The Iliad of Homer, Homer [reading fiction TXT] 📗

their sire; nor did any dare to await 59 him approaching, but all rose in his presence. Thus indeed he sat there on his throne; nor was Juno unconscious, having seen that silver-footed Thetis, the daughter of the marine old man, had joined in deliberation with him. Forthwith with reproaches she accosted Saturnian Jove:

"Which of the gods again, O deceitful one, has been concerting measures with thee? Ever is it agreeable to thee, being apart from me, plotting secret things, to decide thereon; nor hast thou ever yet deigned willingly to tell me one word of what thou dost meditate."

Footnote 59:(return) Heyne supplies "sedendo."

To her then replied the father of men and gods: "O Juno, build up no hopes of knowing all my counsels; difficult would they be for thee, although thou art my consort. But whatever it may be fit for thee to hear, none then either of gods or men shall know it before thee: but whatever I wish to consider apart from the gods, do thou neither inquire into any of these things, nor investigate them."

But him the large-eyed, venerable Juno then answered: "Most dread son of Saturn, what a word hast thou spoken? Heretofore have I ever questioned thee much, nor pryed [into thy secrets]; but thou mayest very quietly deliberate on those things which thou desirest. But at present I greatly fear in my soul, lest silver-footed Thetis, the daughter of the marine old man, may have influenced thee: for at dawn she sat by thee and embraced thy knees: to her I suspect thou didst plainly promise that thou wouldest honour Achilles, and destroy many at the ships of the Greeks."

But her answering, cloud-compelling Jove addressed: "Perverse one! thou art always suspecting, nor do I escape thee. Nevertheless thou shalt produce no effect at all, but thou shalt be farther from my heart: and this will be more bitter to thee. But granted this be so, it appears to be my pleasure. 60 But sit down in peace, and obey my mandate, lest as many deities as are in Olympus avail thee not against me, I drawing near, 61 when I shall lay my resistless hands upon thee."

Footnote 60:(return) I.e., say that what you suspect is correct; well then, such is my will. Footnote 61:(return) I prefer taking ίονθ' for ίοντα, not for ίοντε, as Buttmann wished.--See Anthon.

Thus he spoke: but venerable, large-eyed Juno feared, and sat down silent, having bent her heart to submission. But the heavenly gods murmured throughout the palace of Jove. And the renowned artificer, Vulcan, began to harangue them, doing kind offices to his beloved mother, white-armed Juno:

"Truly now these will be grievous matters, and no longer tolerable, if ye twain contend thus on account of mortals, and excite uproar among the deities. Nor will there be any enjoyment in the delightful banquet, since the worse things prevail. 62 But to my mother I advise, she herself being intelligent, to gratify my dear father Jove, lest my sire may again reprove her, and disturb our banquet. For if the Olympian Thunderer wishes to hurl [us] from our seats 63--for he is much the most powerful. But do thou soothe him with gentle words; then will the Olympian king straightway be propitious to us."

Footnote 62:(return) Cf. Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 9. The saying is almost proverbial. Footnote 63:(return) An aposiopesis; understand, "he can easily do so."

Thus then he spoke, and rising, he placed the double cup 64 in the hand of his dear mother, and addressed her:

"Be patient, my mother, and restrain thyself, although grieved, lest with my own eyes I behold thee beaten, being very dear to me; nor then indeed should I be able, though full of grief, to assist thee; for Olympian Jove is difficult to be opposed. For heretofore, having seized me by the foot, he cast me, desiring at one time to assist you, down from the heavenly threshold. All day was I carried down through the air, and I fell on Lemnos 65 with the setting sun: and but little life was in me by that time. There the Sintian 66 men forthwith received and tended 67 me, having fallen."

Thus he spoke: but the white-armed goddess Juno smiled; and smiling she received the cup from the hand of her son. But he, beginning from left to right, 68 kept pouring out for all the other gods, drawing nectar from the goblet. And then inextinguishable laughter arose among the immortal gods, when they saw Vulcan bustling about 69 through the mansion.

Footnote 64:(return) See my note on Od. iii. p. 30, n. 13, ed. Bohn. It was "a double cup with a common bottom in the middle."--Crusius. Footnote 65:(return) Hercules having sacked Troy, was, on his return, driven to Cos by a storm raised by Juno, who was hostile to him, and who had contrived to cast Jupiter into a sleep, that he might not interrupt her purpose. Jupiter awaking, in resentment of the artifice practised upon him, bound her feet to iron anvils, which Vulcan attempting to loose, was cast headlong down to Lemnos by his enraged sire. Footnote 66:(return) A race of robbers, of Tyrrhenian origin (according to Müller), and the ancient inhabitants of Lemnos. This island was ever after sacred to Vulcan. Cf. Lactant. i. 15; Milton, P.L. i. 740, sqq. Footnote 67:(return) See Arnold. Footnote 68:(return) This meaning of ένδέξια is due to Buttmann. Footnote 69:(return) See Buttmann, Lexil. p. 481.

