|
|
| Meanwhile Jove from the top of many-delled Olympus, bade Themis |
|
|
| gather the gods in council, whereon she went about and called |
|
|
| them to the house of Jove. There was not a river absent except |
|
|
| Oceanus, nor a single one of the nymphs that haunt fair groves, |
|
|
| or springs of rivers and meadows of green grass. When they |
|
|
| reached the house of cloud-compelling Jove, they took their seats |
|
|
| in the arcades of polished marble which Vulcan with his |
|
|
| consummate skill had made for father Jove. |
|
|
|
|
| In such wise, therefore, did they gather in the house of Jove. |
|
|
| Neptune also, lord of the earthquake, obeyed the call of the |
|
|
| goddess, and came up out of the sea to join them. There, sitting |
|
|
| in the midst of them, he asked what Jove's purpose might be. |
|
|
| "Why," said he, "wielder of the lightning, have you called the |
|
|
| gods in council? Are you considering some matter that concerns |
|
|
| the Trojans and Achaeans—for the blaze of battle is on the point |
|
|
| of being kindled between them?" |
|
|
|
|
| And Jove answered, "You know my purpose, shaker of earth, and |
|
|
| wherefore I have called you hither. I take thought for them even |
|
|
| in their destruction. For my own part I shall stay here seated on |
|
|
| Mt. Olympus and look on in peace, but do you others go about |
|
|
| among Trojans and Achaeans, and help either side as you may be |
|
|
| severally disposed. If Achilles fights the Trojans without |
|
|
| hindrance they will make no stand against him; they have ever |
|
|
| trembled at the sight of him, and now that he is roused to such |
|
|
| fury about his comrade, he will override fate itself and storm |
|
|
| their city." |
|
|
|
|
| Thus spoke Jove and gave the word for war, whereon the gods took |
|
|
| their several sides and went into battle. Juno, Pallas Minerva, |
|
|
| earth-encircling Neptune, Mercury bringer of good luck and |
|
|
| excellent in all cunning—all these joined the host that came |
|
|
| from the ships; with them also came Vulcan in all his glory, |
|
|
| limping, but yet with his thin legs plying lustily under him. |
|
|
| Mars of gleaming helmet joined the Trojans, and with him Apollo |
|
|
| of locks unshorn, and the archer goddess Diana, Leto, Xanthus, |
|
|
| and laughter-loving Venus. |
|
|
|
|
| So long as the gods held themselves aloof from mortal warriors |
|
|
| the Achaeans were triumphant, for Achilles who had long refused |
|
|
| to fight was now with them. There was not a Trojan but his limbs |
|
|
| failed him for fear as he beheld the fleet son of Peleus all |
|
|
| glorious in his armour, and looking like Mars himself. When, |
|
|
| however, the Olympians came to take their part among men, |
|
|
| forthwith uprose strong Strife, rouser of hosts, and Minerva |
|
|
| raised her loud voice, now standing by the deep trench that ran |
|
|
| outside the wall, and now shouting with all her might upon the |
|
|
| shore of the sounding sea. Mars also bellowed out upon the other |
|
|
| side, dark as some black thunder-cloud, and called on the Trojans |
|
|
| at the top of his voice, now from the acropolis, and now speeding |
|
|
| up the side of the river Simois till he came to the hill |
|
|
| Callicolone. |
|
|
|
|
| Thus did the gods spur on both hosts to fight, and rouse fierce |
|
|
| contention also among themselves. The sire of gods and men |
|
|
| thundered from heaven above, while from beneath Neptune shook the |
|
|
| vast earth, and bade the high hills tremble. The spurs and crests |
|
|
| of many-fountained Ida quaked, as also the city of the Trojans |
|
|
| and the ships of the Achaeans. Hades, king of the realms below, |
|
|
| was struck with fear; he sprang panic-stricken from his throne |
|
|
| and cried aloud in terror lest Neptune, lord of the earthquake, |
|
|
| should crack the ground over his head, and lay bare his mouldy |
|
|
| mansions to the sight of mortals and immortals—mansions so |
|
|
| ghastly grim that even the gods shudder to think of them. Such |
|
|
| was the uproar as the gods came together in battle. Apollo with |
|
|
| his arrows took his stand to face King Neptune, while Minerva |
|
|
| took hers against the god of war; the archer-goddess Diana with |
|
|
| her golden arrows, sister of far-darting Apollo, stood to face |
|
|
| Juno; Mercury the lusty bringer of good luck faced Leto, while |
|
|
| the mighty eddying river whom men can Scamander, but gods |
|
|
| Xanthus, matched himself against Vulcan. |
|
|
|
|
| The gods, then, were thus ranged against one another. But the |
|
|
| heart of Achilles was set on meeting Hector son of Priam, for it |
|
|
| was with his blood that he longed above all things else to glut |
|
|
| the stubborn lord of battle. Meanwhile Apollo set Aeneas on to |
|
|
| attack the son of Peleus, and put courage into his heart, |
|
|
| speaking with the voice of Lycaon son of Priam. In his likeness |
|
|
| therefore, he said to Aeneas, "Aeneas, counsellor of the Trojans, |
