s: Neleus, they dismounted, and an esquire, Eurymedon, took the


s: horses from the chariot. The pair then stood in the breeze by the


s: done they came inside and took their seats. Fair Hecamede, whom


s: Nestor had had awarded to him from Tenedos when Achilles took it,


s: Achaeans had given her to Nestor because he excelled all of them


s: in counsel. First she set for them a fair and well-made table


s: that had feet of cyanus; on it there was a vessel of bronze and


s: an onion to give relish to the drink, with honey and cakes of


s: barley-meal. There was also a cup of rare workmanship which the


s: old man had brought with him from home, studded with bosses of


s: gold; it had four handles, on each of which there were two golden


s: would hardly have been able to lift it from the table when it was


s: fair as a goddess, mixed them a mess with Pramnian wine; she


s: grated goat's milk cheese into it with a bronze grater, threw in


s: a handful of white barley-meal, and having thus prepared the mess


s: quenched their thirst, they fell talking with one another, and at


s: When the old man saw him he sprang from his seat, seized his


s: hand, led him into the tent, and bade him take his place among


s: them; but Patroclus stood where he was and said, "Noble sir, I


s: may not stay, you cannot persuade me to come in; he that sent me


s: is not one to be trifled with, and he bade me ask who the wounded


s: for myself that he is Machaon, shepherd of his people. I must go


s: back and tell Achilles. You, sir, know what a terrible man he is,


s: And Nestor answered, "Why should Achilles care to know how many


s: of the Achaeans may be wounded? He recks not of the dismay that


s: reigns in our host; our most valiant chieftains lie disabled,


s: brave Diomed, son of Tydeus, is wounded; so are Ulysses and


s: Agamemnon; Eurypylus has been hit with an arrow in the thigh, and


s: cares not and knows no ruth. Will he wait till the ships, do what


s: me, I have no strength nor stay in me any longer; would that I


s: were still young and strong as in the days when there was a fight


s: killed Itymoneus, the valiant son of Hypeirochus, a dweller in


s: Elis, as I was driving in the spoil; he was hit by a dart thrown


s: by my hand while fighting in the front rank in defence of his


s: cows, so he fell and the country people around him were in great


s: fear. We drove off a vast quantity of booty from the plain, fifty


s: moreover, we seized a hundred and fifty, all of them mares, and


s: many had foals running with them. All these did we drive by night


s: the heart of Neleus was glad in that I had taken so much, though


s: it was the first time I had ever been in the field. At daybreak


s: the heralds went round crying that all in Elis to whom there was


s: a debt owing should come; and the leading Pylians assembled to


s: divide the spoils. There were many to whom the Epeans owed


s: chattels, for we men of Pylus were few and had been oppressed


s: with wrong; in former years Hercules had come, and had laid his


s: hand heavy upon us, so that all our best men had perished. Neleus


s: been killed. The Epeans presuming upon all this had looked down


s: upon us and had done us much evil. My father chose a herd of


s: cattle and a great flock of sheep--three hundred in all--and he


s: took their shepherds with him, for there was a great debt due to


s: him in Elis, to wit four horses, winners of prizes. They and


s: their chariots with them had gone to the games and were to run


s: for a tripod, but King Augeas took them, and sent back their


s: driver grieving for the loss of his horses. Neleus was angered by


s: but he divided the rest, that no man might have less than his


s: "Thus did we order all things, and offer sacrifices to the gods


s: throughout the city; but three days afterwards the Epeans came in


s: and with them the two Moliones in their armour, though they were


s: still lads and unused to fighting. Now there is a certain town,


s: Thryoessa, perched upon a rock on the river Alpheus, the border


s: city Pylus. This they would destroy, and pitched their camp about


s: down by night from Olympus and bade us set ourselves in array;


s: and she found willing soldiers in Pylos, for the men meant


s: fighting. Neleus would not let me arm, and hid my horses, for he


s: said that as yet I could know nothing about war; nevertheless


s: Minerva so ordered the fight that, all on foot as I was, I fought


s: There is a river Minyeius that falls into the sea near Arene, and


s: morning, when the companies of foot soldiers came up with us in


s: force. Thence in full panoply and equipment we came towards noon


s: to the sacred waters of the Alpheus, and there we offered victims


s: companies, and laid us down to rest each in his armour by the


s: "The Epeans were beleaguering the city and were determined to


s: take it, but ere this might be there was a desperate fight in


s: store for them. When the sun's rays began to fall upon the earth


s: we joined battle, praying to Jove and to Minerva, and when the


s: fight had begun, I was the first to kill my man and take his


s: horses--to wit the warrior Mulius. He was son-in-law to Augeas,


s: having married his eldest daughter, golden-haired Agamede, who


s: knew the virtues of every herb which grows upon the face of the


s: earth. I speared him as he was coming towards me, and when he


s: fell headlong in the dust, I sprang upon his chariot and took my


s: place in the front ranks. The Epeans fled in all directions when


s: they saw the captain of their horsemen (the best man they had)


s: laid low, and I swept down on them like a whirlwind, taking fifty


s: spear. I should have even killed the two Moliones, sons of Actor,


s: hidden them in a thick mist and borne them out of the fight.


s: Thereon Jove vouchsafed the Pylians a great victory, for we


s: chased them far over the plain, killing the men and bringing in


s: their armour, till we had brought our horses to Buprasium, rich


s: in wheat, and to the Olenian rock, with the hill that is called


s: Alision, at which point Minerva turned the people back. There I


s: slew the last man and left him; then the Achaeans drove their


s: horses back from Buprasium to Pylos and gave thanks to Jove among


s: "Such was I among my peers, as surely as ever was, but Achilles


s: is for keeping all his valour for himself; bitterly will he rue


s: it hereafter when the host is being cut to pieces. My good


s: friend, did not Menoetius charge you thus, on the day when he


s: sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon? Ulysses and I were in the


s: house, inside, and heard all that he said to you; for we came to


s: the fair house of Peleus while beating up recruits throughout all


s: and Achilles with you. The old knight Peleus was in the outer


s: court, roasting the fat thigh-bones of a heifer to Jove the lord


s: of thunder; and he held a gold chalice in his hand from which he


s: poured drink-offerings of wine over the burning sacrifice. You


s: two were busy cutting up the heifer, and at that moment we stood


s: at the gates, whereon Achilles sprang to his feet, led us by the


s: hand into the house, placed us at table, and set before us such


s: hospitable entertainment as guests expect. When we had satisfied


s: ourselves with meat and drink, I said my say and urged both of


s: you to join us. You were ready enough to do so, and the two old


s: men charged you much and straitly. Old Peleus bade his son


s: Achilles fight ever among the foremost and outvie his peers,


s: while Menoetius the son of Actor spoke thus to you: 'My son,'


s: said he, 'Achilles is of nobler birth than you are, but you are


s: older than he, though he is far the better man of the two.


s: Counsel him wisely, guide him in the right way, and he will


s: follow you to his own profit.' Thus did your father charge you,


s: but you have forgotten; nevertheless, even now, say all this to


s: Achilles if he will listen to you. Who knows but with heaven's


s: help you may talk him over, for it is good to take a friend's


s: advice. If, however, he is fearful about some oracle, or if his


s: mother has told him something from Jove, then let him send you,


s: and let the rest of the Myrmidons follow with you, if perchance


s: you may bring light and saving to the Danaans. And let him send


s: you into battle clad in his own armour, that the Trojans may


s: mistake you for him and leave off fighting; the sons of the


s: Achaeans may thus have time to get their breath, for they are


s: hard pressed and there is little breathing time in battle. You,


s: who are fresh, might easily drive a tired enemy back to his walls


s: With these words he moved the heart of Patroclus, who set off


s: running by the line of the ships to Achilles, descendant of


s: Aeacus. When he had got as far as the ships of Ulysses, where was


s: dedicated to the gods, Eurypylus son of Euaemon, met him, wounded


s: rained from his head and shoulders, and black blood welled from


s: his cruel wound, but his mind did not wander. The son of


s: Menoetius when he saw him had compassion upon him and spoke


s: piteously saying, "O unhappy princes and counsellors of the


s: Danaans, are you then doomed to feed the hounds of Troy with your


s: Eurypylus, will the Achaeans be able to hold great Hector in


s: check, or will they fall now before his spear?"


s: Wounded Eurypylus made answer, "Noble Patroclus, there is no hope


s: they that were princes among us are lying struck down and wounded


s: stronger. But save me and take me to your ship; cut out the arrow


s: and lay upon it those gracious herbs which, so they say, have


s: been shown you by Achilles, who was himself shown them by Chiron,


s: Podalirius and Machaon, I hear that the one is lying wounded in


s: his tent and is himself in need of healing, while the other is


s: "Hero Eurypylus," replied the brave son of Menoetius, "how may


s: these things be? What can I do? I am on my way to bear a message


s: to noble Achilles from Nestor of Gerene, bulwark of the Achaeans,


s: With this he clasped him round the middle and led him into the


s: tent, and a servant, when he saw him, spread bullock-skins on the


s: the sharp arrow from his thigh; he washed the black blood from


s: the wound with warm water; he then crushed a bitter herb, rubbing


s: virtuous herb which killed all pain; so the wound presently dried


s: The Trojans and their allies break the wall, led on by Hector.


s: SO THE son of Menoetius was attending to the hurt of Eurypylus


s: within the tent, but the Argives and Trojans still fought


s: desperately, nor were the trench and the high wall above it, to


s: keep the Trojans in check longer. They had built it to protect


s: their ships, and had dug the trench all round it that it might


s: safeguard both the ships and the rich spoils which they had


s: taken, but they had not offered hecatombs to the gods. It had


s: been built without the consent of the immortals, and therefore it


s: anger, and so long as the city of Priam remained untaken, the


s: great wall of the Achaeans stood firm; but when the bravest of


s: the Trojans were no more, and many also of the Argives, though


s: some were yet left alive--when, moreover, the city was sacked in


s: the tenth year, and the Argives had gone back with their ships to


s: destroy the wall, and they turned on to it the streams of all the


s: Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander, with Simois,


s: where many a shield and helm had fallen, and many a hero of the


s: race of demigods had bitten the dust. Phoebus Apollo turned the


s: mouths of all these rivers together and made them flow for nine


s: days against the wall, while Jove rained the whole time that he


s: might wash it sooner into the sea. Neptune himself, trident in


s: hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the


s: foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with


s: so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the


s: Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a


s: great beach of sand over the place where it had been. This done


s: he turned the rivers back into their old courses.


s: This was what Neptune and Apollo were to do in after time; but as


s: timbers rang under the blows that rained upon them. The Argives,


s: cowed by the scourge of Jove, were hemmed in at their ships in


s: fear of Hector the mighty minister of Rout, who as heretofore


s: fought with the force and fury of a whirlwind. As a lion or wild


s: boar turns fiercely on the dogs and men that attack him, while


s: these form solid wall and shower their javelins as they face


s: him--his courage is all undaunted, but his high spirit will be


s: the death of him; many a time does he charge at his pursuers to


s: scatter them, and they fall back as often as he does so--even so


s: did Hector go about among the host exhorting his men, and


s: But the horses dared not do so, and stood neighing upon its


s: brink, for the width frightened them. They could neither jump it


s: nor cross it, for it had overhanging banks all round upon either


s: side, above which there were the sharp stakes that the sons of


s: the Achaeans had planted so close and strong as a defence against


s: it and draw his chariot after him, but those who were on foot


s: kept trying their very utmost. Then Polydamas went up to Hector


s: and said, "Hector, and you other captains of the Trojans and


s: allies, it is madness for us to try and drive our horses across


s: the trench; it will be very hard to cross, for it is full of


s: sharp stakes, and beyond these there is the wall. Our horses


s: therefore cannot get down into it, and would be of no use if they


s: If, indeed, great Jove is minded to help the Trojans, and in his


s: anger will utterly destroy the Achaeans, I would myself gladly


s: see them perish now and here far from Argos; but if they should


s: rally and we are driven back from the ships pell-mell into the


s: trench there will be not so much as a man get back to the city to


s: squires hold our horses by the trench, but let us follow Hector


s: in a body on foot, clad in full armour, and if the day of their


s: doom is at hand the Achaeans will not be able to withstand us."


s: Thus spoke Polydamas and his saying pleased Hector, who sprang in


s: saw him do so, also left their chariots. Each man then gave his


s: horses over to his charioteer in charge to hold them ready for


s: him at the trench. Then they formed themselves into companies,


s: made themselves ready, and in five bodies followed their leaders.


s: most in number, and the most determined to break through the wall


s: third in command, for Hector had left his chariot in charge of a


s: less valiant soldier. The next company was led by Paris,


s: Alcathous, and Agenor; the third by Helenus and Deiphobus, two


s: sons of Priam, and with them was the hero Asius--Asius, the son


s: of Hyrtacus, whose great black horses of the breed that comes


s: from the river Selleis had brought him from Arisbe. Aeneas, the


s: valiant son of Anchises, led the fourth; he and the two sons of


s: Antenor, Archelochus and Acamas, men well versed in all the arts


s: of war. Sarpedon was captain over the allies, and took with him


s: Glaucus and Asteropaeus whom he deemed most valiant after


s: himself--for he was far the best man of them all. These helped to


s: straight at the Danaans, for they felt sure that they would not


s: hold out longer and that they should themselves now fall upon the


s: The rest of the Trojans and their allies now followed the counsel


s: horses and his esquire behind him; in his foolhardiness he took


s: them on with him towards the ships, nor did he fail to come by


s: his end in consequence. Nevermore was he to return to wind-beaten


s: so, death of ill-omened name had overshadowed him and he had


s: fallen by the spear of Idomeneus the noble son of Deucalion. He


s: had driven towards the left wing of the ships, by which way the


s: Achaeans used to return with their chariots and horses from the


s: plain. Hither he drove and found the gates with their doors


s: opened wide, and the great bar down--for the gatemen kept them


s: open so as to let those of their comrades enter who might be


s: flying towards the ships. Hither of set purpose did he direct his


s: sure that the Achaeans would not hold out longer, and that they


s: should now fall upon the ships. Little did they know that at the


s: gates they should find two of the bravest chieftains, proud sons


s: of the fighting Lapithae--the one, Polypoetes, mighty son of


s: Pirithous, and the other Leonteus, peer of murderous Mars. These


s: stood before the gates like two high oak trees upon the


s: mountains, that tower from their wide-spreading roots, and year


s: after year battle with wind and rain--even so did these two men


s: await the onset of great Asius confidently and without flinching.


s: straight for the wall, holding their shields of dry ox-hide above


s: cheered the Achaeans on to stand firm in the defence of their


s: ships; when, however, they saw that the Trojans were attacking


s: the wall, while the Danaans were crying out for help and being


s: routed, they rushed outside and fought in front of the gates like


s: and dogs, and charging on either side break down the wood all


s: round them tearing it up by the roots, and one can hear the


s: clattering of their tusks, till some one hits them and makes an


s: end of them--even so did the gleaming bronze rattle about their


s: breasts, as the weapons fell upon them; for they fought with


s: great fury, trusting to their own prowess and to those who were


s: on the wall above them. These threw great stones at their


s: assailants in defence of themselves their tents and their ships.


s: The stones fell thick as the flakes of snow which some fierce


s: blast drives from the dark clouds and showers down in sheets upon


s: Trojans and Achaeans. Helmet and shield rang out as the great


s: stones rained upon them, and Asius, the son of Hyrtacus, in his


s: dismay cried aloud and smote his two thighs. "Father Jove," he


s: cried, "of a truth you too are altogether given to lying. I made


s: sure the Argive heroes could not withstand us, whereas like


s: slim-waisted wasps, or bees that have their nests in the rocks by


s: undefended, but fight for their little ones against all who would


s: He spoke, but moved not the mind of Jove, whose counsel it then


s: was to give glory to Hector. Meanwhile the rest of the Trojans


s: were fighting about the other gates; I, however, am no god to be


s: able to tell about all these things, for the battle raged


s: everywhere about the stone wall as it were a fiery furnace. The


s: Argives, discomfited though they were, were forced to defend


s: their ships, and all the gods who were defending the Achaeans


s: were vexed in spirit; but the Lapithae kept on fighting with


s: Thereon Polypoetes, mighty son of Pirithous, hit Damasus with a


s: spear upon his cheek-pierced helmet. The helmet did not protect


s: him, for the point of the spear went through it, and broke the


s: bone, so that the brain inside was scattered about, and he died


s: fighting. He then slew Pylon and Ormenus. Leonteus, of the race


s: of Mars, killed Hippomachus the son of Antimachus by striking him


s: Orestes, and laid them low one after the other.


s: While they were busy stripping the armour from these heroes, the


s: youths who were led on by Polydamas and Hector (and these were


s: the greater part and the most valiant of those that were trying


s: to break through the wall and fire the ships) were still standing


s: eagle that flew skirting the left wing of their host, with a


s: monstrous blood-red snake in its talons still alive and


s: struggling to escape. The snake was still bent on revenge,


s: wriggling and twisting itself backwards till it struck the bird


s: that held it, on the neck and breast; whereon the bird being in


s: pain, let it fall, dropping it into the middle of the host, and


s: then flew down the wind with a sharp cry. The Trojans were struck


s: Jove, writhing in the midst of them, and Polydamas went up to


s: Hector and said, "Hector, at our councils of war you are ever


s: given to rebuke me, even when I speak wisely, as though it were


s: not well, forsooth, that one of the people should cross your will


s: support you always: nevertheless I will say what I think will be


s: best; let us not now go on to fight the Danaans at their ships,


s: for I know what will happen if this soaring eagle which skirted


s: the left wing of our host with a monstrous blood-red snake in its


s: to the Trojans on their essaying to cross the trench. The eagle


s: let go her hold; she did not succeed in taking it home to her


s: little ones, and so will it be--with ourselves; even though by a


s: mighty effort we break through the gates and wall of the


s: Achaeans, and they give way before us, still we shall not return


s: in good order by the way we came, but shall leave many a man


s: behind us whom the Achaeans will do to death in defence of their


s: ships. Thus would any seer who was expert in these matters, and


s: was trusted by the people, read the portent."


s: Hector looked fiercely at him and said, "Polydamas, I like not of


s: heaven robbed you of your reason. You would have me pay no heed


s: to the counsels of Jove, nor to the promises he made me--and he


s: bowed his head in confirmation; you bid me be ruled rather by the


s: put our trust rather in the counsel of great Jove, king of


s: mortals and immortals. There is one omen, and one only--that a


s: man should fight for his country. Why are you so fearful? Though


s: we be all of us slain at the ships of the Argives you are not


s: likely to be killed yourself, for you are not steadfast nor


s: courageous. If you will not fight, or would talk others over from


s: With these words he led the way, and the others followed after


s: with a cry that rent the air. Then Jove the lord of thunder sent


s: the blast of a mighty wind from the mountains of Ida, that bore


s: the dust down towards the ships; he thus lulled the Achaeans into


s: trusting to their own might and to the signs he had shown them,


s: essayed to break through the great wall of the Achaeans. They


s: tore down the breastworks from the walls, and overthrew the


s: battlements; they upheaved the buttresses, which the Achaeans had


s: pulled these down they made sure of breaking through the wall,


s: but the Danaans still showed no sign of giving ground; they still


s: their missiles down upon the foe as soon as any came below the


s: The two Ajaxes went about everywhere on the walls cheering on the


s: any one whom they saw to be remiss. "My friends," they cried,


s: "Argives one and all--good bad and indifferent, for there was


s: never fight yet, in which all were of equal prowess--there is now


s: none of you turn in flight towards the ships, daunted by the


s: shouting of the foe, but press forward and keep one another in


s: heart, if it may so be that Olympian Jove the lord of lightning


s: will vouchsafe us to repel our foes, and drive them back towards


s: Thus did the two go about shouting and cheering the Achaeans on.


