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

of a trumpet that sounds alarm then the foe is at the gates of a
city, even so brazen was the voice of the son of Aeacus, and when the
Trojans heard its clarion tones they were dismayed; the horses turned
back with their chariots for they boded mischief, and their drivers
were awe-struck by the steady flame which the grey-eyed goddess had
kindled above the head of the great son of Peleus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thetis wept