(i. 1-32.)

Goddess, the anger sing of the Pelean Achilles,
Fatal beginning of griefs unnumbered to the Achæans;
Many valiant souls untimely it hurried to Hades,
And the heroes left themselves of dogs to be eaten
And of ravenous birds—till Zeus’s plan was accomplished—
From the day when first contention arose to dissever
Atrides the King and the godlike hero Achilles.
What divinity thus incited them to contention?—
Zeus and Leto’s son; who, in anger with Agamemnon,
Sent a deadly disease on the host, destroying the people,
On account of the wrong the King to his worshipper offered,
Chryses, who had come to the hollow ships of Achaia,
To recover his daughter, with gifts of costly redemption,
Carrying in his hands the wreaths of the archer Apollo
Set on a golden staff—beseeching all the Achæans,
And the Atridæ in chief, the two in command of the nations:
‘Ye, Atreus’ sons, and other well-greaved Achaïan heroes,
May the gods, who live in Olympian houses, accord you
Capture of Priam’s town and safe to return to Achaia,
But liberate to me my child and take the redemption—
Fearing Zeus’s son, the far-death-dealing Apollo.’
Then the Achæans all with acclamation assented,
Honour to show to the priest, and take the costly redemption;
Only to Atrides Agamemnon it was unpleasing,
Sternly who dismissed him with contumelious answer:
‘Old man, let me not, by the hollow ships of Achaia
Lingering find you now, or henceforth ever appearing,
Lest to defend you fail the staff and wreaths of Apollo.
Her do I not release until old age come upon her,
In my house in the land of Argos, far from her country,
Stepping at the loom and in the chamber attending.
Go, and trouble me not, that your return be the safer.’