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bird　when　she　has　found　a　morsel　takes　it　to　her　nestlings；　and
herself　fares　hardly；　even　so　many　a　long　night　have　I　been
wakeful；　and　many　a　bloody　battle　have　I　waged　by　day　against
those　who　were　fighting　for　their　women。　With　my　ships　I　have
taken　twelve　cities；　and　eleven　round　about　Troy　have　I　stormed
with　my　men　by　land；　I　took　great　store　of　wealth　from　every　one
of　them；　but　I　gave　all　up　to　Agamemnon　son　of　Atreus。　He　stayed
where　he　was　by　his　ships；　yet　of　what　came　to　him　he　gave
little；　and　kept　much　himself。

〃Nevertheless　he　did　distribute　some　meeds　of　honour　among　the
chieftains　and　kings；　and　these　have　them　still；　from　me　alone　of
the　Achaeans　did　he　take　the　woman　in　whom　I　delightedlet　him
keep　her　and　sleep　with　her。　Why；　pray；　must　the　Argives　needs
fight　the　Trojans？　What　made　the　son　of　Atreus　gather　the　host
and　bring　them？　Was　it　not　for　the　sake　of　Helen？　Are　the　sons　of
Atreus　the　only　men　in　the　world　who　love　their　wives？　Any　man　of
mon　right　feeling　will　love　and　cherish　her　who　is　his　own；　as
I　this　woman；　with　my　whole　heart；　though　she　was　but　a　fruitling
of　my　spear。　Agamemnon　has　taken　her　from　me；　he　has　played　me
false；　I　know　him；　let　him　tempt　me　no　further；　for　he　shall　not
move　me。　Let　him　look　to　you；　Ulysses；　and　to　the　other　princes
to　save　his　ships　from　burning。　He　has　done　much　without　me
already。　He　has　built　a　wall；　he　has　dug　a　trench　deep　and　wide
all　round　it；　and　he　has　planted　it　within　with　stakes；　but　even
so　he　stays　not　the　murderous　might　of　Hector。　So　long　as　I
fought　the　Achaeans　Hector　suffered　not　the　battle　range　far　from
the　city　walls；　he　would　e　to　the　Scaean　gates　and　to　the　oak
tree；　but　no　further。　Once　he　stayed　to　meet　me　and　hardly　did　he
escape　my　onset：　now；　however；　since　I　am　in　no　mood　to　fight
him；　I　will　to…morrow　offer　sacrifice　to　Jove　and　to　all　the
gods；　I　will　draw　my　ships　into　the　water　and　then　victual　them
duly；　to…morrow　morning；　if　you　care　to　look；　you　will　see　my
ships　on　the　Hellespont；　and　my　men　rowing　out　to　sea　with　might
and　main。　If　great　Neptune　vouchsafes　me　a　fair　passage；　in　three
days　I　shall　be　in　Phthia。　I　have　much　there　that　I　left　behind
me　when　I　came　here　to　my　sorrow；　and　I　shall　bring　back　still
further　store　of　gold；　of　red　copper；　of　fair　women；　and　of　iron；
my　share　of　the　spoils　that　we　have　taken；　but　one　prize；　he　who
gave　has　insolently　taken　away。　Tell　him　all　as　I　now　bid　you；
and　tell　him　in　public　that　the　Achaeans　may　hate　him　and　beware
of　him　should　he　think　that　he　can　yet　dupe　others　for　his
effrontery　never　fails　him。

