Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 2

Page 3

"Hear me, my friends: a divine dream came to me in sleep, during the ambrosial night, very like unto the noble Nestor, in form, in stature, and in mien. And it stood above my head, and addressed me: 'Sleepest thou, son of the warrior, horse-taming Atreus? It becomes not a counsellor, to whom the people have been intrusted, and to whom so many things are a care, to sleep all the night. But now quickly attend to me; for I am a messenger to thee from Jove, who, although far distant, greatly regards and pities thee. He orders thee to arm the long-haired Greeks with all their array, for now mayest thou take the wide-wayed city of the Trojans; for the immortals, who possess the Olympian mansions, no longer think dividedly, for Juno, supplicating, has bent all [to her will], and woes from Jove are impending over the Trojans; but do thou preserve this in thy thoughts.' Thus having spoken, flying away, it departed; but sweet sleep resigned me. But come, [let us try] if by any means we can arm the sons of the Greeks. But first with words will I sound their inclinations, as is right, and I will command them to fly with their many-benched ships; but do you restrain them with words, one in one place, another in another."

He indeed having thus spoken, sat down; but Nestor, who was king of sandy Pylus, rose up, who wisely counselling, harangued them, and said:

"O friends, generals and counsellors of the Argives, if any other of the Greeks had told this dream, we should have pronounced it a fabrication, and withdrawn ourselves [from the reciter]. But now he has seen it, who boasts himself [to be] by far the greatest man in the army. But come on, if by any means we can arm the sons of the Greeks."

Thus then having spoken, he began to depart from the assembly; and they, the sceptre-bearing princes, arose, and obeyed the shepherd of the tribes, and the hosts rushed forward. Even as the swarms of clustering bees,[79] issuing ever anew from the hollow rock, go forth, and fly in troops over the vernal[80] flowers, and some have flitted in bodies here, and some there; thus of these [Greeks] many nations from the ships and tents kept marching in troops in front of the steep shore to the assembly. And in the midst of them blazed Rumour, messenger of Jove, urging them to proceed; and they kept collecting together. The assembly was tumultuous, and the earth groaned beneath, as the people seated themselves, and there was a clamour; but nine heralds vociferating restrained them, if by any means they would cease from clamour, and hear the Jove-nurtured princes. With difficulty at length the people sat down, and were kept to their respective[81] seats, having desisted from their clamour, when king Agamemnon arose, holding the sceptre, which Vulcan had laboriously wrought. Vulcan in the first place gave it to king Jove, the son of Saturn, and Jove in turn gave it to his messenger, the slayer of Argus.[82] But king Mercury gave it to steed-taming Pelops, and Pelops again gave it to Atreus, shepherd of the people. But Atreus, dying, left it to Thyestes, rich in flocks; but Thyestes again left it to Agamemnon to be borne, that he might rule over many islands,[83] and all Argos.[84] Leaning upon this, he spoke words amongst the Greeks:

[Footnote 79: The dative here implies direction, [Greek: epi] increasing its force, according to Stadelmann and Kuehner, who are followed by Anthon. I have restored the old interpretation, which is much less far-fetched, and is placed beyond doubt by Virgil's imitations.—"_per_ florea rura," AEn. i. 430; "floribus insidunt variis." AEn. vi. 708. "Among fresh dews and flowers, Fly to and fro."—Milton. P.L. i. 771.]

[Footnote 80: I. e. over the flowers in the spring-time, when bees first appear. See Virg. l. c. Eurip. Hipp. 77, [Greek: melissa leimon' erinon oierchetai].—Nicias, Anthol. i. 31, [Greek: era phainousa melissa].—Longus, i. 4.]

[Footnote 81: Observe the distributive use of [Greek: kata]. Cf. Od. iii. 7.]

[Footnote 82: Mercury. Cf. Ovid. Met. i. 624. sqq.]

[Footnote 83: On the extended power of Agamemnon, see Thucyd. i. 9.]

[Footnote 84: On this sceptre, the type of the wealth and influence of the house of the Atrides, see Grote. vol. i. p. 212.]

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