The Iliad of Homer

by Richmond Lattimore

  560 such in their numbers blazed the watchfires the Trojans were burning

  between the waters of Xanthos and the ships, before Ilion.

  A thousand fires were burning there in the plain, and beside each

  one sat fifty men in the flare of the blazing firelight.

  And standing each beside his chariot, champing white barley

  565 and oats, the horses waited for the dawn to mount to her high place.

  BOOK NINE

  So the Trojans held their night watches. Meanwhile immortal

  Panic, companion of cold Terror, gripped the Achaians

  as all their best were stricken with grief that passes endurance.

  As two winds rise to shake the sea where the fish swarm, Boreas

  5 and Zephyros, north wind and west, that blow from Thraceward,

  suddenly descending, and the darkened water is gathered

  to crests, and far across the salt water scatters the seaweed,

  so the heart in the breast of each Achaian was troubled.

  And the son of Atreus, stricken at heart with the great sorrow,

  10 went among his heralds the clear-spoken and told them

  to summon calling by name each man into the assembly

  but with no outcry, and he himself was at work with the foremost.

  They took their seats in assembly, dispirited, and Agamemnon

  stood up before them, shedding tears, like a spring dark-running

  15 that down the face of a rock impassable drips its dim water.

  So, groaning heavily, Agamemnon spoke to the Argives:

  “Friends, who are leaders of the Argives and keep their counsel:

  Zeus son of Kronos has caught me badly in bitter futility.

  He is hard: who before this time promised me and consented

  20 that I might sack strong-walled Ilion and sail homeward.

  Now he has devised a vile deception and bids me go back

  to Argos in dishonor having lost many of my people.

  Such is the way it will be pleasing to Zeus, who is too strong,

  who before now has broken the crests of many cities

  25 and will break them again, since his power is beyond all others.

  Come then, do as I say, let us all be won over; let us

  run away with our ships to the beloved land of our fathers

  since no longer now shall we capture Troy of the wide ways.”

  So he spoke, and all of them stayed stricken to silence.

  30 For some time the sons of the Achaians said nothing in sorrow;

  but at long last Diomedes of the great war cry addressed them:

  “Son of Atreus: I will be first to fight with your folly,

  as is my right, lord, in this assembly; then do not be angered.

  I was the first of the Danaäns whose valor you slighted

  35 and said I was unwarlike and without courage. The young men

  of the Argives know all these things, and the elders know it.

  The son of devious-devising Kronos has given you

  gifts in two ways: with the scepter he gave you honor beyond all,

  but he did not give you a heart, and of all power this is the greatest.

  40 Sir, sir, can you really believe the sons of the Achaians

  are so unwarlike and so weak of their hearts as you call them?

  But if in truth your own heart is so set upon going,

  go. The way is there, and next to the water are standing

  your ships that came—so many of them!—with you from Mykenai,

  45 and yet the rest of the flowing-haired Achaians will stay here

  until we have sacked the city of Troy; let even these also

  run away with their ships to the beloved land of their fathers,

  still we two, Sthenelos and I, will fight till we witness

  the end of Ilion; for it was with God that we made our way hither.”

  50 So he spoke, and all the sons of the Achaians shouted

  acclaim for the word of Diomedes, breaker of horses.

  And now Nestor the horseman stood forth among them and spoke to them:

  “Son of Tydeus, beyond others you are strong in battle,

  and in counsel also are noblest among all men of your own age.

  55 Not one man of all the Achaians will belittle your words nor

  speak against them. Yet you have not made complete your argument,

  since you are a young man still and could even be my own son

  and my youngest born of all; yet still you argue in wisdom

  with the Argive kings, since all you have spoken was spoken fairly.

  60 But let me speak, since I can call myself older than you are,

  and go through the whole matter, since there is none who can dishonor

  the thing I say, not even powerful Agamemnon.

  Out of all brotherhood, outlawed, homeless shall be that man

  who longs for all the horror of fighting among his own people.

  65 But now let us give way to the darkness of night, and let us

  make ready our evening meal; and let the guards severally

  take their stations by the ditch we have dug outside the ramparts.

  This I would enjoin upon our young men; but thereafter

  do you, son of Atreus, take command, since you are our kingliest.

  70 Divide a feast among the princes; it befits you, it is not

  unbecoming. Our shelters are filled with wine that the Achaian

  ships carry day by day from Thrace across the wide water.

  All hospitality is for you; you are lord over many.

  When many assemble together follow him who advises

  75 the best counsel, for in truth there is need for all the Achaians

  of good close counsel, since now close to our ships the enemy

  burn their numerous fires. What man could be cheered to see this?

  Here is the night that will break our army, or else will preserve it.”

  So he spoke, and they listened hard to him, and obeyed him,

  80 and the sentries went forth rapidly in their armor, gathering

  about Nestor’s son Thrasymedes, shepherd of the people,

  and about Askalaphos and Ialmenos, sons both of Ares,

  about Meriones and Aphareus and Deïpyros

  and about the son of Kreion, Lykomedes the brilliant.

