Day 28: Agamemnon Responds

Lines 126-32

λαοὺς δ' οὐκ ἐπέοικε παλίλλογα ταῦτ' ἐπαγείρειν.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν τήνδε θεῷ πρόες, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
τριπλῇ τετραπλῇ τ' ἀποτίσομεν, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς
δῷσι πόλιν Τροίην ἐυτείχεον ἐξαλπάξαι."
τὸν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·
"μὴ δὴ οὕτως, ἀγαθός περ ἐών, θεοείκελ' Ἀχιλλεῦ,
κλέπτε νόῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐ παρελεύσεαι, οὐδε με πείσεις.

And it is not seemly for the army to gather and collect them.
But, if you give her up now to the god, then we Achaeans
will repay you three, even four times that, if Zeus
Should ever grant us well walled Troy to sack."
And so ruling Agamemnon adressed him in reply:
"Not so, though you are brave godlike Achilles,
Do not be stealthy of mind, for you shall neither
Pass me by, nor win me over.


I love the back and forth between Achilles and Agamemnon. I can imagine this scene going through the mind of any king or general engaged in a contentious conference throughout antiquity it is so memorable, and it is memorable because, even though one admires the characters, it is primarily an example of how not to behave in a confrontation. But passion often moves men in directions they should not go...

Day 27: The First 125 Lines of the Iliad

Lines 1-125

Μῆνιν ἄειδε θεά Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί' Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε' ἔθηκεν,
πολλὰς δ' ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄιδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν
οἰωνοῖσί τε δαῖτα, Διὸς δ' ἐτελείετο βουλή,
ἐξ οὗ δὴ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

τίς τ' ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;
Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός. 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 ἐυκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,
ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματ ἔχοντες
ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, ἐυ δ' οἴκαδ' ἱκέσθαι
παῖδα δ' ἐμοὶ λῦσαι τε φίλην, τά τ' ἄποινα δέχεσθαι
ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα."

ἔνθ' ἄλλοι μεν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ
αἰδεῖσθαί θ' ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα·
ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,
ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δ' ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλεν·
"μή σε, γέρον, κοίλῃσιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κιχήω
ἣ νῦν δηθύνοντ' ἣ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα,
μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ σκῆπτρον καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο.
τὴν δ' ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω· πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν
ἡμετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ ἐν Ἄργεϊ, τηλόθι πάτρης,
ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντιόωσαν·
ἀλλ' ἴθι, μη μ' ἐρέθιζε, σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι."

ὧς ἔφατ', ἐδείσεν δ' ὁ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθω.
Βῆ δ' ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίβοιο θαλάσσης.
πολλὰ δ' ἔπειτ' ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθ' ὁ γεραιὸς
Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἡύκομος τέκε Λητώ'
"κλῦθί μευ, ἀργυρότοξ', ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην, Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,
Σμινθεῦ, εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντ' ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα
ἡ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί ἔκηα
ταύρων ἠδ' αἰγῶν, τόδε μοι κρήνον ἐέλδωρ·
τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν."

ὧς εἔφατ' εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δ' ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπολλων,
Βῆ δὲ κατ' Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,
τόξ' ὤωμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην.
ἔκλαγξαν δ' ἄρ ὀιστοὶ ἐπ' ὤμων χωομένοιο,
αὐτοῦ χινηθέντος· ὁ δ' ἤιε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.
ἑζετ' ἔπειτ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δ' ἰὸν ἕηκεν·
δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετ' ἀργυρέοιο Βιοῖο.
οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῷχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ αὐτοῖσι Βέλος ἐχεοευκες ἐφιεὶς
Βάλλ'· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.

ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατὸν ᾥχετο κῆλα θειοῖο,
τῃ δεκάτῃ δ' ἀγορήνδε καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς·
τῷ γὰρ ἐπι φρεσὶ θῆκε θεά λευκώλενος Ἥρη·
κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν ὅτι ῥα θνήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο.
οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤγερθεν ὁμηγερέες τε γένοντο,
τοῖσι δ' ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλευς·

"Ἀτρεΐδη,νῦν ἄμμε πάλιν πλαγχθέντας ὀίω
ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, εἴ κεν θάνατόν γε φύοιμεν,
εἰ δὴ ὁμοῦ πόλεμός τε δαμᾷ λοιμὸς Ἀχαιούς.
ἀλλ' ἄγε δή τινα μάντιν ἐρείομεν ἢ ἡερῆα
ἢ καὶ ὀνειροπόλον, καὶ γάρ τ' ὄναρ ἐκ Διός ἐστιν
ὁς κ' εἵποι, ὅτι τόσσον ἐχώσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,
εἴ τ' ἄρ ὅ γ' ἐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται εἴ θ' ἑκατόμβης
αἴ κέν πως ἀρνῶν κνίσης αἰγῶν τε τελείων
βούλεται ἀντιάσας ἡμῖν ἀπὸ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι."

ἦ τοι ὅ γ' ὧς εἰπὼν κατ' ἄρ' ἕζετο, τοῖσι δ' ἀνέστη
Κάλχας Θεστορίδης, οἰωνοπόλων ὄχ' ἄριστος,
ὅς ἤδη τα τ' ἐόντα τάτ' ἐσσόμενα πρό τ' ἐόντα,
καὶ νήεσς' ἡγήσατ' Ἀχαιῶν Ἴλιον εἴσω
ἣν διὰ μαντοσύνην, τήν οἱ πόρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·
ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

"ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ, κέλεαί με, διίφιλε, μυθήσασθαι
μῆνιν Ἀπόλλωνος, ἑκατηβελέταο ἄνακτος·
τοιγὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ συνθεο καί μοι ὄμοσσον
ἧ μέν μοι πρόφρπων ἔπεσιν καὶ χαρσὶν ἀρήξειν.
ἦ γὰρ ὀιομαι ἄνδρα χολωσέμεν, ὃς μέγα πάντων
Ἀργείων κρατέει καί οἱ πείθονται Ἀχαιοί.
κρείσσων γὰρ Βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρί χέρηι·
εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον γε καὶ αὐτῆμαρ καταπέψη,
ἀλλά τε καὶ μετόπισθεν ἔχει κότον, ὄφρα τελεσσῃ,
ἐν στήθεσσι ἑοῖσι. σὺ δὲ φράσαι, εἴ με σαώσεις."

τὸν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
"θαρσήσας μάλα ἐιπὲ θεοπρόπιον, ὅτι οἶσα·
οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα διίφιλον, ᾧ τε συ, Κάλχαν
εὐχόμενος Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπίας ἀναφαίνεις
οὔ τις ἐμεῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ δερκομένοιο
σοὶ κοίλῃς παρὰ νηυσὶ βαρείας χεῖρας ἐποίσει
συμπάντων Δαναῶν, οὐδ' ἢν Ἀγαμέμνονα εἴπῃς,
ὃς νῦν πολλὸν ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν εὔχεται εἶναι."

καὶ τότε δὴ θάρησε καὶ ἠύδα μάντις ἀμύμων·
"οὔτ' ἄρ ὅ γ' εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέυφεται οὔθ' ἑκατόμβης
ἀλλ' ἕνεκ' ἀρητῆρος, ὅν ἠτίμης' Ἀγαμέμνων,
οὐδ' ἀπέλυσε θύγατρα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεδέξατ' ἀποίνα,
τούνεκ' ἄρ ἄλγε ἔδωκεν ἑκηηβόλος ἠδ' ἔτι δώσει·
οὐδ' ὅ γε πρὶν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀπωσει,
πρίν γ' ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην
ἀπριάτην ἀνάποινον, ἄγειν θ' ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
ἐς Χρύσην. τότε κέν μιν ἱκασσάμενα πεπίθοιμεν."


