Day 62: Thetis Demands an Answer

Lines 500-16
καί ῥα πάροιθ' αὐτοῖο καθέζετο καὶ λάβε γούνων
σκαιῇ, δεξιτερῇ δ' ἄρ ὑπ' ἀνθερῶνος ἑλοῦσα
λισσομένη, προσέειπε Δία Κρονίωνα ἄνακτα·
"Ζεῦ πάτερ, εἴ ποτε δή σε μετ' ἀθανάτοισιν ὄνησα
ἢ ἔπει ἢ ἔργῳ, τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ·
τίμησόν μοι υἱόν, ὃς ὠκυμορώτατος ἄλλων
ἔπλετ'· ἀτάρ μιν νῦν γε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
ἤτιμησεν· ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχει γέρας αὐτὸς ἀπούρας.
ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μιν τῖσον, Ὀλύμπιε μητίετα Ζεῦ.
τόφρα δ' ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι τίθει κράτος ὄφρ' ἄν Ἀχαιοὶ
υἱὸν ἐμὸν τίσωσιν, ὀφέλλωσίν τέ ἑ τιμῇ."

ὧς φάτο· τὴν δ' οὔ τι προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς,
ἀλλ' ἀκέων δὴν ἧστο. Θέτις δ' ὡς ἥψατο γούνων,
ὧς ἔχετ' ἐμπεφυυῖα, καὶ εἴρετο δεύτερον αὖτις·
"νημερτὲς μὲν δή μοι ὑπόσχεο καὶ κατάνευσον,
ἢ ἀπόειπ', ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι ἔπι δεος, ὄφρ' ἐὺ εἰδῶ,
ὅσσον ἐγὼ μετὰ πᾶσιν ἀτιμοτάτη θεός εἰμι."

Then she sat down before him and took hold of his knees,
With her hands left and right, and tugging on his beard
She addressed the high lord Zeus, Cronus' son, begging:
"Father Zeus, if ever there was a time among the immortals
Where I assisted you either in word or deed,
Fulfill this request for me: Honor my son,
Who's life that remains is shortest of all,
And now moreover the lord of men Agamemnon
Surely dishonors him; for he keeps the prize himself
That he seized and took away, but you exalt him greatly
O prudent counsellor Olympian Zeus. And meanwhile
Put victory on the Trojans, so the Achaeans should honor my son,
And inflate his glory."

Thus she spoke, but cloud gathering Zeus did not address her at all;
He sat long in silence. But Thetis, as she grabbed hold of his knees,
So she clung closely and forthwith asked a second time:
"Unerring one, promise me and nod your assent,
Or refuse me, but do not be timid, so that I might well know
How greatly I am the god most dishonored among them all."


Thetis really lays it on Zeus here, no doubt batting her eyelashes every step of the way, revealing the father of gods and men in his most grandiose state of susceptibility to feminine charms...

Day 61: The Twelfth Day Dawns

Lines 490-99
οὔτε ποτ' εἰς ἀγορὴν πωλέσκετο κυδιάνειραν
οὔτε ποτ' ἐς πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ φθινύθεσκε φίλον κῆρ
αὖθι μένιων, ποθέεσκε δ' ἀυτήν τε πτόλεμόν τε.

ἀλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ἐκ τοῖο δωδεκάτη γένετ' ἠώς,
καὶ τότε δὴ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἴσαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες
πάντες ἅμα, Ζεὺς δ' ἦρκε. Θέτις δ' οὐ λήθετ' ἐφετμέων
παιδὸς ἑοῦ, ἀλλ' ἥ γ' ἀνεδύσετο κῦμα θαλάσσης,
ἠερίη δ' ἀνέβη μέγαν οὑρανὸν Οὔλυμπόν τε.
εὖρεν δ' εὐρύοπα Κρονίδην ἄτερ ἥμενον ἄλλων
ἀκορτάτῃ κορυφῇ πολυδειράδος Οὐλύμποιο.

Neither did he frequent the assemblies that bring glory to men,
Nor did he go to war any longer, but withered away his beloved heart
Raging there, and he longed for battle and for the war cry.

But, when the twelfth dawn from that day arose,
The gods who are forever came then to Olympus all together
With Zeus in front. And Thetis did not forget her son's pleadings,
But came up from the billowing sea, and early climbed high heaven
And Olympus. Then she found Cronus' far thundering son
Sitting away from the others on the high summit of craggy Olympus.

