but whatever he thought would be laughable for the Argives to be.
αἴσχιστος δὲ ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθε· §2.217φολκὸς ἔην, χωλὸς δʼ ἕτερον πόδα· τὼ δέ οἱ ὤμω §2.218κυρτὼ ἐπὶ στῆθος συνοχωκότε· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε §2.219φοξὸς ἔην κεφαλήν, ψεδνὴ δʼ ἐπενήνοθε λάχνη.
He was the ugliest man who came beneath Ilios; he was bandy-legged and lame in one foot; and his two shoulders were rounded, hunched over his chest; and above his head was pointed, and thin woolly hair sprouted on it.
§2.220ἔχθιστος δʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ μάλιστʼ ἦν ἠδʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ· §2.221τὼ γὰρ νεικείεσκε· τότʼ αὖτʼ Ἀγαμέμνονι δίῳ §2.222ὀξέα κεκλήγων λέγʼ ὀνείδεα· τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀχαιοὶ §2.223ἐκπάγλως κοτέοντο νεμέσσηθέν τʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ.
And he was most hateful to Achilles especially, and to Odysseus; for those two he was always chiding; but then again to noble Agamemnon, shrieking shrilly, he spoke insults; and with him indeed the Achaeans were terribly angry and felt resentment in their hearts.
But he, crying aloud, chided Agamemnon with words: "Son of Atreus, of what now do you complain, and what do you lack?
§2.226πλεῖαί τοι χαλκοῦ κλισίαι, πολλαὶ δὲ γυναῖκες §2.227εἰσὶν ἐνὶ κλισίῃς ἐξαίρετοι, ἅς τοι Ἀχαιοὶ §2.228πρωτίστῳ δίδομεν εὖτʼ ἂν πτολίεθρον ἕλωμεν.
Full indeed of bronze are your huts, and many women are in your huts, chosen ones, whom we Achaeans give to you first of all, whenever we take a city.
§2.229ἦ ἔτι καὶ χρυσοῦ ἐπιδεύεαι, ὅν κέ τις οἴσει §2.230Τρώων ἱπποδάμων ἐξ Ἰλίου υἷος ἄποινα, §2.231ὅν κεν ἐγὼ δήσας ἀγάγω ἢ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν,
Or do you still lack gold as well, which some one of the horse-taming Trojans will bring from Ilios as a ransom for his son, whom I or some other of the Achaeans have bound and led away?
Or a young woman, so that you may mingle with her in love, and whom you yourself may keep apart for yourself?
οὐ μὲν ἔοικεν §2.234ἀρχὸν ἐόντα κακῶν ἐπιβασκέμεν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν.
It is not fitting indeed for one who is a leader to bring the sons of the Achaeans into evils.
§2.235ὦ πέπονες κάκʼ ἐλέγχεʼ Ἀχαιΐδες οὐκέτʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
O softlings, base objects of shame, Achaean women, no longer Achaean men!
§2.236οἴκαδέ περ σὺν νηυσὶ νεώμεθα, τόνδε δʼ ἐῶμεν §2.237αὐτοῦ ἐνὶ Τροίῃ γέρα πεσσέμεν, ὄφρα ἴδηται §2.238ἤ ῥά τί οἱ χἠμεῖς προσαμύνομεν ἦε καὶ οὐκί· §2.239ὃς καὶ νῦν Ἀχιλῆα ἕο μέγʼ ἀμείνονα φῶτα §2.240ἠτίμησεν· ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχει γέρας αὐτὸς ἀπούρας.
Let us return home indeed with our ships, and let us leave this fellow here in Troy to digest his prizes of honour, so that he may see whether we too are of any help to him or not; he who even now has dishonoured Achilles, a man far better than himself; for he has taken away his prize and keeps it, having robbed him himself.
§2.241ἀλλὰ μάλʼ οὐκ Ἀχιλῆϊ χόλος φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ μεθήμων· §2.242ἦ γὰρ ἂν Ἀτρεΐδη νῦν ὕστατα λωβήσαιο· §2.243ὣς φάτο νεικείων Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν, §2.244Θερσίτης· τῷ δʼ ὦκα παρίστατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §2.245καί μιν ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν χαλεπῷ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ· §2.246Θερσῖτʼ ἀκριτόμυθε, λιγύς περ ἐὼν ἀγορητής, §2.247ἴσχεο, μηδʼ ἔθελʼ οἶος ἐριζέμεναι βασιλεῦσιν· §2.248οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ σέο φημὶ χερειότερον βροτὸν ἄλλον §2.249ἔμμεναι, ὅσσοι ἅμʼ Ἀτρεΐδῃς ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθον.
But indeed there is no anger at all in Achilles' heart, but he is slack; otherwise, son of Atreus, you would now have outraged him for the last time." So spoke Thersites, chiding Agamemnon, the shepherd of the host; and to him quickly came noble Odysseus, and looking grimly at him, chided him with harsh words: "Thersites of reckless speech, shrill speaker though you are, hold back, and do not desire to strive alone against the kings; for I say that there is no other mortal baser than you, of all those who came with the sons of Atreus beneath Ilios.
