Seba.Health

The Iliad 1.85–91

The Iliad 1.85–91
for by Apollo, dear to Zeus, to whom you, Calchas, pray when you reveal oracles to the Danaans, no one, while I live and have sight on the earth, shall lay heavy hands on you beside the hollow ships, no one of the whole host of the Danaans, not even if you name Agamemnon, who now claims to be far the best of the Achaeans.
θαρσήσας μάλα εἰπὲ θεοπρόπιον τι οἶσθα· οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα Διῒ φίλον, τε σὺ Κάλχαν εὐχόμενος Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπίας ἀναφαίνεις, οὔ τις ἐμεῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ δερκομένοιο σοὶ κοίλῃς παρὰ νηυσί βαρείας χεῖρας ἐποίσει συμπάντων Δαναῶν, οὐδʼ ἢν Ἀγαμέμνονα εἴπῃς, ὃς νῦν πολλὸν ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν εὔχεται εἶναι.
Lattimore commentary
“Greatest of all the Achaians” is a formulaic phrase that properly designates Achilleus, but is applied to various other Greeks while he is out of the battle. Its employment for Agamemnon sounds ironic in Achilleus’ speech.
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