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 54: A Goddess Lets Fall a Tear

Lines 413-24
τὸν δ' ἠμείβετ' ἔπειτα Θέτις κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα·
"ὤ μοι, τέκνον ἐμον, τί νύ ς' ἔτρεφον αἰνὰ τεκοῦσα;
αἵθ' ὄφελες παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀδάκρυτος καὶ ἀπήμων
ἧσθαι, ἐπεί νύ τοι αἶσα μίννυνθά περ, οὔ τι μάλα δήν·
νῦν δ' ἅμα τ' ὠκύμορος καὶ ὀιζυρὸς περὶ πάντων
ἔπλεο· τῶ σε κακῇ αἶσῃ τέκον ἐν μεγάροισιν.
τοῦτο δέ τοι ἐρέουσα ἔπος Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ
εἶμ' αὐτὴ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀγάννιφον, οἴ κε πίθηται.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ παρήμενος ὠκυπόροισιν
μήνι' Ἀχαιοῖσιν, πολέμου δ' ἀποπαύεο πάμπαν·
Ζεὺς γὰρ ἐς Ὠκεανὸν μετ' ἀμύνονας Αἰθιοπῆας
χθιζὸς ἔβη κατὰ δαῖτα, θεοὶ δ' ἅμα παντες ἕποντο·



And Thetis answered him, letting a tear stream down:
"O my dear child, why indeed did I bring you up,
Raising you to a dreadful end? Would that you were sitting
By the ships, without tears and without pain,
Since for you time is so terribly short, there is not a long while.
Now then it is swift fated and piteous for all men along with you;
Therefore I bore you to evil dread in that palace.
So I go myself to the snowy heights of Olympus
To speak a word of this to Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt,
If he should heed me. But you now restrain yourself from war
Entirely, and rage against the Achaeans sitting by
The fast sailing ships; For Zeus yesterday went to Oceanus,
To a feast with the noble Ethiopians, and all the gods went with;



This I think is the first mention of the Ethiopians in western literature. There are other poems in the epic cycle that mention a hero that fights on the Trojan side named Memnon who is Ethiopian. I think that Ethiopians were probably to the Greeks all the dark skinned peoples who lived to the south of Upper Egypt along the Nile, and therefore at world's end. It is kind of amusing to consider that Achilles' request here cannot be fulfilled right away because the gods are all on vacation. Kind of makes you wonder...

Day 53: The Hundred Hander and the Best of the Achaeans

Lines 401-12
ἀλλὰ σὐ τόν γ' ἐλθουσα, θεά, ὑπελύσαο δεσμῶν.
ὦχ' ἑκατόγχειρον καλέσασ' ἐς μακρον Ὄλυμπον,
ὃν Βριάρεων καλέουσι θεοί, ἅνδρες δέ τε πάντες
Αἰγαίων'· ὁ γὰρ αὖτε βίῃ οὖ πατρὸς ἀμείνων·
ὅς ῥα παρὰ Κρονίωνι καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων·
τὸν καὶ ὑπέδεισαν μάκαρες θεοὶ οὐδέ τ' ἔδησαν.
τῶν νῦν μιν μνήσασα παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων,
αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαι,
τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πρύμνας τε καὶ ἀμφ' ἅλα ἕλσαι Ἀχαιοὺς
κτεινομένους, ἵνα πάντες ἐπαύρωνται βασιλῆος,
γνῷ δὲ καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
ἢν ἄτην, ὅ τ' ἄριστον Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲν ἔτισεν."



But you who went to him, goddess, you loosed his bonds
In secret. Swiftly summoning the hundred hander to lofty Olympus,
He whom the gods name Briareus, and all men call Aegaeon;
For he made the father's side superior in strength;
He who then sat down beside the son of Cronos,
Exulting in his glory; Even those high gods
Shrank before him, and did not even bind him.
Now sit beside him and take hold of his knee,
All the while reminding him of this,
If in some way he might be willing to assist the Trojans,
And so to drive and slay these Achaeans
Onto the sterns of their ships about the briny deep,
So that all might reap the rewards of their king,
And even Atreus' son, wide ruling Agamemnon,
May recognize this folly, that he did no honor
To the best of the Achaeans."



