you　may　be　satisfied。　Moreover　let　him　swear　an　oath　before　the
  Argives　that　he　has　never　gone　up　into　the　couch　of　Briseis；　nor
  been　with　her　after　the　manner　of　men　and　women；　and　do　you；　too；　show
  yourself　of　a　gracious　mind；　let　Agamemnon　entertain　you　in　his
  tents　with　a　feast　of　reconciliation；　that　so　you　may　have　had　your
  dues　in　full。　As　for　you；　son　of　Atreus；　treat　people　more　righteously
  in　future；　it　is　no　disgrace　even　to　a　king　that　he　should　make　amends
  if　he　was　wrong　in　the　first　instance。〃
  And　King　Agamemnon　answered；　〃Son　of　Laertes；　your　words　please　me
  well；　for　throughout　you　have　spoken　wisely。　I　will　swear　as　you　would
  have　me　do；　I　do　so　of　my　own　free　will；　neither　shall　I　take　the　name
  of　heaven　in　vain。　Let；　then；　Achilles　wait；　though　he　would　fain
  fight　at　once；　and　do　you　others　wait　also；　till　the　gifts　come　from
  my　tent　and　we　ratify　the　oath　with　sacrifice。　Thus；　then；　do　I　charge
  you：　take　some　noble　young　Achaeans　with　you；　and　bring　from　my
  tents　the　gifts　that　I　promised　yesterday　to　Achilles；　and　bring　the
  women　also；　furthermore　let　Talthybius　find　me　a　boar　from　those
  that　are　with　the　host；　and　make　it　ready　for　sacrifice　to　Jove　and　to
  the　sun。〃
  Then　said　Achilles；　〃Son　of　Atreus；　king　of　men　Agamemnon；　see　to
  these　matters　at　some　other　season；　when　there　is　breathing　time　and
  when　I　am　calmer。　Would　you　have　men　eat　while　the　bodies　of　those
  whom　Hector　son　of　Priam　slew　are　still　lying　mangled　upon　the
  plain？　Let　the　sons　of　the　Achaeans；　say　I；　fight　fasting　and
  without　food；　till　we　have　avenged　them；　afterwards　at　the　going
  down　of　the　sun　let　them　eat　their　fill。　As　for　me；　Patroclus　is　lying
  dead　in　my　tent；　all　hacked　and　hewn；　with　his　feet　to　the　door；　and
  his　comrades　are　mourning　round　him。　Therefore　I　can　take　thought　of
  nothing　save　only　slaughter　and　blood　and　the　rattle　in　the　throat
  of　the　dying。〃
  Ulysses　answered；　〃Achilles；　son　of　Peleus；　mightiest　of　all　the
  Achaeans；　in　battle　you　are　better　than　I；　and　that　more　than　a
  little；　but　in　counsel　I　am　much　before　you；　for　I　am　older　and　of
  greater　knowledge。　Therefore　be　patient　under　my　words。　Fighting　is
  a　thing　of　which　men　soon　surfeit；　and　when　Jove；　who　is　wars　steward；
  weighs　the　upshot；　it　may　well　prove　that　the　straw　which　our
  sickles　have　reaped　is　far　heavier　than　the　grain。　It　may　not　be
  that　the　Achaeans　should　mourn　the　dead　with　their　bellies；　day　by　day
  men　fall　thick　and　threefold　continually；　when　should　we　have
  respite　from　our　sorrow？　Let　us　mourn　our　dead　for　a　day　and　bury　them
  out　of　sight　and　mind；　but　let　those　of　us　who　are　left　eat　and
  drink　that　we　may　arm　and　fight　our　foes　more　fiercely。　In　that　hour
  let　no　man　hold　back；　waiting　for　a　second　summons；　such　summons　shall
  bode　ill　for　him　who　is　found　lagging　behind　at　our　ships；　let　us
  rather　sally　as　one　man　and　loose　the　fury　of　war　upon　the　Trojans。〃
  When　he　had　thus　spoken　he　took　with　him　the　sons　of　Nestor；　with
  Meges　son　of　Phyleus；　Thoas；　Meriones；　Lycomedes　son　of　Creontes；
