ed them forward, and bade them sit on seats covered with
purple rugs; then he said to Patroclus who was close by him, "Son of
Menoetius, set a larger bowl upon the table, mix less water with the
wine, and give every man his cup, for these are very dear friends, who
are now under my roof."

Patroclus did as his comrade bade him; he set the chopping-block in
front of the fire, and on it he laid the loin of a sheep, the loin also
of a goat, and the chine of a fat hog. Automedon held the meat while
Achilles chopped it; he then sliced the pieces and put them on spits
while the son of Menoetius made the fire burn high. When the flame had
died down, he spread the embers, laid the spits on top of them, lifting
them up and setting them upon the spit-racks; and he sprinkled them
with salt. When the meat was roasted, he set it on platters, and handed
bread round the table in fair baskets, while Achilles dealt them their
portions. Then Achilles took his seat facing Ulysses against the
opposite wall, and bade his comrade Patroclus offer sacrifice to the
gods; so he cast the offerings into the fire, and they laid their hands
upon the good things that were before them. As soon as they had had
enough to eat and drink, Ajax made a sign to Phoenix, and when he saw
this, Ulysses filled his cup with wine and pledged Achilles.

"Hail," said he, "Achilles, we have had no scant of good cheer, neither
in the tent of Agamemnon, nor yet here; there has been plenty to eat
and drink, but our thought turns upon no such matter. Sir, we are in
the face of great disaster, and without your help know not whether we
shall save our fleet or lose it. The Trojans and their allies have
camped hard by our ships and by the wall; they have lit watchfires
throughout their host and deem that nothing can now prevent them from
falling on our fleet. Jove, moreover, has sent his lightnings on their
right; Hector, in all his glory, rages like a maniac; confident that
Jove is with him he fears neither god nor man, but is gone raving mad,
and prays for the approach of day. He vows that he will hew the high
sterns of our ships in pieces, set fire to their hulls, and make havoc
of the Achaeans while they are dazed and smothered in smoke; I much
fear that heaven will make good his boasting, and it will prove our lot
to perish at Troy far from our home in Argos. Up, then, and late though
it be, save the sons of the Achaeans who faint before the fury of the
Trojans. You wil