Iliad 1.536-567. Ancient Greek, lyre. Hera confronts Zeus! Iliad A Day 19. Bettina Joy de Guzman

Iliad 1.536-567. Ancient Greek, lyre. Hera confronts Zeus about agreeing to Thetis’s supplication! Iliad A Day 19. Bettina Joy de Guzman

ὣς ὃ μὲν ἔνθα καθέζετ᾽ ἐπὶ θρόνου: οὐδέ μιν Ἥρη
ἠγνοίησεν ἰδοῦσ᾽ ὅτι οἱ συμφράσσατο βουλὰς
ἀργυρόπεζα Θέτις θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος.
αὐτίκα κερτομίοισι Δία Κρονίωνα προσηύδα:
540τίς δ᾽ αὖ τοι δολομῆτα θεῶν συμφράσσατο βουλάς;
αἰεί τοι φίλον ἐστὶν ἐμεῦ ἀπὸ νόσφιν ἐόντα
κρυπτάδια φρονέοντα δικαζέμεν: οὐδέ τί πώ μοι
πρόφρων τέτληκας εἰπεῖν ἔπος ὅττι νοήσῃς.”

τὴν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε:
545Ἥρη μὴ δὴ πάντας ἐμοὺς ἐπιέλπεο μύθους
εἰδήσειν: χαλεποί τοι ἔσοντ᾽ ἀλόχῳ περ ἐούσῃ:
ἀλλ᾽ ὃν μέν κ᾽ ἐπιεικὲς ἀκουέμεν οὔ τις ἔπειτα
οὔτε θεῶν πρότερος τὸν εἴσεται οὔτ᾽ ἀνθρώπων:
ὃν δέ κ᾽ ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε θεῶν ἐθέλωμι νοῆσαι
550μή τι σὺ ταῦτα ἕκαστα διείρεο μηδὲ μετάλλα.
’

τὸν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη:
αἰνότατε Κρονίδη ποῖον τὸν μῦθον ἔειπες;
καὶ λίην σε πάρος γ᾽ οὔτ᾽ εἴρομαι οὔτε μεταλλῶ,
ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ εὔκηλος τὰ φράζεαι ἅσσ᾽ ἐθέλῃσθα.
555νῦν δ᾽ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα μή σε παρείπῃ
ἀργυρόπεζα Θέτις θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος:
ἠερίη γὰρ σοί γε παρέζετο καὶ λάβε γούνων:
τῇ σ᾽ ὀΐω κατανεῦσαι ἐτήτυμον ὡς Ἀχιλῆα
τιμήσῃς, ὀλέσῃς δὲ πολέας ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
560

τὴν δ᾽ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς:
‘δαιμονίη αἰεὶ μὲν ὀΐεαι οὐδέ σε λήθω:
πρῆξαι δ᾽ ἔμπης οὔ τι δυνήσεαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ θυμοῦ
μᾶλλον ἐμοὶ ἔσεαι: τὸ δέ τοι καὶ ῥίγιον ἔσται.
εἰ δ᾽ οὕτω τοῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι:
565ἀλλ᾽ ἀκέουσα κάθησο, ἐμῷ δ᾽ ἐπιπείθεο μύθῳ,
μή νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμωσιν ὅσοι θεοί εἰσ᾽ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ
ἆσσον ἰόνθ᾽, ὅτε κέν τοι ἀάπτους χεῖρας ἐφείω.

So he sat down there upon his throne; but Hera saw, and failed not to note how silver-footed Thetis, daughter of the old man of the sea, had taken counsel with him. Forthwith then she spoke to Zeus, son of Cronos, with mocking words: “Who of the gods, crafty one, has now again taken counsel with you? [540] Always is it your pleasure to hold aloof from me, and to give judgments which you have pondered in secret, nor have you ever brought yourself with a ready heart to declare to me the matter which you devise.” In answer to her spoke the father of men and gods: “Hera, do not hope to know all my words: [545] hard will they prove for you, though you are my wife. Whatever it is fitting for you to hear, this none other shall know before you, whether of gods or men; but what I wish to devise apart from the gods, of all this do not in any way inquire nor ask.” [550] In answer to him spoke the ox-eyed lady Hera: “Most dread son of Cronos, what a word you have said! Truly, in the past I have not been accustomed to inquire nor ask you, but at your ease you devise all things whatever you wish. But now I have wondrous dread at heart, lest [555] silver-footed Thetis, daughter of the old man of the sea, have beguiled you; for at early dawn she sat by you and clasped your knees. To her, I think, you bowed your head in sure token that you will honour Achilles, and bring many to death beside the ships of the Achaeans.” Then in answer to her spoke Zeus, the cloud-gatherer: [560] “Strange one, you are always suspecting, and I do not escape you; yet you shall be able to accomplish nothing, but shall be even further from my heart; and that shall be the worse for you. If this thing is as you say, then it must be pleasing to me. Sit down in silence, and obey my word, [565] lest all the gods that are in Olympus avail you not against my drawing near, when I put forth upon you my irresistible hands.”