The Iliad and the Odyssey (Classics of World Literature)

by Homer

  There is one last thread – Odysseus has yet to be accepted by his father, Laertes, living in the country like a poor peasant. As always, Odysseus observes, tests out and deceives before telling his father who he is; the shock nearly kills the broken-down old man. As with Penelope, though, the habitual distance between himself and those to whom he tells ‘Cretan tales’ is disturbed by his emotions –

  Him when Ulysses saw consum’d with age,

  And all the ensigns on him that the rage

  Of grief presented, he brake out in tears;

  . . . his mind

  Had much contention, if to yield to kind,

  Make straight way to his father, kiss, embrace,

  Tell his return . . .

  but he keeps to his plan to tell how he entertained Odysseus, years ago. Laertes presumes his son dead:

  This a cloud of grief

  Cast over all the forces of his life.

  With both his hands the burning dust he swept

  Up from the earth, which on his head he heap’d,

  And fetch’d a sigh, as in it life were broke.

  The effect on Odysseus of his father’s distress is physical; he drops his pretence and reveals himself. As with Penelope, the declaration is too sudden a turn to be believed – Laertes needs physical proof and identification. Odysseus shows him the scar, the mark of his boyhood hunting trip with his grandfather, and reminisces about the planting of the trees which Laertes gave him, now full-grown. Laertes is rejuvenated, metaphorically and actually, and takes his place as a hero among his people. The Odyssey ends with the three generations of heroes reunited, facing the suitors’ vengeful kin, before Athene intervenes to end the the killing. Laertes tells Telemachus to be worthy of his lineage; Telemachus, now a proven warrior, replies with vigour:

  The old king sprung for joy to hear his spirit,

  And said: ‘O lov’d immortals, what a day

  Do your clear bounties to my life display!

  I joy, past measure, to behold my son

  And [grandson] close in such contention

  Of virtues martial.’

  The household is complete.

  Jan Parker

  The Open University

  Glossary of unfamiliar words

  abode (verb) – foretell

  abodes (noun) – omens

  accited – summoned

  aesture – swelling tide

  affected – beloved

  apaid – satisfied

  approve – prove, try

  areeds – advises

  arew – in a row

  artires – ligaments [arteries]

  bace – run

  bedfere – bed companion

  beeves – cows

  besogne – base fellow, commoner

  bever – evening meal

  bewray – display

  blanch – whiten, make to look good

  blore – blast

  bracks – broken, torn parts

  bray – chew up

  cantles – portions

  carquenet/carcanet – necklace

  cast – pair [of eagles]

  cates – delicacies

  champain – level country

  conceit – concept, idea, impression

  cope – covering

  cote – outstrip

  curets – cuirass

  curious – careful, painstaking

  currie – quarry

  disperple – sprinkle

  dite – winnow

  diversory – wayside inn

  dorp – village

  doubt – redoubt, barrier

  dubbed – smeared

  emprese – enterprise

  err – wander

  error – wandering

  expiscating – enquiring into

  fautour – guardian

  fell’ffs – outer-parts of wheel

  fere – mate, companion

  fil’d – defiled

  flaw – wave, roller

  flea – flay

  froes – women

  frontless – shameless

  froofe – augur handle

  giggots – quarter joints

  gull (verb) – to swallow

  hoice – hoist

  humorous – damp

  illation – deduction

  immane – huge, cruel

  inform – animate

  insecution – pursuit

  intended – attended

  lien – lain

  luster – cave, den, hide

  mall – beat

  mate – oppose

  maund – basket

  mere – pure, whole

  muse – animal run

  nave – central part of wheel

  neat – oxen

  nephew – grandson

  or . . . or . . . – either . . . or . . .

  owes – owns

  paise – weight, balance

  penia – poverty

  perse – pierce

  pile – weapon tip

  plain – complain

  poitril – breast-piece

  port – impressive demeanour

  prease – press

  procinct – preparation

  proin – prune

  proller – vagabond

  proof – trial, attempt

  prove – try, attempt

  quaint – neat

  queach – thicket

  quite – put a stop to

  race – raze, destroy

  ranch’d – wrenched

  rate – weight, valuation

  reduce – lead back

  reflect – turn back

  rock – distaff and wool

  rub – blockage

  saker – falcon

  say – assay, sample

  scoles – scales

  sere(s) – talon(s)

