Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ILIAD: BOOK 1, by HOMER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ILIAD: BOOK 1, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The wrath of peleus' son that evil wrath
Last Line: And golden-throned here by his side.
Subject(s): Achilles; Mythology - Classical; Trojan War


THE wrath of Peleus' son, that evil wrath
Which on Achaia piled a myriad woes,
Oh Goddess, sing: which down to darkness hurled
Brave souls of mighty men, and made their flesh
A prey to dogs and every ravening fowl.
Yet Zeus his will was working: since the day
When first 'twixt Atreus' son, the King of men,
And proud Achilles there arose up war.

What god, then, bade those twain stand forth and strive?
Zeus's and Leto's son. He, angered sore
Against the King, sent pestilence abroad
Among the army, that the people died:
For that of Atreus' son had been disdained
His servant, Chryses. To redeem his child
With ransom measureless had Chryses come
Ev'n to the Achaian war-ships -- in his hand
The emblem of the god who smites from far,
Apollo, high upon a staff of gold.
To all the Greeks he prayed, but most of all
To Atreus' sons, twin captains of the host.

"O Atreus' sons, and bravely-harnessed Greeks!
The gods, whose dwelling is Olympus, grant
That ye may sack Priam's city, and regain
Your homes rejoicing! Yea and unto me
May give my child, my own, and take her price,
Since great is Zeus's son, the god who smites from far."

Forthwith from all the host came loud acclaim:
"Take the rich ransom, reverence the priest."
The soul of Agamemnon, Atreus' son,
Alone it liked not: scornfully he bade him
Begone, and laid on him a hard command.

"Let me not find thee by the hollow ships
Or lingering now, old man, or yet again
Returning! Little shall avail thee then
Apollo's staff and emblem. For the girl,
I yield her not, till old age come on her
Ev'n in my home, in Argos, far away
From her own country; while she plies the loom
And tends my bed. But go, provoke me not:
So peradventure shall we part in peace."

So spake he; and the old man feared, and did
His bidding. Mute he moved along the shore,
Among the noises of the boisterous sea:
And there, apart from men, prayed many a prayer
To gold-haired Leto's son, his King, Apollo.

"Oh hear me, thou who standest round about
Chryse and sacred Cilla -- mighty lord
Of Tenedos, who wield'st the silver bow!
Sminthian! If ever I have builded up
From floor to roof a temple in thy praise,
Or ever burned to thee fat flesh of goats
And oxen: then accomplish this my prayer:
And let thy shafts avenge my tears upon the Greeks."

So prayed he, and Apollo heard his prayer.
Yea from Olympus' heights he gat him down,
Wrath in his soul: upon his shoulder hung
The bow, and quiver covered all around.
Rang on the shoulder of the angry god
The arrows, as he stirred him: on he came
Like night: and by the ships he sate him down.
Twanged with a terrible twang the silver bow
As he sent forth one shaft. And first of all
He visited the mules and swift-paced dogs:
Next at their own flesh levelling his keen dart
Smote, and for aye burned on the thick-strown pyres of slain.

Nine days his arrows went abroad among
The host: and on the tenth Achilles called
The folk to council. Moved thereto was he
By Here, white-armed goddess; for she saw
Achaians dying, and it pitied her.
To whom when met, and ranged in meet conclave,
Achilles swift of foot arose and spake.

"Oh sons of Atreus! Now, I trow, will we
Turn us again, and drift -- if flee we may
From death -- ev'n thither whence we came: since war
And pestilence at once lay low the Greeks.
But hearken. Seek we now some seer, or priest;
Or dream-interpreter; -- dreams come from Zeus; --
To tell us what hath stirred Apollo thus.
If of a prayer, a sacrifice withheld,
He doth rebuke us: should it be his will,
Incense of lambs and goodliest of the goats
Accepting, to remove from us this plague."

He spake and sate him down. Then rose to them
High chief of augurs, Calchas, Thestor's son,
Who knew what is and was and is to be,
Who into Ilion piloted the Greeks,
By virtue of his art, Apollo's gift.
He friendly-minded rose and spake in the midst.

