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 DZC3OSKSG2GKDSSing 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)
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