§2.250τὼ οὐκ ἂν βασιλῆας ἀνὰ στόμʼ ἔχων ἀγορεύοις, §2.251καί σφιν ὀνείδεά τε προφέροις, νόστόν τε φυλάσσοις.
Therefore you should not harangue with the kings in your mouth, and cast insults at them, and keep watch for return.
We do not yet know clearly how these matters will be, whether we, the sons of the Achaeans, shall return well or ill.
§2.254τὼ νῦν Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ποιμένι λαῶν §2.255ἧσαι ὀνειδίζων, ὅτι οἱ μάλα πολλὰ διδοῦσιν §2.256ἥρωες Δαναοί· σὺ δὲ κερτομέων ἀγορεύεις.
Therefore you now sit reproaching Agamemnon, son of Atreus, the shepherd of the host, because the Danaan heroes give him very many things; while you speak with mocking words.
§2.257ἀλλʼ ἔκ τοι ἐρέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται· §2.258εἴ κʼ ἔτι σʼ ἀφραίνοντα κιχήσομαι ὥς νύ περ ὧδε, §2.259μηκέτʼ ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ κάρη ὤμοισιν ἐπείη, §2.260μηδʼ ἔτι Τηλεμάχοιο πατὴρ κεκλημένος εἴην, §2.261εἰ μὴ ἐγώ σε λαβὼν ἀπὸ μὲν φίλα εἵματα δύσω, §2.262χλαῖνάν τʼ ἠδὲ χιτῶνα, τά τʼ αἰδῶ ἀμφικαλύπτει, §2.263αὐτὸν δὲ κλαίοντα θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας ἀφήσω §2.264πεπλήγων ἀγορῆθεν ἀεικέσσι πληγῇσιν. §2.265ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, σκήπτρῳ δὲ μετάφρενον ἠδὲ καὶ ὤμω §2.266πλῆξεν· ὃ δʼ ἰδνώθη, θαλερὸν δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε δάκρυ· §2.267σμῶδιξ δʼ αἱματόεσσα μεταφρένου ἐξυπανέστη §2.268σκήπτρου ὕπο χρυσέου·
But I will tell you, and this shall indeed be accomplished: if I find you again playing the fool, just as you are doing now, then let the head of Odysseus no longer remain upon his shoulders, nor let me any longer be called the father of Telemachus, if I do not take you and strip off your garments, both cloak and tunic, that cover your nakedness, and send you yourself weeping to the swift ships, beating you from the assembly with shameful blows." So he spoke, and with the sceptre he beat his back and shoulders; and he cowered, and a swelling tear fell from him; and a bloody weal rose up on his back beneath the golden sceptre.
ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο τάρβησέν τε, §2.269ἀλγήσας δʼ ἀχρεῖον ἰδὼν ἀπομόρξατο δάκρυ.
And he sat down and was afraid, and paining, looking helplessly, he wiped away his tear.
§2.270οἳ δὲ καὶ ἀχνύμενοί περ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἡδὺ γέλασσαν· §2.271ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν ἐς πλησίον ἄλλον· §2.272ὢ πόποι ἦ δὴ μυρίʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἐσθλὰ ἔοργε §2.273βουλάς τʼ ἐξάρχων ἀγαθὰς πόλεμόν τε κορύσσων· §2.274νῦν δὲ τόδε μέγʼ ἄριστον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔρεξεν, §2.275ὃς τὸν λωβητῆρα ἐπεσβόλον ἔσχʼ ἀγοράων.
And they, though grieved, laughed sweetly at him; and thus would one speak, looking to another near him: "Ah, indeed, many good deeds has Odysseus done, leading in good counsels and marshalling war; but now this is by far the best deed he has done among the Argives, in that he has stopped this abusive babbler from speaking in the assembly.
§2.276οὔ θήν μιν πάλιν αὖτις ἀνήσει θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ §2.277νεικείειν βασιλῆας ὀνειδείοις ἐπέεσσιν. §2.278ὣς φάσαν ἣ πληθύς· ἀνὰ δʼ ὃ πτολίπορθος Ὀδυσσεὺς §2.279ἔστη σκῆπτρον ἔχων· παρὰ δὲ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη §2.280εἰδομένη κήρυκι σιωπᾶν λαὸν ἀνώγει, §2.281ὡς ἅμα θʼ οἳ πρῶτοί τε καὶ ὕστατοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν §2.282μῦθον ἀκούσειαν καὶ ἐπιφρασσαίατο βουλήν· §2.283ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·
Surely his proud spirit will not again urge him to chide the kings with reproachful words." So spoke the multitude; and up stood Odysseus, sacker of cities, holding the sceptre; and beside him flashing-eyed Athena, likened to a herald, bade the people be silent, so that both the first and the last of the sons of the Achaeans might hear his words and take thought of his counsel; who with good intent addressed their assembly and spoke among them: