Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 19

Page 6

"Father Jove, hurler of the red lightning, I will put a certain matter in thy mind. A noble man is now born, who shall rule the Argives, Eurystheus, the son of Perseus, thy offspring; nor is it unbecoming that he should govern the Argives."

"Thus she spoke; but sharp grief smote him in his deep mind; and immediately he seized Ate by her head of shining curls, enraged in his mind, and swore a powerful oath, that Ate, who injures all, should never again return to Olympus and the starry heaven.

"Thus saying, he cast her from the starry heaven, whirling her round in his hand, but she quickly reached the works of men. On her account he always groaned,[627] when he beheld his beloved son suffering unworthy toil under the labours of[628] Eurystheus.

"So I also, when the great crest-tossing Hector was thus[629] destroying the Greeks at the sterns of the ships, was not able to forget the wrong which I had formerly foolishly committed. But since I have suffered harm, and Jove has taken away my reason, I am willing again to appease thee, and to give infinite presents. But arise to the battle, and incite the other people, and I myself [will pledge myself] to furnish all the presents, as many as noble Ulysses yesterday, going to thee, promised in thy tents. Yet, if thou wilt, wait a little, although hastening to battle, and my servants, taking the presents from my ship, shall bring them, that thou mayest see that I will present [thee] with appeasing offerings."

But him swift-footed Achilles answering, addressed; "Most glorious son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, whether thou wilt furnish gifts, as is meet, or keep them with thee, [will be seen]; but now let us very quickly be mindful of the contest; for it is not fitting to waste time in idle talk,[630] nor to delay; as a mighty work is yet undone. But as some one may again behold Achilles among the front ranks, destroying the phalanxes of the Trojans with his brazen spear, so also let some one of you, keeping this in mind, fight with [his] man."

[Footnote 627: On the servitude of Hercules, see Grote, vol. i. p. 128.]

[Footnote 628: I.e. imposed by.]

[Footnote 629: "The parallel implied here is of the havoc occasioned by Hector, and the laborious tasks imposed by Eurystheus. Such appears to be the force of the particle."—Kennedy.]

[Footnote 630: Hesych.; [Greek: Klotopeyein. paralogizesthai... otrangyesthai].]

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