Homer : The Underworld ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 11 )

When I had told him this, the ghost of Achilles strode off across a meadow full of asphodel, exulting over what I had said concerning the prowess of his son.

The ghosts of other dead men stood near me and told me each his own melancholy tale; but that of Ajax son of Telamon alone held aloof--still angry with me for having won the cause in our dispute about the armour of Achilles. Thetis had offered it as a prize, but the Trojan prisoners and Minerva were the judges. Would that I had never gained the day in such a contest, for it cost the life of Ajax, who was foremost of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus, alike in stature and prowess.

"When I saw him I tried to pacify him and said, 'Ajax, will you not forget and forgive even in death, but must the judgement about that hateful armour still rankle with you? It cost us Argives dear enough to lose such a tower of strength as you were to us. We mourned you as much as we mourned Achilles son of Peleus himself, nor can the blame be laid on anything but on the spite which Jove bore against the Danaans, for it was this that made him counsel your destruction--come hither, therefore, bring your proud spirit into subjection, and hear what I can tell you.'

He would not answer, but turned away to Erebus and to the other ghosts; nevertheless, I should have made him talk to me in spite of his being so angry, or I should have gone on talking to him, only that there were still others among the dead whom I desired to see.

ὣς ἐφάμην͵ ψυχὴ δὲ ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο φοίτα μακρὰ βιβᾶσα κατ΄ ἀσφοδελὸν λειμῶνα͵ γηθοσύνη͵ ὅ οἱ υἱὸν ἔφην ἀριδείκετον εἶναι.

Αἱ δ΄ ἄλλαι ψυχαὶ νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων ἕστασαν ἀχνύμεναι͵ εἴροντο δὲ κήδε΄ ἑκάστη. οἴη δ΄ Αἴαντος ψυχὴ Τελαμωνιάδαο νόσφιν ἀφεστήκει͵ κεχολωμένη εἵνεκα νίκης͵ τήν μιν ἐγὼ νίκησα δικαζόμενος παρὰ νηυσὶ τεύχεσιν ἀμφ΄ Ἀχιλῆος· ἔθηκε δὲ πότνια μήτηρ͵ παῖδες δὲ Τρώων δίκασαν καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη. ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν τοιῷδ΄ ἐπ΄ ἀέθλῳ· τοίην γὰρ κεφαλὴν ἕνεκ΄ αὐτῶν γαῖα κατέσχεν͵ Αἴανθ΄͵ ὃς περὶ μὲν εἶδος͵ περὶ δ΄ ἔργα τέτυκτο τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετ΄ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἐπέεσσι προσηύδων μειλιχίοισιν· Αἶαν͵ παῖ Τελαμῶνος ἀμύμονος͵ οὐκ ἄρ΄ ἔμελλες οὐδὲ θανὼν λήσεσθαι ἐμοὶ χόλου εἵνεκα τευχέων οὐλομένων; τὰ δὲ πῆμα θεοὶ θέσαν Ἀργείοισι· τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο· σεῖο δ΄ Ἀχαιοὶ ἶσον Ἀχιλλῆος κεφαλῇ Πηληϊάδαο ἀχνύμεθα φθιμένοιο διαμπερές· οὐδέ τις ἄλλος αἴτιος͵ ἀλλὰ Ζεὺς Δαναῶν στρατὸν αἰχμητάων ἐκπάγλως ἤχθηρε͵ τεῒν δ΄ ἐπὶ μοῖραν ἔθηκεν. ἀλλ΄ ἄγε δεῦρο͵ ἄναξ͵ ἵν΄ ἔπος καὶ μῦθον ἀκούσῃς ἡμέτερον· δάμασον δὲ μένος καὶ ἀγήνορα θυμόν.

ὣς ἐφάμην͵ ὁ δέ μ΄ οὐδὲν ἀμείβετο͵ βῆ δὲ μετ΄ ἄλλας ψυχὰς εἰς Ἔρεβος νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων. ἔνθα χ΄ ὅμως προσέφη κεχολωμένος͵ ἤ κεν ἐγὼ τόν· ἀλλά μοι ἤθελε θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι τῶν ἄλλων ψυχὰς ἰδέειν κατατεθνηώτων.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : THE UNDERWORLD - 17

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