|
|
| where are now the brave words with which you vaunted over your |
|
|
| wine before the Trojan princes, saying that you would fight |
|
|
| Achilles son of Peleus in single combat?" |
|
|
|
|
| And Aeneas answered, "Why do you thus bid me fight the proud son |
|
|
| of Peleus, when I am in no mind to do so? Were I to face him now, |
|
|
| it would not be for the first time. His spear has already put me |
|
|
| to Right from Ida, when he attacked our cattle and sacked |
|
|
| Lyrnessus and Pedasus; Jove indeed saved me in that he vouchsafed |
|
|
| me strength to fly, else had the fallen by the hands of Achilles |
|
|
| and Minerva, who went before him to protect him and urged him to |
|
|
| fall upon the Lelegae and Trojans. No man may fight Achilles, for |
|
|
| one of the gods is always with him as his guardian angel, and |
|
|
| even were it not so, his weapon flies ever straight, and fails |
|
|
| not to pierce the flesh of him who is against him; if heaven |
|
|
| would let me fight him on even terms he should not soon overcome |
|
|
| me, though he boasts that he is made of bronze." |
|
|
|
|
| Then said King Apollo, son to Jove, "Nay, hero, pray to the |
|
|
| ever-living gods, for men say that you were born of Jove's |
|
|
| daughter Venus, whereas Achilles is son to a goddess of inferior |
|
|
| rank. Venus is child to Jove, while Thetis is but daughter to the |
|
|
| old man of the sea. Bring, therefore, your spear to bear upon |
|
|
| him, and let him not scare you with his taunts and menaces." |
|
|
|
|
| As he spoke he put courage into the heart of the shepherd of his |
|
|
| people, and he strode in full armour among the ranks of the |
|
|
| foremost fighters. Nor did the son of Anchises escape the notice |
|
|
| of white-armed Juno, as he went forth into the throng to meet |
|
|
| Achilles. She called the gods about her, and said, "Look to it, |
|
|
| you two, Neptune and Minerva, and consider how this shall be; |
|
|
| Phoebus Apollo has been sending Aeneas clad in full armour to |
|
|
| fight Achilles. Shall we turn him back at once, or shall one of |
|
|
| us stand by Achilles and endow him with strength so that his |
|
|
| heart fail not, and he may learn that the chiefs of the immortals |
|
|
| are on his side, while the others who have all along been |
|
|
| defending the Trojans are but vain helpers? Let us all come down |
|
|
| from Olympus and join in the fight, that this day he may take no |
|
|
| hurt at the hands of the Trojans. Hereafter let him suffer |
|
|
| whatever fate may have spun out for him when he was begotten and |
|
|
| his mother bore him. If Achilles be not thus assured by the voice |
|
|
| of a god, he may come to fear presently when one of us meets him |
|
|
| in battle, for the gods are terrible if they are seen face to |
|
|
| face." |
|
|
|
|
| Neptune lord of the earthquake answered her saying, "Juno, |
|
|
| restrain your fury; it is not well; I am not in favour of forcing |
|
|
| the other gods to fight us, for the advantage is too greatly on |
|
|
| our own side; let us take our places on some hill out of the |
|
|
| beaten track, and let mortals fight it out among themselves. If |
|
|
| Mars or Phoebus Apollo begin fighting, or keep Achilles in check |
|
|
| so that he cannot fight, we too, will at once raise the cry of |
|
|
| battle, and in that case they will soon leave the field and go |
|
|
| back vanquished to Olympus among the other gods." |
|
|
|
|
| With these words the dark-haired god led the way to the high |
|
|
| earth-barrow of Hercules, built round solid masonry, and made by |
|
|
| the Trojans and Pallas Minerva for him fly to when the |
|
|
| sea-monster was chasing him from the shore on to the plain. Here |
|
|
| Neptune and those that were with him took their seats, wrapped in |
|
|
| a thick cloud of darkness; but the other gods seated themselves |
|
|
| on the brow of Callicolone round you, O Phoebus, and Mars the |
|
|
| waster of cities. |
|
|
|
|
| Thus did the gods sit apart and form their plans, but neither |
|
|
| side was willing to begin battle with the other, and Jove from |
|
|
| his seat on high was in command over them all. Meanwhile the |
|
|
| whole plain was alive with men and horses, and blazing with the |
|
|
| gleam of armour. The earth rang again under the tramp of their |
|
|
| feet as they rushed towards each other, and two champions, by far |
|
|
| the foremost of them all, met between the hosts to fight—to wit, |
|
|
| Aeneas son of Anchises, and noble Achilles. |
|
|
|
|
| Aeneas was first to stride forward in attack, his doughty helmet |
|
|
| tossing defiance as he came on. He held his strong shield before |
|
|
| his breast, and brandished his bronze spear. The son of Peleus |
|
|
| from the other side sprang forth to meet him, like some fierce |
|
|
| lion that the whole country-side has met to hunt and kill—at |
|
|
| first he bodes no ill, but when some daring youth has struck him |
|
|
| with a spear, he crouches openmouthed, his jaws foam, he roars |
|
|
| with fury, he lashes his tail from side to side about his ribs |
|
|
| and loins, and glares as he springs straight before him, to find |
|
|
| out whether he is to slay, or be slain among the foremost of his |
|
|
| foes—even with such fury did Achilles burn to spring upon |
|
|
| Aeneas. |
|
|
|
|
| When they were now close up with one another Achilles was first |
|
|
| to speak. "Aeneas," said he, "why do you stand thus out before |
|
|
| the host to fight me? Is it that you hope to reign over the |
|
|
| Trojans in the seat of Priam? Nay, though you kill me Priam will |
|
|
| not hand his kingdom over to you. He is a man of sound judgement, |
|
|
| and he has sons of his own. Or have the Trojans been allotting |
|
|
| you a demesne of passing richness, fair with orchard lawns and |
|
|
| corn lands, if you should slay me? This you shall hardly do. I |
|
|
| have discomfited you once already. Have you forgotten how when |
|
|
| you were alone I chased you from your herds helter-skelter down |
|
|
| the slopes of Ida? You did not turn round to look behind you; you |
|
|
| took refuge in Lyrnessus, but I attacked the city, and with the |
|
|
| help of Minerva and father Jove I sacked it and carried its women |
|
|
| into captivity, though Jove and the other gods rescued you. You |
|
|
| think they will protect you now, but they will not do so; |
|
|
| therefore I say go back into the host, and do not face me, or you |
|
|
| will rue it. Even a fool may be wise after the event." |
|
|
|
|
| Then Aeneas answered, "Son of Peleus, think not that your words |
|
|
| can scare me as though I were a child. I too, if I will, can brag |
|
|
| and talk unseemly. We know one another's race and parentage as |
|
|
| matters of common fame, though neither have you ever seen my |
|
|
| parents nor I yours. Men say that you are son to noble Peleus, |
|
|
| and that your mother is Thetis, fair-haired daughter of the sea. |
|
|
| I have noble Anchises for my father, and Venus for my mother; the |
|
|
| parents of one or other of us shall this day mourn a son, for it |
|
|
| will be more than silly talk that shall part us when the fight is |
|
|
| over. Learn, then, my lineage if you will—and it is known to |
|
|
| many. |
|
|
|
|
| "In the beginning Dardanus was the son of Jove, and founded |
|
|
| Dardania, for Ilius was not yet stablished on the plain for men |
|
|
| to dwell in, and her people still abode on the spurs of |
|
|
| many-fountained Ida. Dardanus had a son, king Erichthonius, who |
|
|
| was wealthiest of all men living; he had three thousand mares |
|
|
| that fed by the water-meadows, they and their foals with them. |
|
|
| Boreas was enamoured of them as they were feeding, and covered |
|
|
| them in the semblance of a dark-maned stallion. Twelve filly |
|
|
| foals did they conceive and bear him, and these, as they sped |
|
|
| over the rich plain, would go bounding on over the ripe ears of |
|
|
| corn and not break them; or again when they would disport |
|
|
| themselves on the broad back of Ocean they could gallop on the |
|
|
| crest of a breaker. Erichthonius begat Tros, king of the Trojans, |
|
|
| and Tros had three noble sons, Ilus, Assaracus, and Ganymede who |
|
|
| was comeliest of mortal men; wherefore the gods carried him off |
|
|
| to be Jove's cupbearer, for his beauty's sake, that he might |
|
|
| dwell among the immortals. Ilus begat Laomedon, and Laomedon |
|
|
| begat Tithonus, Priam, Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon of the stock |
|
|
| of Mars. But Assaracus was father to Capys, and Capys to |
|
|
| Anchises, who was my father, while Hector is son to Priam. |
|
|
|
|
| "Such do I declare my blood and lineage, but as for valour, Jove |
|
|
| gives it or takes it as he will, for he is lord of all. And now |
|
|
| let there be no more of this prating in mid-battle as though we |
|
|
| were children. We could fling taunts without end at one another; |
|
|
| a hundred-oared galley would not hold them. The tongue can run |
|
|
| all whithers and talk all wise; it can go here and there, and as |
|
|
| a man says, so shall he be gainsaid. What is the use of our |
|
|
| bandying hard like women who when they fall foul of one another |
|
|
| go out and wrangle in the streets, one half true and the other |
|
|
| lies, as rage inspires them? No words of yours shall turn me now |
|
|
| that I am fain to fight—therefore let us make trial of one |
|
|
| another with our spears." |
|
|
|
|
| As he spoke he drove his spear at the great and terrible shield |
|
|
| of Achilles, which rang out as the point struck it. The son of |
|
|
| Peleus held the shield before him with his strong hand, and he |
|
|
| was afraid, for he deemed that Aeneas's spear would go through it |
|
|
| quite easily, not reflecting that the god's glorious gifts were |
|
|
| little likely to yield before the blows of mortal men; and indeed |
|
|
| Aeneas's spear did not pierce the shield, for the layer of gold, |