〃As　for　me；　hound　that　he　is；　he　dares　not　look　me　in　the　face。
I　will　take　no　counsel　with　him；　and　will　undertake　nothing　in
mon　with　him。　He　has　wronged　me　and　deceived　me　enough；　he
shall　not　cozen　me　further；　let　him　go　his　own　way；　for　Jove　has
robbed　him　of　his　reason。　I　loathe　his　presents；　and　for　himself
care　not　one　straw。　He　may　offer　me　ten　or　even　twenty　times　what
he　has　now　done；　naynot　though　it　be　all　that　he　has　in　the
world；　both　now　or　ever　shall　have；　he　may　promise　me　the　wealth
of　Orchomenus　or　of　Egyptian　Thebes；　which　is　the　richest　city　in
the　whole　world；　for　it　has　a　hundred　gates　through　each　of　which
two　hundred　men　may　drive　at　once　with　their　chariots　and　horses；
he　may　offer　me　gifts　as　the　sands　of　the　sea　or　the　dust　of　the
plain　in　multitude；　but　even　so　he　shall　not　move　me　till　I　have
been　revenged　in　full　for　the　bitter　wrong　he　has　done　me。　I　will
not　marry　his　daughter；　she　may　be　fair　as　Venus；　and　skilful　as
Minerva；　but　I　will　have　none　of　her：　let　another　take　her；　who
may　be　a　good　match　for　her　and　who　rules　a　larger　kingdom。　If
the　gods　spare　me　to　return　home；　Peleus　will　find　me　a　wife；
there　are　Achaean　women　in　Hellas　and　Phthia；　daughters　of　kings
that　have　cities　under　them；　of　these　I　can　take　whom　I　will　and
marry　her。　Many　a　time　was　I　minded　when　at　home　in　Phthia　to　woo
and　wed　a　woman　who　would　make　me　a　suitable　wife；　and　to　enjoy
the　riches　of　my　old　father　Peleus。　My　life　is　more　to　me　than
all　the　wealth　of　Ilius　while　it　was　yet　at　peace　before　the
Achaeans　went　there；　or　than　all　the　treasure　that　lies　on　the
stone　floor　of　Apollo's　temple　beneath　the　cliffs　of　Pytho。
Cattle　and　sheep　are　to　be　had　for　harrying；　and　a　man　buy　both
tripods　and　horses　if　he　wants　them；　but　when　his　life　has　once
left　him　it　can　neither　be　bought　nor　harried　back　again。

〃My　mother　Thetis　tells　me　that　there　are　two　ways　in　which　I　may
meet　my　end。　If　I　stay　here　and　fight；　I　shall　not　return　alive
but　my　name　will　live　for　ever：　whereas　if　I　go　home　my　name　will
die；　but　it　will　be　long　ere　death　shall　take　me。　To　the　rest　of
you；　then；　I　say；　'Go　home；　for　you　will　not　take　Ilius。'　Jove
has　held　his　hand　over　her　to　protect　her；　and　her　people　have
taken　heart。　Go；　therefore；　as　in　duty　bound；　and　tell　the
princes　of　the　Achaeans　the　message　that　I　have　sent　them；　tell
them　to　find　some　other　plan　for　the　saving　of　their　ships　and
people；　for　so　long　as　my　displeasure　lasts　the　one　that　they
have　now　hit　upon　may　not　be。　As　for　Phoenix；　let　him　sleep　here
that　he　may　sail　with　me　in　the　morning　if　he　so　will。　But　I
will　not　take　him　by　force。〃