Thus, then, they feasted 70 the entire day till the setting sun; nor did the soul want anything of the equal feast, nor of the beautiful harp, which Apollo held, nor of the Muses, who accompanied him, responding in turn, with delicious voice.

Footnote 70:(return) "The gods formed a sort of political community of their own, which had its hierarchy, its distribution of ranks and duties, its contentions for power and occasional revolutions, its public meetings in the agora of Olympus, and its multitudinous banquets or festivals."--Grote, vol. i. p. 463. Cf. Müller, Gk. Lit. ii. § 2.

But when the splendid light of the sun was sunk, they retired to repose, each one to his home, where renowned Vulcan, lame of both legs, with cunning skill had built a house for each. But the Olympian thunderer Jove went to his couch, where he lay before, when sweet sleep came upon him. There, having ascended, he lay down to rest, and beside him golden-throned Juno.

BOOK THE SECOND.

ARGUMENT.

Jove sends a dream to Agamemnon, in consequence of which he re-assembles the army. Thersites is punished for his insolent speech, and the troops are restrained from seeking a return homewards. The catalogue of the ships and the forces of the confederates follows.

The rest, then, both gods and horse-arraying men, 71 slept all the night: but Jove sweet sleep possessed not; but he was pondering in his mind how he might honour Achilles, and destroy many at the ships of the Greeks. But this device appeared best to him in his mind, to send a fatal dream 72 to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. And addressing him, he spoke winged words:

"Haste away, pernicious dream, to the swift ships of the Greeks. Going into the tent of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, utter very accurately everything as I shall command thee. Bid him arm the long-haired Achæans 73 with all their array; for now perhaps he may 74 take the wide-wayed city of the Trojans; for the immortals who possess the Olympian mansions no longer think dividedly, for Juno, supplicating, hath bent all [to her will]. And woes are impending over the Trojans."

Thus he spake: and the dream 75 accordingly departed, as soon as it heard the mandate. And quickly it came to the swift ships of the Greeks, and went unto Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. But him it found sleeping in his tent, and ambrosial slumber was diffused around. And he stood over his head, like unto Nestor, the son of Neleus, him, to wit, whom Agamemnon honoured most of the old men. To him assimilating himself, the divine dream addressed him:

Footnote 71:(return) See Anthon, who observes that "fighting from on horseback was not practised in the Homeric times." Footnote 72:(return) Some would personify Oneirus, as god of dreams. Footnote 73:(return) Observe the distinction, for the Abantes, ver. 542, and the Thracians, iv. 533, wore their hair differently. Footnote 74:(return) κεν limits the assertion to probability, so that Jupiter does not utter a direct falsehood. Footnote 75:(return) In defence of this cheating conduct of Jove, at which Plato was much scandalized, Coleridge, p. 154, observes: "The οὖλος ὄνειρος was a lying spirit, which the father of gods and men had a supreme right to commission for the purpose of working out his ultimate will."

"Sleepest thou, son of the warrior, horse-taming Atreus? It becomes not a counsel-giving man, to whom the people have been intrusted, and to whom so many things are a care, to sleep all the night. But now quickly attend to me; for I am a messenger to thee from Jove, who, although far distant, greatly regards and pities thee. He orders thee to arm the long-haired Greeks with all their array, for now mayest thou take the wide-wayed city of the Trojans, since the immortals, who possess the Olympian mansions, no longer think dividedly; for Juno, supplicating, hath bent all [to her will], and woes from Jove are impending over the Trojans. But do thou preserve this in thy recollection, nor let forgetfulness possess thee, when sweet sleep shall desert thee."

Thus then having spoken, he departed, and left him there pondering these things in his mind, which were not destined to be accomplished. For he, foolish, thought that he would take the city of Priam on that day; nor knew he the deeds which Jupiter was really devising; for even he was about yet to impose additional hardships and sorrows upon both Trojans and Greeks, through mighty conflicts. But he awoke from his sleep, and the heavenly voice was diffused around him. He sat up erect, and put on his soft tunic, beautiful, new; and around him he threw his large cloak. And he bound his beautiful sandals on his shining feet, and slung from his shoulders the silver-studded sword. He also took his paternal sceptre, ever imperishable, with which he went to the ships of the brazen-mailed Greeks.

The goddess Aurora now 76 ascended wide Olympus, announcing the dawn to Jove and the other immortals. But he 77 on his part ordered the clear-voiced heralds to summon the long-haired Achæans 78 to an assembly. They therefore summoned them, and the people were very speedily assembled. First the assembly of magnanimous elders sat at the ship of Nestor, the Pylus-born king. Having called them together, he propounded a prudent counsel:

Footnote 76:(return) ῥα appears to mark the regular transition from one event to another. Footnote 77:(return) Agamemnon. Footnote 78: