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iliad10-第34章

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he has now done; naynot though it be all that he has in the
world; both now or ever shall have; he may promise me the wealth
of Orchomenus or of Egyptian Thebes; which is the richest city in
the whole world; for it has a hundred gates through each of which
two hundred men may drive at once with their chariots and horses;
he may offer me gifts as the sands of the sea or the dust of the
plain in multitude; but even so he shall not move me till I have
been revenged in full for the bitter wrong he has done me。 I will
not marry his daughter; she may be fair as Venus; and skilful as
Minerva; but I will have none of her: let another take her; who
may be a good match for her and who rules a larger kingdom。 If
the gods spare me to return home; Peleus will find me a wife;
there are Achaean women in Hellas and Phthia; daughters of kings
that have cities under them; of these I can take whom I will and
marry her。 Many a time was I minded when at home in Phthia to woo
and wed a woman who would make me a suitable wife; and to enjoy
the riches of my old father Peleus。 My life is more to me than
all the wealth of Ilius while it was yet at peace before the
Achaeans went there; or than all the treasure that lies on the
stone floor of Apollo's temple beneath the cliffs of Pytho。
Cattle and sheep are to be had for harrying; and a man buy both
tripods and horses if he wants them; but when his life has once
left him it can neither be bought nor harried back again。

〃My mother Thetis tells me that there are two ways in which I may
meet my end。 If I stay here and fight; I shall not return alive
but my name will live for ever: whereas if I go home my name will
die; but it will be long ere death shall take me。 To the rest of
you; then; I say; 'Go home; for you will not take Ilius。' Jove
has held his hand over her to protect her; and her people have
taken heart。 Go; therefore; as in duty bound; and tell the
princes of the Achaeans the message that I have sent them; tell
them to find some other plan for the saving of their ships and
people; for so long as my displeasure lasts the one that they
have now hit upon may not be。 As for Phoenix; let him sleep here
that he may sail with me in the morning if he so will。 But I
will not take him by force。〃

They all held their peace; dismayed at the sternness with which
he had denied them; till presently the old knight Phoenix in his
great fear for the ships of the Achaeans; burst into tears and
said; 〃Noble Achilles; if you are now minded to return; and in
the fierceness of your anger will do nothing to save the ships
from burning; how; my son; can I remain here without you? Your
father Peleus bade me go with you when he sent you as a mere lad
from Phthia to Agamemnon。 You knew nothing neither of war nor of
the arts whereby men make their mark in council; and he sent me
with you to train you in all excellence of speech and action。
Therefore; my son; I will not stay here without youno; not
though heaven itself vouchsafe to strip my years from off me; and
make me young as I was when I first left Hellas the land of fair
women。 I was then flying the anger of father Amyntor; son of
Ormenus; who was furious with me in the matter of his concubine;
of whom he was enamoured to the wronging of his wife my mother。
My mother; therefore; prayed me without ceasing to lie with the
woman myself; that so she hate my father; and in the course of
time I yielded。 But my father soon came to know; and cursed me
bitterly; calling the dread Erinyes to witness。 He prayed that no
son of mine might ever sit upon kneesand the gods; Jove of the
world below and awful Proserpine; fulfilled his curse。 I took
counsel to kill him; but some god stayed my rashness and bade me
think on men's evil tongues and how I should be branded as the
murderer of my father; nevertheless I could not bear to stay in
my father's house with him so bitter a against me。 My cousins and
clansmen came about me; and pressed me sorely to remain; many a
sheep and many an ox did they slaughter; and many a fat hog did
they set down to roast before the fire; many a jar; too; did they
broach of my father's wine。 Nine whole nights did they set a
guard over me taking it in turns to watch; and they kept a fire
always burning; both in the cloister of the outer court and in
the inner court at the doors of the room wherein I lay; but when
the darkness of the tenth night came; I broke through the closed
doors of my room; and climbed the wall of the outer court after
passing quickly and unperceived through the men on guard and the
women servants。 I then fled through Hellas till I came to fertile
Phthia; mother of sheep; and to King Peleus; who made me wele
and treated me as a father treats an only son who will be heir to
all his wealth。 He made me rich and set me over much people;
establishing me on the borders of Phthia where I was chief ruler
over the Dolopians。

〃It was I; Achilles; who had the making of you; I loved you with
all my heart: for you would eat neither at home nor when you had
gone out elsewhere; till I had first set you upon my knees; cut
up the dainty morsel that you were to eat; and held the wine…cup
to your lips。 Many a time have you slobbered your wine in baby
helplessness over my shirt; I had infinite trouble with you; but
I knew that heaven had vouchsafed me no offspring of my own; and
I made a son of you; Achilles; that in my hour of need you might
protect me。 Now; therefore; I say battle with your pride and beat
it; cherish not your anger for ever; the might and majesty of
heaven are more than ours; but even heaven may be appeased; and
if a man has sinned he prays the gods; and reconciles them to
himself by his piteous cries and by frankincense; with
drink…offerings and the savour of burnt sacrifice。 For prayers
are as daughters to great Jove; halt; wrinkled; with eyes
askance; they follow in the footsteps of sin; who; being fierce
and fleet of foot; leaves them far behind him; and ever baneful
to mankind outstrips them even to the ends of the world; but
nevertheless the prayers e hobbling and healing after。 If a
man has pity upon these daughters of Jove when they draw near
him; they will bless him and hear him too when he is praying; but
if he deny them and will not listen to them; they go to Jove the
son of Saturn and pray that he may presently fall into sinto
his ruing bitterly hereafter。 Therefore; Achilles; give these
daughters of Jove due reverence; and bow before them as all good
men will bow。 Were not the son of Atreus offering you gifts and
promising others laterif he were still furious and implacable
I am not he that would bid you throw off your anger and help the
Achaeans; no matter how great their need; but he is giving much
now; and more hereafter; he has sent his captains to urge his
suit; and has chosen those who of all the Argives are most
acceptable to you; make not then their words and their ing to
be of none effect。 Your anger has been righteous so far。 We have
heard in song how heroes of old time quarrelled when they were
roused to fury; but still they could be won by gifts; and fair
words could soothe them。

〃I have an old story in my minda very old onebut you are all
friends and I will tell it。 The Curetes and the Aetolians were
fighting and killing one another round Calydonthe Aetolians
defending the city and the Curetes trying to destroy it。 For
Diana of the golden throne was angry and did them hurt because
Oeneus had not offered her his harvest first…fruits。 The other
gods had all been feasted with hecatombs; but to the daughter of
great Jove alone he had made no sacrifice。 He had forgotten her;
or somehow or other it had escaped him; and this was a grievous
sin。 Thereon the archer goddess in her displeasure sent a
prodigious creature against hima savage wild boar with great
white tusks that did much harm to his orchard lands; uprooting
apple…trees in full bloom and throwing them to the ground。 But
Meleager son of Oeneus got huntsmen and hounds from many cities
and killed itfor it was so monstrous that not a few were
needed; and many a man did it stretch upon his funeral pyre。 On
this the goddess set the Curetes an
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