Homer:, Iliad, 1.107-129
Dec. 26th, 2011 07:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbYesterday, I had a very civilised day. Full of loooooot, and the parent's man cooking good food, and dinner that felt comfortable and family-like. After twenty years of associating Dec 25th with HULK SMASH YOU NEVER LOVED ME (extended) family fights, it's amazing what a difference not having to be in touch with them makes to my fight/flight response system.
This morning I woke up with a cat curled at the base of my spine. This never happens. It made me feel unusually loved.
"...Always to be prophesying evils is dear to your heart
a good word never yet have you spoken, nor good accomplished,
and now prophesying to the Danaans, you proclaim
that on account of this the Farstriker sends griefs,
because for Chryses' bright girl I
did not want to accept ransom, since I greatly desire
to have her in my home: for I much prefer her to Clytemnestra
my lawful wife - she's not inferior in any way,
not in form, no, nor in nature, nor in heart nor yet in deeds.
But even so, I want to deliver her back if that's the more fitting thing:
I desire the army to be safe, rather than to be destroyed.
But for me straightaway provide an honour-prize, so not alone
among the Argives I may be left unrewarded, since that's not fitting.
You all see it, that my honour-gift goes elsewhere!"
Then godlike Achilles, swift of foot, answered him in turn:
"Noblest son of Atreus, most rapacious of all!
How will they give you an honour-gift, the great-souled Achaeans?
We don't know where there's much common property laid up
but everything from the city that we sacked, the army divided amongst itself,
and it wouldn't be fitting for the army to gather back these things already divided.
So release this woman now for the god: we Achaeans
will threefold and fourfold requite you for her, if ever Zeus
grants we may sack Troy's well-walled city."
Tonight I ran, a shambling thirteen-minute jog while the new moon made a sliver in the sky, and Venus gleamed beside it. And life is good.
This morning I woke up with a cat curled at the base of my spine. This never happens. It made me feel unusually loved.
"...Always to be prophesying evils is dear to your heart
a good word never yet have you spoken, nor good accomplished,
and now prophesying to the Danaans, you proclaim
that on account of this the Farstriker sends griefs,
because for Chryses' bright girl I
did not want to accept ransom, since I greatly desire
to have her in my home: for I much prefer her to Clytemnestra
my lawful wife - she's not inferior in any way,
not in form, no, nor in nature, nor in heart nor yet in deeds.
But even so, I want to deliver her back if that's the more fitting thing:
I desire the army to be safe, rather than to be destroyed.
But for me straightaway provide an honour-prize, so not alone
among the Argives I may be left unrewarded, since that's not fitting.
You all see it, that my honour-gift goes elsewhere!"
Then godlike Achilles, swift of foot, answered him in turn:
"Noblest son of Atreus, most rapacious of all!
How will they give you an honour-gift, the great-souled Achaeans?
We don't know where there's much common property laid up
but everything from the city that we sacked, the army divided amongst itself,
and it wouldn't be fitting for the army to gather back these things already divided.
So release this woman now for the god: we Achaeans
will threefold and fourfold requite you for her, if ever Zeus
grants we may sack Troy's well-walled city."
Tonight I ran, a shambling thirteen-minute jog while the new moon made a sliver in the sky, and Venus gleamed beside it. And life is good.
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-26 10:18 pm (UTC)and I am glad you had a nice relaxing holiday, as holidays should be.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-27 04:24 pm (UTC)(Thank you. So am I. So am I.)