§2.284Ἀτρεΐδη νῦν δή σε ἄναξ ἐθέλουσιν Ἀχαιοὶ §2.285πᾶσιν ἐλέγχιστον θέμεναι μερόπεσσι βροτοῖσιν, §2.286οὐδέ τοι ἐκτελέουσιν ὑπόσχεσιν ἥν περ ὑπέσταν §2.287ἐνθάδʼ ἔτι στείχοντες ἀπʼ Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο §2.288Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντʼ εὐτείχεον ἀπονέεσθαι.
Son of Atreus, now indeed the Achaeans wish to make you, O king, the most dishonoured of all mortal men, nor do they fulfill the promise which they undertook while still journeying hither from horse-pasturing Argos, that you should return only after having sacked well-walled Ilios.
For like young children or widowed women they wail to one another to return home.
§2.291ἦ μὴν καὶ πόνος ἐστὶν ἀνιηθέντα νέεσθαι· §2.292καὶ γάρ τίς θʼ ἕνα μῆνα μένων ἀπὸ ἧς ἀλόχοιο §2.293ἀσχαλάᾳ σὺν νηῒ πολυζύγῳ, ὅν περ ἄελλαι §2.294χειμέριαι εἰλέωσιν ὀρινομένη τε θάλασσα·
And indeed it is a hardship to return discouraged; for even one who remains away from his wife for a single month grows impatient by his many-benched ship, whom winter storms and the raging sea keep pent.
§2.295ἡμῖν δʼ εἴνατός ἐστι περιτροπέων ἐνιαυτὸς §2.296ἐνθάδε μιμνόντεσσι· τὼ οὐ νεμεσίζομʼ Ἀχαιοὺς §2.297ἀσχαλάαν παρὰ νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπης §2.298αἰσχρόν τοι δηρόν τε μένειν κενεόν τε νέεσθαι.
But for us it is the ninth circling year that we remain here; therefore I do not blame the Achaeans for growing impatient by their curved ships; yet even so, it is surely a shameful thing to remain long and to return empty-handed.
Endure, my friends, and remain for a time, so that we may know whether Calchas prophesies truly or not.
§2.301εὖ γὰρ δὴ τόδε ἴδμεν ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἐστὲ δὲ πάντες §2.302μάρτυροι, οὓς μὴ κῆρες ἔβαν θανάτοιο φέρουσαι· §2.303χθιζά τε καὶ πρωΐζʼ ὅτʼ ἐς Αὐλίδα νῆες Ἀχαιῶν §2.304ἠγερέθοντο κακὰ Πριάμῳ καὶ Τρωσὶ φέρουσαι, §2.305ἡμεῖς δʼ ἀμφὶ περὶ κρήνην ἱεροὺς κατὰ βωμοὺς §2.306ἕρδομεν ἀθανάτοισι τεληέσσας ἑκατόμβας §2.307καλῇ ὑπὸ πλατανίστῳ ὅθεν ῥέεν ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ· §2.308ἔνθʼ ἐφάνη μέγα σῆμα· δράκων ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινὸς §2.309σμερδαλέος, τόν ῥʼ αὐτὸς Ὀλύμπιος ἧκε φόως δέ, §2.310βωμοῦ ὑπαΐξας πρός ῥα πλατάνιστον ὄρουσεν.
For well indeed we know this in our hearts, and you are all witnesses, whom the fates of death have not carried away; it was but yesterday or the day before when the ships of the Achaeans gathered at Aulis, bringing woes to Priam and the Trojans, and we round about a spring were offering upon the holy altars perfect hecatombs to the immortals, beneath a beautiful plane tree from whence flowed bright water; there appeared a great sign: a serpent, blood-red upon its back, terrible, which the Olympian himself had sent forth into the light, darted from beneath the altar and rushed to the plane tree.
§2.311ἔνθα δʼ ἔσαν στρουθοῖο νεοσσοί, νήπια τέκνα, §2.312ὄζῳ ἐπʼ ἀκροτάτῳ πετάλοις ὑποπεπτηῶτες §2.313ὀκτώ, ἀτὰρ μήτηρ ἐνάτη ἦν ἣ τέκε τέκνα·
And there were the nestlings of a sparrow, tender little ones, upon the topmost branch, cowering beneath the leaves, eight of them, and the mother that bore the young ones was the ninth.
§2.314ἔνθʼ ὅ γε τοὺς ἐλεεινὰ κατήσθιε τετριγῶτας· §2.315μήτηρ δʼ ἀμφεποτᾶτο ὀδυρομένη φίλα τέκνα· §2.316τὴν δʼ ἐλελιξάμενος πτέρυγος λάβεν ἀμφιαχυῖαν.
Then the serpent devoured them as they twittered piteously; and the mother fluttered around, wailing for her dear little ones; but he, coiling himself, caught her by the wing as she screamed around.
§2.317αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ τέκνα φάγε στρουθοῖο καὶ αὐτήν, §2.318τὸν μὲν ἀρίζηλον θῆκεν θεὸς ὅς περ ἔφηνε· §2.319λᾶαν γάρ μιν ἔθηκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω· §2.320ἡμεῖς δʼ ἑσταότες θαυμάζομεν οἷον ἐτύχθη.
But when he had devoured the sparrow's young and the mother herself, the god who had revealed him made him a conspicuous sign; for the son of crooked-counselled Cronos turned him to stone; and we stood there and wondered at what had happened.
