While the Trojans watched with good hope, the Greeks were filled with fear. And King Agamemnon was troubled beyond all others. He bade the heralds call every man to the assembly. Gloomily they sat, and when the King rose up to speak, his tears dropped down, as the waters drop down a steep cliff-side from some spring which the sunshine toucheth not. Thus he spake: "O friends, lords and leaders of the Greeks, verily Zeus dealeth ill with me. Once he promised that I should take the city of Troy and so return home; but now he hath deceived me, bidding me go back dishonoured, having lost much people. Therefore let us flee with our ships to the land of our fathers, for Troy we may not take."
Long time the chiefs kept silence, for they were out of heart; but at the last rose Diomed, and spake: "Be not wroth, O King, if I contend with this thy madness. Thou hast called me laggard and coward; whether I be so indeed the Greeks know well, both young and old. But to thee Zeus hath given lordship and the power of the sceptre above thy fellows; but courage he hath not given, and courage is best of all. Now if thine heart be bent upon return, go thou; the way is nigh, and thy ships are by the sea; but all the other Greeks will abide till they have taken Troy. Yea, and if these also will go, then we two, I and Sthenelus, will abide and fight till we make an end of the city, for it was the gods that sent us hither."
Then Nestor spake: "Thou art brave in war, son of Tydeus, and excellent in council above thy fellows. But now let us take our meal; and let sentinels watch along the trench. And do thou, son of Atreus, make a feast for thy chiefs, as is meet. And him who counsels thee most wisely thou must follow. Sorely do we need wise counsel, seeing that the enemy have so many fires near our ships. Verily this night will save our army or destroy."
So King Agamemnon called the chiefs to a feast; and when the feast was ended Nestor rose up and spake: "Evil was the day, O King, when thou didst send and take the damsel Briseis from the tent of Achilles. Let us therefore take thought how we may best appease him with noble gifts and pleasant words."
Then said King Agamemnon: "These are true words that thou hast spoken, old man. Truly I did as a fool that day, and I deny it not. For he that is loved of Zeus is of more worth than whole armies of men; and verily Zeus loveth this man, seeing that he putteth the Greeks to flight that he may do him honour. But even as I wronged him in my folly, so will I make amends, and give a recompense beyond all telling. And now I will declare before you all the gifts that I will give: a huge treasure of gold and bronze, and twelve stout horses, that have won prizes in the race by fleetness of foot. And seven women will I give him, skilled in excellent handiwork, fairer than all women. These will I give him, and with them the damsel Briseis, even as I took her from him. And if the gods shall grant us to destroy the great city of Priam, then let him come when we divide the spoil, and choose for himself twenty women of Troy, the fairest there be after Helen. And if he come again to the land of Greece, then shall he be my son, and he shall choose in marriage which one of my daughters he will. Yea, and I will give with her seven fair cities, with pasture-lands and vineyards, wherein dwell men that have many flocks and herds, who will honour him with gifts even as men honour a god, and will fulfil his commands. All this will I give him, if so be that he will cease from his anger."
To him Nestor made answer: "No man may think lightly of the gifts that thou givest to great Achilles. Come, therefore, let us choose men, that they may go with all speed to his tent. Let Phœnix, who is beloved of Zeus, lead the way; and let Ajax the Greater and Ulysses go with him, and two heralds also."
Phœ'-nix.
So the heralds went by the shore of the sea; and, as they went, they made prayer to the god that shakes the earth that they might turn the heart of Achilles. And when they came to the ships of the Myrmidons, they found the King taking his pleasure with a harp. There he sat, delighting his soul with music, and sang the deeds of heroes of old time. And Patroclus sat opposite him in silence, waiting till he should cease from his singing. Then the two chiefs came forward, Ulysses leading the way, and stood before the face of Achilles; and Achilles leapt up in much amaze, holding the harp in his hand. And Patroclus rose also from his seat when he saw the twain. Then said Achilles, fleet of foot, "Welcome ye are, and right dear to me, for all my anger."
So spake Achilles, and led them forward; and he bade them sit on seats that were covered with coverlets of purple. Then said he to Patroclus, "Bring forth the biggest bowl, and mix for each man a cup, for I have not dearer friends than these that are come beneath my roof this day.
And the chiefs stretched forth their hands to the meat that lay ready before them. And when they had done with the desire for food and drink, Ajax nodded to Phœnix that he should speak; but Ulysses perceived it, and was beforehand with him, and filled a cup with wine, and pledged Achilles, and spake: "Hail, Achilles! No lack have we had of feasting before in the tent of King Agamemnon and now in thine; but it is not of feasting that we think this day; for we behold sore destruction close at hand, and are afraid. Verily, we are in doubt whether or no we may save our ships, unless thou wilt gird on thy might again. For indeed this day the men of Troy and their allies come near to the ships to burn them with fire. And Zeus shows them favourable signs. As for Hector, he rages furiously, trusting in Zeus, and vows that he will burn the ships with fire, and make havoc of the Greeks while they are dazed with the smoke of the burning. Sorely do I fear in my heart lest the god fulfil his threats, and doom us to perish here in Troy, far from the plains of Argos. Up, therefore, if thou art minded even now to save the Greeks! Delay not, lest thou repent hereafter, for there is no remedy for that which is done. Cease from thy anger. Verily, Agamemnon offereth thee worldly gifts, a huge treasure of gold and bronze, and twelve stout horses that have won much wealth for Agamemnon by fleetness of foot, and seven women, skilful in handiwork, and fairer than all their kind; and Briseis herself he will restore to thee, even as he took her from thee. All these things will he give; and if we take the great city of Priam, twenty daughters of Troy, fairest of women, after Helen. And when we shall go back to Greece, thou shalt have his daughter to wife, her whom thou shalt choose, and with her seven cities, lying all of them near to the sea, a land of vineyards and cornfields, whose folk shall pay thee tribute and honour. But if thou yet hate from thy heart Agamemnon and his gifts, then I pray thee have pity upon the Greeks, who will honour thee even as men honour a god. Hector, too, thou mayest slay, for he will come near thee in his madness, for he deems that there is not a man of all the Greeks that can stand against him."