|
|
| gift of the god, stayed the point. It went through two layers, |
|
|
| but the god had made the shield in five, two of bronze, the two |
|
|
| innermost ones of tin, and one of gold; it was in this that the |
|
|
| spear was stayed. |
|
|
|
|
| Achilles in his turn threw, and struck the round shield of Aeneas |
|
|
| at the very edge, where the bronze was thinnest; the spear of |
|
|
| Pelian ash went clean through, and the shield rang under the |
|
|
| blow; Aeneas was afraid, and crouched backwards, holding the |
|
|
| shield away from him; the spear, however, flew over his back, and |
|
|
| stuck quivering in the ground, after having gone through both |
|
|
| circles of the sheltering shield. Aeneas though he had avoided |
|
|
| the spear, stood still, blinded with fear and grief because the |
|
|
| weapon had gone so near him; then Achilles sprang furiously upon |
|
|
| him, with a cry as of death and with his keen blade drawn, and |
|
|
| Aeneas seized a great stone, so huge that two men, as men now |
|
|
| are, would be unable to lift it, but Aeneas wielded it quite |
|
|
| easily. |
|
|
|
|
| Aeneas would then have struck Achilles as he was springing |
|
|
| towards him, either on the helmet, or on the shield that covered |
|
|
| him, and Achilles would have closed with him and despatched him |
|
|
| with his sword, had not Neptune lord of the earthquake been quick |
|
|
| to mark, and said forthwith to the immortals, "Alas, I am sorry |
|
|
| for great Aeneas, who will now go down to the house of Hades, |
|
|
| vanquished by the son of Peleus. Fool that he was to give ear to |
|
|
| the counsel of Apollo. Apollo will never save him from |
|
|
| destruction. Why should this man suffer when he is guiltless, to |
|
|
| no purpose, and in another's quarrel? Has he not at all times |
|
|
| offered acceptable sacrifice to the gods that dwell in heaven? |
|
|
| Let us then snatch him from death's jaws, lest the son of Saturn |
|
|
| be angry should Achilles slay him. It is fated, moreover, that he |
|
|
| should escape, and that the race of Dardanus, whom Jove loved |
|
|
| above all the sons born to him of mortal women, shall not perish |
|
|
| utterly without seed or sign. For now indeed has Jove hated the |
|
|
| blood of Priam, while Aeneas shall reign over the Trojans, he and |
|
|
| his children's children that shall be born hereafter." |
|
|
|
|
| Then answered Juno, "Earth-shaker, look to this matter yourself, |
|
|
| and consider concerning Aeneas, whether you will save him, or |
|
|
| suffer him, brave though he be, to fall by the hand of Achilles |
|
|
| son of Peleus. For of a truth we two, I and Pallas Minerva, have |
|
|
| sworn full many a time before all the immortals, that never would |
|
|
| we shield Trojans from destruction, not even when all Troy is |
|
|
| burning in the flames that the Achaeans shall kindle." |
|
|
|
|
| When earth-encircling Neptune heard this he went into the battle |
|
|
| amid the clash of spears, and came to the place where Achilles |
|
|
| and Aeneas were. Forthwith he shed a darkness before the eyes of |
|
|
| the son of Peleus, drew the bronze-headed ashen spear from the |
|
|
| shield of Aeneas, and laid it at the feet of Achilles. Then he |
|
|
| lifted Aeneas on high from off the earth and hurried him away. |
|
|
| Over the heads of many a band of warriors both horse and foot did |
|
|
| he soar as the god's hand sped him, till he came to the very |
|
|
| fringe of the battle where the Cauconians were arming themselves |
|
|
| for fight. Neptune, shaker of the earth, then came near to him |
|
|
| and said, "Aeneas, what god has egged you on to this folly in |
|
|
| fighting the son of Peleus, who is both a mightier man of valour |
|
|
| and more beloved of heaven than you are? Give way before him |
|
|
| whensoever you meet him, lest you go down to the house of Hades |
|
|
| even though fate would have it otherwise. When Achilles is dead |
|
|
| you may then fight among the foremost undaunted, for none other |
|
|
| of the Achaeans shall slay you." |
|
|
|
|
| The god left him when he had given him these instructions, and at |
|
|
| once removed the darkness from before the eyes of Achilles, who |
|
|
| opened them wide indeed and said in great anger, "Alas! what |
|
|
| marvel am I now beholding? Here is my spear upon the ground, but |
|
|
| I see not him whom I meant to kill when I hurled it. Of a truth |
|
|
| Aeneas also must be under heaven's protection, although I had |
|
|
| thought his boasting was idle. Let him go hang; he will be in no |
|
|
| mood to fight me further, seeing how narrowly he has missed being |
|
|
| killed. I will now give my orders to the Danaans and attack some |
|
|
| other of the Trojans." |
|
|
|
|
| He sprang forward along the line and cheered his men on as he did |
|
|
| so. "Let not the Trojans," he cried, "keep you at arm's length, |
|
|
| Achaeans, but go for them and fight them man for man. However |
|
|
