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

me. Had it been some
mortal man who had sent me some prophet or priest who divines from
sacrifice--I should have deemed him false and have given him no heed;
but now I have heard the goddess and seen her face to face, therefore I
will go and her saying shall not be in vain. If it be my fate to die at
the ships of the Achaeans even so would I have it; let Achilles slay
me, if I may but first have taken my son in my arms and mourned him to
my heart's comforting."

So saying he lifted the lids of his chests, and took out twelve goodly
vestments. He took also twelve cloaks of single fold, twelve rugs,
twelve fair mantles, and an equal number of shirts. He weighed out ten
talents of gold, and brought moreover two burnished tripods, four
cauldrons, and a very beautiful cup which the Thracians had given him
when he had gone to them on an embassy; it was very precious, but he
grudged not even this, so eager was he to ransom the body of his son.
Then he chased all the Trojans from the court and rebuked them with
words of anger. "Out," he cried, "shame and disgrace to me that you
are. Have you no grief in your own homes that you are come to plague me
here? Is it a small thing, think you, that the son of Saturn has sent
this sorrow upon me, to lose the bravest of my sons? Nay, you shall
prove it in person, for now he is gone the Achaeans will have easier
work in killing you. As for me, let me go down within the house of
Hades, ere mine eyes behold the sacking and wasting of the city."

He drove the men away with his staff, and they went forth as the old
man sped them. Then he called to his sons, upbraiding Helenus, Paris,
noble Agathon, Pammon, Antiphonus, Polites of the loud battle-cry,
Deiphobus, Hippothous, and Dius. These nine did the old man call near
him. "Come to me at once," he cried, "worthless sons who do me shame;
would that you had all been killed at the ships rather than Hector.
Miserable man that I am, I have had the bravest sons in all Troy--noble
Nestor, Troilus the dauntless charioteer, and Hector who was a god
among men, so that one would have thought he was son to an
immortal--yet there is not one of them left. Mars has slain them and
those of whom I am ashamed are alone left me. Liars, and light of foot,
heroes of the dance, robbers of lambs and kids from your own people,
why do you not get a waggon ready for me at once, and put all these
things upon it that I may set out on my way?"

Thus did he speak, and they feared the rebuke of their father. They
brought out a strong mule-waggon, newly made, and set the body of the
waggon fast on its bed. They took the mule-yoke from the peg on which
it hung, a yoke of boxwood with a knob on the top of it and rings for
the reins to go through. Then they brought a yoke-band eleven cubits
long, to bind the yoke to the pole; they bound it on at the far end of
the pole, and put the ring over the upright pin making it fast with
three turns of the band on either side the knob, and bending the thong
of the yoke beneath it. This done, they brought from the store-chamber
the rich ransom that was to purchase the body of Hector, and they set
it all orderly on the waggon; then they yoked the strong harness-mules
which the Mysians had on a time given as a goodly present to Priam; but
for Priam himself they yoked horses which the old king had bred, and
kept for his own use.

Thus heedfully did Priam and his servant see to the yolking of their
cars at the palace. Then Hecuba came to them all sorrowful, with a
golden goblet of wine in her right hand, that they might make a
drink-offering before they set out. She stood in front of the horses
and said, "Take this, make a drink-offering to father Jove, and since
you are minded to go to the ships in spite of me, pray that you may
come safely back from the hands of your enemies. Pray to the son of
Saturn lord of the whirlwind, who sits on Ida and looks down over all
Troy, pray him to send his swift messenger on your right hand, the bird
of omen which is strongest and most dear to him of all birds, that you
may see it with your own eyes and trust it as you go forth to the ships
of the Danaans. If all-seeing Jove will not send you this messenger,
however set upon it you may be, I would not have you go to the ships of
the Argives."

And Priam answered, "Wife, I will do as you desire me; it is well to
lift hands in prayer to Jove, if so be he may have mercy upon me."

With this the old man bade the serving-woman pour pure water over his
hands, and the woman came, bearing the water in a bowl. He washed his
hands and took the cup from his wife; then he made the drink-offering
and prayed, standing in the middle of the courtyard and turning his
eyes to heaven. "Father Jove," he said, "that rulest from Ida, most
glorious and most great, grant that I may be received kindly and
compassionately in the tents of Achilles; and send your swift messenger
upon my right hand, the bird of omen which is strongest and most dear
to you of all birds, that I may see it with my own eyes and trust it as
I go forth to the ships of the Danaans."