"Lo! thou command'st me, oh beloved of Zeus,
Achilles, to declare Apollo's wrath,
The far-off-smiting King. Now therefore I
Will speak: heed thou, and swear that of a truth
Freely thou'lt aid me both with tongue and arm.
Yea, for I think to anger one who rules
With might the Argives; and upon him wait
The Achaians. Now a vantage hath a King,
Let but a meaner man have angered him:
For though to-day his fury simmer down,
Yet thenceforth wrath abideth -- till it work
Its purpose -- in the bosom of the King.
Wherefore bethink thee, wilt thou succour me?"

And then Achilles swift of foot replied.
"The thing that thou dost know take heart and speak.
For by Apollo, loved of Zeus, whom thou,
Oh Calchas, worshipping interpretest
Unto the Danaans the things of God: --
The hand of no man out of all this host
Shall, while I live and see the light of day,
By you broad ships be heavy upon thee:
Not if thou namest Agamemnon, him
Who vaunts himself this day the chiefest Greek."

Then the good prophet took him heart and spake.
"Not of a prayer or of a sacrifice
Doth he rebuke: but for his servant's sake,
Whom Agamemnon did disdain, nor gave
His child, nor took her price: for this, I ween,
The Smiter deals us, and shall deal us, woe.
And heavy still shall be his wasting hand,
Till to her father dear the bright-eyed maid
Be giv'n, unbought, unransomed; and we bear
To Chryse holy sacrifice. This done,
It may be he will hear us and repent."

He spake, and sate him down. Then rose to them
Broad-realmed Agamemnon, Atreus' son,
A mighty man, sore angered. Fury filled
His heart's dark places: gleamed his eyes like fires.
First Calchas, boding mischief, he bespake.

"Prophet of ill! Thou spak'st me never yet
A fair word. For thy soul loves evil still,
Nor aught good spak'st thou e'er, or brought'st to pass.
What prophesiest thou now before the host?
Sooth, that for this the Smiter works them woe;
Because I would not for rich ransom loose
The girl Chryseis. No! at home would I
Possess her: I prefer her to my wife,
My first-wed wife: she is Clytemnestra's match
In stature, shape, and mind, and handicraft.
Yet will I yield her up, if this be best.
I'd liefer see my people live than die.
Ye deck me straight a gift, lest I alone
Of Greeks ungifted be. That were not meet.
For see all men, my gift goes otherwhere."

And then the swift Achilles answered him.
"Most honoured, most gain-greedy of mankind!
How may the generous Greeks find gifts for thee?
We wot not yet of public treasury:
The spoils of cities sacked we've parted all,
And should do ill re-levying these anew.
Now yield her to the god -- and threefold we
And fourfold will repay thee, let but Zeus
Grant us to level yon fair walls of Troy."

And royal Agamemnon made reply.
"Brave though thou art, great chief, yet play not thus
The knave: thou shalt not dupe me nor cajole.
Would'st thou -- so thou have honour -- that I sit
With empty hands? and bidd'st me yield her up?
Now if the generous Greeks will grant a gift --
One my soul loves, a meet equivalent --
Well: but if not, I'll take with mine own arm
Thine, or thine, Aias, or, Odysseus, thine,
And bear it off; and wroth mayhap he'll be
Whom I shall visit. -- But of this anon. --
Launch we a dark ship on the great sea now,
Give her her tale of oars, and place on board
A hundred oxen, and embark therein
Fair-cheeked Briseis. And be one, a king,
Her captain; Aias, or Idomeneus,
Or great Odysseus, or, Achilles, thou
Most terrible of men; that thou mayest win
Back with thy rites the god who smites from far."

Answered the swift-foot chief with lowering brow:
"Oh clothed with shamelessness! oh selfish-souled!
What Greek will do ungrudging thy behests,
Speed on thy missions, bear the brunt of war?
I came not for the warrior Trojans' sake
Hither to fight. They owe no debt to me;
Ne'er in rich Phthia, nurse of mighty men,
Spoiled they my orchards: -- for betwixt us lay
Long tracts of shadowy fell and sounding sea.
Shameless! 'Twas thou, thy pleasure, brought us here;
For Menelaus, and thee, dog, to wreak
Vengeance on Troy -- which things thou heedest not
Nor reck'st of. Lo! thou boast'st that thou wilt seize
With thine own arm my meed, my hardwon meed,
Assigned me by the children of the Greeks!
My gifts are not as thy gifts, when the Greeks
Lay low some goodly-peopled town of Troy:
My hands the burden of the weary war
Must bear; but thy share, when we part the spoil,
Is greatest; I some small sweet morsel take
Back to my ships, when I am faint with strife.
But now I go to Phthia. Best to wend
Home with my beaked ships. And scarce wilt thou --
Say I, disdained I -- fill high thy cup
With treasure and with wealth, abiding here."

