he
will let thee load your ship with spoil of the city--with gold and
bronze and precious stuffs. And thereafter, if we win to our homes he
will treat thee as his own royal son and will give thee seven cities to
rule over. And if thou wilt wed there are three daughters in his
hall--three of the fairest maidens of the Greeks--and the one thou wilt
choose he will give thee for thy wife, Chrysothemis, or Laodike, or
Iphianassa."'

'So Odysseus spoke and then Aias said, "Think, Achilles, and abandon now
thy wrath. If Agamemnon be hateful to thee and if thou despiseth his
gifts, think upon thy friends and thy companions and have pity upon
them. Even for our sakes, Achilles, arise now and go into battle and
stay the onslaught of the terrible Hector."'

'Achilles did not answer. His lion's eyes were fixed upon those who had
spoken and his look did not change at all for all that was said.'

'Then the old man Phoinix who had nurtured him went over to him. He
could not speak, for tears had burst from him. But at last, holding
Achilles' hands, he said:

[Illustration]

'"In thy father's house did I not rear thee to greatness--even thee,
most noble Achilles. With me and with none other wouldst thou go into
the feasthall, and, as a child, thou would'st stay at my knee and eat
the morsel I gave, and drink from the cup that I put to thy lips. I
reared thee, and I suffered and toiled much that thou mightst have
strength and skill and quickness. Be thou merciful in thy heart,
Achilles. Be not wrathful any more. Cast aside thine anger now and save
the host. Come now. The gifts Agamemnon would give thee are very great,
and no king nor prince could despise them. But if without gifts thou
would'st enter the battle, then above all heroes the host would honour
thee."'

'Achilles answered Phoinix gently and said, "The honour the host would
bestow upon me I have no need of, for I am honoured in the judgment of
Zeus, the greatest of the gods, and while breath remains with me that
honour cannot pass away. But do thou, Phoinix, stay with me, and many
things I shall bestow upon thee, even the half of my kingdom. Ah, but
urge me not to help Agamemnon, for if thou dost I shall look upon thee
as a friend to Agamemnon, and I shall hate thee, my foster-father, as I
hate him."'

Then to Odysseus, Achilles spoke and said, "Son of Laertes, wisest of
men, harken now to what I shall say to thee. Here I should have stayed
and won that imperishable