The Iliad, Homer [librera reader .TXT] 📗

So stood these two before the lofty gates, As on the mountain side two tow’ring oaks, Which many a day have borne the wind and storm, Firm rifted by their strong continuous roots: So in their arms and vigour confident

Those two great Asius’ charge, undaunted, met.

On th’ other side, with, shouts and wild uproar, Their bull’s-hide shields uplifted high, advanc’d Against the well-built wall, Asius the King, Iamenus, Orestes, Acamas

The son of Asius, and OEnomaus,

And Thoon; those within to save the ships Calling meanwhile on all the well-greav’d Greeks; But when they saw the wall by Trojans scal’d, And heard the cry of Greeks in panic fear, Sprang forth those two, before the gates to fight.

As when two boars, upon the mountain side, Await th’ approaching din of men and dogs, Then sideways rushing, snap the wood around, Ripp’d from the roots; loud clash their clatt’ring tusks, Till to the huntsman’s spear they yield their lives; So clatter’d on those champions’ brass-clad breasts The hostile weapons; stubbornly they fought, Relying on their strength, and friends above: For from the well-built tow’rs huge stones were hurl’d By those who for themselves, their tents and ships, Maintain’d defensive warfare; thick they fell, As wintry snow-flakes, which the boist’rous wind, Driving the shadowy clouds, spreads fast and close O’er all the surface of the fertile earth: So thick, from Grecian and from Trojan hands, The weapons flew; on helm and bossy shield With grating sound the pond’rous masses rang.

Then deeply groaning, as he smote his thigh Thus spoke dismay’d the son of Hyrtacus: “O Father Jove, how hast thou lov’d our hopes To falsify, who deem’d not that the Greeks Would stand our onset, and resistless arms!

But they, as yellow-banded wasps, or bees, That by some rocky pass have built their nests, Abandon not their cavern’d home, but wait Th’ attack, and boldly for their offspring fight; So from the gates these two, though two alone, Retire not, till they be or ta’en or slain.”

 

He said: but Jove regarded not his words; So much on Hector’s triumph he was bent.

Like battle rag’d round th’ other gates; but hard It were for me, with godlike pow’r, to paint Each sev’ral combat; for around the wall A more than human storm of stone was pour’d On ev’ry side; the Greeks, hard press’d, perforce Fought for their ships, while all the Gods look’d on Indignant, who the Grecian cause upheld.

Fiercely the Lapithae sustain’d the war: Stout Polypoetes first, Pirithous’ son, Smote, through the brass-cheek’d helmet, Damasus; Nor stay’d the brazen helm the spear, whose point Went crashing through the bone, that all the brain Was shatter’d; onward as he rush’d, he fell.

Then Pylon next, and Ormenus he slew:

Meantime Leonteus, scion true of Mars, Struck with unerring spear Hippomachus, Son of Antimachus, below the waist;

Then, drawing from the sheath his trenchant sword, Dash’d through the crowd, and hand to hand he smote Antiphates; he, backward, fell to earth.

Menon, Iamenus, Orestes next,

In quick succession to the ground he brought.

From these while they their glitt’ring armour stripp’d, Round Hector throng’d, and bold Polydamas, The bravest and the best, who long’d the most To storm the wall, and burn with fire the ships.

Yet on the margin of the ditch they paus’d; For, as they sought to cross, a sign from Heav’n Appear’d, to leftward of th’ astonish’d crowd; A soaring eagle in his talons bore

A dragon, huge of size, of blood-red hue, Alive, and breathing still, nor yet subdued; For twisting backward through the breast he pierc’d His bearer, near the neck; he, stung with pain, Let fall his prey, which dropp’d amid the crowd; Then screaming, on the blast was borne away.

The Trojans, shudd’ring, in their midst beheld The spotted serpent, dire portent of Jove: Then to bold Hector thus Polydamas:

“Hector, in council thou reprov’st me oft For good advice; it is not meet, thou say’st, That private men should talk beside the mark, In council or in war, but study still

Thine honour to exalt; yet must I now

Declare what seems to me the wisest course: Let us not fight the Greeks beside their ships; For thus I read the future, if indeed

To us, about to cross, this sign from Heav’n Was sent, to leftward of th’ astonish’d crowd: A soaring eagle, bearing in his claws

A dragon, huge of size, of blood-red hue, Alive; yet dropp’d him ere he reach’d his home, Nor to his nestlings bore th’ intended prey: So we, e’en though our mighty strength should break The gates and wall, and put the Greeks to rout, By the same road not scatheless should return, But many a Trojan on the field should leave, Slain by the Greeks, while they their ships defend.

So would a seer, well vers’d in augury, Worthy of public credit, read this sign.”

 

To whom thus Hector of the glancing helm Replied, with stern regard: “Polydamas, This speech of thine is alien to my soul: Thy better judgment better counsel knows.

But if in earnest such is thine advice, Thee of thy senses have the Gods bereft, Who fain wouldst have us disregard the word And promise by the nod of Jove confirm’d, And put our faith in birds’ expanded wings; Little of these I reck, nor care to look, If to the right, and tow’rd the morning sun, Or to the left, and shades of night, they fly.

Put we our trust in Jove’s eternal will, Of mortals and Immortals King supreme.

The best of omens is our country’s cause.

Why shouldst thou tremble at the battle strife?

Though ev’ry Trojan else were doom’d to die Beside the ships, no fear lest thou shouldst fall: Unwarlike is thy soul, nor firm of mood: But if thou shrink, or by thy craven words Turn back another Trojan from the fight, My spear shall take the forfeit of thy life.”

