The Great Library › Iliad › the whole text › Line 1Iliad, Line 1: Sing the wrath
The first words of the poem. The singer asks the goddess to sing through him, and names the subject in its first word: the wrath of Achilles, and what it cost.
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How it opens, word by word μῆνιν mênin the wrath ἄειδε áeide Sing θεὰ theà goddess Πηληϊάδεω Pēlēïádeō of Peleus’ son Ἀχιλῆος Achilêos Achilles οὐλομένην ouloménēn the accursed , ἣ hḕ which μυρίʼ myrí’ countless Ἀχαιοῖς Achaioîs on the Achaeans ἄλγεʼ álge’ griefs ἔθηκε éthēke put ,
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1.1 Sing the wrath. Sing, goddess, the wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles, the accursed wrath which put countless…1.6 The first quarrel. from the time when first the son of Atreus, lord of men, and godlike…1.8 Which god?. Who then of the gods set the two in strife to fight? The son…1.12 The priest at the ships. For he had come to the swift ships of the Achaeans to free his…1.17 The ransom offered. Sons of Atreus and you other well-greaved Achaeans, may the gods who have homes…1.22 One man says no. Then all the other Achaeans shouted assent, to respect the priest and to accept…1.26 Agamemnon’s threat. Don’t let me find you, old man, by the hollow ships, either lingering now…1.33 By the roaring sea. So he spoke, and the old man was afraid and obeyed the word. He…1.37 The prayer of Chryses. Hear me, god of the silver bow, who stand guard over Chryse and holy…1.43 Like the night. So he spoke, praying, and Phoebus Apollo heard him, and he went down from…1.48 The plague. Then he sat down apart from the ships and let fly an arrow among…Open Line 1 in the full reader
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