Day 60: The Black Ship Returns

Lines 480-89
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.

Day 57: The Sacrifice of the Bulls

Lines 450-61
τοῖσιν δὲ Χρύσης μεγάλ' εὔχετο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·
"κλῦθί μευ ἀργυροτοξ' ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην, Τενέδοιο τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις·
ἠμὲν δή ποτ' ἐμεῦ πάρος ἔκλυες εὐξαμένοιο,
τίμησας μὲν ἐμέ, μέγα δ' ἴψαο λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·
ἠδ' ἔτι καὶ νῦν μοι τόδ' ἐπικρήνον ἐέλδωρ·
ἤδη νῦν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἄμυνον."

ὧς ἔφατ' εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δ' ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ' εὔξαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας προβάλοντο
αὐέρυσαν μὲν πρῶτα καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν,
μηρούς τ' ἐξέταμον κατά τε κνίσῃ ἐκάλυψαν
δίπτυχα ποιήσαντες, ἐπ' αὐτῶν δ' ὠμοθέτησαν.

Then Chryses prayed aloud, raising his hands up before them:
"Hear me O god of the silver bow, you who shield Chrysa
And most sacred Cilla, and rule over Tenedos in power:
Truly you heard my prayer in that troubled time,
You have surely honored me, and greatly afflicted the Achaean host;
Now fulfill yet one more request for me:
Drive away from the Danaans this grievous destruction."

Thus he spoke the prayer and Phoebus Apollo heard him.
Then, when they had thrown down the barley corn,
They first raised up the victim, and cut their throats,
Then flayed them, and from below cut out the thigh pieces,
And enveloped them in rich fat, making them doubly fatted,
And put the flesh upon the thigh bones.



A sad end for the hundred head of cattle brought from the Achaean camp, but happiness for the Achaeans themselves. As Chryses repeats his invocation of the god he thanks Apollo for causing the Danaans all this trouble, and since his daughter has been safely returned he kindly requests the plague be lifted. All this trouble because Agamemnon couldn't part with a pretty face...

Day 56: Chryses' Moment of Supreme Satisfaction

Lines 436-49
ἐκ δ' εὐνὰς ἔβαλον, κατὰ δὲ πρυμνήσι' ἔδησαν·
ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βαῖνον ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης,
ἐκ δ' ἑκατόμβην βῆσαν ἑκηβόλῳ Ἀπόλλωνι·
ἐκ δὲ Χρυσηὶς νηὸς βῆ ποντοπόροιο.
τὴν μὲν ἔπειτ' ἐπὶ βωμὸν ἄγων πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς
πατρὶ φίλῳ ἐν χερσὶ τίθει, καί μιν προσέειπεν·
"ὦ Χρύση, πρό μ' ἔπεμψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
παῖδα τε σοὶ ἀγέμεν, Φοίβῳ θ' ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
ῥέξαι ὑπὲρ Δαναῶν, ὄφρ' ἱλασόμεθα ἄνακτα
ὅς νῦν Ἀργείοισι πολύσονα κήδε ἐφῆκεν."

ὧς εἰπὼν ἐν χερσὶ τίθει, ὁ δὲ δέξατο χαίρων
παῖδα φίλην. τοὶ δ' ὦκα θεῷ ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
ἐξείης ἔστησαν ἐύδμητον περὶ βωμόν,
χερνίψαντο δ' ἔπειτα καὶ οὐλοκύτας ἀνέλοντο.


Then they hurled forth the anchorstone
And tied down the stern cable,
And they themselves went upon the shore of the sea,
And moved out the hecatomb for farshooting Apollo;
And Chryseis went out from the sea going ship.
Threupon wise Odysseus, leading her to the altar
And her dear father, placed her in his hands
And addressed him: "O Chryses, Agamemnon
The lord of men sends me before you to bring the child
To you, and a sacred hecatomb for Phoebus
To sacrifice for the sake of the Danaans,
So that we might appease the high lord,
Who sends woes upon the Argives
Causing many groans."

Thus speaking, he placed her in his arms,
and the man accepted his dear child rejoicing.
Then in turn they quickly stood the god's sacred hecatomb
Around the well built altar, and purified themselves with water,
Then took up even the poured out barley corn.



The smile on Chryses' face must have been incredible here. I think that it is interesting to note that the entire theme of the Iliad is of the losses that a mortal man must suffer, leading up to the loss of his own life. Chryses is the only significant character in the poem to avert the pain of loss by getting his daughter back with the help of a god by causing great harm to the Achaeans. It almost seems like black magic. I doubt that this is a coincidence and I often wonder what was in the poet's mind as he constructed this passage.

