gainst Ilius to fight the Trojans fasting, for the battle will be
no brief one, when it is once begun, and heaven has filled both sides
with fury; bid them first take food both bread and wine by the ships,
for in this there is strength and stay. No man can do battle the
livelong day to the going down of the sun if he is without food;
however much he may want to fight his strength will fail him before he
knows it; hunger and thirst will find him out, and his limbs will grow
weary under him. But a man can fight all day if he is full fed with
meat and wine; his heart beats high, and his strength will stay till he
has routed all his foes; therefore, send the people away and bid them
prepare their meal; King Agamemnon will bring out the gifts in presence
of the assembly, that all may see them and you may be satisfied.
Moreover let him swear an oath before the Argives that he has never
gone up into the couch of Briseis, nor been with her after the manner
of men and women; and do you, too, show yourself of a gracious mind;
let Agamemnon entertain you in his tents with a feast of
reconciliation, that so you may have had your dues in full. As for you,
son of Atreus, treat people more righteously in future; it is no
disgrace even to a king that he should make amends if he was wrong in
the first instance."

And King Agamemnon answered, "Son of Laertes, your words please me
well, for throughout you have spoken wisely. I will swear as you would
have me do; I do so of my own free will, neither shall I take the name
of heaven in vain. Let, then, Achilles wait, though he would fain fight
at once, and do you others wait also, till the gifts come from my tent
and we ratify the oath with sacrifice. Thus, then, do I charge you:
take some noble young Achaeans with you, and bring from my tents the
gifts that I promised yesterday to Achilles, and bring the women also;
furthermore let Talthybius find me a boar from those that are with the
host, and make it ready for sacrifice to Jove and to the sun."

Then said Achilles, "Son of Atreus, king of men Agamemnon, see to these
matters at some other season, when there is breathing time and when I
am calmer. Would you have men eat while the bodies of those whom Hector
son of Priam slew are still lying mangled upon the plain? Let the sons
of the Achaeans, say I, fight fasting and without food, till we have
avenged them; afterwards at the going down of the sun let them eat
their fill. As for me, Patro