Homer
c.800 BC
THE ILIAD
translated by Samuel Butler
BOOK XIII
NOW when Jove had thus brought Hector and the Trojans to
the ships, he left them to their never-ending toil, and turned his keen eyes
away, looking elsewhither towards the horse-breeders of Thrace, the Mysians,
fighters at close quarters, the noble Hippemolgi, who live on milk, and the
Abians, justest of mankind. He no longer turned so much as a glance towards
Troy, for he did not think that any of the immortals would go and help either
Trojans or Danaans.
But King Neptune had kept no blind look-out; he had been
looking admiringly on the battle from his seat on the topmost crests of wooded
Samothrace, whence he could see all Ida, with the city of Priam and the ships of
the Achaeans. He had come from under the sea and taken his place here, for he
pitied the Achaeans who were being overcome by the Trojans; and he was furiously
angry with Jove.
Presently he came down from his post on the mountain top,
and as he strode swiftly onwards the high hills and the forest quaked beneath
the tread of his immortal feet. Three strides he took, and with the fourth he
reached his goal–Aegae, where is his glittering golden palace, imperishable, in
the depths of the sea. When he got there, he yoked his fleet brazen-footed
steeds with their manes of gold all flying in the wind; he clothed himself in
raiment of gold, grasped his gold whip, and took his stand upon his chariot. As
he went his way over the waves the sea-monsters left their lairs, for they knew
their lord, and came gambolling round him from every quarter of the deep, while
the sea in her gladness opened a path before his chariot. So lightly did the
horses fly that the bronze axle of the car was not even wet beneath it; and thus
his bounding steeds took him to the ships of the Achaeans.
Now there is a certain huge cavern in the depths of the sea
midway between Tenedos and rocky Imbrus; here Neptune lord of the earthquake
stayed his horses, unyoked them, and set before them their ambrosial forage. He
hobbled their feet with hobbles of gold which none could either unloose or
break, so that they might stay there in that place until their lord should
return. This done he went his way to the host of the Achaeans.
Now the Trojans followed Hector son of Priam in close array
like a storm-cloud or flame of fire, fighting with might and main and raising
the cry battle; for they deemed that they should take the ships of the Achaeans
and kill all their chiefest heroes then and there. Meanwhile earth-encircling
Neptune lord of the earthquake cheered on the Argives, for he had come up out of
the sea and had assumed the form and voice of Calchas.
First he spoke to the two Ajaxes, who were doing their best
already, and said, “Ajaxes, you two can be the saving of the Achaeans if you
will put out all your strength and not let yourselves be daunted. I am not
afraid that the Trojans, who have got over the wall in force, will be victorious
in any other part, for the Achaeans can hold all of them in check, but I much
fear that some evil will befall us here where furious Hector, who boasts himself
the son of great Jove himself, is leading them on like a pillar of flame. May
some god, then, put it into your hearts to make a firm stand here, and to incite
others to do the like. In this case you will drive him from the ships even
though he be inspired by Jove himself.”
As he spoke the earth-encircling lord of the earthquake
struck both of them with his sceptre and filled their hearts with daring. He
made their legs light and active, as also their hands and their feet. Then, as
the soaring falcon poises on the wing high above some sheer rock, and presently
swoops down to chase some bird over the plain, even so did Neptune lord of the
earthquake wing his flight into the air and leave them. Of the two, swift Ajax
son of Oileus was the first to know who it was that had been speaking with them,
and said to Ajax son of Telamon, “Ajax, this is one of the gods that dwell on
Olympus, who in the likeness of the prophet is bidding us fight hard by our
ships. It was not Calchas the seer and diviner of omens; I knew him at once by
his feet and knees as he turned away, for the gods are soon recognised. Moreover
I feel the lust of battle burn more fiercely within me, while my hands and my
feet under me are more eager for the fray.”
And Ajax son of Telamon answered, “I too feel my hands
grasp my spear more firmly; my strength is greater, and my feet more nimble; I
long, moreover, to meet furious Hector son of Priam, even in single combat.”
Thus did they converse, exulting in the hunger after battle
with which the god had filled them. Meanwhile the earth-encircler roused the
Achaeans, who were resting in the rear by the ships overcome at once by hard
fighting and by grief at seeing that the Trojans had got over the wall in force.
Tears began falling from their eyes as they beheld them, for they made sure that
they should not escape destruction; but the lord of the earthquake passed
lightly about among them and urged their battalions to the front.
