Τὸν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς.
διογενὲς. Λαερτιάδη. πολυμήχαν' Ὀδυσσεῦ.
χρὴ μὲν δὴ τὸν μῦθον ἀπηλεγέως ἀποειπεῖν
ᾗ περ δὴ κρανέω τε καὶ ὡς τετελεσμένον ἔσται:
ὡς μή μοι τρύζητε παρήμενοσ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος:
ἐχθρὸς γάρ μοι κεῖνος ὁμῶς Ἀΐδαο πύλῃσιν.
ὅς χ' ἕτερον μὲν κεύθῃ ἐνὶ φρεσίν. ἄλλο δὲ εἴπῃ.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν, ἐρέω. ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα:
οὔτ' ἔμεγ' Ἀτρείδην Ἀγαμέμνονα πεισέμεν οἴω
οὔτ' ἄλλους Δαναούς. ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρα τις χάρις ἦεν
μάρνασθαι δηίοισι ἐπ' ἀνδράσι, νωλεμὲς αἰεί:
ἴ̈ση μοῖρᾳ μένοντι. καὶ εἰ μάλα τις πολεμίζῃ:
ἐν δὲ ϊῇ τιμῇ. ἠμὲν κακὸς. ἠδὲ καὶ ἐσθλός:
κάτθαν' ὁμῶς. ὅ τ' ἀεργὸς ἀνὴρ. ὅ, τε πολλὰ ἐοργώς:
οὐδ' έτι μοι περίκειται. ἐπεὶ πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ.
αἰεὶ ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παραβαλλόμενος πολεμίζειν:
ὡς δ' ὄρνις ἀπτῆσι, νεοσσοῖσι προφέρῃσι
μάστακ' ἐπεί κε λάβῃσι. κακῶς δέ τε οἱ πέλει αὐτῇ:
ὡς καὶ ἐγὼ. πολλὰς μὲν ἀΰπνους νύκτας ἴ̈αυον.
ἤματα δ' αἱματόεντα διέπρησσον πολεμίζων.
ἀνδράσι μαρνάμενος οάρων ἕνεκα σφετεράων:
Then in answer to him spake swift-footed Achilles: "Zeus-born son of Laërtes, Odysseus of many wiles, needs must I verily speak my word outright, even as I am minded, and as it shall be brought to pass, that ye sit not by me here on this side and on that and prate endlessly. For hateful in my eyes, even as the gates of Hades, is that man that hideth one thing in his mind and sayeth another. Nay, I will speak what seemeth to me to be best. Not me, I ween, shall Atreus' son, Agamemnon, persuade, nor yet shall the other Danaans, seeing there were to be no thanks, it seemeth, for warring against the foeman ever without respite. Like portion hath he that abideth at home, and if one warreth his best, and in one honour are held both the coward and the brave; death cometh alike to the idle man and to him that worketh much. Neither have I aught of profit herein, that I suffered woes at heart, ever staking my life in fight. Even as a bird bringeth in her bill to her unfledged chicks whatever she may find, but with her own self it goeth ill, even so was I wont to watch through many a sleepless night, and bloody days did I pass in battle, fighting with warriors for their women's sake.
