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

a dove that flies before a falcon to
the cleft of some hollow rock, when it is her good fortune to escape.
Even so did she fly weeping away, leaving her bow and arrows behind her.

Then the slayer of Argus, guide and guardian, said to Leto, "Leto, I
shall not fight you; it is ill to come to blows with any of Jove's
wives. Therefore boast as you will among the immortals that you worsted
me in fair fight."

Leto then gathered up Diana's bow and arrows that had fallen about amid
the whirling dust, and when she had got them she made all haste after
her daughter. Diana had now reached Jove's bronze-floored mansion on
Olympus, and sat herself down with many tears on the knees of her
father, while her ambrosial raiment was quivering all about her. The
son of Saturn drew her towards him, and laughing pleasantly the while
began to question her saying, "Which of the heavenly beings, my dear
child, has been treating you in this cruel manner, as though you had
been misconducting yourself in the face of everybody?" and the
fair-crowned goddess of the chase answered, "It was your wife Juno,
father, who has been beating me; it is always her doing when there is
any quarrelling among the immortals."

Thus did they converse, and meanwhile Phoebus Apollo entered the strong
city of Ilius, for he was uneasy lest the wall should not hold out and
the Danaans should take the city then and there, before its hour had
come; but the rest of the ever-living gods went back, some angry and
some triumphant to Olympus, where they took their seats beside Jove
lord of the storm cloud, while Achilles still kept on dealing out death
alike on the Trojans and on their horses. As when the smoke from some
burning city ascends to heaven when the anger of the gods has kindled
it--there is then toil for all, and sorrow for not a few--even so did
Achilles bring toil and sorrow on the Trojans.

Old King Priam stood on a high tower of the wall looking down on huge
Achilles as the Trojans fled panic-stricken before him, and there was
none to help them. Presently he came down from off the tower and with
many a groan went along the wall to give orders to the brave warders of
the gate. "Keep the gates," said he, "wide open till the people come
flying into the city, for Achilles is hard by and is driving them in
rout before him. I see we are in great peril. As soon as our people are
inside and in safety, close the strong gates for I fear lest that
terrible man should come bounding inside along with the others."

As he spoke they drew back the bolts and opened the gates, and when
these were opened there was a haven of refuge for the Trojans. Apollo
then came full speed out of the city to meet them and protect them.
Right for the city and the high wall, parched with thirst and grimy
with dust, still they fied on, with Achilles wielding his spear
furiously behind them. For he was as one possessed, and was thirsting
after glory.

Then had the sons of the Achaeans taken the lofty gates of Troy if
Apollo had not spurred on Agenor, valiant and noble son to Antenor. He
put courage into his heart, and stood by his side to guard him, leaning
against a beech tree and shrouded in thick darkness. When Agenor saw
Achilles he stood still and his heart was clouded with care. "Alas,"
said he to himself in his dismay, "if I fly before mighty Achilles, and
go where all the others are being driven in rout, he will none the less
catch me and kill me for a coward. How would it be were I to let
Achilles drive the others before him, and then fly from the wall to the
plain that is behind Ilius till I reach the spurs of Ida and can hide
in the underwood that is thereon? I could then wash the sweat from off
me in the river and in the evening return to Ilius. But why commune
with myself in this way? Like enough he would see me as I am hurrying
from the city over the plain, and would speed after me till he had
caught me--I should stand no chance against him, for he is mightiest of
all mankind. What, then, if I go out and meet him in front of the city?
His flesh too, I take it, can be pierced by pointed bronze. Life is the
same in one and all, and men say that he is but mortal despite the
triumph that Jove son of Saturn vouchsafes him."

So saying he stood on his guard and awaited Achilles, for he was now
fain to fight him. As a leopardess that bounds from out a thick covert
to attack a hunter--she knows no fear and is not dismayed by the baying
of the hounds; even though the man be too quick for her and wound her
either with thrust or spear, still, though the spear has pierced her
she will not give in till she has either caught him in her grip or been
killed outright--even so did noble Agenor son of Antenor refuse to fly
till he had made trial of Achilles, and took aim at him with his spear,
holding his round shield before him and crying with a loud voice. "Of a
truth," said he, "noble Achilles, you deem that you shall this day sack
the city of the proud Trojans. Fool, there will be trouble enough yet
before it, for there is many a brave man of us still inside who will
stand in front of our dear parents with our wives and children, to
defend Ilius. Here therefore, huge and mighty warrior though you be,
here shall you die."

