The Iliad, Homer [big screen ebook reader .txt] 📗

Teucer would hie back to Ajax as a child to
its mother, and again duck down under his shield.

Which of the Trojans did brave Teucer first kill? Orsilochus, and then
Ormenus and Ophelestes, Daetor, Chromius, and godlike Lycophontes,
Amopaon son of Polyaemon, and Melanippus. All these in turn did he lay
low upon the earth, and King Agamemnon was glad when he saw him making
havoc of the Trojans with his mighty bow. He went up to him and said,
"Teucer, man after my own heart, son of Telamon, captain among the
host, shoot on, and be at once the saving of the Danaans and the glory
of your father Telamon, who brought you up and took care of you in his
own house when you were a child, bastard though you were. Cover him
with glory though he is far off; I will promise and I will assuredly
perform; if aegis-bearing Jove and Minerva grant me to sack the city of
Ilius, you shall have the next best meed of honour after my own--a
tripod, or two horses with their chariot, or a woman who shall go up
into your bed."

And Teucer answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, you need not urge me;
from the moment we began to drive them back to Ilius, I have never
ceased so far as in me lies to look out for men whom I can shoot and
kill; I have shot eight barbed shafts, and all of them have been buried
in the flesh of warlike youths, but this mad dog I cannot hit."

As he spoke he aimed another arrow straight at Hector, for he was bent
on hitting him; nevertheless he missed him, and the arrow hit Priam's
brave son Gorgythion in the breast. His mother, fair Castianeira,
lovely as a goddess, had been married from Aesyme, and now he bowed his
head as a garden poppy in full bloom when it is weighed down by showers
in spring--even thus heavy bowed his head beneath the weight of his
helmet.

Again he aimed at Hector, for he was longing to hit him, and again his
arrow missed, for Apollo turned it aside; but he hit Hector's brave
charioteer Archeptolemus in the breast, by the nipple, as he was
driving furiously into the fight. The horses swerved aside as he fell
headlong from the chariot, and there was no life left in him. Hector
was greatly grieved at the loss of his charioteer, but for all his
sorrow he let him lie where he fell, and bade his brother Cebriones,
who was hard by, take the reins. Cebriones did as he had said. Hector
thereon with a loud cry sprang from his chariot to the ground, and
seizing a great stone made straight for Teucer with intent kill him.
Teucer had just taken an arrow from his quiver and had laid it upon the
bow-string, but Hector struck him with the jagged stone as he was
taking aim and drawing the string to his shoulder; he hit him just
where the collar-bone divides the neck from the chest, a very deadly
place, and broke the sinew of his arm so that his wrist was less, and
the bow dropped from his hand as he fell forward on his knees. Ajax saw
that his brother had fallen, and running towards him bestrode him and
sheltered him with his shield. Meanwhile his two trusty squires,
Mecisteus son of Echius, and Alastor, came up and bore him to the ships
groaning in his great pain.

Jove now again put heart into the Trojans, and they drove the Achaeans
to their deep trench with Hector in all his glory at their head. As a
hound grips a wild boar or lion in flank or buttock when he gives him
chase, and watches warily for his wheeling, even so did Hector follow
close upon the Achaeans, ever killing the hindmost as they rushed
panic-stricken onwards. When they had fled through the set stakes and
trench and many Achaeans had been laid low at the hands of the Trojans,
they halted at their ships, calling upon one another and praying every
man instantly as they lifted up their hands to the gods; but Hector
wheeled his horses this way and that, his eyes glaring like those of
Gorgo or murderous Mars.

Juno when she saw them had pity upon them, and at once said to Minerva,
"Alas, child of aegis-bearing Jove, shall you and I take no more
thought for the dying Danaans, though it be the last time we ever do
so? See how they perish and come to a bad end before the onset of but a
single man. Hector the son of Priam rages with intolerable fury, and
has already done great mischief."

Minerva answered, "Would, indeed, this fellow might die in his own
land, and fall by the hands of the Achaeans; but my father Jove is mad
with spleen, ever foiling me, ever headstrong and unjust. He forgets
how often I saved his son when he was worn out by the labours
Eurystheus had laid on him. He would weep till his cry came up to
heaven, and then Jove would send me down to help him; if I had had the
sense to foresee all this, when Eurystheus sent him to the house of
Hades, to fetch the hell-hound from Erebus, he would never have come
back alive out of the deep waters of the river Styx. And now Jove hates
me, while he lets Thetis have her way because she kissed his knees and
took hold of his beard, when she was begging him to do honour to
Achilles. I shall know what to do next time he begins calling me his
grey-eyed darling. Get our horses ready, while I go within the house of
aegis-bearing Jove and put on my armour; we shall then find out whether
Priam's son Hector will be glad to meet us in the highways of battle,
or whether the Trojans will glut hounds and vultures with the fat of
their flesh as they be dead by the ships of the Achaeans."