| valiant I may be, I cannot give chase to so many and fight all of |
|
|
| them. Even Mars, who is an immortal, or Minerva, would shrink |
|
|
| from flinging himself into the jaws of such a fight and laying |
|
|
| about him; nevertheless, so far as in me lies I will show no |
|
|
| slackness of hand or foot nor want of endurance, not even for a |
|
|
| moment; I will utterly break their ranks, and woe to the Trojan |
|
|
| who shall venture within reach of my spear." |
|
|
|
|
| Thus did he exhort them. Meanwhile Hector called upon the Trojans |
|
|
| and declared that he would fight Achilles. "Be not afraid, proud |
|
|
| Trojans," said he, "to face the son of Peleus; I could fight gods |
|
|
| myself if the battle were one of words only, but they would be |
|
|
| more than a match for me, if we had to use our spears. Even so |
|
|
| the deed of Achilles will fall somewhat short of his word; he |
|
|
| will do in part, and the other part he will clip short. I will go |
|
|
| up against him though his hands be as fire—though his hands be |
|
|
| fire and his strength iron." |
|
|
|
|
| Thus urged the Trojans lifted up their spears against the |
|
|
| Achaeans, and raised the cry of battle as they flung themselves |
|
|
| into the midst of their ranks. But Phoebus Apollo came up to |
|
|
| Hector and said, "Hector, on no account must you challenge |
|
|
| Achilles to single combat; keep a lookout for him while you are |
|
|
| under cover of the others and away from the thick of the fight, |
|
|
| otherwise he will either hit you with a spear or cut you down at |
|
|
| close quarters." |
|
|
|
|
| Thus he spoke, and Hector drew back within the crowd, for he was |
|
|
| afraid when he heard what the god had said to him. Achilles then |
|
|
| sprang upon the Trojans with a terrible cry, clothed in valour as |
|
|
| with a garment. First he killed Iphition son of Otrynteus, a |
|
|
| leader of much people whom a naiad nymph had borne to Otrynteus |
|
|
| waster of cities, in the land of Hyde under the snowy heights of |
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| Mt. Tmolus. Achilles struck him full on the head as he was coming |
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| on towards him, and split it clean in two; whereon he fell |
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| heavily to the ground and Achilles vaunted over him saying, "You |
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| be low, son of Otrynteus, mighty hero; your death is here, but |
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| your lineage is on the Gygaean lake where your father's estate |
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| lies, by Hyllus, rich in fish, and the eddying waters of Hermus." |
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| Thus did he vaunt, but darkness closed the eyes of the other. |
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| The chariots of the Achaeans cut him up as their wheels passed |
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| over him in the front of the battle, and after him Achilles |
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| killed Demoleon, a valiant man of war and son to Antenor. He |
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| struck him on the temple through his bronze-cheeked helmet. The |
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| helmet did not stay the spear, but it went right on, crushing the |
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| bone so that the brain inside was shed in all directions, and his |
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| lust of fighting was ended. Then he struck Hippodamas in the |
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| midriff as he was springing down from his chariot in front of |
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| him, and trying to escape. He breathed his last, bellowing like a |
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| bull bellows when young men are dragging him to offer him in |
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| sacrifice to the King of Helice, and the heart of the |
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| earth-shaker is glad; even so did he bellow as he lay dying. |
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| Achilles then went in pursuit of Polydorus son of Priam, whom his |
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| father had always forbidden to fight because he was the youngest |
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| of his sons, the one he loved best, and the fastest runner. He, |
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| in his folly and showing off the fleetness of his feet, was |
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| rushing about among front ranks until he lost his life, for |
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| Achilles struck him in the middle of the back as he was darting |
