The Iliad of Homer

by Richmond Lattimore

  5 crying shrill, and his companions in their numbers about him

  mourned. She, shining among divinities, stood there beside them.

  She clung to her son’s hand and called him by name and spoke to him:

  “My child, now, though we grieve for him, we must let this man lie

  dead, in the way he first was killed through the gods’ designing.

  10 Accept rather from me the glorious arms of Hephaistos,

  so splendid, and such as no man has ever worn on his shoulders.”

  The goddess spoke so, and set down the armor on the ground

  before Achilleus, and all its elaboration clashed loudly.

  Trembling took hold of all the Myrmidons. None had the courage

  15 to look straight at it. They were afraid of it. Only Achilleus

  looked, and as he looked the anger came harder upon him

  and his eyes glittered terribly under his lids, like sunflare.

  He was glad, holding in his hands the shining gifts of Hephaistos.

  But when he had satisfied his heart with looking at the intricate

  20 armor, he spoke to his mother and addressed her in winged words:

  “My mother, the god has given me these weapons; they are such

  as are the work of immortals. No mortal man could have made them.

  Therefore now I shall arm myself in them. Yet I am sadly

  afraid, during this time, for the warlike son of Menoitios

  25 that flies might get into the wounds beaten by bronze in his body

  and breed worms in them, and these make foul the body, seeing

  that the life is killed in him, and that all his flesh may be rotted.”

  In turn the goddess Thetis the silver-footed answered him:

  “My child, no longer let these things be a care in your mind.

  30 I shall endeavor to drive from him the swarming and fierce things,

  those flies, which feed upon the bodies of men who have perished;

  and although he lie here till a year has gone to fulfillment,

  still his body shall be as it was, or firmer than ever.

  Go then and summon into assembly the fighting Achaians,

  35 and unsay your anger against Agamemnon, shepherd of the people,

  and arm at once for the fighting, and put your war strength upon you.”

  She spoke so, and drove the strength of great courage into him;

  and meanwhile through the nostrils of Patroklos she distilled

  ambrosia and red nectar, so that his flesh might not spoil.

  40 But he, brilliant Achilleus, walked along by the seashore

  crying his terrible cry, and stirred up the fighting Achaians.

  And even those who before had stayed where the ships were assembled,

  they who were helmsmen of the ships and handled the steering oar,

  they who were stewards among the ships and dispensers of rations,

  45 even these came then to assembly, since now Achilleus

  had appeared, after staying so long from the sorrowful battle.

  And there were two who came limping among them, henchmen of Ares

  both, Tydeus’ son the staunch in battle, and brilliant Odysseus,

  leaning on spears, since they had the pain of their wounds yet upon them,

  50 and came and took their seats in the front rank of those assembled.

  And last of them came in the lord of men Agamemnon

  with a wound on him, seeing that Koön, the son of Antenor,

  had stabbed him with the bronze edge of the spear in the strong encounter.

  But now, when all the Achaians were in one body together,

  55 Achilleus of the swift feet stood up before them and spoke to them:

  “Son of Atreus, was this after all the better way for

  both, for you and me, that we, for all our hearts’ sorrow,

  quarreled together for the sake of a girl in soul-perishing hatred?

  I wish Artemis had killed her beside the ships with an arrow

  60 on that day when I destroyed Lyrnessos and took her.

  For thus not all these too many Achaians would have bitten

  the dust, by enemy hands, when I was away in my anger.

  This way was better for the Trojans and Hektor; yet I think

  the Achaians will too long remember this quarrel between us.

  65 Still, we will let all this be a thing of the past, though it hurts us,

  and beat down by constraint the anger that rises inside us.

  Now I am making an end of my anger. It does not become me

  unrelentingly to rage on. Come, then! The more quickly

  drive on the flowing-haired Achaians into the fighting,

  70 so that I may go up against the Trojans, and find out

  if they still wish to sleep out beside the ships. I think rather

  they will be glad to rest where they are, whoever among them

  gets away with his life from the fury of our spears’ onset.”

  He spoke, and the strong-greaved Achaians were pleasured to hear him

  75 and how the great-hearted son of Peleus unsaid his anger.

  Now among them spoke forth the lord of men Agamemnon

  from the place where he was sitting, and did not stand up among them:

  “Fighting men and friends, O Danaäns, henchmen of Ares:

  it is well to listen to the speaker, it is not becoming

  80 to break in on him. This will be hard for him, though he be able.

  How among the great murmur of people shall anyone listen

  or speak either? A man, though he speak very clearly, is baffled.

  I shall address the son of Peleus; yet all you other

  Argives listen also, and give my word careful attention.

  85 This is the word the Achaians have spoken often against me

  and found fault with me in it, yet I am not responsible

  but Zeus is, and Destiny, and Erinys the mist-walking

  who in assembly caught my heart in the savage delusion

  on that day I myself stripped from him the prize of Achilleus.

