Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ILIAD: BOOK 2. THERSITES, by HOMER


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THE ILIAD: BOOK 2. THERSITES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Now all sat down / and kept their seats, save one, thersites
Last Line: Else, son of atreus, that flout had been your last!'
Subject(s): Mythology - Classical; Trojan War


Now all sat down
And kept their seats, save one, Thersites. He,
A babbler, rattled on, stuffed full of words
Disorderly and random, which he flung
Against his chiefs, vainly, without a plan
Save this, to stir the Argives' laughter. He,
The ugliest man that ever looked on Troy,
Was bandy-legged and halt, curved in the back,
Pigeon-breasted, cone-pated, scanty-cropt
With hair. Him of all men Achilles loathed,
So did Odysseus, for he railed at them.
But now on Agamemnon he let loose
His shrill revilings, which the Greeks sore vext
Must hear with indignation. Yet on he ran
Girding at Agamemnon. 'What d'ye lack,
King Atreus' son? What next? Are not your huts
Heapt up with bronze, have you not plenty women
Pickt out for you, for you first, by us Greeks
Whatever town we sack? D'ye need gold too,
Such as some Trojan horseman brings to buy
His son withal, my prize or another man's?
Or need you another girl to keep shut up
And take your joy of? Unseemly is the Chief
Who brings his Greeks to shame! O shameful fools,
O you Greek women, who are men no more,
Come, let us ship off home, and leave him here
Glutting himself with honour, till he see
Whether our help avail him, yes or no --
Him who has put to shame a better man,
Achilles, snatching his prize to keep himself.
But there! Achilles is mild and lets all go --
Else, son of Atreus, that flout had been your last!'





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