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| past him: he struck him just at the golden fastenings of his belt |
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| and where the two pieces of the double breastplate overlapped. |
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| The point of the spear pierced him through and came out by the |
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| navel, whereon he fell groaning on to his knees and a cloud of |
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| darkness overshadowed him as he sank holding his entrails in his |
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| hands. |
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| When Hector saw his brother Polydorus with his entrails in his |
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| hands and sinking down upon the ground, a mist came over his |
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| eyes, and he could not bear to keep longer at a distance; he |
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| therefore poised his spear and darted towards Achilles like a |
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| flame of fire. When Achilles saw him he bounded forward and |
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| vaunted saying, "This is he that has wounded my heart most deeply |
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| and has slain my beloved comrade. Not for long shall we two quail |
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| before one another on the highways of war." |
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| He looked fiercely on Hector and said, "Draw near, that you may |
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| meet your doom the sooner." Hector feared him not and answered, |
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| "Son of Peleus, think not that your words can scare me as though |
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| I were a child; I too if I will can brag and talk unseemly; I |
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| know that you are a mighty warrior, mightier by far than I, |
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| nevertheless the issue lies in the lap of heaven whether I, worse |
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| man though I be, may not slay you with my spear, for this too has |
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| been found keen ere now." |
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| He hurled his spear as he spoke, but Minerva breathed upon it, |
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| and though she breathed but very lightly she turned it back from |
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| going towards Achilles, so that it returned to Hector and lay at |
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| his feet in front of him. Achilles then sprang furiously on him |
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| with a loud cry, bent on killing him, but Apollo caught him up |
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| easily as a god can, and hid him in a thick darkness. Thrice did |
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| Achilles spring towards him spear in hand, and thrice did he |
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| waste his blow upon the air. When he rushed forward for the |
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| fourth time as though he were a god, he shouted aloud saying, |
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| "Hound, this time too you have escaped death—but of a truth it |
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| came exceedingly near you. Phoebus Apollo, to whom it seems you |
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| pray before you go into battle, has again saved you; but if I too |
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| have any friend among the gods I will surely make an end of you |
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| when I come across you at some other time. Now, however, I will |
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| pursue and overtake other Trojans." |
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| On this he struck Dryops with his spear, about the middle of his |
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| neck, and he fell headlong at his feet. There he let him lie and |
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| stayed Demouchus son of Philetor, a man both brave and of great |
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| stature, by hitting him on the knee with a spear; then he smote |
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| him with his sword and killed him. After this he sprang on |
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| Laogonus and Dardanus, sons of Bias, and threw them from their |
