The Iliad of Homer (1873). HomerЧитать онлайн книгу.
ἐπὶ increasing its force, according to Stadelmann and Kühner, who are followed by Anthon. I have restored the old interpretation, which is much less far-fetched, and is placed beyond doubt by Virgil's imitations.--"per florea rura," Æn. i. 430; "floribus insidunt variis." Æn. vi. 708. "Among fresh dews and flowers, Fly to and fro."--Milton. P.L. i. 771.
Footnote 80: (return) I.e. over the flowers in the spring-time, when bees first appear. See Virg. l. c. Eurip. Hipp. 77, μέλισσα λειμῶν' ᾐρινὸν ὂιέρχεται.--Nicias, Anthol. i. 31, ἔαρ φαίνουσα μέλισσα.--Longus, i. 4.
Footnote 81: (return) Observe the distributive use of κατά. Cf. Od. iii. 7.
Footnote 82: (return) Mercury. Cf. Ovid. Met. i. 624. sqq.
Footnote 83: (return) On the extended power of Agamemnon, see Thucyd. i. 9.
Footnote 84: (return) On this sceptre, the type of the wealth and influence of the house of the Atrides, see Grote. vol. i. p. 212.
"O friends, Grecian heroes, servants of Mars, Jove, the son of Saturn, has entangled me in a heavy misfortune. Cruel, who before indeed promised to me, and vouchsafed by his nod, that I should return home, having destroyed well-fortified Ilium. But now he has devised an evil deception, and commands me to return to Argos, inglorious, after I have lost many of my people. So forsooth it appears to be agreeable to all-powerful Jove, who has already overthrown the citadels of many cities, yea, and will even yet overthrow them, for transcendent is his power. For this were disgraceful even for posterity to hear, that so brave and so numerous a people of the Greeks warred an ineffectual war, and fought with fewer men; but as yet no end has appeared. For if we, Greeks and Trojans, having struck a faithful league, 85 wished that both should be numbered, and [wished] to select the Trojans, on the one hand, as many as are townsmen; and if we Greeks, on the other hand, were to be divided into decades, and to choose a single man of the Trojans to pour out wine [for each decade], many decades would be without a cupbearer. 86 So much more numerous, I say, the sons of the Greeks are than the Trojans who dwell in the city. But there are spear-wielding auxiliaries from many cities, who greatly stand in my way, and do not permit me wishing to destroy the well-inhabited city. Already have nine years of mighty Jove passed away, and now the timbers of our ships have rotted, and the ropes have become untwisted. 87 Our wives and infant children sit in our dwellings expecting us; but to us the work for which we came hither remains unaccomplished, contrary to expectation. But come, as I shall recommend, let us all obey; let us fly with the ships to our dear native land, for at no future time shall we take wide-wayed Troy."
Footnote 85: (return) Ὂρκια is probably used as an adjective, understanding ὶερεῖα, the victims that were slain in order to ratify the oath. See however Buttm. Lexil. p. 439.
Footnote 86: (return) The Greeks doubled the Trojans in number. See Anthon.
Footnote 87: (return) Observe the change of construction in λέλυνται with the neuter plural. Apollon. de Syntaxi, iii. 11. Τὰ σπάρτα λέλυνται καταλληλότερον τοῦ δοῦρα σέσηπε.
Thus he spoke; and to them he aroused the heart in their breasts, to all throughout the multitude, whoever had not heard his scheme. 88 And the assembly was moved, as the great waves of the Icarian Sea, which, indeed, both the south-east wind and the south are wont to raise, 89 rushing from the clouds of father Jove. And as when the west wind 90 agitates the thick-standing corn, rushing down upon it impetuous, and it [the crop] bends with its ears; so was all the assembly agitated. Some with shouting rushed to the ships, but from beneath their feet the dust stood suspended aloft; and some exhorted one another to seize the vessels, and drag them to the great ocean; and they began to clear the channels. The shout of them, eager [to return] home, rose to the sky, and they withdrew the stays from beneath the vessels. Then truly a return had happened to the Argives, contrary to destiny, had not Juno addressed herself to Minerva:
Footnote 88: (return) I.e. his real object. Cf. vs. 75, sqq.
Footnote 89: (return) Spitzner and the later editors unite in reading κινήση for κινήσει from the Venice MS. See Arnold.
Footnote 90: (return)
----"As thick as when a field
Of Ceres, ripe for harvest, waving bends
Her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind
Sways them."--Paradise Lost, iv. 980.
"Alas! indomitable daughter of ægis-bearing Jove, thus now shall the Argives fly home to their dear native land, over the broad back of the deep, and leave to Priam glory, and to the Trojans Argive Helen, on whose account many Greeks have perished at Troy, far from their dear native land? But go now to the people of the brazen-mailed Greeks, and restrain each man with thy own flattering words, nor suffer them to launch to the sea their evenly-plied 91 barks." Thus she spoke, nor did the azure-eyed goddess Minerva refuse compliance. But she, hastening, descended down from the summits of Olympus, and quickly reached the swift ships of the Achæans. Then she found Ulysses, of equal weight with Jove in counsel, standing still; nor was he touching his well-benched, sable bark, since regret affected him in heart and mind. But standing near him, azure-eyed Minerva said:
Footnote 91: (return) I.e. rowed on both sides. But Rost and Liddell (s.v.) prefer "swaying, rocking on both sides."
"Jove-sprung son of Laertes, Ulysses of many wiles, thus then will ye fly home to your dear native land, embarking in your many-benched ships? And will ye then leave to Priam glory, and to the Trojans Argive Helen, on whose account many Greeks have fallen at Troy, far from their dear native land? But go now to the people of the Greeks, delay not; and restrain each man by thy own flattering words, nor suffer them to launch to the sea their evenly-plied barks."
Thus she spoke, but he knew the voice of the goddess speaking. Then he hastened to run, and cast away his cloak, but the herald Eurybates, the Ithacensian, who followed him, took it up. But he, meeting Agamemnon, son of Atreus, received from him 92 the ever-imperishable paternal sceptre, with which he went through the ships of the brazen-mailed Greeks.