Homer · Complete work
Chryses and the Sminthian (lines 8–52)
Chryses and the Sminthian (lines 8–52) of 7. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
τίς τʼ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι;Λητοῦς καὶ Διὸς υἱός· ὃ γὰρ βασιλῆϊ χολωθεὶςνοῦσον ἀνὰ στρατὸν ὄρσε κακήν, ὀλέκοντο δὲ λαοί,οὕνεκα τὸν Χρύσην ἠτίμασεν ἀρητῆραἈτρεΐδης· ὃ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶνλυσόμενός τε θύγατρα φέρων τʼ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα,στέμματʼ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνοςχρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ, καὶ λίσσετο πάντας Ἀχαιούς,Ἀτρεΐδα δὲ μάλιστα δύω, κοσμήτορε λαῶν·Ἀτρεΐδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί,ὑμῖν μὲν θεοὶ δοῖεν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντεςἐκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, εὖ δʼ οἴκαδʼ ἱκέσθαι·παῖδα δʼ ἐμοὶ λύσαιτε φίλην, τὰ δʼ ἄποινα δέχεσθαι,ἁζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν ἑκηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα.ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶαἰδεῖσθαί θʼ ἱερῆα καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα·ἀλλʼ οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,ἀλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δʼ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε·μή σε γέρον κοίλῃσιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κιχείωἢ νῦν δηθύνοντʼ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα,μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμῃ σκῆπτρον καὶ στέμμα θεοῖο·τὴν δʼ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω· πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισινἡμετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ ἐν Ἄργεϊ τηλόθι πάτρηςἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντιόωσαν·ἀλλʼ ἴθι μή μʼ ἐρέθιζε σαώτερος ὥς κε νέηαι.ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ ὃ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ·βῆ δʼ ἀκέων παρὰ θῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης·πολλὰ δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθʼ ὁ γεραιὸςἈπόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ·κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξʼ, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκαςΚίλλαν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις,Σμινθεῦ εἴ ποτέ τοι χαρίεντʼ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,ἢ εἰ δή ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρίʼ ἔκηαταύρων ἠδʼ αἰγῶν, τὸ δέ μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ·τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,βῆ δὲ κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων χωόμενος κῆρ,τόξʼ ὤμοισιν ἔχων ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην·ἔκλαγξαν δʼ ἄρʼ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπʼ ὤμων χωομένοιο,αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος· ὃ δʼ ἤϊε νυκτὶ ἐοικώς.ἕζετʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν, μετὰ δʼ ἰὸν ἕηκε·δεινὴ δὲ κλαγγὴ γένετʼ ἀργυρέοιο βιοῖο·οὐρῆας μὲν πρῶτον ἐπῴχετο καὶ κύνας ἀργούς,αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ αὐτοῖσι βέλος ἐχεπευκὲς ἐφιεὶςβάλλʼ· αἰεὶ δὲ πυραὶ νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί.
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete Greek text of Book 1 (611 lines, Perseus Digital Library edition) for fidelity, epic force, Homeric epithet and simile, and scene structure.
The son of Leto and of Zeus. He, angered by the king,sicked a wasting plague on the army, and the men died dying,because the son of Atreus had dishonored Chryses the priest.For the priest had come to the Achaean's fast shipsto ransom his daughter, holding wreathed staff and laurel boughof the Far-Shooter, and all the Achaeans pleaded with him,the sons of Atreus above all, the marshal men of both armies.But it pleased the heart of Atreus' son, Agamemnon, to disgrace him.Harshly he sent him away, and laid a heavy word upon him:"Old man, do not let me find you lingering by the hollow ships,now, or coming back later — or the god's wreath and staffwill not save you. Her I will not set free. Old age will take her first,far from her country, in Argos, in my house,where she will work at the loom and share my bed. Go — do not anger me,so you may return in safety." So he spoke, and the old man feared himand obeyed the word, going in silence along the roar of the sea-bank.But when he had gone far from the camp, the old man prayedto Lord Apollo, whom fair-haired Leto bore:"Hear me, god of the silver bow, who stand over Chryse and holy Killa,who rule Tenedos with might — Sminthian, if ever I roofed for you a pleasing shrine,if ever I burned for you rich thighbones of bulls and goats,bring to pass this prayer for me: let the Danaans pay for my tearswith your arrows." So he spoke in prayer, and Phoebus Apollo heard him.Down from the peaks of Olympus he came, his heart full of fury,the bow and covered quiver on his shoulders; the arrows rattledon the shoulder of the wrathful god as he moved, and his coming was like night.Then he knelt apart from the ships, and let fly — and terriblerang the twang of the silver bow. First he struck the mules and the swift hounds,but then, letting go a piercing shaft at the men themselves, he struck,and the blazing pyres of corpses burned without end.
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 611 lines of the Greek Book 1.
Which god set them against each other?The son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo.He was angry at the king and sent a deadly sicknessthrough the army, and men died, because Atreus' sonhad disgraced Chryses the priest.Chryses had come to the Greek fast shipsto buy his daughter back, carrying the wreathed staffof the Far-Shooter with the sacred ribbons. All the Greeksbegged the king to respect him — but Agamemnonliked it better to disgrace him, and shouted:"Old man, don't let me catch you hanging around these ships,now or ever again — or your god's staff won't save you.I won't free her. She'll grow old in Argos, in my house,working at my loom, sharing my bed. Get out — don't make me angry."The old man went, afraid, walking in silence by the shore.But once he was far from camp, he prayedto Lord Apollo, son of fair-haired Leto:"Hear me, silver-bow god, protector of Chryse and holy Killa,mighty lord of Tenedos. If I ever built you a temple that pleased you,if I ever burned the fat thighs of bulls and goats for you,grant my prayer: make the Greeks pay for my tearswith your arrows." Phoebus heard him.He came down from Olympus angry, bow and quiver on his back;the arrows rattled on his shoulder as he walked, angry as night itself.He knelt apart from the ships and shot. The silver bowtwanged terribly. First he hit the mules and dogs,then shot the men — and the funeral fires of the deadburned day after day without end.