The Iliad: Book 01 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFDDGDDHIJKLMGMN OMPQRDSTHDKMMUKVFWXN YKZUHUA2ZQB2QC2D2E2K F2C2KG2KGH2QDFKSC2UK I2NDKFUDD2KMKG2J2UK2 KSKGQC2KL2M2SMN2HKO2 GP2Q2NC2P2KMPDMKKMR2 S2SNL2IA2GT2MMC2GMDU 2V2SSSHP2HD2SDD2BP2W 2L2C2C2X2KC2Y2GKH2MD PGZ2SH2SC2MOF2MA2A3S GKGDKKSSSMUDGPMMXDKD ZKDB3KD2KC3C2MSGKGKB 3SQSZQSD3KQSKKSKSSC2 KZSSZKKSMSDE3C2GDC3S OOMF3C3SC2SSSMC3SQA2 SKXKDKL2SKC2KA2C3SC3 SB2KC2KKMC3SSMSGDKDD KKKZKKKDMKKGDZQGSSC3 C3SSC3C2KG3SH3MSKGC2 SKQGMB2DSXSG2C3G2SDO SSKMMSDKMDDF3KSG2G2K C3GDG2C3SDSD2SKGSZI3 J3C3DOMSK3SOI3KSSQSD SG2SSSZDSZSGD2D2G2QS G2D2XDE3D2G2D2QSDSKS DD2SMC3SC3L3KG2SKDKS C3KSMSKSSSSC3ZSSSSGK SMDSD2KKSDKSD2SGG2MS DZC3OSKSG2GKDS| Sing O goddess the anger of Achilles son of Peleus that brought | A |
| countless ills upon the Achaeans Many a brave soul did it send | B |
| hurrying down to Hades and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs | C |
| and vultures for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the | D |
| day on which the son of Atreus king of men and great Achilles first | E |
| fell out with one another | F |
| And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel It was the | D |
| son of Jove and Leto for he was angry with the king and sent a | D |
| pestilence upon the host to plague the people because the son of | G |
| Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest Now Chryses had come to the | D |
| ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter and had brought with him a | D |
| great ransom moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo | H |
| wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans but | I |
| most of all the two sons of Atreus who were their chiefs | J |
| Sons of Atreus he cried and all other Achaeans may the gods | K |
| who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam and to reach | L |
| your homes in safety but free my daughter and accept a ransom for | M |
| her in reverence to Apollo son of Jove | G |
| On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for | M |
| respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered but not | N |
| so Agamemnon who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away | O |
| Old man said he let me not find you tarrying about our ships nor | M |
| yet coming hereafter Your sceptre of the god and your wreath shall | P |
| profit you nothing I will not free her She shall grow old in my | Q |
| house at Argos far from her own home busying herself with her loom | R |
| and visiting my couch so go and do not provoke me or it shall be the | D |
| worse for you | S |
| The old man feared him and obeyed Not a word he spoke but went | T |
| by the shore of the sounding sea and prayed apart to King Apollo | H |
| whom lovely Leto had borne Hear me he cried O god of the | D |
| silver bow that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla and rulest Tenedos | K |
| with thy might hear me oh thou of Sminthe If I have ever decked your | M |
| temple with garlands or burned your thigh bones in fat of bulls or | M |
| goats grant my prayer and let your arrows avenge these my tears upon | U |
| the Danaans | K |
| Thus did he pray and Apollo heard his prayer He came down | V |
| furious from the summits of Olympus with his bow and his quiver | F |
| upon his shoulder and the arrows rattled on his back with the rage | W |
| that trembled within him He sat himself down away from the ships with | X |
| a face as dark as night and his silver bow rang death as he shot | N |
| his arrow in the midst of them First he smote their mules and their | Y |
| hounds but presently he aimed his shafts at the people themselves | K |
| and all day long the pyres of the dead were burning | Z |
| For nine whole days he shot his arrows among the people but upon | U |
| the tenth day Achilles called them in assembly moved thereto by Juno | H |
| who saw the Achaeans in their death throes and had compassion upon | U |
| them Then when they were got together he rose and spoke among them | A2 |
| Son of Atreus said he I deem that we should now turn roving | Z |
| home if we would escape destruction for we are being cut down by | Q |
| war and pestilence at once Let us ask some priest or prophet or some | B2 |
| reader of dreams for dreams too are of Jove who can tell us why | Q |
