Homer, Iliad (Orange Street).pdf

Homer’s Iliad
ten talents of gold and then led the way back, while the young
Achaeans brought the rest of the gifts, and laid them in the middle
of the assembly.
Agamemnon then rose, and Talthybius whose voice was like that of
a god came to him with the boar. The son of Atreus drew the knife
which he wore by the scabbard of his mighty sword, and began by
cutting off some bristles from the boar, lifting up his hands in
prayer as he did so. The other Achaeans sat where they were all
silent and orderly to hear the king, and Agamemnon looked into
the vault of heaven and prayed saying, “I call Jove the first and
mightiest of all gods to witness, I call also Earth and Sun and the
Erinyes who dwell below and take vengeance on him who shall
swear falsely, that I have laid no hand upon the girl Briseis, neither
to take her to my bed nor otherwise, but that she has remained in
my tents inviolate. If I swear falsely may heaven visit me with all
the penalties which it metes out to those who perjure themselves.”
He cut the boar’s throat as he spoke, whereon Talthybius whirled it
round his head, and flung it into the wide sea to feed the fishes.
Then Achilles also rose and said to the Argives, “Father Jove, of a
truth you blind men’s eyes and bane them. The son of Atreus had
not else stirred me to so fierce an anger, nor so stubbornly taken
Briseis from me against my will. Surely Jove must have counselled
the destruction of many an Argive. Go, now, and take your food
that we may begin fighting.”
On this he broke up the assembly, and every man went back to his
own ship. The Myrmidons attended to the presents and took them
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