Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ILIAD: BOOK 9. THE APPEAL OF PHOENIX, by HOMER


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THE ILIAD: BOOK 9. THE APPEAL OF PHOENIX, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Conquer the proud spirit in your breast, child, seeing it is not
Last Line: Of the divine crondies: respect wins over the wisest.'
Subject(s): Mythology - Classical; Trojan War


'CONQUER the proud spirit in your breast, child,
seeing it is not
Good to be implacable. The immortal deities are not,
Who have a pow'r and glory beyond our mortal attainment.
For we behold how savour of incense, vows of amendment,
Burnt offering, libation appease Gods, if we will only
Pray to them, however great our guilt is when we offend them.
Pray'rs, Achileus, are daughters of high God. Could you behold them,
They would appear squint-eyed and lame and fearfully wrinkled.
They ever toil to follow where Sin may wander before them.
Sin's very swift and mighty -- she leaves them limping a long way
After her as she travels God's world and causes abundant
Mischief among men in it. But Pray'rs come later to heal it.
He who receives them kindly, who gives God's daughters a welcome,
They never fail to bless him, they hear him calling upon them.
Woe to the man that drives them away and roughly denies them!
Calling upon Cronides they pray their Father to send down
Sin to him and punish him for Sin's sake and to avenge them.
So, Achileus, I pray you, be courteous unto the daughters
Of the divine Crondies: respect wins over the wisest.'





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