BBC world theatre; The Anger of Achilles (Reel 1)

The national educational radio network presents the BBC World Theater these weekly broadcasts are made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This week on BBC World Theatre Part 1 of an epic for radio by Robert Graves. Nova Kinney Part 1 two thousand six hundred years ago. In a royal courtyard in Greece in Odeon's relaxing with wine cups at the elbows. Sat waiting for one of whom was still an attending sun. Let him enter the prison.

Well comfy me yes son of glorious home. Welcome to my city. You have made a pleasant voyage from sacred to Los Pollos and back to Poseidon as we are assembled here in this courtyard in joyful hope of entertainment it is now many months since WANT TO GO TO LAST tryst Guild of storytellers has so favored us come. Fill these agate cups to the brim. Your health love blind hope gifted with in words and Apollos blessing on this hospitable city. On Up. Now tell me if we me at once shall our tail be tonight by a royal

eventually seeing the anger of Achilles. This is a story of the long Greek war against Troy for six hundred years ago when Prince Paris of Troy prompted by the love goddess Aphrodite had stolen medal as his wife Queen Helen of Sparta and Priam King of Troy had refused to send her back. This is a story of the ten year that siege and terrors have a young prince Achilles who has brought his myrmidons to fight with the Greeks against the Trojans. Now at last quotables with the High King Agamemnon of my scene the Greek commander in chief was not quite over his own lead law. By your leave. Ickes was king Agamemnon's ally not his vassal. And even the Olympian gods were involved in that. As you shall hear what I want to explain with you was his help seeing the mountain God seeing through that anger which most

ruinously and which before the tale was done to him with champion spirit spite of some dogs there. Watch the first take and when proud Agamemnon asked. If you want to know which of the gods can do this quite a lot how he did so I can tell you what it was to be us Apollo when he sent a pestilence among the Greeks by way of punishing. The trouble began with Agamemnon the priest crises

who came to the Greek camp Troy with the gods headband on a golden wand. Apollos priest was offering a high ransom for his daughter. Whom the Greeks held as a prisoner of war crises addressed the entire army but particularly the High King Agamemnon and his brother King minuteness of Sparta on whose account you remember the war was being fought. Boyos terms of a truce. I don't member no mental illness and you other distinguished What years. It is my sincere hope. That the blowsy will permit you to say King Citadel younger than Troy and to say so. But only if you will on earth Zeus is son Apollo the globe who. By setting my daughter her Christ fears.

Follow this company to your liking not to say don't let me catch you here again. And among the ships of war either now or later and neither that one nor your priestly headband will protect you. Understand me once and for all I will never release your daughter she must spend the rest of her life as my royal first here and then the distant they've gone and not another word. The venerable crises scared into a BDM walked silently away beside the rough sea until he found himself. Weeping. He offered this prayer to Apollo.

Take a. Petition. If ever I built a temple to your cut costs at the creek with your arrows. Here's a. Crises prayer and his face grew dark of the night. Show during the Super Bowl. He had it done from Mount Olympus where the blessid gods News is out it was a pestilence rattled in their quiver as he alighted at some distance from the ships and he

soon dreadfully when he let fly. Apollos first victims were mules and hounds. Next he shot their masters whose piles were presently seen burning from end to end of the camp for nine days. The Greeks and on the tenth Prince Achilles inspired by the goddess here who hated Troy and felt compassion. But it's dying besiegers summoned a General Assembly as was his right. My greetings to you dear brother and heal my staunch ally of Crete and to Your Venerableness sort of pilers great to you and to your so I keep preaching. And lastly do you claim inspiration for Phoebus Apollo. My hair is white gold studded staff to whichever Lord has a mind to give us counsel let no man speak without it. This

assembly. Please print something up. Son of King Peter your son the sea goddess let us take the warmed King Agamemnon son of a truce. Of one thing I am certain we are fated to be driven from our camp by this combination of pestilence with war unless we had once consult some prophet or priest or even an interpreter of Gretry read to are sent by Zeus. We must find out the reason for Apollo's angry. And we perhaps favored people now to offer him a worthy sacrifice if some of the older applied lambs and goats roasting on his altars should soon placate our Lord Apollo thus and the pestilence or her own characters the prophet son of test star servant of people's Apollo himself a star is yours Prince Achilles favorite of Zeus. You invite me to account for the anger of Apollo the god who kills for before I do. But since my

divine message may displease our commander in chief King Agamemnon I shall withhold it an issue sort of display to protect me afterwards both in word and deed. Treat the store open arms for me. Achilles my lord calculus do not shrink from revealing the truth. I swear by Zeus the son Apollo that why I get to live and breathe no one here will dare lay violent hands on you. Not even the High King Agamemnon himself then I will speak freely. Because of Apollo's goal is not a breach of a vow nor the omission of a worthy sacrifice. But the insult offered his priest crises by the High King. Read some folks right on up Paulo has a vent is this insult on us all and our punishment is not yet complete. He will read the Campo systems only when we restore priciest to her father without ransom from him

