Reference no: EM133261682

Question 1: What is Agamemnon's reason or obligation for fighting in this war?

Question 2: What is Achilleus' reason for fighting at Troy?

infor of question over the men ofArgos, and all the Achaians obey him. For a king when he is angry with a man beneath him is too strong, and suppose even for the day itself he swallow down his anger, he still keeps bitterness that remains until its fulfilment deep in his chest. Speak forth then, tell me if you will protect me." Then in answer again spoke Achilleus of the swift feet: "Speak, interpreting whatever you know, and fear nothing. In the name of Apollo beloved of Zeus to whom you, Kalchas, make your prayers when you interpret the gods' will to the Danaans, no man so long as I am alive above earth and see daylight shall lay the weight of his hands on you beside the hollow ships, not one of all the Danaans. even if you mean Agamemnon, who now claims to be far the greatest of all the Achaians." At this the blameless seer took courage again and spoke forth: "No, it is not for the sake of some vow or hecatomb3 he blames us, but for the sake of his priest whom Agamemnon dishonoured and would not give him back his daughter nor accept the ransom. Therefore the archer sent griefs against us and will send them still, nor sooner thrust back the shameful plague from the Danaans until we give the glancing-eyed girl back to her father 1. Goddess ofmarriage and the wife and sister of Zeus. 2. Troy. 3. Animal sacrifice. 1 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 without price, without ransom, and lead also a blessed hecatomb to Chryse; thus we might propitiate and persuade him." He spoke thus and sat down again, and among them stood up Atreus' son the hero wide-ruling Agamemnon raging, the heart within filled black to the brim with anger from beneath, but his two eyes showed like fire in their blazing. First of all he eyed Kalchas bitterly and spoke to him: "Seer of evil: never yet have you told me a good thing. Always the evil things are dear to your heart to prophesy, but nothing excellent have you said nor ever accomplished. . Now once more you make divination to the Danaans, argue forth your reason why he who strikes from afar afflicts them, because I for the sake of the girl Chryseis would not take the shining ransom; and indeed I wish greatly to have her in my own house; since I like her better than Klytaimestra my own wife, for in truth she is no way inferior, neither in build nor stature nor wit, nor in accomplishment. Still I am willing to give her back, ifsuch is the best way. I myself desire that my people be safe, not perish. Find me then some prize that shall be my own, lest I only among the Argives go without, since that were unfitting; you are all witnesses to this thing, that my prize goes elsewhere. " Then in answer again spoke brilliant swift-footed Achilleus: "Son ofAtreus, most lordly, greediest for gain of all men, how shall the great-hearted Achaians give you a prize now? There is no great store of things lying about I know of. But what we took from the cities by storm has been distributed; it is unbecoming for the people to call back things once given. No, for the present give the girl back to the god; we Achaians thrice and four times over will repay you, if ever Zeus gives into our hands the strong-walled citadel ofTroy to be plundered. " Then in answer again spoke powerful Agamemnon: "Not that way, good fighter though you be, godlike Achilleus, strive to cheat, for you will not deceive, you will not persuade me. What do you want? To keep your own prize and have me sit here lacking one? Are you ordering me to give this girl back? Either the great-hearted Achaians shall give me a new prize chosen according to my desire to atone for the girl lost, or else if they will not give me one I myselfshall take her, your own prize, or that ofAias, or that of Odysseus, going myself in person; and he whom I visit will be bitter. Still, these are things we shall deliberate again hereafter. Come, now, we must haul a black ship down to the bright sea, and assemble rowers enough for it, and put on board it the hecatomb, and the girl herself, Chryseis of the fair cheeks, and let there be one responsible man in charge of her, either Aias or Idomeneus or brilliant Odysseus, or you yourself, son of Peleus, most terrifying of all men, to reconcile by accomplishing sacrifice the archer. " Then looking darkly at him Achilleus of the swift feet spoke: "O wrapped in shamelessness, with your mind forever on profit, how shall any one ofthe Achaians readily obey you either to go on a journey or to fight men strongly in battle? I for my pan did not come here for the sake of the Trojan spearmen to fight against them, since to me they have done nothing. Never yet have they driven away my cattle or my horses, never in Phthia where the soil is rich and men grow great did they spoil my harvest, since indeed there is much that lies between us, the shadowy mountains and the echoing sea; but for your sake, 0 great shamelessness, we followed, to do you favour, you with the dog's eyes, to win your honour and Menelaos'4 from the Trojans. You forget all this or else you care nothing. And now my prize you threaten in person to strip from me, for whom 1 laboured much, the gift of the sons ofthe Achaians. Never, when the Achaians sack some well-founded citadel of the Trojans, do 1 have a prize that is equal to your prize. Always the greater part ofthe painful fighting is the work of my hands; but when the time comes to distribute the booty yours is far the greater reward, and I with some small thing yet dear to me go back to my ships when 1 am weary with fighting. Now I am returning to Phthia, since it is much better to go home again with my curved ships, and I am minded no longer to stay here dishonoured and pile up your wealth and your luxury." Then answered him in turn the lord of men Agamemnon; "Run away by all means if your heart drives you. I will not entreat you to stay here for my sake. There are others with me who will do me honour, and above all Zeus of the counsels. To me you are the most hateful of all the kings whom the gods love. Forever quarrelling is dear to your heart, and wars and battles; and if you are very strong indeed, that is a god's gift. Go home then with your own ships and your own companions, be king over the Myrmidons. I care nothing about you. 1 take no account of your anger. But here is my threat to you. Even as Phoibos Apollo is taking away my Chryseis, I shall convey her back in my own ship, with my own followers; but I shall take the fair-cheeked Briseis, your prize, I myself going to your shelter, that you may learn well how much greater I am than you, and another man may shrink back from likening himself to me and contending against me." So he spoke. And the anger came on Peleus' son, and within his shaggy breast the heart was divided two ways, pondering whether to draw from beside his thigh the sharp sword, driving away all those who stood between and kill the son ofAtreus, or else to check the spleen within and keep down his anger. Now as he weighed in mind and spirit these two courses and was drawing from its scabbard the great sword, Athene descended from the sky. For Hera the goddess of the white arms sent her, 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 4. Agamemnon's brother and the husband of Helen. who loved both men equally in her heart and cared for them. The goddess standing behind Peleus' son caught him by the fair hair, appearing to him only, for no man of the others saw her.