Day 55: A Sojourn Among the Ethiopians and a Voyage to Chrysa

Lines 425-35
δωδεκάτῃ δέ τοι αὖτις ἐλεύσεται Οὐλυμπόνδε,
καὶ τοτ' ἔπειτά τοι εἶμι Διὸς ποτὶ χαλκοβατὲς δῶ,
καί μιν γουνάσομαι, καί μιν πείσεσθαι ὀίω."

ὧς ἄρα φωνήσας' ἀπεβήσετο, τὸν δὲ λίπ' αὐτοῦ
χωόμενον κατὰ θυμὸν ἐυζώνοιο γυναίκος,
τήν ῥα βίῃ ἀέκοντος ἀπηύρων. αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς
ἐς Χρύσην ἵκανεν ἄγων ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην.

οἱ δ' ὅτε δὴ λιμένος πολυβενθέος ἐντὸς ἵκοντο,
ἱστία μὲν στείλαντο, θέσαν δ' ἐν νηὶ μελαίνῃ,
ἱστὸν δ' ἱστοδόκῃ πέλασαν προτόνοισιν ὑφέντες
καρπαλίμως, τὴν δ' εἰς ὅρμον προέρεσσαν ἐρετμοῖς.


Then on the twelfth day I will go anew to Olympus for you,
And I go thereupon to the house of Zeus paved with bronze,
Then I shall grasp his knees, and I think this will persuade him."

Thus she spoke and then departed, and left him there,
Enraged at heart over a wasp waisted woman,
Whom they took from him by force,
Against his will. Then Odysseus came to Chrysa
Leading a sacred hecatomb.

And when they came within a harbor so very deep,
They furled the sail, and put it in the black ship,
Then drew it into its receiver, quickly letting down the sail
With rope, and rowed the oars on to anchor.



Homer has a great way of putting everything into perspective here when he gives voice to Achilles thoughts as his goddess mother heads off to Olympus. All this trouble over a pretty girl that they took from him by force...

Day 47: To Wash Their Filth Into the Briny Deep

Lines 304-14
ὧς τώ γ' ἀντιβίοισι μαχησαμένω ἐπέεσσιν
ἀνστήτην, λῦσαν δ' ἀγορὴν παρὰ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
Πηλεΐδης μὲν ἐπὶ κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἐίσας
ἤιε σύν τε Μενοιτιάδῃ καὶ οἷς ἑτάροισιν,
Ἀτρεΐδης δ' ἄρα νῆα θοὴν ἅλαδε προέρυσσεν,
ἐς δ' ἐρέτας ἔκρινεν ἐείκοσιν, ἐς δ' ἑκατόμβησν
βῆσε θεῷ, ἀνὰ δὲ Χρυσηίδα καλλιπάρῃον
εἶσεν ἄγνων· ἐν δ' ἀρχὸς ἔβη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς.

οἱ μὲν ἔπειτ' ἀναβάντες ἐπέπλεον ὑγρὰ κέλευθα,
λαοὺς δ' Ἀτρεΐδης ἀπολυμαίνεσθαι ἄνωγεν.
οἱ δ' ἀπελυμαίνοντο καὶ εὶς ἅλα λύματ' ἔβαλλον,

Thus the two who battled fiercely with hostile words
stood up, then they broke up the assembly by the ships of the Achaeans.
The son of Peleus went to the huts and the well beaked ships
Along with both Menoetius' son and his comrades,
While Atreus' son launched a fast ship into the salt brined sea,
Picking out twenty oarsmen, and sending forth a hecatomb
To the god along with fair cheeked Chryseis who he led on board
And seated there; and wily Odysseus went as pilot.

And going up they thereupon sailed on their watery way,
Then the son of Atreus ordered the men to purify themselves.
So they cleansed themselves, and hurled their filth into the briny deep,


There is a brief period of peace here, beautifully illustrated by the poet with Agamemnon bending to the will of Apollo and sending back the maiden, along with a hecatomb as recompense for his misdeed, and also Odysseus who can be sure to ease any uncomfortable situation with honeyed words or even lies. This is followed by the armies purifying themselves by washing off the filth of the plague in the briny sea. One is almost tempted to forget, during these few lines, the horrible exchange of hostile words in the preceding 200 lines of poetry but of course we will be brought back to them forthwith.

The Marauder Odysseus?

Relief of the Sea Peoples taken prisoner by the Egyptians; from the Medinet Habu temple in Upper Egypt of the Pharaoh Rameses III who reigned in the early part of the twelfth century B.C. and defeated two invasions of the Sea Peoples, one by land and one by sea, in the year 8 (c.a. 1179 B.C.) of his reign.