when we are hundred sector official victims of Apollo's on the island of crises. This law is also evil minded property how you arrived to your socks but you will never foretell anything pleasant. Yours is the most improbable story I have ever heard. So Apollo has punished us Greeks because I prefer to keep quite see it as my good fellow rather than accept a Raksha. Let me be blunt. I find her far more attractive than my wife like a mistress a liking for intelligence and skill. Nevertheless since you are a pollo servant I have read it all said the girl home if needs must. Rather than watch my entire army melt away I stipulate only the young princes will at once recompense me for our loss. It will mean anything disgraceful what I define myself as a solo Greek without a prize Obama.

And you can all see how valuable a one night stand to looking Agamemnon you are the greediest man a heart attack in sports a reprint recompense you for causing this pestilence. Besides we have no common stock of due to your public to draw what we took from captured cities has already been to market would be decent to withdraw any particular war from any one of us and make it over to you. Seram backed her girl as Apollo to moms. And later on if your threats are sacked some other Sultan fortress we will perhaps. Vote you an even more valuable prize does for example really want you would be likely to refuse to be bullied. So I must surrender quite serious and expect no compensation is that it. You I suppose are to keep y'all prize of Ana believe me Chafey going to be handy to know indeed if these generous counsel offers me some fair substitute well and good.

If not I will choose my own prize of honor seizing it with my own hands either from you or great Ajax all from you. Mark Carrier can be settled later. Meanwhile let us pick a cool for one of our gal is a porter bought a hundred sacrificial victims of my personal crisis years and then appoint someone as captain. Someone like yourself prince secular enormous trouble we will sail down to size he there placate Apollo the are children so very blessed keep hope could any great company have a lot of work to go on this voyage or stay and fight. Well I did not join the expedition because the children harmed me. They never took my cattle or horses no forage through my corn fields infertile PR years of Misty Mountains and vast stretches of where we separate my land from this go loath Fassel of yore.

I brought my men here and I was afraid not because you asked me to punish the Trojans for the wrong they did your problem in L.A. and now Tong thanks to red flag you not only forget how much gratitude I deserve but threaten to steal the prize with which the Greeks rewarded me. And what division of duty after the second a large city did I ever get a share even approaching your event you know I did. 100 200 Voss to my surprise I be quite I think ready money. So I have no intention of humiliating myself by this thankless struggle to feel your coffee as. I are so I will say oh I know my country off by all means I kill easy if that is your pleasure. I shall not stop you. Others will hold me and respect that of all my counselors you are the one who I most details such you want heelys with your least pursuit of quadrilles and battles and welcome Long Ships play the pitch among them a

becomes of fear and often very good as you please. It means nothing to me but let me warn you here than I know that since Apollo insists on robbing me of Christ he is my ship and crew shall Katty have back to her father and I shall visit your heart and recouped my loss with you all prize of Honor the beautiful bride you see is civil and they're so similar. Let me teach you what you order by news coverage. Not to dispute with me don't mean Cortright. Hi. As Prince accused drew the sword from its scabbard the white arm got us here who hated Troy and was intent on keeping the Greek leaders united. How did Lee sent her stepdaughter. Our Allied I think to stand behind Achilles and catch him by his yellow hair. Why are you here standing behind

me. Do I alone. Yes I have you come to witness King Agamemnon's insolence. Then let me tell you that it has already cost him his life. Take your hand from that thought healed Achilles and listen to me. I come as a messenger from my stepmother. The White House. God is here and who loves both us and I got them know. You want to warn him sternly what punishment he must expect but to abstain from violence. But I promise that one day soon your up rage pride shall be silenced with a prize even though mostly more valuable than this pretty slay. Kill he's prove that you trust us. By showing decent restraint. Daughter of Zeus I am indeed and right. The gods bless obedience and so have I. I have not yet done Agamemnon

drunkards with the face of a dog in the heart of a dog I take care of you will never know what a pitched battle ahead of your man joined in setting an ambush. I thought the great leaders do. You would rather die than risk whom yet you speak of stealing a prize of Honor from a brave man who challenges your pretensions such tyranny has left you all people split less. As you would never dare insult so many of them. But I at least will say my say and confirm it with a solemn oath which I take here and now upon this white gold studded staff which assures me the right of uninterrupted speech. This dry warm no more to sprout or put green twigs and foliage out since once perhaps swinging free cross chopped it from a mountain tree than trimmed away both leaves and bark by this same wand which meant whole marking traditions praised by Zeus have Sept to honorable

use in ruling their debates. I vow now that all you Greeks assembled now before me Mark these words one Miss actually is in the fray and long for him. Finding your chief in capable This spite all grief to save from Trojans murdering Saul to an army then Agamemnon Lord your anger inward you shall turn cursing the folly but dared spurn who indignantly here speaks well. Turn braving the storm all Greeks in the crowd of which Oh no I won. Oh like it was healthy if you know it's noble hero and we you know first off for our you would speak. This stuff is yours on a story of the High King's chief counselor.

Yes the expedition is gravely threatened by those Saudi who do spew how King Priam of Troy and his sons and old Troy I would rejoice to hear out of a breach between the two champions who always take the lead in planning and like hey listen to me both of you Agamemnon and Tilly because you have combined ages are far from adding up to mine and because when Long ago I addressed men even nobler than yourselves they never disregarded my advice and I have values you all printed so deal with them. My lord I remember this like the Grand your of your rank I charge you keep your hands off the girl whom the Greeks rewarded Achilles diseased cries of on our hearts. And my lord Achilles I jarred you respect the scepter building High King. Zeus is represented to do that who are you little bit strong I know. And your mother's. That is the

superfoods he got it. But Agamemnon ranks even higher than you. Last year my lord came. I beg you as a favor. Let your anger cool. We all know that a young prince of killers is the boldest I tell you are not all the armies seizing him no shore is more work against as herds of this wall. I watch you say is true enough and Noble their star but Achilles wants to be treated as though he were commander in chief. High King president of the council an ambition which I think few were places that really want to support a ground that the gods have made him a steady fighter. Have they also sanctioned him to reveille be in such a group. Yes that is exactly what they're after by remained silent. Everyone here would call me a coward and accuse me of always yielding to your demands.

Trample on whom you please Agamemnon but not Killie son of people. This is at an end though I will use no violence against you or your servants in the matter. But I see it. The prizes are awarded me. Try touching any of the possessions of mine and you all royal blood in my soup you. Live where yes there's nothing like a silence closed. Oh yeah. It was.

Accompanied by his best friend Patroclus from whom he was never willingly parted even for a day. I'd walked off towards the line of hops beside his ships then Agamemnon ordered a fast galley to be launched and sent the girl priciest home to her father under the charge of King not just us. His choice of captain and then it was that Agamemnon remembered his threats. Tendency appears noble Have you would your colleague go to Achilles and fetch me the lovely but ICSA planet. If he offers resistance I shall go myself and take up my false which will injure his pride even more. The two had always went off most reluctantly along the beach until they came to the myrmidons ships. Where they saw Achilles brooding on a bench

seated beside his comrade Patroclus. At first he gave them no sign so they kept silence. Afraid to utter a word I guess. Well come ahead. Since your task is to convey messages from Zeus and from his loyal representative here on Earth. Step forward and be assured that I blame only the High King who has ordered you to steal my prison. I see. THE GIRL FROM THE HEART. Let these heralds lead on a lie and when the day has come that I may implore to save Agamemnon's Army from a shameful defeat. I shall call you both to witness before immortals and mortals alike but especially before

that. I asked her what patience I have displayed. And if I got my mum thinks he's got this fleet against a trojan attack he must be mad as well as evil not to consider the POV and force feed the future. So Patroclus the slim wasted priciest and the head holds let her way to Agamemnon's hot. Though she was loath enough to go. Presently Achilles won't fart along the seashore with grief at his heart and sank down on the stand gazing in tears westward across the endless way to go and use that to use the silver footed.

A life time of this man is destined to so brief that Zeus thunders from the skies over me at least a prize of glory than is mine to. Say rest so way that captive with whom eyes sold was honored by the Greeks are hard to work. He is evil. Indeed Zeus holds me small for. From the sun and waves. Tell me what they are instead of hiding it with me. Why should I tell you what you know already. But mother as you love me go to Olympus plead my

case reminding Zeus of any word or the of yours that ever pleased him. Yeah. I want this in many Ridgeville in the spring his knees with my left hand and placing my right wrist. With my we were. Great Fathers you use each other letters assisted you by word or deed alone among the immortal gods the ministration to your need. Wolf I beg you my petition on their

Achilles my dear son for doomed I say to end his life before its prime has well begun. Now I commend the King's Men has roughly robbed him of his prized love gutsiest. But this actor's Song us in old Greek us. Is Zoom's one is ruler of the limbs rebuking such injustice and time Mr. Paul to true to noms. My son may hopeful for home amend. For others to use you keep silent. Pick you I thought give me a sure promise confirmed that you would defy known all else dismiss my petition while you shrink from the end. Me I know well that I am the least esteem of all.

Only Mark this is a serious matter this it is and bound to cause trouble between Queen here myself. She has often accused me of partiality to the Trojans. Go see you. Nevertheless I feel constrained to gradually take our daughter and observe my divine nod in the shortest possible side as everyone knows that this is my troll certainty and you revocable promise.