§2.321ὡς οὖν δεινὰ πέλωρα θεῶν εἰσῆλθʼ ἑκατόμβας, §2.322Κάλχας δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτα θεοπροπέων ἀγόρευε· §2.323τίπτʼ ἄνεῳ ἐγένεσθε κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοί;
So when the dread portents entered the hecatombs of the gods, Calchas straightway then prophesied, saying: "Why are you silent, long-haired Achaeans?
§2.324ἡμῖν μὲν τόδʼ ἔφηνε τέρας μέγα μητίετα Ζεὺς §2.325ὄψιμον ὀψιτέλεστον, ὅου κλέος οὔ ποτʼ ὀλεῖται.
To us indeed counsellor Zeus has shown this great sign, late in coming, late of fulfillment, whose fame shall never perish.
§2.326ὡς οὗτος κατὰ τέκνα φάγε στρουθοῖο καὶ αὐτὴν §2.327ὀκτώ, ἀτὰρ μήτηρ ἐνάτη ἦν ἣ τέκε τέκνα, §2.328ὣς ἡμεῖς τοσσαῦτʼ ἔτεα πτολεμίξομεν αὖθι, §2.329τῷ δεκάτῳ δὲ πόλιν αἱρήσομεν εὐρυάγυιαν. §2.330κεῖνος τὼς ἀγόρευε· τὰ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται.
Just as this serpent devoured the sparrow's young and the mother herself, eight of them, and the mother that bore the young was the ninth, so shall we war here for as many years, but in the tenth year we shall take the wide-wayed city." Thus spoke he, and now all this is being fulfilled.
But come, remain all you well-greaved Achaeans, here until we take the great city of Priam.
§2.333ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀργεῖοι δὲ μέγʼ ἴαχον, ἀμφὶ δὲ νῆες §2.334σμερδαλέον κονάβησαν ἀϋσάντων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν, §2.335μῦθον ἐπαινήσαντες Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο·
So he spoke, and the Argives shouted aloud, and round about the ships echoed terribly under the shouting of the Achaeans, praising the words of divine Odysseus.
§2.336τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ· §2.337ὦ πόποι ἦ δὴ παισὶν ἐοικότες ἀγοράασθε §2.338νηπιάχοις οἷς οὔ τι μέλει πολεμήϊα ἔργα.
Then also spoke among them Gerenian horseman Nestor: "Ah, indeed, you hold assembly like childish boys to whom war-like deeds are of no concern.
§2.339πῇ δὴ συνθεσίαι τε καὶ ὅρκια βήσεται ἥμιν;
Whither then shall our agreements and oaths depart?
§2.340ἐν πυρὶ δὴ βουλαί τε γενοίατο μήδεά τʼ ἀνδρῶν §2.341σπονδαί τʼ ἄκρητοι καὶ δεξιαί, ᾗς ἐπέπιθμεν· §2.342αὔτως γὰρ ἐπέεσσʼ ἐριδαίνομεν, οὐδέ τι μῆχος §2.343εὑρέμεναι δυνάμεσθα, πολὺν χρόνον ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντες.
Into the fire indeed let counsels and plans of men go, and the unmixed libations, and the right hands in which we trusted; for in vain do we wrangle with words, nor can we find any remedy, though we have been here for a long time.
§2.344Ἀτρεΐδη σὺ δʼ ἔθʼ ὡς πρὶν ἔχων ἀστεμφέα βουλὴν §2.345ἄρχευʼ Ἀργείοισι κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας, §2.346τούσδε δʼ ἔα φθινύθειν ἕνα καὶ δύο, τοί κεν Ἀχαιῶν §2.347νόσφιν βουλεύωσʼ· ἄνυσις δʼ οὐκ ἔσσεται αὐτῶν· §2.348πρὶν Ἄργος δʼ ἰέναι πρὶν καὶ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο §2.349γνώμεναι εἴ τε ψεῦδος ὑπόσχεσις εἴ τε καὶ οὐκί.
Son of Atreus, do you still, as before, holding your purpose unshaken, lead the Argives through fierce battles, and leave those one or two to waste away, who take counsel apart from the Achaeans— yet no accomplishment shall there be for them— before returning to Argos, even before knowing whether the promise of aegis-bearing Zeus is a lie or not.
§2.350φημὶ γὰρ οὖν κατανεῦσαι ὑπερμενέα Κρονίωνα §2.351ἤματι τῷ ὅτε νηυσὶν ἐν ὠκυπόροισιν ἔβαινον §2.352Ἀργεῖοι Τρώεσσι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φέροντες §2.353ἀστράπτων ἐπιδέξιʼ ἐναίσιμα σήματα φαίνων.
For I say indeed that the all-powerful son of Cronos nodded assent on that day when the Argives embarked on their swift-faring ships, bringing death and fate to the Trojans, flashing lightning on our right, showing signs of good omen.
Therefore let no one make haste to return home, before he has lain with a wife of some Trojan, and has avenged the struggles and groans of Helen. But if anyone is terribly eager to return home, let him lay his hand upon his black, well-benched ship, so that he may meet death and fate before the others. But do you, O king, advise well yourself, and heed another; the word that I speak shall not be one to be cast aside. Separate the men by tribes and by clans, Agamemnon, so that clan may aid clan, and tribe aid tribe. If you do this, and the Achaeans obey you, you will know then which of the leaders is base, and which of the men, and who is brave; for they will fight each group by themselves; and you will know whether it is by the will of heaven that you do not sack the city, or by the cowardice of the men and their ignorance in war." And to him in answer spoke lord Agamemnon: "Surely once more, old man, you surpass in speech the sons of the Achaeans. Would that, O father Zeus, and Athena, and Apollo, I had ten such counsellors among the Achaeans!"