CONTENTS PREFA CE C RITICAL SY NOP SIS BIOGRA P H ICAL DICTIONA RY OF AUTHORS Chapter I- Quarrel...
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Transcript of CONTENTS PREFA CE C RITICAL SY NOP SIS BIOGRA P H ICAL DICTIONA RY OF AUTHORS Chapter I- Quarrel...
C LA S S C T A LE S BY
FAMO US AUTHO RS
COMPLETE lN
TWENTY VO LUME S
VOLUME
E las s ic ales
among utbors
CONTAINING C O M P LET E SELECTIONS FROMTHE WORLD’S BEST AUTHORS W ITH PREFATORYBIOGRAPHICAL A N D S Y N O PT I C A L N O TES
Edited and A rrang ed by
F R E D E R I C K B . D E B E R A R D
/4 5 z é
W itha G eneral Introductionby
R O S S I T E R O H N S O N,L L . D .
Published by
T H E.R
e f r i i cv _.I H ‘
A - l~ u v
N e w Y O R K
fikN 1906
COPYRIGHT 1 902
COPYRIGHT 1 905
THE BODLEIAN Socua'rv
CONTENTS
PREFA CE
CRITICAL SYNOP S ISB IOGRAPH ICAL DICTIONARY OF AUTHORS
Chapter I- Quarrel ofthe Chie fs,The
Chapter I I—Brok en Covenant,The
Chapter I I I—Batt le i n the Plain,The
Chapter IV—Hector and Andromache
Chapter V—Duel o f Hector and Aj ax TheChapter VI—Troj ans Again Prevai l
,The . The
Greeks Beseech Achi l le s
Chapter VII—N ight Adventure ofUlysse s ancIDiom ed, The
Chapter VI I I—W ounding o f the Chie fs , TheChapter IX—Battl e at the Wal l, TheChapter X—Battl e at the Ships , TheChapter XI—Batt le at the Ships, The ( continued!Chapter XII—Deeds and Death ofPatroclus , TheChapter X I I I—Rous ing ofAchi l les, TheChapter XIV—Vengeance ofAchi l l es. TheChapter XV—Death ofHector, TheChapter XVI—Funeral R i tes o f Patroclus , TheChapter XVII—Ransoming ofHector, The
ILLUSTRATIONS
I’AGE
Reading ofHomer, A Front z'
spiece
Bust o f Homer, A
Alexander Pope
Corpse ofSarpedon Carried to His Father,
Jupiter, The
W i l l iam Cul len Bryant“Cedarmere
,Home o f Bryant, Roslyn , L. I .
PREFACE
HE plan ofth i s book i s to present a conci se butcom plete v i ew o f the narrat ive part o f the greatpoem , omitting al l that i s di scursive and not
essent ial to the movement o f the story. With a few
exceptions, quick action and dramatic qual ity have beenthe standards O f choi ce, and many nobl e epi sodes and
passag es ofgreat beauty have there fore been omittedin order that the continuity o f the main narrative might
be unbroken .
The theme o f The I l iad i s the feud ofAchi l le s andAgamemnon— the di sasters that be fel l th e Greeks by
reason OfAchi l l e s’ revolt against Agamemnon’s head
ship,the battle s in the pla in be fore Troy, the fierce
assaults by the Greeks,the sort ie s ofthe bel eaguered
Troj ans,the rout ofthe Greeks and thei r desperate
struggl e to save thei r fleet from destruct ion ; the
valorous exploit s o f th e chie f s ; the sul len ferocity ofAchi l les , hi s fury when hi s comrade Patroclu s i s slain,and h is savage vengeance upon the valiant and noble
Hector and the Troj ans .
‘With th i s main theme i s interwoven much that i si rrelevant—the genealogy ofthe ch i e f s , the personalhi story o f thei r ancestors, what thei r great - grand fathers
sa id and did ; Nestor’s i nterminabl e v iews , reviews and
remini scences,drawn by an un fai l ing memory from the
recol lection s o f a long l i fe ; the fami ly squabbl es oftheg ods ; the pol it ic s and domesti c scandal s OfOlympus ;and other di scursive tOp ics .
P RE FA CE
These di scursions, i rrespective ofi ntrins i c interest orpoetic qual ity, obscure rather than i l luminate . The storyofTroy i s more v ivid without them . For that reason
they have been exci sed .
The principal translat ion s have been care ful ly com
pared,and from various renderings, sel ections have
been made which seem to most ful ly breathe the spi ri t
ofth e original, although the versions given are not ina ll cases the most l i teral , poetic fire having been Chosenin pre ference to feeble l iteralness . Thus each translator
i s represented by hi s nobl est passages ; and the reader
sees the fiery epi c f rom many view - points .
The extract onpages 261 to 267 i s printed by arrange
ment with and permi ssion ofMessrs . Houghton,Miffl in
Co . , the authorized publ i shers ofBryant’ s TranslationofHomer ’s “I l iad” and “Odyssey.
EDITOR.
iv
CRIT ICAL SYNOPS I S
THE ILIAD OF HOMER : TRANSLATIONS BY VARIOUSAUTH ORS .
Thi s famous epic tal e holds a fo remost plac e a sone ofthe greates t ofth e world’ s poems . I t te l l softhe ten years ’ war between the a l l i e d Greeksand the Troj ans ofthe main land o f Asia M inor .Pari s
,Princ e o f Troy
,v i s i t i ng Greece a s a welcome
guest , betrays the hosp ital i ty o f King Agamemnon ,and pe rsuade s Helen , th e queen , to fly with him .
The outrage arouses re sentment throughout thewhol e ofGreec e . The warl ike chi e fs re spond tothe summons of Agamemnon , and, embarkingwith the i r retaine rs i n a huge fl eet o f ga l leys , sai lto exact vengeance from the p eopl e ofTroy . Fo rten years th e war i s waged wi th varying re sult .Final ly
,Agamemnon , the leader o f the Greeks , ex
c ite s the bi tte r i r e OfAchi ll e s , the greatest ofth echi efs
,by arrogantly s eiz in g a female sl ave who,
i n the divi sion o f the spoi l , had fal l en to Achi l l e s .Fi l l ed with resentment
,Achi l l es and hi s My rm i
dons re fuse to take furthe r part i n the war, andremain passiv e i n thei r tents . “The I l i ad
”t el l s of
the feud between the ch i efs ; how the Gre eks , bereftofthe aid o f thei r greates t champion , were overmatched by the val iant Hector, the brave st ofth eTroj an l eaders
,unti l th e i r de struct i on wa s immi
nent ; how Patroclus, the fr i end of Achi l l e s , sough tto aid them and lost hi s l i fe ; and how Achi l le s ,burning with rage at the death of hi s dearly beloved fri end , aga in took h i s p lace inthe fore frontofthe batt le . made fearful s laughte r amongst theTroj ans , and pursued the val iant Hecto r to hi sdeath . EDITOR
B IOGRAPHICAL
DICTIONARY OF AUTHORS
BIOGRAPHI CAL DI CTIONARY
OF AUTHORS
BRYANT, W ILLIAM CULLEN : Thi s noted Ameri canpoet was born at Cummington
,Mas s
,i n 1 794 ;
di ed at New York , 1 878. He was a p rol ific poet,as wel l as an active j ournal i st , during hi s l ongcareer, for many years holding the place o f editorofthe “Evening Post . One of h i s earl i e s t andbest poems was “Thanatop si s, publ i shed in 1 8 16.
I n 1 82 1 he publi shed a volume o f poems , and other s at i nte rval s . Hi s transl ation of “The I l iad”
appeared i n 1 870,and of“The Odyssey" i n 1 87 1 .
Both o f these hold an honorab le p lace among themany translation s ofthese two great c las s i c s .
CHA PM A N , GEORGE : (For B iographica l Note, see Vol .I I I “Famous Ta le s o f
CHURCH , ALFRED J . : Thi s autho r has made excel l entparaphrases ofa number of the great c lass i cs , andha s also written many tal e s and storie s based uponthem . Hi s sto ri e s from V i rgi l and Homer , as wel las h i s “Stories o f the Persian Wars” and of“Li fein Rome ,
" are wel l known and popular . He i sprofes sor ofLatin i n Univers i ty Col l ege , London .
DERBY ,EARL OF (EDWARD GEOFFREY SM ITH S TAN
LEY!: Thi s Briti sh statesman was a man ofmost ve rsat i l e mind . Born in 1 799,
he di ed in1 869. A member of a great and nobl e fam ily , heearly entere d i nto publ i c affairs . and during a longand act ive career he ld many high pol i ti cal post s ,i nc luding that ‘
OfPremie r . His tran slat ion of“The I l iad holds dese rvedly hi gh rank as one ofthe best vers ion s i n blank ver se .
x i
B IOGRA PH ICA L DICTION A RY OF AUTHORS
HOMER : The name ofHomer i s mere ly a l ite rary expre ss ion . Nothing whatever i s known ofthe man .
I t i s doubtful whether any such pe rsonage i n reali ty ever exi sted . He i s as sumed to have been theauthor of“The I l iad
”and “The Odyssey . Mod
ern cr iti c i sm hold s that “The I l iad” i s an accretionO f traditionary incidents grouped about a possibl enucleu s ofnarrative
,the work o f some unknown
great poet ofa far d i stant day , I t i s ce rtai n thata unity O f styl e pervades the enti re work . I t i salso l ike ly that many addi tions have been madei n i ts verbal transmi ss ion from generat ion to gencration , told , a s i t was , by the s tro l l i ng minstrel so f the t ime . Herodotus place s the date o f Homer
’
sbi rth about 8 5 0 B . C . Other wri te rs as s i gn variousdate s a s far back as 1 5 00 B . C . Seven c it i e s areassigned as th e place ofhi s bi rth
,but , as a l ready
stated , nothing i s in real i ty known Ofthe man .
“The Odyss ey,” although ostensibly the p roduc
t ion ofth e author of“The I li ad ,” i s o f much more
doubtful ori gin , i f the intrinsi c evidence s O f dive rsestyl e and discordant incident are to be rel i ed upon.
Despi te th e fact that i t i s i n any cas e a great epi cand intense ly intere sting
,i t i s immeasurably in
fe rio r to “The I l iad” i n poeti c power and beauty.
PO P E ,A LE x A N DE R : A famous Engl i sh poet and e s say
i st , one O f th e most noted tran slators ofHomer ;born in London , 1 688 ; died at Twickenham ,
1 744.
He began hi s l i terary caree r at th e age ofseventeen , and soon became one ofth e prominent menO i—l e tters O f the day. He began the translation sofHomer in 1 7 1 3, and continued them unti l about1 72 5 . I n 1 720 hi s trans lati on of“The I l iad" ap
pea red , fol lowed by“The Odyssey” i n 1 72 5 ,
Hisversion of “The I l iad . al though ofgreat poet icalmeri t in parts , i s st i l ted and formal , because ofi t sartifici al mete r , then the fash ion ofth e day . I thas been we ll c lassed as “ ingenious .
” Pope ’ stranslation OfThe Odyssey i s in every respectfar below the l evel ofh i s earl i e r translation of thegreate r work . I t i s for th e most part feeble
,de
void o i poetica l fire , and often slovenly and without l i terary excel lence . EDITOR.
x i i
I LI AD .
Apol lo,who had a great templ e there in and a priest .
The templ e and the pri est the Greeks , fearing the anger
ofthe g od , had not harmed ; but they had carr ied offwith other pri soners the pri est’ s daughte r, Chrysei s by
name . These and the rest of the Spo i l they divided
among the kings, ofwhom there were many in th e
army,rul ing each his ownp eopl e. Now King Aga
memnon,as being sovere ign lord , went not commonly
with the army at such times , but rather stayed behind,ha ving charge ofthe s i ege that i t shoul d not b e neglect ed . Yet did he always rec eive, as indeed was fitting,a share ofthe spoil . This t ime the Greeks gave h im ,
with other th ings,the maiden Ch rysei s . But there came
to the camp next day the pri est Chry ses , wish ing to
ransom his daughter . Much gold he brought with h im ,
and he had onhis head the pri est’ s crown
,that men
might reverence h im the more . He went to al l th e
ch iefs,making h is prayer that they would take th e gold
and give h im back hi s daughter. And they al l spake
him fai r, and would have done what he wi shed . OnlyAgamemnon would not have it so .
“Get thee out , g reybeard l” he cri ed in great wrath .
Let me not find thee l i ngering now by the sh ip s,
neither coming hith er again , or it shal l be th e worse
for thee , for al l thy p riesthood . And as for thy daugh
ter, I shal l carry her away to Argos , when I Shal l havetaken this c ity ofTroy.
”
Then th e old man went out hasti ly i n great fear andtroubl e . And he walked in his sorrow by the shoreofth e sounding sea , and prayed to hi s god Apol lo .
“Hear me , god of the s i lve r bow . I f I h ave buil t
th ee a templ e, and offered thee the fat of many bullocks and rams, hear me , and avenge me on theseGreeks !”
And Apol lo heard him . Wroth he was that men
had so dishonored hi s pri est,and he came down from
1 0
I LIAD .
[Agamemnon I nsults th e Pr i es t ofApollo ](DERBY!
Then through the ranks assenting murmurs ran ,The pri est to rev
’
rence , and the ransom take ;Not so A tr ide s ; he , with haughty mien ,
And bi tter speech,the trembl ing s i re di smi ssed
“Old man,I warn thee
,that bes ide our sh ip s
I find thee not , or l ing’
r ing now , or back
Returning ; l est thou prove of smal l avai l
Thy golden staff , and fi l l et of thy God .
Her I re lease not, t i l l her youth be fled ;With in my wa lls , i n Argos , far from home ,Her lot i s cast , domest ic cares to ply,And share a master
’
s b ed . For thee,begone!
I ncense me not,l est i l l b et ide thee now .
He said ; the old man trembled , and obeyed ;Bes ide the many- dashing Ocean
’
s shore
S i lent he p as s’
d ; and al l apart he p ray’
d
To great Apol lo , fair Latona s son ;“Hear me , God of the s i lve r bow !whose care
Chrysa surrounds,and Ci l l a ’ s l ovely val e ;
W'
hose sovereign sway o’
er Tenedos extends
O Smintheus , hear! i f e’er my O ffered gi fts
Found favor i n thy s ight ; i f e ’ er to theeI burn
’
d th e fat of bul l s and cho icest goats ,Grant me this boon—upon the Grec ian hostLet th ine unerring darts avenge my tears .”Thus as he p ray
’
d , h i s p ray’
r Apol lo heard ;A l ong Olympus ’ hei ghts h e pas s ’d ; hi s heartBurning with wrath ; beh ind h is shoulders hungH is bow , and am ple quiver ; at h i s backRattl ed th e fat eful arrows as he mov ’d ;L ik e the ni ght - cl oud h e pas s ’d ; and from afarHe bent against the sh ips
,and sped the bol t ;
And fierc e and deadly twang’
d th e s i lver bow,
I I
I LIAD .
the top ofO lympus, where he dwel t. Dreadful was
the rattl e of h i s arrows as he went, and h i s pres ence
was as the night coming ove r the sky. Then he Shotth e arrows of death , first on th e dogs and the mules ,and then on th e men ; and soon al l along the shorerol l ed the black smoke from the pi l es ofwood onwhich they burnt the bodi es of th e dead .
On the tenth day Achi l l es , who was the bravest andstrongest of al l the Greeks, cal l ed the p eopl e to anassembly. When they were gath ered together h e stoodup among them and spake to Agamemnon .
Surely it were bett er to return home than that weshould al l perish here by the plague . But come, l et usask some prophet
,or p ri est, o r dreamer ofdreams ,
why it i s that Apollo i s so wroth with us .”
Then stood up Calchas , best o f s eers , who knewwhat had been
,and what was, and what was to come ,
and spake.“Achi l l es
,thou b idde s t me t el l th e peop l e why Apollo
i s wroth with them . Lo ! I tel l th ee, but thou mustfi rst swear to stand by me , for I know that what I shal lsay wi l l anger King Agamemnon
,and it goes i l l with
common men when kings are angry .
”
“Speak out , thou wi se man !” c ri ed Achil l es ; for I
swear by Apol lo that whil e I l iv e no one shal l lay
hands on thee , no, not Agamemnon’ s s el f, though he
be sove reign lo rd ofth e Greeks .”
Then th e prophet took heart and spake . I t i s on
behal f o f h i s p riest that Apollo i s wrot h , for he cameto ransom his daughter
,but Agamemnon would not
l et the maiden g o . N ow ,th en
,ye must send her back
to Chrysa without ransom,and with her a hundred
beasts for sacrifice , so that the plague may be stayed .
Then Agamemnon stood up in a fury , h is eyes blazing l ike fire.
Never,”he cried , hast thou spoken good concern
1 2
I LIAD .
Fi rst,onthe mules and dogs , on man the l ast ,
Was pour’
d the arrowy storm ; and through the camp ,Constant and nunI’rous bla z ’
d the fun’
ral fires .
[Calchas Asks Ach i l le s’ Protect ion . ]
Achi l l es, lov’
d o f H eav’n
,thou bidd
’
s t me sayWhy thus incens ’d th e far - destroying King ;Therefore I speak ; but prom ise thou , and swear ,By word and hand
,to bear me harmle ss through
,
For wel l I know my speech must one off end,
The Argive ch i ef,o ’ er al l the Greeks supreme ;
S ay , then , wi lt thou protect me, i f I sp eak ? ”
[Protected by Ach i l l es , Calchas Denounces Agamemnon . ]
To whom Peli des : From thy inmost soul
Speak what thou know’
s t, and speak without contro l .
E’
enby that god I swear who rul es the day,To whom thy hands the vows ofGreece convey,And whose ble ss
’
d orac les thy l ip s dec lare ;Long as Ach i l l es breathes thi s v ital air ,No daring Greek, ofal l th e numerous band ,Against h i s pri est shal l l i ft an imp ious hand ;No t e ’en th e ch ief by whom our hosts are led
,
The k ing o f k ings,shal l touch that sacred head .
Encouraged thus,th e blameless man repl i es :
N or vows unpaid , nor sl ighted sacrifice,But h e our chi ef, provoked the raging p est ,Apol lo S vengeance for h is inj ured p riest .Nor wi l l th e god’ s awak en’
d fury cease ,But plagues shal l spread , and funeral fires i ncrease ,Til l
,th e great k ing
,without a ransom paid
,
To h er own Chrysa send the black - eyed mai d.
Perhaps , with added sacrifice and prayer,The priest may pardon, and th e god m ay spare.
1 3
I LIAD .
ing me,ill prophet that thou art, and now thou tel l est
me to give up thi s maiden ! I will do i t, for I woul dno t that the peopl e should peri sh . Only take care, ye
Greeks,that there be a share o f th e spo i l for me , for
i t would i l l beseem the lo rd of al l the host that h e aloneshould be without hi s share .
“Nay,my lord Agamemnon , cr i ed Achi l l es , thou
art too eager for gain . We have no t reasures out of
which we may make up thy l oss , for what we g ot out
of the towns we have e ither sold o r divided ; nor wouldi t be fi tting that the peopl e should give back what has
been given to them . Give up the maiden , th en , with
out conditions , and when we shal l have taken this ci tyof Troy
,we wil l repay thee three and four fo ld .
“Nay, great Achi l l es , said Agamemnon ,“thou shal t
not cheat me thus . I f th e Greeks wil l give me such ashare as I should have , wel l and good . But i f not, Iwil l take one for mysel f, whethe r i t be from thee , or
from Aj ax , or from Ulysses ; for my share I wi l l have .But ofth is hereafte r. Now let us see that th is maidenb e sent back . Let them get ready a sh ip
,and put her
therein , and with her a hundred vict ims , and l et some
chi ef g o with the ship , and see that al l th ings be rightlydone
Then cri ed Ach i l l es , and h i s fac e was bl ack as a
thunder - sto rm ,
“Surely thou art altogether shamelessand greedy , and , i n truth , an il l ru ler o f men . No quar
rel have I with the Troj ans . They never harried oxenor sheep ofmine . But I have been fighting in thy
cause , and that ofthy brother Menela ii s . Naught carest
thou for that. Thou leav e st me to fight,and s ittes t i n
thy tent at ease . But when the spoi l i s divided , th ine
i s always the l ion’
s share . Sm a l l i ndeed i s my part‘a l i ttl e th ing, but dear.
’ And th is,forsooth
,thou wilt
take away! Now am I reso lved to go home . Smal lbooty wilt thou g e t then , m e think s l”
I4
I LIAD .
[Agamemnon Threatens Calchas . ]
This said , he sat ; and Atreus’ godl ike son
,
The mighty monarch , Agamemnon , rose ,His dark sou l fi ll ’d with fury , and his eyes
Flashi ng l ike flames offire ; on Calchas firstA with
’
r ing gl ance he cast, and thus he spoke“Prophet ofi l l ! thou never speak
’
st to me
But words ofev i l omen ; for thy soul
Del ights to augur i ll , but aught of good
Thou never yet has p rom is ’
d , nor perform'd ,
And now among the Greeks thou sp read’
s t abroad
Thy lying propheci es , that al l these i l l s
Come from the Far- destroyer, fo r that IRefus ’d the ransom of my love ly priz e .Yet , i f i t must be so ,
I giv e her back ;I wi sh my peopl e
'
s safety, not the i r death ,But seek me out forthwith some other spo i l ,Lest empty - handed I a lone appearO f al l th e Greeks ; for th i s would i l l beseem ;And how I los e my present share
,ye see .
”
[Achil l es Rep roves Agamemnon’ s Greed ](POPE !
Insat iate k ing (Achil l es thus rep l i es!,Fond of the power, but fonder o f th e prize !
Would's t thou the Greeks thei r l awful prey shoul d yield
The due reward ofmany a wel l - fought fi eld ? ”Then thus the king : “Shal l I my p ri ze res i gnWith tame content, and thou pos se s s
’
d ofth ine ?Great as thou art , and l ike a god in fight
,
Think not to rob me of a soldier’ s r ight .
At thy demand shal l I restore the maidFirst l et the j ust equival ent be paid ;Such as a king might ask ; and l et it b eA treasure worthy her, and worthy m e .
IS
I LIAD .
And K ing Agamemnon answered, Go, and thy Myrm idons with thee! I have other Ch ieftains as good asthou a rt
,and ready, as thou art not, to pay me due
respect . I hate thee , with thy savage , bloodth irsty ways .And as for the matter o f th e spo i l , know that I willtake thy share
,the gi rl B ri sei s , and fetch her mysel f,
i f ne ed be, that al l may know that I am sovereignlord here in the hosts o f th e Greeks ."Then Achi l l es was mad with anger, and h e thoughti n hi s heart
,Shal l I ari s e and slay thi s caitiff, or shal l
I ke ep down th e wrath in my breast ? ” And as he
thought,he laid h is hand on h is sword h i lt , and had
hal f drawn h is sword from the scabbard, when lo ! thegoddess Athene stood behind h im ( for Heré , who
loved both thi s Ch i eftai n and that , had sent her!, andcaught h im by the long l ocks of h i s yel low hai r. ButAch i l les marv-elled much to feel th e m ighty grasp , and
turned, and looked , and knew the goddess , but no oneelse in th e assem b ly might see her. Then hi s eyes
flashed with fire , and he c ried,“Art thou come , ch i ld
of Zeus,to se e the insol ence o f Agamemnon ? Of a
truth , I think that h e wil l peri sh fo r h i s fol ly.
”
But Athene said,“Nay , but I am come to stay thy
wrath . Use bitter words , i f th ou wi l t , but put up thysword in its sheath
,and strike him not. Of a truth , I
t el l thee that fo r th i s insol ence ofto - day he wil l br ingthee hereafter spl endid gi fts
,threefol d and fourfol d for
al l that he may take away .
”
Then Achi ll es answered , I shal l ab ide by thy com
mand , for i t i s ever b et ter for a man to obey the immortal gods .” And as h e spak e he laid hi s heavy handupon the hi lt , and thrust back the swor d into the scabbard , and Athene w-ent her way to Olympus .Then he turned h im to King Agamemnon
,and spake
again .
“Drunkard
,with th e eyes o f a dog and the
heart of a deer!never fighting in the front of the batt le ,
I6
IL I AD .
nor daring to l i e i n the ambush !’
Tis a puny race thou
rul est, o r th is had been thy last wrong. And as for
me,here i s th is sceptre : once it was the branch ofa
tree,but a cunning craftsman bound i t with bronze
to be the S ign ofth e lordsh ip wh ich Zeus gives tokings ; a s surely as it shal l never again have bark or
l eaves o r shoot, so surely shal l th e Greeks one day
miss Achi l le s,when they fal l in heaps before the dread
ful Hector,and thou shalt eat thy heart to th ink that
thou hast wronged the bravest ofthy host .”
And as h e Spake he dashed hi s sceptre on the ground
and sat down . And on the other s ide Agamemnon satin furious anger. Then Nestor rose, an o ld man ofahundred years and more, and counseled peace . Let
them l isten , he said , to hi s counsel . Great ch i efs in
the o ld days , with whom no man now al ive would dare
to fight,had l i stened. Let no t Agamemnon take away
from the bravest ofth e Greeks th e priz e ofwar ; l etnot Achi ll e s
,though he was mighti er i n battl e than al l
other men,contend with Agamemnon , who was s ov er
e i gn lord ofal l the hosts o f Greece But he spake i nvain . For Agamemnon answered
“Nestor , thou speakest wel l , and peac e i s good . But
thi s fell ow would lord it over al l,and h e must b e
taught that there i s one here , at l east, who i s betterthan he .
”
And Achil l es said , I were a slave and a coward i fI owned thee as my lord . Not so ; p lay the master over
others , but th ink no t to master me . As for the prize
which the Greeks gave me , l et them do as they wi l l .
They gave it ; l et th em take it away . But i f thou dare s t
to touch aught that i s mine own, that hour thy l i fe
blood shal l redden onmy spear ."
Then the assembly was dismi ssed . Chrysei s was sent
to her home with due offerings to the g od, th e wi se
1 8
I LIAD .
By thine example , others too may fear
TO rival me , and brave me to my face .”
[Achil l es in Fury , Swears to Fight no More ](POP E !
N or yet the rage hi s bo il ing breast forsook,
Wh ich thus redoubl ing onA tr ide s broke :“O monster !m i x
’
d ofi nsol ence and fear,
Thou dog i n forehead, but in heart a deer !
When wert'
thou known in am bush’
d fights to dare,
Or nobly face , the horrid front ofwar ?’Tis ours
,the chance offight ing fie lds to try ;
Thine to look on and bid the val iant di e ;So much ’ ti s safer through the camp to g o ,
And rob a subj ect , than despoi l a foe .
Scourge ofthy peop l e , v io l ent and base !Sent in Jove ’ s anger ona slavi sh race ;Who
,l ost to sense ofgenerous freedom past ,
Are tamed to wrongs —or th i s had been thy last.
N ow by th i s sacred sceptre h ear me swear,Which never more shal l l eaves or blossoms bear,Which s ev e r
’
d from the trunk (as I from thee!On th e bare mountains l eft it s parent tree ;Th is sceptre , formed by tem p e r
’
d steel to prove
An ens ign ofthe delegates ofJove ,From whom the power oflaws and j ustice spring s(Tremendous oath ! invio late to kings!;By th is .I swear ;—when bl eeding Greece againShal l cal l Ach i ll es
,she shal l cal l i n vain .
When, flush
’
d with s laughter, Hector comes to spread
The purp l ed shore with mountains ofthe dead ,Then shalt thou mourn th e affront thy madness gave ,Forced to implore when impotent to save ;Then rage in b itterness ofsoul to knowThis act has made the bravest Greek thy foe .
1 9
I LIAD .
Ulysses going w ith her. And al l th e peopl e purifiedthemselves
,and the plague was stayed .
But King Agamemnon would not g o back from hi s
purpose . S o he cal l ed to him the h eralds , Talthybius
and Eurybates, and said“Heralds
, g o to the tents ofAchil l es and fetch themaiden B ri sei s . But i f h e wi l l not l e t h er go , say thatI w i l l come mysel f with many oth er s to fetch her ; sowi l l i t be the worse for him .
”
Sorely against th ei r wil l th e heralds went. Along th e
sea shore they walked t i l l they came to whe re , amidst
the Myrmidons,were th e tents ofAchil l es . There they
found him sitting,but stood si lent i n awe and fear . But
Achil l es sp i ed them,and cri ed aloud ,
“Come near , ye
heralds,mess engers ofgods and men .
’Tis no fault ofyours that ye are come on such an errand .
”
Then he turned to Patroclus (now Patroclu s was h i s
dearest fri end! and sai d ,“B ring th e mai den from her
tent,and l et the heralds l ead her away . But let them
be witnesses , before gods and men , and before th i s
evi l - minded king , against the day when he shall have
sore need ofme t o save hi s host from dest ruct ion .
Fool that he i s,who th inks not ofthe past nor ofth e
future, that h i s peopl e may be safe !
Then Patroclus brought forth th e maiden from her
tent and gave her to the heralds . And they l ed her
away, but i t was sorely against her wi ll that she went .
But Achil l es went apart from hi s comrades and sat
upon the sea shore , fal l ing into a great pass ion of tears ,and stretch ing out hi s hands with loud prayer to his
mothe r, who i ndeed was a goddess ofthe sea , Thetisby fl ame . She heard him where she sat in the depths
by her fath er , the old g od ofth e sea , and rose—youwould have thought i t a mist ri sing— from the waves ,and came to where he sat weep ing, and stroked himwith her hand, and cal l ed h im by h is name.
20
I LIAD .
H e spoke ; and furious hurl ’d against the groundHis sceptre sta rr
’
d with golden studs around ;Then sternly si l ent sat . With l ike disdain
The raging king return’
d his frowns again .
[Agamemnon Sends Heralds to Take B r ise'
l'
s from
With reluctant steps they pas s’
d
Along the margin ofth e wat ’ ry waste ,Til l to the tents and sh ips they came , where lay
The warl ike Myrmidons . Thei r ch ief they found
S itti ng besid e h i s tent and dark - r ibb’
d ship .
Achi l l es m ark’
d their coming, not wel l p leas ’dW i-thtroubl ed mien , and awe - struck by the King
,
They stood , nor dar’d accost h im ; but h imsel f
D iv in’
d the i r errand , and addres s’
d th em thus“Welcome , ye messengers o f Gods and men ,Heralds !approach in safety ; not with y ou,But with A tr ide s , i s my just offence ,Who fo r the fai r B ri sei s sends y ouhere .Go , then , Patroclus , bring the maiden forth ,And give her to th e i r hands ; but witness ye ,B efore the bl essed Gods and mortal men
,
And to th e face ofthat inj urious King,When he shal l need my arm , from shameful rout
To save h i s fo l low ers ; bl inded by h is rage ,He ne ither heeds experienc e ofthe past ,N or scans the future , provident how best
To guard h is fleet and army from the foe .
He spoke : obedient to h is fri end and ch ie f,Patroclus led the fai r B ri sei
'
s fort h ,And gave her to thei r hands ; th ey to the sh ips
Re trac’
d thei r steps , and with them the fai r g irlR eluctant went.
2!
ILIAD .
Ulysses going with her. And al l th e peopl e purifiedthemselves
,and the plague was stayed .
But King Agamemnon would no t go back from hi s
purpose . So he cal l ed to him the heralds , Talthyb ius
and Eurybates, and said“Heralds
,go to the tents ofAchil l es and fetch the
maiden B risei s . But i f h e wi ll not le t her go , say t hatI wi l l come mysel f with many others to fetch her ; sowi l l i t be the worse for him .
”
Sorely against their wi l l th e heralds went. Along thesea shore they walked t i l l th ey came to where, amidst
the Myrmidons,were the tents o f Ach i l l es . There they
found him sitting,but stood si lent in awe and fear. But
Achil l es sp i ed them,and cri ed aloud ,
“Come near , ye
h eralds,mess engers o f gods and men .
’Tis no fault o fyours that ye are come on such an errand .
”
Then he turned to Patroc lus (now Patroclu s was h i sdearest fri end! and said ,
“B ri ng th e maiden from hertent
,and l et th e heralds l ead her away . But l et them
be witnesses,before gods and men , and before th i s
evi l - minded king, against th e day when he shal l have
sore need ofme to save hi s host from de struct ion .
Fool that h e i s,who th inks not ofthe past nor of the
future, that h i s peopl e may be safe !
Then Patroclus brought forth th e maiden from her
tent and gave her to the h eralds . And they l ed her
away , but i t was sorely agai nst her wi l l that sh e went.But Achill es went apart from his comrades and sat
upon the sea shore , fal l ing i nto a great pass ion of tears ,and stretch ing out his hands with loud prayer to h i s
mother, who indeed was a goddess ofthe sea , Thetisby name . She heard h im where she sat in the depthsby her father , the Old g od ofth e sea , and rose—youwould have thought i t a mist ri s ing—from th e waves,and came to where he sat weep ing, and stroked himwith her hand , and cal l ed h im by his name.
20
ILIAD .
H e spoke ; and furious hurl ’d against the groundHis sceptre starr
’
d with golden studs around ;Then sternly s i l ent sat. With l ike disdain
The raging king return’
d his frowns again .
[Agamemnon Sends Heralds to Take B r is e'
l'
s from
W'
i th reluctant step s they pa s s’
d
A long the margin ofthe wat ’ry waste ,Til l to the tents and sh ips they came
,where lay
The warl ike Myrmidons . Thei r ch ief they found
S itti ng beside h i s tent and dark - r ibb’
d sh ip .
Achi l l es m ark’
d their coming, not wel l pleas ’dWith troubl ed mien
,and awe - struck by th e King
,
They stood,nor dar ’d accost h im ; but h imsel f
D iv in’
d th e i r errand , and addres s’
d them thus“Welcome
,ye messengers o f Gods and men
,
Heralds !approach in safety ; not with you ,But with A trides , i s my j ust offence ,Who fo r the fa i r B ri sei s sends you here .Go
,then , Patroclus , bring the maiden forth ,
And give her to th ei r hands ; but witness ye ,Before the bl essed Gods and mortal men ,And to the face o f that inj ur ious King,When he shal l need my arm
,from shameful rout
To save h i s fo l low ers ; bl inded by h is rage ,He neither h eeds experienc e o f th e past,Nor scans th e future
,provident how best
To guard h i s fl eet and army from the foe .
He spoke : obedient t o h i s fr i end and ch ief,Patroclus l ed the fai r B rise
'
i s forth ,And gave her to thei r hands ; th ey to th e ship sRe trac
’
d th ei r steps , and with them the fair girlRe luctant went .
21
I LIAD .
What ail s thee,my s on?
” sh e said .
Then he told her the story ofh is wrong, and whenhe had ended h e said :
“Go ,I pray thee , to th e top ofOlympus , to th e palace
ofZeus . Often have I heard thee boast how , long ago ,thou didst help h im when the o ther gods would have
bound him,fetching B riareus of th e hundred hands ,
who sat by him in his s trength , so that the gods feared
to touch him . Go now and call these th ings to h is
mind,and pray h im that he help the sons of Troy and
give them victory in the battl e , s o that the Greeks , as
they flee before them,may have joy ofth i s k ing of
the i rs,who has done such wrong to th e bravest of h i s
host .”
And his mother answered h im ,Surely th ine i s an
evi l lot,my son! Thy l i fe i s short , and it shoul d of
ri ght be without tears and ful l ofjoy ; but now i t seemsto m e to be both short and sad . But I wi l l g o as thou
sayest t o Olympus , to th e palace ofZeus , but not now ,
for he has gone,and th e other gods with h im
, to a
twelve days’ feast with the p ious Ethiopians . But whenhe comes back I wil l entreat and persuade h im . And
do thou sit sti l l , nor g o forth to battle .”
When the twelve days were past , Theti s went to the
top ofOlympus , to th e palace ofZeus , and made herp rayer to him . He was l oath to grant it , for he knewthat it would anger h is wi fe
,Here, who loved the
Greeks and hated the sons ofTroy . Yet he could no trefuse her, but p romi sed that i t should be as sh e wished .
And to make h i s word the sure r,he nodded h is awful
head,and with the nod al l O lympus was shaken .
That night Zeus took counsel with him se lf’
how he
might best work h is wil l . And he cal led to him a
dream , and sai d , Dream , g o to th e tent of A g am em
non, and tel l h im to set hi s army in array against Troy
for that the gods are now ofOne mind, and the day 01
22
ILIAD.
doom i s come for th e c ity, so. that he shall take it ,and gain eternal glory for h im sel f.
So the dream went to the tent of Agamemnon , and ittook the shape of Nestor, th e ol d ch i ef whom the k inghonored more t han al l bes ide .
Then the fal s e Nestor spake : Sleepest thou , Agamemnon ? I t i s not fo r kings to sl eep al l through
the n ight,for they must take thoug ht fo r many, and
have many cares . Listen now to the words of Z eus :‘Set the battl e in a rray against Troy, for th e gods are
now ofone mind , and the day ofdoom is come fo r thecity
,and thou shalt take it, and gain eternal glory for
thysel f.”
And Agamemnon bel i eved th e dream ,and knew not
the purpose ofZeus in bidding h im g o forth to battl e,how that the Troj ans shoul d win th e day
,and great
shame should come to h imsel f, but great honor t o
Achi l l es when al l th e Greeks should p ray him to del iver
them from death . S O h e rose from h is b ed and donned
his tunic,and over i t a great c loak , and fastened the
sandals on hi s feet, and hung from his shoulders h i s
mig hty s i lver - studded sword , and took i n h i s right
hand the great scep tre ofhis house , which was thetoken ofh is sovere ignty ove r al l th e Greeks . Then hewent forth
,and first took counsel with the chi efs
,and
afterwards cal l ed the peopl e to the assembly . And
after the assembly the shri l l - voi ced heralds cal l ed th e
host to the battl e . As i s th e flare ofa great fire whena wood is burning on a h i l l - top , so was the flash of
thei r arms and thei r armor as they thronged to the
fi eld. And as the countl ess flocks of wi ld geese or
c ranes or swans now wheel and now settl e in the great
As ian fen by the stream of Cay st er , o r as the beesswarm in the spring
,when the milk - pail s a re fu l l , so
thick the Greeks thronged to th e battl e In th e great
p lain by the banks o f the Scamander. Many nations
24
I LIAD .
Thus as h e pray’
d, h is pray’
r Apol lo heard .
A ll day they sought the favor of the God,The glorious paeans chant ing, and the praiseOf Phoebus : he
,wel l pleas
’
d , the strain rece iv’
d .
But when the sun was set , and shades of n ightO
’
erspread th e sky , upon th e sandy beach
Close to their sh ip they lai d them down to rest .And when th e rosy - fi ng er
’
d morn app ea r’
d,
Back to the camp they took thei r homeward way.
A fav ’
r ing breeze the Far - destroyer sent :They s tepp
’
d th e mast,and spread the snowy sail
Ful l in the midst th e b el lying sai l rece iv’
d
The gallant breeze ; and round the vessel ’ s prowThe dark waves loudly roar ’d , as on she rush
’
d
Skimming th e seas,and cut her wat ’ ry way .
A rriv’
d where lay the wide - sp read host o f Greece,Thei r dark - r ibb
’
d vessel on the beach they drewHigh onthe sand
,and strongly shor
’
d her up ;Then through the camp they took thei r s ev ’
ral ways .
[Achil l es’ Anger Continues . ]
But raging st i l l,amidst h i s navy sate
The stern Achi l l es,steadfast i n his hate ;
Nor Ini x ’
d i n combat, nor in counci l jo in’
d
But wast ing cares lay heavy on h i s m ind
I n h i s black though-ts revenge and slaughter rol l ,And scenes ofblood ris e dreadful i n h i s soul .
[Agamemnon Marshal l s the Greeks for B att le ]
As on some mountain , through the lofty grove,The crackl ing flames asc end and blaze above
,
The fires,ex panding as the winds ari s e
,
Shoot thei r l ong beams,and k indle ha l f the skies,
25
I LI AD .
were there and many ch i efs . But the most famous
am ong them were thes e : Agamemnon , King ofMycenae ,
and his brother , th e yel low - hai red M ene la ii s ,King ofSparta, and husband ofth e b eauti fu l Hel en :Ajax O i l eus
,o r , as men cal l ed him ,
th e l esser Aj ax,King ofthe Locri , swiftest offoot among the Greeksafter the great Ach il l es ; Ajax Telamon , from Salamis ;B iomed
, s onofTydeus , King ofArgos , and with himSthenelus ; Nestor, King ofPylos , oldes t and wisestamong the Greeks ; Ulysses , King ofI thaca
,than whom
there was no one more crafty in counci l ; I domeneus ,grandson ofth e great j udge Minos , King ofCrete
,and
with him Meriones ; Tl epolemus , s on o f Hercules ,from Rhodes ; Eume lus from Pherae , son ofthat A lcesti s who died for he r husband and was brought backfrom death by Hercules . All th ese were there that day .
and many more ; and the bravest and strongest ofal lwas Aj ax , s on ofTelamon , and th e best horses werethe horses ofEumelus ; but there was none that couldcompare with Ach i l l es and the horses ofAchi l l es , brav;est man and swi ftest steeds . Only Achi l le s sat apart ,and would not g o to th e battl e .And on the other side the sons ofTroy and theiral l ies came forth from the gates ofth e c ity and setthemselves in array . The most famous o f thei r ch i efs
were these : Hector, s on ofKing Priam ,bravest and
best ofal l ; ZEnea s , s on ofAnch ises and the goddessAphrodite; Pandarus , from Mount I da , with the bow
which Apol lo gave him ; Asius , th e s on of Hy rt acus ,who came from the broad sal t river
,the Hel l espont ;
P y l zem ene s , King ofP aphfla g onia ; and Sarpedon fromLycia , whom men affirmed to be the s onofZeus h imsel f, and with him Glaucus .S o the battl e was set in array
,and the two hosts stood
over against each other.
I LIAD .
So from the pol ish’
d arms and brazen sh i elds ,A gleamy sp l endor flash
’
d along the fie lds .
With rush ing troops the plains are cov e r’
d o’
e r,
And thundering footsteps shake the sounding shore ;Along the river
’
s l ev e l m eads they stand ,Th ick as i n spring the flowers adorn the land ,So throng
’
d , so clos e , the Grecian squadrons stood
I n radiant arms,and th i rst for Troj an blood .
Each leader now h i s scatte r ’
d fo rc e conj o ins
I n close array,and form s th e deepen ing l ines .
N o t with more ease the ski l fu l shepherd swain
Col l ects h i s flock from thousands onth e plain .
The king ofkings , maj est ical ly tal l ,Towers o ’er h is armies
,and outsh ines them al l
Like some proud bul l that round the pasture l eads
H is subj ect - herds,th e monarch ofth e meads .
Great as the gods th e exalted chi ef w as seen ,His strength l ike Neptune
,and l ike Mars h i s m ien
Jove o ’er h i s eyes celestial glori es spread ,And dawning conquest p layed around h is head .
[Achi l le s Remains Impl acab le . ]
Achil l es ’mid his b eaked ocean - going sh ip s
Lay , whil e h is troop s upon th e beach
With quo its and j av’
lins whil’
d away the day
And feats o f archery ; th e i r steeds the wh i le
The lotus - grass and marsh - grown parsley cropp’
d ,
Each standing near thei r car ; th e wel l - wrought ca rsLay al l unheeded in the warriors ’ tents ;They , i nly p ining fo r th ei r godl ike ch ief,Roam
’
d l i stl ess up and down , nor jo in’
d the fray.
CHAPTER I I
THE BROKEN COVEN ANT
HEY were now about to fight, when from th e ranksofth e Troj ans Pari s rushed forth . He had a pan
ther’
s skin over hi s shoulders, and a bow and a sword ,and in either hand a spear
,and he cal l ed aloud to the
Greeks that they should send forth thei r bravest t o fight
with him . But when Mene la ii s saw him he was glad,fo r he said that now he should avenge h imself on the
man who had done h im such wrong. So a l ion i s glad
when,being sorely hungered
,he finds a stag or a wil d
goat ; he devours it , and wil l not be driven from i t by
dogs or hunters . He l eapt from hi s chariot and rush ed
to meet h is enemy ; but Pari s , having done ev i l , andbeing therefore a coward in h i s heart , was afrai d when
he saw Menelaus , and fl ed back into th e ranks ofhi scomrades
,j ust as a man steps back in haste when un
awa res i n a mountai n glen h e comes upon a snake .
But Hector saw him and rebuked him .
“Fair art thou
to look upon,Pari s , but nothi ng worth . Sure ly the
Greeks wil l scorn us i f they th ink that thou art ourbravest warri or, because thou art o f stat ely p resence .
But thou art a coward ; and yet thou dared s t t o go
across the sea and carry offth e fai r H el en . Why dost
thou not stand and abide the onset ofher husband , andsee what manner of man he i s ? L i tt l e , I ween, would
thy harp and thy long locks and thy fai r fac e avail when
thou wert lying in th e dust! A craven race are the sonsofTroy, or they would have stoned thee ere th i s .”
Then Paris answered ,“Thou speakest wel l
,Hector,
28
I LIAD .
[Pari s Fl i es from Menelaus . ]
When by thei r s ev’
ra l ch iefs th e troops were rang’
d ,
With noise and c lamor, as a fl ight o f bi rds ,The men of Troy advanc’
d ; as when the cranes ,Flying the wintry storms , send fo rth on h ighThei r di ssonant c lamors , whi l e o
’
er th e ocean streamThey steer the i r course
,and on thei r p in ions bear
Battl e and death to th e Pygmaean race .
On th’ other s ide the Greeks i n s i lence mov’d,Breathing firm courage
,bent onmutual aid .
As when th e south wind o ’er the mountain t ops
Spreads a th ick vei l of mist,th e shepherds
’
bane,
But fri endl i er to the th ief than shades of n ight,
That a stone's throw the range of v is ion bounds ;
So rose the dust - cloud as i n serr i ed ranksWith rap id step they mov ’d acros s the pla in .
But when th’ opposing forc es near were met,
A panther ’s skin across h is shoulders flung,Arm
’
d with h i s bow and sword , i n front of al l
A dvanc’
d th e godl ike Pari s ; i n h is hand
He po is’
d two brass - t ipp’
d j av’
l ins,and defied
To mortal combat al l the chi efs ofGreec e .
Him w hen the warl ike Menelaus saw
W i th haughty strides advanc ing from the crowd ;As when a l ion
,hunger- p inch
’
d ,esp ies
Some mighty beast of chase , or antler’
d stag ,Or m ountain goat
,and with exulting spring
Strikes down h i s prey,and on the carcase feeds ,
Unscar’
d by baying hounds and eager youths
So Menelaus saw with fierce del ight
The god - l ike Paris ; for he deem’
d at l engthTo wreak hi s vengeance on the ofl'ender’s headAnd from hi s car
,al l arm ’d
,to earth he sprang.
But when the godl ike Pari s saw h im springD efiant from the ranks
,with quail ing h eart
,
29
ILIAD .
and thy rebuke i s j ust . As for th ee , thy heart i s l ikei ron
,ever set onbattl e ; yet are beauty and love al so
the gi fts ofthe gods , and not to be desp i sed . But now
set M ene la ii s and me in the midst , and l et us fight ,man to man , for the fai r Hel en and for all her possess ions . And if he prevai l over me , l et h im take her and
them and depart,and the Greeks with him
,but ye shal l
dwel l in peace ; but i f I prevai l th ey shal l depart with
out her .Then Hector was glad
,and going before the Troj an
ranks,holding h is spear by the middle , he kept them
back . But the Greeks would have thrown spears and
stones at h im,only Agamemnon cried aloud and said ,
“Hold,Hector has somewhat to say to us .
”
Then Hector said,
“Hear,Troj ans and Greeks
,what
Pari s saith : Let al l besides lay thei r arms upon the
ground,and let Menel au s and me fight for th e fai r
Hel en and al l h er wealth . And let h im that i s the bet
ter keep her and them , but th e rest sha ll dwel l in
p eacef’
Then Menelaus said,The word pl easeth me well ;
l et us fight together,and l et us make agreement with
oath and sacrifice . And because the sons ofPriamare men offraud and v iolence
,l et P riam himsel f come .
”
S o they sent a he ra ld'
to King Priam ,but he sat on
the wal l with the o ld men . And as they talked the fair
Helen came near,and they sa id
,
“What wonder that
men should suffer much for such a woman,for indeed
she is divinely fai r . Yet let her depart in th e sh ip s ,nor bring a curse onus and our ch i ldren .
”
But Priam cal l ed to her, Come near , my daughter ;tel l me about these old fri ends O f th ine . For
’ ti s no t
thou,’
t is the gods who have brought about al l thi s
trouble . But tel l me,who i s th i s warrior that I see , s o
fai r and strong ? There are others even a head tal l er
than he , but none ofsuch maj esty.
”
30
I LIAD .
And H e l en answered , Ah , my father!would that Ihad died before I l eft husband and ch i l d to fo l low thy
s on. But as for th i s warr ior, he i s Agamemnon , a goodking and brave soldier and my broth er - in- law i n the
O l d days .
Happy Agamemnon , said Priam , to rul e over so
many ! Never saw I such an army gathered toget her,not even when I went to help the Phrygians when theywere assembl ed on th e banks ofth e Sang arus againstthe Ama zons . But who i s th i s that I s ee, not so tal l
as Agamemnon , but of broader shoulders ? His arms
l i e upon the ground , and he i s walking through th e
ranks of hi s men j us t as some great ram walks th rough
a flock ofsheep .
This,
” said Hel en,i s Ulysses o f I thaca, who is
better in craft and counsel than al l other men .
”
“ ’Tis wel l spoken,lady,
” said Antenor. Wel l Iremember Ulysses when he came h i ther on an embassy
about thee with the b rave Mene la ii s . My guests they
were,and I knew them wel l . And I remember how,
i n th e assembly ofthe Troj ans , when both were standing, Menelau s was th e tal ler, but when they sat , Uly sses was the more maj estic to behold . And when they
rose to sp eak M ene la ii s said few words , but sai d them
wisely and wel l ; and Ulys ses—you had thought h im afool , so stiffly he hel d h i s sceptre and so downcast werei s eyes ; but as soon as he began , oh!the m ighty voice ,and the words th ick as th e fal l ing snow !”
Then Priam said ,“Who i s that stalwart hero
,so tal l
and strong, overtopp ing al l by head and shoulders ?"
“That ,
”said Helen,
“ i s m ighty Aj ax,the bulwark of
the Greeks . And next to him is I domeneus . Often
has Menelaus had him as hi s gues t i n the old days ,when he came from Crete . As for the other ch i efs, Isee and could name them al l . But I mi ss my own dearbrothers, Castor, tam er o f horses , and Pol lux, the
32
ILIAD .
The rest strike truce , and let love seal firm l eagues’twixt Greece and Troy .
[Menelaus Accepts Pari s’ Chal l enge . ]
Thus H ector spoke ; th e rest in s i l ence heard ;But Menelaus , bol d in fight, repl ied :“Hear now my answer ; i n th i s quarrel I
May c laim the ch i efest share ; and now I hopeTrojans and Greeks may s ee th e final c lose
O f al l th e labors ye so long have borneT’ av eng e my wrong . at Pari s
’ hand susta in’
d .
And of us two which e’
er i s doom’
d to death ,So l et him die!the rest, depart i n peace .”
[Helen Names the Greek 'W arr iors to King Priamonthe Tower . ]
Aged Priam Helen call d
Come here , my ch ild , and s itt ing by my side ,From whence thou canst discern thy former Lord
,
H i s kindred , and thy fri ends (not thee I b lame,But to the Gods I owe th i s woful war!,Tel l me the name ofyonder mighty ch iefAmong the Greeks a warrior brave and strongOthers in height surpass h im ; but my eyesA form so nobl e never y et beheldN or so august ; he mov es , a King Indeed!
To whom . in answer,Helen , heav
’nly fai r :Yonch ie f i s Agamemnon , Atreus ’ son ,W ide - reign ing
,mighty monarch
,ruler good
,
And val i ant warr ior ; i n my husband ’ s name,Lost as I am
,I call ’d him brother once.”
She spoke : th’
O ld man admiring g az’
d , and cr ied,“Oh bless ’d A trides , ch i ld ofhappy fate,
Vo l . 7—3 93d
ILIAD .
mighty boxer . Either t hey came not from Spartaor
,havm g come, shun the meeting o f men for shame 01
me .
So she spake , and knew not that they were sl eep ingthei r last s l eep far away in thei r dear fatherland . And
when they had ended talking the heralds came and
told King Priam how that the armies cal l ed for h im .
S o h e went,and Antenor with h im . And he
on the one s ide for th e Troj ans , and King A ga
memnon for the Greeks , made a covenant withsacrifice that Pari s and M ene la ii s shoul d figh t together,and that th e fai r Hel en
,with al l her treasures
,should go
with him who should prevai l . And afterwards Hectorand Ulysses marked out a spac e for the fight , and Hec
tor shook two p ebbl es ina h elmet, looking away as h es hook th em , that he whose pebbl e l eapt forth the first
should be the first to throw his spear. And i t so befel lthat the lot ofParis l eap t for th first. Then the twowarriors armed themselves and came forth into thespace , and stood ov er against each other, brandish ingthei r spears , with hate in their eyes . Then Pari s threwh is spear. I t struck the shi eld o f Mene laii s , but p ierced
it not , for the spear point was bent back. Then Mene
laus prayed to Zeus,“G rant, fath er Zeus, that I may
avenge mysel f onPari s , who has done me th is wrong ;so shal l men in after t ime fear to do wrong to theirhost. So speaking, h e cast h i s l ong - shafted spear. I t
struck th e sh ield o f Pari s,and p ierc ed it through , and
passed through th e corsl et, and through the tunic closeto the loin ; but Paris shrank as ide, and the spearwounded him not . Then Mene la ii s drew hi s s i lver
studded sword and struck a mighty b low on the topofthe helmet of Pari s
,but the sword broke in four
pieces in h i s hand . Then he cri ed i n h is wrath,
“OZeus , most misch i ef- l oving of the gods, my spear Icast in vain, and now my sword i s broken.” Then h e
34
I LIAD .
Favor’
d ofH eav'n!how many noble Greeks
Obey thy rul e!”
U lysses next the old man saw,and a sk
’
d
Tel l me again , dear ch i ld , who th i s may be ,Less by the head than Atreus ’ royal son ,But broader - shoulde r
’
d, and ofampl er chest.
His arms are laid upon the fert i l e p lain,
Bu t h e h imsel f i s moving through the ranks,Inspect ing, l ike a ful l - fle ec
’
d ram , tha t moves
Maj est ic through a flock o f snow—wh ite ewes .”
To whom Jove ’s offspring,Helen
,thus rep l i ed
The wi se Ulysses that,Laertes
’
son
Though bred i n rugged I thaca,yet v ers
’
d
I n ev’
ry stratagem , and deep device .”
At s ight o f Aj ax next th’ old man inquired ;“Who is yon other warrior, brave and strong,Tow
’
r ing o’
er a ll with h ead and shoulders broad ?”
To whom in answer, Helen , heav’nly fai r :
Gigantic Aj ax that,th e p rop o f Greece ;
And by h is s ide I domeneus of Crete
Stands godl ike , circl ed round by Cre tan ch ie fs .
The warl ike Menelaus we lcom’
d h im
Oft , inour palace, when from Crete h e came .
[Hector and U lysses Cast Lots . ]
Then Hector, Priam ’
s mart ial s on, s tepped forth , andmet! the ground
,
W i th wise Ulysses, where th e blows of combat must resound
Wh ich done , into a helm they put two lots , to let themknow
Wh ich ofthe combatants should first h is brass - pi ledj avel in th row ;
=l< Meted. m easured.
35
ILIAD .
rushed forward and seiz ed Pari s by the h elmet , anddragged him toward the host of the Greeks . And trulyhe had taken h im , but Aphrodite l oosed th e strap that
was beneath th e ch in,and th e helmet came offi n hi s
hand . And Mene la ii s whirl ed i t among the Greeks and
charged with another sp ear in h i s hand . But A ph
rodite snatched Pari s away , covering h im with a mist,and put h im down i n hi s chamber in Troy . Then
Mene la ii s looked for h im everywhere , but no one coul dtel l h im where he might be . No son of Troy would
have h idden h im out o f k indness , for al l hated h im as
death .
Then King Agamemnon said,Now , ye sons ofTroy,
it i s for you to give back the fai r Helen and her wealth ,
and to pay me besides so much as may be fitti ng for
all my cost and troubl e .”
But i t was no t th e wi l l o f the gods that the sons ofTroy should do thi s th ing
,but rather that thei r c ity
should peri sh . So Athene took upon hersel f the shape
ofLaodocus , son o f Antenor , and went to Pandarus ,sonofLycaon , where h e stood among h is men . Thenthe fals e Laodocus said
,
“Pandarus , dare s t thou aim
an arrow at Menelaus ? Truly the Troj ans would lovethee wel l
,and Pari s best o f al l
,i f th ey coul d see
M ene laii s sl ain by an arrow from thy bow . Aim then ,but first pray to Apol lo , and vow tha t thou wi l t off era hundre d beasts when thou returnes t to thy city ,Z ele ia . N ow Pandarus had a bow made ofthe hornsof a wi ld goat wh ich h e had sl ain ; s ixteen palms long
they were , and a cunning workman had made themsmooth , and put a tip o f gold whereon to fasten thebowstring. And Pandarus strung h is bow , h is com
rades h iding h im with the i r sh ields . Then he took anarrow from ‘
his quiver, and laid i t on the bow s tr ing.
and drew the string to h i s b reast,t i l l the arrow head
touched the bow , and l et fly. R ight wel l aimed was the
36
ILIAD .
When al l the p eopl e standing by , with hands held up toheaven,
Prayed Jove the conquest might not be by forc e or fortune given ,
But that th e man , who was in right th e author o f mostwrong,
Might feel h i s j ust i c e, and no more these tedious w arsp rolong,
But, s ink ing to the house of death , l eave them (as l ongbefore!
L inked fast i n l eagues o f amity that might di ssolve nomore .
Then H ector shook th e helm that hel d the e qual doomsofchance ,
Looked back, and drew ; and Par i s first had lot to hur lhis lance .
[The Combat B etween Par i s and Menelaus ]
Now round the l i sts the admiring armies stand,Wi th j avel in s fi x ’
d , the Greek and Troj an band .
Amidst the dreadful val e the ch ie fs advance,
All pal e with rage , and shake th e th reatening lance .The Troj an fi rst h i s sh in ing j avel in threw :
Ful l on A tr ide s’
r inging sh ield i t fl ew,
N or p ierced the brazen orb , but with a boundLeap
’
d from the buckle r blunted on the ground .
A trides then h is massy lance prepares ,I n act to th row , but fi rst prefers h i s prayers
“Give me , great Jove !to punish law l es s lust ,And lay th e Troj an gasping in the dust ;Destroy the aggresso r , aid my righteous cause,Avenge the breach of hosp itabl e laws !
Let th i s exampl e future t imes recl aimAnd guard from wrong fair fr i endsh ip s holy name.
37
ILIAD .
dart,but i t was not the wi l l o f h eaven that it should
slay Mene laii s . I t struck him, indeed, and passed
through the bel t, and through the cors let, and
through th e girdl e and p ierced th e skin . Then the
red blood rushed out and stained the white sk in , even
as some Lycian or Carian woman stains the white ivory
with red to adorn the war - horse ofa king .
Sore di smayed was King Agamemnon to see the
blood ; sore dismayed al so was the brave M ene la ii s ,t i l l h e sp ied the barb ofthe arrow , and knew that th e
wound was not deep . But Agamemnon cri ed“ I t was in an ev i l hour fo r thee , my brother, that I
made a covenant with these fal se sons of Troy . Right
well,indeed , I know that oath and sacrifice are not in
vain,but wil l have vengea nce at the last. Troy shal l
fa ll ; but woe is me i f thou shouldst d ie , Mene laii s .
For th e Greeks wi l l straight go back to thei r father
land, and the fai r H el en wi l l b e l eft a boast to thesons ofTroy
,and I shal l have great shame when one
ofthem shal l say, as h e l eaps on the tomb of the brav eM enela ii s ,
‘Surely the great Agamemnon has avenged
h imsel f wel l ; for he brought an army hither, but now i sgone back to h is home
,but l eft M ene la ii s here . ’ May
the earth swal low me up before that day !”
“Nay , said M ene la ii s
,
“fear not, for th e arrow hasbut grazed th e skin .
”
Then King Agamemnon bade fetch the physic ian .
So th e hera l d fetched Machaon,the phys ician . And
Machaon came , and drew forth th e arrow ,and when
h e had wiped away the blood h e put heal ing drugsupon the wound , which Chiron, the wise healer, hadgiven to hi s father.
CH A PTER I I I
THE BATTLE IN THE PLAIN
UT whi le th is was doing, King Agamemnon wentthroughout th e host , and i f h e saw any one sti rr ing
h imsel f t o get ready for th e battl e he p raised h im andgave h im good encoura g em ent ; but whomsoever he sawhal ting and l ingering and sloth ful , h im h e blamed and
rebuked whether h e were common man or chi ef. The
last that he came to was D iom ed , son o f Tydeus , with
Sthenelus , son of Capaneus , standing by h is s ide . And
Agamemnon spake,“How i s thi s , son ofTydeus ?
Shr ink es t thou from th e battl e ? This was no t thyfather’ s wont . I never saw him indeed
,but I have
heard that he was braver than al l other men . Oncehe came to Mycenae with great Polynices to gathera l l i es against Thebes . And th e men o f Mycenae would
have sent them , only Zeus showed evi l s igns fromheaven and forbade th em . Then the Greeks sent Tydeus on anembassy to Thebes , where he found manyofthe sons of Cadmus feast ing in the palac e o f Eteocles ; but Tydeus was not a fraid , though he was butone among many. He chal l enged them to contendwith him in sport
,and in everyth ing he prevai l ed. But
the sons of Cadmus bare it i l l , and they l aid an ambushfor Tydeus as h e went back
,fi fty men with two
l eaders—Mason and Ly cophon. But Tydeus sl ew
them al l , l eaving only Maeon al ive , that he might carry
back the tidings to Thebes . Such was thy father ; buth is son i s worse in bat tl e , but bett er, i t m ay be, i nspeech.
”
40
ILIAD .
[Agamemnon Rall i es and Reproaches the Greeks .!
Wh il e round th e val iant Menelaus theyWere busi ed thus
, adv anc’
d the Troj an hosts
They for the fight again thei r armor donned .
I n Agamemnon then no trace was seen
O f laggard sloth , no shrinking from the fight,But ful l o f ardor to the field h e rush ’
d ,W ith cheering words address ing whom he foundW i th zeal preparing for the battl e - fi eld“Relax not
,val iant fr i ends
,your warl ike to i l ;
For Jove to falsehood ne’ er wil l give h i s aid ;And they who fi rst
,regardl ess o f th e i r oaths ,
Have broken truce,shal l with thei r flesh themselves
The vultures feed , whi le we , thei r c ity raz ’
d,
Thei r wives and help less ch i ldren bear away .
But whom remiss and shri nking from the warHe found, with keen rebuke h e thus a s sa il
’
d ;“Ye wretched Greeks
,your country’ s foul reproach ,
Have ye no sense ofshame ? Why stand ye thusL ike timid fawns, that i n th e chase run down ,Stand al l bewi ldered , sp i ri tl ess and tame ?
So stand ye now , nor dare to fac e th e fight .
What!wi l l ye wait the Troj ans ’ near approach ,Where on the beach , besi de the hoary deep ,Our goodly sh ip s are drawn
,and see i f Jove
W i l l o'er you h is protecting hand extend ? ”
[Agamemnon Reproaches D iom ed . ]— (POPE .!
H e said,and p as s
'
d where great Tydides l ay,
His steeds and chariot s wedged in fi rm array ;The warl ike Sthenelus attends h i s s ide
,
To whom with stem reproach the monarch. cri ed
4 1
I LIAD .
Nothing said Diom ed , for h e reverenced the k ing ;but Sthenelus cried out ,
“Why speakest thou false ,K ing Agamemnon
,knowing the truth ? We are not
worse but better than our fath ers . Did not we takeThebes
,though we had fewer men than they , who in
deed took i t not ?” But B i om ed frowned and said, Be
si l ent,fri end . I bl am e not King Agamemnon , that he
rouses the Greeks to battl e. Great glory wil l i t be to
him i f th ey take the c ity, and great loss i f they be
worsted. But i t i s for us to be val iant .S o he pas sed through al l th e host . And the Greekswent forward to the battle , as the waves that curl them
selves and then dash upon the shore , throwing h igh
the foam . I n order they went after thei r ch iefs ; you
had thought them dumb,so si l ent wer e they . But the
Troj ans were l ike a flock o f ewes which wai t to be
milked,and bl eat hearing the voice of th ei r l ambs, so
confused a cry went out from thei r army, for th ere weremen ofmany tongues gathered t ogether . And oneith erside th e gods urged them on, but ch iefly Athe ne theGreeks and Ares the sons ofTroy. Then , as two
streams in flood meet in some chasm,so the armies
dashed together, sh ield on shi eld and spear onspear.Anti lochus
, s onofNestor, was th e first to s l ay a manof Troy, E chepolus by name , smiting him through
the helmet into the forehead . Like a tower he fel l , and
E lphenor the Euboean sought to drag him away that
h e might s trip h im ofh is arms . But Agenor smote h im
with his spear as h e stooped, so baring his s id e to a
wound . Dreadful was the fight round h i s body . Like
wolves the Troj ans and th e Greeks rushed upon each
other . And Aj ax Telamon sl ew Simoi si us (so th ey
cal l ed h im , because he was born on the banks of
S imois!. He fell as a popl ar fal l s,and Antiphon
,son
ofKing Priam , aimed at Aj ax , but , miss ing h im , sl ew
Leucus, the val iant comrade ofU lysses . And Ulysses ,
42
ILIAD .
O son o f Tydeus !he whose strength could tame
The bounding steed,i n arms a mighty name ,
Canst thou,remote
,the m ingl ing hosts descry ,
With hands unact ive,and a carel ess eye ?
Not thus thy sire the fierce encounter fear ’d ;Sti l l fi rst in front th e matchl ess princ e appear ’
d ;
Such Tydeus was, and such his martial fire ;Gods !how the son degenerates from the si re!No words th e godl ike D iom ed return
’
d ,
But heard resp ect ful,and i n secret burn
’
d
And ardent, onth e trembl ing ground
Sprung from his car : h i s ringing arms resound .
Dire was the c lang,and dreadful from afar,
O f arm ’d Tydides rush ing to the war .
[The Battl e Begins . ]
As by the west wind dr iv ’n,th e ocean waves
Dash forward on the far - resounding shore ,Wave upon wave ; first curls th e ruffl ed s eaWith whit
’ning crests ; anon with thund ’
r ing roar
I t breaks upon the beach , and from the cragsReco i l ing fl ing s i n giant curves it s headA lof-t , and tosses h igh the wi ld sea - spr ay
Column on column,so th e hosts ofGreece
P our’
d ceasel ess,to the war ; to each the ch iefs
Thei r orders gave ; the rest i n s i l ence mov'
d :
Scarce might ye deem that mighty mass enduedWith power o f sp eech
,so si l ently they moved
I n awe of thei r great captains : far around
Flashed the bright armor they were girt wi thal .
When to the midst th ey came , together rush ’d
Bucklers and l ances,and the furious might
O f mai l—clad warriors ; bossy sh i eld onsh iel dClatt er
’
d i n confl ict ; loud the c lamor rose.
43
ILIAD .
i n great danger,stalked th rough the foremost fighters,
brandish ing his spear, and the sons of Troy gave way,and when he hurl ed it h e sl ew Dem ocoOn, a son of
Pri am . Then Hector and th e foremost ranks of Troywere borne backward, ti l l Apol lo cri ed from the
heights ofPergamos , “On , Troj ans ! The fl esh of these
Greeks i s not stone or i ron , that ye cannot p ie rce i t.
Know,too
,that the mighty Ach il l es does not fight to
day .
” But on the other s ide Athene urged on the
Greeks to battl e . Then Pei ros th e Thracian sl ew
D iores,first striking h im to the ground with a huge
stone,and then p ierc ing him with hi s spear ; and h im
in turn Thoas o f E tol ia sl ew , but could not spoi l o f
h i s arms , so strongly did the men of Thrac e defend th e
body. Then Athene roused D iom ed to battl e , making
a fi re sh ine from hi s helmet , bright as Orion sh ines inthe v intage time. Fi rst th ere met h im two warriors ,sons o f Dares , pri est o f Hephaestus , Phegeus and
Idacus , the one fighting on foot and th e other from h is
chariot . First Phegeus threw h is spear and missed h i saim ; but B iomed mi ssed not , smit ing h im through the
breast . And Idaeus , when he saw h i s brother fal l , fl ed,
H ephms tus saving h im , l es t th e old man should be al to
gether bereaved . And each ofthe ch i efs s lew a foe ; butthere was none l ike D iom ed , who raged through th e
battl e so furi ously that y ou coul d not tel l with whichhost he was , whether with the Greeks or wi th the sons
ofTroy . Then Pandarus a imed an arrow at h im,and
smote h im in the right shoulder as he was rush ing for
ward and cried al oud , On , great - hearted sons o f Troy ,th e bravest o f th e Greeks i s wounded ! Soon , meth inks ,wil l h is strength fai l h im
,unl ess Apol lo ha th dece ived
me .
But B iomed cared not for th e arrow . Only he l eapt
down from the chariot,and spake to Sthenelus. h i s
chariotee r, “Come down and draw thi s a rrow from my
44
ILIAD .
Then rose too mingled shouts and groans ofm enS laying and s lam ; the earth ran red with blood .
As when , descending from the mountain ’ s brow,
Two wintry torrents , from th ei r cop ious sourc ePour downward to the narrow pass , where meetTheir m ingl ed waters i n some deep rav ine ,Thei r weigh t o f flood ; on the far mounta in
’
s s ide
The sh epherd hears the roar ; so loud arose
The shouts and yel l s o f those commingl ing hosts .
[The Valor of B iomed . ]
Such strength and courage then to D iom ed,
The sonofTydeus , Pal las gave as ra is ’
d ,’M i d al l th e Greeks , the glory ofh is name.Forth from h is h elm and sh ield a fiery l ight
There fla sh’
d , l ike autumn’s star
,that brightest sh ines
When newly ris en from his ocean bath .
So from the warrior’ s head and shoulders flash’
d
That fiery l ight , as to th e m idst he urg ’
d
His furious course,where densest masses fought.
Thus labor'
d th ey amid th e stubborn fight ;But ofTydides none might say to whomH i s arm be long ’
d,or whether with th e hosts
O f Troy or Greece h e mingled in the fightH ither and th ither o ’ er the plain he rush ’d ,L ike to a wintry stream , that brimming o’ erB reaks dovirnal l barri ers in its rap id course ;Nor wel l - built bridge can stem the flood , nor fenceThat guards th e fert i l e fields a s down it pours
Its sudden torrent , swol l ’nW ith rain from H eav’n,
And many a goodly work ofman destroys :So back were borne before Tydides’ mightThe serr ied ranks ofTroy , nor dar’d await .Despite their numbers , hi s impetuous charg e .
45
ILIAD .
shoulder. Then Sthenelus drew it, and the b loodsp i rted out from the wound. And B iomed prayed to
A thené ,“O goddess, i f ever thou hast help ed me , be
with me now,and grant me to sl ay th i s boast er whose
arrow has wounded me!”So speaking, h e rushed into
the ranks of the Troj ans, s laying a man at every stroke .
ZEneas saw him ,and thought how he m ight stay him
i n his cour se . So he passed th rough th e host ti l l h e
found Pandarus . “Pandarus ,” h e said,
“where are thy
bow and arrows ? See how thi s man deal s death throughthe ranks . Send a shaft at h im , first making thy p rayerto Zeus .”
Then Pandarus answered“This man
,meth inks
,i s D iom ed . The shie ld and th e
helmet and the ho rses are h i s. And yet I know notwhether he i s not a g od . Some god, at l east , stands byh im and guards h im . But now I sent an arrow at h imand smote h im on the shoulder
,r ight through the
corsl et,and thought that I had slain h im ; but l o! I
have harmed h im not at al l . And now I know not whatto do
,for here I have no chariot . El even , i ndeed , there
are at home, i n the house ofmy father Lycaon , and theO ld man was earnest with me that I should bring one ofthem ; but I would not , fearing for my horses . l es t th eyshould not have provender enough . So I came , trusting in my bow, and 10!it has fai l ed me these two times .Two of the ch i efs I have h it
,Menela ii s and D iom ed ,
and from each have s een the red b lood flow, yet haveI not harmed them . Surely , i f ever I return safe to m yhome . I wi ll break thi s usel ess bow .
“Nay,” said ZEnea s ,
“talk not thus . Cl imb into mychariot , and see what horse s we have i n Troy . Theywil l carry us safe to the c ity
,even should Diom ed p re
vai l against us . But take th e rei n and the whip , and Iwi l l fight ; or , i f thou wil t fight thou
,and I wi l l drive .
“N ay ,
”said Pandarus , l et th e horses have the driver
46
ILIAD .
whom they know. I t might lo se us both , should weturn to fl ee
,and they l inger or s tart aside , missi ng their
master ’ s vo ice .S o Pandarus mounted the chariot and they drove to
gether a gainst D iom ed . And Sthenelus saw them com
ing,and said to hi s comrades—“
I see two mighty war
riors,Lycaon and ZEnea s . I t would be wel l that we
shoul d go back to our chariot .
But D iom ed frowned and sai d , Talk not ofgoingback . Thou wilt talk in vain to me . As for my chariot,I care not for i t. As I am wil l I go against th es e men .
Both shal l not ret urn safe, even i f one should escape.But do thou stay my chariot where it i s , tyi ng th e reins
to the rai l ; and i f I slay these men , mount th e chariotoffE nea s and drive into the host o f th e Greeks . Thereare no horses under the sun such as these
,for they are
ofth e breed which Z eus h imsel f gave to King Tros .”M eanwhil e Pandarus and ZEneas were coming near ,and Pandarus cast h i s sp ear. Right through the sh ield
ofB iomed i t passed, and reached the cors let, and Pandarns cri ed
“Thou art h i t i n the lo in . This, methinks , wil l lay
thee low .
”
“Nay,” said B iomed ,
“thou hast missed and not h itat al l . ”
And as he spake he threw his sp ear. Through nose
and teeth and tongue it passed,and stood out below the
chin . Headlong from the chariot h e fell , and hi s arm or clashed about h im . Strai ghtway i Eneas l eapt Offwith spear and sh iel d to guard the body of h i s fri end,and stood as a l ion stands over a carcase . But D iom ed
l i fted a great stone , such as two men of our day couldscarcely carry ,
and cast i t . I t struck ZEneas onth e hip ,crushing the bone . The hero stooped on h i s knee ,clutching th e ground with h i s hand
,and darknes s cov
ered his eyes. That hour he had p eri sh ed, but his
48
I LIAD .
N ot with l ess fury stern Tydides flew ,
And two brave leaders at an instant slew ;A s tynoii s breath less fel l , and by h is s ide ,H is peopl e
’
s pastor , good Hypenor , died ;Those s lai n he l eft , and sprung with nobl e rage
Abas and Polyidus to engage ;Sons of Eury damus , who , wise and old ,Could fate fo resee
,and mystic dreams unfol d ;
The youths return’
d not from the doubtful p lain,
And the sad father tri ed h i s arts i n vain ;Young Xanthus next
,and ThoOnfe lt h is rage ,
The j oy and hope of Phaenop s’ feeble age :
Cold death o’
e rtak e s th em in thei r blooming years ,And leaves the father unavai l ing tears ;Two sons ofPriam in one chariot ride ,Gl itter ing i n arms
,and combat s ide by side .
As when the lordly l ion seeks h i s food
Where graz ing h ei fers range the lonely wood ,He l eap s amidst th em with a furious bound ,Bends thei r strong necks , and tears them to the ground
So from thei r seats th e brother ch iefs are torn .
[Diom ed , Attacked by ZEneas and Pandarus , Slays
the Latter . ]
The spear by Pal las guided struck
Beside the nostri l , underneath the eye ;Crash
’
d thro’
th e teeth,and cutt ing th ro ’ the tongue
B eneath the angl e ofth e j aw came forthDown from the car he fe l l ; and l oudly rangH is g litt
’
r ing arms : aside the startl ed steeds
Sprang devious : from h is l imbs the sp i rit fled .
Down leap’
d fE neas , spear and shield in hand ,Against the Greeks to guard the val iant dead ;And l ike a l ion
,fearl ess i n h is streng th ,
Vo l . 7—4 49
ILIAD .
l ess fury stern Tydides flew,
brave l eaders at an instant s l ew ;s breath less fe l l , and by h is s ide ,pl e
’
s pasto r , good Hy penor , di ed:
s l ain he l eft,and sprung with nobl e rage
nd Polyi dus to engage ;f Eury damus , who ,
wise and old ,
te foresee,and myst ic dreams unfol d ;
ths return’
d not from the doubtful p l ain,
sad father t ri ed h i s arts i n vain ;Xanthus next
,and Thoon felt h i s rage ,
nd hope o f Phaenop s’ feebl e age :
h o’
e rt ak e s th em in the i r blooming years ,th e fath er unavai l i ng tears ;ofPriam in one chariot r ide ,arms
,and combat s ide by side .
th e l ordly l ion s eeks h i s food
graz ing h ei fers range the l onely wood ,
p s amidst th em with a furious bound ,3 the i r strong necks , and tears them to th e ground
rom the i r seats th e brother ch i efs are torn .
zk
[B i omed , Attacked by ZEnea s and Pandarus , Slay
the Latte r . ]
The spear by Pal las guide d struck
ide the nostri l,underneath th e eye ;
sh’
d th ro’ th e t eeth
,and cutt ing th ro
’
the tongue
the o f the j aw came forthy rang
steeds
ILIAD .
mother Aphrodite caught h im in her white arms andthrew her vei l about h im . But even so D iom ed wa s
loath to l et h i s foe escap e, and knowing that the goddess was not ofthose who mingl e i n the battl e
,he
rushed onher and wounded her on the wri st, and the
blood gushed out— such b lood (they ca ll i t ichor! as
flows in the veins ofth e immortal gods, who eat notthe meat and drink not the drink ofmen . With a loud
shri ek she dropped her son, but Apollo caught h im up
and covered him with a dark mist, l est perchance one
ofth e Greeks should spy h im and slay him . And stil l
B iomed pursued . Thri ce h e rushed on,and thrice
Apol lo pushed back hi s sh in ing sh i eld ; but the fourth
time the g od cried to h im“Be wise, sonof Tydeus , and give way , nor th ink to
match the gods . ”
And Diom ed gave way , fearing the wrath ofth e farshooting bow . But Apoll o carri ed ZEneas out of th e
battle , and laid h im down in hi s own templ e in th e
ci tadel ofTroy,and there Artemi s and Latona h eal ed
him ofhis wound . And al l th e whi l e the Troj ans and
the Greeks were fighting,as they thought
,about h is
body,for Apol lo had made a l ikeness ofth e hero and
thrown i t down in thei r midst . Then Sarpedon th eLycian spake to Hector with bitter words :
“Where are thy boasts , Hector ? Thou saidst that
thou couldst guard thy c ity,without thy peopl e or thy
al l i es,thou alone , with thy b rothers and thy brothers
in- l aw . But I cannot see even one ofth em . They go
and hide themselves,as dogs before a l ion . I t i s we ,
your al l i es, who maintain the battl e . I have come from
far to help thy people - from Lycia where I l eft wi fe
and child and wealth—nor do I shrink from the fight,but thou shouldst do thy part .
And the words stung Hector to th e heart . He leapt
from his chariot and went th rough the host, urging
so
I LIAD .
Around the corpse he s talk ’
d ; th i s way and that ,His spear and buckl er round before h im held ,To al l who dar
’d approach h im threat’ning death ,
With fearful shouts ; a rocky fragment then
Tydides l i fted up,a mighty mass ,
Which scarce two men could rai se , as men are now
But he,unaided
,l i fted i t w i th ease .
With th i s he smote ZEnea s near the groi n ,Where the th igh - bone
,inserted in the hip ,
Turns in the\
s ock et - j o int ; the rugged mass
The socket crush’
d , and both the tendons broke ,And tore away the flesh : down onh is knees ,Yet resting onh i s hand
,th e h ero fel l ;
And o ’
er his eyes th e shades ofdarkness spread .
Then had ZEneas,King ofmen
,been slain
,
Had not h is mother,Venus , ch i ld ofJove ,
Who to Anchi ses , where h e fed h i s flocks ,The hero bore , h is peri l quickly seen :
Around her sonsh e th rew her snowy arms,
And with a vei l , th ick - fol ded,wrapt h im round
,
From hosti l e spears to guard h im,l est some Greek
Shoul d p i erce h is breast,and rob h im ofhis l i fe .
She from th e battl e thus h er sonremoved ;
[B iomed Wounds Venus . ]— (POPE !
Through breaking ranks hi s fu rious course he bends,
And at th e goddess h i s broad lanc e extends ;Through her bright ve i l th e dari ng weapon drove
,
The ambrosial ve i l wh ich al l the Graces wove ;Her snowy hand th e raz ing steel pro faned
,
And the t ransparent skin with crimson s ta in’
d ;
From the cl ear vein a stream immortal flow ’d,
Such stream as i ssues from a wounded g od ;W i th tender shri eks th e goddess fi ll ’d th e pl ace ,And dropp
’
d her o ffspring from her weak embrace .
SI
ILIAD .
them to the battl e . And on the other side th e Greeks
strengthened themselves . But Ares brought back
ZEnea s whol e from his wound , and gave h im courage
and might . Right glad were h is comrades to see h im ,
nor did they ask him any quest ion ; scant l eisure was
there for questions that day . Then were done many
val iant deeds,nor did any bear h imsel f more bravely
than ZEnea s . Two Ch iefta ins o f th e Greeks he sl ew,
Cre thonand Ors ilochus , who came from the banks o f
A lphe ii s . Sore vexed was M ene la ii s to see them fall,
and he rushed to avenge them , Ares urging h im on,for he hoped that ZEneas would s lay
'
him . But Ant i lo
chus,Nestor’ s son, saw h im go , and hasted to his s ide
that he might help h im . S o they went and s lew Pylae
menes,King of the Paphlagonians , and Medon , h is
charioteer . Then Hector rushed to the front,and Ares
was by h i s s ide . D iom ed saw him ,and the g od al so ,
for h is eyes were opened that day, and he fell back aspace and cri ed :
“O my fri ends ! here Hector comes ; no-r he alone,but Ares i s with h im in the shape ofa mortal man . Let
us give place,sti l l keep ing our faces to th e foe
,for men
must no t fight with gods.
Then drew near to each other Sarpedon the Lycian
and Tlepol emus , th e sonofHercules,the one a son and
the other a grandson ofZeus . And first Tl epo l emus
spake“What art thou doing here , Sarpedon ? Surely ’ t is
a false report that thou art a son ofZeus. The sonsofZeus in th e o ld days were better men than thou art ,such as my father Hercul es
,who came to th i s c i ty when
Laomedon would not give him the horses wh ich h e
had prom i sed , and brake down the wal l s and wasted the
streets . N o help,methinks
,wilt thou be to the sons
of Troy , s lain here by my hands .
But Sarpedon answered,
“H e indeed spoi l ed Troy,
5 2
I LIAD .
for Laomedon did h im grievous wrong. But thou shalt
not fare so,but rather meet wi th thy death .
Then they both hurl ed thei r sp ears , aiming truly,both ofthem . For Sarpedon smote Tl epol emus in the
neck,p ierc ing i t through s o that h e fel l dead , and
Tl epolemus smote Sarpedon in the l eft thigh,driving
the spear c lose to the bone, but slayi ng him not , his
father Z eus warding Offthe doom ofdeath . And hi s
comrades carried h im out ofthe battl e , sorely burdenedwith th e spear, which no one had thought to take out
ofthe wound . And as h e was borne along, Hector
passed by,and Sarpedon rej o iced to see him
,and cri ed :
“S on ofPriam
,suffer me not to b ecome a prey to
the Greeks ; let me at l east d ie in your c ity , for LyciaI may see no more
,nor wife , nor ch i l d .
”
But H ector heeded h im not , so eager was h e for th ebatt l e . S O h is comrad es carri ed him to th e great b eech
tree and la id him down,and one ofth em drew the spear
out ofh is thi gh . When i t was drawn out he fainted,
but the cool north wind bl ew and revived h im,and he
breathed again .
But al l the whil e Hector,with Ares at h i s s ide
,dealt
death and destruct ion through the ranks ofthe Greeks .Here and A thené saw him where they sat on th e topofOlympus , and were wroth . So they went to Father
Zeus , and prayed that i t might be lawful to them to
stop h im in his fury . And Zeus said ,“B e it as y ou
wil l . S o they yoked the horses to th e chariot ofHereand passed down to earth , th e horses flying at every
stride over so much space as a man sees who s its upon
a cl iffand looks across th e sea to where i t meets th esky . They al ighted on th e spot where the two rivers
S imoi s and Scamander j o in thei r streams. There theyloosed the horses from the yoke
,and then sped l ike
doves to where the bravest ofthe Greeks stood roundKing D iom ed . There Here took the shape of St entor
5 4
I LIAD .
[The Valor o f Aj ax . ] - (POPE !
The mighty Aj ax glows
W ith th irst of vengeance , and assaults the foe s .His massy spear with mat ch less fury sent ,Through Amphius’ belt and heaving bel ly went ;Shook with h i s fal l h i s brazen armor rung
,
And fierce , to se ize it, conquering Aj ax sprung ;Around h i s head an iron t empest rain ’d ;A wood of spears h is ampl e sh ield susta in
’
d
Beneath one foot the yet warm corpse he p re s s’
d,
And drew h is j avel in from th e bl eeding breast :
He could no more ; th e show ering darts denied
To spo il h i s gl ittering arms , and plumy pride .
Now foes on foes came pouring onthe fields ,With bri stl i ng l ances , and comp-acted sh ields ;Til l i n the steely c i rc l e s t ra it en
’
d round,
Forced he gives way,and sternly quits the ground .
[Hector Rall i es th e Troj ans . ]
But Hector saw ; and , furious at th e s ight ,Rush ’d terrib l e amidst th e ranks offight .Swift as a wh irlwind , drives th e scattering foes ,And dyes the ground with purp l e as h e goes .
The generous Greeks recede with tardy pac e ,Though Mars and Hector thunder in thei r face ;None turn thei r backs to mean ignobl e fl ight ,Slow they retreat
,and e ’en ret reat ing fight .
[Juno and Pall as Encourage the Greeks ]
(DERBY!
The Goddesses ,Sw i ft as th e wi l d wood - p igeon ’s rap id fl i ght
,
Sped to the batt le - fi e ld to aid the Greeks .
5 5
I LIAD .
with the lungs ofbronze , whose voice was as the voiceoffi fty men , and cri ed ,
“Shame , men ofGreece !WhenAchi ll es went to th e battl e , th e men o f Troy came not
beyond the gates , but now they fight far from the city,
even by the ship s . But Athene went to D iom ed where
he stood wip ing away the b lood from the wound where
Pandarus had struck h im with the arrow . And she
spake,
“Surely th e son ofTyd eus i s l i tt l e l ike to h iss ire . Smal l o f stature was h e , but a keen fighter .
But thou—whether i t be'
wear ines s or fear that keep s
thee back I know not—canst scarce ly be a true s ono fTydeus .
”
But D iom ed answered , Nay,great goddess
,for I
know thee who thou art , daughter o f Zeus , i t i s not
weariness or fear that keeps me back .
’Tis thy own
command that I heed . Thou didst b id me fight wi th
none other o f th e immortal gods but only with A phro
dite,shoul d she come to the battl e . Therefore I give
place,for I see Ares lording it through the ranks of
war .”
“Heed not Ares ; drive thy chariot at h im ,and smite
h im with the spear. This very morning he promised
that h e would help the Greeks , and now h e hath
changed his purpose .
And as she spake sh e pushed Sthenelus , who drove
the chariot , so that he l eapt out upon th e ground , and
she mounted hersel f and caught the reins and lashed
the horses. 5 0 the two went togeth er ,and they found
Ares where h e had j ust s lain Periphas th e i E tol ian.
But Athene had donned the helmet o f Hades , which
whosoever puts on straightway becomes invi s ib l e,for
she would not that Ares shoul d see her who she was .
The g od saw D iom ed come near,and left Periphas , and
cast h is sp ear over the yoke ofth e chariot , eager toslay the hero . But Athene caught th e sp ear in herhand , and turned it aside , so that i t fl ew vainly through
5 6
I LIAD .
But when they reach’
d th e th ickest o f th e fray,
Where throng ’
d around the might of D iom ed
The bravest and the best , as l ions fierce ,Or forest—boars , th e m ighti est ofth e i r kind ,There stood the wh ite - arm ’d Queen , and cal l
’
d aloud
I n form ofStentor, ofthe b razen voice ,
Whose shout was as the shout o f fi fty men“Shame on ye
,Greeks
,base cowards !brave alone
In outward semblance ; whil e Ach i l l es yetWent fo rth to battle
,from the Dardan gates
The Troj ans never v entur ’d to advance ,5 0 dreaded they h i s pond ’
rous spear ; but now
Far from th e wal l s,beside your sh ips
,th ey fight .
She said : her words thei r drooping courage rous ’d .
Meanwhil e the blue - ey ’d Pal las went in haste
I n search o f Tydeus’ s on;
The king bes id e h i s panting steeds sh e found,
O’
ersp ent with to i l r epos ing on the ground ;To coo l h i s glowing wound he sat apart ,
(The wound infl i cted by th e Lycian dart!.
Large drops ofsweat from al l h i s l imbs descend ;Beneath h i s ponderous sh ield h i s s inews bend
,
Whose ampl e belt,that o
’
e r h is shoulder lay ,He eased ; and wa sh
’
d th e clotted gore away .
[Pall as I nc ites D iom ed to Attack
(DERBY!
Thou sonofTydeus , dearest to my soul ,Fear now no more with Mars himsel f to fight ,Nor oth er God ; such ai d wi l l I bestow.
Come then ; at h im the fi rst di rect thy car ;Encount er with h im hand to hand ; nor fearTo st rike th i s madman , th i s i ncarnate curse,Thi s shamel es s renegade ;”
5 7
ILIAD .
the ai r. Then B iomed in turn th rust forward hi s spearand Athene l eant upon i t , so that i t pi erced the loin ofAres
,where hi s girdl e was clasp ed . And Ares shouted
with the pain,loud as a host o f men
,thousands nine
or ten , shouts when i t j oins in battle . And the Greeks
and Troj ans trembled as they heard . And Diom ed saw
the g od g o up to Olympus as a thunder - cloud goes up
when the wind ofthe south blows hot.But when Ares had departed the Greeks prevai l ed
again , slaying many ofth e sons ofTroy and ofth eiral l i es . But at last H elenus, th e wis e seer, spake to
Hector and ZEneas“Cause the army to draw back to the wal ls
,and go
through the ranks and give them such strength and
courage as ye may . And do thou , Hector, when thou
hast s o done , pass into th e ci ty, and b id thy mother go
with the daughters O f Troy,and take the cost l i est rob e
that she hath,and lay i t onth e knees ofAthene i n her
t empl e , vowing therewith to sacrifice twelve h ei fer s , i f
perchanc e sh e may have p ity upon us,and keep thi s
B iomed from our wal l s . Surely there i s no Greek so
strong as he : we did no t fear even Achi l l es’ sel f so much
as we fear thi s man to - day , so dreadful i s h e and fierce .
Go , and we wi l l m ake such stand meanwhil e as we can .
”
Then Hector passed through the ranks , bidding them
be ofg ood heart, and s o departed to the c ity .
But when he was gone,Glaucus th e Lycian and
D iom ed met i n the space between the two hosts . And
D iom ed said :“Who art thou that meetest me thus ? for never haveI seen thee before . I f thou art a man , know that luckl ess are the fathers whose sons meet my spear . But
i f thou art a g od , I wi l l not fight with thee . I t fares i l lwith them that fight with gods .Then Glaucus answered
,
“D iom ed , why askest thou
of my race ? The races ofmen are as the l eaves ofth e
5 8
ILIAD .
When near th ey came,fi rst Mars h i s pond ’
rons spearA dvanc’
d beyond the yoke and horses’
reins ,With murd
’
rous aim ; but Pal las from the car
Turn’
d i t aside , and foil’
d the vain attempt .
Then D iom ed th rust forward in h i s turn
Hi s po nd’ rons spear ; low on the flank ofMars ,Guided by Pallas , wit h success ful aim ,
Just where th e belt was gi rt,the weapon struck
I t p ierc’
d the fl esh , and st raigh t was back withdrawnThen Mars c ried out aloud
,with such a shout
As i f n in e thousand or tenthousand men
Should s imultaneous rai se the i r batt l e - cry
Troj ans and Greeks al ike in terror heard ,Trembl ing ; so fearful was the cry ofMars .As black with c louds appears the dark en
’
d ai r,
When after heat the b lus t’
r ing winds arise ,So Mars to val iant B iomed appea r
’
d,
As in th ick clouds he took h i s heav’nwa rd fl i ght .
[Menelaus Slays Adrastus . ]
Then Menel aus , good in battl e , took
Adrastu s cap t ive ; for h is horse s , scar ’dAnd rush ing wildly o ’ er the p lain
,amid
The tangl ed tamarisk scrub his chariot broke ,Snapping the pol e ; they with the flying crowdHeld city - ward thei r course ; he from the car
Hurl’
d headlong, prostrate lay beside the wheel ,Prone on h is face in dust ; and at h i s s ide ,Pois ing h i s m ighty spear
,A t r ides stood.
Adrastus clasp’
d h i s knees,and suppl iant cri ed
,
“Spare me,great sonofAtreus!for my l i fe
Accept a price ; my wealthy father’ s house
A goodly store conta ins ofbrass , and gold ,And wel l - wrought i ron ; and of these he fa inWould pay a reasonabl e ransom
,could he hear
5 9
ILIAD .
the ai r. Then Diom ed i n turn th rus t forward hi s spearand Athene l eant upon it , so that i t pi erc ed th e loin ofAres
,where hi s girdl e was clasp ed . And Ares shouted
with the pain,loud as a host ofmen , thousands nine
or ten,shouts when i t j o ins i n battle . And the Greeks
and Troj ans trembled as they heard . And D iom ed saw
the g od g o up to Olympus as a thunder - cloud goes up
when the wind ofthe south blows hot .But when Ares had departed the Greeks p revai led
again,slaying many ofth e sons ofTroy and ofthei r
al l i es . But at l ast H elenus , th e wis e seer, spake to
Hector and r’
Enea s“Cause the army to draw back to the wal ls , and go
through the ranks and give them such strength and
courage as ye may . And do thou , Hector, when thou
hast so done , pass into the c i ty, and b id thy mother go
with the daughters ofTroy, and take the costl i est robethat she hath
,and lay it onth e knees ofA thené in h er
temple , vowing therewith to sacrifice twelve hei fer s , i f
perchance she may have p ity upon us,and keep th is
B iomed from our wall s . Surely there i s no Greek so
strong as be : we did not fear even Achi l l es’ sel f so much
as we fear thi s man to - day, s o dreadful i s h e and fierce .
Go , and we wi l l m ake such stand meanwhil e as we can.
”
Then Hector passed through th e ranks,bidding them
be ofg ood heart , and so depart ed to th e c i ty .
But when he was gone,Glaucus the Lycian and
D iom ed met in the space between the two hosts . AndD iom ed said :
“Who art thou that meetest me thus ? for never haveI seen thee before . I f thou art a man , know that luckl ess are the fathers whose sons meet my spear. But
i f thou art a g od , I wi l l not fight with th ee . I t fares i l l
with them that fight with gods .Then Glaucus answered
,
“D iom ed ,
why askest thou
of my race ? The races ofmen are as the l eaves of the
5 8
ILIAD .
forest,which the wind blows to the earth , and 10! i n
the spring they shoot fo rth again . Yet i f thou wouldst
know it,hearken to my words . There is a ci ty Ephyra
in the land of Argos , where S i syphus dwelt, who was
the craftiest o f men ; and S isyphus begat Glaucus , and
Glaucus B el lerophon . Now B el l erophon was the fai rest and most val iant ofmen . And Queen Antea ac
cus ed him falsely to h er husband , King Proetus . Where
upon the king sent him to h is father - in- l aw,who was
King ofLycia, and gave h im a tab l et, whereon werewritten letters ofdeath , so that the king having readthem should cause h im to be slain . So B el lerophon
came to Lycia. And for nin e days the king feasted h im ,
but on the tenth he asked for the tabl et . And when he
had read it , he sought how he might s lay him . For
first he sent h im to subdue th e Chime ra . Now the
Ch imaera was a marv el lous thing,having the forepart
ofa l ion, and the body ofa goat, and the tai l of a snake .And afterwards h e sent h im against th e Solymi , who
are the fier cest warriors of al l that dwel l on th e earth .
And h is th ird labor was that he sl ew the Amazons .
And as he was returning the king set an ambush forh im , yet harmed him not , fo r B el l erophon slew a ll the
men that lay in wa it for h im . Then the king knew him
to be a good man and ofthe race of th e gods . Wherefore he kept h im , and gave him his daughter to wife ,and with her the hal f ofh i s kingdom ; and the Lyciansgave him a fai r domain o f orchard and plough - land .
N ow Bel l erophon had three ch il dren—Laodamia,who
bare Sarpedon to Zeus ; and I sander , whom Ares sl ew
in batt l e against th e Solymi ; and H ippolochus , my
father, who sent me h ither, b idding me ever b ear m yself bravely , nor shame the race of my fathers .
”
This D iom ed was right glad to h ear,and c ri ed , Nay ,
but thou art a friend by inheritance . For in former
t imes (Eneus,my grandfather
,feasted B el l erophon for
60
ILIAD .
That in the Grec ian sh ip s I yet surv iv ’
d .
”
His words of pity mov’
d the v ictor ’s breast ;Then had he bade h i s fol lowers to the sh ips
The captiv e bear ; but running up in haste ,Fierc e Agamemnon cr i ed in stern rebuke ;
“So ft - hearted Menelaus,why ofl i fe
So tender ? Hath thy ho use rece iv’
d indeed
Nothing but benefits at Troj an hands ?Of that abhorred race
,l et not a man
Escap e the deadly vengeance ofour arms ;No , not th e i nfant in its mother
’ s womb ;No , nor th e fugi t ive ; but b e they al l ,They and thei r c ity, utterly dest roy
’
d ,
Unca r ’d for,and from m em
’
ry blotted out .
Thus as h e spoke , h is counsel , fraught with death ,His broth er’ s purpose chang
’
d ; he with h i s hand
Adrastus th rust as ide , whom with h is lanceFierce Agamemnon through the lo ins t rans fi x ’
d ;
And , as he roll’
d i n death,upon h is breast
Planting h is foot,the ashen spear withdrew .
[Hector Again Drives Back the Greeks ]
(POPE!
Hector,with a bound,
Leap’
d from hi s trembl ing chariot to th e ground ;Through all h i s host
,insp ir ing fo rce
,he fl i es
,
And bids the thunder ofthe batt l e ri se .With rage recruited the bold Troj ans glow ,
And turn the t i de of confl i ct on the foe .Fierce i n the front h e shakes two dazzl ing spearsAll Greec e recedes
,and ’midst her tr iumphs fears ;
Some god,they thought , who ruled the fate ofwars ,
Shot down avenging from the vaul t ofstars .
61
I LIAD .
twenty days,and gave h im a belt bro idered with purpl e
,
and Bel l erophon gave h im a great cup with two
mouths,which indeed I l eft b ehi nd me when I came
hither . And now l et us two make agreement that we
fight not with each other, for there are Troj ans enoughwhom I may slay
,and there are Greeks enough for
thee . And l et us also exchange our armor, that these
men may know us to be fri ends by inheri tanc e .”
S o they l eapt down from thei r chariots and ex
changed thei r armor . And Zeus took away al l wise
counsel from the heart ofGlaucus , so that he gavegolden armor for armor ofbronze, th e wo rth of a hundred oxen for the worth o f ni ne .
I LIAD .
[D iom ed and Glaucus Exchange Armor . ](DERBY!
He said ; and D iom ed rej o ic ing heardH is spear he planted in the fruitful ground
,
And thus with fri endly words th e ch i ef addre s s’
d“By anc i ent t i es o f fri endsh ip are we bound ;Then shun we
,e’
en amid the th ickest fight,
Each other’ s lance ; enough there are for meOf Troj an s and thei r brave al l i es to kil l ,As H eav
’nmay aid me,and my speed offoot ;
And Greeks enough there are for thee to slay,I f so indeed thou canst ; but let us now
Our armor interchange , that these may knowWhat fri endly bonds of o ld our houses j o in .
”
Thus as they spoke , they quitted each h is car ;Cla sp
’
d hand in hand , and pl ighted mutual fai th .
Then Glaucus of h i s j udgment Jove depr iv’
d,
His armor interchanging,gold fo r brass ,
A hundred oxen ’ s wo rth for that o f n ine.
CHAPTER IV
HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE
ECTOR came into th e c ity by the Scae an gates,and
as he went wives and mothers crowd ed about h im ,
ask ing how it had fared with thei r husband s and sons .
But he said nought save to bid them pray ; and indeed
there was sore news for many,i f he had tol d that which
he knew . Then he came to the palac e o f King Priam ,
and there he saw Hecuba , his mother , and with h erLaodicé , fai rest of her daughters . She caught h im by
the hand and said“Why hast thou come from the battl e
,my son ? Do
the Greeks press thee hard,and art thou minded to p ray
to Father Zeus from the c itadel ? Let me bring theehoney - sweet wine
,that thou mayest pour out b efore
h im , aye, and that thou mayest drink thysel f, and glad
den thy heart .
But Hector said , Give me not wine , my mother, l estthou weaken my knees and make me forget my co-ur
age . N or must I pour out an o ffering with Zeus thus ,with unwashed hands . But do thou gather the mothers
of Troy together,and go to the templ e of Athene, and
take a robe,th e one that i s the most prec ious and
beauti ful in thy stores,and lay it on th e knees of th e
goddess,and pray her to keep thi s dreadful D iom ed
from th e wal ls ofTroy ; and forget not to vow ther ewith twelve hei fers as a sacrific e . As for me I wil l g o
and seek Pari s,i f perchance he wi l l come with me to
the war. Would that th e earth might open and swa l
64
ILIAD .
[Hector B ids H i s Mother Pray to Pal las ](POPE !
M eantime the guardian of th e Troj an state,
Great Hector,ent er ’
d at the Scae an gate .
Beneath the beech - tree’
s consecrated shades,
The Troj an matrons and the Troj an maids
Around h im flock’
d , al l pre ss’
d with p ious care
For husbands , brothers , sons , engaged in war .
He bids th e train in l ong process ion go ,And seek th e gods
,to avert the impending woe .
[Pallas Refuses H ecuba’
s Prayer . ] —(CHAPMAN .!
Th i s sa id , grave Hecuba went home , and sent her
maids about
To bid the matrons . She hersel f descended,and
searched out ,Within a p lac e that breathed perfumes
,th e richest robe
sh e had ;Which lai d with many rich ones more
,most curiously
made
By women of S idonia,wh ich Pari s brought from
thence ,Sail ing the broad sea , when he made that voyage of
o ffenceI n w h ich he brought home Hel ena . That robe trans
ferred so far
(That was the undermost! she took ; i t gl i ttered l ike a
star ;And with it went sh e to the fane ,
And her they fol lowed al l
Up to th e templ e ’ s h ighest tower,where onthe i r knees
they fal l ,Li ft up the ir hands
,and fi l l the fane with ladies’ p iteous
cr ies,
Vo l . 7-
5 65
ILIAD .
low him up , for ofa truth h e i s a curse to K ing Priamand to Troy .
”
So Queen Hecuba and the mothers ofTroy did asHector had b idden them . But when they laid the robe
onthe knees ofthe goddess , she would not hear them .
And Hector went to th e house of Pari s , where it
stood on the c itadel , near to h is own dwel l ing and
the dwel l ing ofPriam . He found h im busy with h i s
arms,and the fai r H elen sat near h im and gave thei r
tasks to her maidens .But Hector spake : Be not wroth
,my brother . The
peopl e peri sh about the wal l , and the war burns hot
round the c i ty,and all for thy sake . Rouse thee, l est
it be consumed .
”
And Pari s answered , Brother, thou hast spoken wel l .
I t was not i n wrath that I sat here. I was vexed at my
sore defeat . But now my wi fe has urged me to j o in thebattl e , and truly it i s wel l , for victo ry comes now toone and now to another. Wait , thou , then ti l l I don
my arms, or i f thou wouldst depart, I wi l l overtake
thee .”
So Hector departed and went to hi s own home,seeking h i s wi fe Andromache
,but found her not
,fo r
she was ona tower ofth e wal l with h er ch i l d and h erchi ld’ s nurse , weep ing sore for fear . And Hector spaketo th e maids
“Tell me , wh ither went th e white - armed Androm
ache; to see some si ster - in- law, or to the templ e of
Athene with the mothers ofTroy ? ”“Nay,
”said an aged woman
,keeper o f the house .
She went to one ofth e towers o f th e wall , for sh ehad heard that the Greeks were press ing our peopl e
hard . She hasted l ike as she were mad,and the nurs e
carr ied the ch i ld.
So Hector ranthrough the c ity to the Scaean gates ,and there Androm aché sp ied h im
,and hasted to meet
66
ILIAD .
h im—Andromache, daughter o f King Eetion , ofThebe- under - Placus . And with h er was th e nurse ,bearing the young child on her bosom—Hector ’ s onlych i ld
,beauti ful
,headed as a star. His father cal l ed
h im Scamandrius,after the river
,but the sons ofTroy
cal l ed him Astyanax,th e “City - King, because i t was
h i s father who saved the c ity. Si l ently h e smil ed when
he saw the ch ild , but Andromache clasp ed h is hand
and wept,and said
“O Hector,thy courage wil l bring thee to death .
Thou hast no p ity on thy wi fe and ch i ld , but sparest
not thysel f, and al l the Greeks wi l l rush on th ee and
slay thee . I t were better for me , l o s ing thee , to di e ;for I have no comfort but thee . My father i s dead , for
Achil l es s l ew h im in Thebé— s l ew h im but spoi led h im
not,so much he reverenced h im . With h i s arms h e
burnt h im,and the mountain - nymphs planted poplars
about hi s grave . Seven brethren I had , and 10 !th ey al l
fel l i n one day by the hand of the great Achi l l es . And
my mother,she i s dead , for when she had been ran
som ed , Artemi s smote her with an arrow in her father’ s
house . But thou art father to me,and mother and
brother and husband al so . Have p ity , then, and stay
here upon th e wal l , l est thou l eave me a widow and thy
chi ld an orphan . And set the peopl e here in array by
thi s fi g - tree,where the c ity i s eas i est to b e taken ; fo r
there come the bravest o f th e Greeks , Ajax th e Greater,and Aj ax the Less
,and Idomeneus
,and the two sons
ofAtreus , and the sonofTydeus . ”
But Hector said,
“Nay,l et these th ings be my care .
I would not that any son or daughter ofTroy shouldsee me skulking from th e war. And my own heartloathes the thought , and b ids me fight i n th e front .
Well I know, indeed, that Priam ,and the people o f
Priam , and holy Troy, wil l p eri sh . Yet i t i s not forTroy, or for the peopl e, or even for m y father or my
68
ILIAD .
Dear Lord , thy dauntless sp ir i t wil l work thy doomN or hast thou p ity on th is thy helpl ess ch i ld ,O r me forlorn , to be thy widow soonFor thee wi l l al l the Greeks with force comb in ’dAssai l and slay : for me , ’ twere better fa r
,
Of t h ee bereft, to l i e beneath the sod ;Nor comfort shal l be m ine , i f tho u be lost ,But endle ss gri ef.”“No parent now remains my grie fs to share
,
No father’
s aid,no mother ’ s tender care .
The fi erce Ach il l es wrapp’
d our wal l s in fire,
Laid Thebe waste , and sl ew my warl ike si re !“By the same arm my seven brave brothers fe l l ;I n one sad day behel d th e gates of hel l
Wh il e the fat h erds and snowy flocks they fed,
Amid their fields the hapl ess heroes b led !“Yet wh il e my Hector st i l l surv iv e s
,
' I see
My father, mother, brethren , al l , in thee°
Alas!my parents,brothers
,kindred
,al l
Once more wi l l pe rish , i f my Hector fal l .
Thy wife,thy infant
,i n thy danger share
Oh , prove a husband’ s and a father
’ s care !
Let oth ers in the field thei r arms employ ,But stay my Hector here
,and guard h is Troy .
The ch ief rep l i ed : “That post shal l be my care ,Not that alone
,but al l th e works ofwar .
How would the sons of Troy,i n arms renown
’
d ,
And Troy’
s proud dames,whose garments sweep the
ground,
Attaint th e lustre ofmy former name ,Shoul d Hector basely quit th e field offame ?Let me be foremost to defend the th rone ,And guard my father’ s glori es
,and my own .
“Yet come it wil l , the day decreed by fates!(How my heart trembles wh i l e my tongue relates!!
69
I LIAD .
mother that I care so much , as for thee i n the daywhen some Greek shall carry thee away captive , andthou shal t p ly the loom or carry the p itcher in the
land ofGreece . And some one shal l say when he sees
thee,
‘Thi s was Hector ’s wi fe , who was the bravest o f
the sons ofTroy .
’ May the earth cover me beforethat day !”
Then Hector stretched out h i s arms to h i s chil d .
But the ch il d drew back into the bosom of h i s nurse
with a loud cry,fearing th e sh ining bronz e and the
horse - hair p lume which nodded awfully from his hel
met top . Then father and mother laughed aloud . And
Hector took th e helmet from h i s head and laid it onthe ground
,and caught hi s ch il d i n h i s hands , and
kissed him and dandl ed h im , praying aloud to FatherZeus and all th e gods .
“Grant,Father Zeus and al l ye gods
,that th i s ch i l d
may be as I am , great among the sons of Troy ; and
may they say some day, when they see h im carryinghome the b loody spoi l s from th e war
,
“A better man
than hi s father, thi s ,’ and his mother shal l be glad at
heart .Then he gave th e ch i ld to h is mother , and she
clasp ed him to her breast and smi led a tear ful smil e.
And her husband had p ity on her,and stroked her
with hi s hand,and spake
“Be not troubled overmuch . No man shal l s l ay me
against the ordering o f fate ; but as for fate , that, I trow,
no man may escape,be h e coward or brave . But go ,
ply thy tasks , the shutt l e and the loom ,and give thei r
tasks to thy maidens,and let men take thought for the
battl e.”
Then Hector took up h is h elmet from the ground,
and Andromache went her way to her home,oft turn
ing back her eyes . And when she was come,sh e and
a ll her maidens wai l ed for the l iv ing Hector as though
70
ILIAD .
he were dea d, for she thought that she should never seeh im any more return ing safe from the battl e .
And as Hector went h i s way,Pari s came running,
clad in sh ining arms , l ike to some proud steed which
has been fed hi gh in hi s s tal l , and now scours the p lai n
with h ead alo ft and mane stream ing over h i s shoulders .
And he spake to Hector :“I have kep t thee
,I fear, when thou wast i n haste,
nor came at thy bidding.
”
But Hector answered , No man can blame thy cour
age,only thou wil ful ly he lde s t back from the battl e .
Therefore do th e sons ofTroy speak shame of thee .But now let us go to th e war .
”
So they went together out ofth e gates , and fell uponth e hosts ofth e Greeks and s lew many chi efs o f fam e ,and G1 th e Lyc ian went with them .
ILIAD .
Thus to th e gods preferr ’d a father ’ s prayer“O thou !whose glory fi l l s the ethereal throne
,
And al l ye death less powers !protect my son;Grant h im , l ike me, to purchase j ust renown ,To guard the Troj ans
, to defend the crown ,Against h is country ’ s foes the war to wage,And rise the Hector ofthe future age!5 0 when triumphant from successfu l toi l sO f heroes slain he bares the reeking spoi l s
,
Whole hosts may hai l h im with deserved acclaim,
And say ,‘Th is ch ie f transcends h i s father ’ s fame
While p l eased amidst th e general shouts ofTroyHis mother
’
s consc ious h eart o’
e rflows with joy .
Thus saying, i n h is mother’
s arms he p lac’
d
His ch i l d ; she to her fragrant bosom clasp’
d ,
Smil ing through tears ; with eyes ofp itying loveHector beh eld
,and p res s
’
d her hand , and thus
A ddre s s’
d her—“Dearest,wring not thus my heart!
For t i l l my day of destiny i s come ,No man may take my l i fe ; and when it comes ,Nor brave nor coward can escape that day
But go thou home , and ply thy household cares ,The loom and distaf’f
,and appoint thy maids
Thei r s ev’
ral tasks ; and l eave to men ofTroyAnd
,ch i ef ofal l to me
,th e to i l s ofwar .
Great Hector sa id,and ra is ’d h is p lumed helm ;
And homeward,s low , with oft - reverted eyes ,
Shedding hot tears,h is sorrowing wi fe re turn
’
d .
A rr iv’
d at val iant H ector’ s wel l - bui lt house ,
Her maidens pre ss’
d around her ; and in al l
Arose at onc e th e sympathet ic gri ef .
For Hector,yet al ive
,h i s househol d m ourn
’
d,
Deem i—ng he never woul d again return ,Safe from the fig ht, by Grec ian hands unharm ’
d .
73
CHAPTER V
THE DUEL OF HECTOR AND AJAX
OW when Athene saw that the Greeks were p eri sh
ing by the hand ofHecto r and h is companions , i tgrieved her sore . So she came down from the heights
ofOlympus , i f haply she might help them . And
Apollo met her and said“Art thou come
,A thené , to help th e Greeks whom
thou lovest ? Wel l , l et us stay the battl e fo r th i s day ;hereafter they shal l figh t t i l l the doom o f Troy beaccompl ished .
But A thené answered , How shal l we stay it ?
And Apol lo said ,“We wi l l s et on Hector to chal
lenge the bravest o f the Greeks to fight with h im , man
to man .
”
So th ey two put the matter into the m ind o f Hel enusth e seer . Then Hel enus went near to Hector
“Listen to me, for I am thy brother. Cause the restofth e sons of Troy and ofth e Greeks to s it down , anddo thou chall enge the bravest o f the Greeks to fight
with thee, man to man . And be sure thou shal t not
fal l i n the battl e, for th e wi ll o f th e immortal gods i ss o .
Then Hector greatly rej o iced,and passed to th e
front ofth e army,hold ing h i s sp ear by the middl e
,and
kept back the sons of Troy ; and King Agamemnon did
l ikewise with hi s own p eopl e . Then Hector spake :“Hear me, sons ofTroy , and ye men of Greece . The
covenant that we made one with anoth er hath been
broken , for Zeus would have it so , purpos ing evi l to
74
I LIAD .
both,t i l l e ither y ou shal l take our h igh - wal l ed c ity or
we shal l conquer you by your sh ip s . But l et one of
you who cal l yourselves champions of the Greeks
come forth and fight with me,man to man . And l et
i t be so that i f h e vanqu ish me h e shal l spo i l me of my
arms but give my body to my peopl e , that they mayburn it with fire ; and i f I vanquish h im , I wi l l spo i l
h im ofhi s arms but give h i s body to the Greeks , thatthey may bury h im and rais e a great mound above him
by the broad sal t river o f H el l espont . And so men of
a fter days shal l see i t , sai l ing by , and say,‘This i s
th e tomb ofth e bravest ofthe Greeks , whom Hectorsl ew .
’So shal l my name l ive forever .
But al l th e Greeks kept s i l enc e,fear ing to meet h im
in battl e , but shamed to hold back . Then at last Mene
laus l eapt forward and spake :“Surely now ye are women and not men . Foul shame
i t were should there be no man to s tand up against th i s
Hector. Lo!I wi l l fight with h im my own sel f,for the
issues ofbattle are with th e immortal gods .”
So he spake in h i s rage rashly, court ing death , forHector was much stronger than h e . Then King Aga
memnon answered“Nay , but th i s i s fo l ly, my broth er . Seek not in thy
anger to fight with one that i s stronger than thou ; fo r
as for thi s Hector, even Ach i l l es was loth to meet h im .
Sit thou down among thy comrades,and the Greeks
wi ll find some champion who shal l fight wi th h im .
”
And Menelau s h earkened to h is broth er’ s words ,
and sat down . Then Nestor ro se i n th e m idst andspake
“W oe i s me to - day for Greece ! H ow would the o ld
Pel eus grieve to hear such a tale ! Wel l I rememberhow he rej o iced when I to ld h im of th e house and
l ineage ofal l th e Ch i eftains o f th e Greeks,and now
he would hear that th ey cower before Hecto r,and are
76
I LIAD .
Thus shal l they say,and thus my fame shal l l ive .
Thus Hector spoke ; they al l i n si lence heard ,Sham
’
d to refuse . but fearful to accept .
[Anger o f Menelaus . ]
Stern Menelaus fi rst th e s i l enc e broke,
And,in ly groaning
,thus opprobrious spoke
“Women ofGreece ! O scandal ofyour rac e,Whose coward forms your manly form disgrace
,
How great the shame , when every age shal l know
That not a Greci an met thi s noble foe !Go , th en !reso lve to earth , from whence ye grew,
A heartl es s,sp i rit l es s
,inglo rious crew !
B e what ye seem , unanimated cl ay ,Mysel f wil l dare the danger of the day ;’
T i s man's bold task the generous stri fe to try
,
But i n the hands of God is vi ctory .
”
[Agamemnon Prevents M enelaus From Fighting
Hector . ]
He armed , and gladly would have fought ; but Menela ii s th en
By Hector’
s far more strength thy soul had fled th’
abodes o f men ,Had not th e kings ofGreece stood up , and thy at
tempt restra ined ;And even the king of men h imsel f, that in such com
pass rei gned,
Who took him by the bol d right hand , and sternlyp lucked h im back
Mad broth er,’ ti s no work for thee
,thou s eek
’
s t thy
wi l ful wrack !
Contain,though it desp ite thee much , nor fo r thi s str ife
eng ag e
77
I LIAD .
sore afraid when he cal l s th em to th e batt l e. Surelyhe would p ray th i s day that he might di e! Oh that I
were such as I was i n the old days,when the men of
Pylos fought with th e Arcadians by the s tream o fI ardanus! Now the l eader o f the Arcadians was E reutha
l ion , and h e wore th e arms of Arei thous , whom men
cal l ed ‘Arei thous of the club ,’
because he fought not
with bow or spear, but with a c lub o f i ron. Him Ly
curgus s l ew , not by might but by c raft, taking h im in a
narrow plac e where h i s club o r i ron avai l ed him not,
and smiting h im with hi s sp ear . He sl ew h im,and
took h i s arms . And when Lycurgus grew old h e gave
the arms to Ereuthal ion to wear . So Ereuthal ion worethem , and chal l enged th e men of Pylos to fight with
him . But they feared h im . Only I who was the
youngest o f al l , stood forth , and Athen e gave me glory
that day , for I s l ew him , though he was the strongest
and tal les t among th e sons ofmen . Would that I were
such to - day ! Right soon woul d I meet th i s mighty
Hector .
Then rose up n ine ch i efs o f fame . First o f al l,King
Agamemnon,l ord ofmany nat ions , and next to h im
D iom ed , sonofTydeus , and Aj ax th e Greater and Aj axthe Less , and then I domeneus the Meriones , who wash i s companion i n arms
,and Eurypylus
,and Thoas
,
son of Andraem on, and th e wise Ulysses .
Then Nestor said , Let us cast lots who shal l dobatt l e with th e mighty Hector .”
. S o they threw the lots into the helmet o f King
Agamemnon , a lot for each . And the peopl e p rayed,
“Grant , ye gods , that the lot ofAjax the Greater mayl eap forth , or the lot of D iom ed , or the lot o f KingAgamemnon .
” Then Nestor shook the l ots in th e
helmet, and th e one which th ey most wished l eaptforth . For the herald took
.
i t th rough the ranks andshowed it to the chi efs , but none knew it for his own
78
ILIAD .
ti l l he came to where Aj ax th e Greater stood amonghi s comrades . But Aj ax had marked it with h is mark
,
and put forth h i s hand for i t, and claimed it, ri ght gladat heart . On the ground by h is feet he threw it, andsaid
“Mine i s th e lot , my friends , and ri ght glad I am ,for
I th ink that I shal l p revai l over the mighty Hector .
But come , l et m e don my arms ; and pray ye to Zeus ,but s i l ently
,l est the Troj ans hear
,or aloud , i f ye wi l l ,
for no fear have we . N ot by force or craft shal l any
one vanquish me,for not such are the men whom S a
l amis breeds .
So he armed h imsel f and moved forwards , dreadful
as Ares , smi l ing with grim face . With mighty strides
he came,brandish ing h is long- shafted spear . And al l
th e Greeks were glad to behold him , but th e knees ofth e Troj ans were loosened with fear
,and great H ec
tor’
s heart beat fast ; but h e trembl ed not , nor gave
p lac e, s eeing that h e had himsel f cal led h im to battl e .
So Aj ax came near,holding before th e great sh i eld ,
l ike a wal l,which Tychius
,best o f craftsmen
,had made
for h im . Seven fo lds ofbul l ’ s h ide it had , and aneighth ofbronze . Threaten ingly h e spake
“N ow shalt thou know ,
Hector, what manner of
men there are yet among our ch iefs , though Ach i l l es
th e l ion - hea rted i s far away,s i tt ing idly i n h i s tent
,i n
great wrath with King Agamemnon . Do thou, then ,begin the battl e .
“Speak not to me,Zeus - descended Aj ax
,said Hec
tor , as though I were a woman or a ch ild knowing
noth ing ofwar . Wel l I know al l th e arts o f battl e , top ly my sh i el d th i s way and that
,to guide my car
through the tumul t o f steeds,and to s tand fighting
hand to hand . But I would not smite so stout a foeby steal th
,but openly, i f i t so befal l .
”
And'
as he spake h e hurled h i s long- shafted spear,
80
ILIAD .
[The Ch iefs Cast Lots . ]
Each m arked hi s lo t , and cast i t i n to Agamemnon’ scasque .
The so ld iers p rayed , held up thei r hands , and th i s o f
Jove did ask,
W i th eyes advanced to heaven : O Jove , so l ead theh erald ’ s hand
,
That Aj ax,or great Tydeus ’ sonmay our wished cham
pion stand ,Or el se the king h imsel f that rules the rich Mycenianland .
[Ajax i s Chosen to Fight Hector . ]
Old Nestor shook the casque . By heaven insp ired,
Leap’
d forth the lot, of every Greek desi red .
This from the right to l eft th e heral d bears,
Held out i n order to the Grec ian peers ;Each to his rival yi elds th e mark unknown ,Til l godl ike Aj ax finds the lot h i s own ;Surveys the inscription with rej o ic ing eyes ,Then casts before h im
,and with transport c ri es
“Warriors !I cl aim the lot and arm with joy ;B e mine the conquest of th i s ch i ef o f Troy .
”
[Aj ax Arms for Combat . ]
Ajax meanwhil e i n dazzl ing brass was clad ;And when his armor al l was duly donn
’
d,
Forward h e mov’
d , as when gigantic Mars
Leads nations fort h to war, whom Saturn's sonI n l i fe - destroying confl i c t hath involv
’
d ;
So mov ’d th e giant Aj ax,p rop o f Greec e ,
W ith sternly sm il ing mien ; with haughty strideH e trod the plai n, and pois ’d hi s pond’
rous spear.
Yo l . 7—6 8 1
ILIAD .
and smote the great sh iel d on the rim ofthe ei ghthfold
,that was of bronze . Through s ix fo lds i t passed,
but in the seventh it was stayed . Then Aj ax hurl ed
hi s spear, striking Hector’
s sh i eld . Through sh ield i t
passed and corsl et,and cut the tun ic cl ose against th e
lo in ; but Hector shrank away and escaped th e doom
ofdeath . Then , each with a fresh spear, they rushed
together l ike l ions or wi ld boars o f th e wood . First
Hector smote the m iddl e o f th e sh ield o f Aj ax , but
pierced it not , for th e sp ear - po int was bent back ; thenAjax
,with a great bound , drove hi s sp ear at H ector
’
s
sh ield and p ierced it,forc ing h im back , and graz ing hi s
neck so that the bl ack blood well ed out . Yet did notHector cease from the combat. A great stone andrough he caught up from th e ground
,and hurled it at
the boss ofthe s even - fo ld sh ie ld . Loud rang th ebronze
, but'
the shi eld brake not . Then Aj ax took a
stone heavi er by far,and threw it with al l h i s might .
I t brake the sh ie ld o f Hector,and bore h im backwards ,
so that he fel l at l ength with hi s sh i eld above h im .
But Apol lo rai sed h im up . Then d id both draw thei rswords ; but ere they could j o in i n cl ose battl e camethe hera lds , and held thei r sceptres between them ,
and
Idaeus , th e herald ofTroy, spake :“Fight no more , my sons ; Zeus loves you both ; and
ye are both mighty warriors . That we al l know ri ght
wel l . But now the night bids you cease , and it i s wel lto heed its b idding .
”
Then said Ajax , Nay, I daeus , but i t i s for H ector to
speak, for he cal l ed the bravest o f th e Greeks to battl e .And as he wi l l s it
,so wi l l I .
”
And Hector said,“O Ajax
,the gods have given thee
stature and strength and ski l l,nor i s th ere any bette r
warrior among the Greeks . Let us c ease th en from
the batt l e ; we may yet meet again , t i l l the gods givethe v icto ry to m e or thee . And now let us give gi fts
82
ILIAD .
The Greeks , rej o ic ing, on th ei r champion g az ’
d,
The Trojans ’ l imbs beneath them shook with fear ;Ev’n Hector’s heart beat quicker in h i s breast ;Yet quai l h e must not now,
nor back retreat
Am id h i s comrades—he , th e chal l enger !Aj ax approached ; before h im , as a tow
’r
H is mighty sh i eld h e bore , sev’n - fo ld
,brass - bound ,
The work o f Tychius , best art ifi cer
That wrought i n l eather ; he i n Hyla dwelt .Of sev ’n - fo ld h ides the pond
’
rous sh ield was wrought
O f lu sty bul ls ; the e ighth was g l itt ’r ing brass .Thi s by th e son ofTelamon was borneB efore h i s breast.
[Hector Attacks Aj ax . ]
H e said,and, r i sing high above the field
Whirl’
d the long lance against th e seven - fo ld sh ield .
Ful l onth e brass descending from aboveThrough s ix bul l - h ides th e furious weapon drove
,
Ti l l i n the seventh it fi x ’
d . Then Aj ax threw ;Through Hector’ s sh ield the forc eful j avel in fl ew ,
His corse l et enters , and h i s garment rends ,And glanc ing downward
,near h i s flank descends .
The wary Troj an,shrinks , and bend ing low
B eneath h i s buckl er,disappo ints th e b low .
From thei r bored sh i elds the ch iefs thei r j avel ins drew,
Then c lose impetuous , and the charge renew ,
Fierce as the mountain - l i ons , bathed in blood ,Or foam ing boars
,the terror o f the wood .
At Aj ax Hector h i s l ong lanc e extends ;The blunted po int against th e buckl er bends ;
[Aj ax Fel l s H ector With a Stone . ]—(CHAPMAN .!
But Aj ax,fol l owing h i s lance, smote through h is tar
get quite,
83
ILIAD .
the one to the other, so that Troj ans and Greeks maysay—Hector and Aj ax met in fierc e fight and parted i n
fri endship .
”
So Hector gave to Ajax a s i lver- studded sword with
the scabbard and the sword - belt, and Aj ax gave toHector a buckl er sp l endid with purpl e . So they parted .
Right glad were the sons o f Troy when they saw Hec
tor returning safe . Glad also were th e Greeks,as they
l ed Ajax rej o ic ing in h i s v ictory to King Agamemnon .
Whereupon the king cal l ed th e ch i efs to banquet together, and bade s lay an ox of five years old , and Aj ax
he honored most o f al l , giving h im the ch ine. Andwhen the feast was ended Nestor sa id
“I t were wel l that we shoul d ceas e awh i l e from war
and burn the dead,for many
,i n truth
,are fal len . And
we wil l build a great wal l and dig a trench about i t,and we wil l make gates
,wide that a chariot may pass
through , so that our ships may be safe, i f the sons ofTroy should press us hard .
”
But th e next morn ing came a heral d from Troy tothe ch iefs as they sat i n counc i l by the sh ip o f King
Agamemnon , and said“This i s th e word ofPriam and the men o f TroyPari s wi l l give back al l th e treasures ofth e fai r He l en
,
and many more bes ides ; but th e fai r H elen hersel f h e
wil l not give . But i f th i s p l ease y ounot , grant us a
truce , that we may bury our dead .
Then Diom ed spake,Nay
,we wil l not take the fair
Helen’
s sel f, for a man may know ,even though he b e
a fool , that the doom of Troy i s come .”
And King Agamemnon said ,“Heral d
,thou hast
heard the word ofth e Greeks , but as fo r the truce , beit as y ouwil l .
”
So the next day they burnt th ei r dead,and the
Greeks made a wall with gates and dug a trench about
it . And when it was finished , even at sunset, they made
84
I LIAD .
ready a meal,and l o! there came ship s from Lemnos
bringing wine,and Greeks bought thereo f, some with
bronze,and some with i ron , and some with sh i el ds o f
ox h ide . All night they feasted right j oyously. The
sons of Troy al so feasted i n thei r c ity. But the dreadful thunder rol l ed through the n ight , for Z eus wascounsel l ing ev i l agai nst them .
ILIAD .
[The Duel Ceases ; Hector Addres ses Aj ax . ](POPE !
Hereafter we shal l meet in glorious war,
Some future day shal l l engthen out the stri fe ,And let th e gods dec ide ofdeath or l i fe !
But let us , on th i s memorabl e day,
Exchange some gi ft ; that Greece and Troy may say ,‘N ot hate , but glo ry , made thes e ch i efs contend ;And each brave foe was i n h i s soul a fri end .
’
With that , a sword with stars o f s i lver graced ,The baldric studded
,and the sheath enchased ,
He gave the Greek . The generous Greek b e s tow’
d
A radiant belt th at ri ch with purpl e glow ’d .
Then with maj esti c grace they quit th e pl ain ;This seeks the Grecian
,that the Phrygian train .
[The Greeks Fort i fy The ir Camp . ]
But ere ’ twas m orn , whi le dayl ight strove with n ight
About the pyre a chosen band o f Greeks
Had kept the i r v i gi l,and around it ra is
’
d
Upon the p lain one common mound for al l ;And bui l t i n front a wal l
,with lofty tow
’
rs
To screen both sh ip s and men ; and in the tow’
rs
Made ampl e portal s with wel l - fi tt ing gates ,That through the midst a carri age - way might pass ;Then dug a trench around it , deep and wide ,And in the trench a p al i sade they fi x
’
d .
CHAPTER VI
THE TROJANS AGAIN PREVAIL THE
GREEKS BESEECH ACHILLES
OW when the morning came Zeus call ed a counc i l
ofal l the Gods , and he spake unto them in th iswise
“Hear me,ye Gods and Goddesses . Let none ofyou
disobey these,my commands . Aid ye not e ither the
sons ofTroy or the warriors of Greece , l est harm be
fal l you. For surely , i f any one o f you does th i s thi ng,h im I wil l hurl into the lowest abyss that l i es beneaththe ea rth .
Then spake the b lue - eyed Pal las , Oh , Father Zeus ,grant
,I pray thee , that we may give sav ing counsel
unto the men ofthe hosts .”
Answering said Zeus , th e son of Saturn , Fear not ,my daughter . Assuredly thou shal t have thy wish .
”
And, at noon , Father Zeus rode in h is chariot , midway between heaven and earth unti l h e came to thecrest ofGa r g arus , where stood h is altar. There healighted and sat on the topmost ridge and looked down
upon the camps of the hosti l e armies . Then he hung
alo ft h i s golden scales and placed in each the fataldeath - lot . And lo, down sank th e lot o f Greece to the
ground , while th e Troj an scal e mounted unto thevery sky .
Then he bade the thunder peal from the heights ofMount Ida, and standing, he hurl ed the flash ing l ightning into the Grecian ranks
,and they fled
,being sore
afrai d.
88
ILIAD .
Then old Nestor came near to be taken by theTroj ans, for Pari s had slain one of the horses ofhischariot with an arrow. Only D iom ed came near and
helped h im,making h im mount h i s own chariot
,and
s laying with h i s sp ear the charioteer o f Hecto r. Andmore he would have done, but Zeus sent down greatl ightning from heaven , str ik ing th e ground i n front o fth e chariot .
Then Nestor said , Let us fl ee , King D iom ed , forZeus denies us v ictory, and a man may not fight withZeus .
And he constrained him so that h e turned h is horses
and fled . But Hecto r cri ed after h im ,
“Art thou the
man to whom the Greeks g ive h igh place in the feast ,and plenteous cups of wine ? Not so wi l l they honor
thee hereafter . Run,girl ! run , coward! Shalt thou
cl imb our wall s and carry away our daughters i n thy
sh ip s ? ”
Then D iom ed was very w roth,doubt ing whether
to flee or to turn ; but when he turned Z eus thundered
from on h igh,making h im afraid . And Hector bade
th e hosts of Troy be ofgood courage , for that Z euswas with them
,and cal l ed to h i s horses :
“Come now, Bayard and Whitefoot , and Flame ofFire
,and B ri l l iant ; forget not how the fai r Androm
aché has cared for you ; aye , even before me , who am
her husband. Carry me fast , that I may win old Nes
tor’
s shi el d, which men say i s al l o f gold , and strip
from the shoulders ofD iom ed th e breastp late which
Hephaestus wrought .”
And Hector that hour would have stormed the wal l
and burnt the sh ip s,but King Agamemnon prayed
al oud to Zeus , and Zeus heard h im and sent a s ign , aneag l e wh ich dropped a kid out o f h is c l aws .
Then the Greeks took heart again . Onward l ike
a whi rlwind rushed fiery D iom ed . Straight at the d itch
90
ILIAD .
Then old Nestor came near to be taken by theTroj ans
,for Pari s had slain one of the horses ofhis
chariot with an arrow . Only D iom ed came near and
helped h im,making h im mount h i s own chariot , and
slaying with h i s spear the char i oteer o f Hector. Andmore he would have done, but Zeus sent down greatl ightning from heaven , striking the ground i n front o fthe chariot .Then Nestor said , Let us fl ee , King D iom ed , fo rZeus denies us v ictory, and a man may not fight with
Zeus .And he constrained him so that h e turned h i s horsesand fled. But Hector cri ed after h im ,
“Art thou the
man to whom the Greeks g ive h igh place in the feast ,and p lenteous cup s of wine ? Not so wi l l th ey honor
thee hereafter. Run,girl ! run , coward! Shal t thou
cl imb our wall s and carry away our daughters i n thy
ships ? ”
Then D iom ed was very w roth , doubt ing whetherto fl ee or to turn ; but when he turned Zeus thundered
from on h igh,making h im afraid . And Hector bade
the hosts ofTroy be of good courage , for that Z euswas with them
,and cal l ed to h i s horses :
“Come now , Bayard and Whitefoot , and Flame o f
Fire,and Bril l iant ; forget not how the fai r Androm
ache has cared for y ou; aye , even before me , who amher husband. Carry rne fast , that I may win o ld Nes
tor’
s shi el d , which men say i s a l l o f gold , and strip
from the shoulders o f D iom ed the breastp late wh ichHephaestus wrought . ”
And Hector that hour would have stormed the wal l
and burnt the sh ips,but King Agamemnon prayed
aloud to Zeus , and Zeus heard h im and sent a s ign , aneagle wh ich dropped a kid out o f h i s c l aws .Then the Greeks took heart again . Onward l ike
a whi rlwind rushed fiery D iom ed . Straight at the ditch
go
coward! Shalt thou
the be st s at T
tram the gimmide rs sfB i omed the breastplate which
Am!Hector that hea r woul d have storm ed the wal land burnt the sh ips, but K ing3. i to Z eus , and Z eus heard
T he the Gr eeks took
a whi rlwind rushed fi ery Di
ILIAD .
he drove,goading hi s frantic horses to the l eap . One
migh ty bound and the maddened steeds and huge war
car are hurled l ike a thunderbol t across th e chasm ;
and the mighty chie f i s deal ing death among the Tro
jans . First to meet h i s death was Agelaus . Terrified ,he turned to flee
,
“but as he turned th e l anc e o f Dio
m ed .behind his neck between the shoulders , through
his chest was driven . Headlong he fel l , and loud hi s
armor rang.
”
Raging l ik e fire came Agamemnon and M enelaus,g reat Aj ax Telamon and Aj ax the Less ; I domeneus ,M e r ione s , Eurypylus and Teucer the archer, al l m ighty
chiefs and famed for valor in battl e. Then Teucer
wrought great deeds , shooting h is arrows from under
the sh iel d o f Aj ax , h i s brother . Many Troj ans h esl ew
,and twice he s ent a shaft at Hector : with th e
first h e s l ew Gorgyth ion , Hector’ s broth er, and with
the second Cebriones , h i s chariotee r. Then Hector ingreat anger rushed at Teucer , and Teucer fi tted an
arrow to th e string to shoot at h im ; but ere h e could
loose it , Hector smote h im with a great stone and
brake the string,and numbed the hand at the wrist .
Then he dropped the bow ,and h is comrades carried
him away groaning to th e sh ip s .
Again the wil l ofJove sent fear to quel l th e Greeks,
and sore di smayed were they when Teucer fel l. Trem
bl ing they shrank before the fierce assaults of mighty
Hector, who ever p ressed upon them ,deal ing death .
Backward to th e ditch th e shouting Troj ans drove th eterror - stricken Greeks . B eyond th e di tch and pal isadethey fled, with loss ofmany by the Troj ans slain, whi leH ector, terribl e as Mars , awful as Gorgon , coursed furious through thei r ranks . But at the sh ips thei r fl ightwas staid , until the night came on to end th e fray.
Then Hector gathered h is peopl e together on the
river bank, where there was a space c lear of
92
ILIAD .
[Hector Smites Teucer. ]—(POPE .!
Hector with grief h is charioteer beheld
Al l pal e and breathl ess onth e sanguine field ;Then bids Cebriones d irect the rein ,Quits h is bright car
,and is sues on th e p lain .
Dreadfu l h e shouts : from earth a stone h e took ,And rush ’d on Teucer with the l i fted rock .
The youth al ready s tra in’
d the forceful yew ;The shaft al ready to hi s shoulder drew ;The feather i n h is hand , j ust w ing
’
d for fl i ght,
Touch’
d where the neck and ho l l ow chest unite ;There
,where the j uncture knits the channel bone
The furious ch ief di scharged the craggy stone
The tendon burst beneath th e ponderous blow ,
And h i s num b’
d hand d ism is s’
d h is use less bow ,
He fel l ; but Aj ax hi s broad sh ie ld d isp lay’
d ,
And s creen’
d h is brother with the mighty shade .
[Hector’
s Great Prowess . ]
Then Jove again the Troj an courage fi r’
d ,
And backward to the ditch they forc ’
d th e Greeks ,Proud of h i s prowess , Hector led them on;And as a hound that , fl eet o f foot
, o’
e rtak es ,
Or boar o r l ion , obj ect ofh is chase ,Sp rings from behind , and fastens onh is flank ,Yet care ful watches , l est h e turn to bay ;So Hector p re s s
’
d upon the long - ha ir’
d Greeks ,S laying the h indmost ; th ey i n terro r fl ed .
But , pa s s’
d at l ength the ditch and pal isade,With l oss o f many by the Troj ans slain ,B efore the sh ip s th ey ral l i ed from their fl i ght ,And one to other ca ll
’
d ; and one and al l
With hands upl i fted , p ray’
d to al l th e Gods
Whil e H ector,here and there
, onev’
ry s ide
Hi s flying coursers whee l’
d , with eyes that flash’
d
Awful as Gorgon ’s , or as blood - sta in’
d Mars .
93
I LIAD .
dead bodi es,and bade them be ofgood cheer and mak e
merry,for that onth e morrow they woul d utterly de
stroy the Greeks . So al l that n ight they l ay encamped
on the p lai n , a thousand watch - fi res , and round each
watch - fi re fi fty men ; and the hors es , standing by the
chariots,and eating white barl ey and spel t, waited for
the dawn .
Great was the anger and sorrow ofJuno and Pal las ,by whom the Greeks were much beloved , at the dis
asters ofthe day . Burning with rage they longed to
join the battl e,but dared not disobey Jove ’ s stern com
mand, that al l the gods refrain .
But when they implored him for l eave to aid theGreeks with counsel
,he gave consent , but warned them
that al l vain would be thei r help . For Jove had sworn
to Theti s that the’
wrong s o f Achi l les shoul d be avenged
by the rout o f th e Greeks . Therefore on the morrow
would Juno and Pallas see sti l l greate r s laughter,
ceasing not unti l Hecto r had reached the sh ip s and
threatened them with fire .
Fill ed with gloom was every Grecian heart,and pan ic
spread th roughout the camp .
But downcast b eyond al l others was King A g am em
non. S ick at heart, despairing and broken with b ittergri ef, he cal led together the chiefs and counsel led thatthey forsake the war and fly from Troy. For a t imeal l sat in speechl ess sorrow.
Then out spake King D iom ed : B e not angry,great
king, i f I speak p lainly , as befits h im who would give
good counsel . Thou didst cal l me coward once,nor
did ever man before ; but I see that Zeus , who gav e
thee a great throne among men,did not give thee cour
age. Go , i f it be thy wish , and thy sh ip s wi th thee , butthe other men of Greece wi l l stay ; nay, though al l de
part, yet wil l I and Sthenelus ab ide t i l l the doom o f
94
I LIAD .
dead bodies,and bade them be ofgood cheer and make
merry,for that on the morrow they would utterly de
stroy the Greeks . So al l that n ight they l ay encamped
on the plai n , a thousand watch - fi re s , and round each
watch - fi re fi fty men ; and the hors es , standing by the
chariots,and eating white barley and spel t , waited for
the dawn .
Great was the anger and sorrow of Juno and Pal las ,by whom the Greeks were much beloved , at the di s
as te i s ofthe day . Burning with rage they longed to
join the battl e,but dared not di sobey Jove’ s stern com
mand that al l the gods refrain .
But when they implored him for l eave to aid th e
Greeks with counsel , he gave consent, but warned them
that al l vain would be thei r help . For Jove had sworn
to Theti s that the’
wrong s o f Achi l les should be avenged
by the rout o f th e Greeks . Therefore on the morrow
would Juno and Pal las see sti l l greater s laughter,
ceasing not unti l H ecto r had reached the sh ip s and
threatened them with fire .
Fill ed with gloom was every Grecian heart,and pan ic
spread th roughout the camp .
But downcast beyond al l others was King A g am em
non. Sick at heart,despairing and broken with b itter
grief, he cal led together the ch i efs and counsel l ed thatthey forsake the war and fly from Troy. For a t imeal l sat in speechl ess sorrow.
Then out spake King Diom ed : Be not angry,great
king, i f I speak plainly, as befits h im who would give
good counsel . Thou didst cal l me coward once,nor
did ever man before ; but'
I s ee that Zeus,who gave
thee a great throne among men,did not give thee cour
age . Go, i f i t be thy wish , and thy sh ip s with thee , but
the other men of Greece wi l l stay ; nay , though al l de
part, yet wi l l I and Sthenelus ab ide t i l l the doom of
94
ILIAD
[The Troj an Watch Fires . ]—(DERBY!
A s when in Heav’n
,around th e g l itt
’
r ing moon
The stars sh ine brigh t amid the breathless ai r ;And ev ’ry c rag, and ev
’ry j utting peak
Stands bol dly forth , and ev ’ry fo rest glade ;Ev’n to the gates o f H eav
’n i s open’
d wide
The boundl es s sky ; sh ines each parti cular star
D i stinct ; j oy fi l l s the gaz ing shepherd ’
s heart .
So bright , so th ickly scatter’
d o’ er the p lain
,
B efore the wal ls o f Troy,between the sh ips
And Xanthus’ stream , th e Troj an wa tchfi re s b la z’
d .
A thousand fires burnt brightly ; and round each
Sat fi fty warriors i n the ruddy glare ;Champing the provender before them lai d ,Barley and rye
,th e tethe r
’
d horses stood
B es ide the cars , and waited for the m om .
[The Greeks are Panic - stricken . ]
Thus kept thei r watch the Troj ans ; but the GreeksD ire Pan i c held
,companion of chi l l Fear
,
Thei r ch iefs al l p ierc’
d with g rie f unbearable .
As when two stormy winds ruffle the sea ,Boreas and Zephyr
,from th e hi l ls ofThrace
With sudden gust descending ; the dark waves
Rear h igh the ir angry crests , and toss on shoreMasse s o f tangled weed ; such stormy griefEach Grec ian breast with thoughts confl i cting rent .
[Agamemnon Proposes to Abandon the War. In
dignation of D iom ed . ]
Unhappy king, think
’
st thou the Greeks are such as i l ly sort ,
And so excess ive impotent, as thy weak words import ?
95
ILIAD .
Troy be come,for ofa surety i t was by the bidding of
the gods that we came hith er .”
And al l the ch iefs said that i t was wel l . Then,at the
bidding ofNestor, they made captains o f the watch whoshould guard the wal l . And after that King A g am em
nonmade a feast, and , th e feast ended, Nestor coun
s e lled that h e should make peace with Achi ll es , which
Agamemnon h imsel f was minded to do . So they chose
Phoenix , who had been the teacher o f Achi l l es i n th e
old days , and Aj ax th e Greater, and U lyss es ; and thes ethree went to Achi l l es and told him al l that KingAgamemnon would give i f h e would only cease from
his wrath : s even kettl es o f brass , th ree - footed,that had
never fel t the fire ; and ten tal ents ofgold, and twentycaldrons
,and twelve horses wh ich should win great
riches for the i r master by thei r runn ing ; and sevenwomen ofLesbos
,ski l l ed in al l th e works of the loom ;
and,ch i ef ofal l , Bri sei s , for whom al l th i s troubl e had
been ; and when Troy should be taken , much spoi l be
s ides , and when they shoul d have returned home , one
ofhi s daughters to wi fe,and with h er seven c it i es by
the s ea .
Of al l th e Greeks these th ree were those whom most
Ach i lles loved, but yet hi s face grew set and stern as
Ulysses del ivered th e message ofhated Agamemnon.Urgently Ulysses p l ead that h e would put away h is
wrath,and help the Greeks i n thei r di re need . He
conj ured Ach il les in the name ofhis fathe r Peleus notto remain supine wh il e furious Hector burned the
sh ips and drove the hard—pressed Greeks to death .
But sternly Achi ll es b roke in upon Ulysses ’ plea,and
bade h im ceas e . Fiercely he denounced Agamemnonfor hi s greed and cowardice
,and again h e vo=wed that
never would he give Agamemnon aid ; nay , more ,should Agamemnon come befo re hi s face h e would slayhim on the spot ! Not though Agamemnon offered all
96
I LIAD .
h is wealth j oined with al l that he had wrested from
others ; not though al l th e weal th of Thebes were p i led
up and bribes were heaped on bribes, more numerous
than the sands ofthe shore—they were the gifts o fAgamemnon and he sco rned them all !
Then the aged Phoenix with tears besought h is wel l
loved pup i l to rel ent ; but h im , too , Ach i l l es refused to
hear,and bade the suppl iants cease and talk of other
things . Then Aj ax and Ulysses sorrowful ly returned tothe camp
,l eaving old Phoenix with Ach i l l es
,who on
the morrow woul d s et sai l for home . Sorely,then
,
was Agamemnon troubled when the ch iefs del iveredto h im the stern messag e ofimp lacable Achi l les .
ILIAD .
Tel l h im , al l t erms, al l commerce I decl ine ,Nor share h i s counc i ls , nor h is battl e j o in ;Not though he p roffer
’
d al l h imsel f pos se s s’
d ,
And al l that rap ine could from others wrest ;N ot al l th e golden tides o f wealth that crown
The many - peop led O rchom eniantown ;Not al l p roud Thebes ’ unr iva ll ’d wall s contain ,The world
’
s great empress on th e Egyptian p lain
Though bribes were heap’
d on bribes , i n number moreThan dust in fields , or sands along th e shore ,Should al l these o ffers for my friendsh ip call
,
’
T i s h e that offers,and I scor n them al l .
”
CHAPTER VI I
THE NIGHT ADVENTURE OF ULYSSES ANDDIOMED
HE same night Agamemnon cal l ed together againal l the wisest ofth e ch iefs .
And Nestor ro se and said , I s there now a m an
who wil l go among the sons ofTroy and see what theyare minded to do ? Great honor wil l h e win , and gi ftswithal .”
Then Diom ed said , I am ready to g o , but I would
fain have some one with me . To have a companiongives comfort and courage , and , i ndeed , two wits arebetter than one to take counsel and to fores ee .
”
But Agamemnon said, “Choose th e best man , 0
Diom ed , and regard not th e b irth or rank of any .
”
This he said,fearing for h i s brother Mene laii s .
And Diom ed answered,Nay
,but i f I may choose
,
whom should I choo se rather than th e wise Ulysses ?
B rave is h e , and prudent , and A thené loves h im wel l .”So these two armed themselves . D iom ed took a
two - edged sword and a sh iel d,and a helmet without
a c rest , and Ulysses a bow and a quiver and a sword ,and a helmet ofh ide with th e wh ite teeth of a wi ldboar about it. Then both prayed to Athene that sh ewoul d help them
,and after that they went through the
darkness l ike to two l ions,tramping over dead bodi es
and arms and blood .
But Hector meanwhi l e was th i nking on th e sameth ings, for he cal led the ch iefs to a counc i l and sai d ,“Who now wil l g o and spy among the Greeks , and see
1 00
I LIAD .
what they purpose to do onth e morrow, and wheth er
they are keep ing watch through the night . A goodly
reward shal l h e have,even a chariot and hors es
,the
best that there are in th e camp of the Greeks .”
Then stood up a certain Dollon , th e son of the h erald
Eumedes . I l l - favoured was he , but a swi ft runner. Hesaid :
“I wi l l g o,Hector ; but come, l i ft up thy sc eptre, and
swear to me that thou wi lt give me the chariot and th ehorses ofAchi l l es .”
S o Hector sware to h im . And Dolon took h i s bow ,
and a helmet ofgris ly wol f- skin, and a sharp spear, andwent h i s way in haste . But Ulysses saw h im , and said :
“Here cometh a man,D iom ed
,but whether h e be a
spy or a spoi ler o f th e dead I know not . Let h im pass
by a spac e,that we may take him . Only l et h im not
turn back to the c ity .
”
So they lay down among the dead, a l itt l e out ofth eway
,and Dolon passed by them unknowing ; but when
he had gone a l ittl e spac e they ran upon h im . For a
whi l e he stood hearkening to thei r step s , for h e thoughtthat Hector had sent comrades to cal l h im back . But
when they were a sp ear ’ s throw from him,or l ess
,h e
knew them for foes, and fled . And j ust as two dogs
fol low a fawn o r a hare,so they two ran , pursuing
Dolon . And when he had well - nigh reached thetrench , for th ey kept h im that h e shoul d not turn backto th e c ity
,D iom ed rushed forward and cri ed :
“Stay, or I wi l l s lay thee with my spear .
”
And he threw the spear,and smote not the man in
deed , for that h e wished not , but made it pass overh is shoulder, so that i t stood i n the ground before h im .
Then Dolon stood trembl ing and pal e,and with teeth
chattering with fear. And th e two heroes,breath ing
hard, came up and laid hands on h im . And h e sa id ,weeping
1 02
ILIAD .
[They Intercept Dolon , a Troj an Spy . ](DERBY!
Ulysses fi rst
Mark’
d his approach,and to Tydides said :
“See, from th e camp where some one th i s way comes ,With what intent I know not ; i f to play
The spy about the sh ips, or rob th e dead .
Turn we aside , and l et h im pass us by
A l it tl e way ; we th en w ith sudden rush
May seize h im ; or i f h e outs trip us both
By speed offoot , may urge him tow’
rd the sh ips,
Driving h im sti l l before us with our spears,
And from the c ity cutt ing offhis fl ight . ”
Thus saying,
’mid the dead,beside
'
th e road
They crouch’
d ; he, al l unconsc ious , hasten’d by.
Sudden h e st opp’
d , with panic paraly z’
d
His teeth al l chatt ’r ing , pal e with fear he stood,With fa lt ’ring accents ; panting, they came upAnd se iz
’
d h im in thei r grasp ; he thus , i n t ears“Spare but my l i fe ; my l i fe I canredeem ;For ample sto res I have ofgold , and brass ,And wel l - wrought i ron ; and ofth ese my si reWould pay a g en
’
rous ransom ,could he l earn
That in th e Grecian sh ips I yet surv iv’
d .
”
[D iom ed Slays Dolon . ]
To th is Tydides with a gloomy frown
Think not to l ive,though al l th e t ruth be shown ;
Shal l we di smis s th ee,i n some future stri fe
To ri sk more bravely thy now forfei t l i fe ?
Or that agai n our camps thou may’ st explore ?
No ! once a traitor thou betray ’
st no more .”
Sternly h e spoke,and as the wretch prepared
With humble blandi shment to stroke h is beard,
1 03
ILIAD .
Hold me to ransom ; much gold and bron z e andi ron wi l l my father give , i f h e hear that I am a pri sonerat the sh ip s .Then said the wise Ulysses , B e ofgood cheer, andthink not o f death . But t el l us truly, why wast thoucoming hither through th e darkness ? To spo i l th e
dead,or, at Hector’ s bidding, to spy out our affai rs at
the sh ips, or on some errand ofth ine own? ”
And Dolon answered ,“Hector p ersuaded me, prom
is ing to give me the horses and chariot ofAchil l es,and he bade me go and sp y out what ye purposed to
do on the morrow, and whether ye were keep ing watchi n the night .”
And Ulysses sm i l ed and said , Surely i t was a greatreward that thy soul des ired . The horses o f Achi l l esare grievous for any man to drive , save fo r h im that i s
born of a goddess . But tel l me , where i s H ector, andwhere are the watches o f th e sons of Troy ? ”
Then Dolon answered , Hector holds counc i l withthe ch iefs by the tomb ofIlus . But as for th e army ,there are no watches set
,save only where be th e Tro
j ans themselves . But as for the al l i e s , they sl eep secure, and trust to th e Troj ans to watch fo r them , see
ing that they have not wive s or ch i ldren near.”Then Ulysses asked,
“Do they sleep , th en , among theTrojans , or apart ? ”
“Next to the sea , said Do lon , are the men o f Cari aand P aaonia , and clos e to these the men of Lyc ia andMysia and Phrygia . But i f ye wi sh to enter the camp
,
lo ! apart from al l are some new - comers,Thrac ians ,
with Rhesus , thei r k ing. Never have I seenhorses sofai r and tal l as h is . Whiter are they than snow,
and
swi fter than the winds . But do ye now send me tothe sh ips , or , i f ye wil l , b ind me and l eave me here .”But Diom ed sa id,
“Think not to escape,Dolon,
though thy news i s good ; for then wouldst thou come
1 04
I LIAD .
again to spy out our camp or to fight . But i f I slaythee
,thou wilt trouble th e Greeks no more .
”
S o he sl ew h im ,and took from him hi s arms , hang
ing them on a tamari sk tree , and make a mark with
reeds and tamarisk boughs , that th ey might know the
place as they came back . So they went on acros s the
p lain and came to where th e men ofThrace l ay sl eeping
,and by each man were h i s arms in fai r array
,and
h is horses ; but in the m idst lay King Rhesus , with hi s
horses tethered to th e chariot - rai l . Then D iom ed
began to slay . As a l ion rushes on a flock,so rushed
he onth e men ofThrace . Twelve he s l ew , and as h e
slew them Ulysses dragged them out ofth e way, thatthere might be a c l ear road for th e horses , l est th eyshould start back
,fearing the dead bodi es
,for th ey
were not used to war. And the th i rt eenth was King
Rhesus h imsel f,who panted i n h i s s l eep , for an ev i l
dream was onh im . And meanwhi l e Ulyss es drove the
horses out ofth e encampment, smiting them with h isbow ,
for he had no t thought to take th e wh ip out of
the chariot . Then he whistl ed,making a s ign to Dio
med that he shoul d come , for D iom ed l i ngered,doubt
ing whether he might not s lay yet more . But Athene
whisp ered in h i s ear :“Think ofthy return , l est haply some g od rouse the
Troj ans against th ee .
”
And , i ndeed , Apol lo was even then rous ing them .
For H ippocoon, cous in to King Rhesus,awoke
,and
see ing the place ofth e horses empty and h is comradesslain
,groaned aloud
,and cal l ed to th e king, and th e
Troj ans were roused,and flocked together with tumult
and shouting. But D iom ed and Ulysses meanwhi l e
had mounted the horses,and were rid ing to the sh ip s .
Glad were thei r comrades to see them safe r eturned ,and praised them much for al l that they had done .
1 06
ILIAD .
[D iom ed Slaughters the S l eep ing Thrac ians ]
(DERBY .!
Pal las v igor new insp ir’
d ,
That ri ght and l e ft h e smote ; dire were the groansO f s laughter
’
d men : th e earth was red w i th blood ;And as a l ion onth untended flock
Of sheep or goats with savage onslaught springs ,Ev
’
n so Tydides onth e Thrac ians sprang,
Ti l l twelve were slain ; and as Tydides’ sword
Gave each to death , Ulysses by the feetDrew each as ide ; that so the steeds might find
A ready passage , nor with terror start ,Unus
’
d as yet to trampl e on the slain .
But when Tydides saw th e sl eep ing King,
A thirteenth victim to h is sword was g iv’n
,
Meanwhi le Ulysses sage the ho rses loos’
d ;
And coupl ed by the reins,and with h i s bow
(For from th e car h e had not borne away
The g l it t’
ring whip!he drove them from th e crowd ;Then softly wh istl ing to Tydides gave
A signal ; Ulysses with h i s bow
The flying horses touch’
d ,and
,ur g
’
d to speed ,They tow
’
rd the sh ip s thei r rap id course pursued .
“
1 07
CHAPTER VI I I
THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS
HE next day the battl e was set i n array as b efore .But Jove had condemned them to sti l l greater dis
asters an-d humil iat ions to atone for th e w rong doneAchi ll es . Down to th e Greek sh ips came the goddessofDiscord , sent by the Al l - Father, to inflame the ch iefswith the lust o f battl e and lure them to defeat at Hec
tor ’s hands .Upon U lysses’ sh ip sh e stood , drawn upon th e beachmidmost of the fleet . Thence she cri ed aloud i n terribl e voice
,whose dread tones shook al l th e camp
,even
from th e sh ip s o f Aj ax Telamon to the gal leys ofAch il les, on either hand. And w hen they heard the horrid
shriek,th e Greeks were fi ll ed with fury ; straightway
they forgot thei r homes,and longed no more to return ,
but longed only for revenge and battl e.And all th e morning the armi es fough t without
advantage to the one or the other ; but at noon , at t hehour when one who cuts wood upon the h i l l s s i ts downto h is meal
,the Greeks prevai l ed and drove back the
sons o f Troy . N or was there one o f al l the chie fs whofought so bravely as King Agamemnon . Many val iantmen he sl ew, and among them the two sons ofAntim achus . These, indeed , h e took al ive in thei r char iot ,for they had dropped th e re ins and stood help l ess before him , crying out that he should spare them and takeransom ,
for that Antimachus their father had muchgol d and bronze and i ron i n h i s house . and would
1 08
I LIAD .
g ladlly buy them back al ive . N ow Ant imachus hadtaken a bribe from Prince Pari s , and had g i ven counsel
to th e Troj an s that they should not give back the fai r
Helen . S o when King Agamemnon heard them ,h e
said,
“Nay,but i f ye b e sons ofAntimachus, who coun
s e lled the men ofTroy that th ey should s lay Menel auswhen he came an ambassador to thei r c ity , ye shal l d i efor your father ’ s s in .
” So h e s l ew them both , and
leaving them,he st i l l rushed on , driv ing back th e Tro
j ans even to th e wal l s ofth ei r c ity. Nor did Hectorh imsel f dare to meet h im ,
for Z eus had sent h im a message
,saying that he showld ho ld h ims el f back t i l l King
Agamemnon should chance to b e wounded . And,in
deed,th is chance happened presently
,fo r the king had
slain Iphidamas , son t o Antenor, and Coon , h i sbrother
,th e eldest born, was very wroth to s ee i t. So
standing s ideways h e aimed with hi s sp ear. A g am em
nonnot knowing, and smote the k ing in the hand nearthe wri st. Then he s eized th e body o f h is brother , andshouted to hi s comrades that th ey should h elp h im ;but Agamemnon dealt h im a deadly b low underneath
h i s sh ield . So h e fel l ; and for a wh il e , whi l e th e wound
was warm,th e king fought a s
’
befor e ; but when it grewcold and stiff
,great pai n came upon h im
,and he l eap t
into hi s chari ot and bade th e charioteer drive h im to
the sh ip s , for that he coul d fight no more .
S o Agamemnon was driven wounded from the field,
and Hector thus freed from Jove’
s mandate to refrain
while Agamemnon fought. Then th e i l lustrious Troj an
fel l onth e masses o f th e Greeks as a wh irlwind lashes
the deep blu e s ea with furious sweep . Many bravech i efs died by h i s hand
,and th e “namel ess crowd” of
warriors he scattered as the west wind scatters theclouds .
But el s ewhere in the field,Ulysses and Tydeus , com
rades in arms , and mighty in valor, fought l ike fierce
I IO
I LIAD .
Sever ing h i s hands and neck , amid th e throngSent wh i rl i ng l ike a bowl the gory head .
Thes e l eft h e there ; and where the th ickest throngMa inta in’
d the tug o f war,th ither he fl ew ,
And with h im eager hosts o f wel l - g reav’
d Greeks .
Soon on the Troj ans’ fl i ght enforc’
d th ey hung,Destroying ; foot on foot, and hors e onhors e ;Whi l e from the p lain thi ck cl ouds ofdust aroseB eneath th e armed hoofs o f clatt
’
r ing st eeds ;And onthe monarch Agamemnon p re s s
’
d ,
Sti l l s laying,urg ing
'
s t ill th e Greeks to arms .
As when amid a. densely t im ber’
d wood
Light the d evouri ng flames , by eddy ing winds
H ither and thither borne,fast fal l s th e copse
Prost rate b eneath th e fire ’ s impetuous course ;So th i ckly fel l the flying Troj ans’ heads
B eneath the migh t o f Agamemnon ’ s armStrai n ing to gain th e town
,the Troj ans fl ed ;
While loudly shouting,h i s unconque r
’
d hands
W ith carnage dyed,A tr ide s urg
’
d their fl i ght .As hei fers , by a l ion s catter
’
d wide ,At dead ofn ight ; al l fly ; on one desc endsThe doom ofdeath ; her with h i s pow
’
rful teethHe seizes , and , h er neck fi rst broken
,rends
,
And on her entra i l s gorging,l aps h er blood .
So thes e the monarch Agamemnon cha s’
d ,
S layi ng the h indmost . (DERBY .!
[Coon Wounds Agamemnon .!
Unp erce iv’
d by Atreus’ godl ike son,
Standing aside,he struck h im with hi s sp ear
,
Through the mid arm , beneath th e elbow’ s b end ;
And drove right through the weapon’ s g l itt’
r ing po int .W r ith
’
d with the pain th e mighty King o f men
Yet from the combat fl inch’
d he not, nor qua i l’
d
I I I
ILIAD .
l ions and sp read havoc among the Troj an ranks . D readful in warl ike fury they dealt death to al l who ventured
to oppose. Like l i ghtning thei r mighty spears flashed
and none might stand thei r stroke. Hurled withmatchless strength
,res istl es s they c l eft their way
through shield ofbras s and tough bull - hide , throughhelmet and cuirass
,and many were the Troj ans whose
sp irits were driven to th e black shades of death by the
terribl e Greek champions .
Fired by thei r great deeds , again the Greeks madehead a gainst th e men of Troy .
But from afar th e glorious Hector saw the Troj ancolumns waver beneath the fierc e assaults ofU lyssesand B iomed, and swi ft as a beam ofl i ght he fl ew uponthe Greek chiefs. As onhe came the val iant B iomedpoised and hurl ed h i s ponderous sp ear. Ful l onH ec
tor’ s helmet i t struck , but though terribl e wa s the blow ,
th e point went no t through , for the h elmet was Apol lo ’sgift and of three - fold brass .
But though D iom ed’
s mighty stroke p i erced not ,
y et could not Hecto r stand before i t. Stunned by th eshock , h e staggered, swayed, and s idelong fel l , whi l e
darkness vei l ed h i s eyes . But ere D iom ed’
s fatal spearcould repeat the blow , H ector revived
,and l eap ing into
h is car, escaped i nto the Troj an ranks.Then again the batt l e went for th e Troj ans
,though
D iom ed and Ulysses , who fought very val iantly, stayedi t awhi l e, D iom ed coming very near to slay Hector .But Pari s , who was in h iding beh ind the p i l lar onthetomb ofIlus , drew his bow ,
and smote h im with an
arrow through th e ankl e ofh i s ri ght foot . Loud heboasted ofh is aim .
“Only,h e said
,
“ I would that I
had pierced thee i n the l o i n ; th en hadst thou troubl edthe sons ofTroy no more .”
But D iom ed answered ,“Smal l good were thy bow
to thee , cowardly archer, i f thou shouldst dare to m eet
1 1 2
I LIAD .
me face to face . And as for th i s graze on m y foot, I
care no more than i f a woman or ch i l d had smittenme
. N ot such the wounds I deal ; as for those thatmeet my spear in th e battl e , I t row that they are dearer
to th e fowl s ofth e ai r than to women in th e chamber.”Then Ulysses stood before h im whi le h e drew thearrow out ofh is foot. Grievous was the smart ofthewound
,for al l h i s b rave words . Wherefore he l eapt
into h is chariot,and bade drive i n haste to th e sh ip s .
Sore dismayed were the Greeks to s ee mighty Aga
memnon and val iant D iom ed driven wounded from
the field . Panic fl ew along the ranks,and they drew
back be fore the Troj an ’ s fierc e onslaughts , unti l Uly s
ses stood alone,fight ing furiously against a swarm of
foes .
Even that b rave and hardy man felt h i s great soul
s ink with in h im a t sight ofth e hosti l e numbers pressing upon him
,but sti l l h e stood firm and steadfast . Ou
ward l ike a rush ing tide came the Troj an warriors , and
c ircl ed about th e valorous ch ief,who wai ted grim
and terribl e beh ind hi s ponderous sh i eld,his lance
poi sed for deadly fl ight . As dogs and hunters c ircl e
fearsomely about a savage boar, who,
roused from his
covert, bristle s with fury ; h is eyes flash fire ; with rage
he churns the white foam from h i s clash ing j aws ; h i s
deadly curved tusks gl eam fearful ly ; st i l l , though full
ofth e dread,th e hunters wai t h i s rush : so the Troj ans
crowded about Ulysses and so h e rushed upon them .
I l l fared it then with those who sought to withstandhi s onset . Four Troj an ch i efs fel l b efore h i s spear
,
whi le the stroke ofweapons rattled l ike ha i l upon h isstrong buckl er. As h e smote down Charop is , h is
brother S ocus hurled h is l ance at Ulysses. Full and
fai r i t struck the center of h is sh i eld,and right through
the sturdy weapon drove . Through belt and garment
i t passed and tore the fl esh along the Greek ch ief ’s r ib s.
1 1 4
I LIAD .
So thi ck and furious fel l on host i l e headsThe might ofHector . (DERBY .!
[Ulysses and D iom ed Drive Hecto r Back .]
(DERBY!
A s turn two boars upon the hunter ’ s packThos e two
,the Troj ans s catt
’
r ing ,gave th e Greeks ,
From Hector flying, t ime again to breathe .
Hector’ s quick glance athwart th e fi l e s beh eld,And to the rescue
,with a shout , he sprang,
The Troj an columns fol lowing ; not unm ov’
d
The vali ant D iom ed h is coming saw ,
And thus bespoke Ulysses at h i s s ide“On us th i s plague
,thi s mighty H ecto r, fall s
Yet stand we firm , and boldly meet the shock .
He said,and
,pois ing
,hurl
’
d h is pond’
rous spear,And not i n vain ; onHecto r
’
s head i t struck
H is helmet’ s c rest,but
,brass encount
’
r ing brass,Himsel f i t reach
’
d not ; fo r th e v isor’
d helm ,
Apoll o ’s gi ft,th ree - plated
,s tay
’
d i t s force .
Yet backward Hector sprang amid the c rowd ,And on his kne es h e d ropp
’
d, h is stalwart handP ropp
’
d onth e ground ; whil e darkness v e il’
d h is eyes .
But ere Tydides , fo l lowing up hi s spear,A tta in’
d from far the spot whereon h e fel l ,Hector rev iv
’
d, and mounti ng quick h i s car,
Drov e ’mid th e crowd,and ’
scap’
d the doom of death .
[Pari s Wounds D iom ed ]
He bent h i s bow,
And w ing ’
d an arrow at the unwary foe .
The bowstr ing twang ’
d ,—nor fl ew th e shaft i n vai n,
But p i erced h i s foot,and na il ’d i t to the p lain.
1 1 5
ILIAD .
Out gushed th e blood and the Troj ans raised a greatcry at the sight.But th e steadfast Ulysses , though sore in pai n , wasno t y et disabled. Again he po i sed h i s t err ibl e spear,and Soens turned to fly. The weapon hurtl ed in pur
suit ; between the shoulders it struck and passed throughhis chest.Dire now was U lysses’ strai t . Wounded , a lone ,
hemmed in by a swarm offoes , death seemed verynear .
Then,loud as mortal voic e could compass , he
shouted to h is distant comrades fo r a id. Thrice he
cried in t rumpet tones . M ene la ii s heard , and summon
ing Ajax Telamon , rushed l ike fire to. save Ulysses’l i fe.Him they found l ike a wounded stag s urrounded byj ackal s
,close pressed by Troj ans many and brave
,yet
nobly,with h is terribl e sp ear
,hold ing them at bay.
Then great Aj ax sprang to th e s ide o f the wounded
chief and raised between him and the Troj an spearshi s tower - l ike sh i eld. Whil e Aj ax bore th e Troj ans
back,Menelaus supported Ulyss es fo rth from the tu
mult. Sore i n pain he mounted hi s car , and backward
was driven to the ships , where al so Diom ed and Aga
memnon wounded lay .
N ow was Aj ax l eft to bear the brunt o f th e battl e,and
right nobly he sustained i t . Many Troj ans h e slew ,
as he swept across the plain l ik e a torrent swollen bywintry rains , o
’
erthrowing men and horses . Far to the
l eft the Troj an ranks , l ed by Hector and Pari s, werebearing back the aged Nestor
,with whom fought Ido
meneus ofCret e , and Machaon , th e warrior physi c ian .
Pari s , the archer chi ef, who already had smitten down
I domeneus , against Machaonbent h i s bow. Out fl ew
the three - barbed shaft,and through Machaon
’ s shoulder
c left its way . B i tter was th e anguish of the wound,and
l est thefal l en ch ief should suffer death,th e aged Nestor
1 16
ILIAD .
took Machaon in hi s car, and shunning the battl e,sought s afety at th e fl eet .
Meanwhi l e,great H ector
,warned by Cebriones
,that
Aj ax dealt death among th e di s tant Troj an ranks ,rushed l ike a whirlwind through the fray, to face and
check the champion ofth e Greeks . His fiery cours ers
felt the b iting l ash , and fl ew athwart the surging battl e
l i nes,beati ng the wounded down with b loody hoo-i s ,
trampl i ng al ike th e dying and the dead , t i l l steeds and
car and arms and warrio rs fierce,with spattered gouts
ofblood were al l b esmea red . Then Aj ax himsel f was a i
fri ghted and gave way, but slowly, and sore against h i s
wil l . Just so a l ion i s driven offfrom a herd o f oxenby dogs and men . Loth he i s to go , so hungry i s h e,but th e sp ears and the burning torch es affr ight h im .
S o Aj ax gave way . N ow he woul d turn and fac e th e
sons ofTroy, and now he would fl ee,and they sought
how to s lay h im ,but harmed h im not .
Midway between the Troj ans and the Greeks h estood defiant . The j avel i ns fl ew l ike hai l ; hurl ed byv igorous arms
,many rebounded fr om hi s mighty
sh ield , while others , missi ng their mark , stood quiveri ng i n the ground . Hard pressed by th ick - thrownspears was Aj ax
, w hen Eurypy lus saw,and sped to his
a id . The Troj an A p isaon fel l b eneath th e gl itter i ngspear ofEurypylus
,and the Greek chi ef sprang forth
to strip h i s armor . But as he stooped , Pari s let fly an
arrow wh ich transfixed h is th igh and broke in the
wound .
Staggering back,he fel l amid h is fri ends
,who
guarded him with slop ing sh ields and threatening
spears,and as they stood
,Aj ax
,retreati ng
,gained their
fri endly ranks,and fiercely turned again to face th e
foe .N ow Ach il l e s was stand ing on the stern of h i s sh ip ,looking at the war, and he saw N estor carrying Ma
1 1 8
I LIAD .
[Ulysses Rescued by Aj ax and Menelaus ](DERBY .!
From out his fl esh , and from h is bossy sh ie ld ,The spear o f S ocus , as he spoke , he drew ;
And as he drew i t fo rth , out g ush’
d h is bl ood ,With anguish keen . The Troj ans , when they saw
Ulysses’
blood, with clam’
rous shouts adv anc’
d
Promiscuous ; he , ret iring, shouted loud
To cal l h i s comrades
Ulysses , dear to Jove,Surrounded by th e Troj an host th ey found
,
As hungry j ackals on the mountain s ideAround a stag, that from an archer ’ s handHath taken hurt, yet whi l e h i s b lood was warmAnd l imbs yet s erv ’
d , has baffled h i s pursui t ;But when the fatal shaft has d ra in
’
d h is strength ,Thirsti ng for b lood , beneath the forest shade ,The j ackal s sei ze thei r v ictim ; th en i f chance
A hungry l ion pass,the j ackal s sh rink
In terro r back , wh il e h e devours the prey ;So round Ulysses , sage i n counc i l , p re s s
’
d
The Troj ans,many and brave , yet nobly he
Averted , sp ear i n hand , th e fatal hour ;Ti ll , with h i s tow’
r - l ike sh ield before him borne,
A ppear’
d great Aj ax,and bes ide h im stood .
Hith er and th ith er then the Troj ans fl ed ;Whi le with supporting arm from out th e crowd
Th e warl ike Menelaus led h im forth .
[Valor o f Aj ax . ]—(POPE !
As when a torrent , swe ll ’d with wintry rains ,Pours from the mountains o ’ er the deluged plains
,
And pines and oaks , from thei r foundat ions torn
FIQ
I LIAD .
chaon in hi s chariot to the ship s . Then he cal led to
Patroclus,and Patroclus
,who was in the tent , came
forth ; but it was an evi l hour for him . Then said
Achi l les“Now wi l l the Greeks soon come , meth inks , prayingfor help , for thei r need i s sore . But go and see whoi s thi s Nestor i s taking to th e ship s . His shoulders
are the shoulders o f Machaon , but I saw not h i s face,so swi ft the horses passed me by.
”
Then Patroclus ran . And as he stood in the tent
door old Nestor saw h im , and went and took him by
the hand,and would have had him sit down . But P a
troclus would not , saying :“Stay me not. I came but to see who i s th is thatthou hast brought wounded from th e battl e . And nowI see that it i s Machaon . Therefo re I wi l l return , forthou knowest what manner of man i s Ach i l l es, that h e
i s hasty and swi ft to blame .”
Then said Nestor,
“But what cares Ach il l es for th e
Greeks ? or why does h e ask who are wounded ? But,O Patroc lus
,dost thou mind th e day when I and
Ulysses came to the house ofPel eus , and how that thyfather Menoetius was there , and how we feasted in th e
hal l ; and when th e feast was finished tol d our errand ,for we were gathering the h eroes fo r the war againstthe sons ofTroy ? Right wi l l ing were ye two to come ,and many counsels did the o ld men give you . Thento Achi l l es Pel eus said that he should always be fore
most in the host, but to thee thy father Menoet iusspake,
‘Achi l les i s noble r born than thou
,and stronger
far ; but thou art older . Do thou therefore counsel h imwell , when there i s need . But thi s thou forgettest, Pat~
roclus . Yet even now thou mayst st i r the soul o f Ach il l esto l i st to thee and heed thy words when h e wil l l i stennot to others. Haply he wi l l hear thee
,and who knows
but that byH eaven ’s grace thou mayst prevai l ? for great
1 20
ILIAD .
i s oft a friend’ s persuas ive power. Go thou and urgehim to take up the fight ; but i f dread ofth e evi l foret old against h im ,
or the command ofJove restrain h im ,
then let him send thee forth in h is stead with al l h is
force ofwarl ike Myrmidons , that thou mayst be thesav ing l ight ofGreece . Let h im clothe thee in h i s
armor,and so sha l l the afl r ig ht ed Troj ans , scared by
his l ikeness,fly pani c - stri cken from the field . Thus
shal l the toi l - worn sons ofGreece gain breath ing- space ,whi lst thou
,fresh and unweari ed, may drive the worn
and battl e—tired Troj ans back to thei r c ity .
”
Exhorted thus by Nestor, the sp i ri t of Patroclusburned withi n h im
,and he yearned to succor h is
fri ends . Hasti ly h e sped onwards toward Ach i l les’
tent,bent upon fulfi l l ing Nestor
’
s behest . But running,as he passed Ulysses’ sh ip where were built the altars
ofthe Gods,there came halting from the battl e - fi e ld ,
the chief Eurypylus, shot through the th igh by the ar
row ofPari s . Sore was h is pain ; h is head and shoulders were dank with clammy sweat , and from his g r iev
ous wound streamed the da rk b lood ; yet firm was sti l l
h is soul .
With pity Patroclus saw the suffering ch ief,and sor
rowing deeply asked for news ofth e battle : Woefor the chiefs and counc i l l ors ofth e Greeks !And mustthey
,far from home and fri ends
,glut with thei r fl esh
the dogs ofTroy ? Sti l l do the Greeks make head’
gainst great Hector ? or fal l they,vanqu ished
,by h is
spear ? ”
Then thus repl ied Eurypylus : Smal l hope i s therenow for the Greeks
,Heaven - born Patroclus
,but al l
must perish by thei r ships ; for i n the sh ips l i e al l ourbravest ch iefs , by spear or arrow struck , i n Troj anhands , and fi ercer
,hour by hour
,thei r onset grows .
But save me now,and lead me to the ships ; th ere cut
the arrow out, and from the wound with tep id water
1 22
ILIAD .
So turn’
d stern Aj ax,by whol e hosts repell ’d,
While h i s swol n heart at every step rebe ll’
d .
—(POPE.!
Ev’n so great Aj ax, son o f Telamon ,The vali ant Troj ans and thei r fam ’
d Al l ies ,Sti l l thrust ing at h i s sh iel d
,before them drove
Yet would he sometimes,ral lying
,ho ld in check
The Troj an host ; then turn again to fl ight,
Yet barring sti l l the passage to the ship s .
Midway between the Troj ans and the Greeks
He stood defiant ; many j av ’
lins,hurl
’
d
By v ig ’
rous arms,were i n thei r fl ight rece iv ’
d
On hi s broad sh i eld ; and many, ere th ey reach’
d
Thei r l iv ing mark , fel l m idway on th e p lain ,Fi x
’
d i n the g round, i n vain ath irst for blood .
[Eurypylus Wounded Implores the Greeks to Rescue Aj ax . ]
—To the Greeks with p i erc ing shout he call ’d“0 fri ends, th e ch iefs and counc il lors of Greece,
Turn yet again, and from the doom of death
Great Ajax save, hard p re ss ’d by host i l e spearsScarce can I hope h e may escap e with l i feThe desp ’
rate fight ; yet b ravely stand and aid
The mighty Aj ax, sono f Telamon .
Thus spoke the wo unded hero : round h im they
W ith s lop ing sh i elds and spears upl i fted stood :Aj ax to meet th em came ; and when he reach’
d
The fri endly ranks,again h e turn
’
d to bay .
So rag’
d , l ike b laz ing fire. the fur ious fight.
1 23 .
ILIAD .
cl eanse the clotted blood. Then apply sooth ing herbs ;for Machaon, the warrior - physic ian , l i es wounded in h istent .”
Then Patroclus answered , I am even now onmy
way to tel l these th ings to Achi ll es , but thee I may notl eave in thy troubl e .”So he took him to h i s tent, and cut out the arr owfrom his th igh , washing th e wound with water, and put
t ing on i t a b itter heal ing root, so that the pain wasstayed and the blood s tanched.
CHAPTER IX
THE BATTLE AT THE WALL
OW by this t ime th e Troj ans were close upon thetrench . But the horses stood on the brink, fear ing
to l eap i t, for i t was broad and deep and the Greeks hadput great stakes therei n . Thus said P olydam as :
Surely, Hector, thi s i s madness that we striv e tocross the trench in our chariots , for i t i s broad anddeep
,and there are great stakes therei n . Look , too ,
at this : even i f we should be abl e to cross i t, how wi l l
the matter stand ? I f indeed i t b e the p l easure o f Z eusthat the Greeks should perish utterly—it wil l b e wel l .But i f th ey turn upon us and pursue us
,driv ing us
back from th e sh ip s,then shal l we not be abl e to re
turn. Wherefore l et us l eave our chariots here upon
the brink,and go on foot against th e wal l .
So they went i n five compani es , of whom Hectorl ed that which was bravest and largest
,and with him
were P oly dam as and Cebriones . And th e next Pari scommanded . And ofth e th i rd Hel enus and D eiphobuswere l eaders , and with them was Asius , th e son of Hy rtacus , from Ari sbe. And the fourth fol lowed E neas ,the val iant sonofAnch ises . But of th e all i es Sarpedonwas the l eader, and with him were Glaucus and Asteropaeus . And in each company they j o i ned sh iel d toshield, and so went against th e Greeks . Nor was thereone ofthem but hearkened to the counsel o f Polydamas when he bade them leave th ei r chariots by thetrench , save Asius only . But Asius drove hi s char iotr ight up to that gate which was on the l eft hand in
ILIAD .
[Hector Drives the Greeks ]Fierce rag
’
d the battl e round the fi rm - bui l t wal l ,And frequent clatter ’
d on the turrets’ beams
The hosti l e mi ss i les : by the scourge ofJoveSubdued
,the Greeks beside thei r sh ip s were hemm ’
d ,
By Hector s car’d ,fel l m in i ster ofDread ,
Who with the whi rlwind’s force , as ever , fought .
S o’midst the dogs and hunters ’ daring bands,
Fierce ofh is might, a boar or l i on stands ;Arm ’d foes around a dreadful c i rc l e form ,
And h iss ing j avel ins rai n an i ron storm ;His powers untamed
,the i r bol d assault defy
,
And where h e turns the rout di sperse o r d ie ;He foams
,he glares
,he bounds against them al l ,
And i f h e fal l s,h is courage makes h im fal l .
W ith equal rage encom pass ’d Hector glows—(POPE !So Hector
,here and there , amid th e c rowd ,
Urg’
d hi s companions on to cross the ditchThe fiery steeds shrank back , and , snorting, stood
Upon the topmost brink ; for th e wide ditch
W ithheld them , easy no r to l eap nor cross :
For steep arose on either s ide th e banks,
And at the top with sha rpen’
d stakes were crown’
d,
Thick - set and strong, which there the sons ofGreeceHad planted
,to repel th
’ i nvad ing foes .
Scarce m igh t a horse,with well - whe e l ’d car attach
’
d ,
E s say . the passage ; but onfoot they burn’
d
To make th’ attempt
[P olypoet e s and Leonteus Check As ius , ]
To guard the gates,two mighty chiefs attend
,
Who from the Lapiths’ warl ik e race descend ;Thi s P olypoetes , great P er ithous
’ heir,
And that Leonteus,l ike the g od ofwar .
As two tal l oaks,befo re the wal l they rise ;
1 27
ILIAD .
th e wall . N ow th e gates chanced to be open , for thewarders had opened them , i f so any o f the Greeks thatfl ed might save themselves with in them . Now the
warders were two mighty heroes o f th e race ofth eLap ithx ,
P olypoetes and Leonteus ; and thes e whenthey saw Asius and h i s company coming, went without and stood in front o f th e gates , j ust as two wild
boars stand at bay against a crowd of men and dogs .
And all th e wh il e they that stood on th e wal l threw
heavy stones wh ich fel l , th ick as the snow - flak es fal l i n
th e winter, on th e men of Troy , and l oud rang th e
helmet s and the sh ields . And many fel l wounded to
the death,nor could As ius , fo r al l h i s fury, win h i s way
into the wal l s . But where , at another ofthe gates ,Hector l ed th e way, there app eared a strange marv el i nthe skies, for an eagl e was bearing i n h i s c laws a great
snake,which it had taken as a prey . But the snake
fought fiercely for i ts l i fe, and wri th ed itse l f about ,even ti l l i t hit th e eagl e on the breast . Whereupon th eeagle dropped it in the m idst o f th e host , and fled with
a l oud cry . Then P o ly dam as th e wise counsel lor .came near to Hector and said
“N ow i t wi ll b e wel l that we should not fol l ow these
Greeks to thei r sh ip s . For I take that th i s marve l thatwe have seen i s a s i gn to us . For as th i s eagl e had
caught in h i s c laws a snake,but held i t not, dropp ing
it before i t could bear i t to her young, so shal l it fare
with us. For we shal l dr ive th e Greeks to thei r sh ip s,
but shal l not subdue them but shal l return i n di sorderby the way that we came, l eaving ful l many o f ourcomrades beh ind us . ”
But Hector frowned and answered,Nay
,but th i s i s
i l l counsel , P oly dam as . For i f thou sayest th is fromthy heart , surely the gods have changed thy wisdom
into fool ishness . Dost thou b id me forget th e com
mand of Zeus th e Thunderer,and take heed to birds ,
1 28
I LIAD .
how they fly ? Littl e care I whether th ey go to theeast or to the west, to the right or to the left . Surelythere i s but one s ign for a brave man , that h e be fi ghti ngfor h is fatherland . Wherefore take thou heed ; for i f
thou holdest back from the war , or holdest back any
other,10!I wi l l smite thee with my spear .
”
Then he sprang forward,and the men of Troy fol
l owed h im with a shout . And Zeus sent down from
Ida a great blast o f wind which bore th e dust o f the
plain straight to the sh ips , troub l ing th e heart s o f theGreeks . Then the Troj ans sought to drag down th e
battl ements from th e wal l , and to wrench up the posts
which had been set t o strengthen i t . Nor did the
Greeks give way,but they j o ined sh ield to sh i eld and
fought for th e wall . And foremost among them wereAj ax the Greater and Aj ax th e Less . Just as th e snowfal l s i n mid - winter
,when th e winds are hushed , and
the mountain - tops are covered,and the p la ins and the
dwel l ings ofmen and the very shores ofthe s ea , upto the waves
’ edge,s o th ickly fel l th e stones which th e
Greeks showered from the wal l agai nst th e men o fTroy
,and which these again threw upon the Greeks .
But sti l l H ector and hi s men avai l ed not to breakthrough the gate . But at the l ast Z eus st irred up the
heart ofhi s own son, Sarpedon . Holding h is sh i eld
before h im he went,and he shook in e i ther hand a
spear. As goes a l ion,when hunger pres ses h im sore
,
against a stal l ofoxen or a sheep fold , and cares not
though he find men and dogs keep ing watch against
h im ,s o Sarpedon went against th e wal l . And fi rst h e
spake to stout Glaucus,h is comrade :
“Tel l me , Glaucus, why i s i t that men honor us at
home with th e ch ief rooms at feasts,and with fat por
tions offlesh and with sweet wine,and that we have a
great domain oforchard and plough land by the banksofXanthus ? Surely i t i s that we may fight i n the
1 30
I LIAD .
Yet on the margin of the ditch th ey paus ’d ;For
,as they sought to cross
,a sign from H eav
’n
A ppear’
d , to l eftward of th’
a s tonish’
d c rowd ;A soaring eagle i n h i s talons bore
A dragon,huge ofs ize
,ofblood - red hue ,
Alive,and breath ing sti l l
,nor yet subdued ;
For twisting backward thr ough the breast h e p ierc’
d
His bearer,near the neck ; he , stung with pain ,
Let fal l h i s p rey,which d ropp
’
d amid th e crowd ;Then screaming
,onthe b last was borne away .
The Troj ans, shudd
’
ring , i n the i r m idst behel d
The spotted serpent,d ire port ent ofJove
Then to bold Hector thus P o ly dam as
“Let us not fight the Greeks beside thei r sh ips ;For thus I read the future
,
E ’en though our mighty strength should break
The gates and wal l,and put the Greeks to rout ,
By the same road not scatheless should return ,But many a Troj an on the fi el d should leave
,
Slain by the Greeks , whil e th ey thei r sh ips defend .
To whom thus Hector o f th e glanc ing helm
Repl i ed,with stern regard : “
P oly dam as,
Thee of thy senses have the Gods bereft,
Who fai n w ouldst have us disregard the word
And promis e by the .nod ofJove confi rm ’
d
Unwarl ike i s thy soul,nor firm ofmood
But i f thou shrink, or by thy c raven words
Turn back anoth er Troj an from the fight,
My spear shal l take the forfeit of thy l i fe .”
[The Attack Renewed ]Furious he spoke , and, rush ing to th e wall ,Cal ls on his host : hi s host obey th e call ;With ardor fol low where thei r l eader fl ies ,Redoubl ing clamo-rs thunder in th e sk ies .
Jove breathes a wh irlwind from the h i ll s of I de,
1 31
ILIAD .
front rank.Then shal l some one who may behold us
say,
‘Of a truth these are honorabl e m en, th ese p ri ncesofLycia, and not without good right do they eat thefat and drink the sweet , for they fight ever i n th e front . ’Now
,i ndeed
,i f we migh t l ive fo r ever, nor know old
age nor death , neith er would I fight among the first,nor would I b id thee arm thysel f for th e batt l e . Butseeing that there are ten thousand fates abou t us whichno man may avoid , l et us s ee whether we shal l win
glory from another, or another shal l take it from us .”And Glaucus l i stened to h i s words and charged at
h i s s ide,and th e great host o f th e Lycians fol lowed
them . Sore di smayed was Menestheus the Athenianwhen he saw them . Al l along th e wal l o f the Greekshe looked
, spying out for help ; and he saw Aj ax th e
Greater and Aj ax the Less , and with them Teucer,who had j ust come forth from h is t ent . Close to h imthey were, but i t was of no avai l to shout, so loud wasthe c lash and din o f arms , o f sh i eld and helmets , andthe thundering at th e gates , for each one of th ese d idthe men ofTroy assai l .Wherefore h e cal l ed to h im Thoas , th e h erald , and
said ,“Run , Thoas , and ca l l Aj ax h ither—both ofth e
name i f that may be—for the end i s c lose upon us i nth is place
,so mighti ly p ress on the ch i efs of th e Ly
cians , who were ever fiery fighters . But i f there i stroubl e there al so
,l et at th e l east Aj ax the Greater
come , and with h im Teucer o f the bow .
”
Then the herald ran , and sai d as h e had been hidden.
And Aj ax Telamon spake to the son o f Oi l eus
Stand thou here with Lycomedes and stay the enemy.
But I wil l g o th ith er, and come again when I have
finished my work .
”
So he went, and Teucer h i s brother went with h im ,
with Pandion carrying h is bow . And even as they
went the Lyc ians came up l ike a tempe st on the wal l .
1 32
ILIAD .
But Ajax s lew Epi d es . a comrade ofSa rpedon, smit
ing him on the head with a mi ghty stone ; and crash.
ing al l the bones ofhi s head. And Epid es , das hedfrom the lofty tower by th e terribl e miss i l e, p lungeddownward. like a diver ! Teuc er, the mighty archer ,bent his bow at Glaucus , pre ssing to the fight. Uh
g uar ded . he rai sed hi s arm , the . shaft sped fo rth and
pierced the shoul der ofthe Lyci an ch ief. Kee n wasthe ang ui sh ofth e wound. No longer could he fi g ht ;and shrinking from the insul ts ofth e foe . ba ck from the
wall he sprang , hoping to hi d e his wound.But Sarp edon saw . and gr i eved. His com ra de . go ne ,
m on fi er ce ly thanbefor e he foug ht , and qui ck his sav
ag e sp ear trans fix ed Al cm aon: and his spi rit fled. Thenthe m i ght y Lyci an. sonofJove. la i d hol d on the parapet . am t wi th godl ik e stmng th st rov e to throw it down.
Mi ght i ly he str ained. and the g rea t blo ck ,heaved from
i m pl ant . fel l cr ashing down. A part iad break m
mad e : the Tro jans swarm ed to win the brokenwa ll.Them atid both A jax and Tenoer aim ax him
tog et her . And Tim er sm ote the st rap . of the
shi el d. hm harm ed him not. and Aj a x drove
so thm he fd l bad t a space hom the bat d emm ya
would not cea s e from the fi ght . Lond he shomod to
the Lyr inns tha t they shoul d follow him . and mey
wal l wher e they s tood. Just so two m en cont end for
Fi m -m d thick were the st rohes : m d m zny m the
ILIAD,
To m ai l the flock , thoug h inwellfgua rded { oldAnd though the shepherds ther e he find , pr epar
’d
With dog s and lance; t o protect the sheep ,
N ot unattempted wi l l he leav e the f old ;But , spr ing ing t o the m id st , he bear s hi s pr ey ,In tr iumph thence ; or inthe onset iall s ,Wounde d by jaw/ling huri ’ d by s ta lwart hant iaSo , pr om pt ed by hi s g odl ike c ourag e, buru’dSarpedonto as sai l the l ofty wa l l,
[A ja x and Teucer Re a iat Sa rpedonI—( DER BYJAt brav e Menes them ’
t ow’ r, wit hin the wall ,
A rrir'd, sore presa
’d they found the g ar ri son
For l ike a whi rlwind on the ram pa rt s p oundThe Ly cians’ va liant counci llor s and chiei s .
The batt le—cry ; fir st Ajax Telam on,Sarpedon
’
s com rad e , brav e Epicles , slew,
Ofsiz e pr odi g ious ; whichw ith bothhis hand sA maninyonth
’s full v i g or sca rce mnlf‘l raise ,
A s menare now ; he li it a i it onhi gh,
And downward hnri’ d ; the $ 41e d he lm it
Crushing the bone , and shat t ’ring all the skull ;He
,like a div er , from the l ofty t ow
'r
Fell hea dlong down, and life for sook his bones ,
[Sarped onPulls Down the Parape t. I—( POPE !A lcmaonfirst was doo rn
’d his force to fee l
Downs ink s the warri or with a thunder ing sound,
1 33
ILIAD .
