the son of Atreus himself and his gifts be more hateful to thee
from thine heart, at least have pity upon all the other Greeks, harassed
throughout the army, who will honour thee as a god; for surely thou wilt
obtain very great honour among them. For now mayest thou slay Hector,
since he hath already come very near thee, possessing destructive fury;
since he declares that no one of the Greeks whom the ships have conveyed
hither is his equal."

[Footnote 301: But Heyne, "non locum tuituros [nos], sed in naves
fugituros et discessuros."]

[Footnote 302: This interpretation is substantiated by Heyne,
from Il. O, 717. The [Greek: akrostolia], or _figure-heads_, are
not meant here.]

But him swift-footed Achilles answering, addressed: "Most noble son of
Laertes, much-scheming Ulysses, it behoves me indeed to speak my opinion
without reserve, even as I think, and as will be accomplished, that ye
may not, sitting beside me, keep whining[303] one after another. Hateful
to me as the gates of Hades is he who conceals one thing in his mind and
utters another. But I will speak as appears to me to be best; and I
think that neither Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, nor the other Greeks
will persuade me; since there is no gratitude to him who fights ever
ceaselessly with hostile men. An equal portion [falls] to him who
loiters, as if one continually fight; and the coward is in equal honour
with the brave. The man of no deeds, and the man of many, are wont
equally to die; nor does anything lie by me as a store,[304] because I
have suffered sorrows in my soul, ever risking my life to fight. And as
the bird brings food to her unfledged young when she hath found it,
although she fares badly herself; so have I too spent many sleepless
nights, and gone through bloody days in combat, fighting with heroes for
their wives' sakes. Twelve cities indeed of men have I wasted with my
ships, and on foot I say eleven throughout the fertile Troad.[305] From
all these have I carried off many and precious spoils, and bearing them,
have given all to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus; whilst he, remaining
behind at the swift ships, receiving them, hath distributed but few, but
retained many. To the chiefs and kings hath he given other prizes; to
whom indeed they remain entire: but from me alone of the Greeks hath he
taken it away, and he possesses my spouse, dear to my soul, with whom
reclining, let him delight himself. But why is it necessary tha