The Iliad of Homer Part 3

"Truly now these will be grievous matters, and no longer tolerable, if ye twain contend thus on account of mortals, and excite uproar among the deities. Nor will there be any enjoyment in the delightful banquet, since the worse things prevail.[62] But to my mother I advise, she herself being intelligent, to gratify my dear father Jove, lest my sire may again reprove her, and disturb our banquet. For if the Olympian Thunderer wishes to hurl [us] from our seats[63]--for he is much the most powerful. But do thou soothe him with gentle words; then will the Olympian king straightway be propitious to us."

[Footnote 62: Cf. Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 9. The saying is almost proverbial.]

[Footnote 63: An aposiopesis; understand, "he can easily do so."]

Thus then he spoke, and rising, he placed the double cup[64] in the hand of his dear mother, and addressed her:

"Be patient, my mother, and restrain thyself, although grieved, lest with my own eyes I behold thee beaten, being very dear to me; nor then indeed should I be able, though full of grief, to a.s.sist thee; for Olympian Jove is difficult to be opposed. For heretofore, having seized me by the foot, he cast me, desiring at one time to a.s.sist you, down from the heavenly threshold. All day was I carried down through the air, and I fell on Lemnos[65] with the setting sun: and but little life was in me by that time. There the Sintian[66] men forthwith received and tended[67] me, having fallen."

Thus he spoke: but the white-armed G.o.ddess Juno smiled; and smiling she received the cup from the hand of her son. But he, beginning from left to right,[68] kept pouring out for all the other G.o.ds, drawing nectar from the goblet. And then inextinguishable laughter arose among the immortal G.o.ds, when they saw Vulcan bustling about[69] through the mansion.

[Footnote 64: See my note on Od. iii. p. 30, n. 13, ed. Bohn. It was "a double cup with a common bottom in the middle."--Crusius.]

[Footnote 65: Hercules having sacked Troy, was, on his return, driven to Cos by a storm raised by Juno, who was hostile to him, and who had contrived to cast Jupiter into a sleep, that he might not interrupt her purpose. Jupiter awaking, in resentment of the artifice practised upon him, bound her feet to iron anvils, which Vulcan attempting to loose, was cast headlong down to Lemnos by his enraged sire.]

[Footnote 66: A race of robbers, of Tyrrhenian origin (according to Muller), and the ancient inhabitants of Lemnos. This island was ever after sacred to Vulcan. Cf. Lactant. i. 15; Milton, P.L.

i. 740, sqq.]

[Footnote 67: See Arnold.]

[Footnote 68: This meaning of ??d???a is due to b.u.t.tmann.]

[Footnote 69: See b.u.t.tmann, Lexil. p. 481.]

Thus, then, they feasted[70] the entire day till the setting sun; nor did the soul want anything of the equal feast, nor of the beautiful harp, which Apollo held, nor of the Muses, who accompanied him, responding in turn, with delicious voice.

[Footnote 70: "The G.o.ds formed a sort of political community of their own, which had its hierarchy, its distribution of ranks and duties, its contentions for power and occasional revolutions, its public meetings in the agora of Olympus, and its mult.i.tudinous banquets or festivals."--Grote, vol. i. p. 463. Cf. Muller, Gk.

Lit. ii. -- 2.]

But when the splendid light of the sun was sunk, they retired to repose, each one to his home, where renowned Vulcan, lame of both legs, with cunning skill had built a house for each. But the Olympian thunderer Jove went to his couch, where he lay before, when sweet sleep came upon him. There, having ascended, he lay down to rest, and beside him golden-throned Juno.

BOOK THE SECOND.

ARGUMENT.

Jove sends a dream to Agamemnon, in consequence of which he re-a.s.sembles the army. Thersites is punished for his insolent speech, and the troops are restrained from seeking a return homewards. The catalogue of the ships and the forces of the confederates follows.

The rest, then, both G.o.ds and horse-arraying men,[71] slept all the night: but Jove sweet sleep possessed not; but he was pondering in his mind how he might honour Achilles, and destroy many at the ships of the Greeks. But this device appeared best to him in his mind, to send a fatal dream[72] to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. And addressing him, he spoke winged words:

"Haste away, pernicious dream, to the swift ships of the Greeks. Going into the tent of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, utter very accurately everything as I shall command thee. Bid him arm the long-haired Achaeans[73] with all their array; for now perhaps he may[74] take the wide-wayed city of the Trojans; for the immortals who possess the Olympian mansions no longer think dividedly, for Juno, supplicating, hath bent all [to her will]. And woes are impending over the Trojans."

Thus he spake: and the dream[75] accordingly departed, as soon as it heard the mandate. And quickly it came to the swift ships of the Greeks, and went unto Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. But him it found sleeping in his tent, and ambrosial slumber was diffused around. And he stood over his head, like unto Nestor, the son of Neleus, him, to wit, whom Agamemnon honoured most of the old men. To him a.s.similating himself, the divine dream addressed him:

[Footnote 71: See Anthon, who observes that "fighting from on horseback was not practised in the Homeric times."]