| Phoebus Apollo is so angry and say whether it is for some vow that we | C2 |
| have broken or hecatomb that we have not offered and whether he will | D2 |
| accept the savour of lambs and goats without blemish so as to take | E2 |
| away the plague from us | K |
| With these words he sat down and Calchas son of Thestor wisest | F2 |
| of augurs who knew things past present and to come rose to speak He | C2 |
| it was who had guided the Achaeans with their fleet to Ilius | K |
| through the prophesyings with which Phoebus Apollo had inspired him | G2 |
| With all sincerity and goodwill he addressed them thus | K |
| Achilles loved of heaven you bid me tell you about the anger of | G |
| King Apollo I will therefore do so but consider first and swear that | H2 |
| you will stand by me heartily in word and deed for I know that I | Q |
| shall offend one who rules the Argives with might to whom all the | D |
| Achaeans are in subjection A plain man cannot stand against the anger | F |
| of a king who if he swallow his displeasure now will yet nurse | K |
| revenge till he has wreaked it Consider therefore whether or no you | S |
| will protect me | C2 |
| And Achilles answered Fear not but speak as it is borne in upon | U |
| you from heaven for by Apollo Calchas to whom you pray and whose | K |
| oracles you reveal to us not a Danaan at our ships shall lay his hand | I2 |
| upon you while I yet live to look upon the face of the earth no not | N |
| though you name Agamemnon himself who is by far the foremost of the | D |
| Achaeans | K |
| Thereon the seer spoke boldly The god he said is angry neither | F |
| about vow nor hecatomb but for his priest's sake whom Agamemnon | U |
| has dishonoured in that he would not free his daughter nor take a | D |
| ransom for her therefore has he sent these evils upon us and will | D2 |
| yet send others He will not deliver the Danaans from this | K |
| pestilence till Agamemnon has restored the girl without fee or | M |
| ransom to her father and has sent a holy hecatomb to Chryse Thus | K |
| we may perhaps appease him | G2 |
| With these words he sat down and Agamemnon rose in anger His heart | J2 |
| was black with rage and his eyes flashed fire as he scowled on | U |
| Calchas and said Seer of evil you never yet prophesied smooth | K2 |
| things concerning me but have ever loved to foretell that which was | K |
| evil You have brought me neither comfort nor performance and now you | S |
| come seeing among Danaans and saying that Apollo has plagued us | K |
| because I would not take a ransom for this girl the daughter of | G |
| Chryses I have set my heart on keeping her in my own house for I | Q |
| love her better even than my own wife Clytemnestra whose peer she | C2 |
| is alike in form and feature in understanding and accomplishments | K |
| Still I will give her up if I must for I would have the people | L2 |
| live not die but you must find me a prize instead or I alone | M2 |
| among the Argives shall be without one This is not well for you | S |
| behold all of you that my prize is to go elsewhither | M |
| And Achilles answered Most noble son of Atreus covetous beyond | N2 |
| all mankind how shall the Achaeans find you another prize We have no | H |
| common store from which to take one Those we took from the cities | K |
| have been awarded we cannot disallow the awards that have been made | O2 |
| already Give this girl therefore to the god and if ever Jove | G |
| grants us to sack the city of Troy we will requite you three and | P2 |
| fourfold | Q2 |
| Then Agamemnon said Achilles valiant though you be you shall not | N |
| thus outwit me You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me | C2 |
| Are you to keep your own prize while I sit tamely under my loss and | P2 |
| give up the girl at your bidding Let the Achaeans find me a prize | K |
| in fair exchange to my liking or I will come and take your own or | M |
| that of Ajax or of Ulysses and he to whomsoever I may come shall | P |
| rue my coming But of this we will take thought hereafter for the | D |
| present let us draw a ship into the sea and find a crew for her | M |
| expressly let us put a hecatomb on board and let us send Chryseis | K |
| also further let some chief man among us be in command either Ajax | K |
| or Idomeneus or yourself son of Peleus mighty warrior that you are | M |
| that we may offer sacrifice and appease the the anger of the god | R2 |
| Achilles scowled at him and answered You are steeped in | S2 |
| insolence and lust of gain With what heart can any of the Achaeans do | S |
| your bidding either on foray or in open fighting I came not | N |
| warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me I have no quarrel | L2 |
| with them They have not raided my cattle nor my horses nor cut | I |
| down my harvests on the rich plains of Phthia for between me and them | A2 |
| there is a great space both mountain and sounding sea We have | G |
| followed you Sir Insolence for your pleasure not ours to gain | T2 |
| satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and for | M |
| Menelaus You forget this and threaten to rob me of the prize for | M |
| which I have toiled and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me | C2 |
| Never when the Achaeans sack any rich city of the Trojans do I receive | G |
| so good a prize as you do though it is my hands that do the better | M |
| part of the fighting When the sharing comes your share is far the | D |
| largest and I forsooth must go back to my ships take what I can | U2 |
| get and be thankful when my labour of fighting is done Now | V2 |
| therefore I shall go back to Phthia it will be much better for me to | S |
| return home with my ships for I will not stay here dishonoured to | S |
| gather gold and substance for you | S |
| And Agamemnon answered Fly if you will I shall make you no | H |
| prayers to stay you I have others here who will do me honour and | P2 |
| above all Jove the lord of counsel There is no king here so | H |
| hateful to me as you are for you are ever quarrelsome and ill | D2 |
| affected What though you be brave Was it not heaven that made you | S |
| so Go home then with your ships and comrades to lord it over the | D |
| Myrmidons I care neither for you nor for your anger and thus will | D2 |
| I do since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me I shall send | B |
| her with my ship and my followers but I shall come to your tent and | P2 |
| take your own prize Briseis that you may learn how much stronger I am | W2 |
| than you are and that another may fear to set himself up as equal | L2 |
| or comparable with me | C2 |
| The son of Peleus was furious and his heart within his shaggy | C2 |
| breast was divided whether to draw his sword push the others aside | X2 |
| and kill the son of Atreus or to restrain himself and check his | K |
| anger While he was thus in two minds and was drawing his mighty | C2 |
| sword from its scabbard Minerva came down from heaven for Juno had | Y2 |
| sent her in the love she bore to them both and seized the son of | G |
| Peleus by his yellow hair visible to him alone for of the others | K |
| no man could see her Achilles turned in amaze and by the fire that | H2 |
| flashed from her eyes at once knew that she was Minerva Why are | M |
| you here said he daughter of aegis bearing Jove To see the | D |
| pride of Agamemnon son of Atreus Let me tell you and it shall | P |
| surely be he shall pay for this insolence with his life | G |
| And Minerva said I come from heaven if you will hear me to bid | Z2 |
| you stay your anger Juno has sent me who cares for both of you | S |
| alike Cease then this brawling and do not draw your sword rail at | H2 |
| him if you will and your railing will not be vain for I tell you | S |
| and it shall surely be that you shall hereafter receive gifts three | C2 |
| times as splendid by reason of this present insult Hold therefore | M |
| and obey | O |
| Goddess answered Achilles however angry a man may be he must | F2 |
| do as you two command him This will be best for the gods ever hear | M |
| the prayers of him who has obeyed them | A2 |
| He stayed his hand on the silver hilt of his sword and thrust it | A3 |
| back into the scabbard as Minerva bade him Then she went back to | S |
| Olympus among the other gods and to the house of aegis bearing Jove | G |
| But the son of Peleus again began railing at the son of Atreus | K |
| for he was still in a rage Wine bibber he cried with the face of | G |
| a dog and the heart of a hind you never dare to go out with the | D |
