Ἤτοι ὅ γ' ὡς εἰπὼν κατ' ἄρ ἕζετο: τοῖσι δ' ἀνέστη
Κάλχας Θεστορίδης οἰωνοπόλων ὄχ' ἄριστος:
ὃς ᾔδη τά τ' εόντα: τά τ' ἐσσόμενα: πρό τ' ἐόντα:
καὶ νήεσς' ἡγήσατ' Ἀχαιῶν Ἴ̈λιον εἴσω
ἣν διὰ μαντοσύνην: τήν οἱ πόρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων:
ὅ σφιν ἔϋ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν:
ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ κέλεαί με Διῒ φίλε μυθήσασθαι
μῆνιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκατηβελέταο ἄνακτος:
τοὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω: σὺ δὲ σύνθεο: καί μοι όμοσσον
ὴ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν:
ἦ γὰρ ὀΐομαι ἄνδρα χολωσέμεν: ὃς μέγα πάντων
Ἀργείων κρατέει: καί οἱ πείθονται Ἀχαιοί:
κρείσσων γὰρ βασιλεὺς ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ:
εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον γε καὶ αὐτῆμαρ καταπέψῃ:
ἀλλάτε καὶ μετόπισθεν ἔχει κότον: ὄφρα τελέσσῃ
ἐν στήθεσσιν, ἑοῖσι: σὺ δὲ φράσαι εἴ με σαώσεις:
When he had thus spoken he sat down, and among them arose Calchas son of Thestor, far the best of bird-diviners, who knew the things that were, and that were to be, and that had been before, and who had guided the ships of the Achaeans to Ilios by his own prophetic powers which Phoebus Apollo had bestowed upon him. He with good intent addressed the gathering, and spoke among them: "Achilles, dear to Zeus, you bid me declare the wrath of Apollo, the lord who strikes from afar. Therefore I will speak; but take thought and swear that you will readily defend me with word and with might of hand; for I think I shall anger a man who rules mightily over all the Argives, and whom the Achaeans obey. For mightier is a king, when he is angry at a lesser man. Even if he swallows down his wrath for that day, yet afterwards he cherishes resentment in his heart till he brings it to fulfillment. Say then, if you will keep me safe."
