ἠτοι ὅ γ' ὣς εἰπὼν κατὰρ ἕζετο: τοῖσι δ' ἀνέστη
ἥρως Ἀτρείδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
ἀχνύμενος: μένεος δὲ μέγα φρένες ἀμφιμέλαιναι
πίμπλαντ': ὄσσε δέ οἱ πυρὶ λαμπετόωντι ἐΐκτην:
Κάλχαντα πρώτιστα κὰκ' ὀσσόμενος προσέειπε:
μάντι κακῶν: οὐ πώ ποτε μοι τὸ κρήγυον εἶπες:
αἰεί τοι τὰ κάκ' ἐστὶ φίλα φρεσὶ μαντεύεσθαι:
ἐσθλὸν δ' οὐδέ τί πω εἶπες ἔπος οὐδ' ἐτέλεσσας:
καὶ νῦν ἐν Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπέων ἀγορεύεις
ὡς δὴ τοῦδ' ἕνεκά σφιν ἑκηβόλος ἄλγεα τεύχει:
οὕνεκ' ἐγὼ κούρης Χρυσηΐδος ἀγλὰ' ἄποινα
οὐκ έθελον δέξασθαι. ἐπεὶ πολὺ βούλομαι αὐτὴν
οἴκοι ἔχειν: καὶ γάρ ῥα Κλυταιμν̈ήστρης προβέβουλα
κουριδίης ἀλόχου. ἐπεὶ οὔ ἑθέν ἐστι χερείων.
οὐ δέμας. οὐδὲ φυὴν: οὔτ' ὰρ φρένας οὐτέ τι ἔργα:
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἐθέλω δόμεναι πάλιν εἰ τό γ' ἄμεινον:
βούλομ' ἐγὼ λαὸν σόον ἔμμεναι ἠ ἀπολέσθαι:
αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ γέρας αὐτίχ' ἑτοιμάσατ'. ὄφρα μὴ οἶος
Ἀργείων ἀγέραστος ἔω: ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἔοικε:
λεύσσετε γὰρ τό γε πάντες ὅ μοι γέρας ἔρχεται ἄλλῃ:
When he had thus spoken he sat down, and among them arose the warrior, son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, deeply troubled. With rage his black heart was wholly filled, and his eyes were like blazing fire. To Calchas first of all he spoke, and his look threatened evil: "Prophet of evil, never yet have you spoken to me a pleasant thing; ever is evil dear to your heart to prophesy, but a word of good you have never yet spoken, nor brought to pass. And now among the Danaans you claim in prophecy that for this reason the god who strikes from afar brings woes upon them, that I would not accept the glorious ransom for the girl, the daughter of Chryses, since I much prefer to keep her in my home. For certainly I prefer her to Clytemnestra, my wedded wife, since she is not inferior to her, either in form or in stature, or in mind, or in any handiwork. Yet even so will I give her back, if that is better; I would rather the people be safe than perish. But provide me with a prize of honour forthwith, lest I alone of the Argives be without one, since that would not be proper. For you all see this, that my prize goes elsewhere."
