VACATION TIME!

I WILL NOT BE POSTING UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH. I AM TAKING A LONG PLANNED VACATION THAT DEPARTS THE OLD WORLD FOR THE NEW. THE QUARREL BETWEEN ACHILLES AND AGAMEMNON WILL REMAIN IN MY MIND THOUGH AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL VISIT THE SITE AGAIN NEXT MONTH I WILL POST PICTURES OF THE HILLS OF CARTHAGE FROM WHICH, IN THE LATIN EPIC, AENEAS SAILED AWAY WHILE DIDO'S PALACE BURNED...

Day 16: Achilles Calls Forth the Achaeans

Lines 53-58
ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατοὸν ᾤχετο κῆλα θεοῖο,
τῇ δεκάτῃ δ' ἀγορήνδε καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς
τῷ γὰρ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεά, λευκώλενος Ἤρη·
κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν ὅτι ῥα θνήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο
οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤερθεν ὁμηγερέες τε γένοντο,
τοῖσι δ' ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκύς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Nine days the arrows of the god went throughout the camp
On the tenth Achilles summoned the host to assembly
For the goddess white-armed Hera put it in his mind:
She was grieving for her Danaans as she watched them perish
They were gathered together and came as one,
Standing, swift-footed Achilles addressed them thus:

Day 15: Struck with the Arrows of the God

Lines 48-52
ἔζετ' ἔπειτ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δ' ἰὸν ἕηκεν·
δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετ' ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο
οὐρῆος μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῴχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ' αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευχές ἐφιεὶς
Βαλλ'· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.

He then sat away from the ships, and shot off an arrow
A terrible clang arose from the silver bow
The mules were attacked first, and the dogs swift as silver
Then sharp arrows shot against their masters over and over again.
And day and night burned the crowded pyres of the dead.

Day 14: An Angry God...

Lines 43-47
ὦς ἔφατ' εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δ' ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
βῆ δὲ κατ' Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,
τόξ' ὤοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην.
ἔκλαγξαν δ' ἄρ ὀιστοὶ ἐπ' ὤμων χωομένοιο
αὐτοῦ κινηθεντος. ὁ δ' ἤιε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.

Thus the prayer was spoken, and Phoebus Apollo heard it
And down he went from the peaks of Olympus wrath in his heart
Carrying a bow and quiver covered at both ends on his shoulders.
The arrows rattled upon the shoulders of the angry god himself.
And stirred to action, he came like unto night.


A brilliant portrait of an angry god about to strike. This passage must have riveted an ancient listener sitting in a room lit only by dim firelight.

Day 14: The Arrows and the Mouse

Lines 38-42
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην, Τενεδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνασσεις
Σμινθεῦ, εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντ' ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,
ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί' ἔκηα
ταύρων ἠδ' αἰγῶν, τόδε μοι κρήνον ἐέλδωρ.
τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν."

And most sacred Cilla, and rules over Tenedos mightily
Smintheus, lord of mice, if ever I roofed your pleasing temple,
or if ever I burned for you rich thigh pieces
Of bulls and goats, fulfill my heart's desire.
May the Danaans pay for my tears with your arrows."


Pharr makes an excellent point here about the Greeks noticing early a connection between mice and plagues long before science proved this tobe fact. This accounts for the priest invoking Apollo by the epithet of Smintheus, the lord of mice, as he had invoked him in the previous section as the lord of the silver bow, thus combining the god's arrows and the mouse to create disaster for the Achaeans.

Day 13: The Old Man Makes His Plea Before the God

Lines 33-37
ὥς ἔφατ', ἔδεισεν δ' ὁ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ.
βῆ δ' ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης.
πολλὰ δ' ἔπειτ ἀπάνενθε κιών ἠπᾶθ' ὁ γεραιὸς
Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τόν ἠύκομος τέκε Λητώ.
"κλῦθι μευ, ἀργυρότοξ', ὃς χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας

Thus he spoke, and that old man was struck with fear and persuaded by his word.
And he went in silence, along the shore of the heavy thundering sea.
And going off then, the old one prayed much to
The Lord Apollo, whom fair haired Leto bore.
"Hear me O Lord with the silver bow, who shields Chrysa