s: As the flakes that fall thick upon a winter's day, when Jove is


s: minded to snow and to display these his arrows to mankind--he


s: lulls the wind to rest, and snows hour after hour till he has


s: buried the tops of the high mountains, the headlands that jut


s: into the sea, the grassy plains, and the tilled fields of men;


s: the snow lies deep upon the forelands, and havens of the grey


s: sea, but the waves as they come rolling in stay it that it can


s: come no further, though all else is wrapped as with a mantle, so


s: heavy are the heavens with snow--even thus thickly did the stones


s: and some by the Trojans at the Achaeans; and the whole wall was


s: Still the Trojans and brave Hector would not yet have broken down


s: Before him he held his shield of hammered bronze, that the smith


s: had beaten so fair and round, and had lined with ox hides which


s: he had made fast with rivets of gold all round the shield; this


s: he held in front of him, and brandishing his two spears came on


s: like some lion of the wilderness, who has been long famished for


s: want of meat and will dare break even into a well-fenced


s: homestead to try and get at the sheep. He may find the shepherds


s: keeping watch over their flocks with dogs and spears, but he is


s: in no mind to be driven from the fold till he has had a try for


s: it; he will either spring on a sheep and carry it off, or be hit


s: by a spear from some strong hand--even so was Sarpedon fain to


s: attack the wall and break down its battlements. Then he said to


s: Glaucus son of Hippolochus, "Glaucus, why in Lycia do we receive


s: especial honour as regards our place at table? Why are the


s: choicest portions served us and our cups kept brimming, and why


s: do men look up to us as though we were gods? Moreover we hold a


s: large estate by the banks of the river Xanthus, fair with orchard


s: our stand at the head of all the Lycians and bear the brunt of


s: the fight, that one may say to another, 'Our princes in Lycia eat


s: fellows; they fight well and are ever at the front in battle.' My


s: escape old age and death thenceforward and forever, I should


s: neither press forward myself nor bid you do so, but death in ten


s: thousand shapes hangs ever over our heads, and no man can elude


s: him; therefore let us go forward and either win glory for


s: Glaucus heeded his saying, and the pair forthwith led on the host


s: them, for it was against his part of the wall that they came--


s: bringing destruction with them; he looked along the wall for some


s: ever eager for the fray, and Teucer, who had just come from his


s: tent, standing near them; but he could not make his voice heard


s: by shouting to them, so great an uproar was there from crashing


s: shields and helmets and the battering of gates with a din which


s: reached the skies. For all the gates had been closed, and the


s: Trojans were hammering at them to try and break their way through


s: leaders of the Lycians are upon us, men who have ever fought


s: desperately heretofore. But if they have too much on their hands


s: to let them come, at any rate let Ajax son of Telamon do so, and


s: let Teucer, the famous bowman, come with him."


s: The messenger did as he was told, and set off running along the


s: wall of the Achaeans. When he reached the Ajaxes he said to them,


s: come to him for a while and help him. You had better both come if


s: heretofore; if you have too much on your hands to let both come,


s: at any rate let Ajax, son of Telamon, do so, and let Teucer, the


s: Great Ajax son of Telamon heeded the message, and at once spoke


s: to the son of Oileus. "Ajax," said he, "do you two, yourself and


s: brave Lycomedes, stay here and keep the Danaans in heart to fight


s: fray, but I will come back here at once as soon as I have given


s: With this, Ajax son of Telamon set off, and Teucer, his brother


s: by the same father, went also, with Pandion to carry Teucer's


s: bow. They went along inside the wall, and when they came to the


s: tower where Menestheus was (and hard pressed indeed did they find


s: the battlements as it were a thick dark cloud, fighting in close


s: quarters, and raising the battle-cry aloud.


s: First, Ajax son of Telamon killed brave Epicles, a comrade of


s: Sarpedon, hitting him with a jagged stone that lay by the


s: battlements at the very top of the wall. As men now are, even one


s: hands, but Ajax raised it high aloft and flung it down, smashing


s: Epicles' four-crested helmet so that the bones of his head were


s: crushed to pieces, and he fell from the high wall as though he


s: were diving, with no more life left in him. Then Teucer wounded


s: Glaucus the brave son of Hippolochus as he was coming on to


s: attack the wall. He saw his shoulder bare and aimed an arrow at


s: it, which made Glaucus leave off fighting. Thereon he sprang


s: covertly down for fear some of the Achaeans might see that he was


s: Glaucus leave him, still he did not leave off fighting, but aimed


s: spear back again and Alcmaon came down headlong after it with his


s: battlement in his strong hands, and tugged at it till it all gave


s: Ajax and Teucer then both of them attacked him. Teucer hit him


s: with an arrow on the band that bore the shield which covered his


s: body, but Jove saved his son from destruction that he might not


s: fall by the ships' sterns. Meanwhile Ajax sprang on him and


s: pierced his shield, but the spear did not go clean through,


s: though it hustled him back that he could come on no further. He


s: therefore retired a little space from the battlement, yet without


s: saying, "Lycians, why do you thus fail me? For all my prowess I


s: cannot break through the wall and open a way to the ships


s: single-handed. Come close on behind me, for the more there are of


s: The Lycians, shamed by his rebuke, pressed closer round him who


s: was their counsellor and their king. The Argives on their part


s: got their men in fighting order within the wall, and there was a


s: deadly struggle between them. The Lycians could not break through


s: drive the Lycians from the wall now that they had once reached


s: it. As two men, measuring-rods in hand, quarrel about their


s: boundaries in a field that they own in common, and stickle for


s: their rights though they be but in a mere strip, even so did the


s: battlements now serve as a bone of contention, and they beat one


s: another's round shields for their possession. Many a man's body


s: was wounded with the pitiless bronze, as he turned round and


s: bared his back to the foe, and many were struck clean through


s: their shields; the wall and battlements were everywhere deluged


s: with the blood alike of Trojans and of Achaeans. But even so the


s: Trojans could not rout the Achaeans, who still held on; and as


s: some honest hard-working woman weighs wool in her balance and


s: sees that the scales be true, for she would gain some pitiful


s: earnings for her little ones, even so was the fight balanced


s: evenly between them till the time came when Jove gave the greater


s: Trojans, "Up, Trojans, break the wall of the Argives, and fling


s: Thus did he hound them on, and in one body they rushed straight


s: at the wall as he had bidden them, and scaled the battlements


s: with sharp spears in their hands. Hector laid hold of a stone


s: that lay just outside the gates and was thick at one end but


s: pointed at the other; two of the best men in a town, as men now


s: are, could hardly raise it from the ground and put it on to a


s: waggon, but Hector lifted it quite easily by himself, for the son


s: a ram's fleece with one hand and finds it no burden, so easily


s: did Hector lift the great stone and drive it right at the doors


s: that closed the gates so strong and so firmly set. These doors


s: were double and high, and were kept closed by two cross-bars to


s: which there was but one key. When he had got close up to them,


s: Hector strode towards them that his blow might gain in force and


s: struck them in the middle, leaning his whole weight against them.


s: great weight. The portals re-echoed with the sound, the bars held


s: the other, through the force of the blow. Then brave Hector


s: leaped inside with a face as dark as that of flying night. The


s: gleaming bronze flashed fiercely about his body and he had two


s: spears in his hand. None but a god could have withstood him as he


s: Then he turned round towards the Trojans and called on them to


s: scale the wall, and they did as he bade them--some of them at


s: once climbing over the wall, while others passed through the


s: gates. The Danaans then fled panic-stricken towards their ships,


s: Neptune helps the Achaeans--The feats of Idomeneus--


s: NOW when Jove had thus brought Hector and the Trojans to the


s: ships, he left them to their never-ending toil, and turned his


s: keen eyes away, looking elsewhither towards the horse-breeders of


s: Hippemolgi, who live on milk, and the Abians, justest of mankind.


s: not think that any of the immortals would go and help either


s: But King Neptune had kept no blind look-out; he had been looking


s: admiringly on the battle from his seat on the topmost crests of


s: wooded Samothrace, whence he could see all Ida, with the city of


s: Priam and the ships of the Achaeans. He had come from under the


s: sea and taken his place here, for he pitied the Achaeans who were


s: Presently he came down from his post on the mountain top, and as


s: he strode swiftly onwards the high hills and the forest quaked


s: beneath the tread of his immortal feet. Three strides he took,


s: and with the fourth he reached his goal--Aegae, where is his


s: glittering golden palace, imperishable, in the depths of the sea.


s: their manes of gold all flying in the wind; he clothed himself in


s: his chariot. As he went his way over the waves the sea-monsters


s: left their lairs, for they knew their lord, and came gambolling


s: round him from every quarter of the deep, while the sea in her


s: gladness opened a path before his chariot. So lightly did the


s: horses fly that the bronze axle of the car was not even wet


s: beneath it; and thus his bounding steeds took him to the ships of


s: Now there is a certain huge cavern in the depths of the sea


s: midway between Tenedos and rocky Imbrus; here Neptune lord of the


s: their ambrosial forage. He hobbled their feet with hobbles of


s: gold which none could either unloose or break, so that they might


s: done he went his way to the host of the Achaeans.


s: Now the Trojans followed Hector son of Priam in close array like


s: a storm-cloud or flame of fire, fighting with might and main and


s: raising the cry battle; for they deemed that they should take the


s: cheered on the Argives, for he had come up out of the sea and had


s: First he spoke to the two Ajaxes, who were doing their best


s: already, and said, "Ajaxes, you two can be the saving of the


s: Achaeans if you will put out all your strength and not let


s: yourselves be daunted. I am not afraid that the Trojans, who have


s: that some evil will befall us here where furious Hector, who


s: boasts himself the son of great Jove himself, is leading them on


s: like a pillar of flame. May some god, then, put it into your


s: hearts to make a firm stand here, and to incite others to do the


s: like. In this case you will drive him from the ships even though


s: As he spoke the earth-encircling lord of the earthquake struck


s: both of them with his sceptre and filled their hearts with


s: daring. He made their legs light and active, as also their hands


s: and their feet. Then, as the soaring falcon poises on the wing


s: high above some sheer rock, and presently swoops down to chase


s: some bird over the plain, even so did Neptune lord of the


s: earthquake wing his flight into the air and leave them. Of the


s: two, swift Ajax son of Oileus was the first to know who it was


s: that had been speaking with them, and said to Ajax son of


s: Telamon, "Ajax, this is one of the gods that dwell on Olympus,


s: who in the likeness of the prophet is bidding us fight hard by


s: our ships. It was not Calchas the seer and diviner of omens; I


s: knew him at once by his feet and knees as he turned away, for the


s: And Ajax son of Telamon answered, "I too feel my hands grasp my


s: spear more firmly; my strength is greater, and my feet more


s: nimble; I long, moreover, to meet furious Hector son of Priam,


s: Thus did they converse, exulting in the hunger after battle with


s: which the god had filled them. Meanwhile the earth-encircler


s: roused the Achaeans, who were resting in the rear by the ships


s: overcome at once by hard fighting and by grief at seeing that the


s: their eyes as they beheld them, for they made sure that they


s: should not escape destruction; but the lord of the earthquake


s: passed lightly about among them and urged their battalions to the


s: First he went up to Teucer and Leitus, the hero Peneleos, and


s: Thoas and Deipyrus; Meriones also and Antilochus, valiant


s: warriors; all did he exhort. "Shame on you young Argives," he


s: cried, "it was on your prowess I relied for the saving of our


s: ships; if you fight not with might and main, this very day will


s: see us overcome by the Trojans. Of a truth my eyes behold a great


s: Trojans at our ships--they, who were heretofore like


s: panic-stricken hinds, the prey of jackals and wolves in a forest,


s: the Achaeans, but now they have sallied far from their city and


s: are fighting at our very ships through the cowardice of our


s: leader and the disaffection of the people themselves, who in


s: their discontent care not to fight in defence of the ships but


s: are being slaughtered near them. True, King Agamemnon son of


s: Atreus is the cause of our disaster by having insulted the son of


s: quickly. You do ill to be thus remiss, you, who are the finest


s: soldiers in our whole army. I blame no man for keeping out of


s: battle if he is a weakling, but I am indignant with such men as


s: you are. My good friends, matters will soon become even worse


s: through this slackness; think, each one of you, of his own honour


s: is now fighting at our ships; he has broken through the gates and


s: Thus did the earth-encircler address the Achaeans and urge them


s: on. Thereon round the two Ajaxes there gathered strong bands of


s: men, of whom not even Mars nor Minerva, marshaller of hosts could


s: of all those who were now awaiting the onset of Hector and the


s: Trojans. They made a living fence, spear to spear, shield to


s: shield, buckler to buckler, helmet to helmet, and man to man. The


s: as they nodded forward, so closely serried were they; the spears


s: they brandished in their strong hands were interlaced, and their


s: The Trojans advanced in a dense body, with Hector at their head


s: pressing right on as a rock that comes thundering down the side


s: of some mountain from whose brow the winter torrents have torn


s: it; the foundations of the dull thing have been loosened by


s: floods of rain, and as it bounds headlong on its way it sets the


s: whole forest in an uproar; it swerves neither to right nor left


s: till it reaches level ground, but then for all its fury it can go


s: he would career through the tents and ships of the Achaeans till


s: he had reached the sea in his murderous course; but the closely


s: serried battalions stayed him when he reached them, for the sons


s: of the Achaeans thrust at him with swords and spears pointed at


s: both ends, and drove him from them so that he staggered and gave


s: ground; thereon he shouted to the Trojans, "Trojans, Lycians, and


s: have set themselves as a wall against me, but they will not check


s: the gods, the thundering spouse of Juno, has indeed inspired my


s: With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Deiphobus


s: son of Priam went about among them intent on deeds of daring with


s: quickly forward. Meriones took aim at him with a spear, nor did


s: he fail to hit the broad orb of ox-hide; but he was far from


s: piercing it for the spear broke in two pieces long ere he could


s: do so; moreover Deiphobus had seen it coming and had held his


s: shield well away from him. Meriones drew back under cover of his


s: comrades, angry alike at having failed to vanquish Deiphobus, and


s: and tents to fetch a spear which he had left behind in his tent.


s: The others continued fighting, and the cry of battle rose up into


s: Until the Achaeans came he had lived in Pedaeum, and had married


s: the Danaan fleet he had gone back to Ilius, and was a great man


s: among the Trojans, dwelling near Priam himself, who gave him like


s: fell headlong as an ash-tree when it is felled on the crest of


s: some high mountain beacon, and its delicate green foliage comes


s: toppling down to the ground. Thus did he fall with his


s: bronze-dight armour ringing harshly round him, and Teucer sprang


s: forward with intent to strip him of his armour; but as he was


s: doing so, Hector took aim at him with a spear. Teucer saw the


s: spear coming and swerved aside, whereon it hit Amphimachus, son


s: of Cteatus son of Actor, in the chest as he was coming into


s: battle, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily


s: but did not wound him, for he was encased all over in his


s: terrible armour; nevertheless the spear struck the boss of his


s: shield with such force as to drive him back from the two corpses,


s: captains of the Athenians, bore away Amphimachus to the host of


s: the Achaeans, while the two brave and impetuous Ajaxes did the


s: like by Imbrius. As two lions snatch a goat from the hounds that


s: have it in their fangs, and bear it through thick brushwood high


s: above the ground in their jaws, thus did the Ajaxes bear aloft


s: the body of Imbrius, and strip it of its armour. Then the son of


s: Oileus severed the head from the neck in revenge for the death of


s: Neptune was exceedingly angry that his grandson Amphimachus


s: should have fallen; he therefore went to the tents and ships of


s: the Achaeans to urge the Danaans still further, and to devise


s: evil for the Trojans. Idomeneus met him, as he was taking leave


s: of a comrade, who had just come to him from the fight, wounded in


s: Idomeneus having given orders to the physicians went on to his


s: tent, for he was still thirsting for battle. Neptune spoke in the


s: the Aetolians of all Pleuron and high Calydon, and was honoured


s: among his people as though he were a god. "Idomeneus," said he,


s: "lawgiver to the Cretans, what has now become of the threats with


s: And Idomeneus chief among the Cretans answered, "Thoas, no one,


s: so far as I know, is in fault, for we can all fight. None are


s: held back neither by fear nor slackness, but it seems to be the


s: will of almighty Jove that the Achaeans should perish


s: ingloriously here far from Argos: you, Thoas, have been always


s: staunch, and you keep others in heart if you see any fail in


s: duty; be not then remiss now, but exhort all to do their utmost."


s: To this Neptune lord of the earthquake made answer, "Idomeneus,


s: may he never return from Troy, but remain here for dogs to batten


s: though we are only two. Even cowards gain courage from


s: companionship, and we two can hold our own with the bravest."


s: Therewith the god went back into the thick of the fight, and


s: Idomeneus when he had reached his tent donned his armour, grasped


s: sign to mortals, and its gleam flashes far and wide--even so did


s: his armour gleam about him as he ran. Meriones his sturdy squire


s: met him while he was still near his tent (for he was going to


s: "Meriones, fleet son of Molus, best of comrades, why have you


s: left the field? Are you wounded, and is the point of the weapon


s: hurting you? or have you been sent to fetch me? I want no


s: fetching; I had far rather fight than stay in my tent."


s: "Idomeneus," answered Meriones, "I come for a spear, if I can


s: find one in my tent; I have broken the one I had, in throwing it


s: And Idomeneus captain of the Cretans answered, "You will find one


s: wall of my tent. I have taken them from Trojans whom I have


s: killed, for I am not one to keep my enemy at arm's length;


s: therefore I have spears, bossed shields, helmets, and burnished


s: Then Meriones said, "I too in my tent and at my ship have spoils


s: taken from the Trojans, but they are not at hand. I have been at


s: all times valorous, and wherever there has been hard fighting


s: have held my own among the foremost. There may be those among the


s: Idomeneus answered, "I know you for a brave man: you need not


s: tell me. If the best men at the ships were being chosen to go on


s: an ambush--and there is nothing like this for showing what a man


s: is made of; it comes out then who is cowardly and who brave; the


s: coward will change colour at every touch and turn; he is full of


s: fears, and keeps shifting his weight first on one knee and then


s: on the other; his heart beats fast as he thinks of death, and one


s: not change colour nor be frightened on finding himself in ambush,


s: were being chosen for such a service, no one could make light of


s: your courage nor feats of arms. If you were struck by a dart or


s: smitten in close combat, it would not be from behind, in your


s: neck nor back, but the weapon would hit you in the chest or belly


s: let us no longer stay here talking like children, lest we be ill


s: spoken of; go, fetch your spear from the tent at once."


s: On this Meriones, peer of Mars, went to the tent and got himself


s: a spear of bronze. He then followed after Idomeneus, big with


s: great deeds of valour. As when baneful Mars sallies forth to


s: battle, and his son Panic so strong and dauntless goes with him,


s: to strike terror even into the heart of a hero--the pair have


s: gone from Thrace to arm themselves among the Ephyri or the brave


s: Phlegyans, but they will not listen to both the contending hosts,


s: Meriones and Idomeneus, captains of men, go out to battle clad in


s: Deucalion," said he, "where would you have us begin fighting? On


s: the right wing of the host, in the centre, or on the left wing,


s: where I take it the Achaeans will be weakest?"


s: Idomeneus answered, "There are others to defend the centre--the


s: two Ajaxes and Teucer, who is the finest archer of all the


s: Achaeans, and is good also in a hand-to-hand fight. These will


s: give Hector son of Priam enough to do; fight as he may, he will


s: find it hard to vanquish their indomitable fury, and fire the


s: ships, unless the son of Saturn fling a firebrand upon them with


s: his own hand. Great Ajax son of Telamon will yield to no man who


s: is in mortal mould and eats the grain of Ceres, if bronze and


s: great stones can overthrow him. He would not yield even to


s: Achilles in hand-to-hand fight, and in fleetness of foot there is


s: that we may know forthwith whether we are to give glory to some


s: Meriones, peer of fleet Mars, then led the way till they came to


s: the part of the host which Idomeneus had named.


s: Now when the Trojans saw Idomeneus coming on like a flame of


s: fire, him and his squire clad in their richly wrought armour,


s: they shouted and made towards him all in a body, and a furious


s: hand-to-hand fight raged under the ships' sterns. Fierce as the


s: shrill winds that whistle upon a day when dust lies deep on the


s: roads, and the gusts raise it into a thick cloud--even such was


s: the fury of the combat, and might and main did they hack at each


s: other with spear and sword throughout the host. The field


s: bristled with the long and deadly spears which they bore.


s: Dazzling was the sheen of their gleaming helmets, their


s: fresh-burnished breastplates, and glittering shields as they


s: joined battle with one another. Iron indeed must be his courage


s: who could take pleasure in the sight of such a turmoil, and look


s: Thus did the two mighty sons of Saturn devise evil for mortal


s: heroes. Jove was minded to give victory to the Trojans and to


s: Hector, so as to do honour to fleet Achilles, nevertheless he did


s: only wanted to glorify Thetis and her valiant son. Neptune on the


s: come up from the grey sea in secret, for he was grieved at seeing


s: Jove. Both were of the same race and country, but Jove was elder


s: born and knew more, therefore Neptune feared to defend the


s: Argives openly, but in the likeness of man, he kept on


s: encouraging them throughout their host. Thus, then, did these two


s: break, and set both sides tugging at it, to the failing of men's


s: And now Idomeneus, though his hair was already flecked with grey,


s: he leaped in among them. He slew Othryoneus from Cabesus, a


s: sojourner, who had but lately come to take part in the war. He


s: sought Cassandra, the fairest of Priam's daughters, in marriage,


s: but offered no gifts of wooing, for he promised a great thing, to


s: from Troy; old King Priam had given his consent and promised her


s: to him, whereon he fought on the strength of the promises thus


s: made to him. Idomeneus aimed a spear, and hit him as he came


s: striding on. His cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the


s: spear stuck in his belly, so that he fell heavily to the ground.


