So we stood there, trading heartsick stories,
\ndeep in grief, as the tears streamed down our faces.
\nBut now there came the ghosts of Peleus\u2019 son Achilles,
\nPatroclus, fearless Antilochus\u2014and Great Ajax too,
\nthe first in stature, first in build and bearing of all the Argives
\nafter Peleus\u2019 matchless son. The ghost of the splendid runner
\nknew me at once and hailed me with a flight of mournful questions:
\n\u2018Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, man of tactics, reckless friend, what next?
\nWhat greater feat can that cunning head contrive?
\nWhat daring brought you down to the House of Death?
\n-where the senseless, burnt-out wraiths of mortals make their home.\u2019<\/p>\n
The voice of his spirit paused, and I was quick to answer:
\n\u2018Achilles, son of Peleus, greatest of the Achaeans, I had to consult
\nTiresias, driven here by hopes he would help me journey home
\nto rocky Ithaca. Never yet have I neared Achaea, never once set foot
\non native ground \u2026 my life is endless trouble.
\nBut you, Achilles, there\u2019s not a man in the world more blest
\nthan you\u2014 there never has been, never will be one.
\nTime was, when you were alive, we Argives honored you as a god,
\nand now down here, I see, you lord it over the dead in all your power.
\nSo grieve no more at dying, great Achilles.\u2019<\/p>\n
I reassured the ghost, but he broke out, protesting,
\n\u2018No winning words about death to me, shining Odysseus!
\nBy god, I\u2019d rather slave on earth for another man\u2014 some dirt-poor
\ntenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive\u2014
\nthan rule down here over all the breathless dead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
THE ODYSSEY <\/strong><\/em> So we stood there, trading heartsick stories, deep in grief, as the tears streamed down our faces. But now there came the ghosts of Peleus\u2019 son Achilles, Patroclus, fearless Antilochus\u2014and Great Ajax too, the first in stature, first in build and bearing of all the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16754,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[132],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg",600,406,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg",600,406,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=570%2C406&ssl=1",570,406,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=500%2C380&ssl=1",500,380,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=500%2C406&ssl=1",500,406,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=500%2C406&ssl=1",500,406,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=539%2C303&ssl=1",539,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/post-158.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Poetry<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"So we stood there, trading heartsick stories, deep in grief, as the tears streamed down our faces. But now there came the ghosts of Peleus\u2019 son Achilles, Patroclus, fearless Antilochus\u2014and Great Ajax too, the first in stature, first in build and bearing of all the...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17890"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17890"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17892,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17890\/revisions\/17892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\ntranslated by Robert Fagles<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"