| host in fight nor yet with our chosen men in ambuscade You shun this | K |
| as you do death itself You had rather go round and rob his prizes | K |
| from any man who contradicts you You devour your people for you | S |
| are king over a feeble folk otherwise son of Atreus henceforward | S |
| you would insult no man Therefore I say and swear it with a great | S |
| oath nay by this my sceptre which shalt sprout neither leaf nor | M |
| shoot nor bud anew from the day on which it left its parent stem upon | U |
| the mountains for the axe stripped it of leaf and bark and now the | D |
| sons of the Achaeans bear it as judges and guardians of the decrees of | G |
| heaven so surely and solemnly do I swear that hereafter they shall | P |
| look fondly for Achilles and shall not find him In the day of your | M |
| distress when your men fall dying by the murderous hand of Hector | M |
| you shall not know how to help them and shall rend your heart with | X |
| rage for the hour when you offered insult to the bravest of the | D |
| Achaeans | K |
| With this the son of Peleus dashed his gold bestudded sceptre on the | D |
| ground and took his seat while the son of Atreus was beginning | Z |
| fiercely from his place upon the other side Then uprose | K |
| smooth tongued Nestor the facile speaker of the Pylians and the | D |
| words fell from his lips sweeter than honey Two generations of men | B3 |
| born and bred in Pylos had passed away under his rule and he was | K |
| now reigning over the third With all sincerity and goodwill | D2 |
| therefore he addressed them thus | K |
| Of a truth he said a great sorrow has befallen the Achaean | C3 |
| land Surely Priam with his sons would rejoice and the Trojans be | C2 |
| glad at heart if they could hear this quarrel between you two who are | M |
| so excellent in fight and counsel I am older than either of you | S |
| therefore be guided by me Moreover I have been the familiar friend of | G |
| men even greater than you are and they did not disregard my counsels | K |
| Never again can I behold such men as Pirithous and Dryas shepherd of | G |
| his people or as Caeneus Exadius godlike Polyphemus and Theseus | K |
| son of Aegeus peer of the immortals These were the mightiest men | B3 |
| ever born upon this earth mightiest were they and when they fought | S |
| the fiercest tribes of mountain savages they utterly overthrew them I | Q |
| came from distant Pylos and went about among them for they would | S |
| have me come and I fought as it was in me to do Not a man now living | Z |
| could withstand them but they heard my words and were persuaded by | Q |
| them So be it also with yourselves for this is the more excellent | S |
| way Therefore Agamemnon though you be strong take not this girl | D3 |
| away for the sons of the Achaeans have already given her to Achilles | K |
| and you Achilles strive not further with the king for no man who by | Q |
| the grace of Jove wields a sceptre has like honour with Agamemnon You | S |
| are strong and have a goddess for your mother but Agamemnon is | K |
| stronger than you for he has more people under him Son of Atreus | K |
| check your anger I implore you end this quarrel with Achilles who | S |
| in the day of battle is a tower of strength to the Achaeans | K |
| And Agamemnon answered Sir all that you have said is true but | S |
| this fellow must needs become our lord and master he must be lord | S |
| of all king of all and captain of all and this shall hardly be | C2 |
| Granted that the gods have made him a great warrior have they also | K |
| given him the right to speak with railing | Z |
| Achilles interrupted him I should be a mean coward he cried | S |
| were I to give in to you in all things Order other people about not | S |
| me for I shall obey no longer Furthermore I say and lay my saying | Z |
| to your heart I shall fight neither you nor any man about this | K |
| girl for those that take were those also that gave But of all else | K |
| that is at my ship you shall carry away nothing by force Try that | S |
| others may see if you do my spear shall be reddened with your | M |
| blood | S |
| When they had quarrelled thus angrily they rose and broke up the | D |
| assembly at the ships of the Achaeans The son of Peleus went back | E3 |
