Day 23: The Oracle of the God

Lines 93-100

"οὔτ ἄρ ὅ γ' εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται οὔθ' ἑκατόμβης
ἀλλ' ἕνεκ' ἀρητῆρος, ὃν ἠτίμης' Ἀγαμέμνων,
οὐδ' ἀπέλυσε θύγατρα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεδέξατ' ἄποινα
τούνεκ' ἄρ' ἄλγε' ἔδωκεν ἑκηβόλος ἠδ' ἔτι δώσει.
οὐδ' ὁ γε πρὶν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀπώσει
πρίν γ' ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην
ἀπριάτην ἀνάποινον, ἄγειν θ' ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
ἐς Χρύσην· τότε κέν μιν ἱλασσάμενοι πεπίθοιμεν."

"He finds fault neither for a vow, nor a hecatomb
But on account of the priest, whom Agamemnon dishonored,
He neither freed his daughter not accepted the ransoms
And it is for this then that the god who strikes from afar
Grants these woes, and will grant still more. He will not drive off this unseemly plague
For the Danaans before the bright eyed maiden is restored
Unransomed and unbought to her dear father and a hecatomb is led
Into sacred Chrysa: only then we may win over and appease him."


Line 100! It may seem like a small accomplishment, but making it throught the first 100 lines of this great epic in the original language feels like a triumph, and though being able to truly understand this poem the way it was first written is truly the work of a lifetime, I can say that I feel like I am off to a decent start.

One thing I wanted to comment on in this passage is Homer's use of the infinitive when he employs the verb δόμεναι meaning to give, or in this case to restore. It is an example of the seer's artful way of speaking, even though his safety has been assured by Achilles, in not wanting to go too far with Agamemnon and seem to be issuing him some sort of command. The infinitive makes the subject vague and could be construed as a command or possibly not. In fact everyone knew what action was required bu the seer would not impose on them who should take it.

Day 22: The Oath of Achilles

Lines 86-92
οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα διίφιλον, ᾧ τε σύ, Καλχαν,
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,
ὅς νῦν πολλὸν ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν εὔχεται εἶναι."
καὶ τότε δὴ θάρσησε καὶ ηὔδα μάντις ἀμύμων·

For I swear by Apollo who is dear to Zeus,
And to whom you pray Calchas, reveal the oracle
To the Danaans and while I live and look upon the earth
No Danaan will lay heavy hands upon you by the hollow ships,
Even if you should say Agamemnon,
Who now often boasts of being the best of the Achaeans."
From then the noble seer took heart and spoke:


Happy New Year to all. This is a magnificent passage of the poem with Achilles making his dramatic oath before the seer. This changes the entire course of the epic for the seer now has the courage and the backing to reveal the oracle which robs Agamemnon of his prize and will divide the two chiefs for the remainder of the tale. I appreciate the ancient bard's decision here to put a slight towards Agamemnon on the lips of the Achilles at the end of his oath to forshadow the coming conflict.

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:

Day 18: Achilles Calls Forth the Seer

Lines 64-69
ὅς κ' εἴποι, ὁτι τόσσον ἐχώσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
εἴ τ' ἄρ ὅ γ' εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται εἴ θ' ἑκατόμβης,
αἴ κέν πώς ἀρῶν κνίσης αἰγῶν τε τελείων
βούλεται ἀντιάσας ἡμῖν ἀπὸ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι."
ἦ τοι ὅ γ' ὦς εἰπων κατ' ἄρ' ἕζετο, τοῖσι δ' ἀνέστη
Κάλχας Θεστορίδης, οἰωνοπόλων ὄχ ἄριστος,

Who may say what has so enraged Phoebus Apollo,
If it was a vow unfulfilled, or a hecatomb unoffered,
Or if he desires to partake of the rich savor of unblemished
Lambs and goats to ward off our destruction."
His words thus finished, he then sat down and Calchas son of Thestor,
By far the best of seers, was made to stand

Day 17: The Words of Achilles

Lines 59-63
"Ἀτρεῑδη, νῦν ἄμμε πάλιν πλαγχθέντας ὀίω
ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, εἴ κε θανατόν γε φύγοιμεν
εἰ δὴ ὁμοῦ πόλεμός τε δαμᾷ καὶ λοιμὸς Ἀχαιούς.
ἀλλ' ἄγε δή τινα μάντιν ἐρείομεν ἣ ἱερῆα
ἢ καὶ ὀνειροπόλον, καὶ γάρ τ' ὄναρ ἐκ Διός ἐστιν,

"Son of Atreus, I now believe us beaten back
Toward home, may it be that we escape death
While plague and war subdue the Achaeans.
But come now, let us ask some seer or holy man
Or interpreter of dreams, for the dream is from Zeus,


A desperate Achilles begins his plea to Agamemnon for a resolution to the crisis. I often wonder why the Trojans did not launch a full scale attack at this point and push their Achaean foes into the sea. I'm guessing that Homer would give an answer that not even Zeus could fathom the whims of fate...