is cruel. But if thou wouldst avoid any oracle in
thy mind, and thy venerable mother has told any to thee from Jove, at
least send me quickly, and at the same time give me the rest of the army
of the Myrmidons, if perchance I may become any aid to the Greeks. Grant
me also to be armed on my shoulders with thy armour, if perchance the
Trojans, likening me to thee, may cease from battle, and the warlike
sons of the Greeks, now fatigued, breathe again; and there be a short
respite from war.[510] But we [who are] fresh, can easily repulse men
worn out with battle from our ships and tents towards the city."

[Footnote 509: Alluding to the colour of the ocean when ruffled
by a storm. With the following passage compare Theocrit. iii. 15,
sqq.; Eurip. Bacch. 971, sqq.; Virg. AEn. iv. 365, sqq.; [Greek:
Epsi]. viii. 43, sqq., with Macrob. Sat. v. 11.]

[Footnote 510: Cf. xi. 800, with the note.]

Thus he spoke, supplicating, very rash; for, assuredly, he was about to
supplicate for himself evil death and fate. Whom, deeply sighing,
swift-footed Achilles addressed:

"Alas! most noble Patroclus, what hast thou said? I neither regard any
oracle which I have heard, nor has my venerable mother told anything to
me from Jove. But this bitter grief comes upon my heart and soul, when a
man who excels in power, wishes to deprive his equal[511] of his
portion, and to take back his reward because he excels in power."

[Footnote 511: _I.e._ in dignity.]

"This to me is a bitter grief, since I have suffered sorrows in my mind.
The maid whom the sons of the Greeks selected as a reward for me, and
[whom] I won by my spear, having sacked a well-fortified city, her has
king Agamemnon, son of Atreus, taken back out of my hands, as from some
dishonoured alien. But we shall allow these things to be among the
things that were;[512] nor is it right, indeed, to be continually
enraged in one's mind. Certainly I affirmed that I would not put a stop
to my wrath, before that clamour and war should reach my ships. But do
thou put on thy shoulders my famous armour, and lead on the war-loving
Myrmidons to battle; since now a black cloud of Trojans hath strongly
surrounded the ships, and the Greeks are hemmed in by the shore of the
sea, possessing now but a small portion of land. And the whole city of
the Trojans has rushed on, confident, because they behold not the front
of my helmet gleaming near. Certainly, quickly flying, would they