  85 There were seven leaders of the sentinels, and with each one a hundred

  fighting men followed gripping in their hands the long spears.

  They took position in the space between the ditch and the rampart,

  and there they kindled their fires and each made ready his supper.

  But the son of Atreus led the assembled lords of the Achaians

  90 to his own shelter, and set before them the feast in abundance.

  They put their hands to the good things that lay ready before them.

  But when they had put away their desire for eating and drinking,

  the aged man began to weave his counsel before them

  first, Nestor, whose advice had shown best before this.

  95 He in kind intention toward all stood forth and addressed them:

  “Son of Atreus, most lordly and king of men, Agamemnon,

  with you I will end, with you I will make my beginning, since you

  are lord over many people, and Zeus has given into your hand

  the scepter and rights of judgment, to be king over the people.

  100 It is yours therefore to speak a word, yours also to listen,

  and grant the right to another also, when his spirit stirs him

  to speak for our good. All shall be yours when you lead the way. Still

  I will speak in the way it seems best to my mind, and no one

  shall have in his mind any thought that is better than this one

  105 that I have in my mind either now or long before now

  ever since that
day, illustrious, when you went from the shelter

  of angered Achilleus, taking by force the girl Briseis

  against the will of the rest of us, since I for my part

  urged you strongly not to, but you, giving way to your proud heart’s

  110 anger, dishonored a great man, one whom the immortals

  honor, since you have taken his prize and keep it. But let us

  even now think how we can make this good and persuade him

  with words of supplication and with the gifts of friendship.”

  Then in turn the lord of men Agamemnon spoke to him:

  115 “Aged sir, this was no lie when you spoke of my madness.

  I was mad, I myself will not deny it. Worth many

  fighters is that man whom Zeus in his heart loves, as now

  he has honored this man and beaten down the Achaian people.

  But since I was mad, in the persuasion of my heart’s evil,

  120 I am willing to make all good, and give back gifts in abundance.

  Before you all I will count off my gifts in their splendor:

  seven unfired tripods; ten talents’ weight of gold; twenty

  shining cauldrons; and twelve horses, strong, race-competitors

  who have won prizes in the speed of their feet. That man would not be

  125 poor in possessions, to whom were given all these have won me,

  nor be unpossessed of dearly honored gold, were he given

  all the prizes these single-foot horses have won for me.

  I will give him seven women of Lesbos, the work of whose hands is

  blameless, whom when he himself captured strong-founded Lesbos

  130 I chose, and who in their beauty surpassed the races of women.

  I will give him these, and with them shall go the one I took from him,

  the daughter of Briseus. And to all this I will swear a great oath

  that I never entered into her bed and never lay with her

  as is natural for human people, between men and women.

  135 All these gifts shall be his at once; but again, if hereafter

  the gods grant that we storm and sack the great city of Priam,

  let him go to his ship and load it deep as he pleases

  with gold and bronze, when we Achaians divide the war spoils,

  and let him choose for himself twenty of the Trojan women

  140 who are the loveliest of all after Helen of Argos.

  And if we come back to Achaian Argos, pride of the tilled land,

  he may be my son-in-law; I will honor him with Orestes

  my growing son, who is brought up there in abundant luxury.

  Since, as I have three daughters there in my strong-built castle,

  145 Chrysothemis and Laodikē and Iphianassa,

  let him lead away the one of these that he likes, with no bride-price,

  to the house of Peleus, and with the girl I will grant him as dowry

  many gifts, such as no man ever gave with his daughter.

  I will grant to him seven citadels, strongly settled:

  150 Kardamyle, and Enopē, and Hire of the grasses,

  Pherai the sacrosanct, and Antheia deep in the meadows,

  with Aipeia the lovely and Pedasos of the vineyards.

  All these lie near the sea, at the bottom of sandy Pylos,

  and men live among them rich in cattle and rich in sheepflocks,

  155 who will honor him as if he were a god with gifts given

  and fulfill his prospering decrees underneath his scepter.

  All this I will bring to pass for him, if he changes from his anger.

  Let him give way. For Hades gives not way, and is pitiless,

  and therefore he among all the gods is most hateful to mortals.

  160 And let him yield place to me, inasmuch as I am the kinglier

  and inasmuch as I can call myself born the elder.”

  Thereupon the Gerenian horseman Nestor answered him:

  “Son of Atreus, most lordly and king of men, Agamemnon,

  none could scorn any longer these gifts you offer to Achilleus

  165 the king. Come, let us choose and send some men, who in all speed

  will go to the shelter of Achilleus, the son of Peleus;

  or come, the men on whom my eye falls, let these take the duty.

  First of all let Phoinix, beloved of Zeus, be their leader,

  and after him take Aias the great, and brilliant Odysseus,

  170 and of the heralds let Odios and Eurybates go with them.

