Vs. 1-7. Prooemium: The wrath of Achilles, from its very beginning, and the destructive consequences which followed in accordance with the will of Zeus. This is the principal theme of the Iliad. The First Book serves as an introduction to the whole poem; it narrates the story of the strife between Achilles and Agamemnon, and the decree of Zeus, which is made on the intercession of Thetis. — The events narrated in A occupy 21 days.
μῆνιν: wrath, lasting anger, the “memorem iram” of Verg. Aen. i. 4; cf. vs. 81, 247, 488. This receives prominence as being most important for the subject of the poem. θεά: cf. “ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε μοῦσα α” 1; see on 2.484. For the following caesural pause, see § 40 c. Πηληιάδεω: for the patronymic, see § 21 d; for the synizesis, see § 7. Ἀχιλῆος: for the single “λ”, see § 41 f“η”. Achilles was the son of Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis (see vs. 351 ff.). He was the mightiest warrior of the Greek leaders before Troy (v. 280, 2.769), although one of the youngest (9.438 ff.). His home was in Phthia (2.681 ff.) of Thessaly. See on v. 488.This text is part of:
Homer's Iliad, Books I-III. Thomas D. Seymour. Boston. Ginn and Company. 1891.
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