Lessons LXIX to LXXIII

The genitive

English says the wave of the sea. Greek uses the genitive ending instead of a word for of.

ἀνεδύσετο κῦμα θαλάσσης: she rose up from the wave of the sea. Pharr labels θαλάσσης genitive singular.

παιδὸς ἑοῦ: of her son. Pharr labels παιδὸς genitive singular as well.

Some verbs take the genitive. Θέτις δ’ οὐ λήθετ’ ἐφετμέων: Thetis did not forget the charge. The word list says λήθ-ω takes the genitive, so ἐφετμέων is genitive.

The Iliad: Thetis goes up to Olympus

The first lines describe someone who stays away. He would never go to the assembly that brings men glory, nor to war. He wasted his own heart there, longing for the war cry and the battle.

Then the twelfth dawn comes. The gods who live forever go back to Olympus together, and Zeus leads them. Thetis did not forget the charge of her son. She rose up from the wave of the sea. At early dawn she went up to great heaven and Olympus.

She found the wide-thundering son of Cronos sitting apart from the rest, on the highest peak of many-ridged Olympus.

Thetis moves in two steps. ἀνεδύσετο κῦμα θαλάσσης: she rose from the wave of the sea. Then ἀνέβη μέγαν οὐρανὸν: she went up to great heaven.

The imperative

The imperative is the verb form for a command or a request. A prayer to a god is a series of requests. Thetis uses the imperative many times.

τίμησόν μοι υἱόν: honor my son. τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ: grant me this desire. ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μιν τῖσον: but you, honor him yourself.

Pharr's note calls τίθει a present imperative, second person singular. It is a command to one person. ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι τίθει κράτος: give strength to the Trojans.

Later she asks again. νημερτὲς μὲν δή μοι ὑπόσχεο καὶ κατάνευσον: promise me now, unfailingly, and bow your head in assent. These are two commands joined by καὶ.

The Iliad: Thetis begs Zeus

She sits down before Zeus and clasps his knees with her left hand. With her right hand she takes him beneath the chin. As a suppliant, she speaks to lord Zeus, son of Cronos.

If ever I gave you aid among the immortals, she says, in word or deed, grant me this. Honor my son, who is the most short-fated of all. Agamemnon has dishonored him and keeps his prize. Give strength to the Trojans until the Achaeans honor him.

Zeus says nothing to her and sits silent for a long time. She holds his knees fast and asks once more. Promise me, or refuse me, so that I may know how far I am the most dishonored of the gods.

She gives him two choices. ὑπόσχεο καὶ κατάνευσον: promise and bow your head. ἢ ἀπόειπ’: or refuse.

The future

The future states what will happen. English uses will: I will go, you will see. Greek changes the form of the verb.

Zeus uses the future. εἰ δ’ ἄγε τοι κεφαλῇ κατανεύσομαι: come, then, I will bow my head to you. The word list gives κατανεύσω as the future of the verb nod.

ὅτε μ’ ἐχθοδοπῆσαι ἐφήσεις Ἥρῃ: since you will set me at odds with Hera. ἐφήσεις means you will set.

ταῦτα μελήσεται: these things will be my concern. The word list gives μελήσω as the future of μέλω, be a care. Both futures in the word list have σ before the ending.

The Iliad: Zeus answers Thetis

Zeus, greatly troubled, answers her. This is a ruinous business, he says, since you will set me at odds with Hera. She provokes me with taunting words. She quarrels with me even without cause, and says I aid the Trojans in battle.

Go back now, he tells her, so that Hera notices nothing. I will see to these things. Come, I will bow my head to you, so that you may trust me.

That is the greatest sign among the immortals. Nothing of mine is revocable, deceitful or unfulfilled, once I have bowed my head to it.

οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν παλινάγρετον οὐδ’ ἀπατηλὸν οὐδ’ ἀτελεύτητον has three denials. His nod is not revocable, not deceitful, and not unfulfilled.

The dual τὼ

Pharr marks τὼ in this passage as nominative or accusative dual. It means the two.

τὼ γ’ ὣς βουλεύσαντε διέτμαγεν: so the two of them, having so resolved, parted. The next words name the two: ἡ μὲν ἔπειτα εἰς ἅλα ἆλτο, she then leapt into the sea, and Ζεὺς δὲ, and Zeus.

The Iliad: Zeus bows his head

So he spoke, and the son of Cronos bows his head, his dark brows lowering. His ambrosial locks sweep forward from his immortal head, and he makes great Olympus quake.

The two part. She leaps into the deep sea from gleaming Olympus, and Zeus goes to his own house. All the gods rise from their seats before their father. No one dares to stay seated as he approaches. All stand to face him.

ἡ μὲν and Ζεὺς δὲ form a pair. They set two actions side by side: she goes one way, and Zeus goes another.

The interrogative τίς and the relative ὃν

τίς is the interrogative pronoun: who, which or what. Pharr labels it nominative singular.

τίς δὴ αὖ τοι, δολομῆτα, θεῶν συμφράσσατο βουλάς: which of the gods, crafty one, has plotted counsel with you now? θεῶν means of the gods. It names the group the question chooses from.

In Zeus's answer, ὃν appears twice. The English renders it whatever. ὃν δέ κ’ ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε θεῶν ἐθέλωμι νοῆσαι: whatever I wish to consider apart from the gods.

The Iliad: Hera questions Zeus

Zeus sits down on his throne. Hera has seen that silver-footed Thetis, daughter of the old man of the sea, took counsel with him. At once she speaks to him with taunting words.

Which of the gods has plotted with you now? It is always dear to you, she says, to devise things in secret. Never yet have you willingly told me what you plan.

The father of men and gods answers. Hera, do not hope to know all my words. They will be hard for you, though you are my wife.

His answer has two halves, ὃν μέν and ὃν δέ. Whatever word is fitting to hear, no one will know it before you. But whatever I wish to consider apart from the gods, do not ask about each thing.