s: Then Idomeneus vaunted over him saying, "Othryoneus, there is no


s: one in the world whom I shall admire more than I do you, if you


s: indeed perform what you have promised Priam son of Dardanus in


s: return for his daughter. We too will make you an offer; we will


s: give you the loveliest daughter of the son of Atreus, and will


s: bring her from Argos for you to marry, if you will sack the


s: goodly city of Ilius in company with ourselves; so come along


s: with me, that we may make a covenant at the ships about the


s: marriage, and we will not be hard upon you about gifts of


s: With this Idomeneus began dragging him by the foot through the


s: thick of the fight, but Asius came up to protect the body, on


s: foot, in front of his horses which his esquire drove so close


s: behind him that he could feel their breath upon his shoulder. He


s: was longing to strike down Idomeneus, but ere he could do so


s: Idomeneus smote him with his spear in the throat under the chin,


s: and the bronze point went clean through it. He fell as an oak, or


s: upon the mountains with whetted axes--even thus did he lie full


s: length in front of his chariot and horses, grinding his teeth and


s: with panic and did not dare turn his horses round and escape:


s: thereupon Antilochus hit him in the middle of his body with a


s: spear; his cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the spear


s: stuck in his belly. He fell gasping from his chariot and


s: Antilochus, great Nestor's son, drove his horses from the Trojans


s: Deiphobus then came close up to Idomeneus to avenge Asius, and


s: took aim at him with a spear, but Idomeneus was on the look-out


s: and avoided it, for he was covered by the round shield he always


s: bore--a shield of oxhide and bronze with two arm-rods on the


s: inside. He crouched under cover of this, and the spear flew over


s: him, but the shield rang out as the spear grazed it, and the


s: weapon sped not in vain from the strong hand of Deiphobus, for it


s: liver under the midriff, and his limbs failed beneath him.


s: Deiphobus vaunted over him and cried with a loud voice saying,


s: "Of a truth Asius has not fallen unavenged; he will be glad even


s: while passing into the house of Hades, strong warden of the gate,


s: Thus did he vaunt, and the Argives were stung by his saying.


s: Noble Antilochus was more angry than any one, but grief did not


s: make him forget his friend and comrade. He ran up to him,


s: bestrode him, and covered him with his shield; then two of his


s: staunch comrades, Mecisteus son of Echius, and Alastor, stooped


s: down, and bore him away groaning heavily to the ships. But


s: Idomeneus ceased not his fury. He kept on striving continually


s: either to enshroud some Trojan in the darkness of death, or


s: himself to fall while warding off the evil day from the Achaeans.


s: Anchises, having married his eldest daughter Hippodameia, who was


s: generation in beauty, accomplishments, and understanding,


s: wherefore the bravest man in all Troy had taken her to wife--him


s: did Neptune lay low by the hand of Idomeneus, blinding his bright


s: neither go back nor to one side, but stood stock still like


s: pillar or lofty tree when Idomeneus struck him with a spear in


s: the middle of his chest. The coat of mail that had hitherto


s: protected his body was now broken, and rang harshly as the spear


s: tore through it. He fell heavily to the ground, and the spear


s: stuck in his heart, which still beat, and made the butt-end of


s: the spear quiver till dread Mars put an end to his life.


s: Idomeneus vaunted over him and cried with a loud voice saying,


s: "Deiphobus, since you are in a mood to vaunt, shall we cry quits


s: now that we have killed three men to your one? Nay, sir, stand in


s: Jove-begotten man am I that have come hither. Jove first begot


s: Minos, chief ruler in Crete, and Minos in his turn begot a son,


s: noble Deucalion. Deucalion begot me to be a ruler over many men


s: in Crete, and my ships have now brought me hither, to be the bane


s: Thus did he speak, and Deiphobus was in two minds, whether to go


s: back and fetch some other Trojan to help him, or to take up the


s: challenge single-handed. In the end, he deemed it best to go and


s: fetch Aeneas, whom he found standing in the rear, for he had long


s: did not give him his due share of honour. Deiphobus went up to


s: him and said, "Aeneas, prince among the Trojans, if you know any


s: ties of kinship, help me now to defend the body of your sister's


s: husband; come with me to the rescue of Alcathous, who being


s: husband to your sister brought you up when you were a child in


s: his house, and now Idomeneus has slain him."


s: With these words he moved the heart of Aeneas, and he went in


s: pursuit of Idomeneus, big with great deeds of valour; but


s: Idomeneus was not to be thus daunted as though he were a mere


s: child; he held his ground as a wild boar at bay upon the


s: mountains, who abides the coming of a great crowd of men in some


s: lonely place--the bristles stand upright on his back, his eyes


s: flash fire, and he whets his tusks in his eagerness to defend


s: himself against hounds and men--even so did famed Idomeneus hold


s: his ground and budge not at the coming of Aeneas. He cried aloud


s: to his comrades looking towards Ascalaphus, Aphareus, Deipyrus,


s: Meriones, and Antilochus, all of them brave soldiers--"Hither my


s: friends," he cried, "and leave me not single-handed--I go in


s: great fear by fleet Aeneas, who is coming against me, and is a


s: redoubtable dispenser of death battle. Moreover he is in the


s: flower of youth when a man's strength is greatest; if I was of


s: the same age as he is and in my present mind, either he or I


s: should soon bear away the prize of victory."


s: On this, all of them as one man stood near him, shield on


s: shoulder. Aeneas on the other side called to his comrades,


s: looking towards Deiphobus, Paris, and Agenor, who were leaders of


s: sheep follow the ram when they go down to drink after they have


s: been feeding, and the heart of the shepherd is glad--even so was


s: the heart of Aeneas gladdened when he saw his people follow him.


s: Then they fought furiously in close combat about the body of


s: Alcathous, wielding their long spears; and the bronze armour


s: about their bodies rang fearfully as they took aim at one another


s: Idomeneus, peers of Mars, outvied everyone in their desire to


s: hack at each other with sword and spear. Aeneas took aim first,


s: but Idomeneus was on the lookout and avoided the spear, so that


s: it sped from Aeneas' strong hand in vain, and fell quivering in


s: the ground. Idomeneus meanwhile smote Oenomaus in the middle of


s: his belly, and broke the plate of his corslet, whereon his bowels


s: hands as he fell sprawling in the dust. Idomeneus drew his spear


s: out of the body, but could not strip him of the rest of his


s: armour for the rain of darts that were showered upon him:


s: moreover his strength was now beginning to fail him so that he


s: could no longer charge, and could neither spring forward to


s: recover his own weapon nor swerve aside to avoid one that was


s: aimed at him; therefore, though he still defended himself in


s: hand-to-hand fight, his heavy feet could not bear him swiftly out


s: retreating slowly from the field, for his bitterness against him


s: was as fierce as ever, but again he missed him, and hit


s: Ascalaphus, the son of Mars; the spear went through his shoulder,


s: Grim Mars of awful voice did not yet know that his son had


s: fallen, for he was sitting on the summits of Olympus under the


s: golden clouds, by command of Jove, where the other gods were also


s: fought furiously about the body. Deiphobus tore the helmet from


s: off his head, but Meriones sprang upon him, and struck him on the


s: and came ringing down upon the ground. Thereon Meriones sprang


s: upon him like a vulture, drew the spear from his shoulder, and


s: fell back under cover of his men. Then Polites, own brother of


s: Deiphobus passed his arms around his waist, and bore him away


s: from the battle till he got to his horses that were standing in


s: the rear of the fight with the chariot and their driver. These


s: took him towards the city groaning and in great pain, with the


s: The others still fought on, and the battle-cry rose to heaven


s: without ceasing. Aeneas sprang on Aphareus son of Caletor, and


s: struck him with a spear in his throat which was turned towards


s: him; his head fell on one side, his helmet and shield came down


s: along with him, and death, life's foe, was shed around him.


s: Antilochus spied his chance, flew forward towards Thoon, and


s: wounded him as he was turning round. He laid open the vein that


s: runs all the way up the back to the neck; he cut this vein clean


s: away throughout its whole course, and Thoon fell in the dust face


s: comrades. Antilochus sprang upon him and stripped the armour from


s: Trojans came about him on every side and struck his broad and


s: gleaming shield, but could not wound his body, for Neptune stood


s: guard over the son of Nestor, though the darts fell thickly round


s: of the fight; his spear was never idle; he poised and aimed it in


s: As he was thus aiming among the crowd, he was seen by Adamas, son


s: the middle of his shield, but Neptune made its point without


s: effect, for he grudged him the life of Antilochus. One half,


s: therefore, of the spear stuck fast like a charred stake in


s: Antilochus's shield, while the other lay on the ground. Adamas


s: then sought shelter under cover of his men, but Meriones followed


s: and the navel, where a wound is particularly painful to wretched


s: mortals. There did Meriones transfix him, and he writhed


s: convulsively about the spear as some bull whom mountain herdsmen


s: have bound with ropes of withes and are taking away perforce.


s: Even so did he move convulsively for a while, but not for very


s: long, till Meriones came up and drew the spear out of his body,


s: Helenus then struck Deipyrus with a great Thracian sword, hitting


s: fighting on the Achaean side took charge of it as it rolled at


s: his feet, but the eyes of Deipyrus were closed in the darkness of


s: On this Menelaus was grieved, and made menacingly towards


s: Helenus, brandishing his spear; but Helenus drew his bow, and the


s: from off it. As black beans or pulse come pattering down on to a


s: threshing-floor from the broad winnowing-shovel, blown by shrill


s: winds and shaken by the shovel--even so did the arrow glance off


s: and recoil from the shield of Menelaus, who in his turn wounded


s: the hand with which Helenus carried his bow; the spear went right


s: his side--for the spear weighed it down till Agenor drew it out


s: and bound the hand carefully up in a woollen sling which his


s: Pisander then made straight at Menelaus--his evil destiny luring


s: him on to his doom, for he was to fall in fight with you, O


s: Menelaus. When the two were hard by one another the spear of the


s: son of Atreus turned aside and he missed his aim; Pisander then


s: struck the shield of brave Menelaus but could not pierce it, for


s: the shield stayed the spear and broke the shaft; nevertheless he


s: was glad and made sure of victory; forthwith, however, the son of


s: the bronze battle-axe, with its long and polished handle of olive


s: one another. Pisander struck the peak of Menelaus's crested


s: helmet just under the crest itself, and Menelaus hit Pisander as


s: he was coming towards him, on the forehead, just at the rise of


s: his nose; the bones cracked and his two gore-bedrabbled eyes fell


s: Menelaus set his heel upon him, stripped him of his armour, and


s: vaunted over him saying, "Even thus shall you Trojans leave the


s: ships of the Achaeans, proud and insatiate of battle though you


s: be, nor shall you lack any of the disgrace and shame which you


s: have heaped upon myself. Cowardly she-wolves that you are, you


s: feared not the anger of dread Jove, avenger of violated


s: hospitality, who will one day destroy your city; you stole my


s: wedded wife and wickedly carried off much treasure when you were


s: her guest, and now you would fling fire upon our ships, and kill


s: our heroes. A day will come when, rage as you may, you shall be


s: stayed. O father Jove, you, who they say art above all, both gods


s: proceed, how can you thus favour the Trojans--men so proud and


s: overweening, that they are never tired of fighting? All things


s: pall after a while--sleep, love, sweet song, and stately dance--


s: still these are things of which a man would surely have his fill


s: rather than of battle, whereas it is of battle that the Trojans


s: So saying Menelaus stripped the blood-stained armour from the


s: body of Pisander, and handed it over to his men; then he again


s: ranged himself among those who were in the front of the fight.