 

This said, he led the way; with joyous shouts They follow’d all; then Jove, the lightning’s Lord, From Ida’s heights a storm of wind sent down, Driving the dust against the Grecian ships; Which quell’d their courage, and to Hector gave, And to the Trojans, fresh incitement; they, On their own strength, and heav’nly signs relying, Their force address’d to storm the Grecian wall.

They raz’d the counterscarp, the battlements Destroy’d; and the projecting buttresses, Which, to sustain the tow’rs, the Greeks had fix’d Deep in the soil, with levers undermin’d.

These once withdrawn, they hop’d to storm the wall; Nor from the passage yet the Greeks withdrew, But closely fencing with their bull’s-hide shields The broken battlements, they thence hurl’d down A storm of weapons on the foe beneath.

Commanding from the tow’r in ev’ry place Were seen th’ Ajaces, urging to the fight, Imploring these, and those in sterner tones Rebuking, who their warlike toil relax’d.

 

“Friends, Grecians all, ye who excel in war, And ye of mod’rate or inferior strength, Though all are not with equal pow’rs endued, Yet here is work for all! bear this in mind, Nor tow’rd the ships let any turn his face, By threats dismay’d; but forward press, and each Encourage each, if so the lightning’s Lord, Olympian Jove, may grant us to repel,

And backward to his city chase the foe.”

 

Thus they, with cheering words, sustain’d the war: Thick as the snow-flakes on a wintry day, When Jove, the Lord of counsel, down on men His snow-storm sends, and manifests his pow’r: Hush’d are the winds; the flakes continuous fall, That the high mountain tops, and jutting crags, And lotus-cover’d meads are buried deep, And man’s productive labours of the field; On hoary Ocean’s beach and bays they lie, Th’ approaching waves their bound; o’er all beside Is spread by Jove the heavy veil of snow.

So thickly new the stones from either side, By Greeks on Trojans hurl’d, by these on Greeks; And clatter’d loud through all its length the wall.

Nor yet the Trojans, though by Hector led, The gates had broken, and the massive bar, But Jove against the Greeks sent forth his son Sarpedon, as a lion on a herd:

His shield’s broad orb before his breast he bore, Well-wrought, of beaten brass, which th’ arm’rer’s hand Had beaten out, and lin’d with stout bull’s-hide; With golden rods, continuous, all around; He thus equipp’d, two jav’lins brandishing, Strode onward, as a lion, mountain-bred, Whom, fasting long, his dauntless courage leads To assail the flock, though in well-guarded fold; And though the shepherds there he find, prepar’d With dogs and lances to protect the sheep, Not unattempted will he leave the fold; But, springing to the midst, he bears his prey In triumph thence; or in the onset falls, Wounded by jav’lins hurl’d by stalwart hands: So, prompted by his godlike courage, burn’d Sarpedon to assail the lofty wall,

And storm the ramparts; and to Glaucus thus, Son of Hippolochus, his speech address’d: “Whence is it, Glaucus, that in Lycian land We two at feasts the foremost seats may claim, The largest portions, and the fullest cups?

Why held as Gods in honour? why endow’d With ample heritage, by Xanthus’ banks, Of vineyard, and of wheat producing land?

Then by the Lycians should we not be seen The foremost to affront the raging fight?

So may our well-arm’d Lycians make their boast; ‘To no inglorious Kings we Lycians owe Allegiance; they on richest viands feed; Of luscious flavour drink the choicest wine; But still their valour brightest shows; and they, Where Lycians war, are foremost in the fight!’

O friend! if we, survivors of this war, Could live, from age and death for ever free, Thou shouldst not see me foremost in the fight, Nor would I urge thee to the glorious field: But since on man ten thousand forms of death Attend, which none may ‘scape, then on, that we May glory on others gain, or they on us!”

 

Thus he; nor Glaucus from his bidding shrank; And forward straight they led the Lycian pow’rs.

Menestheus, son of Peteus, with dismay Observ’d their movement; for on his command, Inspiring terror, their attack was made.

He look’d around him to the Grecian tow’rs, If any chief might there be found, to save His comrades from destruction; there he saw, Of war insatiable, th’ Ajaces twain;

And Teucer, from the tent but newly come, Hard by; nor yet could reach them with his voice; Such was the din, such tumult rose to Heav’n, From clatt’ring shields, and horsehair-crested helms, And batter’d gates, now all at once assail’d: Before them fiercely strove th’ assaulting bands To break their way: he then Thootes sent, His herald, to th’ Ajaces, craving aid.

 

“Haste thee, Thootes, on th’ Ajaces call, Both, if it may be; so we best may hope To ‘scape the death, which else is near at hand; So fierce the pressure of the Lycian chiefs, Undaunted now, as ever, in the fight.

But if they too are hardly press’d, at least Let Ajax, son of Telamon, be spar’d,

And with him Teucer, skilled to draw the bow.”

He said; the herald heard, and straight obey’d; Along the wall, where stood the brass-clad Greeks, He ran, and standing near th’ Ajaces, said: “Ajaces, leaders of the brass-clad Greeks, The son of Heav’n-born Peteus craves your aid.

To share awhile the labours of his guard; Both, if it may be; so he best may hope To ‘scape the death, which else is near at hand: So fierce the pressure of the Lycian chiefs, Undaunted now, as ever, in the fight.

But if ye too are hardly press’d, at least Let Ajax, son of Telamon, be spar’d,

And with him Teucer, skill’d to draw the bow.”

 

He said: the mighty son of Telamon

Consenting, thus addresss’d Oileus’ son: “Ajax, do thou and valiant