First he went up to Teucer and Leitus, the hero Peneleos,
and Thoas and Deipyrus; Meriones also and Antilochus, valiant warriors; all did
he exhort. “Shame on you young Argives,” he cried, “it was on your prowess I
relied for the saving of our ships; if you fight not with might and main, this
very day will see us overcome by the Trojans. Of a truth my eyes behold a great
and terrible portent which I had never thought to see–the Trojans at our
ships–they, who were heretofore like panic-stricken hinds, the prey of jackals
and wolves in a forest, with no strength but in flight for they cannot defend
themselves. Hitherto the Trojans dared not for one moment face the attack of the
Achaeans, but now they have sallied far from their city and are fighting at our
very ships through the cowardice of our leader and the disaffection of the
people themselves, who in their discontent care not to fight in defence of the
ships but are being slaughtered near them. True, King Agamemnon son of Atreus is
the cause of our disaster by having insulted the son of Peleus, still this is no
reason why we should leave off fighting. Let us be quick to heal, for the hearts
of the brave heal quickly. You do ill to be thus remiss, you, who are the finest
soldiers in our whole army. I blame no man for keeping out of battle if he is a
weakling, but I am indignant with such men as you are. My good friends, matters
will soon become even worse through this slackness; think, each one of you, of
his own honour and credit, for the hazard of the fight is extreme. Great Hector
is now fighting at our ships; he has broken through the gates and the strong
bolt that held them.”
Thus did the earth-encircler address the Achaeans and urge
them on. Thereon round the two Ajaxes there gathered strong bands of men, of
whom not even Mars nor Minerva, marshaller of hosts could make light if they
went among them, for they were the picked men of all those who were now awaiting
the onset of Hector and the Trojans. They made a living fence, spear to spear,
shield to shield, buckler to buckler, helmet to helmet, and man to man. The
horse-hair crests on their gleaming helmets touched one another as they nodded
forward, so closely serried were they; the spears they brandished in their
strong hands were interlaced, and their hearts were set on battle.
The Trojans advanced in a dense body, with Hector at their
head pressing right on as a rock that comes thundering down the side of some
mountain from whose brow the winter torrents have torn it; the foundations of
the dull thing have been loosened by floods of rain, and as it bounds headlong
on its way it sets the whole forest in an uproar; it swerves neither to right
nor left till it reaches level ground, but then for all its fury it can go no
further–even so easily did Hector for a while seem as though he would career
through the tents and ships of the Achaeans till he had reached the sea in his
murderous course; but the closely serried battalions stayed him when he reached
them, for the sons of the Achaeans thrust at him with swords and spears pointed
at both ends, and drove him from them so that he staggered and gave ground;
thereon he shouted to the Trojans, “Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians, fighters
in close combat, stand firm: the Achaeans have set themselves as a wall against
me, but they will not check me for long; they will give ground before me if the
mightiest of the gods, the thundering spouse of Juno, has indeed inspired my
onset.”
With these words he put heart and soul into them all.
Deiphobus son of Priam went about among them intent on deeds of daring with his
round shield before him, under cover of which he strode quickly forward.
Meriones took aim at him with a spear, nor did he fail to hit the broad orb of
ox-hide; but he was far from piercing it for the spear broke in two pieces long
ere he could do so; moreover Deiphobus had seen it coming and had held his
shield well away from him. Meriones drew back under cover of his comrades, angry
alike at having failed to vanquish Deiphobus, and having broken his spear. He
turned therefore towards the ships and tents to fetch a spear which he had left
behind in his tent.
The others continued fighting, and the cry of battle rose
up into the heavens. Teucer son of Telamon was the first to kill his man, to
wit, the warrior Imbrius, son of Mentor, rich in horses. Until the Achaeans came
he had lived in Pedaeum, and had married Medesicaste, a bastard daughter of
Priam; but on the arrival of the Danaan fleet he had gone back to Ilius, and was
a great man among the Trojans, dwelling near Priam himself, who gave him like
honour with his own sons. The son of Telamon now struck him under the ear with a
spear which he then drew back again, and Imbrius fell headlong as an ash-tree
when it is felled on the crest of some high mountain beacon, and its delicate
green foliage comes toppling down to the ground. Thus did he fall with his
bronze-dight armour ringing harshly round him, and Teucer sprang forward with
intent to strip him of his armour; but as he was doing so, Hector took aim at
him with a spear. Teucer saw the spear coming and swerved aside, whereon it hit
Amphimachus, son of Cteatus son of Actor, in the chest as he was coming into
battle, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground.
Hector sprang forward to take Amphimachus’s helmet from off his temples, and in
a moment Ajax threw a spear at him, but did not wound him, for he was encased
all over in his terrible armour; nevertheless the spear struck the boss of his
shield with such force as to drive him back from the two corpses, which the
Achaeans then drew off. Stichius and Menestheus, captains of the Athenians, bore
away Amphimachus to the host of the Achaeans, while the two brave and impetuous
Ajaxes did the like by Imbrius. As two lions snatch a goat from the hounds that
have it in their fangs, and bear it through thick brushwood high above the
ground in their jaws, thus did the Ajaxes bear aloft the body of Imbrius, and
strip it of its armour. Then the son of Oileus severed the head from the neck in
revenge for the death of Amphimachus, and sent it whirling over the crowd as
though it had been a ball, till it fell in the dust at Hector’s feet.
Neptune was exceedingly angry that his grandson Amphimachus
should have fallen; he therefore went to the tents and ships of the Achaeans to
urge the Danaans still further, and to devise evil for the Trojans. Idomeneus
met him, as he was taking leave of a comrade, who had just come to him from the
fight, wounded in the knee. His fellow-soldiers bore him off the field, and
Idomeneus having given orders to the physicians went on to his tent, for he was
still thirsting for battle. Neptune spoke in the likeness and with the voice of
Thoas son of Andraemon who ruled the Aetolians of all Pleuron and high Calydon,
and was honoured among his people as though he were a god. “Idomeneus,” said he,
“lawgiver to the Cretans, what has now become of the threats with which the sons
of the Achaeans used to threaten the Trojans?”
And Idomeneus chief among the Cretans answered, “Thoas, no
one, so far as I know, is in fault, for we can all fight. None are held back
neither by fear nor slackness, but it seems to be the will of almighty Jove that
the Achaeans should perish ingloriously here far from Argos: you, Thoas, have
been always staunch, and you keep others in heart if you see any fail in duty;
be not then remiss now, but exhort all to do their utmost.”
To this Neptune lord of the earthquake made answer, “Idomeneus,
may he never return from Troy, but remain here for dogs to batten upon, who is
this day wilfully slack in fighting. Get your armour and go, we must make all
haste together if we may be of any use, though we are only two. Even cowards
gain courage from companionship, and we two can hold our own with the bravest.”
Therewith the god went back into the thick of the fight,
and Idomeneus when he had reached his tent donned his armour, grasped his two
spears, and sallied forth. As the lightning which the son of Saturn brandishes
from bright Olympus when he would show a sign to mortals, and its gleam flashes
far and wide–even so did his armour gleam about him as he ran. Meriones his
sturdy squire met him while he was still near his tent (for he was going to
fetch his spear) and Idomeneus said:
“Meriones, fleet son of Molus, best of comrades, why have
you left the field? Are you wounded, and is the point of the weapon hurting you?
or have you been sent to fetch me? I want no fetching; I had far rather fight
than stay in my tent.”
“Idomeneus,” answered Meriones, “I come for a spear, if I
can find one in my tent; I have broken the one I had, in throwing it at the
shield of Deiphobus.”
And Idomeneus captain of the Cretans answered, “You will
find one spear, or twenty if you so please, standing up against the end wall of
my tent. I have taken them from Trojans whom I have killed, for I am not one to
keep my enemy at arm’s length; therefore I have spears, bossed shields, helmets,
and burnished corslets.”
Then Meriones said, “I too in my tent and at my ship have
spoils taken from the Trojans, but they are not at hand. I have been at all
times valorous, and wherever there has been hard fighting have held my own among
the foremost. There may be those among the Achaeans who do not know how I fight,
but you know it well enough yourself.”
Idomeneus answered, “I know you for a brave man: you need
not tell me. If the best men at the ships were being chosen to go on an
ambush–and there is nothing like this for showing what a man is made of; it
comes out then who is cowardly and who brave; the coward will change colour at
every touch and turn; he is full of fears, and keeps shifting his weight first
on one knee and then on the other; his heart beats fast as he thinks of death,
and one can hear the chattering of his teeth; whereas the brave man will not
change colour nor be frightened on finding himself in ambush, but is all the
time longing to go into action–if the best men were being chosen for such a
service, no one could make light of your courage nor feats of arms. If you were
struck by a dart or smitten in close combat, it would not be from behind, in
your neck nor back, but the weapon would hit you in the chest or belly as you
were pressing forward to a place in the front ranks. But let us no longer stay
here talking like children, lest we be ill spoken of; go, fetch your spear from
the tent at once.”
On this Meriones, peer of Mars, went to the tent and got
himself a spear of bronze. He then followed after Idomeneus, big with great
deeds of valour. As when baneful Mars sallies forth to battle, and his son Panic
so strong and dauntless goes with him, to strike terror even into the heart of a
hero–the pair have gone from Thrace to arm themselves among the Ephyri or the
brave Phlegyans, but they will not listen to both the contending hosts, and will
give victory to one side or to the other–even so did Meriones and Idomeneus,
captains of men, go out to battle clad in their bronze armour. Meriones was
first to speak. “Son of Deucalion,” said he, “where would you have us begin
fighting? On the right wing of the host, in the centre, or on the left wing,
where I take it the Achaeans will be weakest?”
Idomeneus answered, “There are others to defend the
centre–the two Ajaxes and Teucer, who is the finest archer of all the Achaeans,
and is good also in a hand-to-hand fight. These will give Hector son of Priam
enough to do; fight as he may, he will find it hard to vanquish their
indomitable fury, and fire the ships, unless the son of Saturn fling a firebrand
upon them with his own hand. Great Ajax son of Telamon will yield to no man who
is in mortal mould and eats the grain of Ceres, if bronze and great stones can
overthrow him. He would not yield even to Achilles in hand-to-hand fight, and in
fleetness of foot there is none to beat him; let us turn therefore towards the
left wing, that we may know forthwith whether we are to give glory to some
other, or he to us.”
Meriones, peer of fleet Mars, then led the way till they
came to the part of the host which Idomeneus had named.
Now when the Trojans saw Idomeneus coming on like a flame
of fire, him and his squire clad in their richly wrought armour, they shouted
and made towards him all in a body, and a furious hand-to-hand fight raged under
the ships’ sterns. Fierce as the shrill winds that whistle upon a day when dust
lies deep on the roads, and the gusts raise it into a thick cloud–even such was
the fury of the combat, and might and main did they hack at each other with
spear and sword throughout the host. The field bristled with the long and deadly
spears which they bore. Dazzling was the sheen of their gleaming helmets, their
fresh-burnished breastplates, and glittering shields as they joined battle with
one another. Iron indeed must be his courage who could take pleasure in the
sight of such a turmoil, and look on it without being dismayed.
Thus did the two mighty sons of Saturn devise evil for
mortal heroes. Jove was minded to give victory to the Trojans and to Hector, so
as to do honour to fleet Achilles, nevertheless he did not mean to utterly
overthrow the Achaean host before Ilius, and only wanted to glorify Thetis and
her valiant son. Neptune on the other hand went about among the Argives to
incite them, having come up from the grey sea in secret, for he was grieved at
seeing them vanquished by the Trojans, and was furiously angry with Jove. Both
were of the same race and country, but Jove was elder born and knew more,
therefore Neptune feared to defend the Argives openly, but in the likeness of
man, he kept on encouraging them throughout their host. Thus, then, did these
two devise a knot of war and battle, that none could unloose or break, and set
both sides tugging at it, to the failing of men’s knees beneath them.
And now Idomeneus, though his hair was already flecked with
grey, called loud on the Danaans and spread panic among the Trojans as he leaped
in among them. He slew Othryoneus from Cabesus, a sojourner, who had but lately
come to take part in the war. He sought Cassandra, the fairest of Priam’s
daughters, in marriage, but offered no gifts of wooing, for he promised a great
thing, to wit, that he would drive the sons of the Achaeans willy nilly from
Troy; old King Priam had given his consent and promised her to him, whereon he
fought on the strength of the promises thus made to him. Idomeneus aimed a
spear, and hit him as he came striding on. His cuirass of bronze did not protect
him, and the spear stuck in his belly, so that he fell heavily to the ground.
Then Idomeneus vaunted over him saying, “Othryoneus, there is no one in the
world whom I shall admire more than I do you, if you indeed perform what you
have promised Priam son of Dardanus in return for his daughter. We too will make
you an offer; we will give you the loveliest daughter of the son of Atreus, and
will bring her from Argos for you to marry, if you will sack the goodly city of
Ilius in company with ourselves; so come along with me, that we may make a
covenant at the ships about the marriage, and we will not be hard upon you about
gifts of wooing.”
With this Idomeneus began dragging him by the foot through
the thick of the fight, but Asius came up to protect the body, on foot, in front
of his horses which his esquire drove so close behind him that he could feel
their breath upon his shoulder. He was longing to strike down Idomeneus, but ere
he could do so Idomeneus smote him with his spear in the throat under the chin,
and the bronze point went clean through it. He fell as an oak, or poplar, or
pine which shipwrights have felled for ship’s timber upon the mountains with
whetted axes–even thus did he lie full length in front of his chariot and
horses, grinding his teeth and clutching at the bloodstained dust. His
charioteer was struck with panic and did not dare turn his horses round and
escape: thereupon Antilochus hit him in the middle of his body with a spear; his
cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the spear stuck in his belly. He fell
gasping from his chariot and Antilochus, great Nestor’s son, drove his horses
from the Trojans to the Achaeans.
Deiphobus then came close up to Idomeneus to avenge Asius,
and took aim at him with a spear, but Idomeneus was on the look-out and avoided
it, for he was covered by the round shield he always bore–a shield of oxhide
and bronze with two arm-rods on the inside. He crouched under cover of this, and
the spear flew over him, but the shield rang out as the spear grazed it, and the
weapon sped not in vain from the strong hand of Deiphobus, for it struck
Hypsenor son of Hippasus, shepherd of his people, in the liver under the
midriff, and his limbs failed beneath him. Deiphobus vaunted over him and cried
with a loud voice saying, “Of a truth Asius has not fallen unavenged; he will be
glad even while passing into the house of Hades, strong warden of the gate, that
I have sent some one to escort him.”