ἦ τοι ὅ γ' ὧς εἰπὼν κατ' ἄρ' ἕζετο, τοῖσι δ' ανέστη
ἥρως Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρεὶων Ἀγαμέμνων
ἀχνύμενος· μένεος δὲ μέγα φρένες ἀμφιμέλαιναι
πίμπλαντ', ὄσσε δε οἱ πυρὶ λαμπετόωντι ἐίκτην.
Κάλχαντα πρώτιστα κάκ' ὀσσόμενος προσέειπεν·

"μάντι κακῶν, οὔ πώ ποτέ μοι τὸ κρηγυον εἶπας·
αἰεί τοι τὰ κὰκ' ἐστὶ φίλα φρεσὶ μαντεύεσθαι,
ἐσθλὸν δ' οὔτε τί πω εἶπας ἔπος οὔτε τέλεσσας.
καὶ νῦν ἐν Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπέων ἀγορεύεις,
ὡς δὴ ἕνεκά σφιν ἑκηβόλος ἄλγεα τεύχει,
οὕνεκ' ἐγὼ κούρης Χρυσηίδος ἀγλά' ἄποινα
οὐκ ἔθελον δέξασθαι, - ἐπεὶ πολὺ βούλομαι αὐτὴν
οἴκοι ἔχειν. καὶ γάρ ῥα Κλυταιμνήστρης προβέβουλα,
κουριδίης ἀλόχου, ἐπεὶ οὔ ἑθέν ἐστι χερείων,
οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυὴν οὔτ' ἂρ φρένας οὔτε τι ἔργα.
αλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἐθέλω δόμεναι πάλιν, εἰ τό γ' ἄμεινον·
βούλομ' ἐγὼ λαὸν σόον ἔμμεναι ἢ ἄπολεσθαι.
αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ γέρας αὐτίχ' ἑτοιμάσσατ, ὀφρα μὴ οἶος
Ἀργείων ἀγέραστος ἐω, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἔοικεν·
λεύσσετε γὰρ τό γε πάντες, ὅ μοι γέρας ἔρχεται ἄλλῃ."

τὸν δ' ἠμείβετ' ἔπειτα ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
"Ἀτρεΐδη, κύδιστε, φιλοκεανώτατε πάντων,
πῶς γάρ τοι δώσουσι γέρας μεγαθύμοι Ἀχαιοί;
οὐδε τί που ἴδεν ξυνήια κείμενα πολλά,
ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πολίων ἐξεπράθομεν, τὰ δέδασται,



Rage, goddess, sing the accursed rage of Peleus’ son
Of Achilles, that put 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 the birds, and the will of Zeus was being fulfilled,
From that time when the two first stood apart, quarrelling,
The son of Atreus and lord of men, and divine Achilles.

Which of the gods then threw these two into war and strife?
Zeus’ and Leto’s son. For, being enraged by the king,
He let loose an evil plague all through the camp and men were dying.
All because the son of Atreus dishonored Chryses,
That famous priest. For he came to the fast ships of the Achaeans,
About to free his daughter and bearing shining ransoms,
While having in his hand the wreath and golden scepter
Of Apollo who strikes from afar, and kept begging
All the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus,
Commanders of the armies:

“Sons of Atreus, and all you well greaved Achaeans,
May the gods who dwell in the halls of Olympus
Grant you the sack of Priam’s city and
A happy return to your homes. Only free my dear child,
And accept these ransoms while respecting
The son of Zeus, far striking Apollo.”

Then all the Achaeans shouted their assent,
Revering the priest and accepting his ransoms,
But not the son of Atreus; this did not please Agamemnon
In his spirit. For he sent him off, imparting
A harsh command: “No old man, let me not
Catch you by the hollow ships, neither lingering now,
Nor coming back later. Neither the scepter,
Nor the wreath of the god will avail you then.
Her I will not free. Sooner old age will overtake
Her in our house in Argos, far from this country,
Plying the loom and sharing my bed. But be gone,
And vex me not, so the safer you may return.”

Thus he finished and, struck with fear, the old man obeyed.
He went in silence along the shore of the heavy thundering sea.
And then the old one went off and prayed hard
To the lord Apollo whom fair haired Leto bore:
“Hear me O god with the silver bow,
You who shield Chrysa, and most sacred Cilla,
And rule over Tenedos in power,
Smintheus, lord of rats and mice, if ever I put
A pleasing roof upon your temple, or if ever
I burned the rich thighs of bulls and goats
For you, then grant this appeal of mine:
May the Danaans pay for my tears with your arrows.”