Then answered Agamemnon, King of men.
"Go, if thy soul so prompts thee. I shall not
Say 'Stay' for my sake. I have others near
To prize me: first of all the all-wise Zeus.
Of Kings, the sons of heaven, I hate thee most.
Dear to thee aye are feuds and wars and strifes.
Strong art thou? Then 'twas heaven that gave thy strength.
Go with thy ships and with thy followers home,
Rule Myrmidons. I care not aught for thee
Nor for thy wrath. And I will tell thee this.
Chryseis Phoebus takes from me: and her
I'll send, with my ships, and my followers, back.
But to thy tent I'll go, ev'n I, and take
Thy prize, the fair Briseis: that thou learn
How I am thy better: and that others shrink
To deem themselves my mates and cope with me."

He spake. And moved was Peleus' son: his heart
'Neath his rough breast was this way rent and that.
Should he, his keen sword drawing from his thigh,
Scatter the multitude and slay the King?
Or curb his spirit, and forego his wrath?
This was he turning in his brain and breast,
His great sword half unscabbarded; when lo!
From heaven Athene came: a messenger
From white-armed Here, to whose soul both chiefs
Were dear and precious. In the rear she stood,
And grasped Achilles by his yellow hair:
Seen by him only -- all the rest were blind.
He marvelling, turned round: and straightway knew
Pallas Athene; dreadful gleamed her eyes.
And thus he spake to her with winged words.

"Why com'st thou, child of AEgis-armed Zeus?
To witness Agamemnon's insolence?
This say I, and methinks 'twill come to pass.
One day he'll perish in his pride of heart."

To whom the blue-eyed goddess spake again.
"To stay thine anger, if so be thou'lt hear
My voice, I came from heaven: a messenger
From white-armed Here, to whose soul both chiefs
Are dear and precious. But leave off from strife,
And draw not forth the sword: but with thy tongue
Only revile him, as it needs must be.
For this I say, and this shall come to pass.
Trebled shall one day be thy rich reward
All through this insult. Hear then, and be calm."

Again Achilles swift of foot replied.
"I must abide, oh goddess, by thy word,
Though angered sore in soul: for this is right.
To him that heeds them will the gods give ear."

He said, and hearkening to Athene, stayed
Ev'n on the silver hilt, his ponderous hand.
Heavenward meanwhile she had flown, to join her peers
Up in the home of AEgis-armed Zeus.

Then straight Achilles spake with harmful words
To Atreus' son, nor put his anger by.
"Oh gorged with wine! dog-faced, but hind at heart!
To arm thee with the people for the fray
Or with our captains crouch in ambuscade
Ne'er hadst thou courage. That were death to thee!
Better no doubt to range the broad host through,
And confiscate his prize who saith thee nay.
Thou glutton King! Thou rulest men of straw!
Else, son of Atreus, thou hadst bragged thy last.
But this I say and swear it with an oath.
Yea by this staff -- where never leaf nor branch
May grow, since first 'twas sundered from the trunk
Upon the mountains, ne'er to blossom more --
(For that the axe hath stripped off bud and bark) --
Now in their hands the children of the Greeks
Bear it, who sit in judgment; whom Zeus calls
To guard the right; and men shall swear thereby --
The children of the Greeks shall one day long
All, for Achilles. Thou shalt grieve, but find
No succour; while 'neath slaughtering Hector's hand
Fall, and die, troops: but sit and gnash thy teeth,
Mad that thou sett'st at naught the noblest Greek."

Achilles spake: and flung to earth his staff
Studded with golden nails; and sate him down.
The King sat o'er against him gathering wrath.
Then up sprang Nestor of the gracious tongue,
Clear orator of Pylos, from whose lips
Dropped music sweeter than the honeycomb.
Two generations now of speaking men
Had he seen born and bred and passed away
In sacred Pylos: and he ruled a third.
Who friendly-minded rose and spake in the midst.