Achilles finishes beseeching his mother, recounting a tale she once told him about Zeus and her summoning of the hundred hander to save him from his trouble with the other Olympians, then telling her to go to Zeus and get him to punish all the Achaeans for Agamemnon's misstep in dishonoring him. It is easy here to paint Achilles as a whiny, spoiled brat as many modern readers do. But one has to put himself in Achilles' position where this life is all there is since there is no afterlife in which to gain compensation for any sufferings experienced here and now, and a warrior's honor is ultimately all he has, and without it he is nothing. And, after all, if you had a sea nymph for a mother wouldn't you do the same thing?

Day 51: A Recap From Achilles to His Mother

Lines 359-79
καρπαλίμως δ' ἀνέδυ πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἠύτ' ὀμίχλη,
καί ῥα πάροιθ' αὐτοῖο καθέζετο δάκρυ χέοντος,
χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξεν, ἔπος τ' ἔφατ' ἔκ τ' ὀνόμαζεν·
"τέκνον, τί κλαίεις; τί δέ σε φρένας ἵκετο πένθος;
ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε νόῳ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω."

τὴν δὲ βαρὺ στενάχων προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
"οἶσθα· τί ἦ τοι ταῦτα ἰδυίῃ πάντ' ἀγορεύω;
ᾠχόμεθ' ἐς Θήβην, ἱερὴν πόλιν Ἠετίωνος,
τὴν δὲ διεπράθομέν τε καὶ ἤγομεν ἐνθάδε πάντα.
καὶ τὰ μὲν εὖ δάσσαντο μετὰ σφίσιν υἷες Ἀχαιῶν,
ἐκ δ' ἕλον Ἀτρεΐδῃ Χρυσηίδα καλλιπάρῃον.
Χρύσης δ' αὖθ' ἱερεὺς ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος
ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
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.
ἔνθ' ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ
αἰδεῖσθαι θ' ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα.
ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,
ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δ' ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλεν.

Then swiftly she dove up from the hoary salt brined sea
Like the mist, and sat down before him and his streaming tears,
And caressed him with her hands speaking out a word addressing him:
"My child, why do you weep? And what grief comes up in your spirit?
Speak up, do not hide your mind, so that we both may know."

And swift footed Achilles addressed her, groaning heavily:
"You know. Indeed why do I tell this to you who know all?
We went to Thebe, Eetion's sacred city, and plundered it,
Then we brought it all here. And first the sons of the Achaeans
Divided it fairly among themselves, and they took out fair cheeked Chryseis
For Atreus' son. But then Chryses, the priest of far shooting Apollo,
Came to the fast ships of the bronze clad Achaeans,
And was seeking to free his daughter bearing countless ransoms,
Holiding in his hands the wreaths of Apollo who strikes from afar
Along with a golden scepter, and he was begging all the Achaeans,
But most of all the two sons of Atreus, commanders of the armies.
Then all the Achaeans shouted their assent, revering the priest,
And accepting his shining ransoms. But this did not please Atreus's son,
Agamemnon in his soul, and he sent him off evilly, and imparted on him
A harsh command.



Achilles divine mother rises like a mist from the sea to comfort the mighty warrior's wounded pride. Caressing him with her immortal fingers she seeks to stop his tears and her son's heart. This bit of commentary is an extension of the last, because once again it is hard to imagine a scene like this included in, say, a movie about the Second World War, whether the man's mother was a goddess or not. But it is sung here in the Iliad without any commentary or reproach against Achilles' character. In fact this moment is celebrated because Achilles' tears get his mother to produce a series of events that initially increases his honor and presitige, even though it leads to disaster in the end.

It is interesting to note that Achilles words in describing the happenings that led to his sorrow here are almost an exact repetition of what the narrator describes during the first fifty lines, with only slight variation to fit the meter at the beginning. This must have been an oral device originally toprovide a break for the wandering bard's hard pressed memory.

Day 50: Achilles' Prayer to His Immortal Mother

Lines 348-58
ἡ δ' ἀέκους' ἅμα τοῖσι γυνὴ κίεν. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
δακρύσας ἑτάρων ἄφαρ ἕζετο νόσθι λιασθεὶς
θῖν ἔφ' ἁλὸς πολιῆς, ὁρόων ἐπ' ἀπείρουα πόντον·
πολλὰ δὲ μητρὶ φίλῃ ὴρήσατο χεῖρας ὀρεγνύς·
"μῆτερ, ἐπεί μ' ἔτεκές γε μινυνθάδιον περ ἐόντα,
τιμήν πέρ μοι ὄφελλεν Ὀλύμπιος ἐγγυαλίξαι
Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης· νῦν δ' οὐδέ με τυτθὸν ἔτισεν.
ἦ γάρ μ' Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
ἠτίμησεν. ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχει γέρας, αὐτὸς ἀπούρας."

ὡς φάτο δάκρυ χέων, τοῦ δ' ἔκλυε πότνια μήτηρ
ἡμένη ἐν βένθεσσιν ἁλὸς παρὰ πατρὶ γέροντι.

And that woman went unwilling along with them.
But Achilles sat apart from his companions, turning away,
And fell into weeping on the shore of the gray and hoary sea,
Then, looking over the boundless water, he prayed hard
To his dear mother with outstretched hands:
"Mother, since you bore me to a life so brief,
Would that thundering Olympian Zeus grant to me
Great honor. And now he repays me not even a little.
For indeed the son of Atreus, wide ruling Agamemnon,
Dishonors me. In fact he deprives me to keep the prize himself."

Thus he spoke, his tears streaming, and his revered mother heard him
As she sat in the depths of the briny sea beside her aged father.



This scene is exemplary of the difference between the values and expectations of the age of these epics and our own. Here is Achilles, greatest of the Argive warriors, crying his eyes out on the beach because he lost his war prize. Can anyone imagine a modern war story including a picture like this. It is an excellent example of how attitudes change over time, in this case millenia. It brings to mind a short story I once read entitled The Maker by Jorge Luis Borges which is a brief account of the experience of being Homer, or that is the best way I can express it. There is a line which states that when the poet learned he was losing his sight he cried out, because Stoicism hadn't been invented yet...

Day 49: Briseis Goes On Her Way

TLines 334-47
"χαίρετε, κήρυκες, Διὸς ἄγγελοι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν·
ἆσσον ἴτ'· οὔ τί μοι ὕμμες ἐπαίτιοι, ἀλλ' Ἀγαμέμνων,
ὅ σφῶι προΐει Βρισηίδος εἵνεκα κούρης.
ἀλλ' ἄγε, διογενὲς Πατρόκλεις, ἔξαγε κούρην
καί σφωιν δὸς ἄγειν. τὼ δ' αὐτὼ μάρτυροι ἔστων
πρός τε θεῶν μακάρων πρός τε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων
καὶ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλῆος ἀπνέος, εἴ ποτε δὴ αὖτε
χρειὼ ἐμεῖο γένηται ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι
τοῖς ἄλλοῖς. ἦ γὰρ ὅ γ' ὀλοιῇσι φρεσὶ θύει,
οὐδέ τι οἶδε νοῆσαι ἅμα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω,
ὅππως οἱ παρὰ νηυσὶ σόοι μαχεοίατ' Ἀχαιοί."

ὧς γάτο, Πάτροκλος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπιπείθεθ' ἑταίρῳ,
ἐκ δ' ἄγαγε κλισίης Βρισηίδα καλλιπάρῃον,
δῶκε δ' ἄγειν. τὼ δ' αὖτις ἴτην παρὰ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν,

"Be welcome heralds, you messengers from Zeus, as well as men;
Come here. Neither of you is responsible, but Agamemnon,
Who sent you here on account of the maiden Briseis.
But come now, Zeus born Patroclus, bring forth the girl
And give her away to these two. And let they themselves be witnesses
Before the blessed gods, and before mortal men,
And before that cruel king, if ever there should arise
A need for me to ward off grievous destruction for these others.
For indeed he rages about in his accursed mind,
And does not even consider any of this,
Rushing backwards and forwards at the same time
By the safe ships, so that the Achaeans would do battle for him."

Thus he finished, and Patroclus obeyed his beloved comrade,
So he led fair cheeked Briseis forth from the hut and gave her up.
The two at once went off along the ships of the Achaeans,



I do not know if I got the sense right for Achilles last words to the heralds.
I think that it is commenting on Agamemnon's sitting in the safety of the ships raging about in his mind while others do the fighting for him. If anyone who happens to read this has a better understanding I would appreciate hearing it. If not I guess I'll check Fagles once again. Thank you.

