§2.356τίσασθαι δʼ Ἑλένης ὁρμήματά τε στοναχάς τε.
to avenge the struggles and groans of Helen.
§2.357εἰ δέ τις ἐκπάγλως ἐθέλει οἶκον δὲ νέεσθαι §2.358ἁπτέσθω ἧς νηὸς ἐϋσσέλμοιο μελαίνης, §2.359ὄφρα πρόσθʼ ἄλλων θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ.
But if anyone is terribly eager to return home, let him lay his hand upon his well-benched black ship, so that he may meet death and fate before the others.
§2.360ἀλλὰ ἄναξ αὐτός τʼ εὖ μήδεο πείθεό τʼ ἄλλῳ· §2.361οὔ τοι ἀπόβλητον ἔπος ἔσσεται ὅττί κεν εἴπω·
But, O king, advise well yourself, and heed another; the word that I speak shall not be one to be cast aside.
§2.362κρῖνʼ ἄνδρας κατὰ φῦλα κατὰ φρήτρας Ἀγάμεμνον, §2.363ὡς φρήτρη φρήτρηφιν ἀρήγῃ, φῦλα δὲ φύλοις.
Separate the men by tribes and by clans, Agamemnon, so that clan may aid clan, and tribe aid tribe.
§2.364εἰ δέ κεν ὣς ἕρξῃς καί τοι πείθωνται Ἀχαιοί, §2.365γνώσῃ ἔπειθʼ ὅς θʼ ἡγεμόνων κακὸς ὅς τέ νυ λαῶν §2.366ἠδʼ ὅς κʼ ἐσθλὸς ἔῃσι· κατὰ σφέας γὰρ μαχέονται. §2.367γνώσεαι δʼ εἰ καὶ θεσπεσίῃ πόλιν οὐκ ἀλαπάξεις, §2.368ἦ ἀνδρῶν κακότητι καὶ ἀφραδίῃ πολέμοιο.
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.
§2.369τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων· §2.370ἦ μὰν αὖτʼ ἀγορῇ νικᾷς γέρον υἷας Ἀχαιῶν.
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!
Then would the city of king Priam speedily bow its head, taken and wasted under our hands.
§2.375ἀλλά μοι αἰγίοχος Κρονίδης Ζεὺς ἄλγεʼ ἔδωκεν, §2.376ὅς με μετʼ ἀπρήκτους ἔριδας καὶ νείκεα βάλλει.
But to me the aegis-bearing son of Cronos, Zeus, has given woes, who casts me into fruitless strifes and contentions.
§2.377καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν Ἀχιλεύς τε μαχεσσάμεθʼ εἵνεκα κούρης §2.378ἀντιβίοις ἐπέεσσιν, ἐγὼ δʼ ἦρχον χαλεπαίνων·
For indeed I and Achilles fought for a girl with opposing words, and I was the first to grow angry.
§2.379εἰ δέ ποτʼ ἔς γε μίαν βουλεύσομεν, οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτα §2.380Τρωσὶν ἀνάβλησις κακοῦ ἔσσεται οὐδʼ ἠβαιόν.
But if ever we shall take counsel as one, then no longer shall there be any delay of evil for the Trojans, not even for a little.
§2.381νῦν δʼ ἔρχεσθʼ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἵνα ξυνάγωμεν Ἄρηα.
But now go to your meal, so that we may join battle.
§2.382εὖ μέν τις δόρυ θηξάσθω, εὖ δʼ ἀσπίδα θέσθω, §2.383εὖ δέ τις ἵπποισιν δεῖπνον δότω ὠκυπόδεσσιν, §2.384εὖ δέ τις ἅρματος ἀμφὶς ἰδὼν πολέμοιο μεδέσθω, §2.385ὥς κε πανημέριοι στυγερῷ κρινώμεθʼ Ἄρηϊ.
Let each man sharpen well his spear, and well order his shield, and well give food to his swift-footed horses, and well looking to his chariot on every side, let him mind the war, so that all day long we may contend in hateful war.
For there shall be no respite, not even for a little, unless coming night shall part the fury of the men.
§2.388ἱδρώσει μέν τευ τελαμὼν ἀμφὶ στήθεσφιν §2.389ἀσπίδος ἀμφιβρότης, περὶ δʼ ἔγχεϊ χεῖρα καμεῖται· §2.390ἱδρώσει δέ τευ ἵππος ἐΰξοον ἅρμα τιταίνων.
The strap of the man-sheltering shield shall sweat about the breast of many a man, and his hand shall grow weary about the spear; and many a horse shall sweat, straining at the well-polished chariot.