"Lo! a great sorrow comes upon our land.
Sure now would Priam and Priam's sons rejoice,
And every Trojan laugh within his heart,
Could he but learn how ye twain are at strife,
The first of Greeks in council and in war.
But hear me. I can count more years than you.
Time was, when with a nobler race than ours
I mated: and they thought not scorn of me.
For ne'er yet saw I, nor shall see, their likes,
Caeneus, Pirithous, Exadius,
Dryas, who led the people as a flock,
And Polyphemus, equal of the gods,
And Theseus, AEgeus' son, a very god.
These were the mightiest of the sons of earth.
Mightiest themselves, they fought with mightiest foes,
The Beasts of the Hill, and slew them horribly.
And I, to mate with these, from Pylos came,
From a far country; for they bade me come.
I fought for my own hand. No mortal man,
As men are now, would list to fight with such.
And they my counsels heard, my voice obeyed.
Ye too obey me. To obey is good.
Nor thou, thou mighty, take the maid away,
But quit her, since the Greeks first made her his.
Nor thou, Achilles, stand against the King
And strive: for never honour like to his
Had sceptred King, whose glory is of Zeus.
So, son of Atreus, stay thy rage. And him,
Our mighty rampart against evil war,
I do beseech to put his anger by."

Then royal Agamemnon answered him.
"Naught hast thou said, oh sire, but what is meet.
But yonder man would overtop us all,
Be all men's lord and master, deal to all
Dictates, which one, at least, will scarce obey.
The gods who live for ever made him brave:
But did they thereby license him to rail?"

Then words of warning great Achilles spake.
"Call me a coward and a thing of naught,
If I yield all at every word of thine.
Talk thus to others -- dictate not to me:
For I shall hearken to thy words no more.
But this I tell thee -- cast it in thy mind!
I will not draw the sword for yon girl's sake
On thee or on another; since ye take
The thing ye gave. But of all else that's mine,
Treasured in my dark war-ship, not a thing
Without my licence shalt thou take or touch.
Doubt'st thou? Then try, that all this host may see.
Thy blood that instant spouts around my spear."

So stood they face to face in wordy war.
And ended was the council at the ships.

Achilles to his tents and stately fleet
Went with Patroclus, and his followers all.
The other launched a war-ship on the main,
Manned her with twenty oars, and stowed therein
A holy hecatomb, and seated there
Fair-cheeked Chryseis: and for captain, stept
On board Odysseus, he of many wiles.

So they set forth and sailed the watery ways.
Then the King bade the people cleanse themselves.
They cleansed themselves, and cast into the sea
All their uncleanness: to Apollo next
They slew full hecatombs of bulls and goats
All by the barren waters: up to heaven
Went the sweet savour with the curling smoke.

In such wise toiled the host. Nor aught meanwhile
Paused Agamemnon in his threatened wrath.
But to Talthybius and Eurybates,
His heralds twain and busy servants, spake.

"Go to Achilles' tent. Take thence and bring
The fair Briseis. If he say you nay,
I'll go, ev'n I, with yet a larger force,
And take her. And 'twill be the worse for him."

So forth he sent them, charged with hard commands.
On, by the waters of the barren main
Unwillingly they fared: and reached at last
The vessels of the tented Myrmidons.
By his dark ship they found him in his tent; --
Little Achilles joyed at seeing them; --
Awe-struck and trembling they before the chief
Stood; nor accosted him, nor uttered sound:
But he knew well their purpose, and began.

"Hail, heralds, messengers of Zeus and men!
Draw near. I blame not you; I blame the King,
Who sent you here for fair Briseis' sake.
But come, oh prince Patroclus, lead her forth,
And give her to their hand. And be these twain
My witnesses before the blessed gods
And mortal men and that untoward King: --
When one day there ariseth need of me
Their shield from foul destruction! For the King
Raves, a doomed madman; nor can look at once
Before him and behind, and see whose arm
Let the Greeks battle by the ships and live."