  90 Yet what could I do? It is the god who accomplishes all things.

  Delusion is the elder daughter of Zeus, the accursed

  who deludes all; her feet are delicate and they step not

  on the firm earth, but she walks the air above men’s heads

  and leads them astray. She has entangled others before me.

  95 Yes, for once Zeus even was deluded, though men say

  he is the highest one of gods and mortals. Yet Hera

  who is female deluded even Zeus in her craftiness

  on that day when in strong wall-circled Thebe Alkmene

  was at her time to bring forth the strength of Herakles. Therefore

  100 Zeus spoke forth and made a vow before all the immortals:

  ‘Hear me, all you gods and all you goddesses: hear me

  while I speak forth what the heart within my breast urges.

  This day Eileithyia of women’s child-pains shall bring forth

  a man to the light who, among the men sprung of the generation

  105 of my blood, shall be lord over all those dwelling about him.’

  Then in guileful intention the lady Hera said to him:

  ‘You will be a liar, not put fulfillment on what you have spoken.

  Come, then, lord of Olympos, and swear before me a strong oath

  that he shall be lord over all those dwelling about him

  110 who this day shall fall between the feet of a woman,

  that man who is born of the blood of your generation.’ So Hera

  spoke. And Zeus was entirely unaware of her falsehood,

  but swore a great oath, and therein lay all his deception.

  But Hera in a flash of speed left the horn of Olympos

  115 and rapidly came to Argos of Achaia, where she knew

  was the mighty
wife of Sthenelos, descended of Perseus.

  And she was carrying a son, and this was the seventh month for her,

  but she brought him sooner into the light, and made him premature,

  and stayed the childbirth of Alkmene, and held back the birth pangs.

  120 She went herself and spoke the message to Zeus, son of Kronos:

  8216;Father Zeus of the shining bolt, I will tell you a message

  for your heart. A great man is born, who will be lord over the Argives,

  Eurystheus, son of Sthenelos, of the seed of Perseus,

  your generation. It is not unfit that he should rule over

  125 the Argives.’ She spoke, and the sharp sorrow struck at his deep heart.

  He caught by the shining hair of her head the goddess Delusion

  in the anger of his heart, and swore a strong oath, that never

  after this might Delusion, who deludes all, come back

  to Olympos and the starry sky. So speaking, he whirled her

  130 about in his hand and slung her out of the starry heaven,

  and presently she came to men’s establishments. But Zeus

  would forever grieve over her each time that he saw his dear son

  doing some shameful work of the tasks that Eurystheus set him.

  So I in my time, when tall Hektor of the shining helm

  135 was forever destroying the Argives against the sterns of their vessels,

  could not forget Delusion, the way I was first deluded.

  But since I was deluded and Zeus took my wits away from me,

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

  Rise up, then, to the fighting and rouse the rest of the people.

  140 Here am I, to give you all those gifts, as many

  as brilliant Odysseus yesterday went to your shelter and promised.

  Or if you will, hold back, though you lean hard into the battle,

  while my followers take the gifts from my ship and bring them

  to you, so you may see what I give to comfort your spirit.”

  145 Then in answer to him spoke Achilleus of the swift feet:

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

  the gifts are yours to give if you wish, and as it is proper,

  or to keep with yourself. But now let us remember our joy in warcraft,

  immediately, for it is not fitting to stay here and waste time

  150 nor delay, since there is still a big work to be done.

  So can a man see once more Achilleus among the front fighters

  with the bronze spear wrecking the Trojan battalions. Therefore

  let each of you remember this and fight his antagonist.”

  Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

  155 “Not that way, good fighter that you are, godlike Achilleus.

  Do not drive the sons of the Achaians on Ilion when they are hungry,

  to fight against the Trojans, since not short will be the time

  of battle, once the massed formations of men have encountered

  together, with the god inspiring fury in both sides.

  160 Rather tell the men of Achaia here by their swift ships,

  to take food and wine, since these make fighting fury and warcraft.

  For a man will not have strength to fight his way forward all day

  long until the sun goes down if he is starved for food. Even

  though in his heart he be very passionate for the battle,

  165 yet without his knowing it his limbs will go heavy, and hunger

  and thirst will catch up with him and cumber his knees as he moves on.

  But when a man has been well filled with wine and with eating

  and then does battle all day long against the enemy,

  why, then the heart inside him is full of cheer, nor do his limbs

  170 get weary, until all are ready to give over the fighting.

  Come then, tell your men to scatter and bid them get ready

  a meal; and as for the gifts, let the lord of men Agamemnon

  bring them to the middle of our assembly so all the Achaians

  can see them before their eyes, so your own heart may be pleasured.

  175 And let him stand up before the Argives and swear an oath to you

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

  as is natural for people, my lord, between men and women.

  And by this let the spirit in your own heart be made gracious.

  After that in his own shelter let him appease you

  180 with a generous meal, so you will lack nothing of what is due you.

  And you, son of Atreus, after this be more righteous to another

  man. For there is no fault when even one who is a king

  appeases a man, when the king was the first one to be angry.”

  Then in turn the lord of men Agamemnon answered him: “

  185 Hearing what you have said, son of Laërtes, I am pleased with you.

  Fairly have you gone through everything and explained it.

  And all this I am willing to swear to, and my heart urges me,

  and I will not be foresworn before the gods. Let Achilleus

  stay here the while, though he lean very hard toward the work of the war god,

  190 and remain the rest of you all here assembled, until the gifts come

  back from my shelter and while we cut our oaths of fidelity.

  And for you yourself, Odysseus, I give you this errand, this order,

  that you choose out excellent young men of all the Achaians

  and bring the gifts back here from my ship, all that you promised

  195 yesterday to Achilleus, and bring the women back also.

  And in the wide host of the Achaians let Talthybios make ready

  a boar for me, and dedicate it to Zeus and Helios.”

  Then in answer to him spoke Achilleus of the swift feet:

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

  200 at some other time rather you should busy yourself about these things,

  when there is some stopping point in the fighting, at some time

  when there is not so much fury inside of my heart. But now

  as things are they lie there torn whom the son of Priam

  Hektor has beaten down, since Zeus was giving him glory,

  205 and then you urge a man to eating. No, but I would now

  drive forward the sons of the Achaians into the fighting

  starving and unfed, and afterward when the sun sets

  make ready a great dinner, when we have paid off our defilement.

  But before this, for me at least, neither drink nor food shall

  210 go down my very throat, since my companion has perished

  and lies inside my shelter torn about with the cutting

  bronze, and turned against the forecourt while my companions

  mourn about him. Food and drink mean nothing to my heart

  but blood does, and slaughter, and the groaning of men in the hard work.”

  215 Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

  “Son of Peleus, Achilleus, far greatest of the Achaians,

  you are stronger than I am and greater by not a little

  with the spear, yet I in turn might overpass you in wisdom

  by far, since I was born before you and have learned more things.

  220 Therefore let your heart endure to listen to my words.

  When there is battle men have suddenly their fill of it

  when the bronze scatters on the ground the straw in most numbers

  and the harvest is most thin, when Zeus has poised his balance,

  Zeus, who is administrator to men in their fighting.

  225 There is no way the Achaians can mourn a dead man by denying

  the belly. Too many fall day by day, one upon another,

  and how could anyone find breathin
g space from his labor?

  No, but we must harden our hearts and bury the man who

  dies, when we have wept over him on the day, and all those

  230 who are left about from the hateful work of war must remember

  food and drink, so that afterward all the more strongly

  we may fight on forever relentless against our enemies

  with the weariless bronze put on about our bodies. Let one not

  wait longing for any other summons to stir on the people.

  235 This summons now shall be an evil on anyone left behind

  by the ships of the Argives. Therefore let us drive on together

  and wake the bitter war god on the Trojans, breakers of horses.”

  He spoke, and went away with the sons of glorious Nestor,

  with Meges, the son of Phyleus, and Meriones, and Thoas,

  240 and Lykomedes, the son of Kreion, and Melanippos. These went

  on their way to the shelter of Atreus’ son Agamemnon.

  No sooner was the order given than the thing had been done.

  They brought back seven tripods from the shelter, those Agamemnon

  had promised, and twenty shining cauldrons, twelve horses. They brought back

  245 immediately the seven women the work of whose hands was

  blameless, and the eighth of them was Briseis of the fair cheeks.

  Odysseus weighed out ten full talents of gold and led them

  back, and the young men of the Achaians carried the other gifts.

  They brought these into the midst of assembly, and Agamemnon

  250 stood up, and Talthybios in voice like an immortal

  stood beside the shepherd of the people with the boar in his hands.

  Atreus’ son laid hands upon his work-knife, and drew it

  from where it hung ever beside the great sheath of his war sword,

  and cut first hairs away from the boar, and lifting his hands up

  255 to Zeus, prayed, while all the Argives stayed fast at their places

  in silence and in order of station, and listened to their king.

  He spoke before them in prayer gazing into the wide sky:

  “Let Zeus first be my witness, highest of the gods and greatest,

  and Earth, and Helios the Sun, and Furies, who underground

  260 avenge dead men, when any man has sworn to a falsehood,

  that I have never laid a hand on the girl Briseis

  on pretext to go to bed with her, or for any other

  reason, but she remained, not singled out, in my shelter.

  If any of this is falsely sworn, may the gods give me many

  265 griefs, all that they inflict on those who swear falsely before them.”