They　all　held　their　peace；　dismayed　at　the　sternness　with　which
he　had　denied　them；　till　presently　the　old　knight　Phoenix　in　his
great　fear　for　the　ships　of　the　Achaeans；　burst　into　tears　and
said；　〃Noble　Achilles；　if　you　are　now　minded　to　return；　and　in
the　fierceness　of　your　anger　will　do　nothing　to　save　the　ships
from　burning；　how；　my　son；　can　I　remain　here　without　you？　Your
father　Peleus　bade　me　go　with　you　when　he　sent　you　as　a　mere　lad
from　Phthia　to　Agamemnon。　You　knew　nothing　neither　of　war　nor　of
the　arts　whereby　men　make　their　mark　in　council；　and　he　sent　me
with　you　to　train　you　in　all　excellence　of　speech　and　action。
Therefore；　my　son；　I　will　not　stay　here　without　youno；　not
though　heaven　itself　vouchsafe　to　strip　my　years　from　off　me；　and
make　me　young　as　I　was　when　I　first　left　Hellas　the　land　of　fair
women。　I　was　then　flying　the　anger　of　father　Amyntor；　son　of
Ormenus；　who　was　furious　with　me　in　the　matter　of　his　concubine；
of　whom　he　was　enamoured　to　the　wronging　of　his　wife　my　mother。
My　mother；　therefore；　prayed　me　without　ceasing　to　lie　with　the
woman　myself；　that　so　she　hate　my　father；　and　in　the　course　of
time　I　yielded。　But　my　father　soon　came　to　know；　and　cursed　me
bitterly；　calling　the　dread　Erinyes　to　witness。　He　prayed　that　no
son　of　mine　might　ever　sit　upon　kneesand　the　gods；　Jove　of　the
world　below　and　awful　Proserpine；　fulfilled　his　curse。　I　took
counsel　to　kill　him；　but　some　god　stayed　my　rashness　and　bade　me
think　on　men's　evil　tongues　and　how　I　should　be　branded　as　the
murderer　of　my　father；　nevertheless　I　could　not　bear　to　stay　in
my　father's　house　with　him　so　bitter　a　against　me。　My　cousins　and
clansmen　came　about　me；　and　pressed　me　sorely　to　remain；　many　a
sheep　and　many　an　ox　did　they　slaughter；　and　many　a　fat　hog　did
they　set　down　to　roast　before　the　fire；　many　a　jar；　too；　did　they
broach　of　my　father's　wine。　Nine　whole　nights　did　they　set　a
guard　over　me　taking　it　in　turns　to　watch；　and　they　kept　a　fire
always　burning；　both　in　the　cloister　of　the　outer　court　and　in
the　inner　court　at　the　doors　of　the　room　wherein　I　lay；　but　when
the　darkness　of　the　tenth　night　came；　I　broke　through　the　closed
doors　of　my　room；　and　climbed　the　wall　of　the　outer　court　after
passing　quickly　and　unperceived　through　the　men　on　guard　and　the
women　servants。　I　then　fled　through　Hellas　till　I　came　to　fertile
Phthia；　mother　of　sheep；　and　to　King　Peleus；　who　made　me　wele
and　treated　me　as　a　father　treats　an　only　son　who　will　be　heir　to
all　his　wealth。　He　made　me　rich　and　set　me　over　much　people；
establishing　me　on　the　borders　of　Phthia　where　I　was　chief　ruler
over　the　Dolopians。

〃It　was　I；　Achilles；　who　had　the　making　of　you；　I　loved　you　with
all　my　heart：　for　you　would　eat　neither　at　home　nor　when　you　had
gone　out　elsewhere；　till　I　had　first　set　you　upon　my　knees；　cut
up　the　dainty　morsel　that　you　were　to　eat；　and　held　the　wine…cup
to　your　lips。　Many　a　time　have　you　slobbered　your　wine　in　baby
helplessness　over　my　shirt；　I　had　infinite　trouble　with　you；　but
I　knew　that　heaven　had　vouchsafed　me　no　offspring　of　my　own；　and
I　made　a　son　of　you；　Achilles；　that　in　my　hour　of　need　you　might
protect　me。　Now；　therefore；　I　say　battle　with　your　pride　and　beat
it；　cherish　not　your　anger　for　ever；　the　might　and　majesty　of
heaven　are　more　than　ours；　but　even　heaven　may　be　appeased；　and
if　a　man　has　sinned　he　prays　the　gods；　and　reconciles　them　to
himself　by　his　piteous　cries　and　by　frankincense；　with
drink…offerings　and　the　savour　of　burnt　sacrifice。　For　prayers
are　as　daughters　to　great　Jove；　halt；　wrinkled；　with　eyes
askance；　they　follow　in　the　footsteps　of　sin；　who；　being　fierce
and　fleet　of　foot；　leaves　them　far　behind　him；　and　ever　baneful
to　mankind　outstrips　them　even　to　the　ends　of　the　world；　but
nevertheless　the　prayers　e　hobbling　and　healing　after。　If　a
man　has　pity　upon　these　daughters　of　Jove　when　they　draw　near
him；　they　will　bless　him　and