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THE ILIAD
Books XIII-XVIII

by Homer


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 seffied
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 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 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 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 just. 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 unavenied; 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 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, outxied
every one 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 some one 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 be 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 bands 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. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK XIV

Nestor was sitting over his wine, but the cry of battle did not escape
him, and he said to the son of Aesculapius, "What, noble Machaon,
is the meaning of all this? The shouts of men fighting by our ships
grow stronger and stronger; stay here, therefore, and sit over your
wine, while fair Hecamede heats you a bath and washes the clotted
blood from off you. I will go at once to the look-out station and
see what it is all about." 

As he spoke he took up the shield of his son Thrasymedes that was
lying in his tent, all gleaming with bronze, for Thrasymedes had taken
his father's shield; he grasped his redoubtable bronze-shod spear,
and as soon as he was outside saw the disastrous rout of the Achaeans
who, now that their wall was overthrown, were flying pell-mell before
the Trojans. As when there is a heavy swell upon the sea, but the
waves are dumb- they keep their eyes on the watch for the quarter
whence the fierce winds may spring upon them, but they stay where
they are and set neither this way nor that, till some particular wind
sweeps down from heaven to determine them- even so did the old man
ponder whether to make for the crowd of Danaans, or go in search of
Agamemnon. In the end he deemed it best to go to the son of Atreus;
but meanwhile the hosts were fighting and killing one another, and
the hard bronze rattled on their bodies, as they thrust at one another
with their swords and spears. 

The wounded kings, the son of Tydeus, Ulysses, and Agamemnon son of
Atreus, fell in Nestor as they were coming up from their ships- for
theirs were drawn up some way from where the fighting was going on,
being on the shore itself inasmuch as they had been beached first,
while the wall had been built behind the hindermost. The stretch of
the shore, wide though it was, did not afford room for all the ships,
and the host was cramped for space, therefore they had placed the
ships in rows one behind the other, and had filled the whole opening
of the bay between the two points that formed it. The kings, leaning
on their spears, were coming out to survey the fight, being in great
anxiety, and when old Nestor met them they were filled with dismay.
Then King Agamemnon said to him, "Nestor son of Neleus, honour to
the Achaean name, why have you left the battle to come hither? I fear
that what dread Hector said will come true, when he vaunted among
the Trojans saying that he would not return to Ilius till he had fired
our ships and killed us; this is what he said, and now it is all coming
true. Alas! others of the Achaeans, like Achilles, are in anger with
me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of our ships."

Then Nestor knight of Gerene answered, "It is indeed as you say; it
is all coming true at this moment, and even Jove who thunders from
on high cannot prevent it. Fallen is the wall on which we relied as
an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet. The Trojans are
fighting stubbornly and without ceasing at the ships; look where you
may you cannot see from what quarter the rout of the Achaeans is coming;
they are being killed in a confused mass and the battle-cry ascends
to heaven; let us think, if counsel can be of any use, what we had
better do; but I do not advise our going into battle ourselves, for
a man cannot fight when he is wounded." 

And King Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, if the Trojans are indeed fighting
at the rear of our ships, and neither the wall nor the trench has
served us- over which the Danaans toiled so hard, and which they deemed
would be an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet- I see it
must be the will of Jove that the Achaeans should perish ingloriously
here, far from Argos. I knew when Jove was willing to defend us, and
I know now that he is raising the Trojans to like honour with the
gods, while us, on the other hand, he bas bound hand and foot. Now,
therefore, let us all do as I say; let us bring down the ships that
are on the beach and draw them into the water; let us make them fast
to their mooring-stones a little way out, against the fall of night-
if even by night the Trojans will desist from fighting; we may then
draw down the rest of the fleet. There is nothing wrong in flying
ruin even by night. It is better for a man that he should fly and
be saved than be caught and killed." 

Ulysses looked fiercely at him and said, "Son of Atreus, what are
you talking about? Wretch, you should have commanded some other and
baser army, and not been ruler over us to whom Jove has allotted a
life of hard fighting from youth to old age, till we every one of
us perish. Is it thus that you would quit the city of Troy, to win
which we have suffered so much hardship? Hold your peace, lest some
other of the Achaeans hear you say what no man who knows how to give
good counsel, no king over so great a host as that of the Argives
should ever have let fall from his lips. I despise your judgement
utterly for what you have been saying. Would you, then, have us draw
down our ships into the water while the battle is raging, and thus
play further into the hands of the conquering Trojans? It would be
ruin; the Achaeans will not go on fighting when they see the ships
being drawn into the water, but will cease attacking and keep turning
their eyes towards them; your counsel, therefore, Sir captain, would
be our destruction." 

Agamemnon answered, "Ulysses, your rebuke has stung me to the heart.
I am not, however, ordering the Achaeans to draw their ships into
the sea whether they will or no. Some one, it may be, old or young,
can offer us better counsel which I shall rejoice to hear."

Then said Diomed, "Such an one is at hand; he is not far to seek,
if you will listen to me and not resent my speaking though I am younger
than any of you. I am by lineage son to a noble sire, Tydeus, who
lies buried at Thebes. For Portheus had three noble sons, two of whom,
Agrius and Melas, abode in Pleuron and rocky Calydon. The third was
the knight Oeneus, my father's father, and he was the most valiant
of them all. Oeeneus remained in his own country, but my father (as
Jove and the other gods ordained it) migrated to Argos. He married
into the family of Adrastus, and his house was one of great abundance,
for he had large estates of rich corn-growing land, with much orchard
ground as well, and he had many sheep; moreover he excelled all the
Argives in the use of the spear. You must yourselves have heard whether
these things are true or no; therefore when I say well despise not
my words as though I were a coward or of ignoble birth. I say, then,
let us go to the fight as we needs must, wounded though we be. When
there, we may keep out of the battle and beyond the range of the spears
lest we get fresh wounds in addition to what we have already, but
we can spur on others, who have been indulging their spleen and holding
aloof from battle hitherto." 

Thus did he speak; whereon they did even as he had said and set out,
King Agamemnon leading the way. 

Meanwhile Neptune had kept no blind look-out, and came up to them
in the semblance of an old man. He took Agamemnon's right hand in
his own and said, "Son of Atreus, I take it Achilles is glad now that
he sees the Achaeans routed and slain, for he is utterly without remorse-
may he come to a bad end and heaven confound him. As for yourself,
the blessed gods are not yet so bitterly angry with you but that the
princes and counsellors of the Trojans shall again raise the dust
upon the plain, and you shall see them flying from the ships and tents
towards their city." 

With this he raised a mighty cry of battle, and sped forward to the
plain. The voice that came from his deep chest was as that of nine
or ten thousand men when they are shouting in the thick of a fight,
and it put fresh courage into the hearts of the Achaeans to wage war
and do battle without ceasing. 

Juno of the golden throne looked down as she stood upon a peak of
Olympus and her heart was gladdened at the sight of him who was at
once her brother and her brother-in-law, hurrying hither and thither
amid the fighting. Then she turned her eyes to Jove as he sat on the
topmost crests of many-fountained Ida, and loathed him. She set herself
to think how she might hoodwink him, and in the end she deemed that
it would be best for her to go to Ida and array herself in rich attire,
in the hope that Jove might become enamoured of her, and wish to embrace
her. While he was thus engaged a sweet and careless sleep might be
made to steal over his eyes and senses. 

She went, therefore, to the room which her son Vulcan had made her,
and the doors of which he had cunningly fastened by means of a secret
key so that no other god could open them. Here she entered and closed
the doors behind her. She cleansed all the dirt from her fair body
with ambrosia, then she anointed herself with olive oil, ambrosial,
very soft, and scented specially for herself- if it were so much as
shaken in the bronze-floored house of Jove, the scent pervaded the
universe of heaven and earth. With this she anointed her delicate
skin, and then she plaited the fair ambrosial locks that flowed in
a stream of golden tresses from her immortal head. She put on the
wondrous robe which Minerva had worked for her with consummate art,
and had embroidered with manifold devices; she fastened it about her
bosom with golden clasps, and she girded herself with a girdle that
had a hundred tassels: then she fastened her earrings, three brilliant
pendants that glistened most beautifully, through the pierced lobes
of her ears, and threw a lovely new veil over her head. She bound
her sandals on to her feet, and when she had arrayed herself perfectly
to her satisfaction, she left her room and called Venus to come aside
and speak to her. "My dear child," said she, "will you do what I am
going to ask of you, or will refuse me because you are angry at my
being on the Danaan side, while you are on the Trojan?" 

Jove's daughter Venus answered, "Juno, august queen of goddesses,
daughter of mighty Saturn, say what you want, and I will do it for
at once, if I can, and if it can be done at all." 

Then Juno told her a lying tale and said, "I want you to endow me
with some of those fascinating charms, the spells of which bring all
things mortal and immortal to your feet. I am going to the world's
end to visit Oceanus (from whom all we gods proceed) and mother Tethys:
they received me in their house, took care of me, and brought me up,
having taken me over from Rhaea when Jove imprisoned great Saturn
in the depths that are under earth and sea. I must go and see them
that I may make peace between them; they have been quarrelling, and
are so angry that they have not slept with one another this long while;
if I can bring them round and restore them to one another's embraces,
they will be grateful to me and love me for ever afterwards."

Thereon laughter-loving Venus said, "I cannot and must not refuse
you, for you sleep in the arms of Jove who is our king."

As she spoke she loosed from her bosom the curiously embroidered girdle
into which all her charms had been wrought- love, desire, and that
sweet flattery which steals the judgement even of the most prudent.
She gave the girdle to Juno and said, "Take this girdle wherein all
my charms reside and lay it in your bosom. If you will wear it I promise
you that your errand, be it what it may, will not be bootless."

When she heard this Juno smiled, and still smiling she laid the girdle
in her bosom. 

Venus now went back into the house of Jove, while Juno darted down
from the summits of Olympus. She passed over Pieria and fair Emathia,
and went on and on till she came to the snowy ranges of the Thracian
horsemen, over whose topmost crests she sped without ever setting
foot to ground. When she came to Athos she went on over the, waves
of the sea till she reached Lemnos, the city of noble Thoas. There
she met Sleep, own brother to Death, and caught him by the hand, saying,
"Sleep, you who lord it alike over mortals and immortals, if you ever
did me a service in times past, do one for me now, and I shall be
grateful to you ever after. Close Jove's keen eyes for me in slumber
while I hold him clasped in my embrace, and I will give you a beautiful
golden seat, that can never fall to pieces; my clubfooted son Vulcan
shall make it for you, and he shall give it a footstool for you to
rest your fair feet upon when you are at table." 

Then Sleep answered, "Juno, great queen of goddesses, daughter of
mighty Saturn, I would lull any other of the gods to sleep without
compunction, not even excepting the waters of Oceanus from whom all
of them proceed, but I dare not go near Jove, nor send him to sleep
unless he bids me. I have had one lesson already through doing what
you asked me, on the day when Jove's mighty son Hercules set sail
from Ilius after having sacked the city of the Trojans. At your bidding
I suffused my sweet self over the mind of aegis-bearing Jove, and
laid him to rest; meanwhile you hatched a plot against Hercules, and
set the blasts of the angry winds beating upon the sea, till you took
him to the goodly city of Cos away from all his friends. Jove was
furious when he awoke, and began hurling the gods about all over the
house; he was looking more particularly for myself, and would have
flung me down through space into the sea where I should never have
been heard of any more, had not Night who cows both men and gods protected
me. I fled to her and Jove left off looking for me in spite of his
being so angry, for he did not dare do anything to displease Night.
And now you are again asking me to do something on which I cannot
venture." 

And Juno said, "Sleep, why do you take such notions as those into
your head? Do you think Jove will be as anxious to help the Trojans,
as he was about his own son? Come, I will marry you to one of the
youngest of the Graces, and she shall be your own- Pasithea, whom
you have always wanted to marry." 

Sleep was pleased when he heard this, and answered, "Then swear it
to me by the dread waters of the river Styx; lay one hand on the bounteous
earth, and the other on the sheen of the sea, so that all the gods
who dwell down below with Saturn may be our witnesses, and see that
you really do give me one of the youngest of the Graces- Pasithea,
whom I have always wanted to marry." 

Juno did as he had said. She swore, and invoked all the gods of the
nether world, who are called Titans, to witness. When she had completed
her oath, the two enshrouded themselves in a thick mist and sped lightly
forward, leaving Lemnos and Imbrus behind them. Presently they reached
many-fountained Ida, mother of wild beasts, and Lectum where they
left the sea to go on by land, and the tops of the trees of the forest
soughed under the going of their feet. Here Sleep halted, and ere
Jove caught sight of him he climbed a lofty pine-tree- the tallest
that reared its head towards heaven on all Ida. He hid himself behind
the branches and sat there in the semblance of the sweet-singing bird
that haunts the mountains and is called Chalcis by the gods, but men
call it Cymindis. Juno then went to Gargarus, the topmost peak of
Ida, and Jove, driver of the clouds, set eyes upon her. As soon as
he did so he became inflamed with the same passionate desire for her
that he had felt when they had first enjoyed each other's embraces,
and slept with one another without their dear parents knowing anything
about it. He went up to her and said, "What do you want that you have
come hither from Olympus- and that too with neither chariot nor horses
to convey you?" 

Then Juno told him a lying tale and said, "I am going to the world's
end, to visit Oceanus, from whom all we gods proceed, and mother Tethys;
they received me into their house, took care of me, and brought me
up. I must go and see them that I may make peace between them: they
have been quarrelling, and are so angry that they have not slept with
one another this long time. The horses that will take me over land
and sea are stationed on the lowermost spurs of many-fountained Ida,
and I have come here from Olympus on purpose to consult you. I was
afraid you might be angry with me later on, if I went to the house
of Oceanus without letting you know." 

And Jove said, "Juno, you can choose some other time for paying your
visit to Oceanus- for the present let us devote ourselves to love
and to the enjoyment of one another. Never yet have I been so overpowered
by passion neither for goddess nor mortal woman as I am at this moment
for yourself- not even when I was in love with the wife of Ixion who
bore me Pirithous, peer of gods in counsel, nor yet with Danae the
daintily-ancled daughter of Acrisius, who bore me the famed hero Perseus.
Then there was the daughter of Phoenix, who bore me Minos and Rhadamanthus:
there was Semele, and Alcmena in Thebes by whom I begot my lion-hearted
son Hercules, while Semele became mother to Bacchus the comforter
of mankind. There was queen Ceres again, and lovely Leto, and yourself-
but with none of these was I ever so much enamoured as I now am with
you." 

Juno again answered him with a lying tale. "Most dread son of Saturn,"
she exclaimed, "what are you talking about? Would you have us enjoy
one another here on the top of Mount Ida, where everything can be
seen? What if one of the ever-living gods should see us sleeping together,
and tell the others? It would be such a scandal that when I had risen
from your embraces I could never show myself inside your house again;
but if you are so minded, there is a room which your son Vulcan has
made me, and he has given it good strong doors; if you would so have
it, let us go thither and lie down." 

And Jove answered, "Juno, you need not be afraid that either god or
man will see you, for I will enshroud both of us in such a dense golden
cloud, that the very sun for all his bright piercing beams shall not
see through it." 

With this the son of Saturn caught his wife in his embrace; whereon
the earth sprouted them a cushion of young grass, with dew-bespangled
lotus, crocus, and hyacinth, so soft and thick that it raised them
well above the ground. Here they laid themselves down and overhead
they were covered by a fair cloud of gold, from which there fell glittering
dew-drops. 

Thus, then, did the sire of all things repose peacefully on the crest
of Ida, overcome at once by sleep and love, and he held his spouse
in his arms. Meanwhile Sleep made off to the ships of the Achaeans,
to tell earth-encircling Neptune, lord of the earthquake. When he
had found him he said, "Now, Neptune, you can help the Danaans with
a will, and give them victory though it be only for a short time while
Jove is still sleeping. I have sent him into a sweet slumber, and
Juno has beguiled him into going to bed with her." 

Sleep now departed and went his ways to and fro among mankind, leaving
Neptune more eager than ever to help the Danaans. He darted forward
among the first ranks and shouted saying, "Argives, shall we let Hector
son of Priam have the triumph of taking our ships and covering himself
with glory? This is what he says that he shall now do, seeing that
Achilles is still in dudgeon at his ship; We shall get on very well
without him if we keep each other in heart and stand by one another.
Now, therefore, let us all do as I say. Let us each take the best
and largest shield we can lay hold of, put on our helmets, and sally
forth with our longest spears in our hands; will lead you on, and
Hector son of Priam, rage as he may, will not dare to hold out against
us. If any good staunch soldier has only a small shield, let him hand
it over to a worse man, and take a larger one for himself."

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The son of Tydeus,
Ulysses, and Agamemnon, wounded though they were, set the others in
array, and went about everywhere effecting the exchanges of armour;
the most valiant took the best armour, and gave the worse to the worse
man. When they had donned their bronze armour they marched on with
Neptune at their head. In his strong hand he grasped his terrible
sword, keen of edge and flashing like lightning; woe to him who comes
across it in the day of battle; all men quake for fear and keep away
from it. 

Hector on the other side set the Trojans in array. Thereon Neptune
and Hector waged fierce war on one another- Hector on the Trojan and
Neptune on the Argive side. Mighty was the uproar as the two forces
met; the sea came rolling in towards the ships and tents of the Achaeans,
but waves do not thunder on the shore more loudly when driven before
the blast of Boreas, nor do the flames of a forest fire roar more
fiercely when it is well alight upon the mountains, nor does the wind
bellow with ruder music as it tears on through the tops of when it
is blowing its hardest, than the terrible shout which the Trojans
and Achaeans raised as they sprang upon one another. 

Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned full towards
him, nor did he miss his aim. The spear struck him where two bands
passed over his chest- the band of his shield and that of his silver-studded
sword- and these protected his body. Hector was angry that his spear
should have been hurled in vain, and withdrew under cover of his men.
As he was thus retreating, Ajax son of Telamon struck him with a stone,
of which there were many lying about under the men's feet as they
fought- brought there to give support to the ships' sides as they
lay on the shore. Ajax caught up one of them and struck Hector above
the rim of his shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round
like a top and reel in all directions. As an oak falls headlong when
uprooted by the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is a terrible
smell of brimstone- no man can help being dismayed if he is standing
near it, for a thunderbolt is a very awful thing- even so did Hector
fall to earth and bite the dust. His spear fell from his hand, but
his shield and helmet were made fast about his body, and his bronze
armour rang about him. 

The sons of the Achaeans came running with a loud cry towards him,
hoping to drag him away, and they showered their darts on the Trojans,
but none of them could wound him before he was surrounded and covered
by the princes Polydamas, Aeneas, Agenor, Sarpedon captain of the
Lycians, and noble Glaucus: of the others, too, there was not one
who was unmindful of him, and they held their round shields over him
to cover him. His comrades then lifted him off the ground and bore
him away from the battle to the place where his horses stood waiting
for him at the rear of the fight with their driver and the chariot;
these then took him towards the city groaning and in great pain. When
they reached the ford of the air stream of Xanthus, begotten of Immortal
Jove, they took him from off his chariot and laid him down on the
ground; they poured water over him, and as they did so he breathed
again and opened his eyes. Then kneeling on his knees he vomited blood,
but soon fell back on to the ground, and his eyes were again closed
in darkness for he was still sturined by the blow. 

When the Argives saw Hector leaving the field, they took heart and
set upon the Trojans yet more furiously. Ajax fleet son of Oileus
began by springing on Satnius son of Enops and wounding him with his
spear: a fair naiad nymph had borne him to Enops as he was herding
cattle by the banks of the river Satnioeis. The son of Oileus came
up to him and struck him in the flank so that he fell, and a fierce
fight between Trojans and Danaans raged round his body. Polydamas
son of Panthous drew near to avenge him, and wounded Prothoenor son
of Areilycus on the right shoulder; the terrible spear went right
through his shoulder, and he clutched the earth as he fell in the
dust. Polydamas vaunted loudly over him saying, "Again I take it that
the spear has not sped in vain from the strong hand of the son of
Panthous; an Argive has caught it in his body, and it will serve him
for a staff as he goes down into the house of Hades." 

The Argives were maddened by this boasting. Ajax son of Telamon was
more angry than any, for the man had fallen close be, him; so he aimed
at Polydamas as he was retreating, but Polydamas saved himself by
swerving aside and the spear struck Archelochus son of Antenor, for
heaven counselled his destruction; it struck him where the head springs
from the neck at the top joint of the spine, and severed both the
tendons at the back of the head. His head, mouth, and nostrils reached
the ground long before his legs and knees could do so, and Ajax shouted
to Polydamas saying, "Think, Polydamas, and tell me truly whether
this man is not as well worth killing as Prothoenor was: he seems
rich, and of rich family, a brother, it may be, or son of the knight
Antenor, for he is very like him." 

But he knew well who it was, and the Trojans were greatly angered.
Acamas then bestrode his brother's body and wounded Promachus the
Boeotian with his spear, for he was trying to drag his brother's body
away. Acamas vaunted loudly over him saying, "Argive archers, braggarts
that you are, toil and suffering shall not be for us only, but some
of you too shall fall here as well as ourselves. See how Promachus
now sleeps, vanquished by my spear; payment for my brother's blood
has not long delayed; a man, therefore, may well be thankful if he
leaves a kinsman in his house behind him to avenge his fall."

His taunts infuriated the Argives, and Peneleos was more enraged than
any of them. He sprang towards Acamas, but Acamas did not stand his
ground, and he killed Ilioneus son of the rich flock-master Phorbas,
whom Mercury had favoured and endowed with greater wealth than any
other of the Trojans. Ilioneus was his only son, and Peneleos now
wounded him in the eye under his eyebrows, tearing the eye-ball from
its socket: the spear went right through the eye into the nape of
the neck, and he fell, stretching out both hands before him. Peneleos
then drew his sword and smote him on the neck, so that both head and
helmet came tumbling down to the ground with the spear still sticking
in the eye; he then held up the head, as though it had been a poppy-head,
and showed it to the Trojans, vaunting over them as he did so. "Trojans,"
he cried, "bid the father and mother of noble Ilioneus make moan for
him in their house, for the wife also of Promachus son of Alegenor
will never be gladdened by the coming of her dear husband- when we
Argives return with our ships from Troy." 

As he spoke fear fell upon them, and every man looked round about
to see whither he might fly for safety. 

Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the
Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune lord of the
earthquake had turned the fortune of war. Ajax son of Telamon was
first to wound Hyrtius son of Gyrtius, captain of the staunch Mysians.
Antilochus killed Phalces and Mermerus, while Meriones slew Morys
and Hippotion, Teucer also killed Prothoon and Periphetes. The son
of Atreus then wounded Hyperenor shepherd of his people, in the flank,
and the bronze point made his entrails gush out as it tore in among
them; on this his life came hurrying out of him at the place where
he had been wounded, and his eyes were closed in darkness. Ajax son
of Oileus killed more than any other, for there was no man so fleet
as he to pursue flying foes when Jove had spread panic among them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK XV

But when their flight had taken them past the trench and the set
stakes, and many had fallen by the hands of the Danaans, the Trojans
made a halt on reaching their chariots, routed and pale with fear.
Jove now woke on the crests of Ida, where he was lying with golden-throned
Juno by his side, and starting to his feet he saw the Trojans and
Achaeans, the one thrown into confusion, and the others driving them
pell-mell before them with King Neptune in their midst. He saw Hector
lying on the ground with his comrades gathered round him, gasping
for breath, wandering in mind and vomiting blood, for it was not the
feeblest of the Achaeans who struck him. 

The sire of gods and men had pity on him, and looked fiercely on Juno.
"I see, Juno," said he, "you mischief- making trickster, that your
cunning has stayed Hector from fighting and has caused the rout of
his host. I am in half a mind to thrash you, in which case you will
be the first to reap the fruits of your scurvy knavery. Do you not
remember how once upon a time I had you hanged? I fastened two anvils
on to your feet, and bound your hands in a chain of gold which none
might break, and you hung in mid-air among the clouds. All the gods
in Olympus were in a fury, but they could not reach you to set you
free; when I caught any one of them I gripped him and hurled him from
the heavenly threshold till he came fainting down to earth; yet even
this did not relieve my mind from the incessant anxiety which I felt
about noble Hercules whom you and Boreas had spitefully conveyed beyond
the seas to Cos, after suborning the tempests; but I rescued him,
and notwithstanding all his mighty labours I brought him back again
to Argos. I would remind you of this that you may learn to leave off
being so deceitful, and discover how much you are likely to gain by
the embraces out of which you have come here to trick me."

Juno trembled as he spoke, and said, "May heaven above and earth below
be my witnesses, with the waters of the river Styx- and this is the
most solemn oath that a blessed god can take- nay, I swear also by
your own almighty head and by our bridal bed- things over which I
could never possibly perjure myself- that Neptune is not punishing
Hector and the Trojans and helping the Achaeans through any doing
of mine; it is all of his own mere motion because he was sorry to
see the Achaeans hard pressed at their ships: if I were advising him,
I should tell him to do as you bid him." 

The sire of gods and men smiled and answered, "If you, Juno, were
always to support me when we sit in council of the gods, Neptune,
like it or no, would soon come round to your and my way of thinking.
If, then, you are speaking the truth and mean what you say, go among
the rank and file of the gods, and tell Iris and Apollo lord of the
bow, that I want them- Iris, that she may go to the Achaean host and
tell Neptune to leave off fighting and go home, and Apollo, that he
may send Hector again into battle and give him fresh strength; he
will thus forget his present sufferings, and drive the Achaeans back
in confusion till they fall among the ships of Achilles son of Peleus.
Achilles will then send his comrade Patroclus into battle, and Hector
will kill him in front of Ilius after he has slain many warriors,
and among them my own noble son Sarpedon. Achilles will kill Hector
to avenge Patroclus, and from that time I will bring it about that
the Achaeans shall persistently drive the Trojans back till they fulfil
the counsels of Minerva and take Ilius. But I will not stay my anger,
nor permit any god to help the Danaans till I have accomplished the
desire of the son of Peleus, according to the promise I made by bowing
my head on the day when Thetis touched my knees and besought me to
give him honour." 

Juno heeded his words and went from the heights of Ida to great Olympus.
Swift as the thought of one whose fancy carries him over vast continents,
and he says to himself, "Now I will be here, or there," and he would
have all manner of things- even so swiftly did Juno wing her way till
she came to high Olympus and went in among the gods who were gathered
in the house of Jove. When they saw her they all of them came up to
her, and held out their cups to her by way of greeting. She let the
others be, but took the cup offered her by lovely Themis, who was
first to come running up to her. "Juno," said she, "why are you here?
And you seem troubled- has your husband the son of Saturn been frightening
you?" 

And Juno answered, "Themis, do not ask me about it. You know what
a proud and cruel disposition my husband has. Lead the gods to table,
where you and all the immortals can hear the wicked designs which
he has avowed. Many a one, mortal and immortal, will be angered by
them, however peaceably he may be feasting now." 

On this Juno sat down, and the gods were troubled throughout the house
of Jove. Laughter sat on her lips but her brow was furrowed with care,
and she spoke up in a rage. "Fools that we are," she cried, "to be
thus madly angry with Jove; we keep on wanting to go up to him and
stay him by force or by persuasion, but he sits aloof and cares for
nobody, for he knows that he is much stronger than any other of the
immortals. Make the best, therefore, of whatever ills he may choose
to send each one of you; Mars, I take it, has had a taste of them
already, for his son Ascalaphus has fallen in battle- the man whom
of all others he loved most dearly and whose father he owns himself
to be." 

When he heard this Mars smote his two sturdy thighs with the flat
of his hands, and said in anger, "Do not blame me, you gods that dwell
in heaven, if I go to the ships of the Achaeans and avenge the death
of my son, even though it end in my being struck by Jove's lightning
and lying in blood and dust among the corpses." 

As he spoke he gave orders to yoke his horses Panic and Rout, while
he put on his armour. On this, Jove would have been roused to still
more fierce and implacable enmity against the other immortals, had
not Minerva, ararmed for the safety of the gods, sprung from her seat
and hurried outside. She tore the helmet from his head and the shield
from his shoulders, and she took the bronze spear from his strong
hand and set it on one side; then she said to Mars, "Madman, you are
undone; you have ears that hear not, or you have lost all judgement
and understanding; have you not heard what Juno has said on coming
straight from the presence of Olympian Jove? Do you wish to go through
all kinds of suffering before you are brought back sick and sorry
to Olympus, after having caused infinite mischief to all us others?
Jove would instantly leave the Trojans and Achaeans to themselves;
he would come to Olympus to punish us, and would grip us up one after
another, guilty or not guilty. Therefore lay aside your anger for
the death of your son; better men than he have either been killed
already or will fall hereafter, and one cannot protect every one's
whole family." 

With these words she took Mars back to his seat. Meanwhile Juno called
Apollo outside, with Iris the messenger of the gods. "Jove," she said
to them, "desires you to go to him at once on Mt. Ida; when you have
seen him you are to do as he may then bid you." 

Thereon Juno left them and resumed her seat inside, while Iris and
Apollo made all haste on their way. When they reached many-fountained
Ida, mother of wild beasts, they found Jove seated on topmost Gargarus
with a fragrant cloud encircling his head as with a diadem. They stood
before his presence, and he was pleased with them for having been
so quick in obeying the orders his wife had given them. 

He spoke to Iris first. "Go," said he, "fleet Iris, tell King Neptune
what I now bid you- and tell him true. Bid him leave off fighting,
and either join the company of the gods, or go down into the sea.
If he takes no heed and disobeys me, let him consider well whether
he is strong enough to hold his own against me if I attack him. I
am older and much stronger than he is; yet he is not afraid to set
himself up as on a level with myself, of whom all the other gods stand
in awe." 

Iris, fleet as the wind, obeyed him, and as the cold hail or snowflakes
that fly from out the clouds before the blast of Boreas, even so did
she wing her way till she came close up to the great shaker of the
earth. Then she said, "I have come, O dark-haired king that holds
the world in his embrace, to bring you a message from Jove. He bids
you leave off fighting, and either join the company of the gods or
go down into the sea; if, however, you take no heed and disobey him,
he says he will come down here and fight you. He would have you keep
out of his reach, for he is older and much stronger than you are,
and yet you are not afraid to set yourself up as on a level with himself,
of whom all the other gods stand in awe." 

Neptune was very angry and said, "Great heavens! strong as Jove may
be, he has said more than he can do if he has threatened violence
against me, who am of like honour with himself. We were three brothers
whom Rhea bore to Saturn- Jove, myself, and Hades who rules the world
below. Heaven and earth were divided into three parts, and each of
us was to have an equal share. When we cast lots, it fell to me to
have my dwelling in the sea for evermore; Hades took the darkness
of the realms under the earth, while air and sky and clouds were the
portion that fell to Jove; but earth and great Olympus are the common
property of all. Therefore I will not walk as Jove would have me.
For all his strength, let him keep to his own third share and be contented
without threatening to lay hands upon me as though I were nobody.
Let him keep his bragging talk for his own sons and daughters, who
must perforce obey him. 

Iris fleet as the wind then answered, "Am I really, Neptune, to take
this daring and unyielding message to Jove, or will you reconsider
your answer? Sensible people are open to argument, and you know that
the Erinyes always range themselves on the side of the older person."

Neptune answered, "Goddess Iris, your words have been spoken in season.
It is well when a messenger shows so much discretion. Nevertheless
it cuts me to the very heart that any one should rebuke so angrily
another who is his own peer, and of like empire with himself. Now,
however, I will give way in spite of my displeasure; furthermore let
me tell you, and I mean what I say- if contrary to the desire of myself,
Minerva driver of the spoil, Juno, Mercury, and King Vulcan, Jove
spares steep Ilius, and will not let the Achaeans have the great triumph
of sacking it, let him understand that he will incur our implacable
resentment." 

Neptune now left the field to go down under the sea, and sorely did
the Achaeans miss him. Then Jove said to Apollo, "Go, dear Phoebus,
to Hector, for Neptune who holds the earth in his embrace has now
gone down under the sea to avoid the severity of my displeasure. Had
he not done so those gods who are below with Saturn would have come
to hear of the fight between us. It is better for both of us that
he should have curbed his anger and kept out of my reach, for I should
have had much trouble with him. Take, then, your tasselled aegis,
and shake it furiously, so as to set the Achaean heroes in a panic;
take, moreover, brave Hector, O Far-Darter, into your own care, and
rouse him to deeds of daring, till the Achaeans are sent flying back
to their ships and to the Hellespont. From that point I will think
it well over, how the Achaeans may have a respite from their troubles."

Apollo obeyed his father's saying, and left the crests of Ida, flying
like a falcon, bane of doves and swiftest of all birds. He found Hector
no longer lying upon the ground, but sitting up, for he had just come
to himself again. He knew those who were about him, and the sweat
and hard breathing had left him from the moment when the will of aegis-bearing
Jove had revived him. Apollo stood beside him and said, "Hector, son
of Priam, why are you so faint, and why are you here away from the
others? Has any mishap befallen you?" 

Hector in a weak voice answered, "And which, kind sir, of the gods
are you, who now ask me thus? Do you not know that Ajax struck me
on the chest with a stone as I was killing his comrades at the ships
of the Achaeans, and compelled me to leave off fighting? I made sure
that this very day I should breathe my last and go down into the house
of Hades." 

Then King Apollo said to him, "Take heart; the son of Saturn has sent
you a mighty helper from Ida to stand by you and defend you, even
me, Phoebus Apollo of the golden sword, who have been guardian hitherto
not only of yourself but of your city. Now, therefore, order your
horsemen to drive their chariots to the ships in great multitudes.
I will go before your horses to smooth the way for them, and will
turn the Achaeans in flight." 

As he spoke he infused great strength into the shepherd of his people.
And as a horse, stabled and full-fed, breaks loose and gallops gloriously
over the plain to the place where he is wont to take his bath in the
river- he tosses his head, and his mane streams over his shoulders
as in all the pride of his strength he flies full speed to the pastures
where the mares are feeding- even so Hector, when he heard what the
god said, urged his horsemen on, and sped forward as fast as his limbs
could take him. As country peasants set their hounds on to a homed
stag or wild goat- he has taken shelter under rock or thicket, and
they cannot find him, but, lo, a bearded lion whom their shouts have
roused stands in their path, and they are in no further humour for
the chase- even so the Achaeans were still charging on in a body,
using their swords and spears pointed at both ends, but when they
saw Hector going about among his men they were afraid, and their hearts
fell down into their feet. 

Then spoke Thoas son of Andraemon, leader of the Aetolians, a man
who could throw a good throw, and who was staunch also in close fight,
while few could surpass him in debate when opinions were divided.
He then with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus: "What,
in heaven's name, do I now see? Is it not Hector come to life again?
Every one made sure he had been killed by Ajax son of Telamon, but
it seems that one of the gods has again rescued him. He has killed
many of us Danaans already, and I take it will yet do so, for the
hand of Jove must be with him or he would never dare show himself
so masterful in the forefront of the battle. Now, therefore, let us
all do as I say; let us order the main body of our forces to fall
back upon the ships, but let those of us who profess to be the flower
of the army stand firm, and see whether we cannot hold Hector back
at the point of our spears as soon as he comes near us; I conceive
that he will then think better of it before he tries to charge into
the press of the Danaans." 

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. Those who were
about Ajax and King Idomeneus, the followers moreover of Teucer, Meriones,
and Meges peer of Mars called all their best men about them and sustained
the fight against Hector and the Trojans, but the main body fell back
upon the ships of the Achaeans. 

The Trojans pressed forward in a dense body, with Hector striding
on at their head. Before him went Phoebus Apollo shrouded in cloud
about his shoulders. He bore aloft the terrible aegis with its shaggy
fringe, which Vulcan the smith had given Jove to strike terror into
the hearts of men. With this in his hand he led on the Trojans.

The Argives held together and stood their ground. The cry of battle
rose high from either side, and the arrows flew from the bowstrings.
Many a spear sped from strong hands and fastened in the bodies of
many a valiant warrior, while others fell to earth midway, before
they could taste of man's fair flesh and glut themselves with blood.
So long as Phoebus Apollo held his aegis quietly and without shaking
it, the weapons on either side took effect and the people fell, but
when he shook it straight in the face of the Danaans and raised his
mighty battle-cry their hearts fainted within them and they forgot
their former prowess. As when two wild beasts spring in the dead of
night on a herd of cattle or a large flock of sheep when the herdsman
is not there- even so were the Danaans struck helpless, for Apollo
filled them with panic and gave victory to Hector and the Trojans.

The fight then became more scattered and they killed one another where
they best could. Hector killed Stichius and Arcesilaus, the one, leader
of the Boeotians, and the other, friend and comrade of Menestheus.
Aeneas killed Medon and Iasus. The first was bastard son to Oileus,
and brother to Ajax, but he lived in Phylace away from his own country,
for he had killed a man, a kinsman of his stepmother Eriopis whom
Oileus had married. Iasus had become a leader of the Athenians, and
was son of Sphelus the son of Boucolos. Polydamas killed Mecisteus,
and Polites Echius, in the front of the battle, while Agenor slew
Clonius. Paris struck Deiochus from behind in the lower part of the
shoulder, as he was flying among the foremost, and the point of the
spear went clean through him. 

While they were spoiling these heroes of their armour, the Achaeans
were flying pellmell to the trench and the set stakes, and were forced
back within their wall. Hector then cried out to the Trojans, "Forward
to the ships, and let the spoils be. If I see any man keeping back
on the other side the wall away from the ships I will have him killed:
his kinsmen and kinswomen shall not give him his dues of fire, but
dogs shall tear him in pieces in front of our city." 

As he spoke he laid his whip about his horses' shoulders and called
to the Trojans throughout their ranks; the Trojans shouted with a
cry that rent the air, and kept their horses neck and neck with his
own. Phoebus Apollo went before, and kicked down the banks of the
deep trench into its middle so as to make a great broad bridge, as
broad as the throw of a spear when a man is trying his strength. The
Trojan battalions poured over the bridge, and Apollo with his redoubtable
aegis led the way. He kicked down the wall of the Achaeans as easily
as a child who playing on the sea-shore has built a house of sand
and then kicks it down again and destroys it- even so did you, O Apollo,
shed toil and trouble upon the Argives, filling them with panic and
confusion. 

Thus then were the Achaeans hemmed in at their ships, calling out
to one another and raising their hands with loud cries every man to
heaven. Nestor of Gerene, tower of strength to the Achaeans, lifted
up his hands to the starry firmament of heaven, and prayed more fervently
than any of them. "Father Jove," said he, "if ever any one in wheat-growing
Argos burned you fat thigh-bones of sheep or heifer and prayed that
he might return safely home, whereon you bowed your head to him in
assent, bear it in mind now, and suffer not the Trojans to triumph
thus over the Achaeans." 

All counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to die prayer of the
aged son of Neleus. When the heard Jove thunder they flung themselves
yet more fiercely on the Achaeans. As a wave breaking over the bulwarks
of a ship when the sea runs high before a gale- for it is the force
of the wind that makes the waves so great- even so did the Trojans
spring over the wall with a shout, and drive their chariots onwards.
The two sides fought with their double-pointed spears in hand-to-hand
encounter-the Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing
up into their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on
the decks ready for use in a sea-fight, jointed and shod with bronze.

Now Patroclus, so long as the Achaeans and Trojans were fighting about
the wall, but were not yet within it and at the ships, remained sitting
in the tent of good Eurypylus, entertaining him with his conversation
and spreading herbs over his wound to ease his pain. When, however,
he saw the Trojans swarming through the breach in the wall, while
the Achaeans were clamouring and struck with panic, he cried aloud,
and smote his two thighs with the flat of his hands. "Eurypylus,"
said he in his dismay, "I know you want me badly, but I cannot stay
with you any longer, for there is hard fighting going on; a servant
shall take care of you now, for I must make all speed to Achilles,
and induce him to fight if I can; who knows but with heaven's help
I may persuade him. A man does well to listen to the advice of a friend."

When he had thus spoken he went his way. The Achaeans stood firm and
resisted the attack of the Trojans, yet though these were fewer in
number, they could not drive them back from the ships, neither could
the Trojans break the Achaean ranks and make their way in among the
tents and ships. As a carpenter's line gives a true edge to a piece
of ship's timber, in the hand of some skilled workman whom Minerva
has instructed in all kinds of useful arts- even so level was the
issue of the fight between the two sides, as they fought some round
one and some round another. 

Hector made straight for Ajax, and the two fought fiercely about the
same ship. Hector could not force Ajax back and fire the ship, nor
yet could Ajax drive Hector from the spot to which heaven had brought
him. 

Then Ajax struck Caletor son of Clytius in the chest with a spear
as he was bringing fire towards the ship. He fell heavily to the ground
and the torch dropped from his hand. When Hector saw his cousin fallen
in front of the ship he shouted to the Trojans and Lycians saying,
"Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians good in close fight, bate not a
jot, but rescue the son of Clytius lest the Achaeans strip him of
his armour now that he has fallen." 

He then aimed a spear at Ajax, and missed him, but he hit Lycophron
a follower of Ajax, who came from Cythera, but was living with Ajax
inasmuch as he had killed a man among the Cythereans. Hector's spear
struck him on the head below the ear, and he fell headlong from the
ship's prow on to the ground with no life left in him. Ajax shook
with rage and said to his brother, "Teucer, my good fellow, our trusty
comrade the son of Mastor has fallen, he came to live with us from
Cythera and whom we honoured as much as our own parents. Hector has
just killed him; fetch your deadly arrows at once and the bow which
Phoebus Apollo gave you." 

Teucer heard him and hastened towards him with his bow and quiver
in his hands. Forthwith he showered his arrows on the Trojans, and
hit Cleitus the son of Pisenor, comrade of Polydamas the noble son
of Panthous, with the reins in his hands as he was attending to his
horses; he was in the middle of the very thickest part of the fight,
doing good service to Hector and the Trojans, but evil had now come
upon him, and not one of those who were fain to do so could avert
it, for the arrow struck him on the back of the neck. He fell from
his chariot and his horses shook the empty car as they swerved aside.
King Polydamas saw what had happened, and was the first to come up
to the horses; he gave them in charge to Astynous son of Protiaon,
and ordered him to look on, and to keep the horses near at hand. He
then went back and took his place in the front ranks. 

Teucer then aimed another arrow at Hector, and there would have been
no more fighting at the ships if he had hit him and killed him then
and there: Jove, however, who kept watch over Hector, had his eyes
on Teucer, and deprived him of his triumph, by breaking his bowstring
for him just as he was drawing it and about to take his aim; on this
the arrow went astray and the bow fell from his hands. Teucer shook
with anger and said to his brother, "Alas, see how heaven thwarts
us in all we do; it has broken my bowstring and snatched the bow from
my hand, though I strung it this selfsame morning that it might serve
me for many an arrow." 

Ajax son of Telamon answered, "My good fellow, let your bow and your
arrows be, for Jove has made them useless in order to spite the Danaans.
Take your spear, lay your shield upon your shoulder, and both fight
the Trojans yourself and urge others to do so. They may be successful
for the moment but if we fight as we ought they will find it a hard
matter to take the ships." 

Teucer then took his bow and put it by in his tent. He hung a shield
four hides thick about his shoulders, and on his comely head he set
his helmet well wrought with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly
above it; he grasped his redoubtable bronze-shod spear, and forthwith
he was by the side of Ajax. 

When Hector saw that Teucer's bow was of no more use to him, he shouted
out to the Trojans and Lycians, "Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians
good in close fight, be men, my friends, and show your mettle here
at the ships, for I see the weapon of one of their chieftains made
useless by the hand of Jove. It is easy to see when Jove is helping
people and means to help them still further, or again when he is bringing
them down and will do nothing for them; he is now on our side, and
is going against the Argives. Therefore swarm round the ships and
fight. If any of you is struck by spear or sword and loses his life,
let him die; he dies with honour who dies fighting for his country;
and he will leave his wife and children safe behind him, with his
house and allotment unplundered if only the Achaeans can be driven
back to their own land, they and their ships." 

With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Ajax on the
other side exhorted his comrades saying, "Shame on you Argives, we
are now utterly undone, unless we can save ourselves by driving the
enemy from our ships. Do you think, if Hector takes them, that you
will be able to get home by land? Can you not hear him cheering on
his whole host to fire our fleet, and bidding them remember that they
are not at a dance but in battle? Our only course is to fight them
with might and main; we had better chance it, life or death, once
for all, than fight long and without issue hemmed in at our ships
by worse men than ourselves." 

With these words he put life and soul into them all. Hector then killed
Schedius son of Perimedes, leader of the Phoceans, and Ajax killed
Laodamas captain of foot soldiers and son to Antenor. Polydamas killed
Otus of Cyllene a comrade of the son of Phyleus and chief of the proud
Epeans. When Meges saw this he sprang upon him, but Polydamas crouched
down, and he missed him, for Apollo would not suffer the son of Panthous
to fall in battle; but the spear hit Croesmus in the middle of his
chest, whereon he fell heavily to the ground, and Meges stripped him
of his armour. At that moment the valiant soldier Dolops son of Lampus
sprang upon Lampus was son of Laomedon and for his valour, while his
son Dolops was versed in all the ways of war. He then struck the middle
of the son of Phyleus' shield with his spear, setting on him at close
quarters, but his good corslet made with plates of metal saved him;
Phyleus had brought it from Ephyra and the river Selleis, where his
host, King Euphetes, had given it him to wear in battle and protect
him. It now served to save the life of his son. Then Meges struck
the topmost crest of Dolops's bronze helmet with his spear and tore
away its plume of horse-hair, so that all newly dyed with scarlet
as it was it tumbled down into the dust. While he was still fighting
and confident of victory, Menelaus came up to help Meges, and got
by the side of Dolops unperceived; he then speared him in the shoulder,
from behind, and the point, driven so furiously, went through into
his chest, whereon he fell headlong. The two then made towards him
to strip him of his armour, but Hector called on all his brothers
for help, and he especially upbraided brave Melanippus son of Hiketaon,
who erewhile used to pasture his herds of cattle in Percote before
the war broke out; but when the ships of the Danaans came, he went
back to Ilius, where he was eminent among the Trojans, and lived near
Priam who treated him as one of his own sons. Hector now rebuked him
and said, "Why, Melanippus, are we thus remiss? do you take no note
of the death of your kinsman, and do you not see how they are trying
to take Dolops's armour? Follow me; there must be no fighting the
Argives from a distance now, but we must do so in close combat till
either we kill them or they take the high wall of Ilius and slay her
people." 

He led on as he spoke, and the hero Melanippus followed after. Meanwhile
Ajax son of Telamon was cheering on the Argives. "My friends," he
cried, "be men, and fear dishonour; quit yourselves in battle so as
to win respect from one another. Men who respect each other's good
opinion are less likely to be killed than those who do not, but in
flight there is neither gain nor glory." 

Thus did he exhort men who were already bent upon driving back the
Trojans. They laid his words to heart and hedged the ships as with
a wall of bronze, while Jove urged on the Trojans. Menelaus of the
loud battle-cry urged Antilochus on. "Antilochus," said he, "you are
young and there is none of the Achaeans more fleet of foot or more
valiant than you are. See if you cannot spring upon some Trojan and
kill him." 

He hurried away when he had thus spurred Antilochus, who at once darted
out from the front ranks and aimed a spear, after looking carefully
round him. The Trojans fell back as he threw, and the dart did not
speed from his hand without effect, for it struck Melanippus the proud
son of Hiketaon in the breast by the nipple as he was coming forward,
and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground.
Antilochus sprang upon him as a dog springs on a fawn which a hunter
has hit as it was breaking away from its covert, and killed it. Even
so, O Melanippus, did stalwart Antilochus spring upon you to strip
you of your armour; but noble Hector marked him, and came running
up to him through the thick of the battle. Antilochus, brave soldier
though he was, would not stay to face him, but fled like some savage
creature which knows it has done wrong, and flies, when it has killed
a dog or a man who is herding his cattle, before a body of men can
be gathered to attack it. Even so did the son of Nestor fly, and the
Trojans and Hector with a cry that rent the air showered their weapons
after him; nor did he turn round and stay his flight till he had reached
his comrades. 

The Trojans, fierce as lions, were still rushing on towards the ships
in fulfilment of the behests of Jove who kept spurring them on to
new deeds of daring, while he deadened the courage of the Argives
and defeated them by encouraging the Trojans. For he meant giving
glory to Hector son of Priam, and letting him throw fire upon the
ships, till he had fulfilled the unrighteous prayer that Thetis had
made him; Jove, therefore, bided his time till he should see the glare
of a blazing ship. From that hour he was about so to order that the
Trojans should be driven back from the ships and to vouchsafe glory
to the Achaeans. With this purpose he inspired Hector son of Priam,
who was cager enough already, to assail the ships. His fury was as
that of Mars, or as when a fire is raging in the glades of some dense
forest upon the mountains; he foamed at the mouth, his eyes glared
under his terrible eye-brows, and his helmet quivered on his temples
by reason of the fury with which he fought. Jove from heaven was with
him, and though he was but one against many, vouchsafed him victory
and glory; for he was doomed to an early death, and already Pallas
Minerva was hurrying on the hour of his destruction at the hands of
the son of Peleus. Now, however, he kept trying to break the ranks
of the enemy wherever he could see them thickest, and in the goodliest
armour; but do what he might he could not break through them, for
they stood as a tower foursquare, or as some high cliff rising from
the grey sea that braves the anger of the gale, and of the waves that
thunder up against it. He fell upon them like flames of fire from
every quarter. As when a wave, raised mountain high by wind and storm,
breaks over a ship and covers it deep in foam, the fierce winds roar
against the mast, the hearts of the sailors fail them for fear, and
they are saved but by a very little from destruction- even so were
the hearts of the Achaeans fainting within them. Or as a savage lion
attacking a herd of cows while they are feeding by thousands in the
low-lying meadows by some wide-watered shore- the herdsman is at his
wit's end how to protect his herd and keeps going about now in the
van and now in the rear of his cattle, while the lion springs into
the thick of them and fastens on a cow so that they all tremble for
fear- even so were the Achaeans utterly panic-stricken by Hector and
father Jove. Nevertheless Hector only killed Periphetes of Mycenae;
he was son of Copreus who was wont to take the orders of King Eurystheus
to mighty Hercules, but the son was a far better man than the father
in every way; he was fleet of foot, a valiant warrior, and in understanding
ranked among the foremost men of Mycenae. He it was who then afforded
Hector a triumph, for as he was turning back he stumbled against the
rim of his shield which reached his feet, and served to keep the javelins
off him. He tripped against this and fell face upward, his helmet
ringing loudly about his head as he did so. Hector saw him fall and
ran up to him; he then thrust a spear into his chest, and killed him
close to his own comrades. These, for all their sorrow, could not
help him for they were themselves terribly afraid of Hector.

They had now reached the ships and the prows of those that had been
drawn up first were on every side of them, but the Trojans came pouring
after them. The Argives were driven back from the first row of ships,
but they made a stand by their tents without being broken up and scattered;
shame and fear restrained them. They kept shouting incessantly to
one another, and Nestor of Gerene, tower of strength to the Achaeans,
was loudest in imploring every man by his parents, and beseeching
him to stand firm. 

"Be men, my friends," he cried, "and respect one another's good opinion.
Think, all of you, on your children, your wives, your property, and
your parents whether these be alive or dead. On their behalf though
they are not here, I implore you to stand firm, and not to turn in
flight." 

With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Minerva lifted
the thick veil of darkness from their eyes, and much light fell upon
them, alike on the side of the ships and on that where the fight was
raging. They could see Hector and all his men, both those in the rear
who were taking no part in the battle, and those who were fighting
by the ships. 

Ajax could not bring himself to retreat along with the rest, but strode
from deck to deck with a great sea-pike in his hands twelve cubits
long and jointed with rings. As a man skilled in feats of horsemanship
couples four horses together and comes tearing full speed along the
public way from the country into some large town- many both men and
women marvel as they see him for he keeps all the time changing his
horse, springing from one to another without ever missing his feet
while the horses are at a gallop- even so did Ajax go striding from
one ship's deck to another, and his voice went up into the heavens.
He kept on shouting his orders to the Danaans and exhorting them to
defend their ships and tents; neither did Hector remain within the
main body of the Trojan warriors, but as a dun eagle swoops down upon
a flock of wild-fowl feeding near a river-geese, it may be, or cranes,
or long-necked swans- even so did Hector make straight for a dark-prowed
ship, rushing right towards it; for Jove with his mighty hand impelled
him forward, and roused his people to follow him. 

And now the battle again raged furiously at the ships. You would have
thought the men were coming on fresh and unwearied, so fiercely did
they fight; and this was the mind in which they were- the Achaeans
did not believe they should escape destruction but thought themselves
doomed, while there was not a Trojan but his heart beat high with
the hope of firing the ships and putting the Achaean heroes to the
sword. 

Thus were the two sides minded. Then Hector seized the stern of the
good ship that had brought Protesilaus to Troy, but never bore him
back to his native land. Round this ship there raged a close hand-to-hand
fight between Danaans and Trojans. They did not fight at a distance
with bows and javelins, but with one mind hacked at one another in
close combat with their mighty swords and spears pointed at both ends;
they fought moreover with keen battle-axes and with hatchets. Many
a good stout blade hilted and scabbarded with iron, fell from hand
or shoulder as they fought, and the earth ran red with blood. Hector,
when he had seized the ship, would not loose his hold but held on
to its curved stern and shouted to the Trojans, "Bring fire, and raise
the battle-cry all of you with a single voice. Now has Jove vouchsafed
us a day that will pay us for all the rest; this day we shall take
the ships which came hither against heaven's will, and which have
caused us such infinite suffering through the cowardice of our councillors,
who when I would have done battle at the ships held me back and forbade
the host to follow me; if Jove did then indeed warp our judgements,
himself now commands me and cheers me on." 

As he spoke thus the Trojans sprang yet more fiercely on the Achaeans,
and Ajax no longer held his ground, for he was overcome by the darts
that were flung at him, and made sure that he was doomed. Therefore
he left the raised deck at the stern, and stepped back on to the seven-foot
bench of the oarsmen. Here he stood on the look-out, and with his
spear held back Trojan whom he saw bringing fire to the ships. All
the time he kept on shouting at the top of his voice and exhorting
the Danaans. "My friends," he cried, "Danaan heroes, servants of Mars,
be men my friends, and fight with might and with main. Can we hope
to find helpers hereafter, or a wall to shield us more surely than
the one we have? There is no strong city within reach, whence we may
draw fresh forces to turn the scales in our favour. We are on the
plain of the armed Trojans with the sea behind us, and far from our
own country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our hands
and in hard fighting." 

As he spoke he wielded his spear with still greater fury, and when
any Trojan made towards the ships with fire at Hector's bidding, he
would be on the look-out for him, and drive at him with his long spear.
Twelve men did he thus kill in hand-to-hand fight before the ships.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK XVI

Thus did they fight about the ship of Protesilaus. Then Patroclus
drew near to Achilles with tears welling from his eyes, as from some
spring whose crystal stream falls over the ledges of a high precipice.
When Achilles saw him thus weeping he was sorry for him and said,
"Why, Patroclus, do you stand there weeping like some silly child
that comes running to her mother, and begs to be taken up and carried-
she catches hold of her mother's dress to stay her though she is in
a hurry, and looks tearfully up until her mother carries her- even
such tears, Patroclus, are you now shedding. Have you anything to
say to the Myrmidons or to myself? or have you had news from Phthia
which you alone know? They tell me Menoetius son of Actor is still
alive, as also Peleus son of Aeacus, among the Myrmidons- men whose
loss we two should bitterly deplore; or are you grieving about the
Argives and the way in which they are being killed at the ships, throu
their own high-handed doings? Do not hide anything from me but tell
me that both of us may know about it." 

Then, O knight Patroclus, with a deep sigh you answered, "Achilles,
son of Peleus, foremost champion of the Achaeans, do not be angry,
but I weep for the disaster that has now befallen the Argives. All
those who have been their champions so far are lying at the ships,
wounded by sword or spear. Brave Diomed son of Tydeus has been hit
with a spear, while famed Ulysses and Agamemnon have received sword-wounds;
Eurypylus again has been struck with an arrow in the thigh; skilled
apothecaries are attending to these heroes, and healing them of their
wounds; are you still, O Achilles, so inexorable? May it never be
my lot to nurse such a passion as you have done, to the baning of
your own good name. Who in future story will speak well of you unless
you now save the Argives from ruin? You know no pity; knight Peleus
was not your father nor Thetis your mother, but the grey sea bore
you and the sheer cliffs begot you, so cruel and remorseless are you.
If however you are kept back through knowledge of some oracle, or
if your mother Thetis has told you something from the mouth of Jove,
at least send me and the Myrmidons with me, if I may bring deliverance
to the Danaans. Let me moreover wear your armour; the Trojans may
thus mistake me for you and quit the field, so that the hard-pressed
sons of the Achaeans may have breathing time- which while they are
fighting may hardly be. We who are fresh might soon drive tired men
back from our ships and tents to their own city." 

He knew not what he was asking, nor that he was suing for his own
destruction. Achilles was deeply moved and answered, "What, noble
Patroclus, are you saying? I know no prophesyings which I am heeding,
nor has my mother told me anything from the mouth of Jove, but I am
cut to the very heart that one of my own rank should dare to rob me
because he is more powerful than I am. This, after all that I have
gone through, is more than I can endure. The girl whom the sons of
the Achaeans chose for me, whom I won as the fruit of my spear on
having sacked a city- her has King Agamemnon taken from me as though
I were some common vagrant. Still, let bygones be bygones: no man
may keep his anger for ever; I said I would not relent till battle
and the cry of war had reached my own ships; nevertheless, now gird
my armour about your shoulders, and lead the Myrmidons to battle,
for the dark cloud of Trojans has burst furiously over our fleet;
the Argives are driven back on to the beach, cooped within a narrow
space, and the whole people of Troy has taken heart to sally out against
them, because they see not the visor of my helmet gleaming near them.
Had they seen this, there would not have been a creek nor grip that
had not been filled with their dead as they fled back again. And so
it would have been, if only King Agamemnon had dealt fairly by me.
As it is the Trojans have beset our host. Diomed son of Tydeus no
longer wields his spear to defend the Danaans, neither have I heard
the voice of the son of Atreus coming from his hated head, whereas
that of murderous Hector rings in my cars as he gives orders to the
Trojans, who triumph over the Achaeans and fill the whole plain with
their cry of battle. But even so, Patroclus, fall upon them and save
the fleet, lest the Trojans fire it and prevent us from being able
to return. Do, however, as I now bid you, that you may win me great
honour from all the Danaans, and that they may restore the girl to
me again and give me rich gifts into the bargain. When you have driven
the Trojans from the ships, come back again. Though Juno's thundering
husband should put triumph within your reach, do not fight the Trojans
further in my absence, or you will rob me of glory that should be
mine. And do not for lust of battle go on killing the Trojans nor
lead the Achaeans on to Ilius, lest one of the ever-living gods from
Olympus attack you- for Phoebus Apollo loves them well: return when
you have freed the ships from peril, and let others wage war upon
the plain. Would, by father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, that not a
single man of all the Trojans might be left alive, nor yet of the
Argives, but that we two might be alone left to tear aside the mantle
that veils the brow of Troy." 

Thus did they converse. But Ajax could no longer hold his ground for
the shower of darts that rained upon him; the will of Jove and the
javelins of the Trojans were too much for him; the helmet that gleamed
about his temples rang with the continuous clatter of the missiles
that kept pouring on to it and on to the cheek-pieces that protected
his face. Moreover his left shoulder was tired with having held his
shield so long, yet for all this, let fly at him as they would, they
could not make him give ground. He could hardly draw his breath, the
sweat rained from every pore of his body, he had not a moment's respite,
and on all sides he was beset by danger upon danger. 

And now, tell me, O Muses that hold your mansions on Olympus, how
fire was thrown upon the ships of the Achaeans. Hector came close
up and let drive with his great sword at the ashen spear of Ajax.
He cut it clean in two just behind where the point was fastened on
to the shaft of the spear. Ajax, therefore, had now nothing but a
headless spear, while the bronze point flew some way off and came
ringing down on to the ground. Ajax knew the hand of heaven in this,
and was dismayed at seeing that Jove had now left him utterly defenceless
and was willing victory for the Trojans. Therefore he drew back, and
the Trojans flung fire upon the ship which was at once wrapped in
flame. 

The fire was now flaring about the ship's stern, whereon Achilles
smote his two thighs and said to Patroclus, "Up, noble knight, for
I see the glare of hostile fire at our fleet; up, lest they destroy
our ships, and there be no way by which we may retreat. Gird on your
armour at once while I call our people together." 

As he spoke Patroclus put on his armour. First he greaved his legs
with greaves of good make, and fitted with ancle-clasps of silver;
after this he donned the cuirass of the son of Aeacus, richly inlaid
and studded. He hung his silver-studded sword of bronze about his
shoulders, and then his mighty shield. On his comely head he set his
helmet, well wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly
above it. He grasped two redoubtable spears that suited his hands,
but he did not take the spear of noble Achilles, so stout and strong,
for none other of the Achaeans could wield it, though Achilles could
do so easily. This was the ashen spear from Mount Pelion, which Chiron
had cut upon a mountain top and had given to Peleus, wherewith to
deal out death among heroes. He bade Automedon yoke his horses with
all speed, for he was the man whom he held in honour next after Achilles,
and on whose support in battle he could rely most firmly. Automedon
therefore yoked the fleet horses Xanthus and Balius, steeds that could
fly like the wind: these were they whom the harpy Podarge bore to
the west wind, as she was grazing in a meadow by the waters of the
river Oceanus. In the side traces he set the noble horse Pedasus,
whom Achilles had brought away with him when he sacked the city of
Eetion, and who, mortal steed though he was, could take his place
along with those that were immortal. 

Meanwhile Achilles went about everywhere among the tents, and bade
his Myrmidons put on their armour. Even as fierce ravening wolves
that are feasting upon a homed stag which they have killed upon the
mountains, and their jaws are red with blood- they go in a pack to
lap water from the clear spring with their long thin tongues; and
they reek of blood and slaughter; they know not what fear is, for
it is hunger drives them- even so did the leaders and counsellors
of the Myrmidons gather round the good squire of the fleet descendant
of Aeacus, and among them stood Achilles himself cheering on both
men and horses. 

Fifty ships had noble Achilles brought to Troy, and in each there
was a crew of fifty oarsmen. Over these he set five captains whom
he could trust, while he was himself commander over them all. Menesthius
of the gleaming corslet, son to the river Spercheius that streams
from heaven, was captain of the first company. Fair Polydora daughter
of Peleus bore him to ever-flowing Spercheius- a woman mated with
a god- but he was called son of Borus son of Perieres, with whom his
mother was living as his wedded wife, and who gave great wealth to
gain her. The second company was led by noble Eudorus, son to an unwedded
woman. Polymele, daughter of Phylas the graceful dancer, bore him;
the mighty slayer of Argos was enamoured of her as he saw her among
the singing women at a dance held in honour of Diana the rushing huntress
of the golden arrows; he therefore- Mercury, giver of all good- went
with her into an upper chamber, and lay with her in secret, whereon
she bore him a noble son Eudorus, singularly fleet of foot and in
fight valiant. When Ilithuia goddess of the pains of child-birth brought
him to the light of day, and he saw the face of the sun, mighty Echecles
son of Actor took the mother to wife, and gave great wealth to gain
her, but her father Phylas brought the child up, and took care of
him, doting as fondly upon him as though he were his own son. The
third company was led by Pisander son of Maemalus, the finest spearman
among all the Myrmidons next to Achilles' own comrade Patroclus. The
old knight Phoenix was captain of the fourth company, and Alcimedon,
noble son of Laerceus of the fifth. 

When Achilles had chosen his men and had stationed them all with their
captains, he charged them straitly saying, "Myrmidons, remember your
threats against the Trojans while you were at the ships in the time
of my anger, and you were all complaining of me. 'Cruel son of Peleus,'
you would say, 'your mother must have suckled you on gall, so ruthless
are you. You keep us here at the ships against our will; if you are
so relentless it were better we went home over the sea.' Often have
you gathered and thus chided with me. The hour is now come for those
high feats of arms that you have so long been pining for, therefore
keep high hearts each one of you to do battle with the Trojans."

With these words he put heart and soul into them all, and they serried
their companies yet more closely when they heard the of their king.
As the stones which a builder sets in the wall of some high house
which is to give shelter from the winds- even so closely were the
helmets and bossed shields set against one another. Shield pressed
on shield, helm on helm, and man on man; so close were they that the
horse-hair plumes on the gleaming ridges of their helmets touched
each other as they bent their heads. 

In front of them all two men put on their armour- Patroclus and Automedon-
two men, with but one mind to lead the Myrmidons. Then Achilles went
inside his tent and opened the lid of the strong chest which silver-footed
Thetis had given him to take on board ship, and which she had filled
with shirts, cloaks to keep out the cold, and good thick rugs. In
this chest he had a cup of rare workmanship, from which no man but
himself might drink, nor would he make offering from it to any other
god save only to father Jove. He took the cup from the chest and cleansed
it with sulphur; this done he rinsed it clean water, and after he
had washed his hands he drew wine. Then he stood in the middle of
the court and prayed, looking towards heaven, and making his drink-offering
of wine; nor was he unseen of Jove whose joy is in thunder. "King
Jove," he cried, "lord of Dodona, god of the Pelasgi, who dwellest
afar, you who hold wintry Dodona in your sway, where your prophets
the Selli dwell around you with their feet unwashed and their couches
made upon the ground- if you heard me when I prayed to you aforetime,
and did me honour while you sent disaster on the Achaeans, vouchsafe
me now the fulfilment of yet this further prayer. I shall stay here
where my ships are lying, but I shall send my comrade into battle
at the head of many Myrmidons. Grant, O all-seeing Jove, that victory
may go with him; put your courage into his heart that Hector may learn
whether my squire is man enough to fight alone, or whether his might
is only then so indomitable when I myself enter the turmoil of war.
Afterwards when he has chased the fight and the cry of battle from
the ships, grant that he may return unharmed, with his armour and
his comrades, fighters in close combat." 

Thus did he pray, and all-counselling Jove heard his prayer. Part
of it he did indeed vouchsafe him- but not the whole. He granted that
Patroclus should thrust back war and battle from the ships, but refused
to let him come safely out of the fight. 

When he had made his drink-offering and had thus prayed, Achilles
went inside his tent and put back the cup into his chest.

Then he again came out, for he still loved to look upon the fierce
fight that raged between the Trojans and Achaeans. 

Meanwhile the armed band that was about Patroclus marched on till
they sprang high in hope upon the Trojans. They came swarming out
like wasps whose nests are by the roadside, and whom silly children
love to tease, whereon any one who happens to be passing may get stung-
or again, if a wayfarer going along the road vexes them by accident,
every wasp will come flying out in a fury to defend his little ones-
even with such rage and courage did the Myrmidons swarm from their
ships, and their cry of battle rose heavenwards. Patroclus called
out to his men at the top of his voice, "Myrmidons, followers of Achilles
son of Peleus, be men my friends, fight with might and with main,
that we may win glory for the son of Peleus, who is far the foremost
man at the ships of the Argives- he, and his close fighting followers.
The son of Atreus King Agamemnon will thus learn his folly in showing
no respect to the bravest of the Achaeans." 

With these words he put heart and soul into them all, and they fell
in a body upon the Trojans. The ships rang again with the cry which
the Achaeans raised, and when the Trojans saw the brave son of Menoetius
and his squire all gleaming in their armour, they were daunted and
their battalions were thrown into confusion, for they thought the
fleet son of Peleus must now have put aside his anger, and have been
reconciled to Agamemnon; every one, therefore, looked round about
to see whither he might fly for safety. 

Patroclus first aimed a spear into the middle of the press where men
were packed most closely, by the stern of the ship of Protesilaus.
He hit Pyraechmes who had led his Paeonian horsemen from the Amydon
and the broad waters of the river Axius; the spear struck him on the
right shoulder, and with a groan he fell backwards in the dust; on
this his men were thrown into confusion, for by killing their leader,
who was the finest soldier among them, Patroclus struck panic into
them all. He thus drove them from the ship and quenched the fire that
was then blazing- leaving the half-burnt ship to lie where it was.
The Trojans were now driven back with a shout that rent the skies,
while the Danaans poured after them from their ships, shouting also
without ceasing. As when Jove, gatherer of the thunder-cloud, spreads
a dense canopy on the top of some lofty mountain, and all the peaks,
the jutting headlands, and forest glades show out in the great light
that flashes from the bursting heavens, even so when the Danaans had
now driven back the fire from their ships, they took breath for a
little while; but the fury of the fight was not yet over, for the
Trojans were not driven back in utter rout, but still gave battle,
and were ousted from their ground only by sheer fighting.

The fight then became more scattered, and the chieftains killed one
another when and how they could. The valiant son of Menoetius first
drove his spear into the thigh of Areilycus just as he was turning
round; the point went clean through, and broke the bone so that he
fell forward. Meanwhile Menelaus struck Thoas in the chest, where
it was exposed near the rim of his shield, and he fell dead. The son
of Phyleus saw Amphiclus about to attack him, and ere he could do
so took aim at the upper part of his thigh, where the muscles are
thicker than in any other part; the spear tore through all the sinews
of the leg, and his eyes were closed in darkness. Of the sons of Nestor
one, Antilochus, speared Atymnius, driving the point of the spear
through his throat, and down he fell. Maris then sprang on Antilochus
in hand-to-hand fight to avenge his brother, and bestrode the body
spear in hand; but valiant Thrasymedes was too quick for him, and
in a moment had struck him in the shoulder ere he could deal his blow;
his aim was true, and the spear severed all the muscles at the root
of his arm, and tore them right down to the bone, so he fell heavily
to the ground and his eyes were closed in darkness. Thus did these
two noble comrades of Sarpedon go down to Erebus slain by the two
sons of Nestor; they were the warrior sons of Amisodorus, who had
reared the invincible Chimaera, to the bane of many. Ajax son of Oileus
sprang on Cleobulus and took him alive as he was entangled in the
crush; but he killed him then and there by a sword-blow on the neck.
The sword reeked with his blood, while dark death and the strong hand
of fate gripped him and closed his eyes. 

Peneleos and Lycon now met in close fight, for they had missed each
other with their spears. They had both thrown without effect, so now
they drew their swords. Lycon struck the plumed crest of Peneleos'
helmet but his sword broke at the hilt, while Peneleos smote Lycon
on the neck under the ear. The blade sank so deep that the head was
held on by nothing but the skin, and there was no more life left in
him. Meriones gave chase to Acamas on foot and caught him up just
as he was about to mount his chariot; he drove a spear through his
right shoulder so that he fell headlong from the car, and his eyes
were closed in darkness. Idomeneus speared Erymas in the mouth; the
bronze point of the spear went clean through it beneath the brain,
crashing in among the white bones and smashing them up. His teeth
were all of them knocked out and the blood came gushing in a stream
from both his eyes; it also came gurgling up from his mouth and nostrils,
and the darkness of death enfolded him round about. 

Thus did these chieftains of the Danaans each of them kill his man.
As ravening wolves seize on kids or lambs, fastening on them when
they are alone on the hillsides and have strayed from the main flock
through the carelessness of the shepherd- and when the wolves see
this they pounce upon them at once because they cannot defend themselves-
even so did the Danaans now fall on the Trojans, who fled with ill-omened
cries in their panic and had no more fight left in them.

Meanwhile great Ajax kept on trying to drive a spear into Hector,
but Hector was so skilful that he held his broad shoulders well under
cover of his ox-hide shield, ever on the look-out for the whizzing
of the arrows and the heavy thud of the spears. He well knew that
the fortunes of the day had changed, but still stood his ground and
tried to protect his comrades. 

As when a cloud goes up into heaven from Olympus, rising out of a
clear sky when Jove is brewing a gale- even with such panic stricken
rout did the Trojans now fly, and there was no order in their going.
Hector's fleet horses bore him and his armour out of the fight, and
he left the Trojan host penned in by the deep trench against their
will. Many a yoke of horses snapped the pole of their chariots in
the trench and left their master's car behind them. Patroclus gave
chase, calling impetuously on the Danaans and full of fury against
the Trojans, who, being now no longer in a body, filled all the ways
with their cries of panic and rout; the air was darkened with the
clouds of dust they raised, and the horses strained every nerve in
their flight from the tents and ships towards the city. 

Patroclus kept on heading his horses wherever he saw most men flying
in confusion, cheering on his men the while. Chariots were being smashed
in all directions, and many a man came tumbling down from his own
car to fall beneath the wheels of that of Patroclus, whose immortal
steeds, given by the gods to Peleus, sprang over the trench at a bound
as they sped onward. He was intent on trying to get near Hector, for
he had set his heart on spearing him, but Hector's horses were now
hurrying him away. As the whole dark earth bows before some tempest
on an autumn day when Jove rains his hardest to punish men for giving
crooked judgement in their courts, and arriving justice therefrom
without heed to the decrees of heaven- all the rivers run full and
the torrents tear many a new channel as they roar headlong from the
mountains to the dark sea, and it fares ill with the works of men-
even such was the stress and strain of the Trojan horses in their
flight. 

Patroclus now cut off the battalions that were nearest to him and
drove them back to the ships. They were doing their best to reach
the city, but he would not Yet them, and bore down on them between
the river and the ships and wall. Many a fallen comrade did he then
avenge. First he hit Pronous with a spear on the chest where it was
exposed near the rim of his shield, and he fell heavily to the ground.
Next he sprang on Thestor son of Enops, who was sitting all huddled
up in his chariot, for he had lost his head and the reins had been
torn out of his hands. Patroclus went up to him and drove a spear
into his right jaw; he thus hooked him by the teeth and the spear
pulled him over the rim of his car, as one who sits at the end of
some jutting rock and draws a strong fish out of the sea with a hook
and a line- even so with his spear did he pull Thestor all gaping
from his chariot; he then threw him down on his face and he died while
falling. On this, as Erylaus was on to attack him, he struck him full
on the head with a stone, and his brains were all battered inside
his helmet, whereon he fell headlong to the ground and the pangs of
death took hold upon him. Then he laid low, one after the other, Erymas,
Amphoterus, Epaltes, Tlepolemus, Echius son of Damastor, Pyris, lpheus,
Euippus and Polymelus son of Argeas. 

Now when Sarpedon saw his comrades, men who wore ungirdled tunics,
being overcome by Patroclus son of Menoetius, he rebuked the Lycians
saying. "Shame on you, where are you flying to? Show your mettle;
I will myself meet this man in fight and learn who it is that is so
masterful; he has done us much hurt, and has stretched many a brave
man upon the ground." 

He sprang from his chariot as he spoke, and Patroclus, when he saw
this, leaped on to the ground also. The two then rushed at one another
with loud cries like eagle-beaked crook-taloned vultures that scream
and tear at one another in some high mountain fastness. 

The son of scheming Saturn looked down upon them in pity and said
to Juno who was his wife and sister, "Alas, that it should be the
lot of Sarpedon whom I love so dearly to perish by the hand of Patroclus.
I am in two minds whether to catch him up out of the fight and set
him down safe and sound in the fertile land of Lycia, or to let him
now fall by the hand of the son of Menoetius." 

And Juno answered, "Most dread son of Saturn, what is this that you
are saying? Would you snatch a mortal man, whose doom has long been
fated, out of the jaws of death? Do as you will, but we shall not
all of us be of your mind. I say further, and lay my saying to your
heart, that if you send Sarpedon safely to his own home, some other
of the gods will be also wanting to escort his son out of battle,
for there are many sons of gods fighting round the city of Troy, and
you will make every one jealous. If, however, you are fond of him
and pity him, let him indeed fall by the hand of Patroclus, but as
soon as the life is gone out of him, send Death and sweet Sleep to
bear him off the field and take him to the broad lands of Lycia, where
his brothers and his kinsmen will bury him with mound and pillar,
in due honour to the dead." 

The sire of gods and men assented, but he shed a rain of blood upon
the earth in honour of his son whom Patroclus was about to kill on
the rich plain of Troy far from his home. 

When they were now come close to one another Patroclus struck Thrasydemus,
the brave squire of Sarpedon, in the lower part of the belly, and
killed him. Sarpedon then aimed a spear at Patroclus and missed him,
but he struck the horse Pedasus in the right shoulder, and it screamed
aloud as it lay, groaning in the dust until the life went out of it.
The other two horses began to plunge; the pole of the chariot cracked
and they got entangled in the reins through the fall of the horse
that was yoked along with them; but Automedon knew what to do; without
the loss of a moment he drew the keen blade that hung by his sturdy
thigh and cut the third horse adrift; whereon the other two righted
themselves, and pulling hard at the reins again went together into
battle. 

Sarpedon now took a second aim at Patroclus, and again missed him,
the point of the spear passed over his left shoulder without hitting
him. Patroclus then aimed in his turn, and the spear sped not from
his hand in vain, for he hit Sarpedon just where the midriff surrounds
the ever-beating heart. He fell like some oak or silver poplar or
tall pine to which woodmen have laid their axes upon the mountains
to make timber for ship-building- even so did he lie stretched at
full length in front of his chariot and horses, moaning and clutching
at the blood-stained dust. As when a lion springs with a bound upon
a herd of cattle and fastens on a great black bull which dies bellowing
in its clutches- even so did the leader of the Lycian warriors struggle
in death as he fell by the hand of Patroclus. He called on his trusty
comrade and said, "Glaucus, my brother, hero among heroes, put forth
all your strength, fight with might and main, now if ever quit yourself
like a valiant soldier. First go about among the Lycian captains and
bid them fight for Sarpedon; then yourself also do battle to save
my armour from being taken. My name will haunt you henceforth and
for ever if the Achaeans rob me of my armour now that I have fallen
at their ships. Do your very utmost and call all my people together."

Death closed his eyes as he spoke. Patroclus planted his heel on his
breast and drew the spear from his body, whereon his senses came out
along with it, and he drew out both spear-point and Sarpedon's soul
at the same time. Hard by the Myrmidons held his snorting steeds,
who were wild with panic at finding themselves deserted by their lords.

Glaucus was overcome with grief when he heard what Sarpedon said,
for he could not help him. He had to support his arm with his other
hand, being in great pain through the wound which Teucer's arrow had
given him when Teucer was defending the wall as he, Glaucus, was assailing
it. Therefore he prayed to far-darting Apollo saying, "Hear me O king
from your seat, may be in the rich land of Lycia, or may be in Troy,
for in all places you can hear the prayer of one who is in distress,
as I now am. I have a grievous wound; my hand is aching with pain,
there is no staunching the blood, and my whole arm drags by reason
of my hurt, so that I cannot grasp my sword nor go among my foes and
fight them, thou our prince, Jove's son Sarpedon, is slain. Jove defended
not his son, do you, therefore, O king, heal me of my wound, ease
my pain and grant me strength both to cheer on the Lycians and to
fight along with them round the body of him who has fallen."

Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his prayer. He eased his pain,
staunched the black blood from the wound, and gave him new strength.
Glaucus perceived this, and was thankful that the mighty god had answered
his prayer; forthwith, therefore, he went among the Lycian captains,
and bade them come to fight about the body of Sarpedon. From these
he strode on among the Trojans to Polydamas son of Panthous and Agenor;
he then went in search of Aeneas and Hector, and when he had found
them he said, "Hector, you have utterly forgotten your allies, who
languish here for your sake far from friends and home while you do
nothing to support them. Sarpedon leader of the Lycian warriors has
fallen- he who was at once the right and might of Lycia; Mars has
laid him low by the spear of Patroclus. Stand by him, my friends,
and suffer not the Myrmidons to strip him of his armour, nor to treat
his body with contumely in revenge for all the Danaans whom we have
speared at the ships." 

As he spoke the Trojans were plunged in extreme and ungovernable grief;
for Sarpedon, alien though he was, had been one of the main stays
of their city, both as having much people with him, and himself the
foremost among them all. Led by Hector, who was infuriated by the
fall of Sarpedon, they made instantly for the Danaans with all their
might, while the undaunted spirit of Patroclus son of Menoetius cheered
on the Achaeans. First he spoke to the two Ajaxes, men who needed
no bidding. "Ajaxes," said he, "may it now please you to show youselves
the men you have always been, or even better- Sarpedon is fallen-
he who was first to overleap the wall of the Achaeans; let us take
the body and outrage it; let us strip the armour from his shoulders,
and kill his comrades if they try to rescue his body." 

He spoke to men who of themselves were full eager; both sides, therefore,
the Trojans and Lycians on the one hand, and the Myrmidons and Achaeans
on the other, strengthened their battalions, and fought desperately
about the body of Sarpedon, shouting fiercely the while. Mighty was
the din of their armour as they came together, and Jove shed a thick
darkness over the fight, to increase the of the battle over the body
of his son. 

At first the Trojans made some headway against the Achaeans, for one
of the best men among the Myrmidons was killed, Epeigeus, son of noble
Agacles who had erewhile been king in the good city of Budeum; but
presently, having killed a valiant kinsman of his own, he took refuge
with Peleus and Thetis, who sent him to Ilius the land of noble steeds
to fight the Trojans under Achilles. Hector now struck him on the
head with a stone just as he had caught hold of the body, and his
brains inside his helmet were all battered in, so that he fell face
foremost upon the body of Sarpedon, and there died. Patroclus was
enraged by the death of his comrade, and sped through the front ranks
as swiftly as a hawk that swoops down on a flock of daws or starlings.
Even so swiftly, O noble knight Patroclus, did you make straight for
the Lycians and Trojans to avenge your comrade. Forthwith he struck
Sthenelaus the son of Ithaemenes on the neck with a stone, and broke
the tendons that join it to the head and spine. On this Hector and
the front rank of his men gave ground. As far as a man can throw a
javelin when competing for some prize, or even in battle- so far did
the Trojans now retreat before the Achaeans. Glaucus, captain of the
Lycians, was the first to rally them, by killing Bathycles son of
Chalcon who lived in Hellas and was the richest man among the Myrmidons.
Glaucus turned round suddenly, just as Bathycles who was pursuing
him was about to lay hold of him, and drove his spear right into the
middle of his chest, whereon he fell heavily to the ground, and the
fall of so good a man filled the Achaeans with dismay, while the Trojans
were exultant, and came up in a body round the corpse. Nevertheless
the Achaeans, mindful of their prowess, bore straight down upon them.

Meriones then killed a helmed warrior of the Trojans, Laogonus son
of Onetor, who was priest of Jove of Mt. Ida, and was honoured by
the people as though he were a god. Meriones struck him under the
jaw and ear, so that life went out of him and the darkness of death
laid hold upon him. Aeneas then aimed a spear at Meriones, hoping
to hit him under the shield as he was advancing, but Meriones saw
it coming and stooped forward to avoid it, whereon the spear flew
past him and the point stuck in the ground, while the butt-end went
on quivering till Mars robbed it of its force. The spear, therefore,
sped from Aeneas's hand in vain and fell quivering to the ground.
Aeneas was angry and said, "Meriones, you are a good dancer, but if
I had hit you my spear would soon have made an end of you."

And Meriones answered, "Aeneas, for all your bravery, you will not
be able to make an end of every one who comes against you. You are
only a mortal like myself, and if I were to hit you in the middle
of your shield with my spear, however strong and self-confident you
may be, I should soon vanquish you, and you would yield your life
to Hades of the noble steeds." 

On this the son of Menoetius rebuked him and said, "Meriones, hero
though you be, you should not speak thus; taunting speeches, my good
friend, will not make the Trojans draw away from the dead body; some
of them must go under ground first; blows for battle, and words for
council; fight, therefore, and say nothing." 

He led the way as he spoke and the hero went forward with him. As
the sound of woodcutters in some forest glade upon the mountains-
and the thud of their axes is heard afar- even such a din now rose
from earth-clash of bronze armour and of good ox-hide shields, as
men smote each other with their swords and spears pointed at both
ends. A man had need of good eyesight now to know Sarpedon, so covered
was he from head to foot with spears and blood and dust. Men swarmed
about the body, as flies that buzz round the full milk-pails in spring
when they are brimming with milk- even so did they gather round Sarpedon;
nor did Jove turn his keen eyes away for one moment from the fight,
but kept looking at it all the time, for he was settling how best
to kill Patroclus, and considering whether Hector should be allowed
to end him now in the fight round the body of Sarpedon, and strip
him of his armour, or whether he should let him give yet further trouble
to the Trojans. In the end, he deemed it best that the brave squire
of Achilles son of Peleus should drive Hector and the Trojans back
towards the city and take the lives of many. First, therefore, he
made Hector turn fainthearted, whereon he mounted his chariot and
fled, bidding the other Trojans fly also, for he saw that the scales
of Jove had turned against him. Neither would the brave Lycians stand
firm; they were dismayed when they saw their king lying struck to
the heart amid a heap of corpses- for when the son of Saturn made
the fight wax hot many had fallen above him. The Achaeans, therefore
stripped the gleaming armour from his shoulders and the brave son
of Menoetius gave it to his men to take to the ships. Then Jove lord
of the storm-cloud said to Apollo, "Dear Phoebus, go, I pray you,
and take Sarpedon out of range of the weapons; cleanse the black blood
from off him, and then bear him a long way off where you may wash
him in the river, anoint him with ambrosia, and clothe him in immortal
raiment; this done, commit him to the arms of the two fleet messengers,
Death, and Sleep, who will carry him straightway to the rich land
of Lycia, where his brothers and kinsmen will inter him, and will
raise both mound and pillar to his memory, in due honour to the dead."

Thus he spoke. Apollo obeyed his father's saying, and came down from
the heights of Ida into the thick of the fight; forthwith he took
Sarpedon out of range of the weapons, and then bore him a long way
off, where he washed him in the river, anointed him with ambrosia
and clothed him in immortal raiment; this done, he committed him to
the arms of the two fleet messengers, Death, and Sleep, who presently
set him down in the rich land of Lycia. 

Meanwhile Patroclus, with many a shout to his horses and to Automedon,
pursued the Trojans and Lycians in the pride and foolishness of his
heart. Had he but obeyed the bidding of the son of Peleus, he would
have, escaped death and have been scatheless; but the counsels of
Jove pass man's understanding; he will put even a brave man to flight
and snatch victory from his grasp, or again he will set him on to
fight, as he now did when he put a high spirit into the heart of Patroclus.

Who then first, and who last, was slain by you, O Patroclus, when
the gods had now called you to meet your doom? First Adrestus, Autonous,
Echeclus, Perimus the son of Megas, Epistor and Melanippus; after
these he killed Elasus, Mulius, and Pylartes. These he slew, but the
rest saved themselves by flight. 

The sons of the Achaeans would now have taken Troy by the hands of
Patroclus, for his spear flew in all directions, had not Phoebus Apollo
taken his stand upon the wall to defeat his purpose and to aid the
Trojans. Thrice did Patroclus charge at an angle of the high wall,
and thrice did Apollo beat him back, striking his shield with his
own immortal hands. When Patroclus was coming on like a god for yet
a fourth time, Apollo shouted to him with an awful voice and said,
"Draw back, noble Patroclus, it is not your lot to sack the city of
the Trojan chieftains, nor yet will it be that of Achilles who is
a far better man than you are." On hearing this, Patroclus withdrew
to some distance and avoided the anger of Apollo. 

Meanwhile Hector was waiting with his horses inside the Scaean gates,
in doubt whether to drive out again and go on fighting, or to call
the army inside the gates. As he was thus doubting Phoebus Apollo
drew near him in the likeness of a young and lusty warrior Asius,
who was Hector's uncle, being own brother to Hecuba, and son of Dymas
who lived in Phrygia by the waters of the river Sangarius; in his
likeness Jove's son Apollo now spoke to Hector saying, "Hector, why
have you left off fighting? It is ill done of you. If I were as much
better a man than you, as I am worse, you should soon rue your slackness.
Drive straight towards Patroclus, if so be that Apollo may grant you
a triumph over him, and you may rull him." 

With this the god went back into the hurly-burly, and Hector bade
Cebriones drive again into the fight. Apollo passed in among them,
and struck panic into the Argives, while he gave triumph to Hector
and the Trojans. Hector let the other Danaans alone and killed no
man, but drove straight at Patroclus. Patroclus then sprang from his
chariot to the ground, with a spear in his left hand, and in his right
a jagged stone as large as his hand could hold. He stood still and
threw it, nor did it go far without hitting some one; the cast was
not in vain, for the stone struck Cebriones, Hector's charioteer,
a bastard son of Priam, as he held the reins in his hands. The stone
hit him on the forehead and drove his brows into his head for the
bone was smashed, and his eyes fell to the ground at his feet. He
dropped dead from his chariot as though he were diving, and there
was no more life left in him. Over him did you then vaunt, O knight
Patroclus, saying, "Bless my heart, how active he is, and how well
he dives. If we had been at sea this fellow would have dived from
the ship's side and brought up as many oysters as the whole crew could
stomach, even in rough water, for he has dived beautifully off his
chariot on to the ground. It seems, then, that there are divers also
among the Trojans." 

As he spoke he flung himself on Cebriones with the spring, as it were,
of a lion that while attacking a stockyard is himself struck in the
chest, and his courage is his own bane- even so furiously, O Patroclus,
did you then spring upon Cebriones. Hector sprang also from his chariot
to the ground. The pair then fought over the body of Cebriones. As
two lions fight fiercely on some high mountain over the body of a
stag that they have killed, even so did these two mighty warriors,
Patroclus son of Menoetius and brave Hector, hack and hew at one another
over the corpse of Cebriones. Hector would not let him go when he
had once got him by the head, while Patroclus kept fast hold of his
feet, and a fierce fight raged between the other Danaans and Trojans.
As the east and south wind buffet one another when they beat upon
some dense forest on the mountains- there is beech and ash and spreading
cornel; the to of the trees roar as they beat on one another, and
one can hear the boughs cracking and breaking- even so did the Trojans
and Achaeans spring upon one another and lay about each other, and
neither side would give way. Many a pointed spear fell to ground and
many a winged arrow sped from its bow-string about the body of Cebriones;
many a great stone, moreover, beat on many a shield as they fought
around his body, but there he lay in the whirling clouds of dust,
all huge and hugely, heedless of his driving now. 

So long as the sun was still high in mid-heaven the weapons of either
side were alike deadly, and the people fell; but when he went down
towards the time when men loose their oxen, the Achaeans proved to
be beyond all forecast stronger, so that they drew Cebriones out of
range of the darts and tumult of the Trojans, and stripped the armour
from his shoulders. Then Patroclus sprang like Mars with fierce intent
and a terrific shout upon the Trojans, and thrice did he kill nine
men; but as he was coming on like a god for a time, then, O Patroclus,
was the hour of your end approaching, for Phoebus fought you in fell
earnest. Patroclus did not see him as he moved about in the crush,
for he was enshrouded in thick darkness, and the god struck him from
behind on his back and his broad shoulders with the flat of his hand,
so that his eyes turned dizzy. Phoebus Apollo beat the helmet from
off his head, and it rolled rattling off under the horses' feet, where
its horse-hair plumes were all begrimed with dust and blood. Never
indeed had that helmet fared so before, for it had served to protect
the head and comely forehead of the godlike hero Achilles. Now, however,
Zeus delivered it over to be worn by Hector. Nevertheless the end
of Hector also was near. The bronze-shod spear, so great and so strong,
was broken in the hand of Patroclus, while his shield that covered
him from head to foot fell to the ground as did also the band that
held it, and Apollo undid the fastenings of his corslet.

On this his mind became clouded; his limbs failed him, and he stood
as one dazed; whereon Euphorbus son of Panthous a Dardanian, the best
spearman of his time, as also the finest horseman and fleetest runner,
came behind him and struck him in the back with a spear, midway between
the shoulders. This man as soon as ever he had come up with his chariot
had dismounted twenty men, so proficient was he in all the arts of
war- he it was, O knight Patroclus, that first drove a weapon into
you, but he did not quite overpower you. Euphorbus then ran back into
the crowd, after drawing his ashen spear out of the wound; he would
not stand firm and wait for Patroclus, unarmed though he now was,
to attack him; but Patroclus unnerved, alike by the blow the god had
given him and by the spear-wound, drew back under cover of his men
in fear for his life. Hector on this, seeing him to be wounded and
giving ground, forced his way through the ranks, and when close up
with him struck him in the lower part of the belly with a spear, driving
the bronze point right through it, so that he fell heavily to the
ground to the great of the Achaeans. As when a lion has fought some
fierce wild-boar and worsted him- the two fight furiously upon the
mountains over some little fountain at which they would both drink,
and the lion has beaten the boar till he can hardly breathe- even
so did Hector son of Priam take the life of the brave son of Menoetius
who had killed so many, striking him from close at hand, and vaunting
over him the while. "Patroclus," said he, "you deemed that you should
sack our city, rob our Trojan women of their freedom, and carry them
off in your ships to your own country. Fool; Hector and his fleet
horses were ever straining their utmost to defend them. I am foremost
of all the Trojan warriors to stave the day of bondage from off them;
as for you, vultures shall devour you here. Poor wretch, Achilles
with all his bravery availed you nothing; and yet I ween when you
left him he charged you straitly saying, 'Come not back to the ships,
knight Patroclus, till you have rent the bloodstained shirt of murderous
Hector about his body. Thus I ween did he charge you, and your fool's
heart answered him 'yea' within you." 

Then, as the life ebbed out of you, you answered, O knight Patroclus:
"Hector, vaunt as you will, for Jove the son of Saturn and Apollo
have vouchsafed you victory; it is they who have vanquished me so
easily, and they who have stripped the armour from my shoulders; had
twenty such men as you attacked me, all of them would have fallen
before my spear. Fate and the son of Leto have overpowered me, and
among mortal men Euphorbus; you are yourself third only in the killing
of me. I say further, and lay my saying to your heart, you too shall
live but for a little season; death and the day of your doom are close
upon you, and they will lay you low by the hand of Achilles son of
Aeacus." 

When he had thus spoken his eyes were closed in death, his soul left
his body and flitted down to the house of Hades, mourning its sad
fate and bidding farewell to the youth and vigor of its manhood. Dead
though he was, Hector still spoke to him saying, "Patroclus, why should
you thus foretell my doom? Who knows but Achilles, son of lovely Thetis,
may be smitten by my spear and die before me?" 

As he spoke he drew the bronze spear from the wound, planting his
foot upon the body, which he thrust off and let lie on its back. He
then went spear in hand after Automedon, squire of the fleet descendant
of Aeacus, for he longed to lay him low, but the immortal steeds which
the gods had given as a rich gift to Peleus bore him swiftly from
the field. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK XVII

Brave Menelaus son of Atreus now came to know that Patroclus had
fallen, and made his way through the front ranks clad in full armour
to bestride him. As a cow stands lowing over her first calf, even
so did yellow-haired Menelaus bestride Patroclus. He held his round
shield and his spear in front of him, resolute to kill any who should
dare face him. But the son of Panthous had also noted the body, and
came up to Menelaus saying, "Menelaus, son of Atreus, draw back, leave
the body, and let the bloodstained spoils be. I was first of the Trojans
and their brave allies to drive my spear into Patroclus, let me, therefore,
have my full glory among the Trojans, or I will take aim and kill
you." 

To this Menelaus answered in great anger "By father Jove, boasting
is an ill thing. The pard is not more bold, nor the lion nor savage
wild-boar, which is fiercest and most dauntless of all creatures,
than are the proud sons of Panthous. Yet Hyperenor did not see out
the days of his youth when he made light of me and withstood me, deeming
me the meanest soldier among the Danaans. His own feet never bore
him back to gladden his wife and parents. Even so shall I make an
end of you too, if you withstand me; get you back into the crowd and
do not face me, or it shall be worse for you. Even a fool may be wise
after the event." 

Euphorbus would not listen, and said, "Now indeed, Menelaus, shall
you pay for the death of my brother over whom you vaunted, and whose
wife you widowed in her bridal chamber, while you brought grief unspeakable
on his parents. I shall comfort these poor people if I bring your
head and armour and place them in the hands of Panthous and noble
Phrontis. The time is come when this matter shall be fought out and
settled, for me or against me." 

As he spoke he struck Menelaus full on the shield, but the spear did
not go through, for the shield turned its point. Menelaus then took
aim, praying to father Jove as he did so; Euphorbus was drawing back,
and Menelaus struck him about the roots of his throat, leaning his
whole weight on the spear, so as to drive it home. The point went
clean through his neck, and his armour rang rattling round him as
he fell heavily to the ground. His hair which was like that of the
Graces, and his locks so deftly bound in bands of silver and gold,
were all bedrabbled with blood. As one who has grown a fine young
olive tree in a clear space where there is abundance of water- the
plant is full of promise, and though the winds beat upon it from every
quarter it puts forth its white blossoms till the blasts of some fierce
hurricane sweep down upon it and level it with the ground- even so
did Menelaus strip the fair youth Euphorbus of his armour after he
had slain him. Or as some fierce lion upon the mountains in the pride
of his strength fastens on the finest heifer in a herd as it is feeding-
first he breaks her neck with his strong jaws, and then gorges on
her blood and entrails; dogs and shepherds raise a hue and cry against
him, but they stand aloof and will not come close to him, for they
are pale with fear- even so no one had the courage to face valiant
Menelaus. The son of Atreus would have then carried off the armour
of the son of Panthous with ease, had not Phoebus Apollo been angry,
and in the guise of Mentes chief of the Cicons incited Hector to attack
him. "Hector," said he, "you are now going after the horses of the
noble son of Aeacus, but you will not take them; they cannot be kept
in hand and driven by mortal man, save only by Achilles, who is son
to an immortal mother. Meanwhile Menelaus son of Atreus has bestridden
the body of Patroclus and killed the noblest of the Trojans, Euphorbus
son of Panthous, so that he can fight no more." 

The god then went back into the toil and turmoil, but the soul of
Hector was darkened with a cloud of grief; he looked along the ranks
and saw Euphorbus lying on the ground with the blood still flowing
from his wound, and Menelaus stripping him of his armour. On this
he made his way to the front like a flame of fire, clad in his gleaming
armour, and crying with a loud voice. When the son of Atreus heard
him, he said to himself in his dismay, "Alas! what shall I do? I may
not let the Trojans take the armour of Patroclus who has fallen fighting
on my behalf, lest some Danaan who sees me should cry shame upon me.
Still if for my honour's sake I fight Hector and the Trojans single-handed,
they will prove too many for me, for Hector is bringing them up in
force. Why, however, should I thus hesitate? When a man fights in
despite of heaven with one whom a god befriends, he will soon rue
it. Let no Danaan think ill of me if I give place to Hector, for the
hand of heaven is with him. Yet, if I could find Ajax, the two of
us would fight Hector and heaven too, if we might only save the body
of Patroclus for Achilles son of Peleus. This, of many evils would
be the least." 

While he was thus in two minds, the Trojans came up to him with Hector
at their head; he therefore drew back and left the body, turning about
like some bearded lion who is being chased by dogs and men from a
stockyard with spears and hue and cry, whereon he is daunted and slinks
sulkily off- even so did Menelaus son of Atreus turn and leave the
body of Patroclus. When among the body of his men, he looked around
for mighty Ajax son of Telamon, and presently saw him on the extreme
left of the fight, cheering on his men and exhorting them to keep
on fighting, for Phoebus Apollo had spread a great panic among them.
He ran up to him and said, "Ajax, my good friend, come with me at
once to dead Patroclus, if so be that we may take the body to Achilles-
as for his armour, Hector already has it." 

These words stirred the heart of Ajax, and he made his way among the
front ranks, Menelaus going with him. Hector had stripped Patroclus
of his armour, and was dragging him away to cut off his head and take
the body to fling before the dogs of Troy. But Ajax came up with his
shield like wall before him, on which Hector withdrew under shelter
of his men, and sprang on to his chariot, giving the armour over to
the Trojans to take to the city, as a great trophy for himself; Ajax,
therefore, covered the body of Patroclus with his broad shield and
bestrode him; as a lion stands over his whelps if hunters have come
upon him in a forest when he is with his little ones- in the pride
and fierceness of his strength he draws his knit brows down till they
cover his eyes- even so did Ajax bestride the body of Patroclus, and
by his side stood Menelaus son of Atreus, nursing great sorrow in
his heart. 

Then Glaucus son of Hippolochus looked fiercely at Hector and rebuked
him sternly. "Hector," said he, "you make a brave show, but in fight
you are sadly wanting. A runaway like yourself has no claim to so
great a reputation. Think how you may now save your town and citadel
by the hands of your own people born in Ilius; for you will get no
Lycians to fight for you, seeing what thanks they have had for their
incessant hardships. Are you likely, sir, to do anything to help a
man of less note, after leaving Sarpedon, who was at once your guest
and comrade in arms, to be the spoil and prey of the Danaans? So long
as he lived he did good service both to your city and yourself; yet
you had no stomach to save his body from the dogs. If the Lycians
will listen to me, they will go home and leave Troy to its fate. If
the Trojans had any of that daring fearless spirit which lays hold
of men who are fighting for their country and harassing those who
would attack it, we should soon bear off Patroclus into Ilius. Could
we get this dead man away and bring him into the city of Priam, the
Argives would readily give up the armour of Sarpedon, and we should
get his body to boot. For he whose squire has been now killed is the
foremost man at the ships of the Achaeans- he and his close-fighting
followers. Nevertheless you dared not make a stand against Ajax, nor
face him, eye to eye, with battle all round you, for he is a braver
man than you are." 

Hector scowled at him and answered, "Glaucus, you should know better.
I have held you so far as a man of more understanding than any in
all Lycia, but now I despise you for saying that I am afraid of Ajax.
I fear neither battle nor the din of chariots, but Jove's will is
stronger than ours; Jove at one time makes even a strong man draw
back and snatches victory from his grasp, while at another he will
set him on to fight. Come hither then, my friend, stand by me and
see indeed whether I shall play the coward the whole day through as
you say, or whether I shall not stay some even of the boldest Danaans
from fighting round the body of Patroclus." 

As he spoke he called loudly on the Trojans saying, "Trojans, Lycians,
and Dardanians, fighters in close combat, be men, my friends, and
fight might and main, while I put on the goodly armour of Achilles,
which I took when I killed Patroclus." 

With this Hector left the fight, and ran full speed after his men
who were taking the armour of Achilles to Troy, but had not yet got
far. Standing for a while apart from the woeful fight, he changed
his armour. His own he sent to the strong city of Ilius and to the
Trojans, while he put on the immortal armour of the son of Peleus,
which the gods had given to Peleus, who in his age gave it to his
son; but the son did not grow old in his father's armour.

When Jove, lord of the storm-cloud, saw Hector standing aloof and
arming himself in the armour of the son of Peleus, he wagged his head
and muttered to himself saying, "A! poor wretch, you arm in the armour
of a hero, before whom many another trembles, and you reck nothing
of the doom that is already close upon you. You have killed his comrade
so brave and strong, but it was not well that you should strip the
armour from his head and shoulders. I do indeed endow you with great
might now, but as against this you shall not return from battle to
lay the armour of the son of Peleus before Andromache." 

The son of Saturn bowed his portentous brows, and Hector fitted the
armour to his body, while terrible Mars entered into him, and filled
his whole body with might and valour. With a shout he strode in among
the allies, and his armour flashed about him so that he seemed to
all of them like the great son of Peleus himself. He went about among
them and cheered them on- Mesthles, Glaucus, Medon, Thersilochus,
Asteropaeus, Deisenor and Hippothous, Phorcys, Chromius and Ennomus
the augur. All these did he exhort saying, "Hear me, allies from other
cities who are here in your thousands, it was not in order to have
a crowd about me that I called you hither each from his several city,
but that with heart and soul you might defend the wives and little
ones of the Trojans from the fierce Achaeans. For this do I oppress
my people with your food and the presents that make you rich. Therefore
turn, and charge at the foe, to stand or fall as is the game of war;
whoever shall bring Patroclus, dead though he be, into the hands of
the Trojans, and shall make Ajax give way before him, I will give
him one half of the spoils while I keep the other. He will thus share
like honour with myself." 

When he had thus spoken they charged full weight upon the Danaans
with their spears held out before them, and the hopes of each ran
high that he should force Ajax son of Telamon to yield up the body-
fools that they were, for he was about to take the lives of many.
Then Ajax said to Menelaus, "My good friend Menelaus, you and I shall
hardly come out of this fight alive. I am less concerned for the body
of Patroclus, who will shortly become meat for the dogs and vultures
of Troy, than for the safety of my own head and yours. Hector has
wrapped us round in a storm of battle from every quarter, and our
destruction seems now certain. Call then upon the princes of the Danaans
if there is any who can hear us." 

Menelaus did as he said, and shouted to the Danaans for help at the
top of his voice. "My friends," he cried, "princes and counsellors
of the Argives, all you who with Agamemnon and Menelaus drink at the
public cost, and give orders each to his own people as Jove vouchsafes
him power and glory, the fight is so thick about me that I cannot
distinguish you severally; come on, therefore, every man unbidden,
and think it shame that Patroclus should become meat and morsel for
Trojan hounds." 

Fleet Ajax son of Oileus heard him and was first to force his way
through the fight and run to help him. Next came Idomeneus and Meriones
his esquire, peer of murderous Mars. As for the others that came into
the fight after these, who of his own self could name them?

The Trojans with Hector at their head charged in a body. As a great
wave that comes thundering in at the mouth of some heaven-born river,
and the rocks that jut into the sea ring with the roar of the breakers
that beat and buffet them- even with such a roar did the Trojans come
on; but the Achaeans in singleness of heart stood firm about the son
of Menoetius, and fenced him with their bronze shields. Jove, moreover,
hid the brightness of their helmets in a thick cloud, for he had borne
no grudge against the son of Menoetius while he was still alive and
squire to the descendant of Aeacus; therefore he was loth to let him
fall a prey to the dogs of his foes the Trojans, and urged his comrades
on to defend him. 

At first the Trojans drove the Achaeans back, and they withdrew from
the dead man daunted. The Trojans did not succeed in killing any one,
nevertheless they drew the body away. But the Achaeans did not lose
it long, for Ajax, foremost of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus
alike in stature and prowess, quickly rallied them and made towards
the front like a wild boar upon the mountains when he stands at bay
in the forest glades and routs the hounds and lusty youths that have
attacked him- even so did Ajax son of Telamon passing easily in among
the phalanxes of the Trojans, disperse those who had bestridden Patroclus
and were most bent on winning glory by dragging him off to their city.
At this moment Hippothous brave son of the Pelasgian Lethus, in his
zeal for Hector and the Trojans, was dragging the body off by the
foot through the press of the fight, having bound a strap round the
sinews near the ancle; but a mischief soon befell him from which none
of those could save him who would have gladly done so, for the son
of Telamon sprang forward and smote him on his bronze-cheeked helmet.
The plumed headpiece broke about the point of the weapon, struck at
once by the spear and by the strong hand of Ajax, so that the bloody
brain came oozing out through the crest-socket. His strength then
failed him and he let Patroclus' foot drop from his hand, as he fell
full length dead upon the body; thus he died far from the fertile
land of Larissa, and never repaid his parents the cost of bringing
him up, for his life was cut short early by the spear of mighty Ajax.
Hector then took aim at Ajax with a spear, but he saw it coming and
just managed to avoid it; the spear passed on and struck Schedius
son of noble Iphitus, captain of the Phoceans, who dwelt in famed
Panopeus and reigned over much people; it struck him under the middle
of the collar-bone the bronze point went right through him, coming
out at the bottom of his shoulder-blade, and his armour rang rattling
round him as he fell heavily to the ground. Ajax in his turn struck
noble Phorcys son of Phaenops in the middle of the belly as he was
bestriding Hippothous, and broke the plate of his cuirass; whereon
the spear tore out his entrails and he clutched the ground in his
palm as he fell to earth. Hector and those who were in the front rank
then gave ground, while the Argives raised a loud cry of triumph,
and drew off the bodies of Phorcys and Hippothous which they stripped
presently of their armour. 

The Trojans would now have been worsted by the brave Achaeans and
driven back to Ilius through their own cowardice, while the Argives,
so great was their courage and endurance, would have achieved a triumph
even against the will of Jove, if Apollo had not roused Aeneas, in
the likeness of Periphas son of Epytus, an attendant who had grown
old in the service of Aeneas' aged father, and was at all times devoted
to him. In his likeness, then, Apollo said, "Aeneas, can you not manage,
even though heaven be against us, to save high Ilius? I have known
men, whose numbers, courage, and self-reliance have saved their people
in spite of Jove, whereas in this case he would much rather give victory
to us than to the Danaans, if you would only fight instead of being
so terribly afraid." 

Aeneas knew Apollo when he looked straight at him, and shouted to
Hector saying, "Hector and all other Trojans and allies, shame on
us if we are beaten by the Achaeans and driven back to Ilius through
our own cowardice. A god has just come up to me and told me that Jove
the supreme disposer will be with us. Therefore let us make for the
Danaans, that it may go hard with them ere they bear away dead Patroclus
to the ships." 

As he spoke he sprang out far in front of the others, who then rallied
and again faced the Achaeans. Aeneas speared Leiocritus son of Arisbas,
a valiant follower of Lycomedes, and Lycomedes was moved with pity
as he saw him fall; he therefore went close up, and speared Apisaon
son of Hippasus shepherd of his people in the liver under the midriff,
so that he died; he had come from fertile Paeonia and was the best
man of them all after Asteropaeus. Asteropaeus flew forward to avenge
him and attack the Danaans, but this might no longer be, inasmuch
as those about Patroclus were well covered by their shields, and held
their spears in front of them, for Ajax had given them strict orders
that no man was either to give ground, or to stand out before the
others, but all were to hold well together about the body and fight
hand to hand. Thus did huge Ajax bid them, and the earth ran red with
blood as the corpses fell thick on one another alike on the side of
the Trojans and allies, and on that of the Danaans; for these last,
too, fought no bloodless fight though many fewer of them perished,
through the care they took to defend and stand by one another.

Thus did they fight as it were a flaming fire; it seemed as though
it had gone hard even with the sun and moon, for they were hidden
over all that part where the bravest heroes were fighting about the
dead son of Menoetius, whereas the other Danaans and Achaeans fought
at their ease in full daylight with brilliant sunshine all round them,
and there was not a cloud to be seen neither on plain nor mountain.
These last moreover would rest for a while and leave off fighting,
for they were some distance apart and beyond the range of one another's
weapons, whereas those who were in the thick of the fray suffered
both from battle and darkness. All the best of them were being worn
out by the great weight of their armour, but the two valiant heroes,
Thrasymedes and Antilochus, had not yet heard of the death of Patroclus,
and believed him to be still alive and leading the van against the
Trojans; they were keeping themselves in reserve against the death
or rout of their own comrades, for so Nestor had ordered when he sent
them from the ships into battle. 

Thus through the livelong day did they wage fierce war, and the sweat
of their toil rained ever on their legs under them, and on their hands
and eyes, as they fought over the squire of the fleet son of Peleus.
It was as when a man gives a great ox-hide all drenched in fat to
his men, and bids them stretch it; whereon they stand round it in
a ring and tug till the moisture leaves it, and the fat soaks in for
the many that pull at it, and it is well stretched- even so did the
two sides tug the dead body hither and thither within the compass
of but a little space- the Trojans steadfastly set on drag ing it
into Ilius, while the Achaeans were no less so on taking it to their
ships; and fierce was the fight between them. Not Mars himself the
lord of hosts, nor yet Minerva, even in their fullest fury could make
light of such a battle. 

Such fearful turmoil of men and horses did Jove on that day ordain
round the body of Patroclus. Meanwhile Achilles did not know that
he had fallen, for the fight was under the wall of Troy a long way
off the ships. He had no idea, therefore, that Patroclus was dead,
and deemed that he would return alive as soon as he had gone close
up to the gates. He knew that he was not to sack the city neither
with nor without himself, for his mother had often told him this when
he had sat alone with her, and she had informed him of the counsels
of great Jove. Now, however, she had not told him how great a disaster
had befallen him in the death of the one who was far dearest to him
of all his comrades. 

The others still kept on charging one another round the body with
their pointed spears and killing each other. Then would one say, "My
friends, we can never again show our faces at the ships- better, and
greatly better, that earth should open and swallow us here in this
place, than that we should let the Trojans have the triumph of bearing
off Patroclus to their city." 

The Trojans also on their part spoke to one another saying, "Friends,
though we fall to a man beside this body, let none shrink from fighting."
With such words did they exhort each other. They fought and fought,
and an iron clank rose through the void air to the brazen vault of
heaven. The horses of the descendant of Aeacus stood out of the fight
and wept when they heard that their driver had been laid low by the
hand of murderous Hector. Automedon, valiant son of Diores, lashed
them again and again; many a time did he speak kindly to them, and
many a time did he upbraid them, but they would neither go back to
the ships by the waters of the broad Hellespont, nor yet into battle
among the Achaeans; they stood with their chariot stock still, as
a pillar set over the tomb of some dead man or woman, and bowed their
heads to the ground. Hot tears fell from their eyes as they mourned
the loss of their charioteer, and their noble manes drooped all wet
from under the yokestraps on either side the yoke. 

The son of Saturn saw them and took pity upon their sorrow. He wagged
his head, and muttered to himself, saying, "Poor things, why did we
give you to King Peleus who is a mortal, while you are yourselves
ageless and immortal? Was it that you might share the sorrows that
befall mankind? for of all creatures that live and move upon the earth
there is none so pitiable as he is- still, Hector son of Priam shall
drive neither you nor your chariot. I will not have it. It is enough
that he should have the armour over which he vaunts so vainly. Furthermore
I will give you strength of heart and limb to bear Automedon safely
to the ships from battle, for I shall let the Trojans triumph still
further, and go on killing till they reach the ships; whereon night
shall fall and darkness overshadow the land." 

As he spoke he breathed heart and strength into the horses so that
they shook the dust from out of their manes, and bore their chariot
swiftly into the fight that raged between Trojans and Achaeans. Behind
them fought Automedon full of sorrow for his comrade, as a vulture
amid a flock of geese. In and out, and here and there, full speed
he dashed amid the throng of the Trojans, but for all the fury of
his pursuit he killed no man, for he could not wield his spear and
keep his horses in hand when alone in the chariot; at last, however,
a comrade, Alcimedon, son of Laerces son of Haemon caught sight of
him and came up behind his chariot. "Automedon," said he, "what god
has put this folly into your heart and robbed you of your right mind,
that you fight the Trojans in the front rank single-handed? He who
was your comrade is slain, and Hector plumes himself on being armed
in the armour of the descendant of Aeacus." 

Automedon son of Diores answered, "Alcimedon, there is no one else
who can control and guide the immortal steeds so well as you can,
save only Patroclus- while he was alive- peer of gods in counsel.
Take then the whip and reins, while I go down from the car and fight.

Alcimedon sprang on to the chariot, and caught up the whip and reins,
while Automedon leaped from off the car. When Hector saw him he said
to Aeneas who was near him, "Aeneas, counsellor of the mail-clad Trojans,
I see the steeds of the fleet son of Aeacus come into battle with
weak hands to drive them. I am sure, if you think well, that we might
take them; they will not dare face us if we both attack them."

The valiant son of Anchises was of the same mind, and the pair went
right on, with their shoulders covered under shields of tough dry
ox-hide, overlaid with much bronze. Chromius and Aretus went also
with them, and their hearts beat high with hope that they might kill
the men and capture the horses- fools that they were, for they were
not to return scatheless from their meeting with Automedon, who prayed
to father Jove and was forthwith filled with courage and strength
abounding. He turned to his trusty comrade Alcimedon and said, "Alcimedon,
keep your horses so close up that I may feel their breath upon my
back; I doubt that we shall not stay Hector son of Priam till he has
killed us and mounted behind the horses; he will then either spread
panic among the ranks of the Achaeans, or himself be killed among
the foremost." 

On this he cried out to the two Ajaxes and Menelaus, "Ajaxes captains
of the Argives, and Menelaus, give the dead body over to them that
are best able to defend it, and come to the rescue of us living; for
Hector and Aeneas who are the two best men among the Trojans, are
pressing us hard in the full tide of war. Nevertheless the issue lies
on the lap of heaven, I will therefore hurl my spear and leave the
rest to Jove." 

He poised and hurled as he spoke, whereon the spear struck the round
shield of Aretus, and went right through it for the shield stayed
it not, so that it was driven through his belt into the lower part
of his belly. As when some sturdy youth, axe in hand, deals his blow
behind the horns of an ox and severs the tendons at the back of its
neck so that it springs forward and then drops, even so did Aretus
give one bound and then fall on his back the spear quivering in his
body till it made an end of him. Hector then aimed a spear at Automedon
but he saw it coming and stooped forward to avoid it, so that it flew
past him and the point stuck in the ground, while the butt-end went
on quivering till Mars robbed it of its force. They would then have
fought hand to hand with swords had not the two Ajaxes forced their
way through the crowd when they heard their comrade calling, and parted
them for all their fury- for Hector, Aeneas, and Chromius were afraid
and drew back, leaving Aretus to lie there struck to the heart. Automedon,
peer of fleet Mars, then stripped him of his armour and vaunted over
him saying, "I have done little to assuage my sorrow for the son of
Menoetius, for the man I have killed is not so good as he was."

As he spoke he took the blood-stained spoils and laid them upon his
chariot; then he mounted the car with his hands and feet all steeped
in gore as a lion that has been gorging upon a bull. 

And now the fierce groanful fight again raged about Patroclus, for
Minerva came down from heaven and roused its fury by the command of
far-seeing Jove, who had changed his mind and sent her to encourage
the Danaans. As when Jove bends his bright bow in heaven in token
to mankind either of war or of the chill storms that stay men from
their labour and plague the flocks- even so, wrapped in such radiant
raiment, did Minerva go in among the host and speak man by man to
each. First she took the form and voice of Phoenix and spoke to Menelaus
son of Atreus, who was standing near her. "Menelaus," said she, "it
will be shame and dishonour to you, if dogs tear the noble comrade
of Achilles under the walls of Troy. Therefore be staunch, and urge
your men to be so also." 

Menelaus answered, "Phoenix, my good old friend, may Minerva vouchsafe
me strength and keep the darts from off me, for so shall I stand by
Patroclus and defend him; his death has gone to my heart, but Hector
is as a raging fire and deals his blows without ceasing, for Jove
is now granting him a time of triumph." 

Minerva was pleased at his having named herself before any of the
other gods. Therefore she put strength into his knees and shoulders,
and made him as bold as a fly, which, though driven off will yet come
again and bite if it can, so dearly does it love man's blood- even
so bold as this did she make him as he stood over Patroclus and threw
his spear. Now there was among the Trojans a man named Podes, son
of Eetion, who was both rich and valiant. Hector held him in the highest
honour for he was his comrade and boon companion; the spear of Menelaus
struck this man in the girdle just as he had turned in flight, and
went right through him. Whereon he fell heavily forward, and Menelaus
son of Atreus drew off his body from the Trojans into the ranks of
his own people. 

Apollo then went up to Hector and spurred him on to fight, in the
likeness of Phaenops son of Asius who lived in Abydos and was the
most favoured of all Hector's guests. In his likeness Apollo said,
"Hector, who of the Achaeans will fear you henceforward now that you
have quailed before Menelaus who has ever been rated poorly as a soldier?
Yet he has now got a corpse away from the Trojans single-handed, and
has slain your own true comrade, a man brave among the foremost, Podes
son of Eetion. 

A dark cloud of grief fell upon Hector as he heard, and he made his
way to the front clad in full armour. Thereon the son of Saturn seized
his bright tasselled aegis, and veiled Ida in cloud: he sent forth
his lightnings and his thunders, and as he shook his aegis he gave
victory to the Trojans and routed the Achaeans. 

The panic was begun by Peneleos the Boeotian, for while keeping his
face turned ever towards the foe he had been hit with a spear on the
upper part of the shoulder; a spear thrown by Polydamas had grazed
the top of the bone, for Polydamas had come up to him and struck him
from close at hand. Then Hector in close combat struck Leitus son
of noble Alectryon in the hand by the wrist, and disabled him from
fighting further. He looked about him in dismay, knowing that never
again should he wield spear in battle with the Trojans. While Hector
was in pursuit of Leitus, Idomeneus struck him on the breastplate
over his chest near the nipple; but the spear broke in the shaft,
and the Trojans cheered aloud. Hector then aimed at Idomeneus son
of Deucalion as he was standing on his chariot, and very narrowly
missed him, but the spear hit Coiranus, a follower and charioteer
of Meriones who had come with him from Lyctus. Idomeneus had left
the ships on foot and would have afforded a great triumph to the Trojans
if Coiranus had not driven quickly up to him, he therefore brought
life and rescue to Idomeneus, but himself fell by the hand of murderous
Hector. For Hector hit him on the jaw under the ear; the end of the
spear drove out his teeth and cut his tongue in two pieces, so that
he fell from his chariot and let the reins fall to the ground. Meriones
gathered them up from the ground and took them into his own hands,
then he said to Idomeneus, "Lay on, till you get back to the ships,
for you must see that the day is no longer ours." 

On this Idomeneus lashed the horses to the ships, for fear had taken
hold upon him. 

Ajax and Menelaus noted how Jove had turned the scale in favour of
the Trojans, and Ajax was first to speak. "Alas," said he, "even a
fool may see that father Jove is helping the Trojans. All their weapons
strike home; no matter whether it be a brave man or a coward that
hurls them, Jove speeds all alike, whereas ours fall each one of them
without effect. What, then, will be best both as regards rescuing
the body, and our return to the joy of our friends who will be grieving
as they look hitherwards; for they will make sure that nothing can
now check the terrible hands of Hector, and that he will fling himself
upon our ships. I wish that some one would go and tell the son of
Peleus at once, for I do not think he can have yet heard the sad news
that the dearest of his friends has fallen. But I can see not a man
among the Achaeans to send, for they and their chariots are alike
hidden in darkness. O father Jove, lift this cloud from over the sons
of the Achaeans; make heaven serene, and let us see; if you will that
we perish, let us fall at any rate by daylight." 

Father Jove heard him and had compassion upon his tears. Forthwith
he chased away the cloud of darkness, so that the sun shone out and
all the fighting was revealed. Ajax then said to Menelaus, "Look,
Menelaus, and if Antilochus son of Nestor be still living, send him
at once to tell Achilles that by far the dearest to him of all his
comrades has fallen." 

Menelaus heeded his words and went his way as a lion from a stockyard-
the lion is tired of attacking the men and hounds, who keep watch
the whole night through and will not let him feast on the fat of their
herd. In his lust of meat he makes straight at them but in vain, for
darts from strong hands assail him, and burning brands which daunt
him for all his hunger, so in the morning he slinks sulkily away-
even so did Menelaus sorely against his will leave Patroclus, in great
fear lest the Achaeans should be driven back in rout and let him fall
into the hands of the foe. He charged Meriones and the two Ajaxes
straitly saying, "Ajaxes and Meriones, leaders of the Argives, now
indeed remember how good Patroclus was; he was ever courteous while
alive, bear it in mind now that he is dead." 

With this Menelaus left them, looking round him as keenly as an eagle,
whose sight they say is keener than that of any other bird- however
high he may be in the heavens, not a hare that runs can escape him
by crouching under bush or thicket, for he will swoop down upon it
and make an end of it- even so, O Menelaus, did your keen eyes range
round the mighty host of your followers to see if you could find the
son of Nestor still alive. Presently Menelaus saw him on the extreme
left of the battle cheering on his men and exhorting them to fight
boldly. Menelaus went up to him and said, "Antilochus, come here and
listen to sad news, which I would indeed were untrue. You must see
with your own eyes that heaven is heaping calamity upon the Danaans,
and giving victory to the Trojans. Patroclus has fallen, who was the
bravest of the Achaeans, and sorely will the Danaans miss him. Run
instantly to the ships and tell Achilles, that he may come to rescue
the body and bear it to the ships. As for the armour, Hector already
has it." 

Antilochus was struck with horror. For a long time he was speechless;
his eyes filled with tears and he could find no utterance, but he
did as Menelaus had said, and set off running as soon as he had given
his armour to a comrade, Laodocus, who was wheeling his horses round,
close beside him. 

Thus, then, did he run weeping from the field, to carry the bad news
to Achilles son of Peleus. Nor were you, O Menelaus, minded to succour
his harassed comrades, when Antilochus had left the Pylians- and greatly
did they miss him- but he sent them noble Thrasymedes, and himself
went back to Patroclus. He came running up to the two Ajaxes and said,
"I have sent Antilochus to the ships to tell Achilles, but rage against
Hector as he may, he cannot come, for he cannot fight without armour.
What then will be our best plan both as regards rescuing the dead,
and our own escape from death amid the battle-cries of the Trojans?"

Ajax answered, "Menelaus, you have said well: do you, then, and Meriones
stoop down, raise the body, and bear it out of the fray, while we
two behind you keep off Hector and the Trojans, one in heart as in
name, and long used to fighting side by side with one another."

On this Menelaus and Meriones took the dead man in their arms and
lifted him high aloft with a great effort. The Trojan host raised
a hue and cry behind them when they saw the Achaeans bearing the body
away, and flew after them like hounds attacking a wounded boar at
the loo of a band of young huntsmen. For a while the hounds fly at
him as though they would tear him in pieces, but now and again he
turns on them in a fury, scaring and scattering them in all directions-
even so did the Trojans for a while charge in a body, striking with
sword and with spears pointed ai both the ends, but when the two Ajaxes
faced them and stood at bay, they would turn pale and no man dared
press on to fight further about the dead. 

In this wise did the two heroes strain every nerve to bear the body
to the ships out of the fight. The battle raged round them like fierce
flames that when once kindled spread like wildfire over a city, and
the houses fall in the glare of its burning- even such was the roar
and tramp of men and horses that pursued them as they bore Patroclus
from the field. Or as mules that put forth all their strength to draw
some beam or great piece of ship's timber down a rough mountain-track,
and they pant and sweat as they, go even so did Menelaus and pant
and sweat as they bore the body of Patroclus. Behind them the two
Ajaxes held stoutly out. As some wooded mountain-spur that stretches
across a plain will turn water and check the flow even of a great
river, nor is there any stream strong enough to break through it-
even so did the two Ajaxes face the Trojans and stern the tide of
their fighting though they kept pouring on towards them and foremost
among them all was Aeneas son of Anchises with valiant Hector. As
a flock of daws or starlings fall to screaming and chattering when
they see a falcon, foe to i'll small birds, come soaring near them,
even so did the Achaean youth raise a babel of cries as they fled
before Aeneas and Hector, unmindful of their former prowess. In the
rout of the Danaans much goodly armour fell round about the trench,
and of fighting there was no end. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK XVIII

Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. Meanwhile the
fleet runner Antilochus, who had been sent as messenger, reached Achilles,
and found him sitting by his tall ships and boding that which was
indeed too surely true. "Alas," said he to himself in the heaviness
of his heart, "why are the Achaeans again scouring the plain and flocking
towards the ships? Heaven grant the gods be not now bringing that
sorrow upon me of which my mother Thetis spoke, saying that while
I was yet alive the bravest of the Myrmidons should fall before the
Trojans, and see the light of the sun no longer. I fear the brave
son of Menoetius has fallen through his own daring and yet I bade
him return to the ships as soon as he had driven back those that were
bringing fire against them, and not join battle with Hector."

As he was thus pondering, the son of Nestor came up to him and told
his sad tale, weeping bitterly the while. "Alas," he cried, "son of
noble Peleus, I bring you bad tidings, would indeed that they were
untrue. Patroclus has fallen, and a fight is raging about his naked
body- for Hector holds his armour." 

A dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened. He filled
both hands with dust from off the ground, and poured it over his head,
disfiguring his comely face, and letting the refuse settle over his
shirt so fair and new. He flung himself down all huge and hugely at
full length, and tore his hair with his hands. The bondswomen whom
Achilles and Patroclus had taken captive screamed aloud for grief,
beating their breasts, and with their limbs failing them for sorrow.
Antilochus bent over him the while, weeping and holding both his hands
as he lay groaning for he feared that he might plunge a knife into
his own throat. Then Achilles gave a loud cry and his mother heard
him as she was sitting in the depths of the sea by the old man her
father, whereon she screamed, and all the goddesses daughters of Nereus
that dwelt at the bottom of the sea, came gathering round her. There
were Glauce, Thalia and Cymodoce, Nesaia, Speo, thoe and dark-eyed
Halie, Cymothoe, Actaea and Limnorea, Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe and
Agave, Doto and Proto, Pherusa and Dynamene, Dexamene, Amphinome and
Callianeira, Doris, Panope, and the famous sea-nymph Galatea, Nemertes,
Apseudes and Callianassa. There were also Clymene, Ianeira and Ianassa,
Maera, Oreithuia and Amatheia of the lovely locks, with other Nereids
who dwell in the depths of the sea. The crystal cave was filled with
their multitude and they all beat their breasts while Thetis led them
in their lament. 

"Listen," she cried, "sisters, daughters of Nereus, that you may hear
the burden of my sorrows. Alas, woe is me, woe in that I have borne
the most glorious of offspring. I bore him fair and strong, hero among
heroes, and he shot up as a sapling; I tended him as a plant in a
goodly garden, and sent him with his ships to Ilius to fight the Trojans,
but never shall I welcome him back to the house of Peleus. So long
as he lives to look upon the light of the sun he is in heaviness,
and though I go to him I cannot help him. Nevertheless I will go,
that I may see my dear son and learn what sorrow has befallen him
though he is still holding aloof from battle." 

She left the cave as she spoke, while the others followed weeping
after, and the waves opened a path before them. When they reached
the rich plain of Troy, they came up out of the sea in a long line
on to the sands, at the place where the ships of the Myrmidons were
drawn up in close order round the tents of Achilles. His mother went
up to him as he lay groaning; she laid her hand upon his head and
spoke piteously, saying, "My son, why are you thus weeping? What sorrow
has now befallen you? Tell me; hide it not from me. Surely Jove has
granted you the prayer you made him, when you lifted up your hands
and besought him that the Achaeans might all of them be pent up at
their ships, and rue it bitterly in that you were no longer with them."

Achilles groaned and answered, "Mother, Olympian Jove has indeed vouchsafed
me the fulfilment of my prayer, but what boots it to me, seeing that
my dear comrade Patroclus has fallen- he whom I valued more than all
others, and loved as dearly as my own life? I have lost him; aye,
and Hector when he had killed him stripped the wondrous armour, so
glorious to behold, which the gods gave to Peleus when they laid you
in the couch of a mortal man. Would that you were still dwelling among
the immortal sea-nymphs, and that Peleus had taken to himself some
mortal bride. For now you shall have grief infinite by reason of the
death of that son whom you can never welcome home- nay, I will not
live nor go about among mankind unless Hector fall by my spear, and
thus pay me for having slain Patroclus son of Menoetius."

Thetis wept and answered, "Then, my son, is your end near at hand-
for your own death awaits you full soon after that of Hector."

Then said Achilles in his great grief, "I would die here and now,
in that I could not save my comrade. He has fallen far from home,
and in his hour of need my hand was not there to help him. What is
there for me? Return to my own land I shall not, and I have brought
no saving neither to Patroclus nor to my other comrades of whom so
many have been slain by mighty Hector; I stay here by my ships a bootless
burden upon the earth, I, who in fight have no peer among the Achaeans,
though in council there are better than I. Therefore, perish strife
both from among gods and men, and anger, wherein even a righteous
man will harden his heart- which rises up in the soul of a man like
smoke, and the taste thereof is sweeter than drops of honey. Even
so has Agamemnon angered me. And yet- so be it, for it is over; I
will force my soul into subjection as I needs must; I will go; I will
pursue Hector who has slain him whom I loved so dearly, and will then
abide my doom when it may please Jove and the other gods to send it.
Even Hercules, the best beloved of Jove- even he could not escape
the hand of death, but fate and Juno's fierce anger laid him low,
as I too shall lie when I am dead if a like doom awaits me. Till then
I will win fame, and will bid Trojan and Dardanian women wring tears
from their tender cheeks with both their hands in the grievousness
of their great sorrow; thus shall they know that he who has held aloof
so long will hold aloof no longer. Hold me not back, therefore, in
the love you bear me, for you shall not move me." 

Then silver-footed Thetis answered, "My son, what you have said is
true. It is well to save your comrades from destruction, but your
armour is in the hands of the Trojans; Hector bears it in triumph
upon his own shoulders. Full well I know that his vaunt shall not
be lasting, for his end is close at hand; go not, however, into the
press of battle till you see me return hither; to-morrow at break
of day I shall be here, and will bring you goodly armour from King
Vulcan." 

On this she left her brave son, and as she turned away she said to
the sea-nymphs her sisters, "Dive into the bosom of the sea and go
to the house of the old sea-god my father. Tell him everything; as
for me, I will go to the cunning workman Vulcan on high Olympus, and
ask him to provide my son with a suit of splendid armour."

When she had so said, they dived forthwith beneath the waves, while
silver-footed Thetis went her way that she might bring the armour
for her son. 

Thus, then, did her feet bear the goddess to Olympus, and meanwhile
the Achaeans were flying with loud cries before murderous Hector till
they reached the ships and the Hellespont, and they could not draw
the body of Mars's servant Patroclus out of reach of the weapons that
were showered upon him, for Hector son of Priam with his host and
horsemen had again caught up to him like the flame of a fiery furnace;
thrice did brave Hector seize him by the feet, striving with might
and main to draw him away and calling loudly on the Trojans, and thrice
did the two Ajaxes, clothed in valour as with a garment, beat him
from off the body; but all undaunted he would now charge into the
thick of the fight, and now again he would stand still and cry aloud,
but he would give no ground. As upland shepherds that cannot chase
some famished lion from a carcase, even so could not the two Ajaxes
scare Hector son of Priam from the body of Patroclus. 

And now he would even have dragged it off and have won imperishable
glory, had not Iris fleet as the wind, winged her way as messenger
from Olympus to the son of Peleus and bidden him arm. She came secretly
without the knowledge of Jove and of the other gods, for Juno sent
her, and when she had got close to him she said, "Up, son of Peleus,
mightiest of all mankind; rescue Patroclus about whom this fearful
fight is now raging by the ships. Men are killing one another, the
Danaans in defence of the dead body, while the Trojans are trying
to hale it away, and take it to wind Ilius: Hector is the most furious
of them all; he is for cutting the head from the body and fixing it
on the stakes of the wall. Up, then, and bide here no longer; shrink
from the thought that Patroclus may become meat for the dogs of Troy.
Shame on you, should his body suffer any kind of outrage."

And Achilles said, "Iris, which of the gods was it that sent you to
me?" 

Iris answered, "It was Juno the royal spouse of Jove, but the son
of Saturn does not know of my coming, nor yet does any other of the
immortals who dwell on the snowy summits of Olympus." 

Then fleet Achilles answered her saying, "How can I go up into the
battle? They have my armour. My mother forbade me to arm till I should
see her come, for she promised to bring me goodly armour from Vulcan;
I know no man whose arms I can put on, save only the shield of Ajax
son of Telamon, and he surely must be fighting in the front rank and
wielding his spear about the body of dead Patroclus." 

Iris said, 'We know that your armour has been taken, but go as you
are; go to the deep trench and show yourelf before the Trojans, that
they may fear you and cease fighting. Thus will the fainting sons
of the Achaeans gain some brief breathing-time, which in battle may
hardly be." 

Iris left him when she had so spoken. But Achilles dear to Jove arose,
and Minerva flung her tasselled aegis round his strong shoulders;
she crowned his head with a halo of golden cloud from which she kindled
a glow of gleaming fire. As the smoke that goes up into heaven from
some city that is being beleaguered on an island far out at sea- all
day long do men sally from the city and fight their hardest, and at
the going down of the sun the line of beacon-fires blazes forth, flaring
high for those that dwell near them to behold, if so be that they
may come with their ships and succour them- even so did the light
flare from the head of Achilles, as he stood by the trench, going
beyond the wall- but he aid not join the Achaeans for he heeded the
charge which his mother laid upon him. 

There did he stand and shout aloud. Minerva also raised her voice
from afar, and spread terror unspeakable among the Trojans. Ringing
as the note of a trumpet that sounds alarm then the foe is at the
gates of a city, even so brazen was the voice of the son of Aeacus,
and when the Trojans heard its clarion tones they were dismayed; the
horses turned back with their chariots for they boded mischief, and
their drivers were awe-struck by the steady flame which the grey-eyed
goddess had kindled above the head of the great son of Peleus.

Thrice did Achilles raise his loud cry as he stood by the trench,
and thrice were the Trojans and their brave allies thrown into confusion;
whereon twelve of their noblest champions fell beneath the wheels
of their chariots and perished by their own spears. The Achaeans to
their great joy then drew Patroclus out of reach of the weapons, and
laid him on a litter: his comrades stood mourning round him, and among
them fleet Achilles who wept bitterly as he saw his true comrade lying
dead upon his bier. He had sent him out with horses and chariots into
battle, but his return he was not to welcome. 

Then Juno sent the busy sun, loth though he was, into the waters of
Oceanus; so he set, and the Achaeans had rest from the tug and turmoil
of war. 

Now the Trojans when they had come out of the fight, unyoked their
horses and gathered in assembly before preparing their supper. They
kept their feet, nor would any dare to sit down, for fear had fallen
upon them all because Achilles had shown himself after having held
aloof so long from battle. Polydamas son of Panthous was first to
speak, a man of judgement, who alone among them could look both before
and after. He was comrade to Hector, and they had been born upon the
same night; with all sincerity and goodwill, therefore, he addressed
them thus:- 

"Look to it well, my friends; I would urge you to go back now to your
city and not wait here by the ships till morning, for we are far from
our walls. So long as this man was at enmity with Agamemnon the Achaeans
were easier to deal with, and I would have gladly camped by the ships
in the hope of taking them; but now I go in great fear of the fleet
son of Peleus; he is so daring that he will never bide here on the
plain whereon the Trojans and Achaeans fight with equal valour, but
he will try to storm our city and carry off our women. Do then as
I say, and let us retreat. For this is what will happen. The darkness
of night will for a time stay the son of Peleus, but if he find us
here in the morning when he sallies forth in full armour, we shall
have knowledge of him in good earnest. Glad indeed will he be who
can escape and get back to Ilius, and many a Trojan will become meat
for dogs and vultures may I never live to hear it. If we do as I say,
little though we may like it, we shall have strength in counsel during
the night, and the great gates with the doors that close them will
protect the city. At dawn we can arm and take our stand on the walls;
he will then rue it if he sallies from the ships to fight us. He will
go back when he has given his horses their fill of being driven all
whithers under our walls, and will be in no mind to try and force
his way into the city. Neither will he ever sack it, dogs shall devour
him ere he do so." 

Hector looked fiercely at him and answered, "Polydamas, your words
are not to my liking in that you bid us go back and be pent within
the city. Have you not had enough of being cooped up behind walls?
In the old-days the city of Priam was famous the whole world over
for its wealth of gold and bronze, but our treasures are wasted out
of our houses, and much goods have been sold away to Phrygia and fair
Meonia, for the hand of Jove has been laid heavily upon us. Now, therefore,
that the son of scheming Saturn has vouchsafed me to win glory here
and to hem the Achaeans in at their ships, prate no more in this fool's
wise among the people. You will have no man with you; it shall not
be; do all of you as I now say;- take your suppers in your companies
throughout the host, and keep your watches and be wakeful every man
of you. If any Trojan is uneasy about his possessions, let him gather
them and give them out among the people. Better let these, rather
than the Achaeans, have them. At daybreak we will arm and fight about
the ships; granted that Achilles has again come forward to defend
them, let it be as he will, but it shall go hard with him. I shall
not shun him, but will fight him, to fall or conquer. The god of war
deals out like measure to all, and the slayer may yet be slain."

Thus spoke Hector; and the Trojans, fools that they were, shouted
in applause, for Pallas Minerva had robbed them of their understanding.
They gave ear to Hector with his evil counsel, but the wise words
of Polydamas no man would heed. They took their supper throughout
the host, and meanwhile through the whole night the Achaeans mourned
Patroclus, and the son of Peleus led them in their lament. He laid
his murderous hands upon the breast of his comrade, groaning again
and again as a bearded lion when a man who was chasing deer has robbed
him of his young in some dense forest; when the lion comes back he
is furious, and searches dingle and dell to track the hunter if he
can find him, for he is mad with rage- even so with many a sigh did
Achilles speak among the Myrmidons saying, "Alas! vain were the words
with which I cheered the hero Menoetius in his own house; I said that
I would bring his brave son back again to Opoeis after he had sacked
Ilius and taken his share of the spoils- but Jove does not give all
men their heart's desire. The same soil shall be reddened here at
Troy by the blood of us both, for I too shall never be welcomed home
by the old knight Peleus, nor by my mother Thetis, but even in this
place shall the earth cover me. Nevertheless, O Patroclus, now that
I am left behind you, I will not bury you, till I have brought hither
the head and armour of mighty Hector who has slain you. Twelve noble
sons of Trojans will I behead before your bier to avenge you; till
I have done so you shall lie as you are by the ships, and fair women
of Troy and Dardanus, whom we have taken with spear and strength of
arm when we sacked men's goodly cities, shall weep over you both night
and day." 

Then Achilles told his men to set a large tripod upon the fire that
they might wash the clotted gore from off Patroclus. Thereon they
set a tripod full of bath water on to a clear fire: they threw sticks
on to it to make it blaze, and the water became hot as the flame played
about the belly of the tripod. When the water in the cauldron was
boiling they washed the body, anointed it with oil, and closed its
wounds with ointment that had been kept nine years. Then they laid
it on a bier and covered it with a linen cloth from head to foot,
and over this they laid a fair white robe. Thus all night long did
the Myrmidons gather round Achilles to mourn Patroclus. 

Then Jove said to Juno his sister-wife, "So, Queen Juno, you have
gained your end, and have roused fleet Achilles. One would think that
the Achaeans were of your own flesh and blood." 

And Juno answered, "Dread son of Saturn, why should you say this thing?
May not a man though he be only mortal and knows less than we do,
do what he can for another person? And shall not I- foremost of all
goddesses both by descent and as wife to you who reign in heaven-
devise evil for the Trojans if I am angry with them?" 

Thus did they converse. Meanwhile Thetis came to the house of Vulcan,
imperishable, star-bespangled, fairest of the abodes in heaven, a
house of bronze wrought by the lame god's own hands. She found him
busy with his bellows, sweating and hard at work, for he was making
twenty tripods that were to stand by the wall of his house, and he
set wheels of gold under them all that they might go of their own
selves to the assemblies of the gods, and come back again- marvels
indeed to see. They were finished all but the ears of cunning workmanship
which yet remained to be fixed to them: these he was now fixing, and
he was hammering at the rivets. While he was thus at work silver-footed
Thetis came to the house. Charis, of graceful head-dress, wife to
the far-famed lame god, came towards her as soon as she saw her, and
took her hand in her own, saying, "Why have you come to our house,
Thetis, honoured and ever welcome- for you do not visit us often?
Come inside and let me set refreshment before you." 

The goddess led the way as she spoke, and bade Thetis sit on a richly
decorated seat inlaid with silver; there was a footstool also under
her feet. Then she called Vulcan and said, "Vulcan, come here, Thetis
wants you"; and the far-famed lame god answered, "Then it is indeed
an august and honoured goddess who has come here; she it was that
took care of me when I was suffering from the heavy fall which I had
through my cruel mother's anger- for she would have got rid of me
because I was lame. It would have gone hardly with me had not Eurynome,
daughter of the ever-encircling waters of Oceanus, and Thetis, taken
me to their bosom. Nine years did I stay with them, and many beautiful
works in bronze, brooches, spiral armlets, cups, and chains, did I
make for them in their cave, with the roaring waters of Oceanus foaming
as they rushed ever past it; and no one knew, neither of gods nor
men, save only Thetis and Eurynome who took care of me. If, then,
Thetis has come to my house I must make her due requital for having
saved me; entertain her, therefore, with all hospitality, while I
put by my bellows and all my tools." 

On this the mighty monster hobbled off from his anvil, his thin legs
plying lustily under him. He set the bellows away from the fire, and
gathered his tools into a silver chest. Then he took a sponge and
washed his face and hands, his shaggy chest and brawny neck; he donned
his shirt, grasped his strong staff, and limped towards the door.
There were golden handmaids also who worked for him, and were like
real young women, with sense and reason, voice also and strength,
and all the learning of the immortals; these busied themselves as
the king bade them, while he drew near to Thetis, seated her upon
a goodly seat, and took her hand in his own, saying, "Why have you
come to our house, Thetis honoured and ever welcome- for you do not
visit us often? Say what you want, and I will do it for you at once
if I can, and if it can be done at all." 

Thetis wept and answered, "Vulcan, is there another goddess in Olympus
whom the son of Saturn has been pleased to try with so much affliction
as he has me? Me alone of the marine goddesses did he make subject
to a mortal husband, Peleus son of Aeacus, and sorely against my will
did I submit to the embraces of one who was but mortal, and who now
stays at home worn out with age. Neither is this all. Heaven vouchsafed
me a son, hero among heroes, and he shot up as a sapling. I tended
him as a plant in a goodly garden and sent him with his ships to Ilius
to fight the Trojans, but never shall I welcome him back to the house
of Peleus. So long as he lives to look upon the light of the sun,
he is in heaviness, and though I go to him I cannot help him; King
Agamemnon has made him give up the maiden whom the sons of the Achaeans
had awarded him, and he wastes with sorrow for her sake. Then the
Trojans hemmed the Achaeans in at their ships' sterns and would not
let them come forth; the elders, therefore, of the Argives besought
Achilles and offered him great treasure, whereon he refused to bring
deliverance to them himself, but put his own armour on Patroclus and
sent him into the fight with much people after him. All day long they
fought by the Scaean gates and would have taken the city there and
then, had not Apollo vouchsafed glory to Hector and slain the valiant
son of Menoetius after he had done the Trojans much evil. Therefore
I am suppliant at your knees if haply you may be pleased to provide
my son, whose end is near at hand, with helmet and shield, with goodly
greaves fitted with ancle-clasps, and with a breastplate, for he lost
his own when his true comrade fell at the hands of the Trojans, and
he now lies stretched on earth in the bitterness of his soul."

And Vulcan answered, "Take heart, and be no more disquieted about
this matter; would that I could hide him from death's sight when his
hour is come, so surely as I can find him armour that shall amaze
the eyes of all who behold it." 

When he had so said he left her and went to his bellows, turning them
towards the fire and bidding them do their office. Twenty bellows
blew upon the melting-pots, and they blew blasts of every kind, some
fierce to help him when he had need of them, and others less strong
as Vulcan willed it in the course of his work. He threw tough copper
into the fire, and tin, with silver and gold; he set his great anvil
on its block, and with one hand grasped his mighty hammer while he
took the tongs in the other. 

First he shaped the shield so great and strong, adorning it all over
and binding it round with a gleaming circuit in three layers; and
the baldric was made of silver. He made the shield in five thicknesses,
and with many a wonder did his cunning hand enrich it. 

He wrought the earth, the heavens, and the sea; the moon also at her
full and the untiring sun, with all the signs that glorify the face
of heaven- the Pleiads, the Hyads, huge Orion, and the Bear, which
men also call the Wain and which turns round ever in one place, facing.
Orion, and alone never dips into the stream of Oceanus. 

He wrought also two cities, fair to see and busy with the hum of men.
In the one were weddings and wedding-feasts, and they were going about
the city with brides whom they were escorting by torchlight from their
chambers. Loud rose the cry of Hymen, and the youths danced to the
music of flute and lyre, while the women stood each at her house door
to see them. 

Meanwhile the people were gathered in assembly, for there was a quarrel,
and two men were wrangling about the blood-money for a man who had
been killed, the one saying before the people that he had paid damages
in full, and the other that he had not been paid. Each was trying
to make his own case good, and the people took sides, each man backing
the side that he had taken; but the heralds kept them back, and the
elders sate on their seats of stone in a solemn circle, holding the
staves which the heralds had put into their hands. Then they rose
and each in his turn gave judgement, and there were two talents laid
down, to be given to him whose judgement should be deemed the fairest.

About the other city there lay encamped two hosts in gleaming armour,
and they were divided whether to sack it, or to spare it and accept
the half of what it contained. But the men of the city would not yet
consent, and armed themselves for a surprise; their wives and little
children kept guard upon the walls, and with them were the men who
were past fighting through age; but the others sallied forth with
Mars and Pallas Minerva at their head- both of them wrought in gold
and clad in golden raiment, great and fair with their armour as befitting
gods, while they that followed were smaller. When they reached the
place where they would lay their ambush, it was on a riverbed to which
live stock of all kinds would come from far and near to water; here,
then, they lay concealed, clad in full armour. Some way off them there
were two scouts who were on the look-out for the coming of sheep or
cattle, which presently came, followed by two shepherds who were playing
on their pipes, and had not so much as a thought of danger. When those
who were in ambush saw this, they cut off the flocks and herds and
killed the shepherds. Meanwhile the besiegers, when they heard much
noise among the cattle as they sat in council, sprang to their horses,
and made with all speed towards them; when they reached them they
set battle in array by the banks of the river, and the hosts aimed
their bronze-shod spears at one another. With them were Strife and
Riot, and fell Fate who was dragging three men after her, one with
a fresh wound, and the other unwounded, while the third was dead,
and she was dragging him along by his heel: and her robe was bedrabbled
in men's blood. They went in and out with one another and fought as
though they were living people haling away one another's dead.

He wrought also a fair fallow field, large and thrice ploughed already.
Many men were working at the plough within it, turning their oxen
to and fro, furrow after furrow. Each time that they turned on reaching
the headland a man would come up to them and give them a cup of wine,
and they would go back to their furrows looking forward to the time
when they should again reach the headland. The part that they had
ploughed was dark behind them, so that the field, though it was of
gold, still looked as if it were being ploughed- very curious to behold.

He wrought also a field of harvest corn, and the reapers were reaping
with sharp sickles in their hands. Swathe after swathe fell to the
ground in a straight line behind them, and the binders bound them
in bands of twisted straw. There were three binders, and behind them
there were boys who gathered the cut corn in armfuls and kept on bringing
them to be bound: among them all the owner of the land stood by in
silence and was glad. The servants were getting a meal ready under
an oak, for they had sacrificed a great ox, and were busy cutting
him up, while the women were making a porridge of much white barley
for the labourers' dinner. 

He wrought also a vineyard, golden and fair to see, and the vines
were loaded with grapes. The bunches overhead were black, but the
vines were trained on poles of silver. He ran a ditch of dark metal
all round it, and fenced it with a fence of tin; there was only one
path to it, and by this the vintagers went when they would gather
the vintage. Youths and maidens all blithe and full of glee, carried
the luscious fruit in plaited baskets; and with them there went a
boy who made sweet music with his lyre, and sang the Linus-song with
his clear boyish voice. 

He wrought also a herd of homed cattle. He made the cows of gold and
tin, and they lowed as they came full speed out of the yards to go
and feed among the waving reeds that grow by the banks of the river.
Along with the cattle there went four shepherds, all of them in gold,
and their nine fleet dogs went with them. Two terrible lions had fastened
on a bellowing bull that was with the foremost cows, and bellow as
he might they haled him, while the dogs and men gave chase: the lions
tore through the bull's thick hide and were gorging on his blood and
bowels, but the herdsmen were afraid to do anything, and only hounded
on their dogs; the dogs dared not fasten on the lions but stood by
barking and keeping out of harm's way. 

The god wrought also a pasture in a fair mountain dell, and large
flock of sheep, with a homestead and huts, and sheltered sheepfolds.

Furthermore he wrought a green, like that which Daedalus once made
in Cnossus for lovely Ariadne. Hereon there danced youths and maidens
whom all would woo, with their hands on one another's wrists. The
maidens wore robes of light linen, and the youths well woven shirts
that were slightly oiled. The girls were crowned with garlands, while
the young men had daggers of gold that hung by silver baldrics; sometimes
they would dance deftly in a ring with merry twinkling feet, as it
were a potter sitting at his work and making trial of his wheel to
see whether it will run, and sometimes they would go all in line with
one another, and much people was gathered joyously about the green.
There was a bard also to sing to them and play his lyre, while two
tumblers went about performing in the midst of them when the man struck
up with his tune. 

All round the outermost rim of the shield he set the mighty stream
of the river Oceanus. 

Then when he had fashioned the shield so great and strong, he made
a breastplate also that shone brighter than fire. He made helmet,
close fitting to the brow, and richly worked, with a golden plume
overhanging it; and he made greaves also of beaten tin. 

Lastly, when the famed lame god had made all the armour, he took it
and set it before the mother of Achilles; whereon she darted like
a falcon from the snowy summits of Olympus and bore away the gleaming
armour from the house of Vulcan. 


(CONTINUED AT ETCHING.NET)


Dated c. 800 BCE
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