This is a chapter of The Trojan War, by C. Witt & F. Younghusband.
During the night before the next battle, loud claps of thunder pealed through the camp of the Greeks, and they feared that this was a warning of approaching misfortune. And so it proved to be. When the battle began, it was at first somewhat uncertain to which side the victory was inclining, for now the Trojans gave way and now the Greeks; but as the day wore on, the Greeks became more and more distressed, and glad they were when darkness fell and allowed them to retreat behind their high wall.
The Trojans, on the contrary, were very sorry to be hindered from pushing their advantage; and thinking that the Greeks would probably attempt to flee away in the night in their ships and thus escape them, they determined to prevent this by encamping for the night in the open plain outside the city. Watchfires were soon kindled, around which the men gathered in groups; and having sent for bread, meat, and wine from the city, they refreshed themselves with good cheer, and prepared to keep watch all night.
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But among the Greeks, the chiefs were full of care and anxiety in looking forward to the next day, and above all Agamemnon was troubled; for not only would there fall to him, as leader of the army, the greatest measure of glory or of shame from the result of the war, but he felt moreover that the repulse of the Greeks had been brought about by his fault. On account of his overbearing conduct it was that Achilles had withdrawn himself from them, and he was now anxious to make amends for what he had done.
He chose out from among his treasures the best and costliest, and sent them to Achilles, hoping thereby to turn away his wrath; right royal presents they were, and such as could only be sent by a great king — gold and precious drinking cups in abundance, and besides these seven valuable slaves, and amongst them Briseis, about whom all the strife had arisen. He promised, too, that, when Troy should be conquered, Achilles should be at liberty to fill his ship with gold and bronze from the booty, and that if ever they returned to Greece, he should have seven of the cities of Agamemnon, and the fairest of his daughters to be his wife.
He chose moreover as his messengers the best friends of Achilles — the wise Odysseus, the mighty Ajax, and the aged Phoenix, who for years had been his guardian and teacher. These he sent to the hero, and Achilles was very glad to see his friends and entertained them hospitably. But when they announced their errand, neither the wise words of Odysseus nor the earnest entreaties of Phoenix were of any avail to move him. A fierce hatred of the king had taken possession of his soul, and rather than put it away from him he was prepared to witness the destruction of his fellow countrymen and of his best friends, and he even declared that he would forthwith sail back to his home and live there in peace and happiness for the rest of his days.
The messengers were obliged to depart without having gained anything and had to announce to the assembled chieftains that they must hope for nothing from Achilles.