Both Uses of
perjury
in
The Iliad by Homer - (translated by: Butler)
- Juno trembled as he spoke, and said, "May heaven above and earth below be my witnesses, with the waters of the river Styx—and this is the most solemn oath that a blessed god can take—nay, I swear also by your own almighty head and by our bridal bed—things over which I could never possibly perjure myself—that Neptune is not punishing Hector and the Trojans and helping the Achaeans through any doing of mine; it is all of his own mere motion because he was sorry to see the Achaeans hard pressed at their ships: if I were advising him, I should tell him to do as you bid him."†
Book 15perjure = break the law by telling lies after formally promising to tell the truth
- If I swear falsely may heaven visit me with all the penalties which it metes out to those who perjure themselves.†
Book 19 *
Definition:
the criminal offense of telling lies after formally promising to tell the truth -- such as when testifying in a court trial