As he spoke his strong hand hurled his javelin from him, and the spear
struck Achilles on the leg beneath the knee; the greave of newly
wrought tin rang loudly, but the spear recoiled from the body of him
whom it had struck, and did not pierce it, for the god's gift stayed
it. Achilles in his turn attacked noble Agenor, but Apollo would not
vouchsafe him glory, for he snatched Agenor away and hid him in a thick
mist, sending him out of the battle unmolested. Then he craftily drew
the son of Peleus away from going after the host, for he put on the
semblance of Agenor and stood in front of Achilles, who ran towards him
to give him chase and pursued him over the corn lands of the plain,
turning him towards the deep waters of the river Scamander. Apollo ran
but a little way before him and beguiled Achilles by making him think
all the time that he was on the point of overtaking him. Meanwhile the
rabble of routed Trojans was thankful to crowd within the city till
their numbers thronged it; no longer did they dare wait for one another
outside the city walls, to learn who had escaped and who were fallen in
fight, but all whose feet and knees could still carry them poured
pell-mell into the town.


BOOK XXII

The death of Hector.

THUS the Trojans in the city, scared like fawns, wiped the sweat from
off them and drank to quench their thirst, leaning against the goodly
battlements, while the Achaeans with their shields laid upon their
shoulders drew close up to the walls. But stern fate bade Hector stay
where he was before Ilius and the Scaean gates. Then Phoebus Apollo
spoke to the son of Peleus saying, "Why, son of Peleus, do you, who are
but man, give chase to me who am immortal? Have you not yet found out
that it is a god whom you pursue so furiously? You did not harass the
Trojans whom you had routed, and now they are within their walls, while
you have been decoyed hither away from them. Me you cannot kill, for
death can take no hold upon me."

Achilles was greatly angered and said, "You have baulked me,
Far-Darter, most malicious of all gods, and have drawn me away from the
wall, where many another man would have bitten the dust ere he got
within Ilius; you have robbed me of great glory and have saved the
Trojans at no risk to yourself, for you have nothing to fear, but I
would indeed have my revenge if it were in my power to do so."

On this, with fell intent he made towards the city, and as the winning
horse in a chariot race strains every nerve when he is flying over the
plain, even so fast and furiously did the limbs of Achilles bear him
onwards. King Priam was first to note him as he scoured the plain, all
radiant as the star which men call Orion's Hound, and whose beams blaze
forth in time of harvest more brilliantly than those of any other that
shines by night; brightest of them all though he be, he yet bodes ill
for mortals, for he brings fire and fever in his train--even so did
Achilles' armour gleam on his breast as he sped onwards. Priam raised a
cry and beat his head with his hands as he lifted them up and shouted
out to his dear son, imploring him to return; but Hector still stayed
before the gates, for his heart was set upon doing battle with
Achilles. The old man reached out his arms towards him and bade him for
pity's sake come within the walls. "Hector," he cried, "my son, stay
not to face this man alone and unsupported, or you will meet death at
the hands of the son of Peleus, for he is mightier than you. Monster
that he is; would indeed that the gods loved him no better than I do,
for so, dogs and vultures would soon devour him as he lay stretched on
earth, and a load of grief would be lifted from my heart, for many a
brave son has he reft from me, either by killing them or selling them
away in the islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons
from among the Trojans who have thronged within the city, Lycaon and
Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore me. Should they be
still alive and in the hands of the Achaeans, we will ransom them with
gold and bronze, of which we have store, for the old man Altes endowed
his daughter richly; but if they are already dead and in the house of
Hades, sorrow will it be to us two who were their parents; albeit the
grief of others will be more short-lived unless you too perish at the
hands of Achilles. Come, then, my son, within the city, to be the
guardian of Trojan men and Trojan women, or you will both lose your own
life and afford a mighty triumph to the son of Peleus. Have pity also
on your unhappy father while life yet remains to him--on me, whom the
son of Saturn will destroy by a terrible doom on the threshold of old
age, after I have seen my sons slain and my daughters haled away as
captives, my bridal chambers pillaged, little children dashed to earth
amid the rage of battle, and my sons' wives dragged away by the cruel
hands of the Achaeans; in the end fierce hounds will tear me in pieces
at my own gates after some one has beaten the life out of my body with
sword or spear-hounds that I myself reared and fed at my own table to
guard my gates, but who