Bibliotheca Polyglotta

Setting the scene, the rage of Achilles, Chryses and his daughter taken by Agamemnon, his denial to send her back and the pestilence sent by Apollo l.1-56

Divination of the cause, dialogue between Achilles and Agamemnon on honour l.57-187

Achilles’ anger is checked by Athena, he should use the word not the sword l.188-222

Achilles attacks again Agamemnon with harsh words l.223-253

Nestor speaks l.254-284

Agamemnon speaks l.285-291

Achilleus answers angrily, Agamemnon orders to take Briseis, and Achilleus, unwillingly, gives her to Agamemnon and complains to his mother Thetis l.292-427

Offering to Apollo, Odysseus brings the hecatombe to Chryses, and they feast l.428-492

Meeting of the gods with Zeus in Olympus, request of Thetis, suspicion of Hera, and feast l.493-611

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μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί᾽ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε᾽ ἔθηκε,
πολλὰς δ᾽ ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν
5 οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι, Διὸς δ᾽ ἐτελείετο βουλή,
ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

Iram cane dea pelidae achillis
corruptibilem (notat L ut pestiferam) · qua innumerabiles graecis dolores posuit ·
Multas autem robustas animas inferno misit
Heroum · ipsos autem cadavera ordinauit canibus
Auibusque omnibus · Iouis autem perficiebatur consilium
Ex quo iam primitiis separatim litigauerunt
Atridesque rex uirorum et diuus achilles ·

[1] 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, [5] from the time when first they parted in strife Atreus’ son, king of men, and brilliant Achilles.

τίς τ᾽ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;
Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός: ὃ γὰρ βασιλῆϊ χολωθεὶς
10 νοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὄρσε κακήν, ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί,

Quis enim ipsos deorum liti iunxit (notat L. in marg. conposuit) ut pugnarent
Latonae et Iouis filius · Hic certe imperatori iratus
Pestem ad exercitum suscitauit malam : corrumpebantur autem populi

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, [10]

οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆρα
Ἀτρεΐδης: ὃ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τ᾽ ἀπερείσι᾽ ἄποινα,
στέμματ᾽ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος
15 χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, καὶ λίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς,
Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω, κοσμήτορε λαῶν:

Quia crysem inhonorauit sacerdotem
Atrides · hic enim venit citas in naues grecorum
Liberaturusque filiam · ferensque miserabilia dona
Coronam habens in manibus procul sagiterantis appollinis
Aureo cum sceptro · et deprecabatur omnes Achiuos
Atridas autem magis dues ornatores populorum ·

because upon the priest Chryses the son of Atreus had wrought dishonour. 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, on a staff of gold; and he implored all the Achaeans, [15] but most of all the two sons of Atreus, the marshallers of the people:

Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,
ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματ᾽ ἔχοντες
ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, εὖ δ᾽ οἴκαδ᾽ ἱκέσθαι:
20 παῖδα δ᾽ ἐμοὶ λύσαιτε φίλην, τὰ δ᾽ ἄποινα δέχεσθαι,
ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα.

Atrideque et alii bene verari graeci
vobis certe dii dent celestia culmina habentes
Depredari priami ciuitatem : bene domum ire
Puellam autem mihi soluete amicam : hec poena recipite
Venerantes Iouis filium procul sagittantem Apollinem

“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 [20] out of reverence for the son of Zeus, Apollo who strikes from afar.”

ἔνθ᾽ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ
αἰδεῖσθαί θ᾽ ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα:
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,
25 ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δ᾽ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε:

Vbi alii perpete omnes luadauerent graeci
Veneratique sacerdotem et splendida recipere pretia (dona in marg.)
Sed non atride agamemnoni placuit animo
Sed male expulit · contumaci autem sermone praecipiebat

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: [25]

μή σε γέρον κοίλῃσιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κιχείω
ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντ᾽ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα,
μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ σκῆπτρον καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο:
τὴν δ᾽ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω: πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν
30 ἡμετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ ἐν Ἄργεϊ τηλόθι πάτρης
ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντιόωσαν:
ἀλλ᾽ ἴθι μή μ᾽ ἐρέθιζε σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι.

