“Helen, your sinful deeds brought a bitter end to Priam and his lovely children. They say because of you holy Ilium was destroyed by climbing fire. But the son of Aiakos did not find such a wife when he summoned the blessed gods to his wedding and took the delicate sea nymph Thetis from the watery palace of Nereus, bringing her to the mountain cave of the centaur Cheiron. There, the love of Peleus for his sea-nymph led him to lie naked with the untouched virgin, and within the year she bore a son, Achilles; bravest demigod and splendid driver of tawny stallions. But for Helen, Ilium and her people were destroyed.” Willis BarnstoneHelen Of TroyAlkaiosThetisAchillles Author:Alkaios
“One and all, you have proclaimed Pittakos, the lowborn, to be tyrant of your lifeless and doomed land. Moreover, you deafen him with praise.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Let us drink. Why wait for the lighting of the lamps? Night is a hair's breadth away. Take down the great goblets from the shelf, dear friend, for the son of Semele and Zeus gave us wine to forget our pains. Mix two parts water, one wine, and let us empty the dripping cups—urgently.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaiosDionysos Author:Alkaios
“Come with me now and leave the land of Pelops, mighty sons of Zeus and Leda, and in kindness spread your light on us, Kastor and Polydeukes. You who wander above the long earth and over all the seas on swift horses, easily delivering mariners from pitiful death, fly to the masthead of our swift ship, and gazing over foremast and forstays, light a clear path through the midnight gloom for our black vessel.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Our king Apollo, O child of mighty Zeus, when you were born your father gave you a gold headband and a lyre of tortoise shell, and more: a chariot drawn by swans. You were to go to Delphi and the Kastalian springs whose waters are the gift of broad Kephissos, and there deliver justice to the Hellenes through the oracles. But when you seized the reins, you made the swans sail north to the distant land of the Hyperboreans, and though the Delphians begged you to return—with paeans of flutes and circles of women dancing about the tripod— Apollo, you remained to rule that people through the long year. Came the season when the tripod rings loud and clear in Delphi, you turned the swans to Parnassos. It was high noon of summer when you glided back from the far northlands; swallows and nightingales were singing; cicadas also sang about you; silver brooks poured down from Kastalia, and the great river Kephissos threw blue-foaming waves into the bright wind, yes, even the waters knew a god was coming home.” ApolloWillis BarnstoneDelphiAlkaiosParnassus Author:Alkaios
“Zeus rumbles and a mammoth winter of snow pours from the sky; agile rivers are ice. Damn the winter cold! Pile up the burning logs and water the great flagons of red wine; place feather pillows by your head, and drink. Let us not brood about hard times. Bakchos, our solace is in you and your red wines: our medicine of grape. Drink deeply, drink.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Wash your gullet with wine for the Dog Star returns with the hear of summer searing a thirsting earth. Cicadas cry softy under high leaves, and pour down shrill song incessantly from under their wings. The artichoke blooms, and women are warm and wanton— but men turn lean and limp for the burning Dog Star parches their brains and knees.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Why water more wine in the great bowl? Why do you drown your gullet in grape? I cannot let you spill out your life on song and drink. Let us go to sea, and not let the wintry calm of morning slip by as a drunken sleep. Had we boarded at dawn, seized rudder and spun the flapping crossjack into the wind, we would be happy now, happy as swimming in grape. But you draped a lazy arm on my shoulder, saying: 'Sir, a pillow, your singing does not lead me to ships'.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Daughter of the rock and the gray sea you fill all hearts with triumph, tortoise shell of the sea.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaiosLyre Author:Alkaios
“What birds are these wildgeese—flying from precincts where the earth and oceans end— with their enormous wings and speckled throats?” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Not homes with beautiful roofs, nor walls of permanent stone, nor canals and piers for ships make the city—but men of strength. Not stone and timber, nor skill of carpenter—but men brave who will handle sword and spear. With these you have a city and walls.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“It is late, for the harvest is in. Before, we hoped that the full vines would bring a plenitude of fine grapes, but the clusters are slow to ripen and the landlords picked unripe bunches from the branch. We have many grapes now—green and sour.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“Drink and be drunk with me, Melanippos. Do you think when you have crossed the great fuming river, you will ever return from Hell to see the clean bright light of the sun? Do not strive for wild hopes. Even the son of Aiolos, King Sisyphos, wisest of men, thought he had eluded death. But for all his brains Fate made him recross Acheron, and the son of Kronos assigned him a terrible trial below the dark earth. Come, I beg you not to brood about these hopeless matters while we are young. We will suffer what must be suffered. When the wind is waiting in the north, a good captain will not swing into the open sea.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“I can't tell you which way the gale has turned for waves crash in from west and east, and we are tossed and driven between, our black ship laboring under the giant storm. The sea washes across the decks and maststep and dark daylight already shows through long rents in the sails. Even the halyards slacken as windward waves coil above the hull. What sore labor to bale the water we've shipped! Let us raise bulwarks and ride out the storm, heeding my words: 'Let each man now be famous.' Yet base cowards betray the state.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios
“The great house glitters with bronze. War has patterned the roof with shining helmets, their horsehair plumes waving in wind, headdress of fighting men. And pegs are concealed under bright greaves of brass that block the iron-tipped arrows. Many fresh-linen corslets are hanging and hollow shields are heaped about the floor, and standing in rows are swords of Chalkidian steel, belt-knives and warrior's kilts. We cannot forget our arms and armor when soon our dreadful duties begin.” Willis BarnstoneAlkaios Author:Alkaios