  sewer – server

  she – showy appearance

  shent – disgraceful

  skall – scale

  sod (verb) – past tense of seethe

  sort – lot, number

  stale – stem

  state – prince or royal entry

  stitches – furrows

  strake – metal rim

  strooted – swelled

  surcuidrie/surquedy – overweening pride

  taint – thrust

  tappish – seek cover

  thrumbs – tufts

  tyring – tearing at

  ure – use

  utter passage – passage out, exit

  wan (noun) – wand/winnower

  yare – quick, ready

  yote – soak

  cope – covering

  cote – outstrip

  curets – cuirass

  curious – careful, painstaking

  currie – quarry

  disperple – sprinkle

  dite – winnow

  diversory – wayside inn

  dorp – village

  doubt – redoubt, barrier

  dubbed – smeared

  emprese – enterprise

  err – wander

  error – wandering

  expiscating – enquiring into

  fautour – guardian

  fell’ffs – outer-parts of wheel

  fere – mate, companion

  fil’d – defiled

  flaw – wave, roller

  flea – flay

  froes
– women

  frontless – shameless

  froofe – augur handle

  giggots – quarter joints

  gull (verb) – to swallow

  hoice – hoist

  humorous – damp

  illation – deduction

  immane – huge, cruel

  inform – animate

  insecution – pursuit

  intended – attended

  lien – lain

  luster – cave, den, hide

  mall – beat

  mate – oppose

  maund – basket

  mere – pure, whole

  muse – animal run

  nave – central part of wheel

  neat – oxen

  nephew – grandson

  or . . . or . . . – either . . . or . . .

  owes – owns

  paise – weight, balance

  penia – poverty

  perse – pierce

  pile – weapon tip

  plain – complain

  poitril – breast-piece

  port – impressive demeanour

  prease – press

  procinct – preparation

  proin – prune

  proller – vagabond

  proof – trial, attempt

  prove – try, attempt

  quaint – neat

  queach – thicket

  quite – put a stop to

  race – raze, destroy

  ranch’d – wrenched

  rate – weight, valuation

  reduce – lead back

  reflect – turn back

  rock – distaff and wool

  rub – blockage

  saker – falcon

  say – assay, sample

  scoles – scales

  sere(s) – talon(s)

  sewer – server

  she – showy appearance

  shent – disgraceful

  skall – scale

  sod (verb) – past tense of seethe

  sort – lot, number

  stale – stem

  state – prince or royal entry

  stitches – furrows

  strake – metal rim

  strooted – swelled

  surcuidrie/surquedy

  overweening pride

  taint – thrust

  tappish – seek cover

  thrumbs – tufts

  tyring – tearing at

  ure – use

  utter passage – passage out, exit

  wan (noun) – wand/winnower

  yare – quick, ready

  yote – soak

  Glossary of names

  Latinised Gods’ Names

  Athena, Minerva – Pallas Athene

  Diana – Artemis

  Dis – Pluto, Hades

  Jove, Jupiter – Zeus

  Juno – Hera

  Mars – Ares

  Neptune – Poseidon

  Venus – Aphrodite

  Vulcan – Hephaestus

  Proper Names, Patronymics, Alternative Forms of Men and Gods

  Achaia – Greece

  Achive – Greek

  Aeacides – Achilles, grandson of Aeacus

  Ajaces – Ajax the Greater and Ajax the Lesser

  Alexander – Paris

  Anchisiades – Aeneas, son of Anchises

  Arcesiades’ seed – Odysseus/Ulysses, son of Laertes son of Arcesius

  Argicides – Hermes/Mercury, slayer of Argus

  Atrides – Agamemnon and Menelaus, sons of Atreus

  Boreas – North-west wind

  Ceston – Aphrodite’s/Venus’ enchanted girdle

  Cynthia – Artemis/Diana

  Cyprides – Aphrodite/Venus

  Dardan – Trojan

  Dardanides – Priam

  Deucalides – Idomeneus, son of Deucalion

  Dis – Pluto, god of the underworld

  Ephaistus – Hephaestus/Vulcan

  Erebus – region of the underworld

  Erectheus –

  Eris – Strife

  Eristhius, Erecthius, Erectheus – Erechtheus, founder of Athens

  Erinnys – Fury

  Eurus – East wind

  Hymen – god of marriage

  Iaons – Ionians/Athenians

  Icarius’ seed – Penelope

  Ilion/Ilians – Troy, Trojans

  Ilithyae/Lucina/Eileithyia

  goddess of labour and childbirth

  Ithacus – Odysseus/Ulysses

  Jove’s divine son – Hercules

  Jove’s seed – various(!) including Athene/Minerva, Prayers, Aphrodite/Venus, Ares/Mars, Apollo, Artemis/Diana, Hebe