Ne te senex cauis in nauibus inueniam ·
Vel nunc tardantem vel postea uerum uenientem
Non iam te iuuabit sceptrum et corona dei
Hanc autem eo non soluam : ante ipsam et senectus sequitur
Nostra in domo · in argon procul patria
Telam texentem et meus cubile contra recipientem
Sed vade · non me instiga : sanior ut reuertaris

“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. Her I will not set free. Sooner shall old age come upon her in our house, in Argos, far from her native land, [30] as she walks to and fro before the loom and serves my bed. But go, do not anger me, that you may return the safer.”

ὣς ἔφατ᾽, ἔδεισεν δ᾽ ὃ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ:
βῆ δ᾽ ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης:
35 πολλὰ δ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθ᾽ ὃ γεραιὸς
Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ:

Sic fatus est ·pertimirit autem senex · obediitque sermoni
Descendit autem tacitus ad littus multum fluctuantis maris
Multa autem postea procul veniens obtestatus est senex
Apollinem regem quem comam bonam habens peperat Latona

So he spoke, and the old man was seized with fear and obeyed his word. 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 [35] to the lord Apollo, whom fair-haired Leto bore:

κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξ᾽, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
Κίλλάν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,
Σμινθεῦ εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντ᾽ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,
40 ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί᾽ ἔκηα
ταύρων ἠδ᾽ αἰγῶν, τὸ δέ μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ:
τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.

Exaudi me argenteum habens arcum · qui crisen a pueritia desecutis
Ad chillam gloriosam thenedon autem fortiter regnas
Smintheu si quando tibi alacre ad templum fudi
Vel si quondam autem tibi pinguia crura cremaui
136v Taurorum atque caprarum · In hoc me autem exaudi T hoc desiderio
Honorent graeci meas lachrymas tuis sagittis

“Hear me, god of the silver bow, who stand over Chryse and holy Cilla, and rule mightily over Tenedos, Sminthian god, if ever I roofed over a temple to your pleasing, or if ever I burned to you fat thigh-pieces of bulls and goats, [40] fulfill this prayer for me: let the Danaans pay for my tears by your arrows.”

ὣς ἔφατ᾽ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δ᾽ ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,
βῆ δὲ κατ᾽ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,
45 τόξ᾽ ὤμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην:
ἔκλαγξαν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπ᾽ ὤμων χωομένοιο,
αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος: ὃ δ᾽ ἤϊε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.

Sic fatus est orans · hunc autem audiebat phoebus apollo
Descendit autem ab olympo carino iratus animo
Arcum humeris habens amplamque pharetram
Sonuerit aytem sagitte in humeris irati
Ipso moto · hic ibat nocti similes

So he spoke in prayer, and Phoebus Apollo heard him. Down from the peaks of Olympus he strode, angered at heart, bearing on his shoulders his bow and covered quiver. [45] The arrows rattled on the shoulders of the angry god as he moved, and his coming was like the night.

ἕζετ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δ᾽ ἰὸν ἕηκε:
δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετ᾽ ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο:
50 οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῴχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ᾽ αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευκὲς ἐφιεὶς
βάλλ᾽: αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.

Sedit postea procul nauibus cum sagitta apparuit
Malus autem stridor factus est argentei arcus
Mulos quippe primum perambulauit et canes albos
Sed postea ipsis telum de bono peuco mittens
Percutiebat semper · pire mortuorum comburebantur cumulate

Then he sat down apart from the ships and let fly an arrow: terrible was the twang of the silver bow. The mules he assailed first and the swift dogs, [50] but then on the men themselves he let fly his stinging shafts, and struck; and constantly the pyres of the dead burned thick.

ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο κῆλα θεοῖο,
τῇ δεκάτῃ δ᾽ ἀγορὴν δὲ καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς:
55 τῷ γὰρ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη:
κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν, ὅτι ῥα θνήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο.

Per noctam diem certe per exercitum ambulaverunt tela dei
In decima autem ad congregationem uocauit populum Achylles
Huic enim in sensu posuit dea alba brachia Iuno
Curabat enim de danais · qua leuiter morientes videbar

For nine days the missiles of the god ranged among the host, but on the tenth Achilles called the people to assembly, for the goddess, white-armed Hera, had put it in his heart, [55] since she pitied the Danaans, when she saw them dying.

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