Thus the prayer was finished and Phoebus Apollo heard it;
Down he went from the heights of Olympus,
With anger in his heart, and a bow,
And double hooded quiver across his shoulders;
The arrows rattling with rage.
And, stirred to action, he came like the night.
Then, sitting away from the ships,
He put a missile in among them, and a terrible roar
Came up from his silver bow.
First the mules were struck, and the silver footed hounds,
Then his biting missiles went against their masters.
And the crowded pyres of the dead burned always.

Nine days the arrows of the god ravaged the camp,
And on the tenth Achilles called the host to assembly;
The goddess, white armed Hera, had put it in his mind,
For she grieved to see her Danaans perishing.
And when all were assembled together
Swift footed Achilles stood and addressed them:

“Son of Atreus, I see us beaten back,
Though we may escape death at least,
If war and plague do not together vanquish the Achaeans.
But come now, let us ask some seer, or holy man,
Or even an interpreter of dreams,
For the dream also is from Zeus,
Who might say what has so enraged Phoebus Apollo;
If he blames us for a vow unfulfilled, or a hecatomb unfired,
Or perhaps he desires to taste the savor of unblemished lambs
And goats to ward off our destruction.”

His words thus finished, he sat down
And Calchas son of Thestor, by far the best of seers,
Was made to stand, he who knew what is, what was,
And what will be, and who led the Achaean ships to Ilium
Through the gift of foresight, which Phoebus Apollo gave him;
Brooding, he rose up and addressed him:

“O Achilles who is dear to Zeus, you command me
To declare the wrath of the lord Apollo
Who strikes from afar; therefore I ask you
To heed this and swear an oath to me:
That you will come to my aid
Zealously with words and hands.
For a man will be enraged who holds great sway
Over all the Argives, and whom all Achaeans obey.
For a king is mightier when enraged by a lesser man;
And though he may press back his anger that day
Afterwards he will nurse the rancor in his breast
Until it should be fulfilled. So consider now
If you will protect me.”

And in reply swift footed Achilles addressed him:
“By all means take heart, and speak the oracle,
Whatever you know; for I swear by Apollo,
Who is dear to Zeus and to whom you pray,
And through whom you reveal oracles
To the Danaans, that while I live
And look upon the earth no Danaan
Will bear heavy hands against you by the hollow ships,
Not even if you should say Agamemnon,
Who now often boasts to be the best of the Achaeans.”

From then the seer took courage and spoke up:
“He neither blames you for a vow nor a hecatomb,
But on account of the priest, whom Agamemnon dishonored
When he neither freed his daughter,
Nor accepted the ransoms, and it is for this
That the far shooting god gave to us these woes,
And will grant still more. For the Danaans he will not drive off
This unseemly plague, until the bright eyed maiden
Is given to her dear father and a hecatomb is led
Into sacred Chrysa. Then we may appease him.”

He had thus spoken and was seated, and up stood
The great man himself, Atreus’ son, wide ruling Agamemnon
Raging; his black heart filling with anger,
And his eyes flashing like fire. He glared at Calchas
With the evilest of looks and addressed him:
“Prophet of evils, never a kind word for me;
Always dear to your heart to prophesy evil for me,
Never do you say or accomplish anything noble.
And now you harangue the Danaans in this assembly
Prophesying that it is on account of this that
The god who strikes at will makes woes for us,
Because I was not willing to accept
The shining ransom for the maiden Chryseis,
Since I greatly desire to have her at home.
And in fact I prefer her to Clytamnestra,
My wedded wife, since she is inferior to her
Neither in form or beauty, nor in her spirit or works.
But, even so, I am willing to give her back,
If this is better; I desire to see the army safe,
Rather than destroyed. But make ready a prize
For me at once, so that I alone of the Argives
Should not be without a prize, since it is unseemly
For you all to see my prize go elsewhere.”

Thereupon, divine Achilles swift of foot replied to him:
“Most glorious son of Atreus, most avaricious of all,
How will the great souled Achaeans grant you this prize?
I know of no great common store lying about,
But that which is from the cities we have sacked,
This has been divided,



Pharr chose this point in his book to advise his students to conduct a thorough review of the entire poem and all of the grammar learned to this point so I decided to do all this and do a new translation of the entire poem, the first 125 lines, that I've learned to this point.