But A j a x sl ew E p icle s , a comrade o f Sarpedon , smiti ng him on the head with a m ighty s tone, and crush
ing al l the bones ofhis head . And E p icles , dashed
from the lofty tower by the terribl e m issi l e , plunged
downward,l ike a diver! Teucer, th e mighty archer,
bent h is [bow at Glaucus , pressing to the fight. Un
guarded,he rai sed h i s arm , th e shaft sp ed forth and
p ierced the shoulder ofthe Lyc ian ch ief. Keen was
the anguish ofth e wound . N o l onger coul d h e fight ;and shrinking from th e insults ofth e foe , back from thewal l he sprang
,hop ing to h ide h i s wound .
But Sarpedon saw,and grieved . His comrade gone
,
more fiercely than before h e fought, and quick h is savage spear transfixed Alcmaon ; and his sp i ri t fled . Then
the mighty Lyc ian, sonofJove
,l ai d hold onthe para
pet,and with godl ike strength strove to throw it down .
Mighti ly he strained , and the great block , heaved from
its place,fel l crash ing down . A partial break 'was
made ; th e Troj ans swarmed to win th e b roken wal l .
Then did both Aj ax and Teuce r aim at h im
together. And Teucer smote the strap of th eshiel d
,but harmed h im not , and Aj ax drove
hi s spear through h i s sh ield and stayed h im,
s o that he fel l back a space from the battl ement,yet
would not cease from th e fight . Loud he shouted tothe Lycians that they should fol low h im
,and they
came crowding about thei r k ing. Then fierc e and long
was the fight , for th e Lyc ians could not break down thewal l ofthe Greeks and make a way to th e sh ip s
,and
the Greeks could not drive away the Lycians from the
wal l where they stood . Just so two men contend forthe boundary in some common field . Smal l i s th e
space, and they stand clos e together. 5 0 c los e stood
the Lycians and the Greeks, onthi s s ide ofthe battl e
ment, and onthat , and al l th e wal l was red with bl ood .
Fierce and th ick were the strokes ; and many were the
1 34
ILIAD .
sh ields oftough bul l ’s - h ide, and l ighter bucklers onth ewarriors’ breasts
,cloven on e ither s ide. Many a
wound the piti less weapons dealt,on some who , turned ,
thei r neck and back laid bare ; on many more, who ful l
i n front,and through thei r sh ields were struck.
N or yet , even s o , were th e Greeks driven to fl ight ;but long the balance hung even as the scales held by
a woman,honest and true, who spins for wages, and
with wool and weights i n hand, weighs out her humble
h ire,her chi ldren ’ s maintenance . But not to Sarpedon
and the men of Lyc ia,but to Hector, did Zeus give
the glory that day.
Before the w al l l ike a fierce whirlwind Hectorstormed
,and glowing with ardor, on the Troj ans fl ew ,
with fury bent to break th e pal isade and hurl consuming fire amid the fleet. On they rushed numberl ess , and’gainst the wal l l adders and beams uprai sed ; then upthey swarmed whi l e from above the Greeks poureddown a horrid storm of m iss i le s on thei r heads . 5 0
th ick the hurtl ing spears and arrows fl ew they darkened
all the a ir,but upward sti l l th e surging tide ofdaring
Trojans dashed,and reached the crest and o
’
er therampart s rol led .
Meanwhi l e great Hector fl ew to break the gates
that barred the war- cars from the Grecian camp . Two
massive beam s , placed crosswi se , held them fast , and
ponderous bolts secured the beams i n p lac e . B eforethe gates there lay a j agged stone
,sharp - cornered
,
massy and ofponderous weight—so heavy that nottwo strong laboring men could with a struggl e rai s e
i t from the eart h . Thi s H ector seized,and with re
s istle ss strength , he raised and poi sed it, as i t were a
fleece in weight ; then strode before the gate . Firm
planted l ike a tower h e stood,with wel l brac ed feet ;
then rearing high aloft th e ponderous mass,he hurled
it forth wi th al l h is mighty power. Full on the middle
ILIAD .
His braz en armor rings against the ground .
Swift to the battl ement the v i cto r fl i es,
Tugs with ful l force , and every nerve appl ies
I t shakes ; th e ponderous stones di sj o inted y ield ;The rol l ing ru ins smoke a long th e field .
A mighty breach appears ; the wal ls l i e bare ;And, l ike a deluge, rushes i n the war.
[Sarpedon Driven Back . ] DERBY .!
Ajax and Teucer h im at once assa il ’d ;Thi s with an arrow struck the g l itt ’r ing bel tAround h i s breast
,whenc e hung h is pond
’
rous sh ield ;But Jove, who wil l ’d not that h i s son should fal lB efore the ships
,the weapon turu ’d as ide .
Then forward Aj ax sp rang, and with h i s sp earThrust at the shield ; the weapon pas s ’
d not through,
Yet check ’
d h is bold advance ; a l itt l e space
B ack he reco i l ’d,With fi ercer z eal the Lyc ians p re ss ’d aroundThei r K ing and counci l l or ; on th
’ other s ide
Within th e wa l l the Greeks their squadrons m a s s’
d ;
Then were great deeds achiev ’
d ; nor th ro’ the breach
Could the brave troop s o f Lyc i a to the sh ip sThei r passage force ; no r could the warrior GreeksR epel the Lyc ians from the ground , where they,B e fo re the wall , had made their foot ing good .
[Hector Destroys the Gates and Drives the Greeksto the Ship s . ]
So even hung the balanc e o f the war,Ti l l Jove with h i ghest honor Hector crown’
d,
The son ofPriam ; he , the foremost , sca l ’dThe wal l
,and loudly on the Troj ans ca ll
’
d“On, val iant T roj ans, on! the Grec ian wa ll
1 37
ILIAD .
ofthe door it fel l ; th e mass ive bars were shattered bythe blow ; i t rent the h inges , tore the bo lts ap art, and
crash ing,drove the ruined portal s in .
Right through the gap the glorious ch ieftain sprang,
dreadful in might, his eye s l ike flaming fire. His bl az
i ng armor fi l l ed the foe with dread,hi s mighty j avel ins
threatened speedy death ! B eh ind thei r ch i ef th eTrojan warriors surged, and other l egions swarmedacross the wal l .
Hector had won th e camp ; th e routed Greeks fl ed
panic - s trickento thei r threatened sh ip s.
CHAPTER X
THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS
OW Poseidon was watch ing th e battl e from thewooded height ofSamothrace , whence he could see
Ida and Troy and the sh ip s . And he p it i ed th e Greeks
when he saw how they fl ed before H ector, and pur
posed inhi s heart to help th em . So he l eft th e h eightofSamothrace
,and came with four strides to E g ae ,
where hi s palac e was i n the depth s o f the s ea . There
he harnessed the horses to hi s chariot and rode , passing over the waves , and th e great beasts o f the sea
gambol-l ed about h im as he went,knowing their k ing.
But when h e came to the camp of th e Greeks,he took
upon h im the shape ofCal chas , th e herald , and wentth rough the host strengthening the heroes fo r th e bat
tl e—Ajax the Greater, and Aj ax th e Less , and othersalso—so that they turned thei r faces again to the
enemy. But not the l ess did the men of Troy presson, Hector leading the way.
Then first ofal l Teucer sl ew a Troj an , Imbrius byname, wounding him under the ear. He fel l a s some
tal l poplar fal l s wh ich a woodman fel ls with a x e ofbronze . Then Teucer rush ed to s eiz e hi s arms , but
Hector cast h is sp ear. Teucer i t struck not , missingh im by a l ittl e , but Amphimachus it smote on th ebreast so that h e fel l dead . Then Hector sei zed thedead man
’
s helmet, se eking to drag the body amongthe sons of Troy. But Aj ax stretched forth h i s greatspear against h im , and struck the boss of h i s sh i eld
mighti ly, driving h im backwards , s o that he loosed
1 40
ILIAD .
[The Greeks Ral ly i n D e fense ofth e Ships ](DERBY.!
By H ecto r,sonof Pri am led,
L ike fire,or wh irlwind, pres s ’
d th e Troj ans on ,“l i th furious zeal , and shouts and c lamor hoarse,I n hopes to take the sh ips , and al l the Greeks
To sl ay beside them .
There , th e bravest al l , i n order due ,Waited th e Troj an charge by Hector l ed :
Spear c lose by spear,and shi eld by shie ld o
’
erla id ,
Buckl er to buckl er p res s ’d , and helm to helm ,
And man to man ; the ho rsehair p lumes above ,That nodded on the warriors’ g l itt ’ ring crests,Each other touch’
d ; so c losely massed they stood .
Backward,by many a stalwart hand
,were drawn
The spears,i n act to hurl ; thei r eyes and minds
Turu ’d to th e front,and eager for th e fray .
O n pour ’d the Troj an masses ; i n the vanHector straig ht forward urg
’
d h i s furious course .
As some huge boulder, from its rocky b edDetach
’
d , and by the wintry torrent’ s force
Hur l’
d down the cl ifl’
s steep face,when constant rains
The m ass ive rock’ s firm hold have unde rm in’
d ;
W i th giant bounds it fl i es ; the crash ing woodResounds beneath it ; st i l l i t hurri es on ,
Unti l,arriving at th e l evel p la in
,
I ts h eadlong impulse check’
d,i t ro l l s no more ;
So H ecto r,threat
’ning now through sh ip s and tents ,E ’
en to the s ea , to force h i s murd’
rous way,
Anon , confronted by that phalanx firm,
Halts c lose b efo re it ; wh ile th e sons of Greece ,With thrust ofsword and doubl e - po inted sp ears ,S tave offh is onset .
1 4x
ILIAD .
hold o f the helmet of Amphimachus . And h im his
comrades bore to th e rear ofth e host, and the body ofImbrius also
”theycarri ed off. Then did Idomeneus
the Cretan, son ofMinos , th e wise j udge , perform
many val iant deeds , going to the left - hand of the battl el ine
,for he said
“The Greeks have stay enough where the great Aj axi s . No man that eats bread i s better than he ; no , not
Ach i l l es ’ sel f,were the two to stand man to man
,but
Achi ll es i ndeed i s swifter offoot .”
And first ofall he sl ew O thryoneus , who had butnewly come
,hearing the fame ofth e war . For Cas
sa ndra ’s sake he had come , that h e m ight have her to
wi fe,vowing that h e would drive th e Greeks from Troy,
and Priam had promised h im th e maiden . But now
Idomeneus s l ew him , and cried over h im“Thi s was a great th ing that thou didst p romis e to
Priam,for which h e was to give thee h i s daughter.
Thou shouldst have come to us , and we would have
given thee th e fai rest ofth e daughters ofAgamemnon,
bringing her from Argos,i f thou wouldst have en
gaged to help us to take th is c ity o f Troy . But come
now with me to th e sh ip s, that we may treat about thi smarriage : thou wilt find that we have open hands .
S o he spake , mocking th e dead . Then King Asius
charged , coming on foot with hi s chariot b ehi nd him .
But ere he could throw his spear,I domeneus smote
h im that he fel l , as fal l s an oak , or an alder, o r a p ine ,which men fel l upon the hil l s . And the driver ofh i schariot stood dismayed
,nor thought to turn h is horses
and fl ee, so that Antilochus , th e sonofNestor, struckh im down , and took the chariot and horses for h i sown. Then Deiphobus i n great wrath came near toIdomeneus , and would have slai n h im with a spear,but could not , for he covered himsel f with h i s sh ield ,and the spear passed over h i s head . Yet did it not fly
1 42
ILIAD .
i n vain, for i t l ighted onHyp senor , striking h im on
the right s ide And as he fel l , Deiphobus cr ied aloud :“N ow i s As ius avenged ; and though he go down to
that strong porter who keeps the gates o f h el l , yet
wil l he be glad,for I have sent h im a companion .
But scarce had he spoken when Idomeneus the Cretan sl ew another o f the ch i efs ofTroy, A lcathoii s , sonin- l aw ofo ld Anchises . And having sl ain h im he cri ed
“Smal l reason hast thou to boast, Deiphobus , for wehave slain three for one . But come thou and meet me
in battle,that thou mayest know me who I am , son
ofDeucal ion , who was th e son of M inos, who was thesonofZeus .”
Then Deiphobus thought with in h imsel f, should he
meet th i s man alone,o r should h e take some brave
comrade withh im ? And it s eemed to h im better that
he should take a brave comrade with h im . Where forehe went for ZEneas
,and found him i n the rear of th e
battl e , vexed at heart because King Priam did nothonor h im among the prince s o f Troy . Then said
he
Come h ither,E neas
,to fight for Alcathous
,who
was wont to care for th ee when thou wast young, andnow he l i es dead under the sp ear o f I domeneus.So they two went together ; and Idomeneus saw
them , but yi elded not from hi s pl ace , only cal l ed to
h is comrades that they should gather themselves to
gether and help him . And on the other s ide ZEneascal led to Deiphobus
,and Pari s
,and Agenor . So they
fought about the body o f A lca thoii s . Then did ZEneas
cast h i s sp ear at I domeneus,but struck h im not ; but
I domeneus sl ew (B nom-aii s,only when he would have
spo i led him of h i s arms he could not,for th e men of
Troy pressed h im hard,so that p erforc e he gave way.
And as he turned,Dei phobus sought to slay h im with
h is spear, but smote i n h i s stead Ascalaphus, sonof
1 44
I LIAD .
Bri stl ed th e deadly str i fe with pond’ rons spears ,“fi elded with dire intent ; the brazen gleamDazzled th e s ight
,by flash ing h elmets cast
,
And breastp lates poli sh’
cl bright,and g litt
’
r ing sh i elds
Commingl ing ; st ern of heart i ndeed were he ,Who onthat s i ght wi th j oy , n-ot pai n , could gaze .
Then cheering on th e Greeks,I domeneus
,
Although h i s hai r was grizzl ed o ’e r with age ,Sprang forth amid the Troj ans
,i n the i r ranks
Inspi ring terror ; for Othry oneusHe slew
Him,marching with p roud step
,I domeneus
Struck with h i s g l itt’
r ing spear, nor aught av a i l’
d
His brazen breastp late ; through the middl e thrust ,Thund ’
ring he fel l .
Th i s Asius v iew’
d,
To vengeance ri sing with a sudden spring,
He hoped th e conquest ofthe Cretan king.
The wary Cretan , as h i s foe drew near,Ful l on hi s throat di scharged the forceful sp earB en eath th e ch i n the point was seen to gl ide ,And g litter
’
d , extant at th e furth er s ide .As when the mountain- oak
,or poplar tal l ,
Or p ine,fit mast fo r some great admi ral ,
Groans to the oft - heaved axe,w i th many a wound ,
Then spreads a length of ruin o’
e r th e ground
So sunk proud Asiu s in that dreadful day.
For Asius ’ death
Deep g r iev’
d,Deiphobus , approach ing, hurl
’
d
Against I domeneus h i s g litt’
r ing spearThe coming weapon he beheld , and shunn’
d
Beneath the ampl e orbi t of h i s sh i eld ,With h ides and b razen plates enci rc l ed round ,And by two rods sustain’
d , conceal’
d he stood
Vo l . 7—1 0 1 4 5
I LIAD .
Ares.But when he would have spoi l ed h im of h i s
arms,Meriones struck him through the wri st wi th a
spear.Straightway he dropped the he lmet wh ich he
had seized,and P olites , h is brother , l ed him out ofthe
battl e.And he c l imbed into h i s chario t and went back
to th e c ity. But the rest stayed not th ei r hands fromfighting
,and many val iant heroes fel l , both on th i s
s ide and on that. For on the l eft th e sons of Greec ep revai l ed , so fiercely fought I domeneus the Cretan ,and Meriones
,hi s comrade
,and Anti lochus , th e son o f
Nestor,and Menelaus ; but on the right th e Locrians
and the Boeotians and th e men o f Athens could scarce
keep Hector from the ship s . Yet here for a whi l e th ebattl e went with them ,
for th e Locrians , who weremighty archers
,bent thei r bows against th e men of
Troy,and dismayed them , so thick fl ew th e arrows
,
deal ing wounds and death . Then said P oly dam a s toHector
“O Hector , thou art ever loth to hear counsel fromothers . Yet th ink not that because thou art stronger
than other m en, therefore Z eus hath al so made th ee
wiser. For truly he gives d iverse gi fts to d iverse men—strength to one and counsel to another. Hear, then ,my words . Thou seest that th e Troj ans keep not al l
together, for some stand aloof, whil e some fight, beingfew against many . Do thou th erefore cal l the bravest
together. Then shal l we see whether we shal l burn
the ships , or , i t may be , win our way back without
harm to Troy ; for i ndeed I forget not that th ere i s awarrior here whom no man may match , nor wi l l he , I
trow, always keep aloof from th e battile .
”
And the saying p leased Hector . S o h e went throughthe host l ooking fo r th e ch i efs—for Deiphobus , andHel enus , and Asius , and Acamas , son of Asius , and
others , who were the bravest among th e Troj ans and
al l ies . And some he found,and some he found not,
346
ILIAD .
for they had fal l en i n th e battl e , o r had gone sorelywounded to the c ity . But at last h e sp ied Par i s , where
he stood strengt hening the hearts o f h is comrades .“O Pari s
,fai r offace , cheater o f th e hearts o f women ,
where i s Deiphobus , and Helenus , and Asius , and
Acamas , son ofAsius ?”
But Pari s answered h im , Some of these are dead ,and some are sorely wounded . But we who are l eft
fight on. Only do thou l ead us agai nst th e Greeks, norwil t thou say that we are slow to fo l low.
”
5 0 Hector went along th e front ofth e battl e , l eadingthe men ofTroy . N or did the Greeks give way when
they saw h im,but Aj ax th e Greater cri ed
“Fri end,come near, nor fear the men o f Greece .
Thou thinkest i n th ine heart to spoi l th e sh ips , but wehave hands to keep them , and ere they perish Troy
itsel f shall fal l b efore us . Soon , I trow ,wi lt thou
wish that thy horses were swifter than h awks,when
they bear th ee fl eeing before us ac ros s the p lain to thec ity .
”
But Hector answered,Nay
,thou braggart Ajax
,
what words are these ? I would that I were as sure ly
one ofth e Immortal s as thi s day shal l surely bringwoe to the Greeks . And thou , i f thou da re s t to meet
my spear , shal t b e sl ai n among the rest , and feed with
thy fl esh the beasts ofthe field and th e fowl s o f theair .
S o he spake,and from th i s s ide and from that there
went up a great cry ofbattl e .
I LIAD .
There had the wal l been lowest bui lt ; and thereWere g athe r
’
d i n defence the ch iefest al l ,Horses and men :
Could scarce protect thei r sh ips ; nor coul d repel
Th ’ impetuous fire ofgodl ike Hector ’s charge .
(DERBY .!Now side by side
,with l ike unwearied care ,
Each Aj ax labor d through the field ofwarSo when two lordly bul l s , with equal to i l ,Force the bright p loughshare th rough the fal low soil
,
Jo in’
d to one yoke the stubborn earth they tear,
And trace large furrows with the sh ining share ;O
’
er thei r huge l imbs the foam descends in snow,
And streams ofsweat down their sour foreheads flow .
[The Troj an Charge Against the A jace s ](DERBY .!
Im pell’
d by Jove , they sought th e battl e field .
Onward they da sh’
d , impetuous as the rush
Of the fierce wh irlwind,wh ich w i th l ightning charg d ,
From Fath er Jove sweeps downward o’
er the pla in :
As with loud roar it mingles with the sea ,The many - dash ing ocean ’ s bi l lows bo i l ,Upheaving
,foam - white - crested
,wave onwave ;
So,rank on rank , th e Troj ans , closely m ass
’
d
I n arms al l g l it t’
r ing ,with thei r ch ie fs advanc d ;
Hector,th e son o f Priam
,l ed th em on,
In combat terribl e as blood - s ta in’
d Mars
B efo re h i s breast h i s sh ield’ s broad orb he bore,Of h ides c lose j oin
’
d ,with brazen plates o
’
erla id ;
The gl eam ing helmet nodded o ’e r h i s brow .
He,with p roud step
,protected by h i s sh iel d ,
On ev ’ry s ide th e hosti l e ranks surv ey’
d,
I f s igns of yi eld ing h e might trac e ; but they
Unshaken stood ; and with l ike haughty mien ,Aj ax at H ecto r thus defiance hur l ’d .
r49
CHAPTER X I
THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS (CON TIN UED!
O loud was the cry,that i t roused old Nestor where
he sat in h i s tent,tending the wounded Machaon .
Whereupon he said,
“S it thou here and dri nk the red
wine t il l th e fai r Hecamede shal l have got ready th e
bath to wash the blood from thy wound, but I wi l l ask
how th ings fare in the battl e .
So he went forth from the tent, s eeking King Aga
memnon . And 10!as he went the king met h im , and
with h im were D iom ed and Ulysses , who al so‘had been
wounded that day. S o they hel d counsel together.
And Agamemnon—for i t troubl ed h im sore that thepeopl e were slai n—would that they should draw downthe sh ip s i nto th e sea
,and should fl ee homewards , as
soon as the darknes s should cover them and the Tro
j ans should cease from the battl e .
But Ulysses would have none ofsuch counsel,say
ing,“N ow surely , sonofAtreus
,thou art not worthy to
rule over us , who have been men ofwar from ouryouth . Wilt thou l eave th i s c ity
,fo r th e tak ing o f
which we have suffered s o much ? That may not b e ;l et not any one ofth e Greeks h ear the e say suchwords . And wha t i s th i s
,that thou wouldst have us
launch our sh ip s now,wh il st th e hosts are fighting ?
Surely, so doing, we should p eri sh al together , for th eGreeks would not fight any more
,s ee ing that the sh ip s
were being launched, and the men o f Troy would s layus altogether .
Then King Agamemnon said,Thou speakest wel l .
1 5 0
ILIAD .
And he went through the host , bidding th e men bearthemselves bravely
,and al l th e wh il e Poseidon put
courage and strength into thei r hearts . Then Hectorcast h is spear against Aj ax Te lamon . The sh i eld kept
i t not off, for i t passed beneath , but th e two belts , o fthe sh ield and ofthe sword , stayed it, so that i twounded not h is body . Then Hector in wrath and fearwent back into the ranks o f h i s com rades ; but as h e
went Ajax took a great stone—now were there manysuch which they had as props for the sh ip s—and smoteh im above the rim o f h i s sh ield , onth e neck . As an oak
fal l s,stricken by th e thunder of Z eus , so he fell , and
the Greeks rushed with a great c ry to drag h im to them,
but could not , for al l th e bravest o f th e sons of Troyheld thei r shi elds b efore h im—P olydam as and ZEneas ,and Sarpedon and Glaucus . Then they carri ed h im to
the Xanthus,and poured water upon h im . And after
a wh il e he sat up,and then again hi s sp i ri t l eft h im
,
for the blow had been very gri evous . But when theGreeks saw that Hector had been carri ed out of th e
battle, they pres sed on th e more, s‘laying the men o f
Troy, and driving them back even out of the camp and
across the trench . But when they came to thei r chariot s , where they had left them onth e other s ide o f th e
trench , th ere they stood trembl ing and pal e with fear.
But Apol lo , at the bidding o f Z eus , went to Hectorwhere he lay , and hea l ed h im of hi s wound , pouring
strength and courage i nto h i s h eart,s o that h e went
back to the battl e whol e and sound . Then great fear
came upon the Greeks when they saw h im,and Thoas
the z’
E tol ianspake,saying
“Surely th i s i s a great marvel that I s ee with mine
eyes . For we thought that Hector had been sla in by th e
hand ofAjax, sonofTelamon , and now ,behol d!he i s
come back to th e batt le . Ma ny Greeks have fal l enbefore h im, and many, I trow,
wi l l fal l,for o f a truth
1 5 2
ILIAD .
T'he clotted blood ; but backward to the eart h ,Sti l l by the blow subdu
’
d,again he fel l
,
And darkl ing shades of night hi s eyes o’
erspread .
Onward , with z eal redoubl ed, pres s ’d th e Greeks ,When Hector from the field they saw withdrawnThe Troj ans fled
,pale fear pos ses s
’
d them all ,Each looking round to seek escap e from death .
[Jove Sends Apollo to Aid th e Trojans ](DERBY.!
Now when the Troj ans had recross ’d the trenchAnd pal isades , and in thei r headlong fl i ght
Many had fa ll ’nby Grec ian swords,th e rest
,
Routed, and pale with fear, bes ide th eir cars,Jove
,ri s ing, saw the Troj ans and the Greeks ,
Those in confus ion,whil e beh ind them pre s s
’
d
The Greeks,triumphant
,Neptune i n the ir midst
H e saw too Hector s tretch’
d upon the p lain ,His comrades standing round ; sensel ess h e lay,Drawing short b reath , blood gush ing from h i s mouth ;For by no feebl e hand the blow was dealt .
To Apol lo then
The Cloud - compel ler thus his speech addre s s’
d :“Go straight to Hector ofth e brazen helm ;
So restore h i s strengthAnd vigor
,that i n panic to th e i r sh ip s
,
And the broad Hel l espont,the Greeks be driv ’n.
Then wi l l I so by word and deed contr ive
That they may gain fresh resp ite from thei r to i l .
[Apol lo Resto res Hector and Heads the Trojans ]
“Rise then straight ;Summon thy num ’
rous horsemen ; bid them drive
Thei r flying cars to as sai l the Grec ian sh ips ;I go before : and wil l thy horses
’ way
Make p lain and smooth , and daunt the warr ior Greeks .
1 5 3
I LIAD .
some g od has rai sed h im up and help s h im . But
come,l et al l the bravest stand togeth er. So , mighty
though he be,h e shal l fear to ente r our array .
And al l the bravest gathered togeth er and stood in
the front,but the multitude made for the sh ips . But
Hector came,on, and Apol lo b efore h im , with h i s
shoul ders wrapped in cl oud and th e aegi s sh i el d in h i s
hand . And many ofth e Greeks fe l l s l ain before thesons of Troy
,as Iasu s ofAthens , and A rce s ila ii s th e
Boeotian,and Medon
,who was brother to Aj ax th e
Less,and many more . Thus the battl e turned again ,
and came near to th e trench ; and now Apol lo madeit easy for th e men ofTroy to pass , so that they l eftnot thei r chariots , as before, upon the bri nk, but dravethem across .
Meanwhil e Patroclus sat in the tent o f Eurypylus,dress ing hi s wound and talking with h im . But when
he saw what had chanced,he struck hi s th igh with h i s
hand and cri ed :“N ow must I l eave thee, Eurypylu s , for I must h aste
to Ach il les, so dreadful i s now the batt le . Perch
'
ance
I may persuade h im that h e g o fort h to th e fight .”S o he ran to th e tent ofAchi l l e s . And now the men
ofTroy were at the sh ips . And Hector and Aj ax werefighting for one ofthem
,and Aj ax could not drive
h im back, and Hector could not burn the sh ip with
fire . Then sp rang forward Caleto r with a torch i n h i s
hand, and Aj ax smote h im onth e heart wi th a sword ,so that he fel l c lose by the sh ip . Then Hector cri ed
“Come now, Troj ans and al l i es , and fight fo r Cal etor
,
that the Greeks spoi l h im not ofh is arms .”
S o saying he cast h i s spear at Aj ax . Him h e strucknot , but Cy therius , hi s comrade, he sl ew . Then wa sAjax sore dismayed , and spake to Teucer h i s brother :
“
See now, Cy ther ius , our dear comrade,i s dead
,
lsl ai nby Hector. But where are thy arrows and thy
ow ?
1 5 4
ILIAD .
some g od has rai sed h im up and help s h im . Butcome
,l et al l the bravest stand togeth er. 5 0, mighty
though he be,h e shal l fear to enter our array .
And al l the bravest gathered togeth er and stood in
th e front,but the multitude made for th e sh ip s . But
Hector came,ou, and Apoll o b efore h im , with h is
shoul ders wrapped in cl oud and th e aegis sh i el d i n h i s
hand. And many ofth e Greeks fel l s l ainb efore thesons ofTroy, as Iasus ofAthens , and A rces ila ii s th e
Boeoti an,and Medon
,who was brother to Aj ax th e
Less,and many more . Thus th e battl e turned aga in ,
and came near to th e trench ; and now Apollo madei t easy for th e men ofTroy to pass , so that they l eftnot thei r chariots, as before , upon th e brink, but drave
them across .
Meanwhi l e Patroclus sat i n the tent o f Eurypylus ,dress ing hi s wound and talk ing with h im . But when
he saw what had chanced,he struck hi s th igh with h i s
hand and cri ed :“N ow must I l eave th ee
,Eurypylu s
,fo r I must haste
to Achil les, s o dreadful i s now th e batt l e . Perch
'
anceI may persuade h im that h e g o fo rth to th e fight .”S o he ran to the tent o f Achi l l es . And now the men
ofTroy were at the sh ips . And Hector and Aj ax werefighting for one ofth em
,and Aj ax could not dr ive
h im back, and Hector could not burn the sh ip with
fire . Then sp rang forward Caleto r with a torch i n h i s
hand, and Aj ax smote h im onth e heart w i th a sword,
so that he fel l close by the sh ip . Then Hector cri ed“Come now, Troj ans and al l i e s, and fight for Cal etor
,
that the Greeks spoi l h im not ofh is arms .”S o s aying he cast h i s sp ear at Aj ax . Him he st ruck
not , but Cy therius , his comrade, he sl ew . Then wa sAjax sore dismayed , and spake to Teucer h i s brother :
“
See now, Cy ther ius , our dear comrade,i s dead
,
glain by Hector . But where are thy arrows and thyow ?
IS4
I LIAD .
[Hector Re - enters the Battl e . ]A s when a rust ic c rowd ofmen and dogsHave chas
'
d an ant ler ’
d stag , or mountain goat ,That ’mid the crags and th ick o
’
ershadowing wood
Hath refuge found,and baffled thei r pursuit ;
If,by th e tumult rous
’
d , a l ion stand ,With brist l i ng mane
,before them , back they turn ,
Check’
d i n th e i r mid career ; e v’nso the Greeks,
Who late i n eager throngs were press ing on.
Thrusting with swords and doubl e - po inted spears,
\Vhen Hector moving through th e ranks they saw,
R ecoi l’
d,and to their feet th e i r courage fe l l .
The Troj an mass came on,by H ector l ed
With haughty stride ; before h im Phoebus went ,His shoulders v e il
’
d i n c loud ; h i s arm susta in’
d
Th e awful ZE g is , fearfu l to beho ld ,B ri ght - flashing , hung with shagg y tassel s round ;Which Vulcan
,ski l l fu l workma n , gave to Jove,
To scatter te rror ’m 1d th e soul s of men .
Whil e Phoebus mot ionl ess h i s E gis held,
Thick fl ew th e shafts,and fast the peop l e fel l
On e ither s id e ; but when h e turn’
d i ts flash
Ful l in th e faces of th e as tonish’
d Gree ks ,And shouted loud
,the i r spi r its with i n them qua il
’
d,
Thei r fi ery courage borne in mind no more .
[The Troj ans Again Capture th e Wal l . ]—(DERBY .!
Through ditch and pal i sades promiscuous dash’
d
The flying Greeks , and g a in’
d,hard -
pre s s’
d, th e wal l ;
Whil e loudly Hector to the Trojans call’
d
To assai l the ships,and l eave the b loody spoi l s .
And they with noi se unspeakabl e , ur g’
d on
Thei r harne s s’
d steeds ; Apol lo in the van ,Trod down with ease th
’ embankment o f the ditch,
And fi l l’
d i t in ; and o ’ er it bridg ’
d a way.
ISS
ILIAD .
So Teucer took h is bow and laid an arrow on th estring
,and smote C:l i tus , who was charioteer to Poly
damas.And then h e aimed an arrow at Hector’ s se l f ;
but ere he coul d loose it,th e bowstr ing was broken in
hi s hands,and th e arrow went far astray , fo r Z eus
would not that Hector should so fal l . Then Teucer
cri ed aloud to h is brother“Surely some g od confounds our counsel s, breaking
my bow—string, which th i s very day I t i ed new uponmy bo-w.
”
But Aj ax said, . Let b e thy bow, i f it p l eas e not the
gods,but take sp ear and sh i eld and fight with the men
ofTroy. For though they m aster us to - day, th ey shal l
not take our sh ip s for nought.”
So Teucer armed h imsel f afresh fo r the battl e . ButHector
,when he saw the broken bow
,cri ed out
“Come on,ye men o f Troy , for Z eus i s with us .
Even now he b roke th e bow of Teucer, the greatarcher. And they whom Zeus h elp s p revai l , and th ey
whom he favors not grow weak . Come on ; for eventhough a man fal l , i t i s wel l that he fal l fighti ng for h is
fatherland ; and h i s wi fe and h is chi l dren are safe, nor
shal l h i s glory cease , i f so b e that we drive the Greeks
i n thei r sh ip s across the sea .”
And on the other s ide Aj ax , th e son o f Tel amon ,cal led to the Greeks
,and bade them quit th emselves
l ike men. Then th e battl e grew yet fi ercer, fo r Hector
slew Schedius,who l ed the men o f Phoc i s , and Aj ax
slew Laodamas,son of Antenor
,and P o lydam a s Otus
ofCyl lene . Then Meges thought to slay P o lydam as
but h i s spear went astray,smit ing down Craesmus ; and
Dolops , who was grandson to Laomedon, cast hi sspear at Meges
,but the corsl et stayed th e point ,
though it pi erced the sh i eld . But Do lop s’ sel f M ene
laii s smote through th e shoulder,but coul d not spo i l
h im of h is arms , for Hector and h is brothers h indered
1 5 6
I LIAD .
h im. S o they fought, sl aying one another ; but Hector
sti l l waxed greater and greate r i n the battl e , and sti l l
th e men ofTroy came on, and st i l l th e Greeks gave
way. N ow did the Troj ans front the p row of the fore
most ofthe sh ip s , and s o fierce was thei r attacks that
the men ofGreece w ere forced to fal l back to the verytents .They scattered no t over the camp , but stood in a
group before the op ening ofthe tents , restrained by fearand great shame .Then Pal las drew from their eyes th e fi lm ofdarkness
,and looking, th ey beheld great H ector, and with
h im many ofthe val iant sons ofTroy .
Then Aj ax leaped upon th e prow ofone of th e ships,and seiz ing a long boarding pike made hi s way from
ship to ship , cal l ing upon th e Greeks to save thei r
tents .And Hector laid hol d onthe sh ip ofProtes i laus : h imindeed it had brought from Troy, but it took h im not
back,for he had fal l en , s lai n by the hand o f H ector ,
as he l eapt , first ofal l the Greeks,upon the shore of
Troy. This H ector caught , and th e battl e raged l ike
fire about it ; for the men of Troy and th e Greeks weregathered round, and none fought with arrows or j avel ins from afar, but man to man , with batt l e - axe and
sword and great spears poi nted at e ith er end . And
many a fai r weapon lay shattered on th e ground, and
the earth flowed with b lood as with a river . But st i l lHector held th e stem ofth e sh ip with hi s hand
,and
cal l ed to th e men of Troy that th ey shoul d bring fire,
for that Zeus ha d given th em the v ictory that day.
Then even Ajax h imsel f gave way,so did the spears
ofthe Troj ans p ress h im ; for now h e stood no longerupon the stern deck, but on th e rowers
’ bench , thrus t
ing thence with hi s sp ear at any one who sough t to s et
1 5 8
ILIAD .
And the b ig waves that bel low round its baseSo stood unm ov
’
d th e Greeks , and undism ay’
d .
At length , al l b laz ing in hi s arms, he sprang
Upon th e mass ; so plunging down , as when
On some tal l vessel,from beneath the c louds
A giant b i llow,tempest - nurs
’
d ,descends ;
The deck is drench’
d i n foam ; th e stormy wind
Howl s in the sh rouds ; th’
affri ghted seamen quai lI n fear, but l itt le way from death rem ov
’
d ;
So qua i l’
d the sp i rit i n ev’ ry Grecian breast .As when a rav ’ning l ion ona herd
Of hei fers fal l s,wh ich onsome marshy mead
Feed numberl ess,beneath the care ofone
,
Unsk ill’
d from beasts o f prey to guard his charge ;And whi l e beside the front or rear h e walks
,
The l ion on th’ unguarded center sp rings
,
Seizes onone , and scatters al l the rest ;So Hector
,l ed by Jove
,in wi ld alarm
S catt er’
d the Grec ians al l .
[Aj ax Saves th e Ship s from Destruct ion](DERBY!
From the foremost ships,
Now hardly p re s s’
d , the Gree ks perfo rce ret ir’
d ;
But closely m a ss’
d before the tents th ey stood ,Not scatter
’
d o’er the camp ; by shame restra in
’
d ,
And fear ;Then wa s not Ajax ’s mighty soul contentTo stand where stood the other sons o f Greece ;Along the vessels ’ l o fty decks he mov ’d
With haughty stride ; a pond’
rous boarding- p ike ,Wel l polish’
d,and wit h rivets wel l s ecur
’
d ,
Of two and twenty cub its’ l ength , he bore .O ’ er many a vesse l’ s deck so Aj ax pas s
’
d
W ith lofty st ri de , and vo ice that reach’
d to Heav’n,
IS9
ILIAD .
fire to his ship . And ever h e cri ed to the Greeks with
a terribl e voice“O ye Greeks , now must ye qui t yourselves l ikemen . For have ye any h elpers beh ind ? or have ye
any wal l s to shel ter y ou? No c ity i s here , with wel lbui lt battl ements , wherei n ye might b e safe , whi l e the
peopl e should fight for y ou. For we are here i n theplain ofTroy, and th e s ea i s c l ose b ehind us, and weare far from our country . Wherefore al l our hope i s
in valor, and not i n shrinking back from the battl e .”
And sti l l h e th rust with h i s spear,i f any ofth e men
ofTroy,at Hector’ s b idding
,sought to bring fire
against the ships . Ful l twelve he wounded wh ere he
s tood.
166
CHAPTER XI I
THE DEEDS AND DEATH OF PATROCLUS
ND Patroclus stood by Ach i l l es , weep ing b i tterly .
Then said Ach i l les , What ail s thee , Patroc lus ,that thou weepest l ike a gi rl - chi l d that runs al ong by
her mother’ s s ide and would be taken up , hold ing her
gown,and looking at h er with tearful eyes t i l l she l i ft
her in her arms ? Has t thou heard ev i l news from
Phth ia ? Menoet ius yet l ives , th ey say , and Pel eus .
Or art thou weeping for the Greeks , because they per
i sh for thei r fol ly ? ”
Then said Patroclus,Be not wroth with me
,great
Achi ll es,for i ndeed the Greeks are in gr ievous straits ,
and al l thei r bravest are wounded,and sti l l thou cher
i she st thy wrath . Surely Pel eus was not thy father ,nor Theti s thy mother ; but the rocks begat thee, and
the sea brought thee forth . Or i f thou goest not to the
battl e, fearing some warning from the gods , yet l et m e
g o , and thy Myrmidons with me . And let me put thy
armor onme ; so shal l the Greeks have breath ing spac e
from the war .”
S o he spake , entreat ing, nor knew tha t for hi s own( loom he entreated . And Achi l l es made reply
“I t i s no warn ing that I heed
,that I keep back from
the war . But the se men took from me my p riz e,which
I wonwith my ownhands . But let th e past be past . I
said that I would not r is e up ti l l th e battl e shoul d come
nigh to my ownsh ip s . But thou mayest put my armor
upon thee , and l ead my Myrmidons to th e fight . For
in truth the men ofTroy are gathered as a dark c loud
9 n.
i62
ILIAD .
[Patroc lus I ntercedes With Achi l l es . ]Let Greece at l ength with pity touch thy breast
,
Thysel f a Greek,and once of Greeks the best!
Lo !every chi e f that might her fate prevent ,Lies p ierced with wounds
,and bleed ing in hi s tent
Eurypylus,Tydides
,Atreus ’ son
,
And wise Ulysses , at the navy groan ,May never rage l ike th ine my sou l ensl ave
,
0 great in vain , unp rofi tably brave !
Thy country sl ighted i n her l ast d i stres s,
What fri end,what man , from thee shal l hope redress ?
No !—men unborn , and ages yet behind ,Shall curse that fierce , that unforgiving mind!
[Achi l l es Yi elds to Patroclus . ]But l et the past b e past ; I never meantMy wrath should have no end ; yet had not thoughtMy anger to abate
,t i l l my ownsh ip s
Should hear the war - cry , and the battl e bear .
But go , and in'
m y wel l - known armor cl ad ,Lead forth th e val iant Myrm idons to war
,
S ince the dark cloud of Troj ans c i rc l es round
The ships in force ; and on the sh ingly beach ,Pent up in narrow l imits
,l i e th e Greeks ;
And round th e camp the battl e now is wag’
d .
N o more the hands o f val iant D iom ed ,
The Greeks protecting,hurl h is fiery spear ;
Nor hear I now,from h is detested l ips
,
The shout o f Agamemnon : al l around
I s heard the warrior - slayer Hector’
s vo ice ,Cheering hi s Troj ans ; with triumphant cries
They, from the v anquish’
d Greeks , hol d al l the plain.
Nathless do thou , Patroclus , in defence
Fall boldly on,l est th ey with blazing fire
Our sh ips destroy, and h inder our retreat.
1 63
I LIAD .
about the sh ips,and the Greeks have scarce standing
ground between them and th e s ea . For they see not
the gleam ofmy helmet . And D iom ed i s not there
with h is spear ; nor do I hear the voic e o f A g am em
non, but only the vo ice ofHector , as h e cal l s th e menof Troy to the battl e . Go , th erefore , Patroclus , and
drive the fire from the sh ips . And th en come thou back ,nor fight any more with the Troj ans , l est thou take my
glory from me . And go not near, i n th e del ight ofbattl e
,to th e wall s of Troy , l est one of the gods meet
thee to thy hurt ; and , o f a truth , th e keen archer
Apol lo loves them wel l .
But as they talked th e one to the other , Aj ax coul d
hold out no longer. For swords and j avel ins came
thick upon him,and clattered on h is h elmet , and h is
shoulder was weary with th e great sh i eld wh ich he
held ; and he breathed h eavi ly and hard , and the grea t
drops ofsweat fel l upon the ground . Then at th e last
Hector came near and smote h i s spear with a great
sword, so that th e head fel l off. Then was Aj ax soreafraid
,and gave way, and the men o f Troy set torches
to the sh ip ’ s stem , and a great flame shot .up to the
sky. And Achi l l es saw it,and smote h is th igh and
spake“Haste thee
,Patroclus
,for I s ee th e fire r i s ing up
from the ships . Put thou onth e armor,and I wi l l cal l
my peopl e to th e war .”
So Patroclus put on th e armor—corsl et and sh i eldand helme t—and bound upon h is shoul der the s i lverstudded sword , and took a mighty spear in h i s hand .
But the great Fel ian spear h e took not ,‘for that no
man but Achi ll es might wield . Then Automedon yoked
the horses to th e chariot,Bayard and Piebald
,and
with them in the s ide harness,Pedasus ; and they two
were deathl ess steeds , but h e was mo rtal .M eanwhi l e Achil les had ca l l ed th e Myrmidons to
164
I LIAD .
battl e.Fifty sh ips had he brought to Troy, and in
each there were fi fty men . Five leaders they had, and
the bravest ofth e five was Pisander.Then Ach ill es said
,
“Forget not , ye Myrmidons , th e
bold words that ye spake against th e men of Troy dur
i ng the days ofmy wrath , making complaint that Ikept you from the battl e against your wi l l . Now ,
therefore,ye have that wh ich y ou desi red .
”
5 0 the Myrmidons went to the battl e i n c lose array ,helmet to helmet and sh iel d to sh i eld , dlos e as the
stones with wh ich a bui lder bu ilds a wal l . And infront went Patroclus
,and Automedon in th e chariot
beside h im . Then Ach i l l es went to h is tent and took
a great cup from the ch est which Theti s h i s mother
had given h im . N ow no man drank ofthat cup buthe only
,nor did he pour out ofi t l ibat ions to any of
the gods but only to Zeus . Thi s first h e c l eansed with
sulphur,and then with water from th e spring. And
after th i s h e washed h is hands,and stood in the m idst
ofthe space before h i s tent,and poured out o f it to
Zeus,saying
“0 Zeus
,I send my comrade to th i s battl e ; make
him strong and bold , and give h im glo ry , and bring
him home safe to th e sh ip s , and my p eopl e with him .
So he prayed , and Father Zeus heard h im , and part
he granted and part denied .
But now Patroclus with the Myrmidons had come towhere th e battl e was raging about th e sh ip of P rot es ila ii s , and when the men ofTroy behel d h im ,
th ey
thought that Ach i l les had forgotten hi s wrath,and was
come forth to the war . And fi rst Patroclus sl ew P y
rmchm e s , who was the ch i ef ofth e Paeonians who l iveon the banks ofth e broad A x ius . Then th e men ofTroy turned to flee
,and many ch iefs o f fame fel l by
the spears of th e Greeks . So th e battl e rol l ed back tothe trench , and in th e trench many chariots o f th e
1 66
I LIAD .
And gorged with slaughter, st i l l they th irst for moreLike furious , rush
’d the Myrmidonian crew,
Such the i r dread strength,and such thei r deathful
v iew—(POPE !
Buckl er on buckl er p re s s’
d , and helm on helm
And man on man ; th e horsehai r p lumes above ,That nodded , fearful , from the warriors ’ brows ,Each other touch’
d ; so closely m a s s’
d they stood,
Thei r l i ne ofbattl e form ’
d,with courage high
To dash upon th e Troj ans ; and as wasps
That have thei r nest beside the publ i c road ,Which boys del i ght to vex and i rritate
I n wanton pl ay,but to the g en
’
ra l harm ;Them i f some pass ing trav
’
lle r unawares
D isturb,with angry courage forth they rush
I n one conti nuous swarm,to guard thei r nest
E ’ en with such courage p our’
d the Myrmidons
Forth from the sh ip s ; then uproar wi ld aro se.
[Onslaught ofPatroc lus . ]—(DERBY .!46 The crowd he drove
Far from the sh ips,and quench
’
d th e b lazing fire .
There lay the hal f- burnt ship ; with shouts confus’
d
The Troj ans fl ed ; and from amid the sh ip s
Forth pour’
d th e Greeks ; and loud the clamor rose .
As when around a l o fty mountain’
s topThe l i ghtn ing
’
s Lord di spel s a mass o f c loud ,And ev ’ ry crag, and ev
’ry j utt ing peak
I s plain ly seen , and ev’
ry fo rest glade ;And the deep vaul t o f H eav
’
n i s op en’
d wide ;So when the Greeks had clear
’
d the sh ip s offire ,They breath’
d awhi l e ; yet ceas’
d not so the stri fe .
As rav ’ning wolves , that lambs or kids assai l ,S tray
’
d from the i r dams , by carel ess shepherds l eft
Upon the mountain scatter’
d ; these they see ,
1 67
ILIAD .
Troj ans were broken,but the horses o f Ach i l l es went
across i t at a stride , so nimbl e were they and strong.
And the heart ofPatroc lus was set to slay Hector ; buthe could not overtake him , so swi ft were h i s horses .
Then did Patroclus turn h is chariot and keep back
those that fled , that they should not go to th e c ity , and
rushed hi ther and th i ther , st i l l s laying as he went .
But Sarpedon,when he saw the Lyc ians di smayed
and scattered , cal l ed to th em tha t they should be ofgood courage
,saying tha t h e would h imsel f make tri al
ofth is great warrior. So he l eapt d own from hi s
chariot,and Patroclus al so l eapt down , and they
rushed at each other as two eagl es rush together . Then
first Patroclus st ruck down Thrasym e lus , who was th e
comrade ofSarpedon ; and Sarpedon , who had a speari n ei ther hand , with the one struck the horse Pedasus ,which was o f morta l breed
,on th e right shoulder, and
wi th the other missed h i s aim , s ending it over th e l eft
shoulder ofPatroc lus . But Patroc lus m is sed not h i s
aim , driv i ng his spear i nto S a rp edon’
s heart . Then
fel l th e great Lyc ian ch ie f, as an oak , or a poplar, or ap ine fal ls upon the h i l l s before the a x e . But he cal l ed
to Glaucus,h i s companion , saying :
“N ow must thou show thysel f a good warrior , Glau
cus . First cal l th e men o f Lyci a to fight for me , and do
thou fight thysel f, for i t would be foul shame to th ee ,al l thy days , i f the Greeks should spoi l m e of my arms .
”
Then he died . But Glaucus was sore troubl ed , forhe could not help h im , so gri evous was the wound
where Teucer had wounded him . Therefore h e prayed
to Apollo and Apol lo helped h im and made h im whole.
Then he went first to the Lycians,b idding them fight
for their king, and then to th e ch i e fs o f th e Troj ans .that they should save th e body of Sarp edon . And toHector he said
“L i ttl e carest thou for thy al l i es . Lo ! Sarpedon is
1 68
ILIAD .
dead , slain by Patroc lus . Suffe r no t th e Myrmidons toca rry him offand do dishonor to h is body .