| to his tents and ships with the son of Menoetius and his company | C2 |
| while Agamemnon drew a vessel into the water and chose a crew of | G |
| twenty oarsmen He escorted Chryseis on board and sent moreover a | D |
| hecatomb for the god And Ulysses went as captain | C3 |
| These then went on board and sailed their ways over the sea But | S |
| the son of Atreus bade the people purify themselves so they | O |
| purified themselves and cast their filth into the sea Then they | O |
| offered hecatombs of bulls and goats without blemish on the sea shore | M |
| and the smoke with the savour of their sacrifice rose curling up | F3 |
| towards heaven | C3 |
| Thus did they busy themselves throughout the host But Agamemnon did | S |
| not forget the threat that he had made Achilles and called his trusty | C2 |
| messengers and squires Talthybius and Eurybates Go said he to | S |
| the tent of Achilles son of Peleus take Briseis by the hand and | S |
| bring her hither if he will not give her I shall come with others and | S |
| take her which will press him harder | M |
| He charged them straightly further and dismissed them whereon | C3 |
| they went their way sorrowfully by the seaside till they came to | S |
| the tents and ships of the Myrmidons They found Achilles sitting by | Q |
| his tent and his ships and ill pleased he was when he beheld them | A2 |
| They stood fearfully and reverently before him and never a word did | S |
| they speak but he knew them and said Welcome heralds messengers | K |
| of gods and men draw near my quarrel is not with you but with | X |
| Agamemnon who has sent you for the girl Briseis Therefore Patroclus | K |
| bring her and give her to them but let them be witnesses by the | D |
| blessed gods by mortal men and by the fierceness of Agamemnon's | K |
| anger that if ever again there be need of me to save the people | L2 |
| from ruin they shall seek and they shall not find Agamemnon is mad | S |
| with rage and knows not how to look before and after that the Achaeans | K |
| may fight by their ships in safety | C2 |
| Patroclus did as his dear comrade had bidden him He brought Briseis | K |
| from the tent and gave her over to the heralds who took her with them | A2 |
| to the ships of the Achaeans and the woman was loth to go Then | C3 |
| Achilles went all alone by the side of the hoar sea weeping and | S |
| looking out upon the boundless waste of waters He raised his hands in | C3 |
| prayer to his immortal mother Mother he cried you bore me doomed | S |
| to live but for a little season surely Jove who thunders from | B2 |
| Olympus might have made that little glorious It is not so | K |
| Agamemnon son of Atreus has done me dishonour and has robbed me | C2 |
| of my prize by force | K |
| As he spoke he wept aloud and his mother heard him where she was | K |
| sitting in the depths of the sea hard by the old man her father | M |
| Forthwith she rose as it were a grey mist out of the waves sat down | C3 |
| before him as he stood weeping caressed him with her hand and | S |
| said My son why are you weeping What is it that grieves you | S |
| Keep it not from me but tell me that we may know it together | M |
| Achilles drew a deep sigh and said You know it why tell you | S |
| what you know well already We went to Thebe the strong city of | G |
| Eetion sacked it and brought hither the spoil The sons of the | D |
| Achaeans shared it duly among themselves and chose lovely Chryseis as | K |
| the meed of Agamemnon but Chryses priest of Apollo came to the | D |
| ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter and brought with him a | D |
| great ransom moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo | K |
| wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans | K |
| but most of all the two sons of Atreus who were their chiefs | K |
| On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting | Z |
| the priest and taking the ransom that he offered but not so | K |
| Agamemnon who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away So | K |
| he went back in anger and Apollo who loved him dearly heard his | K |
| prayer Then the god sent a deadly dart upon the Argives and the | D |
| people died thick on one another for the arrows went everywhither | M |
| among the wide host of the Achaeans At last a seer in the fulness | K |
