He went forth in silence along the shore of the loud-resounding sea, and earnestly then, when he had gone apart, the old man prayed So he spoke, and the old man was seized with fear and obeyed his word.

But go, do not anger me, that you may return the safer.”

Sooner shall old age come upon her in our house, in Argos, far from her native land,Īs she walks to and fro before the loom and serves my bed. “Let me not find you, old man, by the hollow ships, either tarrying now or coming back later, lest your staff and the wreath of the god not protect you. Then all the rest of the Achaeans shouted assent, to reverence the priest and accept the glorious ransom, yet the thing did not please the heart of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, but he sent him away harshly, and laid upon him a stern command: Out of reverence for the son of Zeus, Apollo who strikes from afar.” For he had come to the swift ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, bearing ransom past counting and in his hands he held the wreaths of Apollo who strikes from afar, 2 on a staff of gold and he implored all the Achaeans,īut most of all the two sons of Atreus, the marshallers of the people: “Sons of Atreus, and other well-greaved Achaeans, to you may the gods who have homes upon Olympus grant that you sack the city of Priam, and return safe to your homes but my dear child release to me, and accept the ransom Who then of the gods was it that brought these two together to contend? The son of Leto and Zeus for he in anger against the king roused throughout the host an evil pestilence, and the people began to perish,īecause upon the priest Chryses the son of Atreus had wrought dishonour.

The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant souls of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs and every bird thus the plan of Zeus came to fulfillment,įrom the time when 1 first they parted in strife Atreus' son, king of men, and brilliant Achilles.

The odyssey and the iliad book