renown that my goddess-mother told me of, even
at the cost of my young life if Agamemnon had not aroused the wrath that
now possesses me. Know that my soul is implacable towards him. How often
did I watch out sleepless nights, how often did I spend my days in
bloody battle for the sake of Agamemnon's and his brother's cause! Why
are we here if not because of lovely Helen? And yet one whom I cherished
as Menelaus cherished Helen has been taken from me by order of this
King! He would let her go her way now! But no, I do not desire to see
Briseis ever again, for everything that comes from Agamemnon's hand is
hateful to me. Hateful are all the gifts he would bestow upon me, and
him and his treasures I hold at a straw's worth. I have chosen.
To-morrow I shall have my Myrmidons draw my ships out to the sea, and I
shall depart from Troy for my own land."'

'Said Aias, "Have the gods, Achilles, put into your breast a spirit
implacable and proud above all men's spirits?"'

'"Yea, Aias," said Achilles. "My spirit cannot contain my wrath.
Agamemnon has treated me, not as a leader of armies who won many battles
for him, but as a vile sojourner in his camp. Go now and declare my will
to him. Never again shall I take thought of his war."'

'So he spoke, and each man took up a two-handled cup and poured out wine
as an offering to the gods. Then Odysseus and Aias in sadness left the
hut. But Phoinix remained, and for him Patroklos, the dear friend of
Achilles, spread a couch of fleeces and rugs.'

'Odysseus and Aias went along the shore of the sea and by the line of
the ships and they came to where Agamemnon was with the greatest of the
warriors of the host. Odysseus told them that by no means would
Achilles join in the battle, and they all were made silent with grief.
Then Diomedes, the great horseman, rose up and said, "Let Achilles stay
or go, fight or not fight, as it pleases him. But it is for us who have
made a vow to take Priam's city, to fight on. Let us take food and rest
now, and to-morrow let us go against Hector's host, and you, Agamemnon,
take the foremost place in the battle."'

'So Diomedes spoke and the warriors applauded what he said, and they all
poured out libations of wine to the gods, and thereafter they went to
their huts and slept. But for Agamemnon, the King, there was no sleep
that night. Before his eyes was the blaze of Hector's thousand
watch-fires and in his ears were the sound of pipes and flutes that m