He said. Patroclus his loved lord obeyed,
And led the fair Briseis from the tent,
And gave her to their hand. And straightway they
Made for the Achaian ships; and with them fared
The damsel all unwilling. But the chief
Wept; and from all his fellows gat apart,
And by the gray seas sate him down, and gazed
Far o'er the purpling waters: and to her
Who bore him lifted up his hands and prayed.

"Mother! Thou brought'st me forth not long to live:
Therefore should Zeus, the Thunderer, of high heaven,
Put glory in my hand. But not a whit
Honours he me: yea, scorned am I of one,
Broad-realmed Agamemnon, Atreus' son;
With his own arm he seized, and hath, my gift."

Weeping he spake. His queenly mother heard,
'Neath ocean sitting by her ancient sire:
And rose from the gray waters as a mist,
And sate her down beside her weeping son,
Fondled his hand, and spake, and called him by his name.

"Why weep'st thou, Son? What grief is on thy soul?
Speak, and naught hide: that I too know this thing."

And with a heavy groan the swift chief spake.
"Shall I tell all to thee who know'st it all?
We came to sacred Thebes, Eetion's Thebes,
And spoiled her, and brought hither all the spoil.
And fairly did the children of the Greeks
Part it amongst them, and for Atreus' son
Chose out fair-cheeked Chryseis. Thereupon
Came Chryses, priest of him who smites from far,
Ev'n to the war-ships of the steel-clad Greeks,
With ransom measureless to buy his child:
And in his hands Apollo's emblem sat,
The Smiter's, high upon a staff of gold.
To all the Greeks he prayed, but chief of all
To Atreus' sons, twin captains of the host. --
Forthwith from all the Greeks came loud acclaim:
'Take the rich ransom, reverence the priest.'
The soul of Agamemnon, Atreus' son,
Alone it liked not: scornfully he bade him
Begone, and laid on him a hard command.
"Back went in wrath that old man: and his prayer
Apollo heard, because he loved him well:
And hurled his fell shaft on us; heaps on heaps
The people died. Amongst Achaia's hosts
His arrows went abroad. Then spake the seer,
Who knew it well, the Far-destroyer's will.
"My voice first made them reconcile the god.
But rage seized Atreus' son. He rose up straight,
And threatened that which, lo! is brought to pass.
For her the keen-eyed Greeks are carrying now
To Chryse in you war-ship: but that other,
Briseis -- whom the children of the Greeks
Gave to my hand -- the heralds from my tent
Have but this instant taken, and are gone. --
Now stand by thy brave son, if stand thou mayest.
Hie thee to heaven; pray Zeus -- if ever word
Or deed of thine made glad the soul of Zeus: --
For in my father's halls I have heard thee tell
Of times when of immortals thou alone
Didst shield from foul destruction him who dwells
In darkness and in clouds, Cronion named;
When Here, Pallas, and Poseidon -- all
The blessed gods -- would bind him. Thou didst come,
Goddess, and loose his bonds, and summon quick
Into the broad heaven him of hundred hands --
Gods call him Briareus, AEgeon men --
He who excels in bodily force his sire.
By Zeus he sate down, glorying in his might.
Cowed were the blessed gods, and bound him not.
"Remember this: sit near him: clasp his knees:
Pray that he find some way to succour Troy:
And them -- the Greeks -- push ev'n to their ships' sterns,
To die amid the waters, that all know
How much they owe their King; and Atreus' son,
Broad-realmed Agamemnon, learn how mad
Was he, to set at naught the noblest Greek."

And Thetis answered, letting fall a tear.
"Why did I rear thee, born -- alas my son! --
In sorrow? Would that tearless and unpained
Thou wert sitting by thy ships: for lo! thy life
Is but a little while, a little while.
Now passing sad thy days, as passing brief:
Surely in evil hour I brought thee forth.
But with this tale I go to those snowpeaks,
To Zeus, whose plaything is the thunderbolt,
Will he but hear me. Thou by thy swift ships
Sit, curse the Greeks, and stay thy hand from war.
For Zeus to the good AEthiops yesterday,
To ocean, went, with all the gods, to feast.
The twelfth day he'll return Olympusward.
Then to his brassfloored palace will I go,
And clasp his knees; and surely he'll repent."