Day 48: A Sticky Situation for Talthybius and Eurybates

Lines 315-33
ἔρδον δ' Απόλλωνι τελήεσσας ἑκατόμβας
ταύρων ἠδ' αἰγῶν παρὰ θῖν' ἁλὸς ἀτυργέτοιο·
κνίση δ' οὐρανὸν ἷκεν ἐλισσομένη περὶ καπνῷ.

ὧς οἱ μὲν τὰ πένοντο κατὰ στρατόν· οὐδ' Ἀγαμέμνων
λῆγ' ἔριδος, τὴν πρῶτον ἐπηπείλης' Ἀχιλῆι,
ἀλλ' ὅ γε Ταλθύβιον τε καὶ Εὐρυβάτην προσέειπεν,
τώ οἱ ἔσαν κήρυκε καὶ ὀτρηρὼ θεράποντε·
"ἔρεχεσθον κλισίην Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλῆος·
χειρὸς ἑλόντ ἀγέμεν Βρισηίδα καλλιπάρῃον·
εἰ δέ κε μή δώῃσιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι
ἐλθὼν σὺν πλεόνεσσι· τό οἱ καὶ ῥιγιον ἔσται."

ὧς εἰπὼν προΐει κρατερὸν δ' ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλεν.
τὼ δ' ἀέκοντε βάτην παρὰ θῖν' ἁλὸς ἀτρυγέτοιο,
Μυρμιδόνων δ' ἐπί τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἵκεσθην.
τὸν δ' εὗρον παρά τε κλισίῃ καὶ νηὶ μελαίνῃ
ἥμενον. οὐδ' ἄρα ώ γε ἰδὼν γήθησεν' Ἀχιλλεύς.
τὼ μὲν παρβήσαντε καὶ αἰδομένω βασιλῆα
στήτην, οὐδέ τί μιν προσεθώνεον οὐδ' ἐρέοντο·
αὐτὰρ ὁ ἔγνων ᾗσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φώνησέν τε·

And they sacrificed to Apollo perfect hecatombs of bulls
And goats by the along the shore of the restless, briny sea;
So the savor went to the heavens twisting around in smoke.

Thus the men busied themselves about the camp, and Agamemnon
Did not cease from strife, having first threatened this to Achilles,
But he addressed then Talthybius and Eurybates, who were his heralds
And ready attendants:
"Go to the hut of Peleus' son Achilles,
Seize fair cheeked Briseis by the hand and lead her off.
And if he should not give her up, then I myself may take her,
Going along with many men; and this will be the worse for him."

Thus speaking he sent them forth, and imparted a harsh command.
So the two went unwilling along the shore of the barren, briny deep,
And they came to the tents and ships of the Myrmidons.
They found him sitting beside his tent and a black ship.
And seeing those two Achilles of course did not rejoice.
They revered the chief and stood in terror, and neither did they
Address him nor make an inquiry; but he perceived their hearts
And spoke up:



This is a difficult situation for these two men. Essentially Agamemnon has sent them as cannon fodder to see how Achilles will react to his threats. The two men are terrified since everyone, and most especially Achilles, knows why they are there. The two heralds are terror struck when they see him sitting by his tent, probably imagining that he is about to remove some vital organ from their bodies, but he does not do that. He understands their predicament and speaks to them. Yet another example of how Achilles is not just the mindless and brutish psycophath that he is often portrayed as.

On a linguistic note this is a great section for teaching a unique feature of Homeric grammar known as the dual. Most languages have a singular form of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives for one item and plural for more than one. Homeric Greek has an additional form for two items. This feature was largely lost by the age of Plato and Aristotle so it is unique to the epic tradition and the only modern language that I know of where it exists is in literary Arabic. Since there are two heralds going to find Achilles and take the girl in this section this form is used repeatedly and it works well as a refresher.

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.

