ἦ καὶ Νέστορος υἷας ὀπάσσατο κυδαλίμοιο
Φυλείδην τε Μέγητα: Θόαντά τε Μηριόνην τε:
καὶ Κρειοντιάδην Λυκομήδεα καὶ Μελάνιππον:
βάν δ' ἴμεν ἐς κλισίην Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρείδαο:
αὐτίκ' ἔπειθ' ἅμα μῦθος ἔην: τετέλεστο δὲ ἔργον:
ἑπτὰ μὲν ἐκ κλισίης τρίποδας φέρον οὕς οἵ ὑπέστη
αἴθονας δὲ λέβητας ἐείκοσι: δώδεκα δ' ἵππους:
ἐκ δ' ἄγον αἶψα γυναῖκας: ἀμύμονα ἔργ' εἰδυίας.
ἕπτ': ἀτὰρ ὀγδοάτην Βρισηίδα καλλιπάρῃον
χρυσοῦ δὲ στήσας Ὀδυσεὺς δέκα πάντα τάλαντα
ἦρχ'. ἅμα δ' ἄλλοι δῶρα φέρον κούρητες Ἀχαιῶν:
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν μέσσῃ ἀγορῇ θέσαν ἀν δ' Ἀγαμέμνων
ἵστατο: Ταλθύβιος δὲ θεῷ ἐναλίγκϊος αὐδήν
κάπρον ἔχων ἐγ χειρὶ παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν
Ἀτρείδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος χείρεσσι μάχαιραν
ἥ, οἱ πὰρ ξίφεος μέγα κουλεὸν αἰὲν ἄωρτο:
κάπρου ἀπὸ τρίχας ἀρξάμενος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχών
εὔχετο: τοὶ δ' ἄρα πάντες ἐπ' αὐτόφιν εἵατο σιγῇ
Ἀργεῖοι κατὰ μοῖραν ἀκούοντες βασιλῆος
εὐξάμενος δ' ἄρα εἶπεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν:
ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄριστος:
Γῆ τε καὶ Ἠέλιος καὶ Ἐρινύες αἵ θ' ὑπὸ γαῖαν
ἀνθρώπους τίνυνται ὅτις κ' ἐπίορκον ὀμόσση:
μὴ μὲν ἐγὼ κούρῃ Βρισηίδι χεῖρ' επενεῖκαι:
οὔτ' εὐνῆς πρόφασιν κεχρημένος οὔτέ τευ ἄλλου:
ἀλλ' ἔμεν' ἀπροτίμαστος ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἐμῇσιν
εἰ δέ τι τῶνδ' ἐπίορκον, ἐμοὶ θεοὶ ἄλγεα δοῖεν:
πολλὰ μάλ' ὅσσα διδοῦσιν ὅστίς σφ' ἀλίτηται ὀμόσσας:
He spake, and took to him the sons of glorious Nestor, and Meges, son of Phyleus, and Thoas and Meriones and Lycomedes, son of Creon, and Melanippus; and they went their way to the hut of Agamemnon, son of Atreus. Then straightway in the one moment was the word said, and the deed fulfilled. Seven tripods bare they from the hut, even as he promised him, and twenty gleaming cauldrons and twelve horses; and forth they speedily led women skilled in goodly handiwork; seven they were, and the eighth was fair-cheeked Briseis. Then Odysseus weighed out ten talents of gold in all, and led the way and with him the other youths of the Achaeans bare the gifts. These then they set in the midst of the place of gathering, and Agamemnon rose up, and Talthybius, whose voice was like a god's, took his stand by the side of the shepherd of the people, holding a boar in his hands. And the son of Atreus drew forth with his hand the knife that ever hung beside the great sheath of his sword, and cut the firstling hairs from the boar, and lifting up his hands made prayer to Zeus; and all the Argives sat thereby in silence, hearkening as was meet unto the king. And he spake in prayer, with a look up to the wide heaven: "Be Zeus my witness first, highest and best of gods, and Earth and Sun, and the Erinyes, that under earth take vengeance on men, whosoever hath sworn a false oath, that never laid I hand upon the girl Briseis either by way of a lover's embrace or anywise else, but she ever abode untouched in my huts. And if aught of this oath be false, may the gods give me woes full many, even all that they are wont to give to him whoso sinneth against them in his swearing."