s: Harpalion son of King Pylaemenes then sprang upon him; he had


s: come to fight at Troy along with his father, but he did not go


s: home again. He struck the middle of Menelaus's shield with his


s: spear but could not pierce it, and to save his life drew back


s: under cover of his men, looking round him on every side lest he


s: should be wounded. But Meriones aimed a bronze-tipped arrow at


s: him as he was leaving the field, and hit him on the right


s: buttock; the arrow pierced the bone through and through, and


s: penetrated the bladder, so he sat down where he was and breathed


s: his last in the arms of his comrades, stretched like a worm upon


s: the ground and watering the earth with the blood that flowed from


s: they raised him into his chariot, and bore him sadly off to the


s: city of Troy; his father went also with him weeping bitterly, but


s: Paris was deeply grieved by the death of Harpalion, who was his


s: host when he went among the Paphlagonians; he aimed an arrow,


s: therefore, in order to avenge him. Now there was a certain man


s: named Euchenor, son of Polyidus the prophet, a brave man and


s: wealthy, whose home was in Corinth. This Euchenor had set sail


s: for Troy well knowing that it would be the death of him, for his


s: good old father Polyidus had often told him that he must either


s: stay at home and die of a terrible disease, or go with the


s: Achaeans and perish at the hands of the Trojans; he chose,


s: therefore, to avoid incurring the heavy fine the Achaeans would


s: have laid upon him, and at the same time to escape the pain and


s: suffering of disease. Paris now smote him on the jaw under his


s: ear, whereon the life went out of him and he was enshrouded in


s: Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. But Hector


s: had not yet heard, and did not know that the Argives were making


s: havoc of his men on the left wing of the battle, where the


s: Achaeans ere long would have triumphed over them, so vigorously


s: did Neptune cheer them on and help them. He therefore held on at


s: the point where he had first forced his way through the gates and


s: warriors. It was here that the ships of Ajax and Protesilaus were


s: the fight both of man and horse raged most fiercely. The


s: Boeotians and the Ionians with their long tunics, the Locrians,


s: the men of Phthia, and the famous force of the Epeans could


s: hardly stay Hector as he rushed on towards the ships, nor could


s: they drive him from them, for he was as a wall of fire. The


s: chosen men of the Athenians were in the van, led by Menestheus


s: son of Peteos, with whom were also Pheidas, Stichius, and


s: stalwart Bias; Meges son of Phyleus, Amphion, and Dracius


s: commanded the Epeans, while Medon and staunch Podarces led the


s: brother of Ajax, but he lived in Phylace away from his own


s: country, for he had killed the brother of his stepmother Eriopis,


s: defended the ships along with the Boeotians.


s: Ajax son of Oileus, never for a moment left the side of Ajax, son


s: steams upwards from about the roots of their horns--nothing but


s: the yoke divides them as they break up the ground till they reach


s: to shoulder by one another. Many and brave comrades followed the


s: son of Telamon, to relieve him of his shield when he was overcome


s: after the son of Oileus, for they could not hold their own in a


s: hand-to-hand fight. They had no bronze helmets with plumes of


s: horse-hair, neither had they shields nor ashen spears, but they


s: had come to Troy armed with bows, and with slings of twisted wool


s: brunt of the fight with the Trojans and with Hector, while the


s: Locrians shot from behind, under their cover; and thus the


s: Trojans began to lose heart, for the arrows threw them into


s: The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from the


s: ships and tents back to windy Ilius, had not Polydamas presently


s: said to Hector, "Hector, there is no persuading you to take


s: advice. Because heaven has so richly endowed you with the arts of


s: but you cannot thus claim preeminence in all things. Heaven has


s: made one man an excellent soldier; of another it has made a


s: dancer or a singer and player on the lyre; while yet in another


s: Jove has implanted a wise understanding of which men reap fruit


s: to the saving of many, and he himself knows more about it than


s: any one; therefore I will say what I think will be best. The


s: fight has hemmed you in as with a circle of fire, and even now


s: that the Trojans are within the wall some of them stand aloof in


s: full armour, while others are fighting scattered and outnumbered


s: near the ships. Draw back, therefore, and call your chieftains


s: round you, that we may advise together whether to fall now upon


s: the ships in the hope that heaven may vouchsafe us victory, or to


s: there is one abiding at their ships who is never weary of battle,


s: Thus spoke Polydamas, and his words pleased Hector well. He


s: sprang in full armour from his chariot and said, "Polydamas,


s: gather the chieftains here; I will go yonder into the fight, but


s: will return at once when I have given them their orders."


s: He then sped onward, towering like a snowy mountain, and with a


s: loud cry flew through the ranks of the Trojans and their allies.


s: When they heard his voice they all hastened to gather round


s: Polydamas, the excellent son of Panthous, but Hector kept on


s: among the foremost, looking everywhere to find Deiphobus and


s: prince Helenus, Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of Hyrtacus;


s: living, indeed, and scatheless he could no longer find them, for


s: the two last were lying by the sterns of the Achaean ships, slain


s: wounded by them; but upon the left wing of the dread battle he


s: found Alexandrus, husband of lovely Helen, cheering his men and


s: urging them on to fight. He went up to him and upbraided him.


s: "Paris," said he, "evil-hearted Paris, fair to see but woman-mad


s: and false of tongue, where are Deiphobus and King Helenus? Where


s: Othryoneus? Ilius is undone and will now surely fall!"


s: Alexandrus answered, "Hector, why find fault when there is no one


s: rather than this, for my mother bore me with nothing of the


s: coward about me. From the moment when you set our men fighting


s: about the ships we have been staying here and doing battle with


s: the Danaans. Our comrades about whom you ask me are dead;


s: Deiphobus and King Helenus alone have left the field, wounded


s: both of them in the hand, but the son of Saturn saved them alive.


s: follow with right goodwill; you shall not find us fail you in so


s: far as our strength holds out, but no man can do more than in him


s: With these words he satisfied his brother, and the two went


s: towards the part of the battle where the fight was thickest,


s: about Cebriones, brave Polydamas, Phalces, Orthaeus, godlike


s: troops. Then Jove urged them on to fight. They flew forth like


s: the blasts of some fierce wind that strike earth in the van of a


s: thunderstorm--they buffet the salt sea into an uproar; many and


s: mighty are the great waves that come crashing in one after the


s: other upon the shore with their arching heads all crested with


s: foam--even so did rank behind rank of Trojans arrayed in gleaming


s: him--his shield of ox-hides covered with plates of bronze--and


s: his gleaming helmet upon his temples. He kept stepping forward


s: under cover of his shield in every direction, making trial of the


s: daunt the courage of the Achaeans. Ajax was the first to stride


s: out and challenge him. "Sir," he cried, "draw near; why do you


s: think thus vainly to dismay the Argives? We Achaeans are


s: excellent soldiers, but the scourge of Jove has fallen heavily


s: upon us. Your heart, forsooth, is set on destroying our ships,


s: but we too have hands that can keep you at bay, and your own fair


s: near when you shall pray Jove and all the gods in your flight,


s: that your steeds may be swifter than hawks as they raise the dust


s: As he was thus speaking a bird flew by upon his right hand, and


s: the host of the Achaeans shouted, for they took heart at the


s: omen. But Hector answered, "Ajax, braggart and false of tongue,


s: would that I were as sure of being son for evermore to


s: aegis-bearing Jove, with Queen Juno for my mother, and of being


s: held in like honour with Minerva and Apollo, as I am that this


s: day is big with the destruction of the Achaeans; and you shall


s: fall among them if you dare abide my spear; it shall rend your


s: fair body and bid you glut our hounds and birds of prey with your


s: With these words he led the way and the others followed after


s: with a cry that rent the air, while the host shouted behind them.


s: forget their prowess, but stood firm against the onslaught of the


s: heaven and to the brightness of Jove's presence.


s: Agamemnon proposes that the Achaeans should sail home, and


s: is rebuked by Ulysses--Juno beguiles Jupiter--Hector is


s: NESTOR was sitting over his wine, but the cry of battle did not


s: escape him, and he said to the son of Aesculapius, "What, noble


s: Machaon, is the meaning of all this? The shouts of men fighting


s: by our ships grow stronger and stronger; stay here, therefore,


s: and sit over your wine, while fair Hecamede heats you a bath and


s: washes the clotted blood from off you. I will go at once to the


s: look-out station and see what it is all about."


s: As he spoke he took up the shield of his son Thrasymedes that was


s: taken his father's shield; he grasped his redoubtable bronze-shod


s: the Achaeans who, now that their wall was overthrown, were flying


s: watch for the quarter whence the fierce winds may spring upon


s: them, but they stay where they are and set neither this way nor


s: that, till some particular wind sweeps down from heaven to


s: determine them--even so did the old man ponder whether to make


s: for the crowd of Danaans, or go in search of Agamemnon. In the


s: end he deemed it best to go to the son of Atreus; but meanwhile


s: the hosts were fighting and killing one another, and the hard


s: bronze rattled on their bodies, as they thrust at one another


s: The wounded kings, the son of Tydeus, Ulysses, and Agamemnon son


s: of Atreus, fell in Nestor as they were coming up from their


s: ships--for theirs were drawn up some way from where the fighting


s: was going on, being on the shore itself inasmuch as they had been


s: hindermost. The stretch of the shore, wide though it was, did not


s: space, therefore they had placed the ships in rows one behind the


s: two points that formed it. The kings, leaning on their spears,


s: were coming out to survey the fight, being in great anxiety, and


s: when old Nestor met them they were filled with dismay. Then King


s: Agamemnon said to him, "Nestor son of Neleus, honour to the


s: Achaean name, why have you left the battle to come hither? I fear


s: fired our ships and killed us; this is what he said, and now it


s: is all coming true. Alas! others of the Achaeans, like Achilles,


s: are in anger with me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of


s: Then Nestor knight of Gerene, answered, "It is indeed as you say;


s: from on high cannot prevent it. Fallen is the wall on which we


s: relied as an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet. The


s: Trojans are fighting stubbornly and without ceasing at the ships;


s: the Achaeans is coming; they are being killed in a confused mass


s: and the battle-cry ascends to heaven; let us think, if counsel


s: can be of any use, what we had better do; but I do not advise our


s: And King Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, if the Trojans are indeed


