Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 9

Page 10

But him swift-footed Achilles answering, addressed: "Most noble son of Laertes, much-scheming Ulysses, it behoves me indeed to speak my opinion without reserve, even as I think, and as will be accomplished, that ye may not, sitting beside me, keep whining[303] one after another. Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is he who conceals one thing in his mind and utters another. But I will speak as appears to me to be best; and I think that neither Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, nor the other Greeks will persuade me; since there is no gratitude to him who fights ever ceaselessly with hostile men. An equal portion [falls] to him who loiters, as if one continually fight; and the coward is in equal honour with the brave. The man of no deeds, and the man of many, are wont equally to die; nor does anything lie by me as a store,[304] because I have suffered sorrows in my soul, ever risking my life to fight. And as the bird brings food to her unfledged young when she hath found it, although she fares badly herself; so have I too spent many sleepless nights, and gone through bloody days in combat, fighting with heroes for their wives' sakes. Twelve cities indeed of men have I wasted with my ships, and on foot I say eleven throughout the fertile Troad.[305] From all these have I carried off many and precious spoils, and bearing them, have given all to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus; whilst he, remaining behind at the swift ships, receiving them, hath distributed but few, but retained many. To the chiefs and kings hath he given other prizes; to whom indeed they remain entire: but from me alone of the Greeks hath he taken it away, and he possesses my spouse, dear to my soul, with whom reclining, let him delight himself. But why is it necessary that the Greeks wage war with the Trojans? Or from what necessity did the son of Atreus, assembling an army, lead it hither? Was it not on account of fair-haired Helen? Do the sons of Atreus alone, of articulate-speaking men, love their wives? [Surely not], since whatever man is good and prudent loves and cherishes his spouse; thus I too loved her from my soul, though the captive of my spear. And now since he hath snatched my reward from my hands, and deceived me, let him not make trial of me, already well informed, for he will not persuade me; but let him consider with thee, O Ulysses, and the other kings, how he may repel the hostile fire from the ships. Assuredly he has already accomplished many labours without me. He has already built a rampart, and drawn a trench broad [and] large beside it; and planted in it palisades; but not even thus can he restrain the might of man-slaughtering Hector. Whilst I indeed fought amongst the Greeks, Hector chose not to arouse the battle at a distance from the wall, but he came [only] as far as the Scaean gates, and the beech-tree.

[Footnote 303: This word is etymologically connected with [Greek: trngon]. It properly signifies the moaning of the dove.]

[Footnote 304: Schol. [Greek: perisson ti esti]. Kennedy explains it: "nor have all the toils which I have undergone been productive of any superior advantage to me."]

[Footnote 305: See a list of these cities in Heyne's note.]

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Rhapsody 9

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