§425ἄριστε Ἀχιλλεῦ, τὸ μὲν θυμοῦσθαί σε καὶ χαλεπαίνειν ἐφʼ οἷς ὑβρίσθης οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς, οὐκοῦν ἄχρι τούτου γε.
Noble Achilles, that you should be wroth and angry at the insults you have suffered is not at all unreasonable, at least up to this point.
ἐγὼ δʼ, εἰ μὲν ἢ τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης ἔτι καὶ νῦν Ἀγαμέμνων εἴχετο, ἢ περὶ ὧν ἥμαρτεν ἔξαρνος ἦν, οὐκ ἂν παρῃτούμην, ἀλλʼ εἴων ὅπως ποτέ σοι δοκεῖ ποιεῖν·
For my part, if Agamemnon were still even now holding to the same mind, or denying the wrongs he committed, I would not try to dissuade you, but would let you act in whatever way you think fit.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τούτου καὶ δεήσεις ποιεῖται καὶ δῶρα τὰ μὲν δίδωσι, τὰ δʼ ἐπαγγέλλεται, τί ἄν τις ἐξελέγχοι τόν γε ὁμολογοῦντα;
But since on this very account he makes entreaties and offers gifts, giving some and promising others, why should anyone refute one who confesses?
ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνός σοι συγχωρεῖ δίκαια λέγειν, οὕτω καὶ σὺ πείθου παραιτουμένῳ·
Nay, just as he concedes that you speak justly, so do you also yield to him who entreats you.
εἰ δὲ μὴ, πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον πρῶτον μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχειν ἥνπερ πρὸ τοῦ πρὸς τὸν οὐκέτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντα;
Otherwise, how is it not absurd, in the first place, to keep the very same mind that you had before toward one who no longer keeps the same mind?
ἔπειτα σκόπει μὴ τὴν δίκην ὧν ἐκείνῳ μέμφῃ παρʼ ἡμῶν λάβῃς.
Secondly, see to it that you do not exact the penalty for what you blame in him from us.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἅπασι χαλεπῶς ἔχεις, εἰπὲ πρὸς Διὸς ἀνθʼ ὅτου, εἰ δʼ ἀπολύεις τούς γε ἄλλους αἰτίας, κοινὸς ἁπάντων ὁ κίνδυνος.
For if you are angry with everyone, tell us, by Zeus, for what reason; but if you acquit the others of blame, the danger is common to all.
ὥστε πῶς δίκαιος εἶ περιορᾶν;
So how is it just for you to look on?
ὅπως νὴ Δία ἐκεῖνος ἔτι μᾶλλον μισοῖτο ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ ταῦτα;
Is it so that, by Zeus, he may be hated all the more by everyone because of this?
ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν δέδοικα μὴ οὐ λειφθῶσιν οἱ μισήσοντες· οὕτω πυκνοὶ πίπτουσιν.
But most of all I fear that those who are to hate him will not be left, so thickly do they fall.
ἔπειτα νῦν γε ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πῶς ἄλλως γνώμης οἴει ἔχειν αὐτούς.
Furthermore, now, by the gods, how else do you think they feel in their minds?
δέδοικα μέντοι μὴ σοῦ πλεονάζοντος τοὐναντίον ἢ σὺ βούλει γένηται, κἀκεῖνον ἀφέντες, εἶτά σοι μέμφωνται.
However, I fear that while you carry things to excess, the opposite of what you wish may happen, and they, letting him go, may then blame you.
μὴ γὰρ οἴου τὸν μὲν πρότερον ἄρξαντα τῆς ὀργῆς ὑπαίτιον εἶναι, τὸν δὲ μηδʼ §426ὕστερον ἐθέλοντα παύσασθαι μετρίως δόξειν βεβουλεῦσθαι.
For do not suppose that while the one who first began the anger is culpable, the one who is unwilling to cease even later will be thought to have counseled moderately.
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων οὐ σὸν, ὦ φίλε Ἀχιλλεῦ, μᾶλλον ὅπως τις δικαίως μισηθήσεται ζητεῖν ἢ ὅπως τὸ κοινὸν σωθήσεται.
Apart from these things, my dear Achilles, it is not your part to seek how someone may be justly hated rather than how the common cause shall be saved.
