Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 9

Page 13

Afterwards I fled thence through spacious Hellas, and came to fertile Phthia, the mother of sheep, to king Peleus; who kindly received me, and loved me even as a father loves his only son, born in his old age[314] to ample possessions. He made me opulent, and bestowed upon me much people, and I inhabited the extreme shores of Phthia, ruling over the Dolopians. Thee too, O godlike Achilles, have I rendered what thou art,[315] loving thee from my soul; since thou wouldst not go with another to the feast, nor take food in the mansion, until I, placing thee upon my knees, satisfied thee with viands, previously carving them, and supplied thee with wine. Often hast thou wetted the tunic upon my breast, ejecting the wine in infant peevishness.[316] Thus have I borne very many things from thee, and much have I laboured, thinking this, that since the gods have not granted an offspring to me from myself, I should at least make thee my son, O Achilles, like unto the gods, that thou mightst yet repel from me unworthy destiny. But O Achilles, subdue thy mighty rage; it is by no means necessary for thee to have a merciless heart. Flexible are even the gods themselves, whose virtue, honour, and might are greater [than thine]. Even these, when any one transgresses and errs, do men divert [from their wrath] by sacrifices and appeasing vows, and frankincense and savour. For Prayers also are the daughters of supreme Jove,[317] both halt, and wrinkled, and squint-eyed; which following on Ate from behind, are fall of care. But Ate is robust and sound in limb, wherefore she far outstrips all, and arrives first at every land, doing injury to men; whilst these afterwards cure them.[318] Whosoever will reverence the daughters of Jove approaching, him they are wont greatly to aid, and hear when praying. But whosoever will deny and obstinately refuse them, then indeed, drawing near, they entreat Saturnian Jove, that Ate may follow along with him, that being injured [in turn], he may pay the penalty. But O Achilles, do thou too yield honour to accompany the daughters of Jove, which bends the minds of other brave men; for if Atrides brought not gifts, and did not mention others in futurity, but would ever rage vehemently, I for my part would not advise that, casting away wrath, thou shouldst defend the Greeks, although greatly in need. But now he at once gives both many immediately, and promises others hereafter; moreover, he hath despatched the best men to supplicate thee, having selected throughout the Grecian army those who are dearest to thyself; whose entreaty do not thou despise, nor their mission, although formerly fault was not to be found with thee, because thou wert enraged. Thus also have we heard the renown of heroes of former days, when vehement wrath came upon any, [that] they were both appeasable by gifts, and to be reconciled by words. I remember this ancient and by no means modern deed, of what sort it was; and I will repeat it among you all, being friends.

[Footnote 314: See, however, Buttm. Lexil. p. 510, sqq., who considers that [Greek: telygetos] simply means "_tenderly beloved_; only that it is a more forcible expression for this idea, as is evident from the bad sense in which the word is used at II. v. 470, where the meaning of a child spoiled by the love of its parents is evident."]

[Footnote 315: I.e. I reared thee to thy present age. Lit. "I made thee so great."]

[Footnote 316: If any one should despise these natural details as trifling and beneath the dignity of poetry, I can only recommend a comparison with Aesch. Choeph. 750, sqq., and Shakspeare's nurse in "Romeo and Juliet." In such passages, the age of the supposed speaker is the best apology for the poet.]

[Footnote 317: See Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 57.]

[Footnote 318: Perhaps it was from this passage that Sterne took his sublime idea of the Recording Angel blotting out the oath which the Accusing Spirit had carried up to heaven.]

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