  and　Melanippus；　and　went　to　the　tent　of　Agamemnon　son　of　Atreus。　The
  word　was　not　sooner　said　than　the　deed　was　done：　they　brought　out
  the　seven　tripods　which　Agamemnon　had　promised；　with　the　twenty
  metal　cauldrons　and　the　twelve　horses；　they　also　brought　the　women
  skilled　in　useful　arts；　seven　in　number；　with　Briseis；　which　made
  eight。　Ulysses　weighed　out　the　ten　talents　of　gold　and　then　led　the
  way　back；　while　the　young　Achaeans　brought　the　rest　of　the　gifts；
  and　laid　them　in　the　middle　of　the　assembly。
  Agamemnon　then　rose；　and　Talthybius　whose　voice　was　like　that　of　a
  god　came　to　him　with　the　boar。　The　son　of　Atreus　drew　the　knife
  which　he　wore　by　the　scabbard　of　his　mighty　sword；　and　began　by
  cutting　off　some　bristles　from　the　boar；　lifting　up　his　hands　in
  prayer　as　he　did　so。　The　other　Achaeans　sat　where　they　were　all　silent
  and　orderly　to　hear　the　king；　and　Agamemnon　looked　into　the　vault　of
  heaven　and　prayed　saying；　〃I　call　Jove　the　first　and　mightiest　of
  all　gods　to　witness；　I　call　also　Earth　and　Sun　and　the　Erinyes　who
  dwell　below　and　take　vengeance　on　him　who　shall　swear　falsely；　that
  I　have　laid　no　hand　upon　the　girl　Briseis；　neither　to　take　her　to　my
  bed　nor　otherwise；　but　that　she　has　remained　in　my　tents　inviolate。　If
  I　swear　falsely　may　heaven　visit　me　with　all　the　penalties　which　it
  metes　out　to　those　who　perjure　themselves。〃
  He　cut　the　boar's　throat　as　he　spoke；　whereon　Talthybius　whirled
  it　round　his　head；　and　flung　it　into　the　wide　sea　to　feed　the
  fishes。　Then　Achilles　also　rose　and　said　to　the　Argives；　〃Father　Jove；
  of　a　truth　you　blind　men's　eyes　and　bane　them。　The　son　of　Atreus　had
  not　else　stirred　me　to　so　fierce　an　anger；　nor　so　stubbornly　taken
  Briseis　from　me　against　my　will。　Surely　Jove　must　have　counselled
  the　destruction　of　many　an　Argive。　Go；　now；　and　take　your　food　that　we
  may　begin　fighting。〃
  On　this　he　broke　up　the　assembly；　and　every　man　went　back　to　his　own
  ship。　The　Myrmidons　attended　to　the　presents　and　took　them　away　to　the
  ship　of　Achilles。　They　placed　them　in　his　tents；　while　the
  stable…men　drove　the　horses　in　among　the　others。
  Briseis；　fair　as　Venus；　when　she　saw　the　mangled　body　of
  Patroclus；　flung　herself　upon　it　and　cried　aloud；　tearing　her
  breast；　her　neck；　and　her　lovely　face　with　both　her　hands。　Beautiful
  as　a　goddess　she　wept　and　said；　〃Patroclus；　dearest　friend；　when　I
  went　hence　I　left　you　living；　I　return；　O　prince；　to　find　you　dead；
  thus　do　fresh　sorrows　multiply　upon　me　one　after　the　other。　I　saw
  him　to　whom　my　father　and　mother　married　me；　cut　down　before　our　city；
  and　my　three　own　dear　brothers　perished　with　him　on　the　self…same　day；
  but　you；　Patroclus；　even　when　Achilles　slew　my　husband　and　sacked
  the　city　of　noble　Mynes；　told　me　that　I　was　not　to　weep；　for　you
  said　you　would　make　Achilles　marry　me；　and　take　me　back　with　him　to
  Phthia；　we　should　have　a　wedding　feast　among　the　Myrmidons。　You　were
  always　kind　to　me　and　I　shall　never　cease　to　grieve　for　you。〃
  She　wept　as　she　spoke；　and　the　women　joined　in　her　lament…making
  as　though　their　tears　were　for　Patroclus；　but　in　truth　each　was
