the savour of lambs
and unblemished goats, to avert from us the pestilence."

[Footnote 9: The force of [Greek: ara] is noticed by Naegelsbach.]

[Footnote 10: Or "white." Hesych. [Greek: tacheis, leykous].]

[Footnote 11: Ammonius, p. 14, foolishly supposes that [Greek:
amou] here denotes place, [Greek: in Troia]. Valcknaer justly
supports the ordinary interpretation.]

[Footnote 12: Cf. Plin. Ep. i. 18, and Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 3,
sq.]

He indeed, thus having spoken, sat down; but to them there arose by far
the best of augurs, Calchas, son of Thestor, who knew the present, the
future, and the past,[13] and who guided the ships of the Greeks to
Ilium, by his prophetic art, which Phoebus Apollo gave him, who, being
well disposed,[14] addressed them, and said:

"O Achilles, dear to Jove, thou biddest me to declare the wrath of
Apollo, the far-darting king. Therefore will I declare it; but do thou
on thy part covenant, and swear to me, that thou wilt promptly assist me
in word and hand. For methinks I shall irritate a man who widely rules
over all the Argives, and whom the Greeks obey. For a king is more
powerful[15] when he is enraged with an inferior man; for though he may
repress his wrath[16] for that same day, yet he afterwards retains his
anger in his heart, until he accomplishes it; but do thou consider
whether thou wilt protect me."

But him swift-footed Achilles, answering, addressed: "Taking full
confidence, declare the divine oracle, whatsoever thou knowest. For, by
Apollo, dear to Jove, to whom thou, praying, O Calchas, dost disclose
predictions to the Greeks, no one of all the Greeks, while I am alive
and have sight upon the earth, shall lay heavy hands upon thee at the
hollow ships; not even if thou wast to name Agamemnon, who now boasts
himself to be much the most powerful of the Greeks." [17]

[Footnote 13: A common formula in the ancient poets to express
the eternity of things. Empedocles apud Pseud. Arist. de Mundo:
[Greek: Panth' osa t' en, osa t' esti, kai ossa te estai opiso].
Virg. Georg. iv. 392: "Novit namque omnia vates, Quae sint, quae
fuerint, quae mox ventura trahantur."]

[Footnote 14: See Abresch. on AEschyl. p. 287. Ernesti.]

[Footnote 15: [Greek: anagaktousi gar dia ten yperochen].
A--rist. Rhet. ii. 2, quoting this verse.]

[Footnote 16: Lit. "digest his bile". Homer's distinction between
[Greek: cholos] and [Greek: kotos] i