Page 315 - the-iliad

whom the sons of the Achaeans chose for me, whom I won
as the fruit of my spear on having sacked a city—her has
King Agamemnon taken from me as though I were some
common vagrant. Still, let bygones be bygones: no man may
keep his anger for ever; I said I would not relent till battle
and the cry of war had reached my own ships; nevertheless,
now gird my armour about your shoulders, and lead the
Myrmidons to battle, for the dark cloud of Trojans has burst
furiously over our fleet; the Argives are driven back on to
the beach, cooped within a narrow space, and the whole
people of Troy has taken heart to sally out against them, be-
cause they see not the visor of my helmet gleaming near
them. Had they seen this, there would not have been a creek
nor grip that had not been filled with their dead as they
fled back again. And so it would have been, if only King
Agamemnon had dealt fairly by me. As it is the Trojans have
beset our host. Diomed son of Tydeus no longer wields his
spear to defend the Danaans, neither have I heard the voice
of the son of Atreus coming from his hated head, whereas
that of murderous Hector rings in my cars as he gives orders
to the Trojans, who triumph over the Achaeans and fill the
whole plain with their cry of battle. But even so, Patroclus,
fall upon them and save the fleet, lest the Trojans fire it and
prevent us from being able to return. Do, however, as I now
bid you, that you may win me great honour from all the Da-
naans, and that they may restore the girl to me again and
give me rich gifts into the bargain. When you have driven
the Trojans from the ships, come back again. Though Juno’s
thundering husband should put triumph within your reach,

1 The Iliad