  Lacedaemon – Sparta

  Laertiades/Laertes’ son Odysseus/Ulysses

  Laomedon’s son – Priam

  Latona – Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis/Diana

  Lotophagi – Lotus eaters

  Lucina/Eileithyia – goddess of labour and childbirth,

  Maid – Athene/Minerva

  Menoetiades/Menoetius’ son Patroclus

  Mulciber – Hephaestus/Vulcan

  Neleides – Nestor, son of Neleus

  Nereus’ seed – Thetis

  Nestorides – Pisistratus, son of Nestor

  Notus – South wind

  Oïleus – Iliad Bk 9: Trojan killed by Agamemnon. Elsewhere: father of Ajax Oïliades

  Oïliades – Ajax the Lesser, son of Oïleus

  Pallas – Athene/Minerva

  Panthaedes/Panthoedes/Panthus’ son – Polydamas

  Parcas – Fates

  Pelias – Achilles’ spear

  Pelides – Achilles, son of Peleus

  Pergamus – Troy citadel

  Phoebe – Artemis

  Phoebus – Apollo, the sun

  Pluto/Dis – god of the underworld

  Priamides – Hector, son of Priam

  Saturnia – Hera/Juno, daughter of Saturn

  Saturnides – Zeus/Jove/Jupiter, son of Saturn

  Smintheus – Apollo

  Stygian – of the Styx, river of the underworld

  Telemachus’ father – Odysseus/Ulysses

  Telamonius – Ajax, son of Telamon, Ajax the Greater

  Tellus – the Earth

  Thaumantia – Iris, rainbow-messenger goddess

  Thetis’ son – Achilles

  Tritonia – Athene/Minerva

  Tydides/Tydeus’ son – Diomedes

  Tyndaris – Helen

  Venus’ son – Aeneas

  Zephyr – West wind

  The Iliad

  Book 1

  The Argument

  Apollo’s priest to th’ Argive fleet doth bring

  Gifts for his daughter prisoner to the king;

  For which her tender’d freedom he entreats.

  But, being dismiss’d with contumelious threats,

  At Phoebus’ hands, by vengeful prayer, he seeks

  To have a plague inflicted on the Greeks.

  Which had, Achilles doth a council cite,

  Embold’ning Chalcas, in the king’s despite,

  To tell the truth why they were punish’d so:

  From hence their fierce and deadly strife did grow,

  For wrong in which Aeacides so raves,

  That goddess Thetis, from her throne of waves

  Ascending heaven, of Jove assistance won,

  To plague the Greeks by absence of
her son;

  And make the general himself repent,

  To wrong so much his army’s ornament.

  This found by Juno, she with Jove contends;

  Till Vulcan, with heaven’s cup, the quarrel ends.

  Another Argument

  Alpha the prayer of Chryses sings:

  The army’s plague: the strife of kings.

  Book 1

  Achilles’ baneful wrath – resound, O goddess – that impos’d

  Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls loos’d

  From breasts heroic; sent them far, to that invisible cave

  That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave:

  To all which Jove’s will gave effect; from whom first strife begun

  Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son.

  What god gave Eris their command, and op’d that fighting vein?

  Jove’s and Latona’s son: who, fir’d against the king of men

  For contumely shown his priest, infectious sickness sent

  To plague the army, and to death by troops the soldiers went –

  Occasion’d thus: Chryses, the priest, came to the fleet to buy

  For presents of unvalu’d price, his daughter’s liberty:

  The golden sceptre and the crown of Phoebus in his hands,

  Proposing; and made suit to all, but most to the commands

  Of both th’ Atrides, who most rul’d. ‘Great Atreus’ sons,’ said he,

  ‘And all ye well-greav’d Greeks, the gods, whose habitations be

  In heavenly houses, grace your powers with Priam’s razed town,

  And grant ye happy conduct home: to win which wish’d renown

  Of Jove, by honouring his son (far-shooting Phoebus), deign

  For these fit presents to dissolve the ransomable chain

  Of my lov’d daughter’s servitude.’ The Greeks entirely gave

  Glad acclamations, for sign that their desires would have