Editing Calchas (section)

==Career==
It was Calchas who [[prophesied]] that in order to gain a favourable wind to deploy the Greek ships mustered in [[Avlida|Aulis]] on their way to [[Troy]], [[Agamemnon]] would need to sacrifice his daughter, [[Iphigenia|Iphigeneia]], to appease [[Artemis]], whom Agamemnon had offended. The episode was related at length in the lost ''[[Cypria]]'', of the [[Epic Cycle]]. He also states that Troy will be sacked on the tenth year of the war.<ref>[[Quintus Smyrnaeus|Quintus of Smyrna]]. ''[[Posthomerica]]'', Book VIII (Alan James translation).</ref>

In Sophocles' ''[[Ajax (Sophocles)|Ajax]]'', Calchas delivers a prophecy to [[Teucer]] suggesting that the protagonist will die if he leaves his tent before the day is out.

=== ''Iliad'' ===
In the ''Iliad'', Calchas is cast as the [[apostle]] of divine truth. His most powerful skeptic is [[Agamemnon]] himself. Before the events of the ''Iliad'', at the beginning of the expedition, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter [[Iphigenia]] to receive favorable sailing winds. At the beginning of the ''Iliad'' Calchas delivers another blow to him.

In open assembly, Calchas prophesied that the captive [[Chryseis]], a spoil of war awarded to Agamemnon, must be returned to her father [[Chryses]] in order to propitiate [[Apollo]] into lifting the plague he sent as punishment for Agamemnon's disrespect of Chryses, Apollo's priest. Agamemnon exploded in anger and called the prophet a "visionary of hell" (Fitzgerald translation) and accused Calchas of rendering unfair prophecies. Fearing Agamemnon, Calchas had already secured a champion in Achilles, who spoke against Agamemnon in heated terms in assembly. Agamemnon grudgingly accepted the edict of Apollo (supported by the Assembly) that he give up his prize, but, as an insult to Achilles, threatens to take Achilles’ own female prize as recompense. There follows "the wrath of Achilles," part righteous anger, part galling resentment over the unjustified overreaching of Agamemnon, part love for his war bride. This dispute is a central focus of the epic.

Later in the story, [[Poseidon]] assumes the form of Calchas in order to rouse and empower the Greek forces while [[Zeus]] is not observing the battle.

=== ''Posthomerica'' ===
Calchas also plays a role in [[Quintus Smyrnaeus|Quintus of Smyrna's]] ''[[Posthomerica]]''. Calchas said that if they were brief, they could convince Achilles to fight. It is he rather than [[Helenus]] (as suggested in Sophocles' ''[[Philoctetes (Sophocles)|Philoctetes]]'') that predicts that Troy will only fall once the Argives  are able to recruit Philoctetes.<ref>[[Quintus Smyrnaeus|Quintus of Smyrna]]. ''[[Posthomerica]]'', Book IX (Alan James translation).</ref> It is by his advice that they halt the battle, even though [[Neoptolemus]] is slaughtering the Trojans. He also tells the Argives that the city is more easily taken by strategy than by force. He endorses [[Odysseus]]' suggestion that the [[Trojan Horse]] will effectively infiltrate the Trojans. He also foresees that [[Aeneas]] will survive the battle and found the city, and tells the Argives that they will not kill him. He did not join the Argives when they boarded the ships, as he foresaw the impending doom of the [[Cape Caphereus|Kapherean Rocks]].<ref>[[Quintus Smyrnaeus|Quintus of Smyrna]]. ''[[Posthomerica]]'', Book XIV (Alan James translation).</ref>