The Plague of Apollo and Achilles Calling the Assembly — Homer, Iliad Book 1 (lines 1–69), Greek & English

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος

Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilles,

οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρίʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγεʼ ἔθηκε,

ruinous, which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans,

πολλὰς δʼ ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν

and sent many brave souls of heroes down to Hades,

ἡρώων, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν

and made themselves a spoil for dogs

οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι, Διὸς δʼ ἐτελείετο βουλή,¹

and all birds—and the will of Zeus was being accomplished—

ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε

from the day when first they parted after striving,

Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

the son of Atreus, king of men, and noble Achilles.

τίς τʼ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;

Who then of the gods set them to conflict to fight?

Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός· ὃ γὰρ βασιλῆϊ χολωθεὶς

The son of Leto and Zeus; for he, angered at the king,

νοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὄρσε κακήν, ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί,

raised an evil plague through the army, and the people perished,

οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆρα

because the son of Atreus dishonored Chryses the priest.

Ἀτρεΐδης· ὃ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

For he had come to the swift ships of the Achaeans

λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τʼ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα,

to release his daughter and bringing boundless ransom,

στέμματʼ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος

holding in his hands the fillets of Apollo who strikes from afar

χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, καὶ λίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς,

upon a golden scepter, and he entreated all the Achaeans,

Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω, κοσμήτορε λαῶν·

and most of all the two sons of Atreus, marshals of the people:

Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,

”Sons of Atreus and you other well-greaved Achaeans,

ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες

may the gods who hold Olympian dwellings grant you

ἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, εὖ δʼ οἴκαδʼ ἱκέσθαι·

to sack the city of Priam, and to return safely home;

παῖδα δʼ ἐμοὶ λύσαιτε φίλην, τὰ δʼ ἄποινα δέχεσθαι,²

but release my dear child to me, and accept the ransom,

ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα.

reverencing the son of Zeus, Apollo who strikes from afar.”

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ

Then all the other Achaeans shouted assent

αἰδεῖσθαί θʼ ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα·

to reverence the priest and to accept the glorious ransom;

ἀλλʼ οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,

but it did not please the heart of Agamemnon, son of Atreus,

ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δʼ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε·

but he sent him away harshly, and laid upon him a stern command:

μή σε γέρον κοίλῃσιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κιχείω

”Let me not find you, old man, by the hollow ships

ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντʼ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα,

either loitering now or coming back hereafter,

μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ³ σκῆπτρον καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο·

lest the scepter and fillet of the god protect you not.

τὴν δʼ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω· πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν

Her I will not release; before that old age shall come upon her

ἡμετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ ἐν Ἄργεϊ τηλόθι πάτρης

in our house in Argos, far from her native land,

ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντιόωσαν·⁴

plying the loom and sharing my bed.

ἀλλʼ ἴθι μή μʼ ἐρέθιζε σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι.

But go, do not anger me, so that you may go safer.”

ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ ὃ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ·

So he spoke, and the old man feared and obeyed his word.

βῆ δʼ ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης·

And he went in silence along the shore of the loud-resounding sea;

πολλὰ δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθʼ ὁ γεραιὸς

and then, going apart, the old man prayed earnestly

Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ·

to lord Apollo, whom fair-haired Leto bore:

κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξʼ, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας

”Hear me, god of the silver bow, who stand over Chryse

Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,

and sacred Cilla, and rule mightily over Tenedos,

Σμινθεῦ εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντʼ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,

Smintheus, if ever I built a temple pleasing to you,

ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρίʼ ἔκηα

or if ever I burned for you fat thigh-pieces

ταύρων ἠδʼ αἰγῶν, τὸ δέ μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ·

of bulls and goats, fulfill this desire for me:

τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.

may the Danaans pay for my tears with your arrows.”

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,

So he spoke praying, and Phoebus Apollo heard him,

βῆ δὲ κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,

and he came down from the peaks of Olympus wroth in heart,

τόξʼ ὤμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην·

having his bow on his shoulders and his covered quiver;

ἔκλαγξαν δʼ ἄρʼ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπʼ ὤμων χωομένοιο,

and the arrows clanged on the shoulders of the wroth one

αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος· ὃ δʼ ἤϊε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.

as he moved; and he went like the night.

ἕζετʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δʼ ἰὸν ἕηκε·

Then he sat down apart from the ships, and let fly an arrow;

δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετʼ ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο·

terrible was the clang of the silver bow.

οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῴχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς,

The mules first he assailed and the swift dogs,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευκὲς ἐφιεὶς

but then upon the men themselves casting a piercing shaft

βάλλʼ· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.

he struck; and the pyres of the dead burned thick continually.

ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ἀνὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο κῆλα θεοῖο,

For nine days the arrows of the god went through the army,

τῇ δεκάτῃ δʼ ἀγορὴν δὲ καλέσσατο λαὸν Ἀχιλλεύς·

but on the tenth Achilles called the people to assembly;

τῷ γὰρ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη·

for the white-armed goddess Hera had put it in his mind,

κήδετο γὰρ Δαναῶν, ὅτι ῥα θνήσκοντας ὁρᾶτο.

since she cared for the Danaans, because she saw them dying.

οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤγερθεν ὁμηγερέες τε γένοντο,

So when they were gathered and come together,

τοῖσι δʼ ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

swift-footed Achilles stood up among them and spoke:

Ἀτρεΐδη νῦν ἄμμε παλιμπλαγχθέντας ὀΐω

”Son of Atreus, now I think we shall be driven back

ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, εἴ κεν θάνατόν γε φύγοιμεν,

to return home, if indeed we might escape death,

εἰ δὴ ὁμοῦ πόλεμός τε δαμᾷ καὶ λοιμὸς Ἀχαιούς·

if war and pestilence alike are to subdue the Achaeans.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δή τινα μάντιν ἐρείομεν ἢ ἱερῆα

But come, let us ask some prophet or priest,

ἢ καὶ ὀνειροπόλον, καὶ γάρ τʼ ὄναρ ἐκ Διός ἐστιν,

or even a dreamer of dreams—for a dream too is from Zeus—

ὅς κʼ εἴποι ὅ τι τόσσον ἐχώσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,

who might tell why Phoebus Apollo is so wroth,

εἴτʼ ἄρʼ ὅ γʼ εὐχωλῆς⁵ ἐπιμέμφεται ἠδʼ ἑκατόμβης,

whether he blames us for a vow or a hecatomb,

αἴ κέν πως ἀρνῶν κνίσης αἰγῶν τε τελείων

if perchance he may be pleased to accept the savor of lambs and unblemished goats

βούλεται ἀντιάσας ἡμῖν ἀπὸ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι.

and ward off the plague from us.”

ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· τοῖσι δʼ ἀνέστη

When he had thus spoken he sat down; and among them rose

Κάλχας Θεστορίδης οἰωνοπόλων ὄχʼ ἄριστος,

Calchas son of Thestor, far the best of bird-diviners,

Syntax notes5 items

1.5Διὸς δʼ ἐτελείετο βουλή
Meaning 'and the will of Zeus was being accomplished.' The imperfect tense ἐτελείετο indicates the ongoing, gradual process of Zeus's plan being fulfilled in the background through the sequence of tragic events (the anger and subsequent deaths).
1.20δέχεσθαι
Collocated with the optative of wish λύσαιτε ('may you release') via the conjunction δέ, the infinitive here is used as an imperative (infinitive for imperative, infinitivus pro imperativo).
1.28μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ
An independent μή with the subjunctive (without a main clause) expressing fear or warning. The addition of the negative οὐ creates a strong double-negative construction, meaning 'lest they should not avail you' or 'lest they fail to protect you.'
1.31ἀντιόωσαν
Present participle of ἀντιάω (in Epic form), meaning 'sharing my bed' or 'attending to my bed.' While both the euphemistic interpretation of sharing the bed and the literal physical labor of preparing the bed are possible in early Greek epic, it clearly reflects her status as Agamemnon's concubine.
1.65εὐχωλῆς
The verb of blaming, ἐπιμέμφεται ('he blames/finds fault'), governs the genitives of cause εὐχωλῆς ('for a vow') and ἑκατόμβης ('for a hecatomb'), indicating the reason for the god's displeasure.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.69