Verse
Iliad
Book 24, Line 77 by Samuel Butler (English)
On this Iris fleet as the wind went forth to carry his message. Down she plunged into the dark sea [ pontos ] midway between Samos and rocky Imbros; the waters hissed as they closed over her, and she sank into the bottom as the lead at the end of an ox-horn, that is sped to carry death to fishes. She found Thetis sitting in a great cave with the other sea-goddesses gathered round her; there she sat in the midst of them weeping for her noble son who was to fall far from his own land, on the fertile plains of Troy . Iris went up to her and said, "Rise Thetis; Zeus, whose counsels fail not, bids you come to him." And Thetis answered, "Why does the mighty god so bid me? I am in great grief [ akhos ], and shrink from going in and out among the immortals. Still, I will go, and the word that he may speak shall not be spoken in vain."
IliadBook 24, Line 77Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 24
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-24-77