Day 46: The Words Cease but the Invective Continues

Lines 290-303
εἰ δέ μιν αἰχμητὴν ἔθεσαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,
τούνεκά οἱ προθέουσιν ὀνείδεα μυθήσασθαι;"
τὸν δ' ἄρ ὑποβλήδην ἠμείετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
"ἦ γάρ κεν δειλός τε καὶ οὐτιδανὸς καλεοίμην,
εἰ δὴ σοὶ πᾶν ἔργον ὑπείξομαι, ὅττι κεν εἴπῃς·
ἄλλοισιν δὴ ταῦτ' ἐπιτέλλεο, μὴ γὰρ ἐμοί γε
[σήμιν'· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γ' ἔτι σοι πείσεσθαι ὀίω.]
ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω , σύ δ' ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·
χερσὶ μὲν οὔ τοι ἐγώ γε μαχήσομαι εἵνεκα κούρης
οὔτε σοὶ οὔτε τῳ ἄλλῳ, ἐπεί μ' ἀφέλεσθε' γε δόντες·
τῶν δ' ἄλλων, ἅ μοι ἔστι θοῇ παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ,
τῶν οὐκ ἄν τι φέροις ἀνελὼν ἀέκοντος ἐμεῖο.
εἰ δ' ἄγε μὴν πείρησαι, ἵνα γνώωσι καὶ οἵδε.
αἶψά τοι αἶμα κελαινὸν ἐρωήσει περὶ δουρί."



As if the gods, who are always there, made him a spearman
Did they then grant him the right to shout out insults?"

And breaking in, divine Achilles replied to him:
"For indeed I would be called a coward and a good for nothing,
If then I shall yield to you in everything, whatever you may say;
Then give your orders to others, for me you do not command;
For I think that there is yet one more who will not obey you.
And I will tell you another time, and dash this about in your heart:
Surely I will not fight you with my hands on account of the girl,
Not with you, nor with any other, since what is taken
Is only what was given me; But concerning what else is mine
Beside my fast, black ship, these you would not carry off,
Seizing them against my will. Up now! Come try indeed!
So that these should rejoice all the more.
Surely your black blood will quickly flow around my spear."


Thus ends the verbal portion of this disastrous quarrel with Achilles threatening to paint his spear black with Agamemnon's blood if his minions should attempt to seize any of his possessions, save Briseis. His logic is interesting here: though he treasures the maiden and stakes such a great deal of his personal pride on Agamemnon's not having her, in the end he decides not to spill blood over this saying that what is being taken from him was a gift from the armies and not a thing that was truly his own and therefore inviolable.

Day 45: The Limits of Good Advice

Lines 269-89
καὶ μὲν τοῖσιν ἐγὼ μεθομίλεον ἐκ Πύλου ἐλθών,
τηλόθεν ἐξ ἀπίης γαίης· καλέσαντο γὰρ αὐτοί·
καὶ μαχόμην κατ' ἔμ' αὐτὸν ἐγώ· κείνοισι δ' ἂν οὔ τις
τῶν, οἳ νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπιχθόνιοι, μαχέοιτο.
καὶ μέν μευ βουλέων ξύνιεν πείθοντό τε μύθῳ.
ἀλλὰ πίθεσθε καὶ ὔμμες, ἐπεὶ πείθεσθαι ἀμεινον.
μήτε σὺ τόνδ' ἀγαθός περ ἐὼν ἀποαίρεο κούρην,
ἀλλ' ἔα, ὥς οἱ πρῶτα δόσαν γέρας υἷες Ἀχαιῶν.
μήτε σύ, Πηλεΐδη, θέλ' ἐριζέμεναι βασιλῆι
ἀντιβίην, ἐπεὶ οὔ ποθ' ὁμοίης ἔμμορε τιμῆς
σκηπροῦχος βασιλεύς, ᾧ τε Ζεὺς κῦδος ἔδωκεν.
εἰ δὲ σὺ καρτερός ἐσσι, θεὰ δέ σε γείνατο μήτηρ,
ἀλλ' ὁδε φέρτερός ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πλεόνεσσιν ἀνάσσει.
Ἀτρεΐδη, σὺ δε παῦε τεὸν μένος· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε
λίσσομ' Ἀχιλλῆι μεθέμεν χόλον ὅς μέγα πᾶσιν
ἕρκος Ἀχαιοῖσιν πέλεται πολέμοιο κακοῖο."

τὸν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·
"ναὶ δὴ ταῦτα γε πάντα, γέρον, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες
ἀλλ' ὅδ' ἀνὴρ ἐθέλει περὶ πάντων ἔμμεναι ἄλλων,
πάντων μὲν κρατέειν ἐθέλει, πάντεσσι δ' ανάσσειν,
πᾶσι δὲ σημαίνειν, ἅ τιν' οὐ πείσεσθαι ὀίω.