She said: and vanishing left him, vexed at heart
All for that graceful maiden, whom by force
And violence they had ta'en.

Odysseus reached
Chryse meanwhile, with holy sacrifice.
Now, the deep harbour gained, they furled and stowed
In the dark ship their sails; placed mast in crutch,
Lowered on stays all swiftly; and the rowers
Into her moorings rowed her. Anchor-stones
They cast out next, and made the hawsers fast,
And leapt out on the sea-strand; and bore forth
The holy sacrifice: and last stepped out
From the sea-travelling ship that damsel fair.
Whom to the altar led the wily chief,
Placed in her father's hand her hand, and spake.

"Priest! Atreus' son hath sent me, King of men,
To bring thy child, and holy sacrifice
Make for the Greeks; and reconcile the King,
Who now brings many sorrows on the host."

He spake, and gave her to his hand: who took
His child rejoicing. Swiftly then they ranged
Round the fair altar that brave sacrifice:
Held up, with washen hands, the barley grains:
And then with lifted arm the priest made solemn prayer.

"Oh! hear me, thou who standest round about
Chryse and sacred Cilla: mighty lord
Of Tenedos, who wield'st the silver bow!
Surely thou heard'st me heretofore; and sore,
To honour me, didst plague Achaia's hosts.
And now accomplish this, ev'n this my prayer.
From foul destruction shield this day the Greeks."

So spake he: and Apollo heard his prayer.
They having knelt, and strewed the barley grains,
Drew back the victim's head, and slew, and flayed,
And cut the thighs off, and around them wrapped
The fat in layers, and sprinkled flesh thereon.
These the sire burned on wood; poured sparkling wine,
The warriors standing by with fivepronged forks:
They burned the thighs, and tasted of the heart,
And mashed and fixed on spits the residue,
And made roast cunningly, and drew all off.
At last the feast was decked. They ceased from toil,
And supped, nor aught lacked at that equal board.
And when the lust of meat and drink was gone,
The warriors filled the goblets to the brim.
And, first oblation made, they served to all.
With songs the livelong day they soothed the god,
Those Grecian warriors. Sweet the hymns they sang.
The Far-destroyer listened and was glad.

But when the sun set and the dusk came on,
They slept beside the cables of the ship.
And when Morn's daughter, rosy-fingered Dawn,
Rose, for the broad Achaian host they steered:
The Far-destroyer sent a steady gale.
They raised the mast, and spread white sails thereon.
Bellied the sails; and purpling round the keel
Sounded the dark waves as the ship went on:
She scudded o'er the seas and made her way.
They, when they had reached the broad Achaian host,
Drew the dark ship to land; high on the sands
They left her, and set great stones underneath,
And went home each man to his tent and ship.

Meanwhile the swift-foot chief, great Peleus' son,
By his sea-travelling ships sat nursing wrath:
To the high council went not day by day,
Went not to war: but wasted his sweet soul,
Abiding there, and dreamed of turmoil and of strife.

The twelfth day dawned: and to Olympus trooped,
Zeus in the van, the ever-living gods.
Thetis forgat not then her son's behests;
But mounted on the sea-wave, and in mist
Rose to the great heaven and the holy mount.
Seated apart she found the All-seeing One,
On many-peaked Olympus' topmost crag:
Sat at his feet, with one hand clasped his knees,
With the other held his beard; and prayed and spake
Thus to the son of Cronos, royal Zeus.

"Zeus! Sire! If ever word or deed of mine
Among the immortals welcome was to thee,
Accomplish this my prayer. Exalt my son,
Whose days are briefer than are other men's.
Of Agamemnon now is he disdained;
He took, he hath, his gift. But thou, who dwell'st
In the high heaven, exalt him, all-wise Zeus!
Put victory on the Trojans, till the Greeks
Exalt my son, and spread abroad his praise."

She spake. Cloud-circled Zeus said ne'er a word.
Long he sat voiceless. Thetis to his knees
Clung as the flesh clings, and she spake again.

"Now bow thy head, and pledge thy changeless word,
Or else refuse -- for fears come not nigh thee.
Say that of all the gods thou hold'st me least."