§2.391ὃν δέ κʼ ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε μάχης ἐθέλοντα νοήσω §2.392μιμνάζειν παρὰ νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν, οὔ οἱ ἔπειτα §2.393ἄρκιον ἐσσεῖται φυγέειν κύνας ἠδʼ οἰωνούς. §2.394ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀργεῖοι δὲ μέγʼ ἴαχον ὡς ὅτε κῦμα §2.395ἀκτῇ ἐφʼ ὑψηλῇ, ὅτε κινήσῃ Νότος ἐλθών, §2.396προβλῆτι σκοπέλῳ· τὸν δʼ οὔ ποτε κύματα λείπει §2.397παντοίων ἀνέμων, ὅτʼ ἂν ἔνθʼ ἢ ἔνθα γένωνται.
But whomsoever I shall perceive wishing to remain apart from the battle by the curved ships, for him there shall be no hope to escape the dogs and birds." So he spoke, and the Argives shouted aloud, as when a wave against a high cliff, when the South Wind coming stirs it, against a jutting crag; which the waves never leave, from whatever wind they may arise, when they come from this side or that.
§2.398ἀνστάντες δʼ ὀρέοντο κεδασθέντες κατὰ νῆας, §2.399κάπνισσάν τε κατὰ κλισίας, καὶ δεῖπνον ἕλοντο.
And they rose and rushed, scattering among the ships, and made smoke in the tents, and took their meal.
And one sacrificed to one of the everlasting gods, and another to another, praying to escape death and the toil of war.
§2.402αὐτὰρ ὃ βοῦν ἱέρευσε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων §2.403πίονα πενταέτηρον ὑπερμενέϊ Κρονίωνι, §2.404κίκλησκεν δὲ γέροντας ἀριστῆας Παναχαιῶν, §2.405Νέστορα μὲν πρώτιστα καὶ Ἰδομενῆα ἄνακτα, §2.406αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ Αἴαντε δύω καὶ Τυδέος υἱόν, §2.407ἕκτον δʼ αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα Διὶ μῆτιν ἀτάλαντον.
But the lord of men, Agamemnon, sacrificed a bull, a fat one, five years old, to the all-powerful son of Cronos, and called the elders, the chief men of the Pan-Achaeans: Nestor first of all, and king Idomeneus, and then the two Aiantes and the son of Tydeus, and sixthly Odysseus, peer of Zeus in counsel.
And to him of his own accord came Menelaus, good at the war-cry; for he knew in his heart how his brother was toiling.
§2.410βοῦν δὲ περιστήσαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας ἀνέλοντο· §2.411τοῖσιν δʼ εὐχόμενος μετέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων· §2.412Ζεῦ κύδιστε μέγιστε κελαινεφὲς αἰθέρι ναίων §2.413μὴ πρὶν ἐπʼ ἠέλιον δῦναι καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἐλθεῖν §2.414πρίν με κατὰ πρηνὲς βαλέειν Πριάμοιο μέλαθρον §2.415αἰθαλόεν, πρῆσαι δὲ πυρὸς δηΐοιο θύρετρα, §2.416Ἑκτόρεον δὲ χιτῶνα περὶ στήθεσσι δαΐξαι §2.417χαλκῷ ῥωγαλέον· πολέες δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ἑταῖροι §2.418πρηνέες ἐν κονίῃσιν ὀδὰξ λαζοίατο γαῖαν. §2.419ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἄρα πώ οἱ ἐπεκραίαινε Κρονίων, §2.420ἀλλʼ ὅ γε δέκτο μὲν ἱρά, πόνον δʼ ἀμέγαρτον ὄφελλεν.
Then they stood round the bull and took up the barley-meal, and among them lord Agamemnon prayed, saying: "Zeus, most glorious, most great, cloud-wrapped, dwelling in the sky, let not the sun go down, nor darkness come, before I have cast down headlong the hall of Priam, smouldering, and burned its gates with hostile fire, and rent the tunic of Hector about his breast torn by the bronze; and may many of his comrades about him fall headlong in the dust, and bite the earth with their teeth." So he spoke, but the son of Cronos did not yet grant him fulfillment; but he accepted the sacrifice, and increased their unevaded toil.
§2.421αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ εὔξαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας προβάλοντο, §2.422αὐέρυσαν μὲν πρῶτα καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν, §2.423μηρούς τʼ ἐξέταμον κατά τε κνίσῃ ἐκάλυψαν §2.424δίπτυχα ποιήσαντες, ἐπʼ αὐτῶν δʼ ὠμοθέτησαν.
But when they had prayed and cast the barley-meal, first they drew back the head, and cut the throat, and flayed them, and cut out the thigh-bones and covered them with fat, making a double fold, and upon them laid raw flesh.