Thus did she speak and white-armed Juno, daughter of great Saturn,
obeyed her words; she set about harnessing her gold-bedizened steeds,
while Minerva daughter of aegis-bearing Jove flung her richly vesture,
made with her own hands, on to the threshold of her father, and donned
the shirt of Jove, arming herself for battle. Then she stepped into her
flaming chariot, and grasped the spear so stout and sturdy and strong
with which she quells the ranks of heroes who have displeased her. Juno
lashed her horses, and the gates of heaven bellowed as they flew open
of their own accord--gates over which the Hours preside, in whose hands
are heaven and Olympus, either to open the dense cloud that hides them
or to close it. Through these the goddesses drove their obedient steeds.

But father Jove when he saw them from Ida was very angry, and sent
winged Iris with a message to them. "Go," said he, "fleet Iris, turn
them back, and see that they do not come near me, for if we come to
fighting there will be mischief. This is what I say, and this is what I
mean to do. I will lame their horses for them; I will hurl them from
their chariot, and will break it in pieces. It will take them all ten
years to heal the wounds my lightning shall inflict upon them; my
grey-eyed daughter will then learn what quarrelling with her father
means. I am less surprised and angry with Juno, for whatever I say she
always contradicts me."

With this Iris went her way, fleet as the wind, from the heights of Ida
to the lofty summits of Olympus. She met the goddesses at the outer
gates of its many valleys and gave them her message. "What," said she,
"are you about? Are you mad? The son of Saturn forbids going. This is
what he says, and this is he means to do, he will lame your horses for
you, he will hurl you from your chariot, and will break it in pieces.
It will take you all ten years to heal the wounds his lightning will
inflict upon you, that you may learn, grey-eyed goddess, what
quarrelling with your father means. He is less hurt and angry with
Juno, for whatever he says she always contradicts him but you, bold
hussy, will you really dare to raise your huge spear in defiance of
Jove?"

With this she left them, and Juno said to Minerva, "Of a truth, child
of aegis-bearing Jove, I am not for fighting men's battles further in
defiance of Jove. Let them live or die as luck will have it, and let
Jove mete out his judgements upon the Trojans and Danaans according to
his own pleasure."

She turned her steeds; the Hours presently unyoked them, made them fast
to their ambrosial mangers, and leaned the chariot against the end wall
of the courtyard. The two goddesses then sat down upon their golden
thrones, amid the company of the other gods; but they were very angry.

Presently father Jove drove his chariot to Olympus, and entered the
assembly of gods. The mighty lord of the earthquake unyoked his horses
for him, set the car upon its stand, and threw a cloth over it. Jove
then sat down upon his golden throne and Olympus reeled beneath him.
Minerva and Juno sat alone, apart from Jove, and neither spoke nor
asked him questions, but Jove knew what they meant, and said, "Minerva
and Juno, why are you so angry? Are you fatigued with killing so many
of your dear friends the Trojans? Be this as it may, such is the might
of my hands that all the gods in Olympus cannot turn me; you were both
of you trembling all over ere ever you saw the fight and its terrible
doings. I tell you therefore-and it would have surely been--I should
have struck you with lighting, and your chariots would never have
brought you back again to Olympus."

Minerva and Juno groaned in spirit as they sat side by side and brooded
mischief for the Trojans. Minerva sat silent without a word, for she
was in a furious passion and bitterly incensed against her father; but
Juno could not contain herself and said, "What, dread son of Saturn,
are you talking about? We know how great your power is, nevertheless we
have compassion upon the Danaan warriors who are perishing and coming
to a bad end. We will, however, since you so bid us, refrain from
actual fighting, but we will make serviceable suggestions to the
Argives, that they may not all of them perish in your displeasure."

And Jove answered, "To-morrow morning, Juno, if you choose to do so,
you will see the son of Saturn destroying large numbers of the Argives,
for fierce Hector shall not cease fighting till he has roused the son
of Peleus when they are fighting in dire straits at their ships' sterns
about the body of Patroclus. Like it or no, this is how it is decreed;
for aught I care, you may go to the lowest depths beneath earth and
sea, where Iapetus and Saturn dwell in lone Tartarus with neither ray
of light nor breath of wind to cheer them. You may go on and on till
you get there, and I shall not care one whit for your displeasure; you
are the greatest vixen living."

Juno made him no answer. The sun's glorious orb now sank into Oceanus
and drew down night over the land. Sorry indeed were the Trojans when
light failed them, but welcome and thrice prayed for did darkness fall
upon the Achaeans.

Then Hector led the Trojans