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| chariot, the one with a blow from a thrown spear, while the other |
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| he cut down in hand-to-hand fight. There was also Tros the son of |
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| Alastor—he came up to Achilles and clasped his knees in the hope |
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| that he would spare him and not kill him but let him go, because |
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| they were both of the same age. Fool, he might have known that he |
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| should not prevail with him, for the man was in no mood for pity |
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| or forbearance but was in grim earnest. Therefore when Tros laid |
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| hold of his knees and sought a hearing for his prayers, Achilles |
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| drove his sword into his liver, and the liver came rolling out, |
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| while his bosom was all covered with the black blood that welled |
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| from the wound. Thus did death close his eyes as he lay lifeless. |
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| Achilles then went up to Mulius and struck him on the ear with a |
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| spear, and the bronze spear-head came right out at the other ear. |
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| He also struck Echeclus son of Agenor on the head with his sword, |
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| which became warm with the blood, while death and stern fate |
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| closed the eyes of Echeclus. Next in order the bronze point of |
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| his spear wounded Deucalion in the fore-arm where the sinews of |
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| the elbow are united, whereon he waited Achilles' onset with his |
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| arm hanging down and death staring him in the face. Achilles cut |
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| his head off with a blow from his sword and flung it helmet and |
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| all away from him, and the marrow came oozing out of his backbone |
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| as he lay. He then went in pursuit of Rhigmus, noble son of |
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| Peires, who had come from fertile Thrace, and struck him through |
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| the middle with a spear which fixed itself in his belly, so that |
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| he fell headlong from his chariot. He also speared Areithous |
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| squire to Rhigmus in the back as he was turning his horses in |
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| flight, and thrust him from his chariot, while the horses were |
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| struck with panic. |
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| As a fire raging in some mountain glen after long drought—and |
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| the dense forest is in a blaze, while the wind carries great |
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| tongues of fire in every direction—even so furiously did |
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| Achilles rage, wielding his spear as though he were a god, and |
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| giving chase to those whom he would slay, till the dark earth ran |
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| with blood. Or as one who yokes broad-browed oxen that they may |
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| tread barley in a threshing-floor—and it is soon bruised small |
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| under the feet of the lowing cattle—even so did the horses of |
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| Achilles trample on the shields and bodies of the slain. The axle |
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| underneath and the railing that ran round the car were |
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| bespattered with clots of blood thrown up by the horses' hoofs, |
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| and from the tyres of the wheels; but the son of Peleus pressed |
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| on to win still further glory, and his hands were bedrabbled with |
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| gore. |
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|