| of his knowledge declared to us the oracles of Apollo and I was | K |
| myself first to say that we should appease him Whereon the son of | G |
| Atreus rose in anger and threatened that which he has since done The | D |
| Achaeans are now taking the girl in a ship to Chryse and sending | Z |
| gifts of sacrifice to the god but the heralds have just taken from my | Q |
| tent the daughter of Briseus whom the Achaeans had awarded to myself | G |
| Help your brave son therefore if you are able Go to Olympus and | S |
| if you have ever done him service in word or deed implore the aid | S |
| of Jove Ofttimes in my father's house have I heard you glory in | C3 |
| that you alone of the immortals saved the son of Saturn from ruin | C3 |
| when the others with Juno Neptune and Pallas Minerva would have put | S |
| him in bonds It was you goddess who delivered him by calling to | S |
| Olympus the hundred handed monster whom gods call Briareus but men | C3 |
| Aegaeon for he is stronger even than his father when therefore he | C2 |
| took his seat all glorious beside the son of Saturn the other gods | K |
| were afraid and did not bind him Go then to him remind him of all | G3 |
| this clasp his knees and bid him give succour to the Trojans Let | S |
| the Achaeans be hemmed in at the sterns of their ships and perish | H3 |
| on the sea shore that they may reap what joy they may of their | M |
| king and that Agamemnon may rue his blindness in offering insult to | S |
| the foremost of the Achaeans | K |
| Thetis wept and answered My son woe is me that I should have | G |
| borne or suckled you Would indeed that you had lived your span free | C2 |
| from all sorrow at your ships for it is all too brief alas that you | S |
| should be at once short of life and long of sorrow above your peers | K |
| woe therefore was the hour in which I bore you nevertheless I | Q |
| will go to the snowy heights of Olympus and tell this tale to Jove | G |
| if he will hear our prayer meanwhile stay where you are with your | M |
| ships nurse your anger against the Achaeans and hold aloof from | B2 |
| fight For Jove went yesterday to Oceanus to a feast among the | D |
| Ethiopians and the other gods went with him He will return to | S |
| Olympus twelve days hence I will then go to his mansion paved with | X |
| bronze and will beseech him nor do I doubt that I shall be able to | S |
| persuade him | G2 |
| On this she left him still furious at the loss of her that had been | C3 |
| taken from him Meanwhile Ulysses reached Chryse with the hecatomb | G2 |
| When they had come inside the harbour they furled the sails and laid | S |
| them in the ship's hold they slackened the forestays lowered the | D |
| mast into its place and rowed the ship to the place where they | O |
| would have her lie there they cast out their mooring stones and | S |
| made fast the hawsers They then got out upon the sea shore and landed | S |
| the hecatomb for Apollo Chryseis also left the ship and Ulysses | K |
| led her to the altar to deliver her into the hands of her father | M |
| Chryses said he King Agamemnon has sent me to bring you back your | M |
| child and to offer sacrifice to Apollo on behalf of the Danaans that | S |
| we may propitiate the god who has now brought sorrow upon the | D |
| Argives | K |
| So saying he gave the girl over to her father who received her | M |
| gladly and they ranged the holy hecatomb all orderly round the | D |
| altar of the god They washed their hands and took up the | D |
| barley meal to sprinkle over the victims while Chryses lifted up | F3 |
| his hands and prayed aloud on their behalf Hear me he cried O | K |
| god of the silver bow that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla and | S |
| rulest Tenedos with thy might Even as thou didst hear me aforetime | G2 |
| when I prayed and didst press hardly upon the Achaeans so hear me | G2 |
| yet again and stay this fearful pestilence from the Danaans | K |
| Thus did he pray and Apollo heard his prayer When they had done | C3 |
| praying and sprinkling the barley meal they drew back the heads of | G |
| the victims and killed and flayed them They cut out the | D |
| thigh bones wrapped them round in two layers of fat set some | G2 |
