Day 21: The Seer Finishes And Achilles Rises Up

Lines 81-85
εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον γε καὶ αὐτῆμαρ καταπέψῃ,
ἀλλά τε καὶ μετόπισθεν ἔχει κότον, ὄφρα τελέσσῃ,
ἐν στῆθεσσιν ἑοῖσι. σὺ δὲ φράσει εἴ με σαώσεις."
τὸν δ'απαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκυς Ἀχιλλεύς·
"θαρσήσας μάλα εἰπὲ θεοπρόπιον, ὅτι οἶσθα·

For even if at any rate he might digest his wrath that selfsame day,
But then later he holds rancor in his breasts,
Until it is fulfilled. So you consider if you will save me."
In reply, swift footed Achilles addressed him:
"Take heart and speak the oracle, whatever you know:

The only comment I have to make is that the Greek tongue may be the most nuanced language I've ever heard of: 720 forms of the verb λύω!

Day 20: The Words of the Watcher of Birds

Lines 76-80
τοιγὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μοι ὄμοσσον
ἦ μέν μοι πρόφων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν.
ἦ γὰρ ὀίομαι ἄνδρα χολωσέμεν, ὅς μέγα πάντων
Ἀργείων κρατέει καί οἱ πείθονται Ἀχαιοί.
κρείσσων γὰρ βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηι·

Therefore I shall speak, but come together and swear to me
That you will come to my aid zealously with words and hands.
For I feel that this will enrage a man who bears much sway
Over all the Argives, and whom the Achaeans obey.
For the king is the mightier when enraged by a lesser man:

Day 19: The Seer Speaks

Lines 70-75
ὅς ᾔδη τά τ' ἐόντα τά τ' ἐσσόμενα πρό τ' ἐόντα,
καὶ νήεσς' ἠγήσατ' Ἀχαιῶν Ἴλιον εἴσω
ἥν διὰ μαντοσύνην, τήν οἱ πορε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.
ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·
"ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ, κέλεαί με, διίφιλε μυθήσασθαι
μῆνιν Ἀπόλλωνος, ἑκατηβελέταο ἄνακτος·

Who knows what is, what shall be, and what was,
and led the ships of the Achaeans to Ilium
Through the gift of prophecy that Phoebus Apollo gave to him;
He rose, and thinking things through, addressed them:
"O Achilles dear to Zeus, you command me to declare
The rage of the lord Apollo who strikes from the far off heavens:

A Look Back To The Beginning

Reaching lesson XXVIII in Clyde Pharr's work he calls for the student, myself in this case, to conduct a review of all the grammar and the entirety of the poem learned so far. So, I have done this and decided to post the first sixty nine lines in Greek today and a new translation of these lines in their entirety. On a personal not I can say that it is an amazing to look back at where I began and to see how far I've come and how much farther there is to go: more grammar, more vocabulary, and about 500 more lines of poetry in the Iliad's first book...

Lines 1-69
Μῆνιν ἄειδε θεά, Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην ἥ μυρί' Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε ἔθηκεν
πολλὰς δ' ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄιδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων, αὐτους δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν
οἰωνοῖσι τε δαῖτα, Διὸς δ' ἐτελείετο
ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
τίς τ'ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;
Λητοῦς κὰ Διὸς υἱος, ὁ γὰρ βασιλῆι χολωθεὶς
νοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὦρσε κακήν, ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί,
οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆρα
Ἀτρεΐδης. ὁ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τ] ἀπερείσι ἄποινα,
στέμματ' ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος
χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, καὶ ἐλίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς
Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω, κοσμήτορε λαῶν·
"Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι εὐκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,
ὑμιν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματ' ἔχοντες
ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, ἐὺ δ' οἴκαδ' ἱκεσθαι·
παῖδα δ' ἐμοὶ λῦσαι τε φίλην, τά τ' ἄποινα δέχεσθαι
ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱον ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα."
ἔνθ' ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ
αἰδεῖσθαί θ' ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα.
ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ
ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δ' ἐπὶ μῦθον ἐτέλλεν·
"μή σε, γέρον, κοίλῃσιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κικήω
ἤ νῦν δηθύνοντ' ἤ ὕστερον αὖτις ιόντα,
μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ σκῆπτρον καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο.
τὴν δ' ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω. πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν
ἡμετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ ἐν Ἀργεϊ, τηλόθι πάτρης,
ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντίσωσαν.
ἀλλ' ἴθι, μή μ' ἐρείθιζε, σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι."
ὧς ἔφατ, ἔδεισεν δ' ὁ γέρων καὶ ἐπεὶθετο μύθῳ.
Βῆ δ' ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης.
πολλὰ δ' ἔπειτ' ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠραθ' ὁ γεραὶος
Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠύκομος τέκε Λητώ·
"κλῦθί μευ. ἀργυρότοξ', ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην, Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,
Σμινθεῦ, εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντι' ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,
ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηπρί ἐκηα
ταύρων ἠδ' αἰγῶν, τόδε μοι κρήνον ἐέλδωρ·
τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν."
ὧς ἔφατ' εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δ' ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.
βῆ δὲ κατ' Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,
τόξ' ὤμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφεά τε φαρέτην.
ἔκλαγξαν δ' ἄρ ὀιστὰ ἐπ ὤμων χωομένοιο,
αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος· ὁ δ' ἤιε νυκτὶ ἐσικώς.
ἕζετ ἔπειτ' ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δ' ἰὸν ἕηκεν·
δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετ' ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο.
οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῴχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργους,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ' αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευκὲς ἐφιεις
βαλλ'· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.
ἐννῆμαρ μὲν στρατὸν ὤχετο κῆλα θεοῖο,
τῃ δεκάτῃ δ' ἀγορήνδε καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς.
τῷ γὰρ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεά, λευκώλενος Ἥρη·
κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν ὅτι ῥα θυήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο.
οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤγερθεν ὁμυηγερέες τε γένοντο,
τοῖσι δ' ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκύς Ἀχιλλεύς·
"Ατρεΐδη, νῦν ἄμμε πάλιν πλαγχθέντας ὀίω
ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, εἴ κεν θάνατόν γε φύγοιμεν
εἰ δὴ ὁμοῦ πόλεμός τε δαμᾷ καὶ λοιμὸς Ἀχαιούς.
ἀλλ' ἄγε δή τινα μάντιν ἐρείομεν ἥ ἱερῆα
ἢ καὶ ὀνειροπόλον, καὶ γάρ τ' ὄναρ ἐκ Διός ἐστιν,
ὅς κ' εἴποι, ὅτι τόσσον ἐχώσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,
εἴ τ' ἄρ ὅ γ' εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται εἴ θ' ἑκατόμβης
αἴ κεν πως ἀρνῶν κνίσης αἰγῶν τε τελείων
Βούλεται ἀντιάσας ἡμῖν ἀπὸ λαγὸν ἀμῦναι."
ἦ τπο δ' γ' ὧς εἰπὼν κατ' ἄρ ἕζετο, τοῖσι δ' ἀνέστη
Κάλχας Θεστορίδης, οἰωνοπόλων ὄχ ἄριστος,