s: fighting at the rear of our ships, and neither the wall nor the


s: trench has served us--over which the Danaans toiled so hard, and


s: which they deemed would be an impregnable bulwark both for us and


s: should perish ingloriously here, far from Argos. I knew when Jove


s: Trojans to like honour with the gods, while us, on the other


s: hand, he has bound hand and foot. Now, therefore, let us all do


s: as I say; let us bring down the ships that are on the beach and


s: draw them into the water; let us make them fast to their


s: mooring-stones a little way out, against the fall of night--if


s: even by night the Trojans will desist from fighting; we may then


s: draw down the rest of the fleet. There is nothing wrong in flying


s: Ulysses looked fiercely at him and said, "Son of Atreus, what are


s: and baser army, and not been ruler over us to whom Jove has


s: allotted a life of hard fighting from youth to old age, till we


s: every one of us perish. Is it thus that you would quit the city


s: of Troy, to win which we have suffered so much hardship? Hold


s: your peace, lest some other of the Achaeans hear you say what no


s: man who knows how to give good counsel, no king over so great a


s: host as that of the Argives should ever have let fall from his


s: lips. I despise your judgement utterly for what you have been


s: saying. Would you, then, have us draw down our ships into the


s: water while the battle is raging, and thus play further into the


s: hands of the conquering Trojans? It would be ruin; the Achaeans


s: will not go on fighting when they see the ships being drawn into


s: the water, but will cease attacking and keep turning their eyes


s: towards them; your counsel, therefore, sir captain, would be our


s: Agamemnon answered, "Ulysses, your rebuke has stung me to the


s: heart. I am not, however, ordering the Achaeans to draw their


s: ships into the sea whether they will or no. Someone, it may be,


s: old or young, can offer us better counsel which I shall rejoice


s: Then said Diomed, "Such an one is at hand; he is not far to seek,


s: younger than any of you. I am by lineage son to a noble sire,


s: Tydeus, who lies buried at Thebes. For Portheus had three noble


s: sons, two of whom, Agrius and Melas, abode in Pleuron and rocky


s: Calydon. The third was the knight Oeneus, my father's father, and


s: country, but my father (as Jove and the other gods ordained it)


s: migrated to Argos. He married into the family of Adrastus, and


s: his house was one of great abundance, for he had large estates of


s: had many sheep; moreover he excelled all the Argives in the use


s: of the spear. You must yourselves have heard whether these things


s: go to the fight as we needs must, wounded though we be. When


s: there, we may keep out of the battle and beyond the range of the


s: spears lest we get fresh wounds in addition to what we have


s: already, but we can spur on others, who have been indulging their


s: Thus did he speak; whereon they did even as he had said and set


s: Meanwhile Neptune had kept no blind look-out, and came up to them


s: that he sees the Achaeans routed and slain, for he is utterly


s: without remorse--may he come to a bad end and heaven confound


s: him. As for yourself, the blessed gods are not yet so bitterly


s: angry with you but that the princes and counsellors of the


s: Trojans shall again raise the dust upon the plain, and you shall


s: see them flying from the ships and tents towards their city."


s: With this he raised a mighty cry of battle, and sped forward to


s: the plain. The voice that came from his deep chest was as that of


s: to wage war and do battle without ceasing.


s: Juno of the golden throne looked down as she stood upon a peak of


s: at once her brother and her brother-in-law, hurrying hither and


s: thither amid the fighting. Then she turned her eyes to Jove as he


s: him. She set herself to think how she might hoodwink him, and in


s: the end she deemed that it would be best for her to go to Ida and


s: enamoured of her, and wish to embrace her. While he was thus


s: engaged a sweet and careless sleep might be made to steal over


s: She went, therefore, to the room which her son Vulcan had made


s: her, and the doors of which he had cunningly fastened by means of


s: entered and closed the doors behind her. She cleansed all the


s: dirt from her fair body with ambrosia, then she anointed herself


s: with olive oil, ambrosial, very soft, and scented specially for


s: herself--if it were so much as shaken in the bronze-floored house


s: With this she anointed her delicate skin, and then she plaited


s: the fair ambrosial locks that flowed in a stream of golden


s: tresses from her immortal head. She put on the wondrous robe


s: which Minerva had worked for her with consummate art, and had


s: embroidered with manifold devices; she fastened it about her


s: bosom with golden clasps, and she girded herself with a girdle


s: that had a hundred tassels: then she fastened her earrings, three


s: pierced lobes of her ears, and threw a lovely new veil over her


s: head. She bound her sandals on to her feet, and when she had


s: arrayed herself perfectly to her satisfaction, she left her room


s: and called Venus to come aside and speak to her. "My dear child,"


s: refuse me because you are angry at my being on the Danaan side,


s: Jove's daughter Venus answered, "Juno, august queen of goddesses,


s: for you at once, if I can, and if it can be done at all."


s: Then Juno told her a lying tale and said, "I want you to endow me


s: all things mortal and immortal to your feet. I am going to the


s: world's end to visit Oceanus (from whom all we gods proceed) and


s: mother Tethys: they received me in their house, took care of me,


s: and brought me up, having taken me over from Rhaea when Jove


s: imprisoned great Saturn in the depths that are under earth and


s: sea. I must go and see them that I may make peace between them;


s: they have been quarrelling, and are so angry that they have not


s: slept with one another this long while; if I can bring them round


s: Thereon laughter-loving Venus said, "I cannot and must not refuse


s: As she spoke she loosed from her bosom the curiously embroidered


s: girdle into which all her charms had been wrought--love, desire,


s: and that sweet flattery which steals the judgement even of the


s: most prudent. She gave the girdle to Juno and said, "Take this


s: girdle wherein all my charms reside and lay it in your bosom. If


s: you will wear it I promise you that your errand, be it what it


s: When she heard this Juno smiled, and still smiling she laid the


s: Venus now went back into the house of Jove, while Juno darted


s: down from the summits of Olympus. She passed over Pieria and fair


s: the Thracian horsemen, over whose topmost crests she sped without


s: over the, waves of the sea till she reached Lemnos, the city of


s: noble Thoas. There she met Sleep, own brother to Death, and


s: caught him by the hand, saying, "Sleep, you who lord it alike


s: over mortals and immortals, if you ever did me a service in times


s: after. Close Jove's keen eyes for me in slumber while I hold him


s: clasped in my embrace, and I will give you a beautiful golden


s: seat, that can never fall to pieces; my clubfooted son Vulcan


s: shall make it for you, and he shall give it a footstool for you


s: to rest your fair feet upon when you are at table."


s: Then Sleep answered, "Juno, great queen of goddesses, daughter of


s: without compunction, not even excepting the waters of Oceanus


s: from whom all of them proceed, but I dare not go near Jove, nor


s: send him to sleep unless he bids me. I have had one lesson


s: already through doing what you asked me, on the day when Jove's


s: mighty son Hercules set sail from Ilius after having sacked the


s: city of the Trojans. At your bidding I suffused my sweet self


s: over the mind of aegis-bearing Jove, and laid him to rest;


s: meanwhile you hatched a plot against Hercules, and set the blasts


s: when he awoke, and began hurling the gods about all over the


s: house; he was looking more particularly for myself, and would


s: have flung me down through space into the sea where I should


s: never have been heard of any more, had not Night who cows both


s: men and gods protected me. I fled to her and Jove left off


s: looking for me in spite of his being so angry, for he did not


s: dare do anything to displease Night. And now you are again asking


s: And Juno said, "Sleep, why do you take such notions as those into


s: Trojans, as he was about his own son? Come, I will marry you to


s: one of the youngest of the Graces, and she shall be your own--


s: Pasithea, whom you have always wanted to marry."


s: Sleep was pleased when he heard this, and answered, "Then swear


s: it to me by the dread waters of the river Styx; lay one hand on


s: the bounteous earth, and the other on the sheen of the sea, so


s: that all the gods who dwell down below with Saturn may be our


s: witnesses, and see that you really do give me one of the youngest


s: Juno did as he had said. She swore, and invoked all the gods of


s: the nether world, who are called Titans, to witness. When she had


s: Presently they reached many-fountained Ida, mother of wild


s: beasts, and Lectum where they left the sea to go on by land, and


s: the tops of the trees of the forest soughed under the going of


s: their feet. Here Sleep halted, and ere Jove caught sight of him


s: he climbed a lofty pine-tree--the tallest that reared its head


s: towards heaven on all Ida. He hid himself behind the branches and


s: the mountains and is called Chalcis by the gods, but men call it


s: Cymindis. Juno then went to Gargarus, the topmost peak of Ida,


s: and Jove, driver of the clouds, set eyes upon her. As soon as he


s: did so he became inflamed with the same passionate desire for her


s: embraces, and slept with one another without their dear parents


s: knowing anything about it. He went up to her and said, "What do


s: you want that you have come hither from Olympus--and that too


s: with neither chariot nor horses to convey you?"


s: Then Juno told him a lying tale and said, "I am going to the


s: world's end, to visit Oceanus, from whom all we gods proceed, and


s: me, and brought me up. I must go and see them that I may make


s: peace between them: they have been quarrelling, and are so angry


s: that they have not slept with one another this long time. The


s: horses that will take me over land and sea are stationed on the


s: lowermost spurs of many-fountained Ida, and I have come here from


s: angry with me later on, if I went to the house of Oceanus without


s: And Jove said, "Juno, you can choose some other time for paying


s: your visit to Oceanus--for the present let us devote ourselves to


s: so overpowered by passion neither for goddess nor mortal woman as


s: with the wife of Ixion who bore me Pirithous, peer of gods in


s: counsel, nor yet with Danae the daintily-ancled daughter of


s: Acrisius, who bore me the famed hero Perseus. Then there was the


s: daughter of Phoenix, who bore me Minos and Rhadamanthus: there


s: was Semele, and Alcmena in Thebes by whom I begot my lion-hearted


s: yourself--but with none of these was I ever so much enamoured as


s: Juno again answered him with a lying tale. "Most dread son of


s: Saturn," she exclaimed, "what are you talking about? Would you


s: have us enjoy one another here on the top of Mount Ida, where


s: everything can be seen? What if one of the ever-living gods


s: should see us sleeping together, and tell the others? It would be


s: never show myself inside your house again; but if you are so


s: minded, there is a room which your son Vulcan has made me, and he


s: And Jove answered, "Juno, you need not be afraid that either god


s: or man will see you, for I will enshroud both of us in such a


s: dense golden cloud, that the very sun for all his bright piercing


s: With this the son of Saturn caught his wife in his embrace;


s: whereon the earth sprouted them a cushion of young grass, with


s: dew-bespangled lotus, crocus, and hyacinth, so soft and thick


s: that it raised them well above the ground. Here they laid


s: themselves down and overhead they were covered by a fair cloud of


s: Thus, then, did the sire of all things repose peacefully on the


s: crest of Ida, overcome at once by sleep and love, and he held his


s: Achaeans, to tell earth-encircling Neptune, lord of the


s: earthquake. When he had found him he said, "Now, Neptune, you can


s: only for a short time while Jove is still sleeping. I have sent


s: him into a sweet slumber, and Juno has beguiled him into going to


s: Sleep now departed and went his ways to and fro among mankind,


s: leaving Neptune more eager than ever to help the Danaans. He


s: darted forward among the first ranks and shouted saying,


s: "Argives, shall we let Hector son of Priam have the triumph of


s: taking our ships and covering himself with glory? This is what he


s: dudgeon at his ship; we shall get on very well without him if we


s: keep each other in heart and stand by one another. Now,


s: therefore, let us all do as I say. Let us each take the best and


s: largest shield we can lay hold of, put on our helmets, and sally


s: forth with our longest spears in our hands; I will lead you on,


s: and Hector son of Priam, rage as he may, will not dare to hold


s: out against us. If any good staunch soldier has only a small


s: shield, let him hand it over to a worse man, and take a larger


s: Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The son of


s: Tydeus, Ulysses, and Agamemnon, wounded though they were, set the


s: exchanges of armour; the most valiant took the best armour, and


s: gave the worse to the worse man. When they had donned their


s: bronze armour they marched on with Neptune at their head. In his


s: strong hand he grasped his terrible sword, keen of edge and


s: flashing like lightning; woe to him who comes across it in the


s: day of battle; all men quake for fear and keep away from it.


s: Hector on the other side set the Trojans in array. Thereon


s: Neptune and Hector waged fierce war on one another--Hector on the


s: the two forces met; the sea came rolling in towards the ships and


s: of a forest fire roar more fiercely when it is well alight upon


s: the mountains, nor does the wind bellow with ruder music as it


s: tears on through the tops of when it is blowing its hardest, than


s: Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned full towards


s: bands passed over his chest--the band of his shield and that of


s: his silver-studded sword--and these protected his body. Hector


s: was angry that his spear should have been hurled in vain, and


s: withdrew under cover of his men. As he was thus retreating, Ajax


s: son of Telamon, struck him with a stone, of which there were many


s: caught up one of them and struck Hector above the rim of his


s: shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round like a top


s: uprooted by the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is a


s: terrible smell of brimstone--no man can help being dismayed if he


s: even so did Hector fall to earth and bite the dust. His spear


s: fell from his hand, but his shield and helmet were made fast


s: about his body, and his bronze armour rang about him.


s: The sons of the Achaeans came running with a loud cry towards


s: him, hoping to drag him away, and they showered their darts on


s: the Trojans, but none of them could wound him before he was


s: surrounded and covered by the princes Polydamas, Aeneas, Agenor,


s: Sarpedon captain of the Lycians, and noble Glaucus. Of the


s: others, too, there was not one who was unmindful of him, and they


s: the place where his horses stood waiting for him at the rear of


s: the fight with their driver and the chariot; these then took him


s: towards the city groaning and in great pain. When they reached


s: the ford of the fair stream of Xanthus, begotten of Immortal


s: Jove, they took him from off his chariot and laid him down on the


s: breathed again and opened his eyes. Then kneeling on his knees he


s: were again closed in darkness for he was still stunned by the


s: When the Argives saw Hector leaving the field, they took heart


s: and set upon the Trojans yet more furiously. Ajax fleet son of


s: Oileus began by springing on Satnius son of Enops, and wounding


s: him with his spear: a fair naiad nymph had borne him to Enops as


s: he was herding cattle by the banks of the river Satnioeis. The


s: son of Oileus came up to him and struck him in the flank so that


s: he fell, and a fierce fight between Trojans and Danaans raged


s: round his body. Polydamas son of Panthous drew near to avenge


s: him, and wounded Prothoenor son of Areilycus on the right


s: shoulder; the terrible spear went right through his shoulder, and


s: loudly over him saying, "Again I take it that the spear has not


s: sped in vain from the strong hand of the son of Panthous; an


s: Argive has caught it in his body, and it will serve him for a


s: staff as he goes down into the house of Hades."


s: The Argives were maddened by this boasting. Ajax son of Telamon


s: was more angry than any, for the man had fallen close beside him;


s: saved himself by swerving aside and the spear struck Archelochus


s: son of Antenor, for heaven counselled his destruction; it struck


s: him where the head springs from the neck at the top joint of the


s: spine, and severed both the tendons at the back of the head. His


s: head, mouth, and nostrils reached the ground long before his legs


s: "Think, Polydamas, and tell me truly whether this man is not as


s: well worth killing as Prothoenor was: he seems rich, and of rich


s: family, a brother, it may be, or son of the knight Antenor, for


s: But he knew well who it was, and the Trojans were greatly


s: angered. Acamas then bestrode his brother's body and wounded


s: Promachus the Boeotian with his spear, for he was trying to drag


s: his brother's body away. Acamas vaunted loudly over him saying,


s: "Argive archers, braggarts that you are, toil and suffering shall


s: as ourselves. See how Promachus now sleeps, vanquished by my


s: spear; payment for my brother's blood has not been long delayed;


s: a man, therefore, may well be thankful if he leaves a kinsman in


s: his house behind him to avenge his fall."


s: His taunts infuriated the Argives, and Peneleos was more enraged


s: than any of them. He sprang towards Acamas, but Acamas did not


s: stand his ground, and he killed Ilioneus son of the rich


s: flock-master Phorbas, whom Mercury had favoured and endowed with


s: greater wealth than any other of the Trojans. Ilioneus was his


s: only son, and Peneleos now wounded him in the eye under his


s: eyebrows, tearing the eye-ball from its socket: the spear went


s: right through the eye into the nape of the neck, and he fell,


s: stretching out both hands before him. Peneleos then drew his


s: sword and smote him on the neck, so that both head and helmet


s: came tumbling down to the ground with the spear still sticking in


s: poppy-head, and showed it to the Trojans, vaunting over them as


s: he did so. "Trojans," he cried, "bid the father and mother of


s: noble Ilioneus make moan for him in their house, for the wife


s: also of Promachus son of Alegenor will never be gladdened by the


s: coming of her dear husband--when we Argives return with our ships


s: As he spoke fear fell upon them, and every man looked round about


s: Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of


s: the Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune lord


s: of the earthquake had turned the fortune of war. Ajax son of


s: Telamon was first to wound Hyrtius son of Gyrtius, captain of the


s: Meriones slew Morys and Hippotion, Teucer also killed Prothoon


s: and Periphetes. The son of Atreus then wounded Hyperenor shepherd


s: entrails gush out as it tore in among them; on this his life came


s: his eyes were closed in darkness. Ajax son of Oileus killed more


s: than any other, for there was no man so fleet as he to pursue


s: flying foes when Jove had spread panic among them.


s: Jove awakes, tells Apollo to heal Hector, and the Trojans


s: BUT when their flight had taken them past the trench and the set


s: stakes, and many had fallen by the hands of the Danaans, the


s: Trojans made a halt on reaching their chariots, routed and pale


s: with fear. Jove now woke on the crests of Ida, where he was lying


s: the others driving them pell-mell before them with King Neptune


s: in their midst. He saw Hector lying on the ground with his


s: comrades gathered round him, gasping for breath, wandering in


s: mind and vomiting blood, for it was not the feeblest of the


s: The sire of gods and men had pity on him, and looked fiercely on


s: Juno. "I see, Juno," said he, "you mischief-making trickster,


s: that your cunning has stayed Hector from fighting and has caused


s: the rout of his host. I am in half a mind to thrash you, in which


s: knavery. Do you not remember how once upon a time I had you


s: hanged? I fastened two anvils on to your feet, and bound your


s: hands in a chain of gold which none might break, and you hung in


s: mid-air among the clouds. All the gods in Olympus were in a fury,


s: one of them I gripped him and hurled him from the heavenly


s: threshold till he came fainting down to earth; yet even this did


s: not relieve my mind from the incessant anxiety which I felt about


s: again to Argos. I would remind you of this that you may learn to


s: leave off being so deceitful, and discover how much you are


s: likely to gain by the embraces out of which you have come here to


s: Juno trembled as he spoke, and said, "May heaven above and earth


s: below be my witnesses, with the waters of the river Styx--and


s: this is the most solemn oath that a blessed god can take--nay, I


s: swear also by your own almighty head and by our bridal bed--


s: things over which I could never possibly perjure myself--that


s: Neptune is not punishing Hector and the Trojans and helping the


s: Achaeans through any doing of mine; it is all of his own mere


s: motion because he was sorry to see the Achaeans hard pressed at


s: their ships: if I were advising him, I should tell him to do as


s: The sire of gods and men smiled and answered, "If you, Juno, were


s: thinking. If, then, you are speaking the truth and mean what you


s: say, go among the rank and file of the gods, and tell Iris and


s: Apollo lord of the bow, that I want them--Iris, that she may go


s: to the Achaean host and tell Neptune to leave off fighting and go


s: give him fresh strength; he will thus forget his present


s: sufferings, and drive the Achaeans back in confusion till they


s: fall among the ships of Achilles son of Peleus. Achilles will


s: then send his comrade Patroclus into battle, and Hector will kill


s: avenge Patroclus, and from that time I will bring it about that


s: the Achaeans shall persistently drive the Trojans back till they


s: fulfil the counsels of Minerva and take Ilius. But I will not


s: stay my anger, nor permit any god to help the Danaans till I have


s: promise I made by bowing my head on the day when Thetis touched


s: my knees and besought me to give him honour."


s: Juno heeded his words and went from the heights of Ida to great


s: Olympus. Swift as the thought of one whose fancy carries him over


s: there," and he would have all manner of things--even so swiftly


s: did Juno wing her way till she came to high Olympus and went in


s: among the gods who were gathered in the house of Jove. When they


s: saw her they all of them came up to her, and held out their cups


s: to her by way of greeting. She let the others be, but took the


s: cup offered her by lovely Themis, who was first to come running


s: up to her. "Juno," said she, "why are you here? And you seem


s: troubled--has your husband the son of Saturn been frightening


s: And Juno answered, "Themis, do not ask me about it. You know what


s: table, where you and all the immortals can hear the wicked


s: designs which he has avowed. Many a one, mortal and immortal,


s: will be angered by them, however peaceably he may be feasting


s: On this Juno sat down, and the gods were troubled throughout the


s: house of Jove. Laughter sat on her lips but her brow was furrowed


s: cried, "to be thus madly angry with Jove; we keep on wanting to


s: go up to him and stay him by force or by persuasion, but he sits