Day 60: The Black Ship Returns

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οἱ δ' ἱστὸν στήσαντ' ἀνά θ' ἱστία λευκὰ πέτασσαν·
ἐν δ' ἄνεμος πρῆσεν μέσον ἱστίον, ἀμφὶ δὲ κῦμα
στείρῃ παρφύρεον μεγάλ' ἴαχε νηὸς ἰούσης·
ἡ δ' ἔθεεν κατὰ κῦμα διαπρήσσουσα κέλευθον.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ' ἵκοντο κατὰ στρατὸν εὐρὺν Ἀχαιῶν,
νῆα μὲν οἵ γε μέλαιναν ἐπ' ἠπείροιο ἔρυσσαν
ὑψοῦ ἐπὶ ψαμάθοις, ὑπὸ δ' ἕρματα μακρὰ τάννσσαν,
αὐτοὶ δ' ἐσκίδαντο κατὰ κλισίας τε νέας τε.

αὐτὰρ ὁ μήνιε νηυσὶ παρήμενος ὠκυπόροισιν
διογενὴς Πηλῆος υἱός, πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς.

So they stood up the sail, and thereon unfurled the shining cloth;
Then the breeze blew up its center and dark waves roared about
The stem of that sailing ship which sped over the waves,
Passing on its way. But when they came to the broad camp of the Achaeans,
They first drew the black ship upon the continent,
High up on the sandy beach, then placed it under the beams,
And the men scattered among the ships and shelters.

But he raged on sitting by the swift sailing ships,
That Zeus born son of Peleus, swift footed Achilles.



This is a gorgeous scene with the Achaeans returning to their camp from Chrysa, a fair wind from the Archer god at their back, then pulling their ship onto the beach and returning to their lives with that wretched plague now a memory. But there is that ominous picture of Achilles, raging beside the ships, which is a portent of troubles to come.