Illiad

Among the gods, who brought this quarrel on?

The son of Zeus by Leto.

Agamemnon angered him, so he made a burning wind of plague rise in the army: rank and file sickened and died for the ill their chief had done in

despising a man of prayer.

This priest, Khryseis, had come down to the ships

with gifts, no end of ransom for his daughter;

on a golden staff he carried the god's white bands

and sued for grace from the men of all Akhaia,

the two Atreidai most of all:

"O captains Menelaos and Agamemnon, and you

other Akhaians under arms!

The gods who hold Olymos, may they grant you

plunder of Priams's town and a fair wind home,

but let me have my daughter back for ransom as you

revere Apollo, son of Zeus!"

Then all the solders murmured their assent:

"Behave well to the priest. And take the ransom!"

But Agamemnon would not. It went against his desire,

and brutally he ordered the man away.

"Let me not find you here by the long ships

loitering this time or returning later, old man; if I do,

the staff and ribbons of the god will fail you.

Give up the girl? I swear she will grow old at home in

Argos, far from her own country, working my loom

and visiting my bed. Leave me in peace and go, while

you can, in safety."

So harsh he was, the old man feared and obeyed him, in silence trailing away

by the shore of the tumbling, clamorous, whispering sea,

and he prayed and prayed again as he withdrew,

to the god whom silken-braided Leto bore:

"O hear me, master of the silver bow,

protector of Tenedos and the holy towns, Apollo, Smintheus, if to your liking ever in any grove I roofed a shrine or burnt thighbones in fat upon your altar---

bullock or goat flesh---let my wish come true:

your arrows on the Danaans for my tears!"

Now when he heard this prayer, Phoibos Apollo

walked with storm in his heart from Olympos' crest,

quiver and bow at his back, and the bundled arrows

clanged on the sky behind as he rocked in his anger,

descending like night itself.

Apart from the ships he halted and let fly, and the bowstring slammed as the silver bow sprang, rolling in thunder away.

Pack animals were his target first and dogs,

but soldiers, too, soon felt transfixing pain from his hard shots, and pyres burned night and day.

Nine days the arrows of the god came down broadside

upon the army. On the tenth, Akhilleus called all ranks to assembly. Hera, whose arms are white as ivory, moved him to it, as she took pity on Danaans

dying.