Iliad

Thus did he speak, and the Achaeans rejoiced in that he had put away his anger [ mênis ]. Then Agamemnon spoke, rising in his place, and not going into the middle of the assembly. "Danaan heroes," said he, "squires [ therapontes ] of Ares, it is well to listen when a man stands up to speak, and it is not seemly to interrupt him, or it will go hard even with a practiced speaker. Who can either hear or speak in an uproar? Even the finest orator will be disconcerted by it. I will expound to the son of Peleus, and do you other Achaeans heed me and mark me well. Often have the Achaeans spoken to me of this matter and upbraided me, but it was not I who was responsible [ aitios ]: Zeus, and Fate [ Moira ], and Erinys that walks in darkness struck me with derangement [ atê ] when we were assembled on the day that I took from Achilles the prize that had been awarded to him. What could I do? All things are in the hand of heaven, and Atê , eldest of Zeus' daughters, shuts men's eyes to their destruction. She walks delicately, not on the solid earth, but hovers over the heads of men to make them stumble or to ensnare them.

IliadBook 19, Line 74Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 19

HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-19-74