And certainly I consorted with these, coming from far Pylos,
From a distant land, for they themselves called me there,
And I myself did battle; but none of the mortal men
Who live now on earth would fight with these.
And of course those men hearkened to my counsels
And would heed my word. But obey this, since the better man hearkens to;
And you, do not deprive this one so brave of the maiden,
But let it be, since the sons of the Achaeans
Gave the prize to him first. And you, son of Peleus,
Do not seek to strive with the king in antagonism,
Since never has a scepter bearing king, to whom Zeus
Gave glory, received a similar share of honor.
And even if you are the stronger, since a goddess mother bore you,
But this one is more powerful, since he rules over many.
And you, son of Atreus, check your rage; moreover I beg it,
For Achilles' sake, give up this rage, against one who is a mighty bulwark
For all the Achaeans against evil war."

And in reply, the lord Agamemnon addressed him:
"Surely old man you have spoken all this as is fitting,
But this man desires to be above all others, certainly
He wishes to hold sway over all, and to rule all,
And to command all, I think there is one who does not obey.


An amazing scene on so many levels. First, we see the limits of wisdom, if such a thing can be said, or least of good advice. Nestor starts telling the two clashing heroes that better men than they have followed his advice so these two better do it. And he proceeds to tell them exactly what to do. One can talk all one wants about Nestor's beautiful counsels and his supposed magical ability with words, but the fact is here that this personification of ancient wisdom does not succeed, and in fact fails miserably, for Agamemnon returns straightaway to his quarrel with Achilles the moment that the old king is done speaking. One could think of better ways that Nestor could have handled the situation, such as telling a story from his youth about how such a petty conflict had destroyed a vast enterprise, but he did not do that since he was a king and not a poet. There is a certain haughtiness to his position here: I am recognized as the wisest of the wise, and have always been recognized as such by better men than you two, so you had better do what I say. How would one expect two exceedingly proud men who have just been quarrelling to react?

Time for a random historical meandering here: I was thinking over this whole experience of haughtiness and arrogance and how they are unmistakably condemned in this poem, and I was comparing them in my mind with the tales of the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible, some of which was written contemporaneously with the Iliad and the Odyssey, where those who exhibit these same qualities find equal censure. While I was mulling this over in my mind I started to ponder those late Bronze Age stellae, or monuments, left behind by the monarchs of that time, above all by the pharaohs of Egypt where by reading them one would think that Pharaoh had destroyed an entire enemy army all by himself. These things would be set up if the battle was a draw, such as Kadesh, or even if it resulted in a defeat. The king would smite an entire enemy army and wipe them from the face of the earth, only for that army to magically reincarnate the next year and for the king to smite them once again. The kingdoms of the Bronze Age fell suddenly, at the beginning of the twelfth century B.C. and I wonder if some memory of their collapse as a condemnation for this arrogance transmitted to Homer's age and on into the classical world that was to follow? For one never sees this open display of ridiculous bombast among the great powers again on a consistent basis, not even by the Romans whose empire made these Bronze Age "great kings" look like petty tribal warlords in comparison.

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...

Day 16: Achilles Calls Forth the Achaeans

Lines 53-58
ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατοὸν ᾤχετο κῆλα θεοῖο,
τῇ δεκάτῃ δ' ἀγορήνδε καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς
τῷ γὰρ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεά, λευκώλενος Ἤρη·
κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν ὅτι ῥα θνήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο
οἱ δ' ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤερθεν ὁμηγερέες τε γένοντο,
τοῖσι δ' ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκύς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Nine days the arrows of the god went throughout the camp
On the tenth Achilles summoned the host to assembly
For the goddess white-armed Hera put it in his mind:
She was grieving for her Danaans as she watched them perish
They were gathered together and came as one,
Standing, swift-footed Achilles addressed them thus:

Day 4: Achilles, Agamemnon, and the son of Leto and Zeus

Lines 6-10

ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρείδης 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,

From the time when the two first stood apart and quarelled
The son of Atreus and lord of men, and divine Achilles.
Which then of the gods brought these two to battle and strife?
Zeus' and Leto's son. For being enraged by the king
he incited an evil plague in the camp, the armies perishing