The Iliad of Homer | Page 2

daughter, and accept the ransoms, reverencing the son of Jove,
far-darting Apollo."
[Footnote 3: Rut see Anthon.]
[Footnote 4: Observe the full force of the imperfect tense.]
Upon this, all the other Greeks shouted assent, that the priest should be
reverenced, and the splendid ransoms accepted; yet was it not pleasing
in his mind to Agamemnon, son of Atreus; but he dismissed him evilly,
and added a harsh mandate:
"Let me not find thee, old man, at the hollow barks, either now loitering,
or hereafter returning, lest the staff and fillet of the god avail thee not.[5]
For her I will not set free; sooner shall old age come upon her, at home
in Argos, far away from her native land, employed in offices of the
loom, and preparing[6] my bed. But away! irritate me not, that thou
mayest return the safer."

[Footnote 5: Of [Greek: chraismein], Buttmann, Lexil. p. 546, observes
that "it is never found in a positive sense, but remained in ancient usage
in negative sentences only; as, 'it is of no use to thee,' or, 'it helps thee
not,' and similar expressions."]
[Footnote 6: The old mistake of construing [Greek: antioôsan]
"sharing," which still clings to the translations, is exploded by Buttm.
Lex. p. 144. Eust. and Heysch. both give [Greek: eutrepizonsan] as one
of the interpretations; and that such is the right one is evident from the
collateral phrase [Greek: porsynein lechos] in Od. iii. 403. [Greek:
Lyphizezkas] is the perfect tense, but with the force of the present.]
Thus he spoke; but the old man was afraid, and obeyed the command.
And he went in silence along the shore of the loud-resounding sea; but
then, going apart, the aged man prayed much to king Apollo, whom
fair-haired Latona bore:
"Hear me, god of the silver bow, who art wont to protect Chrysa and
divine Cilla, and who mightily rulest over Tenedos: O Sminthius,[7] if
ever I have roofed[8] thy graceful temple, or if, moreover, at any time I
have burned to thee the fat thighs of bulls or of goats, accomplish this
entreaty for me. Let the Greeks pay for my tears, by thy arrows."
[Footnote 7: An epithet derived from [Greek: sminthos], the Phrygian
name for a mouse: either because Apollo had put an end to a plague of
mice among that people, or because a mouse was thought emblematical
of augury.--Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 68, observes that this
"worship of Sminthian Apollo, in various parts of the Troad and its
neighbouring territory, dates before the earliest period of Æolic
colonization." On the Homeric description of Apollo, see Müller,
Dorians, vol. i. p. 315.]
[Footnote 8: Not "crowned," as Heyne says; for this was a later
custom.--See Anthon and Arnold.]
Thus he spoke praying; but to him Phoebus Apollo hearkened. And he
descended from the summits of Olympus, enraged in heart, having
upon his shoulders his bow and quiver covered on all sides. But as he

moved, the shafts rattled forthwith[9] upon the shoulders of him
enraged; but he went along like unto the night. Then he sat down apart
from the ships, and sent among them an arrow, and terrible arose the
clang of the silver bow. First he attacked the mules, and the swift[10]
dogs; but afterwards despatching a pointed arrow against [the Greeks]
themselves, he smote them, and frequent funeral-piles of the dead were
continually burning. Nine days through the army went the arrows of the
god; but on the tenth, Achilles called the people to an assembly; for to
his mind the white-armed goddess Juno had suggested it; for she was
anxious concerning the Greeks, because she saw them perishing. But
when they accordingly were assembled, and were met together,
swift-footed footed Achilles, rising up amidst them, [thus] spoke:
"O son of Atreus! now do I think that we would consent to return,
having been defeated in our purpose, if we should but escape death,
since at the same time[11] war and pestilence subdue the Greeks. But
come now, let us consult some prophet, or priest, or even one who is
informed by dreams (for dream also is from Jove),[12] who would tell
us on what account Phoebus Apollo is so much enraged with us:
whether he blames us on account of a vow [unperformed], or a
hecatomb [unoffered]; and whether haply he may be willing, having
partaken of the savour of lambs and unblemished goats, to avert from
us the pestilence."
[Footnote 9: The force of [Greek: ara] is noticed by Nägelsbach.]
[Footnote 10: Or "white." Hesych. [Greek: tacheis, leykous].]
[Footnote 11: Ammonius, p. 14, foolishly supposes that [Greek: amou]
here denotes place, [Greek: in Troia]. Valcknaer justly supports the
ordinary interpretation.]
[Footnote 12: Cf. Plin. Ep. i. 18, and Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 3, sq.]
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