  Bring also water for their hands, and bid them keep words of good omen,

  so we may pray to Zeus, son of Kronos, if he will have pity.”

  So he spoke, and the word he spoke was pleasing to all of them.

  And the heralds brought water at once, and poured it over

  175 their hands, and the young men filled the mixing bowl with pure wine

  and passed it to all, pouring first a libation in goblets.

  Then when they had poured out wine, and drunk as much as their hearts wished,

  they set out from the shelter of Atreus’ son, Agamemnon.

  And the Gerenian horseman Nestor gave them much instruction,

  180 looking eagerly at each, and most of all at Odysseus,

  to try hard, so that they might win over the blameless Peleion.

  So these two walked along the strand of the sea deep-thundering

  with many prayers to the holder and shaker of the earth, that they

  might readily persuade the great heart of Aiakides.

  185 Now they came beside the shelters and ships of the Myrmidons

  and they found Achilleus delighting his heart in a lyre, clear-sounding,

  splendid and carefully wrought, with a bridge of silver upon it,

  which he won out of the spoils when he ruined Eëtions city.

  With this he was pleasuring his heart, and singing of men’s fame,

  190 as Patroklos was sitting over against him, alone, in silence,

  watching Aiakides and the time he would leave off singing.

  Now these two came forward, as brilliant Odysseus led them,

  and stood in his presence. Achilleus rose to his feet in amazement

  holding the lyre as it was, leaving the place where he was sitting.

  195 In the same way Patroklos, when he saw the men come, stood up.

  And in greeting Achilleus the swift of foot spoke to them:

  “Welcome. You are my friends who have come, and greatly I need you,

  who even to this my anger are dearest of all the Achaians.”

  So brilliant Achilleus spoke, and guided them forward,

  200 and caused them to sit down on couches with purple coverlets

  and at once called over to Patroklos who was not far from him:

  “Son of Menoitios, set up a mixing bowl that is bigger,

  and mix us stronger drink, and make ready a cup for each man,

  since these who have come beneath my roof are the men that I love best.”

  205 So he spoke, and Patroklos obeyed his beloved companion,

  and tossed down a great chopping-block into the firelight,

  and laid upon it the back of a sheep, and one of a fat goat,

  with the chine of a fatted pig edged thick with lard, and for him

  Automedon held the meats, and brilliant Achilleus carved them,

  210 and cut it well into pieces and spitted them, as meanwhile

  Menoitios’ son, a man like a god, made the fire blaze greatly.

  But when the fire had burned itself out, and the flames had died down,

  he scattered the embers apart, and extended the spits across them

  lifting them to the andirons, and sprinkled the meats with divine salt.

  215 Then when he had roasted all, and spread the food on the platters,

  Patroklos took the bread and set it out on a table

  in fair baskets, wh
ile Achilleus served the meats. Thereafter

  he himself sat over against the godlike Odysseus

  against the further wall, and told his companion, Patroklos,

  220 to sacrifice to the gods; and he threw the firstlings in the fire.

  They put their hands to the good things that lay ready before them.

  But when they had put aside their desire for eating and drinking,

  Aias nodded to Phoinix, and brilliant Odysseus saw it,

  and filled a cup with wine, and lifted it to Achilleus:

  225 “Your health, Achilleus. You have no lack of your equal portion

  either within the shelter of Atreus’ son, Agamemnon,

  nor here now in your own. We have good things in abundance

  to feast on; here it is not the desirable feast we think of,

  but a trouble all too great, beloved of Zeus, that we look on

  230 and are afraid. There is doubt if we save our strong-benched vessels

  or if they will be destroyed, unless you put on your war strength.

  The Trojans in their pride, with their far-renowned companions,

  have set up an encampment close by the ships and the rampart,

  and lit many fires along their army, and think no longer

  235 of being held, but rather to drive in upon the black ships.

  And Zeus, son of Kronos, lightens upon their right hand, showing them

  portents of good, while Hektor in the huge pride of his strength rages

  irresistibly, reliant on Zeus, and gives way to no one,

  neither god nor man, but the strong fury has descended upon him.

  240 He prays now that the divine Dawn will show most quickly,

  since he threatens to shear the uttermost horns from the ship-sterns,

  to light the ships themselves with ravening fire, and to cut down

  the Achaians themselves as they stir from the smoke beside them.

  All this I fear terribly in my heart, lest immortals

  245 accomplish all these threats, and lest for us it be destiny

  to die here in Troy, far away from horse-pasturing Argos.

  Up, then! if you are minded, late though it be, to rescue

  the afflicted sons of the Achaians from the Trojan onslaught.

  It will be an affliction to you hereafter, there will be no remedy

  250 found to heal the evil thing when it has been done. No, beforehand

  take thought to beat the evil day aside from the Danaäns.

  Dear friend, surely thus your father Peleus advised you

  that day when he sent you away to Agamemnon from Phthia: