[PUGACHEV]

Sing, Goddess, of Achilles’ rage,
Dark and murderous, which cost the Greeks
Unmeasurable pain, and pitched the souls
Of countless heroes into dark Hades ,
Leaving their bodies to rot as a feast
For dogs and birds, as was Zeus’ will to be done.

[SunkenCiv]

Sounds like this scroll was snatched out of his hollow coffin.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Here it is in Greek.

( Brave search comments: "The full opening line is typically translated as "Sing, goddess, the wrath of Achilles..." However, the Greek word order places "μῆνιν" (wrath/anger) at the very beginning to immediately establish the poem's central theme.)

If you want to see the first 16 lines in Greek click on the link. There is also a link to a soundcloud clip with someone reading it in Greek.

Publication information: “Homer, Iliad 1.1–16 , Read in Greek by Gregory Nagy”. 1997. Cambridge, MA: Department of the Classics, Harvard University.

Illiad chapter 1 verses 1-16

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος

οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε’ ἔθηκε,

πολλὰς δ’ ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν

ἡρώων, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν

οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι, Διὸς δ’ ἐτελείετο βουλή