So did he pray, and Jove the lord of counsel heard his prayer.
Forthwith he sent an eagle, the most unerring portent of all birds that
fly, the dusky hunter that men also call the Black Eagle. His wings
were spread abroad on either side as wide as the well-made and
well-bolted door of a rich man's chamber. He came to them flying over
the city upon their right hands, and when they saw him they were glad
and their hearts took comfort within them. The old man made haste to
mount his chariot, and drove out through the inner gateway and under
the echoing gatehouse of the outer court. Before him went the mules
drawing the four-wheeled waggon, and driven by wise Idaeus; behind
these were the horses, which the old man lashed with his whip and drove
swiftly through the city, while his friends followed after, wailing and
lamenting for him as though he were on his road to death. As soon as
they had come down from the city and had reached the plain, his sons
and sons-in-law who had followed him went back to Ilius.

But Priam and Idaeus as they showed out upon the plain did not escape
the ken of all-seeing Jove, who looked down upon the old man and pitied
him; then he spoke to his son Mercury and said, "Mercury, for it is you
who are the most disposed to escort men on their way, and to hear those
whom you will hear, go, and so conduct Priam to the ships of the
Achaeans that no other of the Danaans shall see him nor take note of
him until he reach the son of Peleus."

Thus he spoke and Mercury, guide and guardian, slayer of Argus, did as
he was told. Forthwith he bound on his glittering golden sandals with
which he could fly like the wind over land and sea; he took the wand
with which he seals men's eyes in sleep, or wakes them just as he
pleases, and flew holding it in his hand till he came to Troy and to
the Hellespont. To look at, he was like a young man of noble birth in
the hey-day of his youth and beauty with the down just coming upon his
face.

Now when Priam and Idaeus had driven past the great tomb of Ilius, they
stayed their mules and horses that they might drink in the river, for
the shades of night were falling, when, therefore, Idaeus saw Mercury
standing near them he said to Priam, "Take heed, descendant of
Dardanus; here is matter which demands consideration. I see a man who I
think will presently fall upon us; let us fly with our horses, or at
least embrace his knees and implore him to take compassion upon us?"

When he heard this the old man's heart failed him, and he was in great
fear; he stayed where he was as one dazed, and the hair stood on end
over his whole body; but the bringer of good luck came up to him and
took him by the hand, saying, "Whither, father, are you thus driving
your mules and horses in the dead of night when other men are asleep?
Are you not afraid of the fierce Achaeans who are hard by you, so cruel
and relentless? Should some one of them see you bearing so much
treasure through the darkness of the flying night, what would not your
state then be? You are no longer young, and he who is with you is too
old to protect you from those who would attack you. For myself, I will
do you no harm, and I will defend you from any one else, for you remind
me of my own father."

And Priam answered, "It is indeed as you say, my dear son; nevertheless
some god has held his hand over me, in that he has sent such a wayfarer
as yourself to meet me so opportunely; you are so comely in mien and
figure, and your judgement is so excellent that you must come of
blessed parents."

Then said the slayer of Argus, guide and guardian, "Sir, all that you
have said is right; but tell me and tell me true, are you taking this
rich treasure to send it to a foreign people where it may be safe, or
are you all leaving strong Ilius in dismay now that your son has fallen
who was the bravest man among you and was never lacking in battle with
the Achaeans?"

And Priam said, "Who are you, my friend, and who are your parents, that
you speak so truly about the fate of my unhappy son?"

The slayer of Argus, guide and guardian, answered him, "Sir, you would
prove me, that you question me about noble Hector. Many a time have I
set eyes upon him in battle when he was driving the Argives to their
ships and putting them to the sword. We stood still and marvelled, for
Achilles in his anger with the son of Atreus suffered us not to fight.
I am his squire, and came with him in the same ship. I am a Myrmidon,
and my father's name is Polyctor: he is a rich man and about as old as
you are; he has six sons besides myself, and I am the seventh. We cast
lots, and it fell upon me to sail hither with Achilles. I am now come
from the ships on to the plain, for with daybreak the Achaeans will set
battle in array about the city. They chafe at doing nothing, and are so
eager that their princes cannot hold them back."

Then answered Priam, "If you are indeed the squire of Achilles son of
Peleus, tell me now the whole truth. Is my son still at the