Thus did he vaunt, and the Argives were stung by his
saying. Noble Antilochus was more angry than any one, but grief did not make him
forget his friend and comrade. He ran up to him, bestrode him, and covered him
with his shield; then two of his staunch comrades, Mecisteus son of Echius, and
Alastor, stooped down, and bore him away groaning heavily to the ships. But
Idomeneus ceased not his fury. He kept on striving continually either to
enshroud some Trojan in the darkness of death, or himself to fall while warding
off the evil day from the Achaeans. Then fell Alcathous son of noble Aesyetes;
he was son-in-law to Anchises, having married his eldest daughter Hippodameia,
who was the darling of her father and mother, and excelled all her generation in
beauty, accomplishments, and understanding, wherefore the bravest man in all
Troy had taken her to wife–him did Neptune lay low by the hand of Idomeneus,
blinding his bright eyes and binding his strong limbs in fetters so that he
could neither go back nor to one side, but stood stock still like pillar or
lofty tree when Idomeneus struck him with a spear in the middle of his chest.
The coat of mail that had hitherto protected his body was now broken, and rang
harshly as the spear tore through it. He fell heavily to the ground, and the
spear stuck in his heart, which still beat, and made the butt-end of the spear
quiver till dread Mars put an end to his life. Idomeneus vaunted over him and
cried with a loud voice saying, “Deiphobus, since you are in a mood to vaunt,
shall we cry quits now that we have killed three men to your one? Nay, sir,
stand in fight with me yourself, that you may learn what manner of Jove-begotten
man am I that have come hither. Jove first begot Minos, chief ruler in Crete,
and Minos in his turn begot a son, noble Deucalion. Deucalion begot me to be a
ruler over many men in Crete, and my ships have now brought me hither, to be the
bane of yourself, your father, and the Trojans.”
Thus did he speak, and Deiphobus was in two minds, whether
to go back and fetch some other Trojan to help him, or to take up the challenge
single-handed. In the end, he deemed it best to go and fetch Aeneas, whom he
found standing in the rear, for he had long been aggrieved with Priam because in
spite of his brave deeds he did not give him his due share of honour. Deiphobus
went up to him and said, “Aeneas, prince among the Trojans, if you know any ties
of kinship, help me now to defend the body of your sister’s husband; come with
me to the rescue of Alcathous, who being husband to your sister brought you up
when you were a child in his house, and now Idomeneus has slain him.”
With these words he moved the heart of Aeneas, and he went
in pursuit of Idomeneus, big with great deeds of valour; but Idomeneus was not
to be thus daunted as though he were a mere child; he held his ground as a wild
boar at bay upon the mountains, who abides the coming of a great crowd of men in
some lonely place–the bristles stand upright on his back, his eyes flash fire,
and he whets his tusks in his eagerness to defend himself against hounds and
men–even so did famed Idomeneus hold his ground and budge not at the coming of
Aeneas. He cried aloud to his comrades looking towards Ascalaphus, Aphareus,
Deipyrus, Meriones, and Antilochus, all of them brave soldiers–“Hither my
friends,” he cried, “and leave me not single-handed–I go in great fear by fleet
Aeneas, who is coming against me, and is a redoubtable dispenser of death
battle. Moreover he is in the flower of youth when a man’s strength is greatest;
if I was of the same age as he is and in my present mind, either he or I should
soon bear away the prize of victory.”
On this, all of them as one man stood near him, shield on
shoulder. Aeneas on the other side called to his comrades, looking towards
Deiphobus, Paris, and Agenor, who were leaders of the Trojans along with
himself, and the people followed them as sheep follow the ram when they go down
to drink after they have been feeding, and the heart of the shepherd is
glad–even so was the heart of Aeneas gladdened when he saw his people follow
him.
Then they fought furiously in close combat about the body
of Alcathous, wielding their long spears; and the bronze armour about their
bodies rang fearfully as they took aim at one another in the press of the fight,
while the two heroes Aeneas and Idomeneus, peers of Mars, outvied everyone in
their desire to hack at each other with sword and spear. Aeneas took aim first,
but Idomeneus was on the lookout and avoided the spear, so that it sped from
Aeneas’ strong hand in vain, and fell quivering in the ground. Idomeneus
meanwhile smote Oenomaus in the middle of his belly, and broke the plate of his
corslet, whereon his bowels came gushing out and he clutched the earth in the
palms of his hands as he fell sprawling in the dust. Idomeneus drew his spear
out of the body, but could not strip him of the rest of his armour for the rain
of darts that were showered upon him: moreover his strength was now beginning to
fail him so that he could no longer charge, and could neither spring forward to
recover his own weapon nor swerve aside to avoid one that was aimed at him;
therefore, though he still defended himself in hand-to-hand fight, his heavy
feet could not bear him swiftly out of the battle. Deiphobus aimed a spear at
him as he was retreating slowly from the field, for his bitterness against him
was as fierce as ever, but again he missed him, and hit Ascalaphus, the son of
Mars; the spear went through his shoulder, and he clutched the earth in the
palms of his hands as he fell sprawling in the dust.
Grim Mars of awful voice did not yet know that his son had
fallen, for he was sitting on the summits of Olympus under the golden clouds, by
command of Jove, where the other gods were also sitting, forbidden to take part
in the battle. Meanwhile men fought furiously about the body. Deiphobus tore the
helmet from off his head, but Meriones sprang upon him, and struck him on the
arm with a spear so that the visored helmet fell from his hand and came ringing
down upon the ground. Thereon Meriones sprang upon him like a vulture, drew the
spear from his shoulder, and fell back under cover of his men. Then Polites, own
brother of Deiphobus passed his arms around his waist, and bore him away from
the battle till he got to his horses that were standing in the rear of the fight
with the chariot and their driver. These took him towards the city groaning and
in great pain, with the blood flowing from his arm.
The others still fought on, and the battle-cry rose to
heaven without ceasing. Aeneas sprang on Aphareus son of Caletor, and struck him
with a spear in his throat which was turned towards him; his head fell on one
side, his helmet and shield came down along with him, and death, life’s foe, was
shed around him. Antilochus spied his chance, flew forward towards Thoon, and
wounded him as he was turning round. He laid open the vein that runs all the way
up the back to the neck; he cut this vein clean away throughout its whole
course, and Thoon fell in the dust face upwards, stretching out his hands
imploringly towards his comrades. Antilochus sprang upon him and stripped the
armour from his shoulders, glaring round him fearfully as he did so. The Trojans
came about him on every side and struck his broad and gleaming shield, but could
not wound his body, for Neptune stood guard over the son of Nestor, though the
darts fell thickly round him. He was never clear of the foe, but was always in
the thick of the fight; his spear was never idle; he poised and aimed it in
every direction, so eager was he to hit someone from a distance or to fight him
hand to hand.
As he was thus aiming among the crowd, he was seen by
Adamas, son of Asius, who rushed towards him and struck him with a spear in the
middle of his shield, but Neptune made its point without effect, for he grudged
him the life of Antilochus. One half, therefore, of the spear stuck fast like a
charred stake in Antilochus’s shield, while the other lay on the ground. Adamas
then sought shelter under cover of his men, but Meriones followed after and hit
him with a spear midway between the private parts and the navel, where a wound
is particualrly painful to wretched mortals. There did Meriones transfix him,
and he writhed convulsively about the spear as some bull whom mountain herdsmen
have bound with ropes of withes and are taking away perforce. Even so did he
move convulsively for a while, but not for very long, till Meriones came up and
drew the spear out of his body, and his eyes were veiled in darkness.
Helenus then struck Deipyrus with a great Thracian sword,
hitting him on the temple in close combat and tearing the helmet from his head;
the helmet fell to the ground, and one of those who were fighting on the Achaean
side took charge of it as it rolled at his feet, but the eyes of Deipyrus were
closed in the darkness of death.
On this Menelaus was grieved, and made menacingly towards
Helenus, brandishing his spear; but Helenus drew his bow, and the two attacked
one another at one and the same moment, the one with his spear, and the other
with his bow and arrow. The son of Priam hit the breastplate of Menelaus’s
corslet, but the arrow glanced from off it. As black beans or pulse come
pattering down on to a threshing-floor from the broad winnowing-shovel, blown by
shrill winds and shaken by the shovel–even so did the arrow glance off and
recoil from the shield of Menelaus, who in his turn wounded the hand with which
Helenus carried his bow; the spear went right through his hand and stuck in the
bow itself, so that to his life he retreated under cover of his men, with his
hand dragging by his side–for the spear weighed it down till Agenor drew it out
and bound the hand carefully up in a woollen sling which his esquire had with
him.
Pisander then made straight at Menelaus–his evil destiny
luring him on to his doom, for he was to fall in fight with you, O Menelaus.
When the two were hard by one another the spear of the son of Atreus turned
aside and he missed his aim; Pisander then struck the shield of brave Menelaus
but could not pierce it, for the shield stayed the spear and broke the shaft;
nevertheless he was glad and made sure of victory; forthwith, however, the son
of Atreus drew his sword and sprang upon him. Pisander then seized the bronze
battle-axe, with its long and polished handle of olive wood that hung by his
side under his shield, and the two made at one another. Pisander struck the peak
of Menelaus’s crested helmet just under the crest itself, and Menelaus hit
Pisander as he was coming towards him, on the forehead, just at the rise of his
nose; the bones cracked and his two gore-bedrabbled eyes fell by his feet in the
dust. He fell backwards to the ground, and Menelaus set his heel upon him,
stripped him of his armour, and vaunted over him saying, “Even thus shall you
Trojans leave the ships of the Achaeans, proud and insatiate of battle though
you be, nor shall you lack any of the disgrace and shame which you have heaped
upon myself. Cowardly she-wolves that you are, you feared not the anger of dread
Jove, avenger of violated hospitality, who will one day destroy your city; you
stole my wedded wife and wickedly carried off much treasure when you were her
guest, and now you would fling fire upon our ships, and kill our heroes. A day
will come when, rage as you may, you shall be stayed. O father Jove, you, who
they say art above all, both gods and men, in wisdom, and from whom all things
that befall us do proceed, how can you thus favour the Trojans–men so proud and
overweening, that they are never tired of fighting? All things pall after a
while–sleep, love, sweet song, and stately dance– still these are things of
which a man would surely have his fill rather than of battle, whereas it is of
battle that the Trojans are insatiate.”
So saying Menelaus stripped the blood-stained armour from
the body of Pisander, and handed it over to his men; then he again ranged
himself among those who were in the front of the fight.
Harpalion son of King Pylaemenes then sprang upon him; he
had come to fight at Troy along with his father, but he did not go home again.
He struck the middle of Menelaus’s shield with his spear but could not pierce
it, and to save his life drew back under cover of his men, looking round him on
every side lest he should be wounded. But Meriones aimed a bronze-tipped arrow
at him as he was leaving the field, and hit him on the right buttock; the arrow
pierced the bone through and through, and penetrated the bladder, so he sat down
where he was and breathed his last in the arms of his comrades, stretched like a
worm upon the ground and watering the earth with the blood that flowed from his
wound. The brave Paphlagonians tended him with all due care; they raised him
into his chariot, and bore him sadly off to the city of Troy; his father went
also with him weeping bitterly, but there was no ransom that could bring his
dead son to life again.
Paris was deeply grieved by the death of Harpalion, who was
his host when he went among the Paphlagonians; he aimed an arrow, therefore, in
order to avenge him. Now there was a certain man named Euchenor, son of Polyidus
the prophet, a brave man and wealthy, whose home was in Corinth. This Euchenor
had set sail for Troy well knowing that it would be the death of him, for his
good old father Polyidus had often told him that he must either stay at home and
die of a terrible disease, or go with the Achaeans and perish at the hands of
the Trojans; he chose, therefore, to avoid incurring the heavy fine the Achaeans
would have laid upon him, and at the same time to escape the pain and suffering
of disease. Paris now smote him on the jaw under his ear, whereon the life went
out of him and he was enshrouded in the darkness of death.
Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. But
Hector had not yet heard, and did not know that the Argives were making havoc of
his men on the left wing of the battle, where the Achaeans ere long would have
triumphed over them, so vigorously did Neptune cheer them on and help them. He
therefore held on at the point where he had first forced his way through the
gates and the wall, after breaking through the serried ranks of Danaan warriors.
It was here that the ships of Ajax and Protesilaus were drawn up by the
sea-shore; here the wall was at its lowest, and the fight both of man and horse
raged most fiercely. The Boeotians and the Ionians with their long tunics, the
Locrians, the men of Phthia, and the famous force of the Epeans could hardly
stay Hector as he rushed on towards the ships, nor could they drive him from
them, for he was as a wall of fire. The chosen men of the Athenians were in the
van, led by Menestheus son of Peteos, with whom were also Pheidas, Stichius, and
stalwart Bias; Meges son of Phyleus, Amphion, and Dracius commanded the Epeans,
while Medon and staunch Podarces led the men of Phthia. Of these, Medon was
bastard son to Oileus and brother of Ajax, but he lived in Phylace away from his
own country, for he had killed the brother of his stepmother Eriopis, the wife
of Oileus; the other, Podarces, was the son of Iphiclus, son of Phylacus. These
two stood in the van of the Phthians, and defended the ships along with the
Boeotians.
Ajax son of Oileus, never for a moment left the side of
Ajax, son of Telamon, but as two swart oxen both strain their utmost at the
plough which they are drawing in a fallow field, and the sweat steams upwards
from about the roots of their horns–nothing but the yoke divides them as they
break up the ground till they reach the end of the field–even so did the two
Ajaxes stand shoulder to shoulder by one another. Many and brave comrades
followed the son of Telamon, to relieve him of his shield when he was overcome
with sweat and toil, but the Locrians did not follow so close after the son of
Oileus, for they could not hold their own in a hand-to-hand fight. They had no
bronze helmets with plumes of horse-hair, neither had they shields nor ashen
spears, but they had come to Troy armed with bows, and with slings of twisted
wool from which they showered their missiles to break the ranks of the Trojans.
The others, therefore, with their heavy armour bore the brunt of the fight with
the Trojans and with Hector, while the Locrians shot from behind, under their
cover; and thus the Trojans began to lose heart, for the arrows threw them into
confusion.
The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from
the ships and tents back to windy Ilius, had not Polydamas presently said to
Hector, “Hector, there is no persuading you to take advice. Because heaven has
so richly endowed you with the arts of war, you think that you must therefore
excel others in counsel; but you cannot thus claim preeminence in all things.
Heaven has made one man an excellent soldier; of another it has made a dancer or
a singer and player on the lyre; while yet in another Jove has implanted a wise
understanding of which men reap fruit to the saving of many, and he himself
knows more about it than any one; therefore I will say what I think will be
best. The fight has hemmed you in as with a circle of fire, and even now that
the Trojans are within the wall some of them stand aloof in full armour, while
others are fighting scattered and outnumbered near the ships. Draw back,
therefore, and call your chieftains round you, that we may advise together
whether to fall now upon the ships in the hope that heaven may vouchsafe us
victory, or to beat a retreat while we can yet safely do so. I greatly fear that
the Achaeans will pay us their debt of yesterday in full, for there is one
abiding at their ships who is never weary of battle, and who will not hold aloof
much longer.”
Thus spoke Polydamas, and his words pleased Hector well. He
sprang in full armour from his chariot and said, “Polydamas, gather the
chieftains here; I will go yonder into the fight, but will return at once when I
have given them their orders.”
He then sped onward, towering like a snowy mountain, and
with a loud cry flew through the ranks of the Trojans and their allies. When
they heard his voice they all hastened to gather round Polydamas, the excellent
son of Panthous, but Hector kept on among the foremost, looking everywhere to
find Deiphobus and prince Helenus, Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of
Hyrtacus; living, indeed, and scatheless he could no longer find them, for the
two last were lying by the sterns of the Achaean ships, slain by the Argives,
while the others had been also stricken and wounded by them; but upon the left
wing of the dread battle he found Alexandrus, husband of lovely Helen, cheering
his men and urging them on to fight. He went up to him and upbraided him.
“Paris,” said he, “evil-hearted Paris, fair to see but woman-mad and false of
tongue, where are Deiphobus and King Helenus? Where are Adamas son of Asius, and
Asius son of Hyrtacus? Where too is Othryoneus? Ilius is undone and will now
surely fall!”
Alexandrus answered, “Hector, why find fault when there is
no one to find fault with? I should hold aloof from battle on any day rather
than this, for my mother bore me with nothing of the coward about me. From the
moment when you set our men fighting about the ships we have been staying here
and doing battle with the Danaans. Our comrades about whom you ask me are dead;
Deiphobus and King Helenus alone have left the field, wounded both of them in
the hand, but the son of Saturn saved them alive. Now, therefore, lead on where
you would have us go, and we will follow with right goodwill; you shall not find
us fail you in so far as our strength holds out, but no man can do more than in
him lies, no matter how willing he may be.”
With these words he satisfied his brother, and the two went
towards the part of the battle where the fight was thickest, about Cebriones,
brave Polydamas, Phalces, Orthaeus, godlike Polyphetes, Palmys, Ascanius, and
Morys son of Hippotion, who had come from fertile Ascania on the preceding day
to relieve other troops. Then Jove urged them on to fight. They flew forth like
the blasts of some fierce wind that strike earth in the van of a
thunderstorm–they buffet the salt sea into an uproar; many and mighty are the
great waves that come crashing in one after the other upon the shore with their
arching heads all crested with foam–even so did rank behind rank of Trojans
arrayed in gleaming armour follow their leaders onward. The way was led by
Hector son of Priam, peer of murderous Mars, with his round shield before
him–his shield of ox-hides covered with plates of bronze–and his gleaming
helmet upon his temples. He kept stepping forward under cover of his shield in
every direction, making trial of the ranks to see if they would give way before
him, but he could not daunt the courage of the Achaeans. Ajax was the first to
stride out and challenge him. “Sir,” he cried, “draw near; why do you think thus
vainly to dismay the Argives? We Achaeans are excellent soldiers, but the
scourge of Jove has fallen heavily upon us. Your heart, forsooth, is set on
destroying our ships, but we too have hands that can keep you at bay, and your
own fair town shall be sooner taken and sacked by ourselves. The time is near
when you shall pray Jove and all the gods in your flight, that your steeds may
be swifter than hawks as they raise the dust on the plain and bear you back to
your city.”
As he was thus speaking a bird flew by upon his right hand,
and the host of the Achaeans shouted, for they took heart at the omen. But
Hector answered, “Ajax, braggart and false of tongue, would that I were as sure
of being son for evermore to aegis-bearing Jove, with Queen Juno for my mother,
and of being held in like honour with Minerva and Apollo, as I am that this day
is big with the destruction of the Achaeans; and you shall fall among them if
you dare abide my spear; it shall rend your fair body and bid you glut our
hounds and birds of prey with your fat and your flesh, as you fall by the ships
of the Achaeans.”
With these words he led the way and the others followed
after with a cry that rent the air, while the host shouted behind them. The
Argives on their part raised a shout likewise, nor did they forget their
prowess, but stood firm against the onslaught of the Trojan chieftains, and the
cry from both the hosts rose up to heaven and to the brightness of Jove’s
presence.
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