Verse
Iliad
Book 9, Line 32 by Samuel Butler (English)
"Son of Atreus, I will chide your folly, as is my right [themis] in council. Be not then aggrieved that I should do so. In the first place you attacked me before all the Danaans and said that I was a coward and no warrior. The Argives young and old know that you did so. But the son of scheming Kronos endowed you by halves only. He gave you honor as the chief ruler over us, but valor, which is the highest both right and might he did not give you. Sir, think you that the sons of the Achaeans are indeed as unwarlike and cowardly as you say they are? If your own mind is set upon going home - go - the way is open to you; the many ships that followed you from Mycenae stand ranged upon the seashore; but the rest of us stay here till we have sacked Troy . Nay though these too should turn homeward with their ships, Sthenelos and myself will still fight on till we reach the goal of Ilion , for heaven was with us when we came."
IliadBook 9, Line 32Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 9
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-9-32