| pieces of raw meat on the top of them and then Chryses laid them on | C3 |
| the wood fire and poured wine over them while the young men stood | S |
| near him with five pronged spits in their hands When the | D |
| thigh bones were burned and they had tasted the inward meats they cut | S |
| the rest up small put the pieces upon the spits roasted them till | D2 |
| they were done and drew them off then when they had finished | S |
| their work and the feast was ready they ate it and every man had his | K |
| full share so that all were satisfied As soon as they had had enough | G |
| to eat and drink pages filled the mixing bowl with wine and water and | S |
| handed it round after giving every man his drink offering | Z |
| Thus all day long the young men worshipped the god with song | I3 |
| hymning him and chaunting the joyous paean and the god took | J3 |
| pleasure in their voices but when the sun went down and it came on | C3 |
| dark they laid themselves down to sleep by the stern cables of the | D |
| ship and when the child of morning rosy fingered Dawn appeared they | O |
| again set sail for the host of the Achaeans Apollo sent them a fair | M |
| wind so they raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft | S |
| As the sail bellied with the wind the ship flew through the deep | K3 |
| blue water and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward | S |
| When they reached the wide stretching host of the Achaeans they | O |
| drew the vessel ashore high and dry upon the sands set her strong | I3 |
| props beneath her and went their ways to their own tents and ships | K |
| But Achilles abode at his ships and nursed his anger He went not to | S |
| the honourable assembly and sallied not forth to fight but gnawed at | S |
| his own heart pining for battle and the war cry | Q |
| Now after twelve days the immortal gods came back in a body to | S |
| Olympus and Jove led the way Thetis was not unmindful of the | D |
| charge her son had laid upon her so she rose from under the sea and | S |
| went through great heaven with early morning to Olympus where she | G2 |
| found the mighty son of Saturn sitting all alone upon its topmost | S |
| ridges She sat herself down before him and with her left hand seized | S |
| his knees while with her right she caught him under the chin and | S |
| besought him saying | Z |
| Father Jove if I ever did you service in word or deed among the | D |
| immortals hear my prayer and do honour to my son whose life is to | S |
| be cut short so early King Agamemnon has dishonoured him by taking | Z |
| his prize and keeping her Honour him then yourself Olympian lord | S |
| of counsel and grant victory to the Trojans till the Achaeans give | G |
| my son his due and load him with riches in requital | D2 |
| Jove sat for a while silent and without a word but Thetis still | D2 |
| kept firm hold of his knees and besought him a second time | G2 |
| Incline your head said she and promise me surely or else deny | Q |
| me for you have nothing to fear that I may learn how greatly you | S |
| disdain me | G2 |
| At this Jove was much troubled and answered I shall have trouble | D2 |
| if you set me quarrelling with Juno for she will provoke me with | X |
| her taunting speeches even now she is always railing at me before the | D |
| other gods and accusing me of giving aid to the Trojans Go back | E3 |
| now lest she should find out I will consider the matter and will | D2 |
| bring it about as wish See I incline my head that you believe me | G2 |
| This is the most solemn that I can give to any god I never recall | D2 |
| my word or deceive or fail to do what I say when I have nodded my | Q |
| head | S |
| As he spoke the son of Saturn bowed his dark brows and the | D |
| ambrosial locks swayed on his immortal head till vast Olympus reeled | S |
| When the pair had thus laid their plans they parted Jove to his | K |
| house while the goddess quitted the splendour of Olympus and plunged | S |
| into the depths of the sea The gods rose from their seats before the | D |
| coming of their sire Not one of them dared to remain sitting but all | D2 |
| stood up as he came among them There then he took his seat But | S |
| Juno when she saw him knew that he and the old merman's daughter | M |
| silver footed Thetis had been hatching mischief so she at once began | C3 |
