than you, and they
never disdained me. I never saw, nor shall I see, such men as Pirithous,
and Dryas, shepherd of the people, and Caeneus, and Exadius, and god-like
Polyphemus,[32] and Theseus, the son of AEgeus, like unto the immortals.
Bravest indeed were they trained up of earthly men; bravest they were,
and they fought with the bravest Centaurs of the mountain caves, and
terribly slew them. With these was I conversant, coming from Pylus, far
from the Apian land; for they invited me, and I fought to the best of my
power; but with them none of these who now are mortals upon the earth
could fight. And even they heard my counsels, and obeyed my words. But
do ye also obey, since it is better to be obedient; nor do thou,
although being powerful, take away the maid from him, but leave it so,
seeing that the sons of the Greeks first gave [her as] a prize on him.
Nor do thou, O son of Peleus, feel inclined to contend against the king;
since never yet has any sceptre-bearing king, to whom Jove has given
glory, been allotted an equal share of dignity. But though thou be of
superior strength, and a goddess mother has given thee birth, yet he is
superior in power, inasmuch as he rules more people. Do thou, son of
Atreus, repress thine anger; for it is I that[33] entreat thee to forego
thy resentment on behalf of Achilles, who is the great bulwark of
destructive war to all the Achaeans."

[Footnote 32: A prince of the Lapithae, not the Cyclops.]

[Footnote 33: See Anthon, who has well remarked the force of the
particles.]

But him king Agamemnon answering addressed: "Of a truth thou hast said
all these things, old man, according to what is right. But this man is
desirous to be above all other men; he wishes to have the mastery, and
lord it over all, and to prescribe to all; with which his desires I
think some one will not comply. But if the ever-existing gods have made
him a warrior, do they therefore give him the right to utter insults?"

But him noble Achilles interruptingly answered: "Yea, forsooth,[34] I
may be called a coward and a man of no worth, if now I yield to thee in
everything, whatever thou mayest say. Enjoin these things to other men;
for dictate not to me, for I think that I shall no longer obey thee. But
another thing will I tell thee, and do thou store it in thy mind: I
will not contend with my hands, neither with thee, nor with others, on
account of this maid, since ye, the donors, take her away. B