The Iliad of Homer | Page 9

me, O thou of the silver bow, who art wont to protect Chrysa and divine Cilla, and who mightily rulest over Tenedos! already indeed at a former time didst thou hear me praying, and didst honour me, and didst very much afflict the people of the Greeks, now also accomplish for me this further request: even now avert from the Greeks this unseemly pestilence."
Thus he spoke praying, and him Phoebus Apollo heard. But after they had prayed, and sprinkled the pounded barley, they first bent back [the neck of the victims], killed them, and flayed them, and cut out the thighs, and wrapped them round with the fat, having arranged it in double folds; then laid the raw flesh upon them. Then the old man burned them on billets, and poured sparkling wine upon them; and near him the youths held five-pronged spits in their hands. But after the thighs were roasted, and they had tasted the entrails, they then cut the rest of them into small pieces, and fixed them on spits, and roasted them skilfully, and drew all the viands [off the spits].
But when they had ceased from their labour, and had prepared the banquet, they feasted; nor did their soul in anywise lack a due allowance of the feast: but when they had dismissed the desire of drink and food, the youths on the one hand filled the goblets with wine to the brim,[52] and handed round the wine to all, having poured the first of the wine into the cups.[53] But the Grecian youths throughout the day were appeasing the god by song, chanting the joyous P?an,[54] hymning the Far-darter, and he was delighted in his mind as he listened. But when the sun had set, and darkness came on, then they slept near the hawsers of their ships. But when the mother of dawn,[55] rosy-fingered morning, appeared, straightway then they set sail for the spacious camp of the Ach?ans, and to them far-darting Apollo sent a favourable gale. But they erected the mast and expanded the white sails. The wind streamed[56] into the bosom of the sail; and as the vessel briskly ran, the dark wave roared loudly around the keel; but she scudded through the wave, holding on her way. But when they reached the wide armament of the Greeks, they drew up the black ship on the continent, far upon the sand, and stretched long props under it; but they dispersed themselves through their tents and ships.
[Footnote 52: See Buttm. Lexil. p. 291, sqq. The custom of crowning the goblets with flowers was of later origin.]
[Footnote 53: See Battm. p. 168. The customary libation is meant.]
[Footnote 54: On the P?an, see M��ller, Gk. Lit. iii. �� 4. and Dorians, vol. i. p. 370.]
[Footnote 55: See Loewe on Odyss. ii. 1, and my translation. Kennedy renders it "ushering in the dawn."]
[Footnote 56: See Buttm. p. 484. I am partly indebted to Anthon in rendering this expression.]
But the Jove-sprung son of Peleus, swift-footed Achilles, continued his wrath, sitting at his swift ships, nor ever did he frequent the assembly of noble heroes, nor the fight, but he pined away his dear heart, remaining there, although he longed for the din and the battle.
Now when the twelfth morning from that time arose,[57] then indeed all the gods who are for ever went together to Olympus, but Jupiter preceded. But Thetis was not forgetful of the charges of her son, but she emerged from the wave of the sea, and at dawn ascended lofty heaven and Olympus;[58] and she found the far-seeing son of Saturn sitting apart from the others, on the highest summit of many-peaked Olympus, and then she sat down before him, and embraced his knees with her left hand, but with the right taking him by the chin, imploring, she thus addressed king Jove, the son of Saturn:
"O father Jove, if ever I have aided thee among the immortals, either in word or deed, accomplish for me this desire: honour my son, who is the most short-lived of others; for now indeed Agamemnon, the king of men, has disgraced him; for he possesses his prize, he himself having borne it away. Do thou at least, Olympian Jove all counselling, honour him: and so long grant victory to the Trojans, until the Greeks shall reverence my son, and shall advance him in honour."
[Footnote 57: Cf. ver. 425.]
[Footnote 58: [Greek: Ouranos] is here the upper clear region of air,--the ether, into which Olympus soared up.--Voss.]
Thus she spoke; but cloud-compelling Jove answered her nothing, but sat silent for a long time. And as Thetis seized his knees, fast clinging she held them, and thus again entreated: "Do but now promise to me explicitly, and grant or refuse, (for in thee there is no dread,) that I may