”
But Hector was troubl ed to hear such news , and so
were al l the sons ofTroy , for Sarpedon was th e bravestofth e al l i es , and led most p eopl e to the battl e . So
with a great shout they charged and drove th e Greeks
back a space from the body ; and then again the Greeks
d id the l ike . And s o the ba ttl e raged , t i l l no one would
have known th e great Sarpedon , so covered was h e
with spears and blood and dust . But at the last th e
Greeks drave back the men ofTroy from the body,and stripped th e arms , but the body its el f they harmed
not . For Apol lo came down at th e b idding ofZeusand carried it out ofth e midst ofth e battl e , and wash edi t with water, and ano inted it wit h ambros ia , and
wrapped it in garments o f th e gods . And then he gave
i t to Sl eep and Death , and these two carri ed i t to
Lycia,his fatherland .
Then did Patroclus forget the word Which Ach i l l es
had spoken to h im , that h e should not go near toTroy , for he pursued the men ofthe c i ty even to th ewal l . Thric e h e mounted onthe angl e o f th e wall , and
thrice Apol l o h imsel f d rove h im back , pushing h is
sh ining sh ield . But th e fourt h t ime the god said , Go
thou back , Patroclus . I t i s not for thee to take th e c ityofTroy ; no , nor for Achi l l es , who i s far better thanthou art .
So Patroclus went back , fearing the wrath of the
archer—g od . Then Apol lo st irred up the spirit of Hector , that he should g o aga inst Patroclus . Therefore
he went , with h is brother Cebriones fo r driver o f h is
chariot . But when they came near,Patroc lus cast a
great stone which he had i n h i s hand,and smote Ceb
r ione s onthe forehead,crush ing it in
,so that h e ife ll
headlong from the chariot . And Patroclus mockedhim , saying
1 70
Pa troc lus. Suffer not th e My rmi dons toand do di shono r to his body .
"
r was t roubied to hea r such news , and so
011 3 ofTroy .for Sarpedonwas th e bravestand ted most peop l e to the batt l e. 5 0
about the y charg ed and drov e the Greek sfrom the bod y ; and thena g a in th e GreeksAmt!so the bat t l e rag ed , t i l l no one woul d
the g re at Sa rp edon , so covered was heand blo od and dust But at the l ast the
s hack the menofT rey from th e body ,
the a rm s , but th e body its el f they harmedpol lo cam e down at the biddi ng of Z eusout of the mids t washed
r,and anointed and
l g arm ents ofthe gave
it to
near to
th e
he mo unted onthe ang le ofth e w ,all and
o h im s el f d rove him back . pushing his
d. But the fourt h time the g od sai d ,
“Goatroc lus .
I t is no t for thee to take th e c itynor for Achi ll es , who is far bett er than
lus wen t back , fearing the w rath oftheThen Apol lo st irred up th e spiri t ofHec
shoul d g o against Pat rocl u s . Thereforeah his brother Cebr i ones fo r driver o f hisft wh en- they ca m e near , Patroclus cas t awhi ch he had i n hi s hand , and smote Cebie forehead ,
cru shi ng it in , so that he l ellom the chari ot. And P atroclm mocked
I LIAD .
We should h is corpse dishonor, and h i s armsStri p off; and should some comrade dare atte
’
mp tHis rescue
,h im too with our spears subdue .
”
He said ; and they , with martial ardor fi r’
d ,
Around the dead i n sternest combat met,With fearful shouts ; fo rthwi th , as loudly rings ,Amid the mountain forest
's deep recess ,
The woodman ’ s axe,and far i s h eard the sound ;
So from the wide - sp read eart h th ei r c l amor rose ,As brazen arms
,and sh ields
,and tough bul l
’
s - h ide
Encount e r’
d swords and double - pointed spears .
N or might the sharpest s i ght Sarpedon know,
From head to foot with wounds and blood and du s t
D is fi gur’
d ; th ickly round th e dead they swa rm’
d .
As when at spring- t ide i n the cattl e - sheds
Around th e milk - can swarm th e buzzing fl i es ,While the warm milk i s froth ing in the pail ;So swarm
’
d they round th e dead .
[Jove Sends Apol lo to Rescue S arp edon’
s Co rpse ]
(DERBY .!“From amid the spears
W i thdraw Sarpedon , and from al l h i s woundsCl eanse the dark gore ; then bear h im far away,And lave hi s body in the flowing stream ;Then with div ine ambros ia a l l h i s l imbs
Anoint ing , c lothe h im i n immortal robes .
To two swi ft bearers give h im then in charge,
To Sl eep and Death,twin b roth ers , i n thei r arms
To bear h im safe to Ly cia’
s wide - spread p lains
There shal l h i s brethren and h i s fri ends perform
Hi s fun’
ra l r ites , and mound and column rai se ,The fitting tribute to th e mighty dead .
”
[Patrocl us Enrages Apol lo . ]—(DERBY .!
Then had the Greeks the lo fty - gated town
Of Priam captur’
d by Patroc lu s ’ hand,
1 7 :
ILIAD .
How nimbl e i s th i s man ! how l i ghtly he dives !What spoi l h e would take o f oysters , div ing from a
ship,even in a stormy sea l Who would have thought
that there were such ski l ful d ivers in Troy !”
Then again the battl e waxed hot about th e body of
Cebriones,and th i s too , at the last, th e Greeks drew
unto themselves,and spoil ed i t o f th e arms . And thi s
being accompl ished , Patroclus rushed against th e men
ofTroy . Thrice he rushed , and each t ime h e s lew
nine ch iefs offame . But the fourth time Apol lo stoodbehind him and struck h im onth e head and shoulders ,so that h i s eyes were darkened . And the helmet fel l
from offh i s head , so that th e horsehai r plumes wereso i l ed with dust . Never befo re had i t touched th eground
,for i t was the h elmet o f Achi ll es . And also
th e g od brake the sp ear i n h i s hand , and struck theshi eld from hi s arms, and loosed h i s corsl et. All
amazed he stood,and then Euphorbus , son ofPan
thoij s , smote h im on th e back with hi s sp ear, but sl ewh im not . Then Patroclus sought to fl ee to th e ranksofhis comrades . But Hector saw h im , and thrust at
h im with h i s sp ear, smit ing h im in th e groin , so thathe fel l . And when th e Greeks saw h im fal l
,th ey sent
up a terribl e cry . Then Hector stood over h im andcried
“Didst thou th ink to spoi l ou r c i ty
,Patroclus
,and to
carry away our wives and daughters i n the ship s ? But ,10 !I have slain thee
,and the fowl s ofth e a i r shal l eat
thy flesh ; nor shal l the great Ach i l l e s help thee at al l
Achi ll es, who bade thee, I trow,strip th e tuni c from
my breast, and thou thoughtest i n thy fo l ly to do it .”
But Patroclus answered,
“Thou boasteth much , Hec
tor . Yet thou didst not slay me,but Apol lo
,who took
from me my arms, for had twenty such as thou met
me, I had slain them al l . And mark thou th i s : death
I72
I LIAD .
and fate are c lose to thee by the hand ofth e greatAchil l es .
And Hector answered , but Patroclus was dead a l
ready :“Why dost thou prophesy death to me ? May be
the great Achi l les h imsel f shal l fal l by my hand .
Then he drew h is spear from the wound , and went
after Automedon , to slay h im,but the swi ft horses of
Achi ll es carri ed h im away.
U 4
ILIAD .
The wei ghty shock h is neck and shoulders feel,
His eyes flash sparkl es , hi s s tunn’
d senses reel
I n giddy darkness : far to distance flung,
His bounding he lm et onth e champaign rung.
Ach i l l es’
plume i s s ta in’
d with dust and gore ,That p lume which never s too-p
’
d to earth before .
Jove dooms it now on Hector ’ s helm to nod—(PO PE !Now death was near at hand ; and in h i s grasp
H is sp ear was shiv er’
d, pond
’
rous,long
,and tough
,
B rass - pointed ; with its belt , th e ample sh ieldFel l from hi s shoulders ; and Apol lo
’ s hand,
The royal son o f Jove,h i s corselet loos ’d .
Then was h i s mind bew ilde r’
d ; and h i s l imbs
Gave way beneath h im ; al l aghast he stood :(DERBY .!
[Disarmed by Apoll o , Patroclus is Slain]
Him, from beh ind, Euphorbus , Panthous’ son,Approaching clos e, between the shoulders s tabb’ d
Back to hi s comrades ’ she lt’
r ing ranks re t ir’
d ,
From certai n death , Patroc lus : by the stroke
Of Phoebus v anquish’
d,and Euphorbus’ spear
But Hector,when Patroc lus from the fight
He saw retreat ing, wounded , th rough the ranks
Advanc ing,smote h im through the flank ; ri ght th rough
The brazen spear was dr iv ’n; thund’
r ing he fel l ;And deeply m ourn
’
d h is fal l th e Grecian host .
As when a l i on has i n fight o’
erborne
A tuskéd boar, when onthe mountain topThey two have met , i n al l th e i r p ride ofstrength ,Both parch
’
d with thi rst,around a scanty spring ;
And v anquish’
d by the l ion ’ s fo rce,the boar
Hath yielded, gasp ing ; so Menoetius’
son ,Great deeds achiev
’
d , at len g th beneath th e spear
O f nobl e H ector yi elded up h is l i fe .
1 75
CHAPTER X I I I
THE ROUSING OF ACHI LLES
IERCE was the fight about the body of Patroclus ,and many heroes fe ll , both on th i s s ide and on that ,
and first ofthem al l Euphorbus, who , i ndeed , had
wounded h im . For as he came near to strip the dead
man ofh is arms , Mene la ii s sl ew h im with h i s sp ear.
He sl ew h im , but took no t hi s arms , fo r H ector came
through the battl e ; nor did Mene la ii s dare to ab ide h is
coming, but went back to th e ranks of h i s ownpeopl e .
Then did Hector strip offthe arms of Patroc lus,the
arms which th e great Ach i l l es had given h im t o wear .Then he laid hold ofth e body, and would have draggedit into the host o f th e Troj ans , but Aj ax Telamon came
forth , and put h i s broad sh i eld before i t , as a l ion stands
before its cubs when the hunters meet i t i n the woods ,drawing down over its eyes i ts shaggy brows . Then
Hector gave pl ace,but Glaucus saw him and said
“N ow i s th i s a shame to th ee , that thou dares t not to
stand against‘
Ajax . How w i l t thou and thy country
men save the c ity o i Troy ? For surely no more wi l l
thy al l ies fight for i t. Smal l p rofit have they ofthee .Did not Sarpedon fal l
,and didst thou not l eave him to
be a prey to the dogs ? And now ,i f thou hadst stood
firm and carri ed offPatroc lus , we might have madeexchange
,and gained from the Greeks Sarpedon and
h is arms . But it may not be,for thou feares t Aj ax
,and
fleest before h im .
”
But Hector said , I fear h im not , nor any man .
Only Zeus gives victory now to one man and now to
1 76
I LIAD .
another.But wait thou here , and see whether I be a
coward,as thou sayest .
”
N ow he had sent the armor ofPatroc lus to th e c ity .
But now he ran after those tha t were carrying it , and
overtook them,and put onthe armor himsel f (but Zeus
saw h im doing it,and l iked it not!, and came back to
th e battle ; and al l who saw him thought that i t hadbeen the great Ach i l l es h imsel f. Then they al l
charged together,and fi ercer grew the battl e and fi e rcer
as th e day went on. For th e Greeks sa id one to an
other,
“N ow had the earth better yawn and swal low us
up al ive,than we should l et the men ofTroy carry off
Patroclus to the i r c ity ; and the Troj ans said,“Now
i f we must al l fal l by the body ofth i s man,be it so , but
we wil l not yie ld . But the horses o f Ach i l l es stood
apart from th e battl e , when they knew that Patroc lus
was dead,and wept . N or could Automedon move
them with the lash,nor with gentle words , nor with
threats . They would not return to the sh ips , nor would
they go into the battl e ; but as a p i ll ar stands on thetomb ofsome dead man , s o th ey stood , with th ei r
heads drooped to th e ground,with th e b ig tears drop
p ing to the earth , and thei r long manes trai l in g in the
dust .
But Father Zeus b eheld them,and piti ed th em
,and
said“I t was not well that we gave you, immortal . as ye
are , to a mortal man ; for ofal l th ings that move onearth , mortal man i s th e ful l est ofsorrow . But Hector
shal l not posses s you. I t i s enough for h im,yea, and
too much , that h e has the arms of Ach i l l es .”
Then did the horses move from their p lace and obey
thei r charioteer as before . N or coul d Hector take
them , though he des ired them very much . And al l
the whi le the battl e raged about the dead Patroclus .And at last Aj ax said to M ene la ii s (now thes e two had
I LIAD .
With such a sound , as when the ocean wave
Meets on the beach th’ outpouring of a stream
Swoll’nby th e rains ofH eav
’
n: the lofty c l iffsResound
,and bel lows the b ig sea without ;
With such a sound adv anc’
d th e Troj an host :
Whil e round Patroc lus,with one heart and mind ,
The Greeks a fenc e o f brass - c lad bucklers ra is'
d .
[Ajax Defends the Body o f Patroclus ](DERBY .!
At fi rst th e Troj ans drove th e keen - ey’d Greeks ;Leaving the corpse , they fl ed ; nor with thei r spears
The val iant Troj ans r each’
d a singl e Greek ;But on the dead they se i z
’
d ; yet not for longEndur ’d th e i r fl ight ; them Aj ax ral l i ed soon ,I n form pre - eminent
,and deeds o f arms ,
O ’ er al l th e Greeks,save Peleus
’
matchl ess son.
Onward he sp rang,as sp rings a mountain b oar
,
Which,turn ing in the forest glade to bay
,
Scatters with ease both dogs and stalwart youth s ;So Aj ax scatte r
’
d soon the Troj an ranks ,That round Patroclus c losing, hop
’
d to bear ,W i th glory to themselves , hi s corps e to Troy .
All around
Patroclus rose a fence o f serri ed sh i elds,
And spears proj ecting : such th e orders g iv’n
By Aj ax,and with earnest care enforc’
d ;
That from around the dead should none reti re,
Nor any to th e front advance alone
B efore h i s fe l lows ; but the i r steady guardMainta in and hand to hand the battl e wage .So order 61 Ajax ; then with crimson bloodThe earth was wet ; and hand to hand they fel l ,Troj ans al ik e, and brave Al li es , and Greeks ;Thus
,furious as t he rage of fire , they fought .
I LIAD .
borne themselves more bravely in the fight than al l
others!'
See i f thou cans t find Antilochus , Nestor’
s son , that
he may carry the tidings to Achi ll es , how that Patro
c lus is dead .
”
S o Menelaus went and found Anti lochus on the left
o f th e battle,and said to h im ,
“I have i l l n ews for thee .
Thou seest,I trow, th at the men o f Troy have th e vic
tory to - day. And al so Patroc lus l i es dead . Run , there
fore,to Ach i l les
,and te l l h im , i f hap ly he may save the
body ; but as for the arms , Hector has them already .
”
Sore dismayed was Anti l ochus to hear such tidings,
and hi s eyes were fi l l ed with tears and h i s voic e waschoked . Yet did h e give heed to the words of Menela ii s , and ran to tel l Ach il l e s o f what had chanced .
But Menel au s went back to Aj ax, where he had l efth im by Patroclus
,and said
“Antilochus , i ndeed , bears th e t idings to Achi l les .
Yet I doubt whether he wi l l come , fo r al l h i s wrath
against Hector,seeing that h e has no armor to cover
him . Let us th ink , then , how we may best carry P at roclus away from the men of Troy .
”
Then said Aj ax ,“Do thou and Meriones run forward
and raise the body in your arms,and I and the son o f
O'
i-l eus wi ll keep offmeanwh il e th e men o f Troy .
”
So Menelau s and Meriones ran forward and l i fted upthe body. And the Troj ans ran forward with a great
shout when they saw them,as dogs run barking before
the hunters when they chase a wi ld boar ; but when th e
beast turns to bay, 10 !th ey flee thi s way and that . S o
did the men ofTroy fl ee when Aj ax the Greater and
Aj ax the Less turned to give battl e . But st il l th e
Greeks gave way, and sti l l the Troj ans came on , andever in the front were Hector
, the son ofPr i am, andE neas , the son o f Anchi ses . But i n the meant imeAnti lochus cam e near to Ach i l les, ‘
who, indeed, seeing
1 80
ILIAD .
that th e Greeks fl ed and the men o f Troy pursued , was
al ready sore afra id . And he said, weep ing as h e spake“ I bring il l news—Pa troclus l i es low . The Greeks
fight for his body , but Hector has h i s arms .”
Then Achil les took ofthe dust o f th e p la in in h i shands
,and poured i t onhi s head, and lay at h i s l ength
upon the ground,and tare h i s hair . And al l th e women
wai led . And Ant i lochus sat weep ing ; but ever he held
the hands ofAchi l l es , l est h e should slay h imsel f i n h i sgreat grief.
Then came his mother , hearing h i s c ry , from whereshe sat i n the depths ofth e s ea, and laid h er hand on
him and said :“Why weepest thou
,my son? Hide not the matter
from me,but tel l me .
”
And Ach i ll es answered,All that Zeus prom i sed thee
for me he hath fulfi l l ed . But what profi t have I,for lo !
my friend Patroclus i s dead , and Hector has the arms
which I gave h im to wear . And as for me , I care notto l ive , except I can avenge me Upon h im .
”
Then said Thetis ,“Nay
,my son, speak not thus
For when Hector di eth,thy doom a l so i s near .
”
And Achi l les spake in great wrath : “Would that I
might di e th i s hour,see ing that I could not help my
friend,but am a burden onth e earth—I, who am better
i n battl e than al l th e Greeks bes ides . Cursed be th e
wrath that sets men to strive th e one with the other,
even as i t set me to strive with King Agamemnon !
But l et the past be past . And as for my fate—l et i tcome when it may, so that I first avenge mysel f on
Hector. Wherefore seek not to keep me back from th ebattl e .”
Then Theti s sai d , Be it s o ; only thou canst not go
without thy arms , wh ich Hector hath . But to - m or
row wil l I go to Hephaestus,that he may furni sh thee
anew.
”
1 82
ILIAD .
That shook the mountain ; and with v ict’
ry crowned
The Troj an arms,and panic - struck the Greeks .
[Ajax Prays fo r L i ght . ]
Alas!who sees not Jove ’ s almighty hand
Trans fers th e glory to the Troj an band ?
Whether the weak or strong discharge the dart ,He guides each arrow to a Grec ian heart ;Not so our spears ; i ncessant though they ra in ,He sufl’er s every lance to fal l i n vain .
The men , th e steeds , th e armies, a ll are lost
I n general darkness— Lord o f earth and air!0 king! 0 fath er! hear my humble prayer :
Dispel thi s c loud , th e l ight o f heaven restore ;Give me to see
,and Aj ax asks no more .
I f Greece must p eri sh , we thy wi l l obey ,But l et us p eri sh in the face of day !”With tears th e hero spoke
,and at h i s p rayer
The god,rel enti ng, clear
’
d th e clouded a i r ;Forth burst the sun with al l - enl ightening ray ,The blaze o f armor flashed against th e day .
[Menelaus and Meriones, Protected by the A j ace s ,B ear OH th e Corpse . ]
They,l i ft ing i n thei r arms the corpse ,
Upra is’
d i t h igh in ai r ; then from beh ind
Loud y e ll ’d the Troj ans , as they saw the Greek sRet i ri ng w i th thei r dead ; and on they rush ’
d ,As dogs that in advance of hunter youths
Pursue a wounded boar ; awhi l e they run ,Eager for b lood ; but when , i n p ride o f strengt h ,He turns upon them , backward they reco i l ,This way and that i n fear o f death dispe rs
’
d
So onward pre ss’
d awhil e the Troj an crowd,
W i th thrus t o f swords, and doubl e- pointed spears ;
1 83
I LIAD .
But whil e they talked the men of Troy p ressed theGreeks more and more , and the two heroes , Ajax th e
Greater and Aj ax the Less , could no longer keep H ec
tor back,but that he should lay hold ofthe body of
Patroclus . And indeed he would have taken it, but
that Zeus sent I r i s to Achi l l es , who said :“Rouse thee
,sonofPel eus
,or Patroc lus wi l l b e a
prey for the dogs of Troy !”
But Ach i ll es said , “How shal l I g o ? —fo r arms haveI none
,nor know I whos e I m ight wear. Haply I
could shi ft with the sh i eld ofAjax , son of Te lamon
but he,I know
,i s carrying it in th e front o f the battl e .”
Then answered I ri s ,“Go only to the trench and show
thysel f ; s o shal l the men o f Troy trembl e and cease
from th e battl e,and the Greeks shal l have breath ing
space .
So he went , and Athene put her a gis about h i s
mig hty shoulders , and a golden halo about h i s head ,making i t sh ine as a flame o f fire
,even as the watch
fi res shine at night from some c ity that i s b es i eged .
Then went he to th e trench ; with th e battl e h e mingl ed
not , heeding h is mother’ s commands
,but h e shouted
aloud , and hi s vo ice was as the sound o f a trumpet.
And when the men ofTroy heard,they were stricken
with fear, and the horses backed with th e chariots , andthe
‘
driv ers were astoni shed when they saw the flaming
fire above h i s head which Athene had kindled . Thrice
across the trench the great Ach i l l es shouted,and thric e
the men o f Troy fel l back . And that hour there perished twelve ch i efs o f fame
,wounded by thei r own
spears or trampl ed by their own steeds,so great was
the terror among the men of Troy.
Right gladly did the Greeks take Patroclus out ofth epress . Then they l aid h im on a b i er and carri ed h imto the tent, Achi l l es walking with many tears by h iss ide.
ILIAD .
But on the other side the men of Troy held an as
s em bly .Standing they held it, for none dared to s it ,
lest Ach i l les should be upon them .
Then spake P o ly dam a s :“Let us not wait here for
the morn ing. I t was wel l for us to fight at th e sh ip s
whil e Achi l les yet kept h i s wrath against Agamemnon .
But now i t i s no t so . For to - morrow h e wil l come
against us in h i s anger, and many wi l l fal l b efore h im .
Wherefore l et us go back to the c ity, fo r h igh are the
wal ls and strong the gates , and he wil l peri sh before he
pass them .
”
Then said Hector, This i s i l l counsel , P oly dam a s .
Shal l we shut ourselves up in the c ity,where al l our
goods are wasted al ready, buying meat fo r the peop le ?Nay
,l et us watch to - night , and to - morrow we wil l
fight with the Greeks . And i f Ach il l e s be i ndeed come
forth from hi s tent , be it so . I wi l l not shun to meet
him , for Ares gives the v i cto ry now to one man andnow to another.”
So he spake, and al l the p eopl e appl auded , fool i sh ,not knowing what the morrow should bring fo rth .
Meanwhil e in the camp of the Greeks they mournedfor Patroclus . And Ach il l es stood among hi s My rm idons and said
“Vain was th e p romis e that I made to Menoetiusthat I would bring back his son with hi s portion ofthespoils ofTroy . But Z eus fulfi l s not the thoughts o f
man . For he l i es dead , nor shal l I return to the houseofPeleus , my father, for I , too , must die i n th i s land .
But thee , O Patroclus , I wil l not bury t i l l I bring h itherth e head and the arms o f Hector
,and twelve men o f
Troy to s lay at thy funeral p i l e .”
So they washed the body o f Patroc lus and ano inted
it, putting ointment into the wounds , and laid i t on a
bed, and covered it with a vei l from the h ead to th efeet.
I LIAD .
Such horror Jove im p res s’
d !yet st i l l p roc eedsThe work o f death
,and sti l l th e battl e b leeds—(POPE !
[Achi ll es Learns ofPatroc lus’ Death . ]
Darkest c louds o f grief o’
erSpread
Ach il l es ’ brow ; with both his hands he se iz’
d
And pour’
d upon h i s head the grimy dust ,Marr ing h i s graceful v i sage ; and de fi l
’
d
With b lack’ning ashes al l h i s costly robes .
S tre tch’
d i n the dust h i s lo fty stature lay ,As with h i s hands his flowing locks he tore ;I n tears beside h im stood Anti lochus
,
And in h is own Ach il l es ’ hand he held,
Groaning in sp irit,fearfu l l es t for gri e f‘
I n hi s own bosom he should sheathe h i s sword .
Achi l l es,answ’
r ing , spoke i n pass ionate grief
Would I m ight di e th i s hour,who fa il ’d to save
My comrade slain ! far from h is nat ive land
He died, sore needing my protect ing arm ;
And I,who ne ’e r agai n must see my home ,
Nor to Patroclus , nor th e many Greeks
Whom Hector’ s hand hath slain , have render’
d aid ;But idly h ere I s it
,cum b
’
r ing th e ground :
I,who amid the Greeks no equal own
I n fight .
[Juno Commands Achi l l es to Join the War . ]
(DERBY .!
From Olympus ’ height
Came storm - swi ft I ri s down t o Pel eus’ son
,
And bade h im don hi s arms ; by Juno sent ,Unknown to Jove
,and to th
’ Immortals al l .
She stood beside h im,and addressed him thus
“Up,son ofPel eus ! up , thou prince o f men!
Haste to Patroclus’ rescue ; whom around ,B e fore th e sh ip s , i s waged a fearful war,
1 87
ILIAD .
Then went Theti s to the palace ofHephae stus , topray him that he would make arms for her son . And
the lady hi s wi fe,whose name was Grace, bade h er
welcome,and said
“Why comest thou,Thetis ? for thou art not wont to
come hither,though thou art dear to us .
Then she cal led to h er husband that Theti s sought
him,and h e answered from h is fo rge where he
wrought :“Dear i s Theti s to me for sh e saved me in the old
time,when my mother would have put me away b e
cause that I was lame . Greet her there fore fo r me ;right wil l ingly wi l l I pay her what sh e deserves at my
hands .” Then he came from hi s forge and sat down
by the goddess,and asked her ,
“What wante s t thou ?”
Then did Theti s tel l h im ofher son Ach i ll es, and ofthe wrong that had been done to him , and o f h i s wrath ,and ofhow Patroc lus was dead
,and the arms that h e
had had were lost .
Then said Hephae stu s . B e ofgood cheer : I wi l lmake what thou askest . W ould that I could as eas i lykeep from h im the doom ofdeath .
”
Then Hephae stus wrought at h i s forge . And first o fal l he made a mighty sh ie l d. On it h e wrought th e
earth , and the sky, and the sea , and the sun , and th e
moon , and al l th e stars . He wrought al so two c i ti e s .
I n the one there was peac e,and about the other th ere
wa s war. For i n th e fi rst th ey l ed a bride to her homewith music and dancing
,and the women stood in the
doors to see the show,and in the market - place the
j udges j udged about one that had been sl ai n,and one
said that h e had paid the p rice ofblood,and th e
other deni ed . But about the oth er c ity there sat anarmy besi eging it , and the men o f th e c ity stood upon
the wal l , defending it . These had al so set an ambush
by a river where th e herds were wont to drink. And
1 88
I LIAD .
when the h erds came down , th ey rose up and tookthem
,and sl ew the herdsmen . But the army of the be
s iegers heard the cry , and came swiftly on horses, and
fought by the bank of th e r iver . Also h e wrought one
field where many men drove the p lough,and another
where reapers reaped the corn , and boys gathered it in
thei r arms to bind i nto sheaves , whi l e th e lord stood
glad at heart beholding them . Also h e wrought a
vineyard,wherein was a path , and youth s and maidens
bearing baskets ofgrapes , and in the m idst a boyplayed on a harp of gold and sang a pl easant song.
Also he made a herd ofoxen go ing from the stabl es tothe pastures
,and herdsmen and dogs , and in th e front
two l ions had caught a m ighty bul l and were devouring
it , whi le th e dogs stood far offand barked . Also h e
made a sheep fo ld ; also a marvel lous dance of men and
maidens, and thes e h ad coronets of gold , and those
daggers ofgold hanging from belts o f s ilver. And
round about the shi eld he wrought th e great river o f
ocean . Bes ides the sh i eld,he also made a corsl et
brighter than fire,and a great helmet with a crest of
gold , and greaves of
I LIAD .
Thric e shouted from the d itch th e godl ike ch i ef;Thric e terro r struck both Troj ans and All ie s ;And there and then beside thei r chariot s fel lTwelve of thei r bravest , wh il e th e Greeks, wel l p lea s
’
d ,
Patroclus’ body from the fray withdrew ,
And on a l i tter laid .
'
[Ach i l l es Swears Vengeance Ove r the Body ofPatroclus . ]
The Greeks al l night with tears and groansB ewa il
’
d Patroclus : onh i s comrade’ s breast
Achi l les laid h i s murder - deal i ng hands
And l ed with bitter groans the loud lament .“For us hath fate decreed , that here i n Troy
We two one soi l sho uld redden with our b lood ;But si nc e
,Patroclus
,I am doom
’
d on eart hBehind th ee to remain , thy fun’
ral rites
I wi l l not c el ebrate ti l l Hector’ s arms
,
And head,thy haughty slayer
’
s,here I bring
And on thy pyre twelve nobl e sons ofTroyWil l sacrific e , i n vengeance ofthy death .
Thou by our beaked sh ips t i l l th en must l i e .
He said , and bade hi s comrades on th e fire
An ampl e tripod p lac e,without delay
To cl eanse Patroclus from the b loody gore
They on the burning fire the tripod p lac’
d,
With water fi ll ’d , and kindl ed wood beneath .
Around th e bel ly ing tripod rose th e flames,
Heating th e bath ; with in the g l itt’
r ing brass
Soon as th e water bo il ’d,th ey wa sh
’
d th e corpse ,With l i ssom oi l s anoint ing, and th e wounds
With fragrant ointment s fi ll ’d , of n ine years old
Then in fine l inen they th e body wrapp’
d
From head to feet,and laid it on.a couch
,
And cov er’
d over with a fai r wh ite sheet .
2
1 01
ILIAD .
[Vulcan Forges New Armor for Achi l l es ]
Soon as he bade them blow , th e bel lows turn’
d
Their i ron mouths ; and where the furnace buru’
d,Resounding breathed : at once the blast exp i res,And twenty forges catch at once the fires ;Just as th e god di rects , now loud, now low,
They raise a tempest , or they gently b low ;I n hiss ing flames huge si lver bars are rol l
’
d ,
And stubborn brass,and tin
,and sol id gold .
B efore,deep fi x ’
d,th e eternal anvil s stand :
The ponderous hammer loads h i s bette r hand ,His left with tongs turns the v e x
’
d metal round ,And thick
,strong strokes
,the doubl ing vaults rebound .
And first a sh iel d h e fashion’
d,vast and strong,
W i th rich adornment ; c i rc l ed with a r im ,
Threefold,bright- gl eaming, whence a si lver belt
Depended ; of five folds th e sh ield was form’
d ;
And onit s surface many a rare designOf curious art h is pract is ’d sk i l l had wrought.
Thereon were fi gur’
d earth , and sky , and sea,The ever - c ircl ing sun
,and ful l - o rb ’
d moon ,And all the s igns that crown th e vault o f Heav
’n;Pleiads and Hyads
,and Orion ’ s m ight
,
And Arct os,ca ll
’
d the Wain,who wheel s onh igh
His circ ling course , and on Orion waits ;Sol e star that never bathes in th
’ ocean wave .
And two fai r populous towns were sculptur’
d thereI n one were marriage
,pomp and revel ry
,
And brides , in gay process ion , th rough the streetsWith blazing t orches from the ir chambers borne,While frequent rose the hymeneal song.
1 92
I LIAD .
They p lac’
d two sp ies , to noti fy betimes
Th’ approach offlocks of sheep and lowing herds .These
,i n two shepherds
’
charg-e , ere long appear’
d .
Who,unsuspect ing as they mov
’
d along,Enj oyed the music of thei r past ’ ral p ip es .They on the booty, from afar d iscern
’
d,
Sprang from thei r ambuscade ; and cutt ing offThe herds
,and fleecy flocks
,th ei r guardians sl ew .
Thei r comrades heard the tumult, where they satB efore thei r sacred al tars
,and forthwith
Sprang on thei r cars,and with fast - stepp ing steeds
Pursued the p lund’
rers , and o’
ertook th em soon .
There on the river’s bank they met i n arms ,And each at other hurl ’d th ei r brazen spears .
And th ere were fi gur’
d Str i fe and Tumult wi ld ,And deadly Fate
,who in he r i ron grasp
One newly- wounded, one unwounded bore ,
While by the feet from out th e p ress she dra g g’
d
Another slain : about h er shoulders hung
A garment cr im son’
d with th e blood of men .
L ike l iving men they s e em’
d to move, to fight,
To drag away the bodies of the slain .
And there was g rav’na w ide - extended plain
Of fal low Ian-d , rich , fert i le , mel low,so i l
,
Thrice ploug h’
d ; where many ploughmen up and down
Thei r teams were driving ; and as each a tta in’
d
The l imit ofth e field,would one advance
And tender h im a cup ofg en’
rous wine
Then would he turn,and to the end again
Along the furrow cheerly drive h i s plough .
And sti l l beh ind them darker show ’d the so i l,
The true presentment of a new -
p lough’
d fiel d,
Though wrought in go ld ; a miracl e o f art
1 94
ILIAD .
There grew by th i s a fiel d ofcorn , h igh , r ipe , wherereapers wrought ,
And let th ick handful s fal l to earth , for wh ich someother brought
Bands and ma de sheaves . Three b inders stood,and
took the handfuls reapedFrom boys that gathered quickly up
,and by them arm
ful s heaped .
Amongst thes e at a furrow ’
s end the k ing stood
pl eased at heart ,Said no word , but h i s scepter showed . And from h im ,
much apart ,His harvest - bai l iff s underneath an oak a feast prepared
,
And having kil led a mighty o x , stood there to s ee h im
shared,Which women for their harvest folks ( then come to
sup!had dressed ,And many wh ite wheat - cakes bestowed , to make i t upa feast .
And,with rich c lusters laden
,there was g rav
’nA vineyard fa ir ; al l gold ; ofglossy blackThe bunches were
,ons i lver poles susta in
’
d
Around,a darksome trench ; beyond , a fenc e
Was wrought,of sh in ing tin ; and through it l ed
One only path,by wh ich the bearers pas s ’d ,
Who g ather’
d i n the v ineyard’
s bounteous store .
There maids and youth s,i n j oyous sp i ri ts bright ,
I n woven baskets bore th e lusc ious fruit .A boy
,amid them , from a clear - ton
’
d harp
Drew lovely music ; wel l h i s l iqu id vo iceThe s trings accompani ed ; they al l with danceAnd song harmonious join’
d , and j oy ous shouts ,As the g ay bevy l i ghtly t ripp ’
d along.
1 95
ILIAD .
Here herds ofoxen march , erect and bold .
Rear high their horns , and seem to low in gold .
And speed to meadows on whose sounding shores
A rapid torrent through the rushes roars ;Four golden herdsmen as thei r guardians stand,
And nine sour dogs complete the rusti c band.
Two l ions rush ing from the wood app ear’
d ;
And seized a bul l,the master o f the herd :
He roar’
d : i n vain the dogs , th e men with stood ;They tore h is flesh
,and drank h is sabl e blood.
The dogs (oft che er’
d in vain! desert th e p rey ,Dread th e grim terrors , and at di stance bay.
And there the sk i l ful arti st’
s hand had trae’dA pasture broad
,with fl eecy flocks o
’
erspread ,
I n a fai r glade , wi th fo ld , and tents , and pens.
There, too ,
the skil ful artist ’s hand had wrought
With curious workmansh ip,a m a y dance ,
Like that which Daedalus in Cnossus erst
At fai r ha ir’
d Ariadne’
s b idding fram ’
d .
There , l aying each onother’ s wri sts th ei r hand ,
Bright youths and many - suito r’
d maidens danc’
d
In fai r white l inen these ; i n tunics those ,Well woven
,sh ining soft wi th fragrant oi ls ;
These with fai r coronets were crown’
d ,while those
With golden swords from s i lve r be l ts were girt .N ow whirl
’
d they round with nimbl e pract is’
d feet,
Easy , as when a potter , seated , turns
A wheel , new fa shion’
d by h i s ski lful hand ,And sp ins i t round , to p rove i f t rue i t run ;N ow featly mov
’
d in well - beseeming ranks .A num
’
rous crowd , around ,the lovely dance
Surv ey’
d, del ighted ; whi l e an honor
’
d Bard
Sang, as h e struck the lyre , and to th e strainTwo tumblers , inth e m idst , were whi rl ing ro und .
1 96
CHAPTER X IV
UT a ll the whi l e Ach il les sat mourn ing for Patroclus ,and his comrades wept about h im . And at dawn
Thetis brought h im the arms and la id them before h im .
Loud they ratt led on the ground , and al l th e Myrmidons
trembled to hear ; but when Achi l l es saw them hi s eyes
blaz ed with fire,and h e rej o iced in h i s heart . Only
he said to h is mother that h e feared lest the bodyshould decay , but sh e answered :
“Be not troubl ed about th i s , for I wi l l see to it .
Make thy peac e with Agamemnon , and go to thebattl e .
Then Ach i l l es went along th e shore and cal l ed th e
Greeks to an assembly,shouting mighti ly ; and al l ,
even those who were wont to ab ide i n the sh ip s . l i st ened to hi s vo ic e and came . So the assembly was
gathered,and Ach i l les stood up in the midst , sayi ng
that h e had put away h i s wrath ; and King A g am em
non,s itt ing onh is throne ( fo r h i s wound h indered him
from standing!, said that h e repented h im of the wrong
which he had done,only that Z eus had turned h i s
thoughts to folly ; but now he would give to Ach i ll esal l that Ulysses had promised on h is behal f. And
Achi l l es would have l ed the Greeks stra ightway to
battl e , but the wi se Ulysses h indered h im , saying thati t was not wel l that he should send th em to th e fight
fasting. Then did Agamemnon send to th e tents ofAchil l es al l th e gi fts that he had promised , and with
th em the maiden B ri sei s . But sh e , when sh e came andsaw Patroc lus, beat her breast and her fai r neck and
i d
I LIAD .
[The Goddess Theti s B rings Arms to Her Son,Achi lle s . ] —DERBY .!
Now mo rn in safl'
ron robe,from th
’ ocean stream
Ascending,l i ght d iflus
’
d o'e r Gods and men ;
As Theti s, t o the sh ips returning, bore
The gift o f Vulcan ; there her son she found,Who o ’ e r Patroc lus hung in bi tter grie f ;Around him m ourn’
d h is comrades ; i n th e midst
Sh e stood,and cla sp
’
d h is hand , and thus sh e spoke“Leave we , my son, though deep our gri ef, the dead
Here let h im l ie , s ince H eav’nhath doom ’
d h i s fal l ;But thou thes e arms receive , by Vulcan sent ,Fairer than e ’ er onmortal b reast were borne .
The arms before Achi l l es,as she spoke,
The Goddess laid ; loud rang the wondrous work.
With awe th e Myrmidons beh el d ; nor dar’
d
Afl ront th e s ight : but as Ach i l l es g a z’
d ,
More fiery burn’
d h is wrath ; beneath his b rows
His eyes l ik e l i ghtn ing fla sh’
d ; with fierce del i ght
H e se iz’
d th e glorious gift : and when his soul
Had feasted on th e miracl e ofart ,To Theti s thus h i s winged words addres s ’d
“Mother,th e God hath g iv
’nme arms indeed ,Worthy a God
,and such as mortal man
Could never forge ; I go to arm me straight .
[Achil l es Ends H is Quarrel With Agamemnon]
(DERBY!
Along th e ocean beach Ach i l les pas s ’
d ,
And,loudly shouting
,ca ll
’
d onal l the chi efs ;Then all who hereto fore remain
’
d on board ,The steersmen , who the vessel s
’
rudders hold,
The very stewards that s e rv ’
d th e dai ly bread ,All to th
’ assembly throng’
d , when reappear’
d
Achi l les,from the fight so long withdrawn .
When al l the Greeks were c losely th ronged around,
1 99
ILIAD .
face,and wai l ed aloud , fo r he had been gentl e and
good,she said. And a ll th e women wai l ed with her
,
thinking each o f her own sorrows .
Then the chi efs would have Ach i l l es fea st with them ;but h e hearkened not , for he would neither eat nordrink ti l l he had had vengeance for the dead . And he
spake , saying :“Often
,Patroclus , hast thou ordered the feast when
we were hasten ing to th e war . And now thou l i es t
s lain,andfor gri ef for th ee I cannot eat nor dr i nk . For
greater sorrow could not have come to me , not though
Pel eus h imsel f were dead , or my young son N eop
tel emus . Often did I th ink that I only shoul d peri sh
here,but that thou shouldest ret urn and show him a ll
that was mine—goods and servants and palace .
And as he wept the o ld men wept with h im , th inking
each ofwhat he had l eft at home .But after th is th e Greeks were gathered to the battl e
,
and Achi l le s shone i n th e m idst with the arms of
Hephaestus upon h im,and he flashed l ike fi re . Then
he spake to h i s horses“Take heed , Bayard and Pi ebald , that you save your
driver to - day, nor leave him dead on th e fiel d , as you
l eft Patroclus .”
Then H e ré gave to the ho rse Bayard a vo ice , s o thathe spake : “Surely we wi l l save thee
,great Achi l l es ;
yet , for a ll that , doom i s near to thee , nor are we the
cause , but the gods and mastering Fate . N or was itofus that Patroclus d ied
,but Apol lo s l ew h im
,and gave
the glory to Hector. So shalt thou, too , di e by the
hands ofa g od and of a mortal man .
”
And Achil l es sa id ,“What need to
'
tel l me o f m ydoom ? Right well I know it . Yet wi l l I not c ease ti l l
I have made the Troj ans weary of battl e .”
Then with a shout he rushed to th e battl e . And first
there met h im ZEnea s . N ow Ach i l l es cared not to
200
ILIAD .
fight with h im,but bade him go back to h i s comrades.
But JEneas would not, but to ld h im of h i s rac e, how
that he came from Zeus on h is father’
s s ide ; and how
that h i s mother was Aphrodite, and that he held h im
sel f a match for any mortal man . Then he cast h i s
spear,which struck the sh i el d o f Achi l l es with so
dreadful a sound that the hero feared l est i t should
p ierce it through,knowing not that the gi fts of th e
gods are not easy for mortal man to vanquish . Two
fo lds indeed it p ie rced that were of bronze , but in th e
gold it was stayed,and there were yet two of t in with in .
Then Ach il les cast h i s spear . Through the sh ield o f
ZEnea s i t passed , and though it wounded h im not , yet
was he sore di smayed , so near i t came . Then Achi l l e s
drew his sword and rush ed on JEneas , and ZEnea scaught up a great stone to cast at h im . But i t was notthe wi l l o f the gods that zE neas should p eri sh , seeing
that he and h is sons after h im shoul d rul e over th emen of Troy in the ages to come . Therefore Poseidon
l i fted him up and bore him over th e ranks of men to
the l eft o f th e battl e , but first he drew the spear out o f
th e sh ield and laid it at th e feet o f Achi l l es . Much the
hero marvel l ed to see it , crying :“This i s a great wonder that I s ee with mine eyes .
For, lo ! th e spear i s before me , but the man whom
I sought to slay I s ee not . Of a truth i Enea s spaketruth , saying that he was cl ear to the immortal gods .
Then he rushed into the batt l e,s l ayi ng as he went .
And Hector would have m et h im,but Apollo stood
by h im and said,
“Fight no t with Ach il l es,l est h e s lay
thee .”Therefore h e went back among the men o f Troy.
Many did Ach i ll es s lay,and among them Polydorus ,
sonofPriam , who , because h e was the youngest and
very dear , h is father suffered not to go to the battl e .Yet he went , i n h i s fol ly , and being ve ry swi ft of foot ,he trusted in h is speed
,running through the foremost
I LIAD .
His t eeth were gnash ing audibly ; h i s eyeB la z
’
d with the l ight o f fire ; but in h i s hea rtWas grief unbearabl e ; with furious wrath
He burn’
d against the Troj ans,as he donn
’
d
The heav’nly gifts , the work ofVulcan ’s hand .
First onh is l egs th e wel l - wrought greaves h e fi x’
d ,Fasten
'd with si lver clasps ; h is breastplate next
Around h is chest ; and o’
er his breastplate flung
His s i lver - studded sword , with blade o f brass ;Then took h i s vast and weighty sh ield
,whence g leam
’
d
A l ight refulgent as the ful l - orb ’
d moon ;Or as to seamen o
’
er th e wave i s borne
The watchfi re’
s l i ght, which , high among the h i l l s ,Some shepherd kindles in h is l onely fol d :
As they,reluctant , by the stormy winds ,
Far from thei r fri ends are o ’ er the waters dr iv’n
So from Ach i l l es’
sh ie ld , bright , richly wrought ,The l ight was thrown . The weighty helm he ra is
’
d,And p lac
’
d i t on h i s head ; the p lumed helm
Shone l ike a star ; and wav’
d the hairs ofgold,Th ick - s et by Vulcan in the gleaming crest .Then al l the arms Ach i l l es p rov
’
d to know
I f wel l th ey fi tted to h is graceful l imbs
Like wings , th ey s eem ’
d to l i ft h im from the ground .
Last from its case h e drew h i s father’ s spear ,Long, pond ’ rons
,tough ; not one o f al l the Greeks,
None,save A -ch i l les’ sel f
,coul d po ise that spear ;
The far -fam ’
d P e l ianash , which to h i s s i re ,On Pel ion
’
s summit fell ’d,to b e the bane
O f mighty ch iefs,th e Centaur Ch iron gave .
With care Automedon and A lcimus
The horses y ok’
d,with col lars fai r attach’
d
P lac’
d i n thei r m onths th e b its,and pas s
’
d the reinsBack to the wel l - buil t car : AutomedonSprang on the car , with sh ining lash in hand
B ehind , Achi l l es came , array ’
d for war ,I n arms al l g litt ’r ing as the gorgeous sun .
203
I LIAD .
ofthe fighters . But as he ran Ach i l l es smote h im andwounded him to the death . But when Hector s aw i t
he could not bear any more to stand apart. Thereforeh e rushed at Achi l l es , and Ach i l l es rej o ic ed to see h im ,
saying,
“Thi s i s the man who sl ew my comrade . ” But
they fought not th en , fo r when Hector cast hi s sp earAth ene turned it as ide , and when Ach i ll es charged,Apol lo bore Hector away.
Then Achi l le s turned to the others , and sl ew mult i
tudes ofthem ,so that they fl ed
,part across th e pl ain ,
and part to th e river, th e eddying Xanthus . And thes e
l eapt into the water as locusts l eap i nto a river when
the fire which men l i ght drives them from the fields .
And al l th e river was ful l ofhorses and men . Then
Achi l l es l eapt into the stream,l eav ing h i s spear on the
bank,resting on th e tamari sk trees . Only h is sword
had he,and with th is h e s l ew many ; and th ey were as
fishes which fly from some great dolph i n i n the sea .
I n al l the bays ofa harbor they h ide themselves,for th e
great beast devours them apace . So did the Troj ans
h ide themselves under the banks o f th e r iver . And
when Ach i ll es was weary o f slaying he took twelve
al ive , whom he would s lay on th e tomb of Patroc lus .N or was there but one who dared to stand up against
him, and th is was Asteropaeus , who was th e grandson
ofth e river god A x ius , and l ed th e men of Pmonia .
And Ach i l l es wondered to see him,and said
“Who art thou , that standest again st me ?
And he said ,“I am th e grandson o f the r iver god
A x ius , fai rest o f all th e streams on the earth , and I l eadthe men of Paeonia .
And as h e spake he cast two spears, one with each
hand, for he could use either al ike ; and the one s truckthe sh ield , nor p ierced it through , for the g old stayedit , and th e other grazed the right hand so that the
blood spu rted forth . Then did Ach il l e s cas t his sp ear,
204
ILIAD .
but missed h i s ain‘t , and the great sp ear stood fast inthe bank . And thrice Asteropaeus strove to d raw it
forth.Thric e he strove i n vain , and the fourth t ime h e
strove to break the spear . But as he strove Ach i l l essmote h im tha t he died . Yet had be some glory , for
that he wounded the great Achi l l es .
Bu t Priam stood on a tower of the wal l and saw thepeopl e . Sore troub led was he , and he hastened down
to the gates and said to the keepers , Keep the wicket
gates in your hands op en , that the p eopl e may enter in ,for they fly before Ach il l es .” So the keepers held th e
wicket - gates i n the i r hands,and the peopl e ha stened in ,
wearied with toi l and thirst,and covered with dust ,
and Achil l es fo l lowed c los e upon them . And that hour
would the Greeks have taken the c ity of Troy, but that
A poll o saved it . For he put courage into the heart o fAntenor
’
s sonAgenor , s tanding also by h im , that h e
should not be s l ain . Therefore Agenor stood, th inking
with in h imsel f“Shal l I now fl ee with th es e others ? Nay , for not
the less wil l Achi l l es take me and slay me . and I shal l
di e as a coward di es . Or shal l I fl ee acros s the p lain
to Ida , and h ide me in the th i ckets , and come back at
nightfal l to the c i ty ? Yet should h e see me he wi ld
overt ake me and smite me , so swi ft of foot i s he and
strong. But what i f I stand to meet h im before the
gates ? Well , he , too ,i s a mortal man and h is fl esh
may be p ierced by the spear .”