Spake, big with anger, then cloud-circled Zeus.
"Lo! there is woe to be if I must strive
With Here, whensoe'er she taunts and rails.
Ev'n now she wars with me from day to day
Before the gods, and saith I fight for Troy.
Now go thou hence again, lest Here know
This thing; and leave the issue in my hand.
Yea, that thou mayest have faith, I bow my head.
For this is my great token with the gods.
Irrevocable, true, each word of mine,
Sure of its purpose, when I bow my head."

Cronion spake: his dark brows bent, and bowed.
From his immortal head fell rippling down
The glory of his hair. The great rock reeled.

Such counsel took those twain, and parted. She
Plunged from the bright heaven into ocean's depths,
And Zeus went homeward. Rose up all the gods
And stood before the Sire. None dared abide
His coming; all stood up and fronted him.
High on his throne he sate him. Here marked:
And well she knew what counsel he had ta'en
With that old sea-god's silvery-footed child.
Forthwith in bitterness she spake to Zeus.

"And which of all the gods, oh wily one,
Was partner in thy counsels? Aye thou lov'st
To sit, and scheme, and settle, far from me.
And never yet didst thou of thy free-will
Deign to tell me one word of thy designs."

Then spake to her the sire of gods and men.
"Look not, oh Here, all my mind to know.
Hard were such knowledge, though thou art my wife.
That which 'tis fit for thee to hear, nor god
Nor man shall learn before thee. But such plans
As I may plan, and hide from every god --
Ask not of these things straitly nor inquire."

Then answered Here, the gazelle-eyed Queen.
"Dread son of Cronos, have I heard thee right?
Long time too little asked I or inquired;
Thou plotting that which pleased thee, undisturbed.
But now sore fears my soul, lest thou be duped
By that old sea-god's silvery-footed child.
Mist-clad she sat by thee and clasped thy knees:
And thou, as I suspect, didst bow thy head,
In token that thou would'st exalt her son,
And by the Achaian ships make many fall."

Then spake in answer cloud-encircled Zeus.
"Wayward! thou wilt aye 'suspect.' I know thee well.
But all thou wilt not compass -- farther still
Wilt set me from thee. All the worse for thee.
Sit down, be silent, and obey my words:
Lest all the gods heaven holds avail thee naught,
Left me but lift my matchless arm on thee."

He spake; and trembled the gazelle-eyed Queen;
Silent sat down, and bent her to his will.
Then with big wrath were swelled the heavenly ones
In Zeus's palace: till Hephaestus rose,
The great Artificer, and welcome words
To white-armed Here spake, his mother dear.

"Woe shall there be, intolerable woe,
If ye twain battle thus for mortals' sake,
And stir up war in heaven. All joyless then
Shall seem the fair feast, since the worst prevails.
But I my mother warn (though wise is she)
To pleasure Zeus our sire: lest he should strive
A second time with her, and mar our feast.
What if the lord of lightning from her seat
Should choose to hurl her? for none else is strong.
But thou with softest words approach him now.
Straightway the heavenly one will smile on us."

He said, and leapt up, and a ponderous cup
Placed in his mother's hand, and spake to her.
"Be patient, mother, and though vexed, endure:
Lest mine eyes see her smitten whom I love.
Then shall I sorrow, yet may aid thee naught:
Hard 'tis to fight against the heavenly one.
Yea, for aforetime did he hurl me down,
Burning to aid thee, from the gates of heaven,
Grasped by one foot. All day I fell and fell,
And lighted at the setting of the sun
In Lemnos. Little life was in me then.
There lighting I became the Sintians' care."

He spake. The white-armed goddess smiled and took
The cup her son gave in her hand: while he
Filled for the others all, from left to right,
And poured the luscious nectar from the bowl.
Quenchless the laughter of the blessed gods,
To see him puff and pant about the hall.

So they the live-long day, till set of sun,
Feasted, nor lacked aught at that equal board:
Lacked not Apollo's lovely lyre, lacked not
The Muses, whose sweet voice took up the song.

But when the bright sun's glory had gone down,
Ready for rest they parted each to his home:
To where the Crippled Deity for each
Had wrought a palace with a cunning hand.
The Lord of lightning went and laid him down
Where he had slept full oft at sweet Sleep's call:
Thither ascended he, and there he slept;
And golden-throned Here by his side.





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