  weeping　for　her　own　sorrows。　The　elders　of　the　Achaeans　gathered　round
  Achilles　and　prayed　him　to　take　food；　but　he　groaned　and　would　not
  do　so。　〃I　pray　you；〃　said　he；　〃if　any　comrade　will　hear　me；　bid　me
  neither　eat　nor　drink；　for　I　am　in　great　heaviness；　and　will　stay
  fasting　even　to　the　going　down　of　the　sun。〃
  On　this　he　sent　the　other　princes　away；　save　only　the　two　sons　of
  Atreus　and　Ulysses；　Nestor；　Idomeneus；　and　the　knight　Phoenix；　who
  stayed　behind　and　tried　to　comfort　him　in　the　bitterness　of　his
  sorrow：　but　he　would　not　be　comforted　till　he　should　have　flung
  himself　into　the　jaws　of　battle；　and　he　fetched　sigh　on　sigh；　thinking
  ever　of　Patroclus。　Then　he　said…
  〃Hapless　and　dearest　comrade；　you　it　was　who　would　get　a　good　dinner
  ready　for　me　at　once　and　without　delay　when　the　Achaeans　were
  hasting　to　fight　the　Trojans；　now；　therefore；　though　I　have　meat　and
  drink　in　my　tents；　yet　will　I　fast　for　sorrow。　Grief　greater　than　this
  I　could　not　know；　not　even　though　I　were　to　hear　of　the　death　of　my
  father；　who　is　now　in　Phthia　weeping　for　the　loss　of　me　his　son；　who
  am　here　fighting　the　Trojans　in　a　strange　land　for　the　accursed　sake
  of　Helen；　nor　yet　though　I　should　hear　that　my　son　is　no　more…　he
  who　is　being　brought　up　in　Scyros…　if　indeed　Neoptolemus　is　still
  living。　Till　now　I　made　sure　that　I　alone　was　to　fall　here　at　Troy
  away　from　Argos；　while　you　were　to　return　to　Phthia；　bring　back　my　son
  with　you　in　your　own　ship；　and　show　him　all　my　property；　my
  bondsmen；　and　the　greatness　of　my　house…　for　Peleus　must　surely　be
  either　dead；　or　what　little　life　remains　to　him　is　oppressed　alike
  with　the　infirmities　of　age　and　ever　present　fear　lest　he　should
  hear　the　sad　tidings　of　my　death。〃
  He　wept　as　he　spoke；　and　the　elders　sighed　in　concert　as　each
  thought　on　what　he　had　left　at　home　behind　him。　The　son　of　Saturn
  looked　down　with　pity　upon　them；　and　said　presently　to　Minerva；　〃My
  child；　you　have　quite　deserted　your　hero；　is　he　then　gone　so　clean　out
  of　your　recollection？　There　he　sits　by　the　ships　all　desolate　for
  the　loss　of　his　dear　comrade；　and　though　the　others　are　gone　to
  their　dinner　he　will　neither　eat　nor　drink。　Go　then　and　drop　nectar
  and　ambrosia　into　his　breast；　that　he　may　know　no　hunger。〃
  With　these　words　he　urged　Minerva；　who　was　already　of　the　same　mind。
  She　darted　down　from　heaven　into　the　air　like　some　falcon　sailing　on
  his　broad　wings　and　screaming。　Meanwhile　the　Achaeans　were　arming
  throughout　the　host；　and　when　Minerva　had　dropped　nectar　and
  ambrosia　into　Achilles　so　that　no　cruel　hunger　should　cause　his
  limbs　to　fail　him；　she　went　back　to　the　house　of　her　mighty　father。
  Thick　as　the　chill　snow…flakes　shed　from　the　hand　of　Jove　and　borne　on
  the　keen　blasts　of　the　north　wind；　even　so　thick　did　the　gleaming
  helmets；　the　bossed　shields；　the　strongly　plated　breastplates；　and　the
  ashen　spears　stream　from　the　ships。　The　sheen　pierced　the　sky；　the
  whole　land　was　radiant　with　their　flashing　armour；　and　the　sound　of
  the　tramp　of　their　treading　rose　from　un