Therefore he stood ti l l A ch il l es shoul d come near .
And when he came he cast h i s sp ear,striking the l eg
below the knee , but th e greave turned offth e sp ear, sostrong was it. B ti t when Ach i l l es would have sl ain
h im , 10!Apol lo l i fted h im up and set h im withi n th e
city; And that the men of Troy might have spac e toenter, he took upon h im Agenor ’ s sha pe. And the
206
ILIAD .
And in the ground,beh ind h im , quiv
’
r ing , stood
E scap’
d th e pond’
rous weapon , sharpest pain
Flash ing across h i s eyes , i n fear he stood ,So close th e spear had pa s s
’
d h im ; onward then ,Drawing hi s trenchant blade , Achi l l es rush
’d,
With fearful shout ; a rocky fragment then
ZEneas l i fted up , a mighty mass ,Which scarce two men , as men are now ,
could bear,
But he,unaided , l i fted i t with ease .
Then had ZEneas, w i th the mass ive stone ,
Or on th e helmet,or th e sh ield
,his death
Averting, struck Ach il l es ; and himsel fHad by th e sword of Pel eus’ son been sla in
,
Had not th’ Earth - shaking God h is peri l seen .
Around the eyes of Pel eus ’ son h e sp read
A vei l o f mist ; th en from ZEneas’ sh i eld
Th e brass - t ipp’
d spear withdrawing, laid i t down
B efore Ach il l es’ feet ; and l i ft ing upE neas
,bore him high above th e ground .
O ’er many a rank ofwarriors and ofcarsE neas flew , supported by the God .
[Pal las Aids Ach il l es and Apol lo Rescues
Hector . ]
W ith upl ift ed spearsA dvanc’
d th e Troj ans ; from the mingl ing hostsLoud rose the clamor ; th en at Hector ’ s sideApol lo stood
,and thus address
’
d the ch i ef :“Hector , forbear Achi l le s to defy ;And ’rui d the c rowd withdraw thee from the fray ;Lest with the spear he slay thee
,thrown from far ,
Or with the sword in combat hand to hand .
”
He sai d ; and troub led by th e heav’nly vo ice ,
Hector ami d the th rong of men withdrew .
When Hector saw h i s brother P olydoreWrith ing in death , a mist o’
erspread his eyes,
2070
I LIAD .
fals e Agenor fled,and Ach il l es pursued . But mean
whil e the men ofTroy flocked into th e c ity , nor didthey stay to ask who was safe and who was dead insuch haste and fear di d they fl ee .
C ont i nued From Page 207
Nor longer coul d h e bear to stand aloof,But sprang to meet Achi l l es , flash ing fire,His keen spear brandish ing ; at s i ght of h im
Up leap’
d Achil l es , and exult ing c ried :Lo
,here the man who most hath wrung my soul
,
Who slew my lov’
d companion : now, meth inks ,Upon the pass o f war not long shal l weStand separate
,nor each the other shun .
Then,with stern glance , to godlike Hector thus
Draw near,and quickly meet thy doom ofdeath .
”
To whom thus Hector o f the glanc ing helm ,
Unterr i fi ed :“Achi l l es
,th ink not me ,
As though a foo l and ignorant o f war,
To daunt with lo fty speech ; I too could wel lWith cutting words and insul t answer thee .
I know thee strong and val iant ; and I know
Mysel f to thee inferior ; but th’ event
I s with the Gods ; and I , i f such thei r wi l l ,The weaker , with my spear may reach thy li fe
My point too hath , ere now,i ts sharpness prov
’
d .
”
He said , and , poi s ing, hurl’
d h is pond’rons spear
,
Which from Ach il les Pallas turn’
d as ide
With l ightest breath ; and back to Hector sent ,And laid before h i s feet ; intent to slay ,Onward Ach il les rush ’d with fearful shout ;But Phoebus Hector from th e fiel d conv ey
’
d,
208
I LIAD .
[The Carnage at the R iver . ]
But when they came to eddying Xanthus’ ford,
Fair - flowing stream , born of immortal Jove ,Achi l les cut i n twain the fly ing host ;Part driving tow
’
rd th e c ity, o’ er th e p lain
,
Where on the former day the routed Greeks,
When Hector rag’
d vi cto rious , fl ed amain .
On,terror - struck , th ey rush
’d ; but Juno spread,To bafli e the i r retreat
,before thei r path
,
Clouds and th ick darkness : ha l f the fugitives
I n the deep river’ s s i lv ’
ry eddies p lung’
d :
With clamor loud they fel l : th e to rrent roar’
d ;
The banks around re—echoed ; here and there ,They , with the eddies wi ldly struggl ing, swam .
His spear amid the tamari sks on th e bank
The hero left ; on savage deeds i ntent,Arm ’d with h i s sword alone
,a God in pow
’
r,
He sprang amid the torrent ; r ight and left
H e smote ; then fearful ros e the gr oans o f men
Slain with th e sword ; th e stream ran red with b lood.
As fishes,flying from a dolphin , crowd
The shoal recesses of some open bay ,I n fear
,fo r whom he catches he devours ;
So crouch’
d th e Troj ans i n the m ighty stream
Benea th the banks ; and when at l ength hi s handWearied ofslaughter
,from the stream
,al ive ,
He drag g’
d twelve youths , whose forfeit l ives should be
The bloody fine for s lain Patroc lus paid .
Helpless from fear,as fawns
,h e brough t them fo rth ;
Their hands s ecur ’d beh ind them with the bel ts
Which o ’er their sh i rt s o f twi sted mai l they wore,
And bade h is comrades l ead them to the sh ip s.
Then onagain he dash’
d, athirst for blood.
ILIAD .
[The Troj ans Driven to the C ity in Pan ic ](DERBY .!
On the Troj ans p ressing,Pel eus ’ son
Horses and men al ike,promiscuous
,s l ew.
As i n a c ity, which the Gods in wrath
Have fi r’
d,whose vol l eying smoke ascends to H eav
’n,
On al l h er p eopl e grievous to i l i s cast,
On many, harm and loss ; such to i l , such loss
Achi l le s wrought amid the Troj an host .Upon a lofty tow
’
r, the work of Gods ,The aged Pr iam stood
,and looking down
,
He m ark’
d Achi l le s’ giant might, and saw
Before h im dr iv’
n i n panic fl i ght confus ’d,
Their courage quit e subdu’
d,th e Troj an host
Then, groaning, from the tow ’ r he hasten ’d down,And to the warders c ri ed along the wal l :
“Stand to the gates,and hold them open
’
d wide,That i n the crowd offugitives may pour,And refuge find ; for c lose upon thei r fl i ght
Achi l les hangs ; disaster now i s near.
But whil e our fri ends,rece iv
’
d with in the wal ls ,Find time to breathe again, replac e in haste
The c losely - fi tt ing portal s ; fo r I fear
That man ofblood may e’ en th e city storm .
He said ; the gates they op en’
d,and drew back
The sol id bars ; the portals , op’ning wide ,
L et i n th e l ight ; but in the vacant spac eApol lo stood
,th e Troj an host to save .
Meantime th e g en’
ral crowd , i n pani c fl i ght ,With eager haste the c ity’ s refuge sought,And al l th e town with fugitives was fi ll
’
d .
Nor did they dare without the wal l s to stand
For mutual a id ; nor halt to know what fri endsWere safe, who l eft upon the battl e - fi eld ;But through the gate s pour’d i n th e hurrying massWho to their act ive l imbs thei r safety ow’
d.
Z II
CHAPTER XV
THE DEATH OF HECTOR
HE Troj ans were now safe i n the ci ty ,refresh ing
themselves after al l the i r gri evous to i l . Only H ec
tor remained outs ide th e wal l s , standing infront o f th e
grea t Scae an gates . But al l th e wh i l e Ach i l l es was
fiercely pursu ing the fal se Agenor,t i l l at la st Apollo
turned and spake to him“Why dost thou pursu e me , swi ft - footed Ach il les ?
Hast thou not yet found out that I am a god , and thatal l thy fury i s i n va i n ? And now al l the sons of Troy
are safe i n thei r c i ty,and thou art here , far out ofthe
way , seek ing to slay me , who cannot di e .”
I n great wrath Achi l l e s answered h im , Thou hast
done me wrong in s o drawing me away from the wal l ,great archer, most mi sch ief - l ov ing ofal l th e gods thatare . Had it not been for th i s , many a Troj an morehad bitten the ground . Thou hast robbed me of great
gl ory, and saved thy favorites . 0 that I had th e powerto take vengeance onth ee! Thou hadst paid dearly forthy cheat!”
Then he turned and rushed towards th e c ity,swift
as a rac ehorse whi rls a chariot ac ross the p l ain .
‘
Old
Priam spi ed him from the walls,with h is gl ittering ar
m or , bright as that brightest o f th e stars—men cal l i tO rion
’
s dog—which sh ines at v intage - t ime,a baleful
l ight, bringing the fevers o f autumn to men . And the
old man groaned aloud wh en he saw him , and stretch
ing out h i s hands, cr i ed to h i s son Hector , where h e
2 1 2
ILIAD .
stood before the gates , eager to [ do battl e with th isdread warrio r
“Wait not for th i s man , dear son , wait not fo r h im ,
l est thou di e beneath hi s hand,for i ndeed h e i s stronger
than thou . Wretch that he is ! I would that the gods
bare such love to h im as I bare ! Right soon would the
dogs and vultures eat h im . Of many brave sons has
h e bereaved me . Two I miss to - dav—Polydorus and
Lycaon . May be they a re yet al ive in the host o f th eGreeks
,and I shal l buy them back with gold
, ofwhichI have yet great sto re i n my house . And i f th ey are
dead , sore gri ef wi l l i t be to me and to th e mother
who bare th em ; but l ittl e wi l l care the other sons o f
Troy, s o that thou fal l no t beneath the hand ofAchi l l es .
Come with in the wal l s,dear ch i l d ; come to save the
sons and daughters ofTroy ; come in p ity for me , thyfather, for whom ,
i n my old age , an evi l fate i s i n store ,to see sons slai n wi th th e sword , and daughters carri ed
into captiv ity,and babes dashed upon the ground . A y ,
and last ofal l , th e dogs which I have reared i n mypalace wil l devour me
,lapp ing my blood and tearing
my fl esh as I l i e on th e th reshol d o f my home . That
a young man should fal l i n battl e and suffer such lotas happens to th e sla in
,th i s i s to b e borne ; but that
such dishonor should be done to th e white hai r and
white beard ofthe o ld , mortal eyes can see no foul er
s ight than th is .
Thus o ld Priam spake , but could not turn the hear tofhi s son. And from the wal l onth e other s ide o f th e
gate h i s mother cal l ed to h im ,weeping so re , and i f
p erchance she m ight thus move h i s p ity,she bared her
bosom in hi s s ight,and said :
“Pity me , my son; th ink ofth e breast wh ich I gave
thee in the o ld days,and st i l l ed thy cri es . Come with i n
the wall s ; wait not for th i s man , nor stand in batt leagainst him . I f h e s lay thee
,nor I
,nor thy wife, shal l
2 1 4
I LIAD .
So,wing
’
d with desp’
ra te hate , Achi ll es fl ew,
So Hector, flying from his keen pursuit,
B eneath the wal ls h i s active s in ews pl i ed .
They by th e watch - tow’
r , and beneath the wal l
Where stood the wind - beat fi g - tree,rac
’
d amain
Along the publi c road,unt i l they reach
’
d
The fai rly - flow ing fount whence i ssues forth ,From doubl e source , S cam ande r ’
s eddying streams .
There rac’
d they,one in fl i ght , and one pursuing ;
Good he who fl ed , but better who pursu’
d ,
W i th fie ry speed ; fo r on that rac e was s tak’
d
No common victim,no i gnoble ox ;
The priz e at stake was mig hty Hector’s l i fe .
As when th e so l id - footed horses fly
Around the course , contending for the prize,Tripod
,or woman of her lo rd bereft ;
So rac’
d they th rice around th e wal ls o f Troy ;On Hecto r
,with untir ing hate
,
The swift Achi l l es p re s s’
d ; as when a hound
Through gl en and tangl ed brake , pursues a fawn ,Rous
’
d from i ts lai r upon th e mountai n s ide ;And i f awh il e it should evade pursuit
,
Low crouching in th e copse , yet quests h e back ,Search ing unweari ed
,t i l l h e find the trac e ;
So Hector sought to b afll e , but in vain ,The keen pursu it of Peleus’ active son .
Oft as he sought the shelter o f the gates
B eneath the wel l - bui l t tow ’
rs,i f hap ly thence
H i s comrades ’ weapons might some aid a fi’
ord ;
So oft h i s foeman,with superior speed ,
Would cut h im ofl‘,and turn h im to the p lai n .
He tow’
rd th e c ity st i l l e s say’
d h i s fl ight ;And as i n dreams , when one pursues i n vain,One seeks i n vain to fly
,th e other seeks
As vainly to pursue ; so could not now
Achi l le s reach,nor Hecto r quit, h i s foe.
2 1 5
ILIAD .
pay thee th e las t honors ofth e dead , but far away bythe ships ofth e Greeks the dogs and vultures wi l l devour thee .
”
So father and mother besought th e i r son , but al l i nvain . He was st i l l m inded to abide th e coming o f
Ach il l es . Just as in the mountains a great snake at its
hol e abides the coming ofa man : fierce glare its eyes ,and it co il s i ts tai l about its hol e : so Hector waited
for Achi ll es ; and as he waited he thought thus with inhimsel f :
“Woe i s me i f I go with in the wal l s ! P olydam a s
wil l be the first to rep roach me , for he a dvised me tobri ng back the sons ofTroy to th e c ity before the nightwhen Achi l l e s roused h imsel f to war. But I would
not l i sten to h im . Would that I had!i t had been much
better fo r us ; but now I have destroyed the peopl e by
my fol ly. I fear the sons and ~daug ht e rs of Troy , what
they may say ; I fear l es t some coward reproach me‘Hector trusted in h i s strength , and 10! he has de
stroyed the peopl e .
’ Bette r were i t for me eithe r tos lay Ach i l les o r to fal l by hi s hand with honor here
before the wal ls . Or,stay : shal l I put down my sh ield
,
and lay aside my helmet , and l ean my spear against thewall and g o to meet th e great Ach il l es , and promis e
that we wil l give back the fai r Hel en,and al l th e
wealth that Pari s carri ed offwith her ; ay , and render
up al l the weal th that there i s i n th e c i ty,that th e
Greeks may divide it among themselve s , b inding the
sons ofTroy with an oa th that they keep nothing back ?But th i s i s idl e talk : he wi l l have no shame or p ity, but
wi ll sl ay me whi l e I stand without arms o r armor before h im . It i s not for us to talk as a youth and a
maiden talk together . I t i s b etter to meet i n arms ,and see whether the rul er o f O lympus wil l give v ictoryto him or to me .
Thus h e thoug ht i n h i s heart ; and Ach il l es came
2 1 6
ILIAD .
near,brandish ing over h i s r ight shoulder the great
P e lianspear, and the flash of h i s arms was as th e flame
offire,or as the ri s ing sun . And Hector trembled
when he saw him ,nor dared to abide h i s coming. Fast
he fl ed from the gates,and fa st Achi l l e s pursued h im
,
as a hawk,fastest o f al l the b irds of ai r , pursues a dove
upon th e mounta ins . Past th e watch - tower they ran,
past the wind - blown fi g - tree, along the wagon - road
which went about th e wal l s , and they came to the fai r
flowing fountain ,where from two sp rings ri ses the
stream ofeddying Scamander . Hot i s one spring,and
a steam ever goes up from it , as from a burn ing fire ;and cold i s the other
,cold , even in the summer h eats ,
as hai l or snow or ic e . There are fai r basins o f stone,
where the wives and fai r daughters o f Troy were wont
to wash their garments , but that was i n the old days of
peace , or ever the Greeks came to th e land . Past th e
springs they ran,one flying, th e other pursuing : brave
was he that fl ed , braver h e that pursued ; i t was no
sheep for sacrifice or sh i eld ofo x - hide for which theyran , but for the l i fe o f H ector , th e tamer of hors es .
Thrice they ran round th e c ity, and al l th e gods looked
on.
And Zeus said , Th is i s a pi teous s ight that I be
hold . My hea rt i s gri eved for Hecto r—Hector , whohas ever worsh iped me with sacrific e
,now on the
heights ofI da,and now i n the c itadel of Troy ; and now
the great Achi l les i s pursui ng h im round th e c ity ofPriam . Come , ye gods , l et us take counsel together.
Shal l we save him from death, or l et h im fal l beneath
the hand ofAch il l es ? ”
Then Athene said , What i s th i s that thou sayest ,great s ire ? —to rescue a man whom fate has appo intedto die ? Do it, i f i t b e thy wi l l ; but we , th e other gods ,approve it not .”
Zeus answered her,My heart i s l oath ; yet I would
do thee pl easure . B e i t as thou wil t .”2 1 2
I LIAD .
Deiphobus, o f al l my brothers , sonsOf Hecuba and Pri am
,thou hast been
Sti l l dearest to my heart ; and now the moreI honor thee who dar’ st onmy behal f
,
Seeing my peri l , from with i n the wall s
To sal ly forth,whil e oth ers skulk beh ind .
To whom the blue - ey ’d Goddess thus rep l i ed :Now , forward boldly ! spare we not our sp ears ;Make trial i f Achi ll es to the sh ips
From both of us our bloody spo i l s canbear,
Or by thine arm himsel f may be subdued .
”
Thus Pal las lur ’d h im on with t reach’
rous wil e ;But when the two were met
,and close at hand
,
First spoke great H ector o f th e glanc ing helm :
“No mo re before thee,Pel eus’ son
,I fly :
Thric e have I fl ed around the wal l s , nor dar’
d
Await th ine onset ; now my spiri t i s rous’
d
To stand before thee , to be slai n , or s lay .
But l et u s first th’ immortal Gods invoke ;
The surest witnesses and guardians they
O f compacts : at my hand no foul di sgrace
Shalt thou sustain , i f Jove with v ictory
Shal l crown my firm endurance , and thy l i fe
To me be forfeit ; o f th ine armor st ripp’
d
I p romi se th ee,Ach i l le s
,to the Greeks
Thy body to restore ; do thou the l ike . ”
Talk not ofoaths!” th e dreadful ch ief repl i es ,Wh il e anger flash’
d from hi s d isdainful eyes ,“Detested as thou art , and ought to be ,Nor oat h nor pact Achil l es pl ights with theeSuch pacts as lambs and rab id wolves combine,Such leagues as men and furious l ions j o in ,To such I cal l th e gods !one constant stateO f lasting rancour and eternal hate
No thought but rage, and never - ceas ing stri fe,
2 19_
I LIAD .
Then Athene came down in haste from th e top ofO lympus
,and sti l l H ector fl ed and Ach il le s pursued ,
j ust as the dog pursues a fawn upon the h i l l s . Andever Hector made for th e gates , o r to get shel ter beneath the towers
,i f h aply those that stood upon them
might defend him with thei r spears ; and ever Ach i l le s
would get before h im,and drive h im towa rd s the p l ain .
S o they ran , one making fo r the c ity, and th e other
driving him to the p lain . Just as in a dream , when
one seems to fly and anoth e r seems to pursue , and the
one cannot escap e and the other cannot overtake , so
these two ran t ogether . But as fo r H ector, Apol loeven yet helped h im , and gave h im streng th and nimbl e
knees,el s e coul d h e no t have held out against Ach i l l es ,
who was swi ftest of foot among th e sons of men .
N ow Achi l l es had beckoned to the Greeks that no
man should throw his sp ear at H ecto r, l est , perchanc e ,he shoul d be robbed ofh is glory . And when the two
came in thei r running for th e fourth t ime to the springsofScamander
,Zeus held out th e great balanc e o f doom ,
and in one scal e he put th e fate o f Ach i l l es,and in the
other the fate o f Hector ; and lo ! th e scal e o f H ector
sank down to th e realms of death , and Apol lo l eft h im .
Then Athene l ighted down from th e air cl o se to
Achi ll es and said ,“Thi s , great Ach i l l es , i s our day of
glory,for we shal l s l ay Hector
,mighty warri or though
he be . For i t i s h is doom to d i e , and not Apol lo’ s sel f
shal l save h im . But stand thou sti l l and take breath,
and I wi l l give th i s man heart to meet thee in battl e .
So Achi l les stood , l ean ing upon h is sp ear . AndA thené took the shap e o f Deiphobus
,and came near to
Hector and said“Achi l les presses thee hard
,my brother
,pursuing
thee thus round the ci ty ofPriam . Come, l et us makea stand and encounter him .
Then Hector answered h im,Deiphobus
,I always
220
ILIAD .
loved thee best of al l my brothers ; butnow I l ove theeyet more
,for that thou alone , wh il e al l others re
mained within,hast ventured forth to stand by my
s ide .
”
But the fal se Deiphobus said , Much did fath er and
mother and al l my comrades b eseech me to remain .
But my heart was sore troubled for thee , and I could
no t stay . But l et us stand and fight th i s man , not st int
ing our spears , and see whether he shal l carry our
spoi l to th e sh ip s or we shal l s lay h im here .”
Then the two ch iefs came near to each other , andHector with a waving plume spake first and sa id,“Thrice, great Achi ll es , hast thou pursued me round
the wall s o f Troy , and I dared not stand up againstthee ; but now I fear thee no more . Only let us make
th is covenant between us : i f Z eus give me the v ictory,
I wi l l do no dishono r to thy body ; thy arms and armorwi l l I take , and give back thy body to the Greeks ; and
do thou promise to do l ikewise .
But Ach il l es scowled at h im and said,Hecto r
,talk
not of covenants to me . Men and l ions make no oath s
between each other , neither i s th ere any agreement
between wolves and sheep . So there shal l b e no cove
nant between me and thee . One ofus two shal l fal l ;and now i s th e time for thee to show thysel f a warrior ,for ofa truth Athene wi l l s l ay th ee by my spear
,and
thou shalt pay the penalty fo r al l my comrades whom
thou hast s lain .
Then he threw th e mighty sp ear,but Hector saw i t
coming and avoided it,crouch ing on the ground , so
that the mighty spear fl ew above h i s head and fixed
itself i n the earth . But Athene snatched it from the
ground and gave it back to Ach i l l es,Hector not per
ce ivm g .
Then H ector spake to Achi l l es : Thou hast mis sedthy a im , great Achi l l e s . It was no word of Zeus that
222
ILIAD .
N or al l i nglorious ; but l et some great act ,Which future days may hear o f
,mark my fal l .
Thus as he spoke , h is sharp - edged sword he drew,
P ond’
rous and vast,suspended at h is s ide ;
Col l ected for th e sp ring,and forward dash
’
d
As when an eagl e,bird of lo fti est fl ight
,
Through the dark c louds swoops downward on the
p lain ,To seize some tender lamb
,or cow
’
r ing hare
So Hector rush’
d , and wa v’
d h is sharp - edg’
d sword .
Achi l l es’ wrath was rous’
d : with fury wild
H is soul was fi l l’
d : before h i s breast he bore
H is wel l - wrought sh iel d ; and fiercely on h is brow
Nodded the four - p lum’
d helm , as on the breez e
Floated the golden hairs,with which the crest
By Vulcanfs hand was th ickly interlac’
d ;
And as amid the stars’
unnum ber’
d host ,When twi l i ght yields to night
,one star appears ,
Hesper,the brightest star that shines in H eav
’n,
Gleam’
d th e sharp - pointed lance , which in h i s right
Ach il l es poi s’
d , on godl ike Hector’
s doom
Intent , and scanning eagerly to see
Where from attack his body l east was feue’
d .
All el se the g l it t’
r ing armor guarded wel l ,Which Hector from Patroclus ’ corpse had s tripp
’
d ;
One ch ink appear’
d , j ust where the col lar - boneThe neck and shoulder parts
,beside th e throat,
Where l i es e x pos’
d th e swiftest road to death .
There lev ell’
d he , as Hector onward rush ’
d ;Right through the yielding neck th e lance was driv ’n
,
But s ev e r ’d not the wind - p ipe,nor des troy
’
d
His pow’
r ofspeech ; prone i n the dust he fel l ;And o
’
er h im , vaunting, thus Achil l es spoke“Hector , Patroclus stripp ing of h i s arms ,Thy hope was that thysel f wast safe ; and I ,N ot present , brought no terror to thy soul °
223
I LIAD .
thou spakest,proph esyi ng my doom , but thou sought
est to cheat me , terr i fying me by thy words . Thou .
shal t not drive thy steel i nto my back,but here into
my breast,i f the gods wil l i t s o . But now look out for
my spear. Would it might bury itsel f i n thy fl esh .
The battl e would b e easi er fo r the men of Troy were
thou only out of th e way.
”
And as he spake he th rew h i s long - shafted spear .
True aim he took , for the sp ear struck the very m iddle
o f Achi l l es ’ sh ield . I t struck , but p i erced i t not , but
bounded far away, for the shi eld was not of mortalmake . And Hecto r stood dismayed , fo r h e had not
another spear, and when he cal l ed to Deiphobus that'
he should give h im anoth er , 10 !Deiphobus was g one .
Then Hecto r knew that h i s end was come , and he said
to h imsel f,
“Now have th e gods call ed me to my doom .
I thought that Deiphobus was near ; but h e i s with in
the wal l s,and th e h elp wh ich h e p romised me was but
a cheat with which Athene cheated me . Zeus and
Apoll o are with me no more ; but , i f I must di e , l et me
at l east di e i n such a deed as men o f after t ime may
hear of.So he spake, and drew th e mighty sword that hung
by hi s s ide : th en,as an eagl e rush es th rough the c louds
to pounce on a l everet or a l amb,rushed on th e great
Achil l es . But h e deal t never a blow ; for Ach il l escharged to meet h im
,h i s sh i el d b efore h i s breast
,hi s
helmet bent forward as he ran,with the long p lumes
streaming behind , and th e gl eam of h i s sp ear—pointwas as th e gl eam of th e evening star
,which i s th e
fai rest ofal l th e stars in heaven . One moment he
thought where h e should drive i t home,for the armor
which Hector had won from Patroc lus guarded h imwel l ; but one spot there was , where by the col lar - bone
the neck j o ins the shoul der (and nowhere i s the strokeofsword or sp ear more deadly!. There h e drave in th e
i.
224
ILIAD .
spear,and th e po int stood out beh ind th e neck, and
Hector fel l i n th e dust .Then Achi l l es c ri ed al oud , Hector, thou thoughtestin the day when thou didst spo i l Patroc lus o f h i s armsthat thou wouldst b e safe from vengeance , taking, for
sooth,no account ofme . And 10!thou art fal l en b efore
me, and now the dogs and vultures shal l devour thee .but to h im al l th e Greeks shal l give due buri al .”But Hector, growing faint , spak e to h im ,
Nay ,great Achi l l e s, by thy l i fe , and by thy knees , and bythy parents dear, I pray thee , l et not th e dogs o f th eGreeks devour me . Take rather the ransom , gold and
bronz e,that my fath er and mother shal l p ay thee , and
l et th e sons and daughters o f Troy give m e bur ia l
r ites .
But Ach i ll e s scowled at h im and cried,Dog , seek
not to entreat me ! I coul d mince that fl esh o f thi neand devour it raw
,such gri ef hast thou wrought me .
Surely th e dogs shal l devour th ee , nor shal l any m an
h inder. No ransom , though i t were ten times told ,should buy thee back ; no , not though Priam should
offer thy weight i n go ld .
”
Then H ector,who was now at th e po int to di e , spake
to him .
“ I know thee wel l,what manner of man thou
art, that th e heart i n thy breast i s i ron . Only
b eware l est some vengeance from the gods come upon
th ee in th e day when Pari s and Apol lo shal l s l ay thee ,for al l thy val o r
,by the Scaean gates . ”
So speak ing, he di ed . But Ach i l l es said , Di e,hound ; but my fate I meet when Zeus and the other
gods decree .”
Then he drew h is spear out ofth e corps e and str ippedoffth e arms ; and al l th e Greeks came about th e deadman , marvel l i ng at h i s stature and beauty, and no man
came but wounded the dead corp se . And one would
say to another,“Surely th i s H ecto r i s l ess dreadful
z z
'
s
ILIAD .
So lay the head o f H ector ; at the s ight
H is aged mother tore her hair,and far
From offher head the g litt’
r ing vei l sh e threw,
And with loud cri es her s laug hter’
d son bewa il’
d .
Pi teous , h is father g roan’
d ; and al l around
Was heard the voice o f wai l ing and of woe .
[The Woe o f Andromache . ]
Nought as yet was knownTo Hector
’
s wi fe ; to her no messenger
Had brought the t i d ings,that without the walls
Remained her husband ; i n her house withdrawnA . web she wove
,al l purpl e
,doubl e woof
,
W i th vari ed flow’
rs i n r i ch embro idery,
And to her neat - ha ir ’
d maidens gave command
To place the largest caldrons onthe fire,
Tha t with warm baths,return ing from the fight
,
Hector might be refresh’
d ; unconscious sh e,That by Ach il les’ hand
,with Pal las ’ aid
,
Far from the bath,was godlike Hector s lain .
The sounds of w ai l ing reach’
d her from the tow ’ r ;Totter
’
d her l imbs,th e d is tafi
'l e ft her hand
,
And to her neat ~ha ir ’
d maidens thus she spoke“Haste , fol low me, some two , that I may knowWhat mean these sounds ; my homor
’d mother ’ s vo ice
I hear ; and i n my breast my beating heart
Leap s to my mouth ; my l imbs re fuse to moveSome evi l
,sure, on Priam
’ s house impends .
Then from the house she rush’d,l ike one di stract
,
With beating heart ; and with her went h er maids .
But when sh e reach’
d th e tow’r
,where stood the c rowd,
And mounted on the wal l , sh e look’
d around ,And saw the body wh ich with insult foul
The flying steeds were dragging towards th e s hips ;Then sudden darkness oversp read her eyes ;Backward sh e fel l
,and g asp
’
d her sp iri t away .
227
I LIAD .
now than in th e day when h e would burn our sh ip s
with fire .”
Then Ach i l les devi s ed a ruthl es s th ing in h i s heart .He pi erced the ankl e - bones of Hector, and so bound
th e body with thongs ofo x - h ide to the chariot , l etting
the head drag behind, th e head that o nce was so fai r ,and now was so di sfigured i n the dust . So he dragged
Hector to the sh ips . And Priam saw him from the
wal ls,and scarce coul d h i s sons keep him back
,but
that he should g o forth and beg th e body of h i s dear
s on from him who had s lai n h im . And H ecuba h is
mother al so bewail ed h im , but Andromache knew not
as yet o f what had befal len . For sh e sat i n her dwe l l
ing,weari ng a grea t purpl e mantl e bro idered w i th
flowers . And she bade her maidens make ready a bathfor Hector , when he should come back from th e battl e ,nor knew that h e shoul d never need it more . But thevoice o f wai l ing from th e town came to her , and she
rose up hast i ly i n great fear,and dropped the shuttl e
from her hand and cal l ed to her maidens“Come with me
,ye maidens , that I may see what
has befal l en,fo r I heard the vo ice ofQueen Hecuba,
and I fear me much that some evi l has come to the
ch i ldren ofPriam . For it may be that Ach i l l es has run
between Hector and the c ity,and i s pursuing h im to
the p lain , for never wi l l Hector abide with th e army ,but wil l fight i n th e front
,so bold i s he .
”
Then she hasted th rough th e c i ty l ike as sh e were
mad . And when she came to the wa l l sh e stood andlooked ; and lo ! th e horses o f Ach il l es were dragging
Hector to th e sh ips . Then did darkness come on her,and she fel l back fainting
,and from her fai r head
dropped the net and the wreath and th e diadem which
golden Aphrodite gave h er on the day when Hecto r ofthe waving plume took her from the house ofE étionto be hi s wi fe .
228
CHAPTER XVI
THE FUNERAL RITES OF PATROCLUS(Lord Derby’ s Translat ion .!
HEN the Greeks had come where lay thei r sh ip sBy the broad Hel l espont
,thei r s ev
’
ral ways
They each pursu’
d,di spers ing ; yet not so
Achi ll es l et h i s Myrmidons disperse ,But thus h i s warl ike comrades h e addre s s
’
d“My faithful comrades , val iant Myrmidons ,Loose we not yet our horses from the cars ;But for Patroclus mourn
,approach ing near
,
With horse and car ; such tr ibut e cl aim th e dead
Then,free indul gence to our sorrows g iv
’n,
Loose we the steeds,and share th e ev
’ning meal .He said ; and they with mingl ed vo ices ra is
’
d
The sol emn di rge ; Achi l l es led th e strain
Thrice round th e dead they drove thei r sl eek - sk inn’
d
steeds,
Mourning, with heart s by Th etis grie f- insp ir ’
d
With tears the sands,with tears th e warriors ’ arms ,
Were w et ; so mighty was the ch ie f they m ourn’
d .
Then on h i s comrade ’ s breast Ach il l e s laid
Hi s blood - s ta in’
d hands , and thus began th e wai l“All hai l
,Patroc lus
,though in Pluto ’ s realm ;
All that I p rom is’
d,lo! I now pe rform
That onthe corpse of Hector,h ither d rag g
’
d,
Our dogs should feed ; and that twelve nobl e youth s ,The sons of Troy
,before thy fun’
ral pyre ,My hand , i n vengeanc e fo r thy death , should slay.
236
I LIAD .
He said, and foully Hector’ s corps e m isus
’
d ,
Flung prostrate i n the dust,bes ide th e couch
Where l ay Menoetius ’ s on. His comrades then
Thei r g l itt’
r ing armor doff’
d,of po l ish
’
d brass,
And loo s’
d thei r neighing steeds ; then round the sh ip
Of Peleus’
son i n countl ess numbers sat,
And bus i ly the ev’ning meal prepared ,
And shar’
d th e socia l feast ; nor lack ’
d th ere aught .But when thei r thi rst and hunger were appeas
’
d ,
Each to thei r s ev ’
ral t ents th e rest repa ir’
d ;
But on the many - dash ing ocean ’ s shore
Pel ides lay,amid h is Myrmidons
,
With b itter groans ; i n a cl ear space he lay,Where broke th e waves
,conti nuous
,on the b each .
There,circumfus ’d around h im
,gentl e sl eep
,
Lull ing th e sorrows of h i s heart to rest,
O’
e rcam e h is senses .
To th em , as round th e p iteous dead they m ourn’
d ,
A ppear’
d th e rosy - fi ng e r’
d m om ; and straight ,From al l th e camp
,by Agamemnon sent
,
Went forth,i n search o f fuel
,men and mules
,
Led by a val iant chi ef,Meriones
,
The fol lower o f renown’
d I domeneus .Their fel l ing axes in thei r hands they bore,And twisted rop es ; the i r mul es before them driv
’n;Now up , now down , now s ideways , now aslope ,They journey
’
d on; but when they reach ed the foot
Of spring- abounding I da,th ey began
With axes keen to hew the lo fty oaks ;They
,loudly crash ing
,fel l : the wood they c love ,
And bound i t to th e mules ; these took thei r way
Through th e th ick b rushwood,hurrying to the p lain .
The axe - men,too , so bade Meriones ,
The fol lower o f renown’
d I domeneus,
Were l aden al l with logs , which on the beach
They laid i n order, where a lofty mound ,
231
ILIAD .
I n m em’
ry of Patroclus and himsel f,Achill es had de s ign
’
d . When al l th e sto re
O f wood was duly l aid, th e rest remain’dI n masses seated ; but Ach i l l es badeThe warl ike Myrmidons thei r armor don
,
And harness each h i s ho rses to hi s car ;
They rose and donn’
d th ei r arms,and onthe cars
Warrio rs and charioteers th ei r p laces took .
Fi rst came the horse, and then a cloud offoot ,Unnum ber
’
d ; i n th e midst Patroc lus came,Borne by his comrades ; al l th e corpse with hai rThey cov er
’
d o ’ er,which from their heads they shore .
B ehi nd,Achi l l es h eld h i s h ead
,and m ourn’
d
The nobl e fri end whom to the tomb he bore .Then on th e spot by Pel eus’ son as s ign
’
d ,
They laid h im down, and p il’
d th e wood on h igh .
A hundred feet each way they bui lt th e pyre ,And on the summit
,sorrowing
,l a id the dead .
Then many a sheep and many a slow - paced ox
They flay’
d and d res s’
d around th e fun’
ral pyre ;Of all th e beasts Ach i ll es took th e fat,And cov er
’
d o’
er the corps e from h ead to foot ,And heap
’
d the s laughter’
d carcases around ;Then j ars ofhoney p lac’
d,and fragrant o i l s
,
Resting upon th e couch ; next, groaning loud ,Four pow
’
rful horses on th e pyre h e threw ;Then , of n ine dogs that at thei r master’ s boardHa d fed , he s laughter
’
d two upon the pyre ;Last , with the sword, by evi l counsel sway ’
d,
Twelve nobl e youth s h e sl ew,the sons of Troy.
The fire’
s devouring might h e then appl i ed
And , groaning, on h is lov’
d compan ion cal l d“All hai l , Patroclus , though in Pluto
’ s realm !
All that I prom is’
d , lo! I now perform
On twelve b rave sons of Troj an s ires,with thee
,
232
I LIAD .
[The Funeral Games i n Honor o f Patroclus ]
Thei r task accom p l ish’
d , al l had now withdrawn ;But Peleus’ son the vast assembly s tay
’
d,
And bade them sit ; th en , prizes o f the games ,Tripods and cal drons from the tents he brought,And noble steeds
,and mules
,and sturdy steers,
And women fair ofform , and i ron hoar.
[The Chariot Race . ]
First for th e contest o f the flying carsThe prizes he d isplay
’
d : a woman fai r,
Well sk i ll’
d in hous eho ld cares ; a tripod vast,Two - handled , two and twenty measures round ;These both were fo r the victor : fo r the ne x tA mare , unbroken , s ix years old , i n foal
O f a mule colt ; th e thi rd , a caldron bri ght ,Capacious offour measures
,wh ite and pure
,
By fi re as yet untarnish’
d ; fo r th e fourth ,Of gold two tal ents ; for th e fi fth
,a vase
With doubl e cup , untouch’
d by fi re,h e gave .
Then , standing up , he thus addres s’
d the Greeks“Thou sono f Atreus , and ye wel l - g reav
’
d Greeks ,Before ye are th e prizes which awai t
The contest ofthe cars .I n order range yourse lves
,who boast
Your wel l bu ilt chariots and your horses ’ speed .
He said : up sprang th e eager charioteers ;The first ofal l , Eumelus , King of men ,Next, Tydeus
’
s on,th e vali ant D iom ed
,
Then Heav’n- born Menelaus
,Atreus’ son
,
The fourth , Anti lochus , th e g al lant son
O f Nestor,mighty ch i ef
.
Fifth in th e l i st Mer iones appear’
d .
234
I LIAD .
They mounted onth ei r cars,and cast thei r l ots
Ach i l l e s shook the helmet ; first leap’
d fo rthThe lot o f Nestor
’
s son , Anti lochus ;Next came the King Eumelus ; after whom
The val iant Menelaus , Atreus’
son;The fourth , Meriones ; and last ofall ,But abl est far
,Tydides drew hi s p lace .
They stood i n l ine ; Ach i l l es po inted out ,Far on th e l evel p lain
,the di stant goal ;
And there i n charge th e godl ike Phoenix p lac’
d ,
His father’ s ancient fo l lower,to observe
Th e cours e as s ign’
d , and tru e report to make .
Then al l at once thei r wh ips they ra is’
d,and urg
’
d
By rein , and hand , and voice , th e i r eager steeds .
They from th e ship s pursued thei r rap i d course
Athwart th e distant plain ; beneath th ei r chestsRose l ike a c loud
,or hurricane
,the dust ;
Loose floated on th e breeze thei r ampl e manes
The cars now sk imm’
d along the fe rt il e ground ,Now bounded h igh in ai r ; th e charioteers
Stood up alo ft,and ev
’ ry bosom beatWith hop e o f v ict
’
ry ; each with eager shout
Cheering h is steeds,that scour
’
d th e dusty plain .
But when,th e fa rthest l im its of th e cours e
A tta in’
d,th ey turu ’d beside th e hoary sea
,
S tra in’
d to thei r utmost sp eed , were pl ainly seen
The qual i t ies o f each ; then in the frontA ppear
’
d Eumelus’ flying mares
,and next
The Troj an horses ofTydides cameNor these were far behind , but fol lowing c lose
They s eem’
d i n ac t to leap upon th e car .
Eumelus,on h i s neck and shoulders b road ,
Felt th ei r warm b reath ; for o’
e r h im,as they flew,
Their h eads were downward bent ; and now , perchance ,Had h e or pas s ’
d , or made an even rac e ,But that , incens ’d with val iant D iom ed ,
235
I LIAD .
Apollo w rested from his hands the whip .
Then tears ofanger from hi s eyel ids fel l ,As gain ing more and more th e mares h e saw,
Whil e, urg
’
d no more, hi s horses s lack’
d the i r speed.
But Pallas m ark’
d Apol lo’
s t reach’
rous wile,And hasting to the ch i ef, restor
’
d h is wh ip,
And to h is horses strengt h and courage gave .
The Goddess then Admetus ’ son pursued,And snapp
’
d h is chariot yoke ; the mares , releas’
d ,
Swerv’
d from th e t rack ; th e pol e upon the ground
Lay loosen’
d from th e car ; and he himsel f
B eside the wh eel was from the chariot hurl ’d .
From elbows,mouth and nose
,th e ski n was torn ;
His forehead crush’
d and batter’
d i n ; h is eyes
Were fi ll’
d with t ears , and mute h i s cheerfu l vo ice.Tydides turu ’d as ide
,and far ahead
Of al l the rest, pa s s
’
d on; for Pal las gaveH is horses courage
,and h is triumph w i l l
’d .
Next h im,the fair - bai r ’d Menelaus came
,
The sonof Atreus ; and Anti lochusB efore them soon
Ant i lochus the narrow pass esp i ed .
I t was a gul ly,where the winter’ s rain
Had lain col l ected,and had broken through
A lengt h ofroad , and hol low’
d out the ground
There Menelaus held h i s cautious course,
Fearing col l is ion ; but Anti lochus ,Drawing hi s steeds a l ittl e from th e track ,Bore down upon h im s ideways : then in fear ,The sonofAtreus to Anti lochusShouted aloud
,
“Antilochus,thou d riv ’
s t
Like one insane ; hold in awhi l e thy steeds ;Here i s no space ; where wider grows the road ,There thou mayst pass ; but here, thou wi lt but cause
Our cars to clash,and bring us both to harm .
”
He said ; but m adlier drove Anti lochus,
I LIAD .
Apollo w rested from his hands the whip .
Then tears ofanger from his eyel ids fel l ,As gain ing more and more th e mares h e saw
,
While,urg
’
d no more, h i s horses s lack’
d the i r speed.
But Pallas m ark’
d Apol lo’s t reach
’
rous wile,And hast ing to the ch ie f, res tor
’
d h is whip,
And to h is horses strength and courage gave.The Goddess then Admetus ’ son pursued,And snapp
’
d h is chariot yoke ; th e mares , releas’
d,
Swerv’
d from the t rack ; th e pol e upon the ground
Lay loos en’
d from the car ; and he himsel f
B eside the wheel was from the chariot hurl ’d .
From elbows,mouth and nose
,th e ski n was torn ;
His forehead crush’
d and ba tter’
d i n ; h i s eyes
Were fi ll’
d with tears , and mute h i s cheerfu l voice.Tydides turu
’
d as ide,and far ahead
Of al l th e rest, pas s
’
d on; for Pal las gave
H is horses courage,and h is triumph wi l l ’d .
Next h im,th e fair - bair ’d Menelaus came
,
The sonof Atreus ; and Anti lochus
B efore them soon
Ant i lochus the narrow pass esp i ed .
I t was a gul ly,where the winter’ s rain
Had lai n col l ected,and had broken through
A lengt h ofroad,and hol low ’
d out the ground
There Menelaus held h i s cautious course,
Fearing col li s ion ; but Anti lochus,Drawing his steeds a l ittl e from th e track
,
Bore down upon h im sideways : then in fear,
The sonofAtreus to Anti lochusShouted aloud,
“Antilochus,thou driv ’
s t
Like one insane ; hold i n awhi l e thy steeds ;Here i s no space ; where wider grows the road ,There thou mayst pass ; but here , thou wi lt but cause
Our cars to clash , and bring us ‘both to ha rm .
”
He said ; but m adlier drove Ant i lochus,
I LIAD .
Plying the goad , as though he heard h im not.Far as a discus ’ fl i ght , by some stout youth ,That tests h i s v igor , from the shoulder hurl
’
d,
So far they ran together,s ide by s ide
Then dropp’
d A trides’ horses to th e rear
,
For he h imself forebore to urge thei r speed,
Lest, meeting in the narrow pass , the carsShould be o
’
er thrown, and they themselves , i n haste
To gain th e v ict’
ry ,i n th e dust be roll
’
d .
Tydeus’
son drew near ;"
h is lash
St i l l la id upon hi s horses ’ shoulder - po ints ;As l ightly they
,h igh - stepp ing
,scour
’
d th e p la in.St i l l onthe charioteer th e dust was flung ;As close upon the fly ing - footed steeds
Follow’
d th e car with gol d and tin inlaid ;And l ightly
,as they flew along
,were left
Im pre s s’
d th e wheel - tracks i n the sandy plain .
There i n the midst he stood , th e sweat p rofuseDown - pouring from his horses’ heads and chests ;Down from the g l itt ’r ing car h e leap ’
d to earth ,And lean’
d h is whip against th e chariot yoke ;N or long de lay
’
d the val iant Sthenelus ,But eagerly sprang forth to claim th e prizeThen to h i s brave compan ions gave in chargeTo l ead away the woman
,and to bear
The trip od, whi l e h imsel f unyok ’
d th e steeds.
Next came the horses ofAntilochus ,Who had by stratagem , and not by spe ed,O
’
er Menelaus tr ium ph’
d ; yet e’en so
A t r ides’ flying coursers p res s
’
d h im hard ;For but so far a s from the chariot - wheelA horse
,when harne s s
’
d to a royal car ;Whose tai l
,back - streaming
,with the utmost hairs
Brushes the fel loes ; c lose before the wheel ,Smal l space between
,he scours the wide - spread plain
So far was Menelaus i n the rear
237
I LIAD .
Of Nestor’ s son ; at fi rst a discus’
castBe tween them lay ; but rap idly h i s groundHe g a in
’
d—s o wel l th e sp eed and courage s e rv’
d
OffE the , Agamemnon’
s beauteous mare ;And
,but a li tt le farther were the course ,
Had pa s s’
d h im by , nor l eft th e race i n doubt.Behind the nobl e son of Atreus came ,A j av
’
l in’
s fl ight apart,Meriones ,
The faith ful fo ll ower of I domeneus
H is were the slowest horses,and h imsel f
The l east e x per ienc’
d i n th e rap id race .
Dragging h is broken car , came last o f al l ,His horses d riv ’n i n front
,Admetus
’
son .
Then Menelaus , sad at heart, arose ,Burning with wrath against Antilochus ;And whi l e th e h eral d i n the monarch ’ s hand
H is royal sceptre p lac’
d,and bade the Greeks
Keep s i lence,thus the godlike hero spoke
“Anti lo chus,t i l l now reputed wise
,
What hast thou done ? thou hast d i sgraced my skil l,
And sham’
d my horses,who hast brought th in e own
,
I nferior far, before them to the goal .
Come forward , noble ch i ef ;And standing
,as ’ t is meet
,before the car
And horses,i n thy hand the sl ender wh ip
Wherew i th thou d rov’
s -t , upon the horses l ay
Thy hand , and by Ea rth - shaking Neptune swear
That not ofmal ice , and -by set design ,Thou didst by fraud impede my chariot ’ s course .
To whomAnti lochus with prudent speechHave patience with me yet ; fo r I , 0 King,0 Menelaus, am thy j unior far ;My elder and superior thee I own .
Thou know ’
s t th’
o’
e r - eager veh emence of youth ,How quick in temper
,and in j udgment weak .
Set then thy h eart at ease ; th e mare I won
r
238
ILIAD .
He said ; up sprang E pe ius , tal l and stout,A boxer sk ill
’
d,th e sonof Panopeus,
Who la id h is hand upon the mule, and said“Stand forth , i f any care the cup to win ;The mule, meth inks, no Greek can bear away
From me,who glory i n the Champion ’s name.
I s ’t no t enough,that in the battl e - fi eld
I claim no spec ial p rai se ? ’ti s not for manI n al l th ings to excel ; but th i s I say,And wi l l make good my words
,who meets me here,
I mean to pound h i s flesh,and smash h is bones .
See that h i s seconds be at hand,and prompt
To bear h im from the ring, by me subdued .
He said ; they al l i n s i lence heard h is speech
Only Euryalus,a godl ike ch ief,
Stood forth oppos ing ;Around his waist h e fast-en
’
d fi rst th e belt,Then took the wel l - cut gauntl ets for h is hands
,
Of wild bul l’
s h ide . When both were thus equipp’
d,
I nto the center of the ri ng they stepp’
d :
There,face to face
,wit h sinewy arms upra i s d ,
They stood awhi l e , then clos’
d ; strong hand with hand
Mingl ing,i n rap id interchange ofblows .
Dire was the c latter of th ei r j aws ; the sweat
P our’
d forth , profuse, from ev’
ry l imb ; then rush’
d
E pe ius on,and ful l upon the ch eek
,
Hal f turu’d as ide,let fal l a s tag g
’
r ing blow ;N or stood Euryalus ; but , l egs and feet
Knock ’
d from beneath h im ,prone to earth he fel l ;
And as a fish , that flounder s on the sand,Thrown by rude Boreas on the weedy beach ,Ti l l cov er
’
d o’er by the returning wave ;
So flounder’
d he beneath that stunning blow .
But brave E pe ius took h im by the hand ,And ra is
’
d h im up ; h i s comrades crowded round
And bore h im from the field,with dragging steps,
240
ILIAD .
Spitt ing forth clotted gore , h is heavy headRol l ing from side to side ; with in h i s tentThey laid h im down , unconsc ious ; to the ring
Then back returning, bore away the cup .
[The Wrestl ers ]
Achi l les next before the Greeks disp lay ’
d
The p rizes o f th e hardy wrestl ers’ ski l l
The Vi ctor’ s prize, a tripod vast, fi re - proof,
And at twelve oxen by th e Greeks appra is ’d ;And for the v anquish’
d man,a femal e slave
P r ic’
d at four oxen , sk il l’
d i n household work .
Then rose,and loudly to the Greeks procla im
’
d ,“Stand forth
,whoe
’
er th is contest wi l l essay .
”
He said ; and stra igh t uprose th e giant formO f Aj ax Telamon ; with h im uproseUlysses
,sk ill
’
d i n ev’ ry c rafty wil e .
Gi rt with the bel t, with in the ring th ey stood ,And each , with stalwart grasp , l aid hold on each ;A s stand two rafters of a lofty house ,Each propp ing each , by sk i l ful arch itectDes ign
’
d th e tempest’s fury to w ith stand .
Creak’
d their backbones beneath the tug and strainO f those strong arms ; the i r sweat pour
’d down l ike
rain ;And bloody weals ofl ivi d purp le hueThei r s ides and shoulders s treak
’
d,as sternly they
For v ictory and the wel l - wrought tr ipod strove .
Nor coul d Ulysses Aj ax overthrow ,
Nor Aj ax bring Ulysses to the ground,5 0 stubbornly h e stood ; but when the GreeksWere weary o f the long - protracted stri fe,Thus to U lyss es m ighty Aj ax spoke“U lysses sage
,Laertes ’ godl ike son,
Vo l . 7—1 6 24 1
ILIAD .
He said ; up sprang E p e ius , tal l and stout,A boxer sk ill’d
,th e son of Panopeus,
Who la id h is hand upon th e mule, and said“Stand forth , i f any care the cup to win ;The mule
,methinks
,no Greek canbear away
From me,who glory i n the Champion ’
s name
Is ’ t not enough,that i n the battl e - fi e ld
I claim no spec ial p ra ise ? ’ t i s not for manIn al l th ings to excel ; but th i s I say,And wil l make good my words
,who meets me here
,
I mean to pound h i s flesh,and smash h is bones .
See that h i s seconds be at hand , and promptTo bear h im from the ring, by me subdued .
He said ; they al l i n s i l ence heard h is speech
Only Euryalus, a godl ike ch ief,Stood forth oppos ing ;Around his waist he fast-en ’d fi rst th e belt
,
Then took th e wel l - cut gauntl ets for h is hands ,Of wild bul l ’ s h ide . When both were thus equipp
’
d,
I nto the center o f the ri ng they stepp’
d :
There,face to face
,with sin ewy arms up ra is
’
d ,
They stood awhi l e,then clos
’
d ; strong hand with handMingling
,i n rap id interchange of b lows .
Dire was the c latter of th ei r j aws ; th e sweat
P our’
d forth , profuse , from ev’ ry l imb ; then rush
’d
E pe ius on, and ful l upon the ch eek ,Half turu’d aside
,let fal l a s tag g
’
r ing blow ;N or stood Euryalus ; but , l egs and feet
Knock ’
d from beneath h im ,prone to earth he fel l ;
And as a fish , that flounders on th e sand,Thrown by rude Boreas on the weedy beach ,Ti l l cov er
’
d o’er by the returning wave ;
So flounder’d he beneath that stunn ing blow.
But brave E pe ius took h im by the hand ,And rais
’
d h im up ; h is comrades crowded round
And bore h im from the field,with dragging steps,
240
ILIAD .
Or ri ft thou me , or I wil l th ee upl ift
The i ssue ofour struggl e rests w ith Jove .He said . and ra is
’
d Ulysses from the groundN or he h is anc ient craft remembered not ,But lock
'
d hi s l eg around, and str i king shar p
Upon th e hol low ofth e knee , th e j ointGave way ; th e giant Aj ax backwards fel l ,Ulysses onh i s breast ; the peopl e saw
And m arv el l'
d . Then in turn Ulyss es stroveAjax to l i ft ; a l ittl e way he mov’d ,But fa il ’d to l i ft h im fai rly from th e g round ;Yet crook
’
d hi s knee , that both together fel l ,And side by s ide
, de fi l’
d wit h dust , they lay .
And now a thi rd encounter had th ey tri ed ,But rose Ach i ll es , and the combat stay
’
d :“Forbear
,nor waste your strengt h in furth er st ri fe
Ye both are v ictors ; both th en bear aw ay
An equal meed ofhonor ; and withdraw ,
That other Greeks may other contests wage .
Thus spoke Achi l l es : they h is words obey’d ,And brush ing offthe dus t th ei r garments donned .
[The Foot Rac e . ]
The prizes ofth e runners,swi ft offoot
,
Achi ll es next set fo rth ; a s i lver bowl ,Six measures its content , for workmansh ipUnm ‘
atch’
d onearth, ofSidon
’
s costl i est a rt,
Which now Ach il l es , onh is fr i end’
s behal f,
A ss ign’
d as h i s reward,whoe
’
e r should prove
The l i ghtest foot , and speediest in the race .
A steer, wel l fatten’
d ,was the second prize
,
And hal f a tal ent,for th e th i rd
, ofgold .
He rose , and to th e Greeks proc laimed aloud“Stand forth , whoe ’
er th i s contest wil l essay.
24 2
ILIAD .
H e said : uprose O i l eus ’ active son;Uprose Ulysses , sk ill
’
d i n ev ’ ry wil e,
And nobl e Nesto r ’ s s on,Anti lochus
,
Who al l th e youth i n speed offoot surpa s s’
d .
They stood in l ine : Achi l les pointed out
The l imits ofth e course,as from the goal
They s tretch’
d them to the race,Oi leus ’ son
First shot ahead ; Ulysses fol lowing close ;Nor farther than the shuttl e from the breast
O f some fai r woman , with her outstre tch’
d arm
Has th row n the woof athwart the warp,and back
Withdraws i t tow’
rd her breast ; so c lose beh ind
Ulysses p res s’
d onAj ax , and h is feet
Trod in h is steps , ere settl ed yet the dust.His breath was onh is shoulders , as the p lain
He l ightly sk im m’
d ; the Greeks with eager shouts
St i l l cheering , as he s tra in’
d to win the prize .
But as they mear’
d th e goal , U lysses thusTo blue - ey’d Pal las made h is mental p ray
’
r°
“Now hear me,Goddess , and my feet befri end .
Thus as he p ray’
d,h is p ray
’
r the Goddess heard ,And al l h i s l imbs with act ive v igor fi ll
’
d ;
Then as they s tre tch’
d thei r hands to se ize the prize ,Tr ipp
’
d up by Pal las,Ajax s l ipp
’
d and fel l ,Amid the offal o f th e lowing kineWhich o ’ er Patroc lus Pel eus
’
sonhad slain .
His mouth and nostr i l s were with offal fi l l’d .
First i n the race , Ulysses bore away
The s i lver bowl ; th e steer to Ajax fel l ;And as upon the horn h e laid h i s hand
,
S putt’
r ing the offal out , he ca ll’
d aloud :
Lo,how the Goddess has my steps bewray
’
d,
Who guards Ulysses with a mother’
s care .”
Thus as he spoke , loud laugh’
d the merry Greeks .
I LIAD .
[Contest o f the Spearmen. ]
Next,i n the ring the sonofPeleus laid
A pond’
rous spear, a h elmet, and a sh i eld,The spoi l Patroclus from Sarpedon won;Then rose
,and loudly to th e Greeks p rocl aim
’
d“For these we cal l upon two champions b rave
To don thei r arms, th ei r sharp - edg’
d weapons grasp ,And publ i c t rial o f their prowess make ;And he who first h i s r iv al
’
s fl esh shal l reach ,And
,through h i s armor p i er c ing, fi rst draw b lood
He shal l th is s i lver - s tudded sword rec e ive ,My trophy from Asteropae us won ,Well - wrought
, ofThrac ian metal ; but the armsIn common property they both shal l hol d ,And in my tent a nobl e banquet share .
”
He said ; uprose great Aj ax Telamon ,And Tydeus ’ son
,the val iant D iom ed .
First, from th e crowd apart, they donn'd th ei r arms ;
Then,eager for the fight
,with haughty stare
Stood in th e midst ; th e Greeks admiring g az’
d .
When,each approach ing oth er, near they came ,
Thrice rushed they on,and thric e i n combat clos
’
d .
Then through th e buckler round of D iom ed
Great Aj ax drove h i s spear ; nor reach’
d the po int
Tydides’
body,by th e breastp late stay
’
d
While,a im
’
d above the mighty sh i e ld ’ s defence,
His g litt’
r ing weapon fl ash’
d at Aj ax' throat .
For Ajax fearing, shouted then the GreeksTo c ease the fight , and share al ike th e p rize ;But from Ach i ll e s’ hand the mighty sword
,
With belt and scabbard,B iom ed receiv
'd .
[Trial ofth e Archers ]
The archers’
pri z es next,ofiron hoar,
Ten sturdy axes,doubl e - edg
’
d , he p lac’
d,
244
CHAPTER XVI I
THE RANSOMING OF HECTOR
\lD after a whi l e , a t th e b idding ofZeus , Thet i swent to Achi ll es and found h im weep ing softly for
h is dead fri end,for th e strengt h ofh i s sorrow was now
spent,and she said to h im
,
“ I t i s th e wi l l o f th e gods
that thou give up the body ofHector , and take i n exchange the ransom ofgold and prec ious th ings whichhi s father wil l give thee fo r h im .
And her son answered ,“B e i t so , i f th e gods wi l l
have it .
Then Zeus sent I ri s, who was h i s messenger , to King
Priam,where he sat with h i s fac e wrapped in h i s man
tl e, and his sons weeping about h im ,and hi s daughters
wail ing th rough the chambers ofhi s palac e .Then I ris spake . “B e ofgood cheer
,Priam
,son of
Dardanus ; Zeus has sent me to th ee . Go,tak ing with
thee such gi fts as may best p lease th e h eart o f Ach il l es ,and bring back th e body ofthy dear s onHector. Gowithout fear ofdeath or harm , and go alone . Only
let an aged herald b e with thee, to help thee when thou
bri ngest back the body ofth e dead .
”
Then Priam rose with joy ,and bade h i s sons br ing
forth hi s chariot ; but first h e went to hi s chamber, and
cal l ed to Hecuba,h is wi fe
,and told h er o f h i s purpose
,
nor heeded when sh e sought to turn h im from it,but
said ,“
Seek not to hold me back,nor be a bird o f evi l
omen in my house . I f any p roph et or seer had b idden
me do th is thing , I should have h el d i t a dec e it ; butnow have I heard the very vo ice o f th e messenger of
246
ILIAD .
[Achi l l es’ Vindictive Rage . ]
The games were ended , and the mul titude
Amid the sh ip s thei r s ev ’
ra l ways d ispers’
d
Some to thei r supper ; some to gentl e s l eep
Yielding,del i ghted ; but Achi l l es st i l l
Mourn’
d o’
er h i s lov’
d companion ; not on h im
L ig ’hted al l - conqu’
r ing s l eep , but to and fro
Restl ess h e tos s ’d , and on Patroc lu s thoughtHi s vigor and hi s courage ; al l th e deeds
They two together had achiev ’
d ; th e to i l s,The peri l s th ey had undergone
,amid
The stri fe o f warriors, and th e angry waves .
S t irr’
d by such m em’
r ie s , b it te r tears h e shed ;Now turn ing on h i s s ide
,and now again
Upon h i s back ; then prone upon h is face ;Then start ing to h i s feet along the shoreAll obj ect l ess
,despair ing, would h e roam ;
N or did the morn,o ’ e r s ea and shore appearing
,
Unm ark’
d ofh im ari se ; h i s flying steedsHe then would harness
,and
,beh ind the car
The co rpse ofHector trai l ing i n the dust,Thrice made th e c i rcuit o f Patroc lus
’ tomb ;Then would he turn within h i s t ent to rest ,Leaving the prostrate corpse wi th dust de fi l ’d ;But from unseemly marks the val iant deadApol lo guarded, who with p ity v iew
’
d
The hero,though in death ; and round him threw
H is golden aegi s ; nor, though d ra g g’
d along,A llow
’
d hi s body to rece ive a wound .
Thus foul ly did Achi l le s in h i s rage
Misuse the mighty dead ; th e b l essed GodsW ith p itying gri ef beh eld the s ight.
ILIAD .
Zeus.Where fore
,I shal l go . And i f I d ie
,what care
I ? Let Achi l les s lay me, so that I embrac e once moreth e body o f my son .
”
Then he bade put i nto !a wagon shawl s and mantles
that had never been washed , and rugs and c loaks andtunics
,twelve ofeach , and ten talents ofgold , and
two bright three - footed caldrons, and four basins , and
a cup ofpass ing beauty which th e Thrac ians had givenh im . The old man spared noth ing that he had , i f onlyh e might buy back h is son. None o f the Troj ans woul d
he suffer to come near h im .
“Begone ,
” h e cri ed ,“ye
cowards ! Have ye noth i ng to wai l fo r at home , that
ye come to wai l with me ? Surely, an easy p rey wi l l ye
be to th e Greeks , now that H ector i s dead .
”
Then he cri ed with l ike angry words to hi s sons ,Pari s
,and Agathon
,and Deiphobus, and the others
there were nine ofth em in al l :“Make haste
,ye evi l brood . Would that ye a ll had
died in the room o f Hector . Surely an i l l - fated fatheram I . Many a brave son I had , as Mesto r, and Tro i lus ,and Hector
,who was fai rer than any o f the sons of
men . But al l th ese are gone , and only th e cowards are
l eft , masters oflying words , and skil ful i n the danc e,and mighty t o drink wine . But go , yoke the mules tothe wagon .
”
So they yoked the mul es to th e wagon . But thehorses for h is char iot Pri am
,with the herald
,yoked
h imsel f.
Then Hecuba came near,and bade a woman - s ervant
come and pour water on hi s h ands . And when she
had poured , King Priam took a great sup from thehands ofh is wi fe
,and made a l ibat ion to Zeus , and
prayed“Hear me , Father Zeus, and grant that Achil l es may
pity me . And do thou send me now a lucky s ign , that
I may go with a good heart to the sh ip s of th e Greeks .”
248
I LIAD .
And Zeus h eard him,and sent an eagle , a mighty
bi rd,whose wings sp read out on e ithe r s ide as wide
as i s th e door ofsome spac ious chamber i n a richman ’s house . On h i s right hand it fl ew h igh above the
c i ty,and al l rej o ic ed when they saw th e s ign .
Then the old man mounted h i s chariot i n haste , anddrove forth from the pal ac e . B efore h im the mules
drew the four - wheel ed wagon , and these the heraldIdaeus guided . But h i s chariot the o ld king drove h im
sel f. And al l h i s k insfo lk went with him , weep ing as
for one who was going to hi s death . But when they
came down from the c ity to th e p lain , Priam and th e
herald went towards the sh ip s o f th e Greeks,but al l
the others returned to Troy .
But Zeus saw h im depart , and said to Hermes
Hermes, g o ,
guide King Priam to th e ships o f the
Greeks,so that no man see h im before h e comes to the
tents ofAchi l l es . ”
Then Hermes fastened on h i s feet th e fai r sandal s
ofgold with which h e fl i es , fast as th e wind , over sea
and land,and in h i s hand h e took the rod with which
h e opens and clo ses , as he wi l l s , th e eyes o f men . And
he fl ew down and l i ghted on the p lain o f Troy , takingonhim the l ikeness ofa fai r youth .
But when they had driven past th e great tomb ofIlus
, they stopped th e horses and th e mules , to l et
them drink ofth e r iver . And darkness came over theland ; and then the heral d sp ied Hermes , and said
“Consider , my lord , what we sha ll do . I s ee a m an
,
and I am sore afraid l est h e slay us . Shal l we fl ee on
the chariot , or shal l we g o near and entreat h im ,that
he may have p i ty upon us ? ”
Then the old man was sore troub l ed,and hi s hai r
stood up with fear . But Hermes came near and tookh im by the hand and said
“Whither goest thou , o ld man , with thy horses and
25 0
I LIAD .
[Jove Sends I ri s t o Encourage p ram(DERBY!
He said ; and onhi s errand sped in haste
The sto rm - sw ift I ri s ; when to P riam’ s house
She came , th e sounds ofwai l ing met her ear .
Within the court around thei r father,sat
H is sons,th e i r ra iment b edew
’
d with tears :And in thei r m idst , close covered with h i s robe .Thei r s i re
,h is head and neck with di rt de fi l
’
d .
Which,wal lowing onth e earth , h imsel f had heap (1 .
With h is own hands,upon h is hoary head .
Throughout th e house h i s daughters loudly wa il'
d
I n m em’
ry ofth e many and th e b raveWho lay i n death
,by Grecian warriors slain .
Bes ide h im stood th e messenger ofJove .And whisp e r
’
d,whi l e h i s l imbs with terror shook :
“Fear noth i ng, Priam ,sonofDardanus ,
Nor l et thy mind b e troubl ed ; not for i l l .But here on kindly errand am I sent
To thee I come,a messenger from Jove .
Who from onhi gh looks down onthee with eyes
O f p ityi ng love : he b ids thee ransom hom e
The godl ike H ector’ s corp se ; and with thee take
Such presents as may mel t Ach i l l es’
heart .
Nor l et th e fear ofdeath d isturb thy m indHermes shal l with thee
,as th ine escort , g o ,
And to Achi l l e s’ presence safely bri ng .
A rr iv’
d with in the tent,nor he h imsel f
Wi l l sl ay thee,but from oth ers wil l p rotect ;
Not i gnorant i s h e , nor vo id ofsense ,Nor disobedient to th e Gods
’
behest ,But wi l l with p ity ing eyes his'suppl iant v iew .
Swi ft- footed I ri s said,and vani shed strai ght.
2 5 1
I LIAD .
And Zeus heard him,and sent an eagl e , a mighty
bi rd,whose wings spread out on eith er s ide as wide
as i s th e door o f some spacious chamber i n a rich
man ’ s house . On h i s right hand it fl ew h igh above thec ity
,and al l rej o iced when they saw th e s ign .
Then the old man mounted h is chariot i n haste, anddrove forth from the pal ace . B efore h im the mulesdrew the four- wheel ed wagon , and these the hera ldIdaeus guided . But h i s chariot th e old king drove h im
sel f. And al l h i s k insfo lk went with h im ,weeping as
for one who was going to hi s death . But when theycame down from the c ity to th e p lain, Priam and th e
h erald went towards th e sh ip s o f the Greeks , but al l
the others returned to Troy
But Zeus saw h im depart , and said to Hermes,Hermes
,go , guide King Priam to the ship s o f the
Greeks,so that no man see h im before h e comes to the
tents o f Ach i l l es . ”
Then Hermes fastened on hi s feet th e fai r sandal s
ofgold with which h e fl i es , fast as th e wind, over sea
and land,and in h is hand he took the rod with which
h e opens and clo ses , as he wi l l s , the eyes o f men . And
h e flew down and l i ghted on the p lain of Troy, tak ingonhim the l ikeness of a fa i r youth .
But when they had driven past th e great tomb ofIlus
, they stopped the horse s and the mules , to l etthem drink ofth e r iver . And darkness came over theland ; and then the heral d sp ied Hermes , and said
“Consider, my lord , what we shal l do . I see a man
,
and I am sore afra id l est h e sl ay us . Shal l we fl ee on
the chariot , or shal l we go near and entreat h im ,that
he may have p ity upon us ? ”Then the old man was sore troubl ed
,and hi s hai r
stood up with fear . But Hermes came near and took
h im by the hand and said“Whither goest thou , o ld man , with thy horses and
25 0
I LIAD .
mul es through the darkness ? Hast thou no fear o fthese fierce Greeks, who are close at hand ? I f any one
should see thee with al l th i s wealth , what then ? And
thou art not young, nor i s thy attendant young, that
ye shoul d defend yourselves against an enemy . But Iwi l l not harm thee , nor suffer any other, for thou artl ike my owndear father.
”
“ I t i s wel l , my son ,”sai d the o ld man . Surely one
ofth e bl es sed gods i s with me , i n caus ing me to meetsuch an one as thou , so fai r and so wise . Happy the
parents o f such a son !”
And Hermes said , Come , tel l me true, o ld man .
Are y ou sending away al l th ese treasures that they may
be kept safe for you far away ? or are al l th e men of
Troy leav ing the c ity, s eeing now that H ector, who
was thei r bravest warrior i s dead ? ”
Then Priam answered , Who art thou , my son , andwhat thy race , that thou speakest so t ruly about my
hapless s on? ”“Often ,
” said Hermes,have I seen Hector i n the
battl e , both at other t imes , and when he drov e theGreeks before h im at the sh ip s . We , i ndeed , stood
and watched and marvel l ed at h im , for Ach i l l es would
not suff er us to fight,being wroth with King Aga
memnon . N ow , I am a fol lower of Achi l les , coming
from Greec e i n the same ship with h im . One of the
Myrmidons I am , son of P o lyctor , an old man such as
thou art . Six other sons h e has,and when we drew
lots who shoul d come to the war, i t fel l to me . But
know that with the morning the Greeks wi l l set th ei r
battl e in array against th e c ity, for they are weary o ftheir soj ourn , and the kings cannot keep them back .
”
Then sai d Priam,
“I f thou art an attendant o f
Achi l l es , tel l m e true , i s my son yet by the sh ip s , or
have the dogs devoured h im ? ”
And Hermes answered,
“Nor dogs nor vultures have
2 5 2
I LIAD .
[Priam Goes to Ransom Hector’ s Corpse . ](DERBY.!
“I f i nd eed
This message had been brought by morta l man,
Prophet, or seer , or sacrific ing pri est ,I shoul d have deem ’
d i t fal se , and laugh’
d to scorn
The idle tal e ; but now ( fo r I mysel f
B oth saw and heard the Goddess! I must g o ;Nor unfulfi ll’d shal l be th e words I speak :And i f indeed i t be my fate to dieB eside th e vessel s o f the brass - clad Greeks
,
I am content!by fi erc e Ach i l le s ’ handLet me be s la in
,so once more i n my arms
I ho ld my boy, and give my so rrow vent.”
Then rai s ing up the coffer ’ s pol i sh’
d l i d ,He chose twelve gorgeous shawls , twelve s ingl e c loaks ,As many rugs
,as many spl endid robes
,
As many tun ics ; then of gold h e tookTen tal ents ful l ; two tripods, burnish’
d bri ght,Four caldrons ; then a cup o f beauty rare ,A rich possess ion
,which the men o f Thrace
Had g iv’n
,when there he went ambassador ;
E ’en th i s h e spar’d not , such h i s keen desi reH is son to ransom .
Hecuba with troubl ed mind drew ne ar ;I n her right hand a go lden cup she bore
Of lusc ious wine , that ere they took their way
They to the Gods might due l ibations pour ;T‘he due ablut ions made
,he took the cup ;
The n in th e center o f th e court h e stood ,And as he pour
’
d th e wine,look
’
d up to H eav’n
,
And thus with vo ic e upl ift’
d p ray’
d aloud :“O fath er Jove , who rul
’
st on Ida’ s height ,M ost great , most gl orious!grant that I m ay findS ome p ity in Ach i l l es’ heart ; and send,
I LIAD .
mul es through the darkness ? Hast thou no fear ofthese fierce Greeks , who are close at hand ? I f any oneshould see thee with al l th i s weal th , what then ? And
thou art not young , nor i s thy attendant young, that
ye should ' defend yourselves against an enemy . But Iwil l not harm thee , no r suffer any other, for thou artl ike my own dear father .
”
“ I t i s wel l , my son ,” sai d the o ld man . Surely one
ofth e bl essed gods i s with me , i n caus ing me to meetsuch an one as thou , so fai r and so wise . Happy theparents o f such a son !”
And Hermes said , Come , tel l me true, old man .
Are you sending away al l these treasures that they may
be kept safe for you far away ? or are al l th e men o f
Troy leaving the c ity, see ing now that Hector, who
was thei r bravest warrior i s dead ? ”
Then Priam answered,Who art thou
,my son
,and
what thy race,that thou speakest so truly about my
hapl ess son ? ”
“Often ,” said Hermes
,have I s een Hector i n the
battl e , both at other t imes , and when he drove th e
Greeks b efo re h im at the sh ip s . We , i ndeed , stood
and watch ed and marvel l ed at h im , for Ach i l l e s would
not suffer us to fight,being wroth with King Aga
memnon . N ow ,I am a fol lower o f Achi l l es
,coming
from Greec e i n the same ship with h im . One of the
Myrmidons I am,son of P olyctor , an old man such as
thou art. S ix other sons he has , and when we drew
lots who shoul d come to th e war, i t fel l to me . But
know that with th e morning the Greeks wi l l set thei r
battl e in array against th e c ity, for they are weary oftheir soj ourn
,and the kings cannot keep them back .
”
Then sai d Priam,
“I f thou art an attendant o f
Achi l l es, tel l me true , i s my son yet by the sh ips , or
have the dogs devoured h im ? ”
And Hermes answered,
“Nor dogs nor vultures have
25 2
ILIAD .
mul es through the darkness ? Hast thou no fea r ofthese fierce Greeks , who are c lose at hand ? I f any one
should see thee with al l th i s wealth , what then ? And
thou art not young , nor i s thy attendant young, thatye shoul d defend yourselves against an enemy . But I
wi l l not harm thee , nor suff er any other, for thou artl ike my owndear father .
”
“ I t i s wel l , my son,”said the o ld man . Surely one
ofth e bl es sed gods i s with me , i n caus ing me to meetsuch an one as thou , so fai r and so wise . Happy theparents ofsuch a son !”
And Hermes said , Come , tel l me true, old man .
Are y ou sending away al l th ese treasures that they may
be kept safe for y ou far away ? or are al l th e men o f
Troy l eaving the c ity, s eeing now that H ector, who
was th ei r bravest warrior i s dead ? ”Then Priam answered , Who a rt thou , my son , andwhat thy race , that thou speakest so tru ly about my
hapless s on?”
Often ,”said Hermes
,have I s een Hector i n the
batt l e, both at other t imes , and when he drov e th e
Greeks b efore h im at the sh ip s . We, i ndeed , stood
and watched and marvel l ed at h im , for Achi l l es wouldnot suffer us to fight
,being wroth with King Aga
memnon . N ow , I am a fol lower ofAchi l l e s,coming
from Greece i n the same ship with h im . One o f the
Myrmidons I am,son ofP oly ctor , an old man such as
thou art . S ix other sons he has , and when we drewlots who shoul d come to th e war, i t fel l to me . But
know that wi th th e morning the Greeks wi l l s et th ei r
battl e in array aga i nst th e c ity,for they are weary of
their soj ourn , and th e kings cannot keep them back .
”
Then sai d Priam ,
“I f thou art an att endant ofAchi l l es, tel l m e true , i s my son yet by the sh ip s , or
have the dogs devoured h im ? ”
And Hermes answered,
“Nor dogs nor vultures have
2 5 2
ILIAD .
[Priam Goes to Ransom Hector’
s Corpse . ](DERBY .!
“I f i ndee d
Th is message had been brought by morta l man,
Prophet, o r seer , o r sacr ific ing pri est,I shoul d have deem ’
d i t fal se,and laugh
’
d to scorn
The idle tal e ; but now (for I mysel fB oth saw and heard th e Goddess! I must go ;Nor unfulfi ll ’d shal l be the words I sp eak :And i f indeed i t be my fate to die
B eside th e vessel s of the b rass - clad Greeks,
I am content!by fierce Ach i l l es’
hand
Let me be s lain,so once more i n my arms
I hold my boy, and give my sorrow vent .”
Then rai s ing up the cofl e r’
s po l ish’
d l id,
He chose twelve gorgeou s shawls,twelve s ingl e c loaks
,
As many rugs,as many spl endid robes
,
As many tun ics ; then of gold h e took
Ten tal ents ful l ; two tripods , burnish’
d bright ,Four cal drons ; then a cup of beauty rare ,A rich posses s ion
,which the men ofThrace
Had g iv’n
,when there he went ambas sador ;
E ’en th i s h e spar’d not , such h i s keen desi re
H is son to ransom .
Hecuba with troubl ed mind drew near
I n her right hand a golden cup she bore
Of lusc ious wine , that ere they took thei r way
They to th e Gods might due l ibations pour ;The due ab lut ions made , he took the cup ;Then in th e c enter o f th e court he stood ,And as h e pour
’
d th e wine,look
’
d up to H eav’n
,
And thus with vo ice up l ift’
d p ray’
d aloud“O father Jove , who rul
’
s t on I da’
s height ,rMos t great, most glorious !grant that I may findSome p ity in Ach i l l es’ heart ; and send,
25 3
ILIAD .
devoured h im . St i l l h e l i es by the sh ips o f Achi l l e s ;and though th i s i s th e twel fth day s inc e he was s lain ,no decay has touched h im . Nay, though Ach il les drags
h im round the tomb o f h i s cl ear Patroc lus , yet even sodoes no unseeml i ness come to h im . All fresh h e l i es ,and the blood i s was hed from him , and al l h i s wounds
are c losed—and many sp ear - po ints p ie rced him. The
bl es sed gods love h im wel l , dead man thoug h he be .”
This King Priam was wel l p l eased to hear. “ I t i s
well,
” he said,
“for a man to honor the gods ; for, indeed
,as my son never forgot the dwel l ers on Olympus ,
so have they not forgotten h im , even in death . But do
thou take th is fai r cup and do kindness to h im , and
lead me to the tent o f Ach i l l es .“Nay
,answered Hermes ;
“ thou speakest th is i n
vain . No gi ft would I take from thy hand unknown to
Ach il l es ; for I honor h im much , and fear to rob him ,
l est some evi l happen to me afterwards . But thee I wi ll
guide to Argos itsel f,i f thou wil t
,whether by land or
sea,and no one shall b lame my guiding.
”
Then he l eapt into the chariot of th e king and caught
the re ins i n h i s hand , and gave the hors es and the mules
a s trength that was not thei r own . And when they
came to th e di tch and th e trench that guarded the sh ips ,10 ! the guards were busy with their meal ; but Hermesmade s leep descend upon them , and op ened the gates
and brought i n Priam with hi s treasures . And when
they came to the tent ofAchi l les , Hermes l i ghted downfrom the chariot and said
“Lo ! I am Hermes , whom m y father , Zeus , hath
sent to b e thy gu ide . And now I shal l depart , for I
would not that Ach il l e s should see me . But go thou
in , and c lasp h i s knees, and beseech h im by h i s father
and h i s mother and h i s ch il d . 5 0 shal t thou move h isheart with p ity .
”
So H ermes depa rted to Olympus,and King Priam
25 4
I LIAD .
l eapt down from the chariot,l eav ing th e heral d to care
for th e horses and the mul es , and went to the tent .There he found Ach i l les s i tting ; h is comrades sat apart ,but two waited on h im , fo r he ha d but newly ended h is
meal,and the tabl e was yet at h i s hand . But no man
saw King Priam ti l l h e was clos e to Ach i l l es,and
caught h i s knees and kis sed h i s hands , the dreadful ,murderous hands that had slain so many o f h is sons .
As a man who slays another by mishap fl i es to somestranger land , to some rich man ’ s home, and al l wonderto see h im ,
s o Achi l l es wondered to see King Priam ,
and h i s comrades wondered,l ooking one to another.
Then King P ri am‘spak e :
“Think ofthy father , godlike Ach il l es , and p ity me .He i s old , as I am ,
and,i t may be , h i s neighbors
troubl e h im , s ee ing that h e has no defender ; yet so
l ong as he knows that thou art al ive , i t i s wel l withh im
,for every day he hopes to see h i s dear son t e
turned from Troy . But as for me , I am altogetherwretched . Many a val iant sonI had—nineteen born tome of one mother—and most o f them are dead , and hethat was th e best ofal l , who kep t our c ity safe, he hasbeen s lain by thee . He it i s whom I have come to ran
s om . Have p ity on him and onme , th inking of thy
father . Never,surely , was lot so sad as th i s , to kis s
th e hands that s l ew a son.
”
But the words so st i rred th e heart ofAchi l l es thath e wept , th inking now of Patroclus, and now of h i s
old father at home ; and Priam wept, th inking o f h i s
dead H ector . But at l ast Ach i l l es s tood up from h is
seat and raised King Priam,having p ity on hi s whi te
ha ir . and his wh ite beard, and wake“H ow didst thou dare to come to the sh ip s o f th e
Greeks , to th e man who sl ew thy sons ? Surely thou
must hav e a h eart o f i ron . But s it thou down : l et oursorrows rest in our hearts
,for th ere i s no p rofit in la
25 6
I LIAD .
The best and bravest through the breadth ofTroy,B egotten
,deem that none are l eft me now
O f these have many by rel entl ess MarsB een laid in dus t ; but he , my only one ,The city
’
s and his brethren’
s so l e defence ,He
,bravely fighting in h i s country ’ s cause
Hector,but lately by thy hand hath fa ll ’n
On hi s b ehal f I venture to approach
The Grecian sh ip s ; for h i s rel ease to th ee
To make my p ray’
r,and pricel ess ransom pay .
Then thou,Achil les reverence the Gods ;
And,for thy father s sake , look pity ing down
On me,more needing p ity ; s ince I bear
Such grief as never man onearth hath borne ,Who stoop to k iss th e hand that s l ew my son.
Thus as he spoke, with i n Achil l es’
breast
Fond m em’
ry o f h i s father rose ; he touch’
d
The old man ’s hand,and gently put h im by ;
Upri s ing,with h is hand th e aged s i re,
Pitying h is hoary head and hoary beard ,He ra is
’
d, and thus with gentl e words addre s s’
d“Alas
,what sorrows
,poor old man , are th ine !
How couldst thou venture to th e Grecian sh ips
Alone,and to the presenc e ofth e man
Whose hand hath slain so many ofthy sons ,Many and brave ? an iron heart i s th ine !
But s i t thou on thi s seat ; and in our hearts ,Though fi ll
’
d with grief, l et us that gri ef suppress ;For woeful lamentat ion naught avail s .
Bear up,nor thus with grief incessant mourn ;
Vain i s thy sorrow for thy gal lant s on;Thou canst not rais e h im ,
and mayst suffer more.To whom in answer Priam , godl ike s i re '
Tel l me not yet, i l lustrious ch i ef, to s i t ,Whil e Hector l i es
, uncar’
d for , i n th e tent ;But l et me qu ickly g o . tha t w i th m ine eyes
96 él
2 5 7
ILIAD .
mentation . I t i s th e wil l ofthe gods that men shouldsuffer woe , but they are themselves free from care .Two chests are set by the s ide o f Father Z eus , one o fgood and one of evi l gi fts , and he mixes the lot ofmen ,taking out o f both . Many nobl e gi fts did the gods
give to King Pel eus : wealth and bl i s s beyond that ofother men
,and kingsh ip over the Myrmidons . A y !
and they gave h im a goddess to be h is wife . But they
gave al so th i s ev il , that h e had no stock of stalwart
ch i ldren in h is house , but one son only, and I cannothelp him at al l i n h i s o ld age
,fo r I tarry here far away
in Troy . Thou , too , old man , hadst weal th and power
ofold , and lordsh ip over al l that l i es between Lesbosand Phrygia and the stream of Hel l espont . And tothee the gods have given th i s i l l , that there i s ever
battl e and slaughter about thy c ity wal ls . But as forthy son
,wai l not for h im , for thou canst not rai s e h im
up .
But Priam answered Make me not to s i t , great
Ach il l es,whi le Hector hes unhonored . Let me ransom
him,and l ook upon h im with my eyes
,and do thou take
the gi fts . And the gods grant thee to return safe to
thy fatherl and .
But Ach i l l es frowned and said,Vex me no t ; I am
minded mysel f to give th ee back thy Hector . For my
mother came from the sea , bearing th e bidding of Z eus ,and thou , methinks , hast not come h ither without some
guidance from the gods But trouble me no more , l est
I do thee some hurt .
And King Priam feared and held hi s p eace . Then
Ach i l l es hastened from hi s tent, and two comradeswith h im . First they loosed th e ho rse s from the chariotand the mul es from the wagon ; th en they brought in
the herald I daeus,and took the gi fts . Only they l eft
o f them two cloaks and a tunic,wherein they might
wrap the dead. And Ach i ll es bade the women wash
2 5 8
I LIAD .
and anoint th e body,but apart from th e tent, l est , per
chance,Priam shoul d s ee h i s son and cry aloud
,and
so awaken the fury i n h i s heart . But when it was
washed and anointed , Achi ll es h imsel f l i fted i t i n h is
arms and put it on th e l itter, and h i s comrades l i ft ed th e
l i tter on the wagon .
And when al l was finished , Achi l l es groaned and
cri ed to hi s dead fri end, saying“Be not wroth , Patroclus, i f thou shouldst h ear inthe unknown land that I have ransomed Hector to hi sfather : a nobl e ransom hath h e paid me, and ofth is ,too
,thou shalt have thy share , as i s meet .
”
Then he went back to h i s tent and set h imsel f downover against Priam , and spake : Thy soni s ransomed ,o ld man , and to - morrow shal t thou see h im and take
him back to Troy . But now let us eat . Did not Niobeeat when she lost her twelve ch il dren
,s ix daughters and
six blooming son s, whom Apol lo and Artemis s l ewApol lo these and Artemis those—because she l ikenedhersel f to th e fai r Latona ? So let us eat , o ld man .
To - morrow shalt thou weep fo r Hector ; many tears , Itrow
,shal l b e shed for him .
”
So they ate and drank . And when th e meal was
ended,Achi l l e s sat and marvel led at King Priam ’ s
nobl e look,and King Priam marvel l ed at Ach i l l es , so
strong he was and fai r.
Then Priam said , Let me sl eep , gre at Ach i l l es. I
have not sl ept s ince my s on fel l by thy hand . Now I
have eaten and drunk , and my eyes are heavy.
So the comrades of Ach i l les made him a bed outs ide ,where no one might see h im
,should it chance that
any of th e ch iefs should come to th e tent o f Ach i l l es totak e couns el
,and should espy h im
, and tel l i t to KingAgamemnon .
But befo re h e sl ept King Priam said , I f thou a rt
minded to let me bury Hector,le t th ere be a truce be
260
and ano int the body , but apa rt from the tent . lest , per
ls‘h'fam the W 380“.
And when a ll was finished, Ach ill es groaned andcr ied to his dead friend . saying
Be not wroth , Pat roclus , i f thou shouldst hea r influ! unknown landfa the r : a noble rans om he pa id m e , and of th is,too
,thou shalt have thy share ,
Thenhe went back to his t enov e r agains t Pr iam , and spake
o ld man , and to morrow shalthim back to Troy . But now l et us eat . Did
‘
not N iobeeat whenshe los t her twelve ch ildren , s ix daug hters and
Apo l lo th
h e r se l f to the fai r Lato na ?
Tonm orrow sha lt thou weeptrow
, sha l l be shed for him .
’
ended Ach i l l es s a t andi
m a rve lled at King P r i am snob le look
,and King Priam marvelled at Achi l l es , so
strong he was and fa i r .
ThenPriam said ,“Let me sleep . g reat Ach i l le s. I
have. no t sl ept s i nce my son fel l by thy hand . Now Ihave eaten and d runk , and my ey e s are heavy.
So the com rade s of Ach i l les made him a be d outs ide ,
whe re no one might s ee him , should i t chance that
any ofthe chi efs should come to the t ent ofAch i lles totak e counse l
, and should espy him , and tell it t o KingAg amem non .
But be fo r e he s lep t King Pr iam s aid,“fl thouart
minded to let m e b ury Hect o r; let there be a t ruce be
260
I LIAD .
tween my peopl e and th e Greeks . For nine days let us
mourn for Hector,and on the tenth wi l l we bury h im
and feast th e peop l e, and on the el eventh rai se a greattomb above h im ,
and onthe twel fth we wil l fight again ,i f fight we must .
”
And Achi l l es answered,B e i t so : I w i l l stay th e
war for so long.
”
But whi l e Priam sl ept there came to h im Herm es,
the messenger ofZeus , and said : “Sl eepest thou,Priam
,
among thy foes ? Achi l les has taken ransom for thy
Hector ; but thy sons that are l eft would pay thric e asmuch for thee should Agamemnon hear that thouwert among the sh ips .
The o ld man h eard and trembl ed,and roused the
hera ld , and the two yoked the horses and the mules .
S o they pass ed through the army, and no man knew .
And when they came to the river,Hermes dep arted
to Olympus , and the morning shone over al l th e earth .
Wail ing and weeping,t hey carri ed the body to th e
ci ty.
I t was Cassandra who first esp i ed th em as they came .Her father she saw, and th e herald, and th en the dead
body onth e l itter , and she cri ed , Sons and daughters
ofTroy, g o to meet Hector, i f ever ye have met h im
with j oy as h e came back from the battl e.”
And strai ghtway there was not man or woman left
in th e c ity. They met the wagon when i t was c loseto the gates : h is wi fe l ed the way, and h is mot her and
al l th e multitude fol lowed . And in truth they would
have kept i t thus t i l l evening, weeping and wai l i ng, but
King Priam spake“Let us pas s ; ye shal l have enough o f wail ing when
we have taken h im to h is home .
”
S o they took h im to h is home and laid h im onhis bed . And the minstre ls lamented
,and the women
wai l ed.
262
I LIAD .
Who sang a sorrowful , l amenting strain ,And al l th e women answered i t with sob s .
Whi te - armed Andromache i n both her hands
Took warl ike Hector’
s head,and over i t
B egan the lamentation midst them al l :
Thou hast died young, my husband , l eav ing meI n th i s thy home a widow
,and one son,
An infant yet . To an unhappy pai r
H e owes hi s b irth , and never wil l , I fear,
B loom into youth ; for ere that day wi l l Troy
B e overthrown,s ince thou
,i ts chief defence
,
Art dead , the g uardian o f its wal l s and al l
I ts nobl e matrons and i ts speechl es s babes,Yet to be carri ed capt ive far away
,
And I among them , i n th e hol low barks
And thou, my son , wi lt ei th er go with me,Where thou shalt to i l at menial tasks for somePiti l ess master ; or p erhaps some Greek
Wil l s ei ze thy l ittl e arm,and in h is rage
W i l l hurl thee from a tower and dash thee dead ,Remembering how thy father, Hector, s l ew
Hi s brother, son, or father ; for th e hand
Of Hector forced ful l many a Greek to bit e
The dust of earth . Not s low to smite was h eI n the fierce confl i ct ; therefore al l who dwel l
With in the c ity sorrow for h i s fal l .
Thou bringest an unutterabl e grief,
O Hector,on thy parents , and onme
The sharpest sorrows . Thou didst not stretch forthThy hands to me, i n dying, from thy couchN or sp eak a word to comfort me , which I
Might ever th ink ofn ight and day with t ears .So spake the Weep ing wi fe : th e women al l
M ingl ed thei r wai l with hers , and Hecuba
Took up the passionate l amentat ion next
ILIAD .
Then first ofal l came Androm aché , h is wi fe , and
cried“O my husband , thou hast perish ed in thy youth , and
I am l eft in widowhood,and our chi ld , thy ch i ld and
mine,i s but an infant ! I fear me he wi l l no t grow to
manhood . Ere tha t day th i s c ity wi l l fal l , fo r thou artgone who wast i ts defender. Soon wil l they c arry us
away,mothers and chi ldren
,i n th e ship s , and thou , my
s on, perchance wi lt b e with us , and serv e th e strangerin unseemly bondage ; or , i t may be , some Greek wil l
sl ay thee,s ei zing th ee and dash ing thee from the wal l
some Greek whose brother,or father, o r son, Hector
has sla in in the battl e . Many a Greek did Hector sl ay ;no gentle hand was hi s i n the fray . Therefore do the
peopl e wai l for h im to - day. Sore i s thy parents’
grief,O Hector
,but sorest m ine . Thou d idst stretch no
hands offarewel l to me from thy b ed ,nor speak any
word ofcomfort for me to muse onwhi l e I weep nightand day .
”
Next spake Hecuba , hi s mother . Dear wast thou,
my son, i n l i fe to the immortal gods , and dear in
death . Achi l l es dragged thee about th e tomb of h i s
dear Patroc lus , but could not bring h im back , I ween ,
and now thou li est fresh and fai r as one whom the g odofth e si lver bow has slain with sudden stroke . ”
And l ast ofal l c ame Hel en,and c r i ed
,Many a
year has passed si nce I came to Troy—would that I haddi ed before! And never have I heard from thy l ips onebitter word , and i f ever husband
’
s si ster, or s i ster - in
law ,or mother - i n ~ law—for Priam was eve r gentl e as a
father—spake harsh ly to me,thou wouldst check them
with thy grace and grac ious words . Therefore I weepfor th ee ; no one i s l e ft to be my fri end in al l th e b road
streets ofTroy. All shun and hate me now .
And al l the people wail ed reply .
Then Priam spake .
“Go ,my peopl e
, g ather wood for
25 4
his wi fe, M
and
them
ILIAD .
the bur ial,and fear not any ambush ofthe Greeks
,for
Achi l les promised that h e would stay the war unti lthe twelfth day should com e .”So for nine days the peopl e gathered much wood ,and on the tenth they l aid Hecto r upon the p il e
,and
li t fire benea th i t . And when it was burnt theyquenched the embers with wine . Then h i s breth ren
and comrades gathered to g -ether th e wh i te bones,and
laid them in a chest ofgold ; and th i s th ey covered withpurpl e robes and put i n a great cofl‘in, and laid upon i t
stones many and great . And o ver al l th ey rai sed
a mighty mound ; and al l th e wh i le the watcherswatched , l est th e Greeks should ari s e and slay them .
Last o f al l was a great feas t held i n th e pal ace o f KingPri am .
So they buri ed Hecto r, the tamer ofhorses .
266
ILIAD .
Thee and mysel f at once , - unhappy me!For now I have no fr i end i n al l wide Troy
,
None to be kind to me : they hate me al l . ”Weeping she spake : th e mighty throng againAnswered with wai l ing.
[H ecto r’s Funeral R i tes . ]
At l engt h the aged Priam gave commandHaste now
,ye Troj ans , to the c ity bring
Good store of fuel ; fear no t reach’
rous wil e ;For when he sent me from the dark - r ibb
’
d sh ips,
Achil les prom is’
d that from hosti l e arms
T i l l the twelfth morn we should no harm sustain .
”
He said ; and they the oxen and the mul es
Y ok’
d to the wains , and from th e c i ty throng’
d
N i ne days they labor ’d,and brought back to Troy
Good store o f wood ; but when the tenth day’
s l igh tUpon the earth appe a r
’
d,weeping , th ey bore
B rave Hecto r out ; and on the fun'ral p il eLaying the glorious dead , appl i ed the torch .
Whi l e yet th e rosy - fi ng er’
d morn was young
Round nobl e Hector’
s pyre the peopl e p re s s’
d :
When al l were g athe r’
d round,and clos ely throng
’
d ,
First on the burning mass,as far as sp read
The range offire , they pour’
d th e ruddy wine ,And quench
’
d th e flames : h i s b rethren then and fr i ends
Weep ing, th e hot tears flowing down thei r cheeks ,Col l ect ed from the p il e th e whit en
’
d bones ;These in a golden casket they enclos
’
d ,
And o’
er it sp read so ft shaw l s ofpurp l e dye ;Then in a grave they l aid i t, and in hasteW ith stone i n pond’ rons masses cov er’d o’er ;And ra is
’
d a mound , and watch’
d on ev’
ry side,Form subb eninroad ofthe Greeks to guard.
267
ILIAD .
The mound erected, back they turn’d ; and allAssembl ed duly
,shar
’
d th e solemn feast
I n Priam’
s palace,H eav
’
n- descended King.
Such were the ri tes to glorious H ector paid.
l HE END