εἰ γὰρ δεῖ χαλεπαίνειν διὰ τέλους, τοῖς βαρβάροις ἂν ἔγωγε φαίην δεῖν καὶ τοῖς φύσει πολεμίοις.
For if one must remain angry to the end, I at least would say that one ought to be so toward the barbarians and those who are enemies by nature.
πολὺ γὰρ μείζω πρὸς τούτους ἡμῖν τὰ ἐγκλήματα καὶ ὑπὲρ μειζόνων.
For our grievances against them are far greater and for greater stakes.
ὥστε πῶς δίκαιον τὸν μὲν ἐπὶ καιροῦ λυπήσαντα μισεῖν, τοὺς δʼ ἐξ ὅτου γεγόνασι πολεμίους μὴ ὅσον ἀθώους περιορᾶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσοῦτον κρατοῦντας τῶν σῶν ἑταίρων καὶ μεθʼ ὧν ὤφθης πρῶτον αὐτοῖς;
So how is it just to hate the one who grieved you for a moment, while you not only overlook those who have been enemies from birth being unharmed, but even carrying it so far as to master your companions, with whom you were first seen by them?
ἐπεὶ νῦν εἴ σοι δέδοκται παντάπασι διαφθεῖραι τὸ στρατόπεδον, τί οὐκ ἄντικρυς γίγνει μετὰ τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἄστεος ἐᾷς προσελαύνειν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Σιγείου προσβαλὼν ἐν μέσῳ σαυτοῦ τε κἀκείνων ποιεῖς;
Indeed, if you have now determined to utterly destroy the camp, why do you not openly join the barbarians, and while you let them advance from the city, you yourself attack from Sigeum and place our men between yourself and them?
ὅτι νὴ Δία οὐκ ἀνεκτὰ ταῦτα οὐδʼ ὅσια;
Because, by Zeus, these things are intolerable and unholy?
τῶν αὐτῶν τοίνυν τούτων ἔχεται λογισμῶν καὶ ἡ νυνὶ βοήθεια.
Well then, the present aid also hangs upon these very same reasonings.
ἀπόλλυνται μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἄγοντος σοῦ, πρόσεστι δὲ τῷ σχήματι ῥᾳθυμία, τῷ δοκεῖν θεωρεῖν τὰ γιγνόμενα.
For they perish no less while you keep quiet, and to this posture is added the disgrace of slackness, of seeming to spectate what is happening.
ὥστε διπλοῦν ἀνθʼ ἁπλοῦ τοὔνειδος γίγνεται· καὶ γὰρ μισεῖν τοὺς ὁμοφύλους δοκεῖς καὶ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν μάχην.
Thus the reproach becomes double instead of single: for you seem both to hate your kinsmen and to fear the battle.
μὴ σύ γε, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς δυοῖν ἑλοῦ θάτερον· εἰ μὲν τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς νικᾷ, χρῆσαι παντὶ τῷ θυμῷ, εἰ δʼ ἐπίστασαι λογίζεσθαι, μὴ σχίζου τῇ γνώμῃ, μηδὲ ἀπέχου μὲν ὡς φιλίων, πρόῃ δὲ ὡς πολεμίους, ἀλλʼ ἴσθι τοσούτῳ χείρω νυνὶ ποιῶν ἢ εἰ μετὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἡμῖν ἐπῄεις, ὅσῳ φανερᾶς ἔχθρας προδοσία χαλεπώτερον.
Do not do so, but from the beginning choose one of two things: if the promptings of anger prevail, use all your wrath; but if you know how to reason, do not divide your mind, nor hold aloof as from friends while abandoning them as enemies, but know that you are doing worse things now than if you were attacking us with the barbarians, by as much as treachery is harder to bear than open enmity.
σὺ δὲ εἰ μὲν πρέσβεις ἔλθοιεν παρὰ Πριάμου νυνὶ περὶ συμμαχίας, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς δέξαιο τῇ σκηνῇ, ἃ δʼ ἂν εὔξαιντο ἐκεῖνοι, ταῦτα σὺ πράττεις, καὶ τῷ θυμῷ τὰ πράγματα ἀπολλὺς κάθησαι· ἔπειτα δʼ εἰ μὴ σιδήρῳ
As for you, if ambassadors should come now from Priam concerning an alliance, you would not receive them in your tent; yet what they would pray for, this you are doing, and you sit destroying our fortunes by your anger; and then, if not by the sword...