[Footnote 72: Some would personify Oneirus, as G.o.d of dreams.]

[Footnote 73: Observe the distinction, for the Abantes, ver. 542, and the Thracians, iv. 533, wore their hair differently.]

[Footnote 74: ?e? limits the a.s.sertion to _probability_, so that Jupiter does not utter a _direct_ falsehood.]

[Footnote 75: In defence of this cheating conduct of Jove, at which Plato was much scandalized, Coleridge, p. 154, observes: "The ????? ??e???? was a lying spirit, which the father of G.o.ds and men had a supreme right to commission for the purpose of working out his ultimate will."]

"Sleepest thou, son of the warrior, horse-taming Atreus? It becomes not a counsel-giving man, 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, since the immortals, who possess the Olympian mansions, no longer think dividedly; for Juno, supplicating, hath bent all [to her will], and woes from Jove are impending over the Trojans. But do thou preserve this in thy recollection, nor let forgetfulness possess thee, when sweet sleep shall desert thee."

Thus then having spoken, he departed, and left him there pondering these things in his mind, which were not destined to be accomplished. For he, foolish, thought that he would take the city of Priam on that day; nor knew he the deeds which Jupiter was really devising; for even he was about yet to impose additional hardships and sorrows upon both Trojans and Greeks, through mighty conflicts. But he awoke from his sleep, and the heavenly voice was diffused around him. He sat up erect, and put on his soft tunic, beautiful, new; and around him he threw his large cloak.

And he bound his beautiful sandals on his shining feet, and slung from his shoulders the silver-studded sword. He also took his paternal sceptre, ever imperishable, with which he went to the ships of the brazen-mailed Greeks.

The G.o.ddess Aurora now[76] ascended wide Olympus, announcing the dawn to Jove and the other immortals. But he[77] on his part ordered the clear-voiced heralds to summon the long-haired Achaeans[78] to an a.s.sembly. They therefore summoned them, and the people were very speedily a.s.sembled. First the a.s.sembly of magnanimous elders sat at the ship of Nestor, the Pylus-born king. Having called them together, he propounded a prudent counsel:

[Footnote 76: ?a appears to mark the regular transition from one event to another.]

[Footnote 77: Agamemnon.]

[Footnote 78: See on ver. 11.]

"Hear me, my friends: a divine dream came to me in sleep, during the ambrosial night, very like unto the n.o.ble 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 a.s.sembly; and they, the sceptre-bearing princes, arose, and obeyed the shepherd of the tribes, and the hosts rushed forward. Even as the swarms of cl.u.s.tering 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 sh.o.r.e to the a.s.sembly. And in the midst of them blazed Rumour, messenger of Jove, urging them to proceed; and they kept collecting together. The a.s.sembly 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, ?p? increasing its force, according to Stadelmann and Kuhner, 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, ???ssa ?e???' ?????? ?????eta?.--Nicias, Anthol. i. 31, ?a? fa????sa ???ssa.--Longus, i. 4.]

[Footnote 81: Observe the distributive use of ?at?. 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.]

"O friends, Grecian heroes, servants of Mars, Jove, the son of Saturn, has entangled me in a heavy misfortune. Cruel, who before indeed promised to me, and vouchsafed by his nod, that I should return home, having destroyed well-fortified Ilium. But now he has devised an evil deception, and commands me to return to Argos, inglorious, after I have lost many of my people. So forsooth it appears to be agreeable to all-powerful Jove, who has already overthrown the citadels of many cities, yea, and will even yet overthrow them, for transcendent is his power. For this were disgraceful even for posterity to hear, that so brave and so numerous a people of the Greeks warred an ineffectual war, and fought with fewer men; but as yet no end has appeared. For if we, Greeks and Trojans, having struck a faithful league,[85] wished that both should be numbered, and [wished] to select the Trojans, on the one hand, as many as are townsmen; and if we Greeks, on the other hand, were to be divided into decades, and to choose a single man of the Trojans to pour out wine [for each decade], many decades would be without a cupbearer.[86] So much more numerous, I say, the sons of the Greeks are than the Trojans who dwell in the city. But there are spear-wielding auxiliaries from many cities, who greatly stand in my way, and do not permit me wishing to destroy the well-inhabited city. Already have nine years of mighty Jove pa.s.sed away, and now the timbers of our ships have rotted, and the ropes have become untwisted.[87] Our wives and infant children sit in our dwellings expecting us; but to us the work for which we came hither remains unaccomplished, contrary to expectation. But come, as I shall recommend, let us all obey; let us fly with the ships to our dear native land, for at no future time shall we take wide-wayed Troy."

[Footnote 85: ????a is probably used as an adjective, understanding ?e?e?a, the victims that were slain in order to ratify the oath. See however b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 439.]