like a mist, and sate her before the face of her weeping son, and
stroked him with her hand, and spake and called on his name: "My child,
why weepest thou? What sorrow hath entered into they heart? Speak it
forth, hide it not in thy mind, that both may know it."

Then with heavy moan Achilles fleet of foot spake to her: "Thou knowest
it; why should I tell this to thee that knowest all! We had fared to
Thebe, the holy city of Eetion, and laid it waste and carried hither all
the spoils. So the sons of the Achaians divided among them all aright;
and for Atreides they set apart Chryseis of the fair cheeks. But
Chryses, priest of Apollo the Far-darter, came unto the fleet ships of
the mail-clad Achaians to win his daughter's freedom, and brought a
ransom beyond telling, and bare in his hands the fillet of Apollo the
Far-darter upon a golden staff, and made his prayer unto all the
Achaians, and most of all to the two sons of Atreus, orderers of the
host. Then all the other Achaians cried assent, to reverence the priest
and accept his goodly ransom; yet the thing pleased not the heart of
Agamemnon son of Atreus, but he roughly sent him away and laid stern
charge upon him. So the old man went back in anger; and Apollo heard his
prayers, seeing he loved him greatly, and he aimed against the Argives
his deadly darts. So the people began to perish in multitudes, and the
god's shafts ranged everywhither throughout the wide host of the
Achaians. Then of full knowledge the seer declared to us the oracle of
the Far-darter. Forthwith I first bade propitiate the god; but wrath gat
hold upon Atreus' son thereat, and anon he stood up and spake a
threatening word, that hath now been accomplished. Her the glancing-eyed
Achaians are bringing on their fleet ship to Chryse, and bear with
them offerings to the king; and the other but now the heralds went and
took from my hut, even the daughter of Briseus, whom the sons of the
Achaians gave me. Thou therefore, if indeed thou canst, guard thine own