Rage, goddess, sing the accursed rage of Peleus’ son
Of Achilles, that brought countless woes to the Achaeans
And hurled many valiant souls of heroes forth to Hades
Their bodies made spoils for the dogs and a feast for birds,
The will of Zeus was moving towards fulfillment,
From that time when the two first stood apart and quarreled
The son of Atreus and lord of men, and godlike Achilles.
Which then of the gods drove these two to battle in strife?
Zeus’ and Leto’s son. For, being enraged by the king,
He let loose an awful plague throughout the camp, and the armies perished
All because the son of Atreus dishonored Chryses, that famous priest.
For he’d come by the fast ships seeking to ransom his daughter
And bearing countless ransoms, and having a golden scepter
With wreaths of Farshooting Apollo in his hands,
And he kept begging all the Achaeans,
Most especially the sons of Atreus, commanders of the armies.
“Sons of Atreus and all you well-greaved Achaeans,
May the gods who dwell on Olympus grant to you
The sack of Priam’s city, and a happy return home;
Only free my dear child and accept these ransoms
And revere the son of Zeus who strikes from the skies above.”
Then all the Achaeans shouted their approval,
Revering the holy man and accepting his shining ransoms.
But not Agamemnon, this did not please Atreus’s son in his soul,
So he sent him off with malice, imparting a harsh command:
“No old man, let me not come upon you by the hollow ships,
Either lingering now, or coming back later,
Indeed, neither the scepter, nor the wreaths of the god
Will avail you then. Her I shall not free.
Before that old age will overtake her in my house in Argos,
Far from home and country, plying the loom and
Partaking of my bed. But go now and vex me not,
So the safer you may return.” Thus he spoke,
And the old man was struck, heeding the command.
In silence he went along the shore of the heavy-thundering sea.
Then the old one went off to beseech the lord Apollo,
Whom fair-haired Leto bore: “Hear me lord of the silver bow,
You who shield Chrysa, and most sacred Cilla, and rule
Tenedos in power; Smintheus lord of mice,
If ever I put a pleasing roof upon your temple, or burned for you
Rich thigh pieces of bulls and goats, then satisfy this longing of mine:
May the Danaans pay for my tears with your arrows!”
Thus he spoke the prayer, and Phoebus Apollo heard it.
And down he went from the heights of Olympus with wrath in his heart,
A bow upon his shoulders and a quiver hooded at both ends.
The arrows rattled with rage upon the shoulders of the god
And stirred to action he came on like the night.
Then, seated away from the ships, he shot an arrow in their midst:
And a terrible howl came up from the silver bow,
First the mules were struck, and the silver-footed hounds,
And then the biting missile strikes their masters, over and over again:
And the crowded pyres of the dead burned day and night.
Nine days the arrows of the god ravaged the camp,
And on the tenth Achilles called the armies to assembly:
The goddess white-armed Hera had put it in his mind,
For she grieved to watch her Danaans perishing.
They then gathered all together in that place,
And swift-footed Achilles rose to address them:
“Son of Atreus, now I think us beaten back again towards home,
Perhaps we may escape death at any rate, though war and plague
Together check the Achaeans. But come now,
Let us ask some seer, or holy man, or even an interpreter of dreams,
For dreams as well are of Zeus, who perchance would tell us
What thing it is that has Phoebus Apollo so enraged,
If he find fault with us for a vow unfulfilled,
Or a hecatomb un-offered, or somehow he may desire
To taste the savor of unblemished lambs or goats
To ward off our destruction.” Thus he spoke and was seated,
And Calchas son of Thestor, by far the best of seers, was made to stand,