thee shall I end, and with thee shall I commence. Since thou art a king of many nations, and Jove hath placed in thine hands both a scepter and laws, that thou mayest consult for their advantage. Therefore is it necessary that thou in particular shouldst deliver and hear an opinion, and also accomplish that of another, when his mind urges any one to speak for the [public] good; but on thee will depend whatever takes the lead. Yet will I speak as appears to me to be best. For no other person will propound a better opinion than that which I meditate, both of old and also now, from that period when thou, O nobly born, didst depart, carrying off the maid Briseïs from the tent of the enraged Achilles; by no means according to my judgment; for I very strenuously dissuaded thee from it: but having yielded to thy haughty temper, thou didst dishonor the bravest hero, whom even the immortals have honored; for, taking away his reward, thou still retainest it. Yet even now let us deliberate how we may succeed in persuading him, appeasing him with agreeable gifts and soothing words."
But him the king of men, Agamemnon, again addressed: "Old man, thou hast not falsely enumerated my errors. I have erred, nor do I myself deny it. That man indeed is equivalent to many troops, whom Jove loves in his heart, as now he hath honored this man, and subdued the people of the Greeks. But since I erred, having yielded to my way-ward disposition, I desire again to appease him, and to give him invaluable presents. Before you all will I enumerate the distinguished gifts: seven tripods untouched by fire,[1] and ten talents of gold, and twenty shining caldrons, and twelve stout steeds, victorious in the race, which have borne off prizes by their feet. No pauper would the man be, nor in want of precious gold, to whom as many prizes belong as [these] solid-hoofed steeds have brought to me. I will likewise give seven beautiful Lesbian women, skillful in faultless works; whom I selected when he himself took well-inhabited Lesbos, who excel the race of woman in beauty. These will I give him, and among them will be her whom then I took away, the daughter of Briseïs; and I will swear moreover a mighty oath, that I never ascended her bed, nor embraced
- ↑ i. e., not yet brought into common use.