| to upbraid him Trickster she cried which of the gods have you | S |
| been taking into your counsels now You are always settling matters in | C3 |
| secret behind my back and have never yet told me if you could help | L3 |
| it one word of your intentions | K |
| Juno replied the sire of gods and men you must not expect to be | G2 |
| informed of all my counsels You are my wife but you would find it | S |
| hard to understand them When it is proper for you to hear there is | K |
| no one god or man who will be told sooner but when I mean to keep a | D |
| matter to myself you must not pry nor ask questions | K |
| Dread son of Saturn answered Juno what are you talking about | S |
| I Pry and ask questions Never I let you have your own way in | C3 |
| everything Still I have a strong misgiving that the old merman's | K |
| daughter Thetis has been talking you over for she was with you and | S |
| had hold of your knees this self same morning I believe therefore | M |
| that you have been promising her to give glory to Achilles and to | S |
| kill much people at the ships of the Achaeans | K |
| Wife said Jove I can do nothing but you suspect me and find | S |
| it out You will take nothing by it for I shall only dislike you | S |
| the more and it will go harder with you Granted that it is as you | S |
| say I mean to have it so sit down and hold your tongue as I bid | S |
| you for if I once begin to lay my hands about you though all heaven | C3 |
| were on your side it would profit you nothing | Z |
| On this Juno was frightened so she curbed her stubborn will and sat | S |
| down in silence But the heavenly beings were disquieted throughout | S |
| the house of Jove till the cunning workman Vulcan began to try and | S |
| pacify his mother Juno It will be intolerable said he if you two | S |
| fall to wrangling and setting heaven in an uproar about a pack of | G |
| mortals If such ill counsels are to prevail we shall have no | K |
| pleasure at our banquet Let me then advise my mother and she must | S |
| herself know that it will be better to make friends with my dear | M |
| father Jove lest he again scold her and disturb our feast If the | D |
| Olympian Thunderer wants to hurl us all from our seats he can do | S |
| so for he is far the strongest so give him fair words and he will | D2 |
| then soon be in a good humour with us | K |
| As he spoke he took a double cup of nectar and placed it in his | K |
| mother's hand Cheer up my dear mother said he and make the best | S |
| of it I love you dearly and should be very sorry to see you get a | D |
| thrashing however grieved I might be I could not help for there is | K |
| no standing against Jove Once before when I was trying to help you | S |
| he caught me by the foot and flung me from the heavenly threshold All | D2 |
| day long from morn till eve was I falling till at sunset I came to | S |
| ground in the island of Lemnos and there I lay with very little life | G |
| left in me till the Sintians came and tended me | G2 |
| Juno smiled at this and as she smiled she took the cup from her | M |
| son's hands Then Vulcan drew sweet nectar from the mixing bowl and | S |
| served it round among the gods going from left to right and the | D |
| blessed gods laughed out a loud applause as they saw him ing | Z |
| bustling about the heavenly mansion | C3 |
| Thus through the livelong day to the going down of the sun they | O |
| feasted and every one had his full share so that all were satisfied | S |
| Apollo struck his lyre and the Muses lifted up their sweet voices | K |
| calling and answering one another But when the sun's glorious light | S |
| had faded they went home to bed each in his own abode which lame | G2 |
| Vulcan with his consummate skill had fashioned for them So Jove | G |
| the Olympian Lord of Thunder hied him to the bed in which he always | K |
| slept and when he had got on to it he went to sleep with Juno of the | D |
| golden throne by his side | S |
Homer
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Previous Poem
The Iliad: Book 10 Poem>>
About The Iliad: Book 01
The Iliad: Book 01 is a poem by Homer. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
Write your comment about The Iliad: Book 01 poem by Homer
Best Poems of Homer