though
were a god, and be obedient to your comfortable ordinances. All this
will he do if you will now forgo your anger. Moreover, though you hate
both him and his gifts with all your heart, yet pity the rest of the
Achaeans who are being harassed in all their host; they will honour you
as a god, and you will earn great glory at their hands. You might even
kill Hector; he will come within your reach, for he is infatuated, and
declares that not a Danaan whom the ships have brought can hold his own
against him."

Achilles answered, "Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, I should give you
formal notice plainly and in all fixity of purpose that there be no
more of this cajoling, from whatsoever quarter it may come. Him do I
hate even as the gates of hell who says one thing while he hides
another in his heart; therefore I will say what I mean. I will be
appeased neither by Agamemnon son of Atreus nor by any other of the
Danaans, for I see that I have no thanks for all my fighting. He that
fights fares no better than he that does not; coward and hero are held
in equal honour, and death deals like measure to him who works and him
who is idle. I have taken nothing by all my hardships--with my life
ever in my hand; as a bird when she has found a morsel takes it to her
nestlings, and herself fares hardly, even so many a long night have I
been wakeful, and many a bloody battle have I waged by day against
those who were fighting for their women. With my ships I have taken
twelve cities, and eleven round about Troy have I stormed with my men
by land; I took great store of wealth from every one of them, but I
gave all up to Agamemnon son of Atreus. He stayed where he was by his
ships, yet of what came to him he gave little, and kept much himself.

"Nevertheless he did distribute some meeds of honour among the
chieftains and kings, and these have them still; from me alone of the
Achaeans did he take the woman in whom I delighted--let him keep her
and sleep with her. Why, pray, must the Argives needs fight the
Trojans? What made the son of Atreus gather the host and bring