ἀλλ' Ἀχιλεῦ. δάμασον θυμὸν μέγαν: οὐδέ τι σε χρὴ
νηλεὲς ῆτορ ἔχειν: στρεπτοὶ δέ τε καὶ θεοὶ αὐτοὶ.
τῶν περ καὶ μείζων ἀρετὴ. τιμή τε. βίη τε:
καὶ μὲν τοὺς θυέεσσι: καὶ εὐχωλῇ σ' ἀγανῇσι.
λοιβῇ τε, κνίσῃ τε. παρατρωπῶσ' ἄνθρωποι
λισσόμενοι. ὅτε κέν τις ὑπερβήῃ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ:
καὶ γάρ τε λιταί εἰσι Διὸς. κοῦραι μεγάλοιο:
χωλαί τε. ῥυσαί τε. παραβλῶπές τ' ὀφθαλμών:
αἵ ῥά τε καὶ μετόπισθ' ἄτης ἀλέγουσι κιοῦσαι:
ἣ δ`' ἄτη, σθεναρή τε καὶ ἀρτίπος, οὕνεκα πάσας
πολλὸν ὑπ' εκπροθέει: φθά̄νει δέ τε πᾶσαν ἐπ' αῖαν
βλάπτουσ' ἀνθρώπους: αἳ δ' ἐξακέονται ὀπίσσω:
ὃς μέν τ' αἰδέσεται κούρας Διὸς ἆσσον ϊούσας.
τὸν δὲ μέγ' ὤνησαν: καί τ' ἔκλυον εὐξαμένοιο:
ὃς δέ κ' ἀνῄνηται: καί τε στερεῶς ἀποείπῃ:
λίσσονται δ' ἄρα ταί γε Δία Κρονίωνα κιοῦσαι.
τῷ ἄτην ἅμ' ἕπεσθαι. ἵνα βλαφθεὶς ἀποτίσῃ:
ἀλλ`' Ἀχιλεῦ πόρε καὶ σὺ Διὸς κούρῃσιν ἕπεσθαι
τιμὴν. ἥ τ' ἄλλων περ ἐπιγνάμπτει νόον ἐσθλῶν:
εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ δῶρα φέροι. τὰ δ' ὄπισθ' ὀνομάζοι
Ἀτρείδης ἀλλ' αἰὲν ἐπιζαφελῶς χαλεπαίνοι.
οὐκ ὰν ἔγωγέ σε, μῆνιν ἀπορρίψαντα: κελοίμην
Ἀργείοισιν ἀμυνέμεναι. χατέουσί περ ἔμπης:
νῦν δ' ἅμα τ' αὐτίκα πολλὰ διδοῖ. τά δ' ὄπισθεν ὑπέστη:
ἄνδρας δὲ λίσσεσθαι ἐπιπροἕηκεν ἀρίστους
κρινάμενος κατα λαὸν Ἀχαιϊκὸν. οἵ τε σοὶ αὐτῷ
φίλτατοι Ἀργείων: τῶν μὴ σύ γε μῦθον ἐλέγξῃς
μὴ δὲ πόδας: πρὶν δ' οὔ τι νεμεσσητὸν κεχολῶσθαι:
οὕτω καὶ τῶν πρόσθεν ἐπευθόμεθα κλέα ἀνδρῶν
ἡρώων. ὅτε κέν τιν' ἐπιζάφελος χόλος ί̄̈κοι:
δωρητοί τε πέλοντο παράρητοί τ' ἐπέεσσι:
μέμνημαι: τόδε ἔργον ἐγὼ πάλαι οὔ τι νέον γε
ὡς ἦν: ἐν δ' ὑμῖν ἐρέω πάντεσσι φίλοισι:
" Wherefore Achilles, do thou master thy proud spirit; it beseemeth thee not to have a pitiless heart. Nay, even the very gods can bend, and theirs withal is more excellent worth and honour and might. Their hearts by incense and reverent vows and libations and the savour of sacrifice do men turn from wrath with supplication, whenso any man transgresseth and doeth sin. For Prayers are the daughters of great Zeus, halting and wrinkled and of eyes askance, and they are ever mindful to follow in the steps of Sin. Howbeit Sin is strong and fleet of foot, wherefore she far out-runneth them all, and goeth before them over the face of all the earth making men to fall, and Prayers follow after, seeking to heal the hurt. Now whoso revereth the daughters of Zeus when they draw nigh, him they greatly bless, and hear him, when he prayeth; but if a man denieth them and stubbornly refuseth, then they go their way and make prayer to Zeus, son of Cronos, that Ate may follow after such a one to the end that he may fall and pay full atonement. Nay, Achilles, see thou too that reverence attend upon the daughters of Zeus, even such as bendeth the hearts of all men that are upright. For if the son of Atreus were not offering thee gifts and telling of yet others hereafter, but were ever furiously wroth, I of a surety should not bid thee cast aside thine anger and bear aid to the Argives even in their sore need. But now he offereth thee many gifts forthwith, and promiseth thee more hereafter, and hath sent forth warriors to beseech thee, choosing them that are best throughout the host of the Achaeans, and that to thine own self are dearest of the Argives; have not thou scorn of their words, neither of their coming hither; though till then no man could blame thee that thou wast wroth. Even in this manner have we heard the fame of men of old that were warriors, whenso furious wrath came upon any; won might they be by gifts, and turned aside by pleadings. Myself I bear in mind this deed of old days and not of yesterday, how it was; and I will tell it among you that are all my friends.
