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475—508.
ILIAD. I.
17

he listened. But when the sun had set, and darkness came on, then they slept near the hawsers of their ships. But when the mother of dawn,[1] rosy-fingered morning, appeared, straightway then they set sail for the spacious camp of the Achæans, and to them far-darting Apollo sent a favorable gale. But they erected the mast and expanded the white sails. The wind streamed[2] into the bosom of the sail; and as the vessel briskly ran, the dark wave roared loudly around the keel; but she scudded through the wave, holding on her way. But when they reached the wide armament of the Greeks, they drew up the black ship on the continent, far upon the sand, and stretched long props under it; but they dispersed themselves through their tents and ships.

But the Jove-sprung son of Peleus, swift-footed Achilles, continued his wrath, sitting at his swift ships, nor ever did he frequent the assembly of noble heroes, nor the fight, but he pined away his dear heart, remaining there, although he longed for the din and the battle.

Now when the twelfth morning from that time arose,[3] then indeed all the gods who are forever went together to Olympus, but Jupiter preceded. But Thetis was not forgetful of the charges of her son, but she emerged from the wave of the sea, and at dawn ascended lofty heaven and Olympus;[4] and she found the far-seeing son of Saturn sitting apart from the others, on the highest summit of many-peaked Olympus, and then she sat down before him, and embraced his knees with her left hand, but with the right taking him by the chin, imploring, she thus addressed king Jove, the son of Saturn:

"O father Jove, if ever I have aided thee among the immortals, either in word or deed, accomplish for me this desire: honor my son, who is the most short-lived of others; for now indeed Agamemnon, the king of men, has disgraced him; for he possesses his prize, he himself having borne it away. Do thou at least, Olympian Jove all counseling,

  1. See Loewe on Odyss. ii. 1, and my translation. Kennedy renders it "ushering in the dawn."
  2. See Buttm. p. 484. I am partly indebted to Anthon in rendering this expression.
  3. Cf. verse 425.
  4. Ούρανός is here the upper clear region of air—the ether, into which Olympus soared up.—Voss.