Part 3 (1/2)
THE ILIAD
BOOK I
ARGUMENT(40)
THE CONTENTION OF ACHILLES AND AGAMEMNON
In the war of Troy, the Greeks having sacked so towns, and taken from thence two beautiful captives, Chryseis and Briseis, allotted the first to Agamemnon, and the last to Achilles Chryses, the father of Chryseis, and priest of Apollo, comes to the Grecian camp to ransom her; hich the action of the poe refused, and insolently diseance from his God; who inflicts a pestilence on the Greeks Achilles calls a council, and encourages Chalcas to declare the cause of it; who attributes it to the refusal of Chryseis The king, being obliged to send back his captive, enters into a furious contest with Achilles, which Nestor pacifies; however, as he had the absolute coe Achilles in discontent withdraws himself and his forces fro to Thetis, she supplicates Jupiter to render the victory to the Trojans Jupiter, granting her suit, incenses Juno: bethoh, till they are reconciled by the address of Vulcan
The time of two-and-twenty days is taken up in this book: nine during the plague, one in the council and quarrel of the princes, and twelve for Jupiter's stay with the aethiopians, at whose return Thetis prefers her petition The scene lies in the Grecian caes to Chrysa, and lastly to Oly Of woes unnu!
That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloohty chiefs untimely slain; Whose liry vultures tore(41) Since great Achilles and Atrides strove, Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove!(42)
Declare, O Muse! in what ill-fated hour(43) Sprung the fierce strife, froion spread,(44) And heap'd the ca of 's offence the people died
For Chryses sought with costly gifts to gain His captive daughter from the victor's chain
Suppliant the venerable father stands; Apollo's awful ensigns grace his hands By these he begs; and lowly bending down, Extends the sceptre and the laurel crown He sued to all, but chief is, of Atreus' royal race(46)
”Ye kings and warriors! may your vows be crown'd, And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground
May Jove restore you when your toils are o'er Safe to the pleasures of your native shore
But, oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain, And give Chryseis to these arain; IfPhoebus, son of Jove”
The Greeks in shouts their joint assent declare, The priest to reverence, and release the fair
Not so Atrides; he, with kingly pride, Repulsed the sacred sire, and thus replied:
”Hence on thy life, and fly these hostile plains, Nor ask, presu detains Hence, with thy laurel crown, and golden rod, Nor trust too far those ensigns of thy God
Mine is thy daughter, priest, and shall remain; And prayers, and tears, and bribes, shall plead in vain; Till tie dismiss her from my cold embrace, In daily labours of the loom employ'd, Or dooos shall thesire”
[Illustration: HOMER INVOKING THE MUSE]
HOMER INVOKING THE MUSE
The treuish of a fatherto co main; Till, safe at distance, to his God he prays, The God who darts around the world his rays
”O Suardian power of Cilla the divine,(48) Thou source of light! whoilds thy Chrysa's shores
If e'er reaths I hung thy sacred fane,(49) Or fed the flames with fat of oxen slain; God of the silver bow! thy shafts ee thy servant, and the Greeks destroy”
Thus Chryses pray'd--the favouring power attends, And from Olympus' lofty tops descends
Bent was his bow, the Grecian hearts to wound;(50) Fierce as he e, a sudden night he spread, And gloomy darkness roll'd about his head
The fleet in view, he twang'd his deadly bow, And hissing fly the feather'd fates below
On an;(51) And last, the vengeful arrows fix'd in h all the dusky air, The pyres, thick-fla day was run, Inspired by Juno, Thetis' Godlike son Convened to council all the Grecian train; For much the Goddesso'er the rest, Achilles thus the king of men address'd: