Complete Works of Homer

by Homer

  Far from the fleet, led to a place, pure and exempt from blood,

  The Trojans' forces. From their horse all lighted, and did hear

  Th' oration Jove-loved Hector made; who held a goodly spear,

  Eleven full cubits long, the head was brass, and did reflect

  A wanton light before him still, it round about was decked

  With strong hoops of new burnished gold. On this he leaned, and said :

  “Hear me, my worthy friends of Troy, and you our honoured aid.

  A little since, I had conceit we should have made retreat,

  By light of the inflamed fleet, with all the Greeks' escheat.

  But darkness hath prevented us, and saft, with special grace,

  These Achives and their shore-haled fleet. Let us then render place

  To sacred Night, our suppers dress, and from our chariot free

  Our fair-maned horse, and meat them well. Then let there convoyed be,

  From forth the city presently, oxen and well-fed sheep,

  Sweet wine, and bread; and fell much wood, that all night we may keep

  Plenty of fires, even till the light bring forth the lovely morn,

  And let their brightness glaze the skies, that night may not suborn

  The Greeks' escape, if they for flight the sea's broad back would take;

  At least they may not part with ease, but, as retreat they make,

  Each man may bear a wound with him, to cure when he comes home,

  Made with a shaft or sharpened spear, and others fear to come,

  With charge of lamentable war, 'gainst soldiers bred in Troy.

  Then let our heralds through the town their offices employ s

  To warn the youth, yet short of war, and time-white fathers, past,

  That in our god-built towers they see strong courts of guard be placed

  About the walls; and let our dames, yet flourishing in years,

  That, having beauties to keep pure, are most inclined to fears

  (Since darkness in distressful times more dreadful is than light)

  Make lofty fires in every house; and thus, the dangerous night,

  Held with strong watch, if th' enemy have ambuscadoes laid

  Near to our walls (and therefore seem m flight the more dismayed,

  Intending a surprise, while we are all without the town)

  They .every way shall be impugned to every man's renown.

  Perform all this, brave Trojan friends. What now I have to say

  Is all expressed; the cheerful morn shall other things display.

  It is my glory (putting trust in Jove, and other Gods)

  That I shall now expulse these dogs Fates sent to our abodes,

  Who bring ostents of destiny, and black their threat'ning fleet.

  But this night let us hold strong guards; to-morrow we will meet

  (With fierce-made war) before their ships, and I'll make known to all

  If strong Tydides from their ships can drive me to their wall,

  Or I can pierce him with my sword, and force his bloody spoil.

  The wished morn shall show his power, if he can shun his foil

  I running on him with my lance. I think, when day ascends,

  He shall lie wounded with the first, and by him many friends.

  O that I were as sure to live immortal, and sustain

  No frailties with increasing years, but evermore remain

  Adored like Pallas, or the Sun, as all doubts lie in me

  That heaven's next light shall be the last the Greeks shall ever see!"

  This speech all Trojans did applaud; who from their traces loosed

  Their sweating horse, which severally with headstalls they repos'd,

  And fast'ned by their chariots, when others brought from town

  Fat sheep and oxen, instantly, bread, wine, and hewed down

  Huge store of wood. The winds transferred into the friendly sky

  Their supper's savour; to the which they sat delightfully,

  And spent all night in open field. Fires round about them shined.

  As when about the silver moon, when air is free from wind,

  And stars shine clear, to whose sweet beams, high prospects, and the brows

  Of all steep hills and pinnacles, thrust up themselves for shows,

  And even the lowly valleys joy to glitter in their sight,

  When the unmeasured firmament bursts to disclose her light,

  And all the signs in heaven are seen that glad the shepherd's heart;

  So many fires disclosed their beams, made by the Trojan part,

  Before the face of Ilion, and her bright turrets showed.

  A thousand courts of guard kept fires, and every guard allowed

  Fifty stout men, by whom their horse ate oats and hard white corn,

  And all did wilfully expect the silver-throned morn.

  BOOK IX.

  ARGUMENT.

  To Agamemnon, urging hopeless flight,

  Stand Diomed, and Nestor, opposite.

  By Nestor's counsel, legates are dismissed

  To Thetis' son f who still denies t' assist.

  ANOTHER ARGUMENT.

  Iota sings the Ambassy,

  And great Achilles' stern reply.

  SO held the Troj ans sleepless guard; the Greeks to Flight were given,

  The feehle consort of cold Fear, strangely infused from heaven;

  Grief, not to be endured, did wound all the Greeks of greatest worth.

  And as two lateral-sited winds, the west wind and the north,

  Meet at the Thi aeian sea's black breast, join in a sudden blore,

  Tumble together the dark waves, and pour upon the shore

  A mighty deal of froth and weed, with which men manure ground;

  So Jove and Troy did drive the Greeks, and all their minds confound.

  But Agamemnon most of all was tortured at his heart,

  Who to the voiceful heralds went, and bade them cite, apart,

  Each Grecian leader severally, not openly proclaim.

  In which he laboured with the first; and all together came.

  They sadly sate. The king arose, and poured out tears as fast

  As from a lofty rock a spring doth his black waters cast,

  And deeply sighing, thus bespake the Achives : " O my friends,

  Princes, and leaders of the Greeks, heaven's adverse king extends

  His wrath, with too much detriment, to my so just design,

  Since he hath often promised me, and bound it with the sign

  Of his bent forehead, that this Troy our vengeful hands should race,

  And safe return; yet, now engaged, he plagues us with disgrace,

  When all our trust to him hath drawn so much blood from our friends.

  My glory, nor my brother's wreak, were the proposed ends,

  For which he drew you to these toils, but your whole country's shame,

  Which had been huge to bear the rape of so divine a dame

  Made in despite of our revenge. And yet not that had moved

  Our powers to these designs, if Jove had not our drifts approved;

  Which since we see he did for blood, 'tis desperate fight in us

  To strive with him; then let us fly; 'tis flight he urgeth thus."

  Long time still silence held them all; at last did Diomed rise :

  “Atrides, I am first must cross thy indiscreet advice,

  As may become me, being a king, in this our martial court.

  Be not displeased then; for thyself didst broadly misreport

  In open field my fortitude, and called me faint and weak,

  Yet I was silent, knowing the time, loth any rites to break

  That appertained thy public rule, yet all the Greeks knew well,

  Of every age, thou didst me wrong. As thou then didst refel

  My valour first of all the host, as of a man dismayed;

  So now, with fit occasion given, I first blame thee afra
id.

  Inconstant Saturn's son hath given inconstant spirits to thee,

  And, with a sceptre over all, an eminent degree,

  But with a sceptre's sovereign grace, the chief power, Fortitude,

  To bridle thee, he thought not best thy breast should be endued.

  Unhappy king, think'st thou the Greeks are such a silly sort,

  And so excessive impotent, as thy weak words import?

  If thy mind move thee to be gone, the way is open, go;

  Mycenian ships enow ride near, that brought thee to this woe.

  The rest of Greece will stay, nor stir till Troy be overcome

  With full eversion; or if not, but (doters of their home)

  Will put on wings to fly with thee. Myself and Sthenelus

  Will fight till (trusting favouring Jove) we bring home Troy with us."

  This all applauded, and admired the spirit of Diomed;

  When Nestor, rising from the rest, his speech thus seconded:

  “Tydides, thou art questionless our strongest Greek in war,

  And gravest in thy counsels too, of all that equal are

  In place with thee, and stand on strength; nor is there any one

  Can blame, or contradict tby speech; and yet thou hast not gone

  So far, but we must further go. Thou'rt young, and well might'st be

  My youngest son, though still I yield thy words had high degree

  Of wisdom in them to our king, since well they did become

  Their right in question, and refute inglorious going home.

  But I, well known thy senior far, will speak, and handle all

  Yet to propose, which none shall check; no, not our general.

  A hater of society, unjust and wild, is he

  That loves intestine war, being stuffed with manless cruelty.

  And therefore in persuading peace, and home-flight, we the less

  May blame our gen'ral, as one loth to wrap in more distress

  His loved soldiers. But because they bravely are resolved

  To cast lives after toils, before they part in shame involved,

  Provide we for our honoured stay; obey black night, and fall

  Now to our suppers; then appoint our guards without the wall,

  And in the bottom of the dike; which guards I wish may stand

  Of our brave youth. And, Atreus' son, since thou art in command

  Before our other kings, be first in thy command's effect.

  It well becomes thee; since 'tis both what all thy peers expect,

  And in the royal rigbt of things is no impair to thee.

  Nor shall it stand with less than right, that they invited be

  To supper by thee; all thy tents are amply stored with wine,

  Brought daily in Greek ships from Thrace; and to this grace of thine

  All necessaries thou hast fit, and store of men to wait;

  And, many meeting there, thou mayst hear every man's conceit,

  And take the best. It much concerns all Greeks to use advice

  Of gravest nature, since so near our ships our enemies

  Have lighted such a sort of fires, with which what man is joyed?

  Look, how all bear themselves this night; so live, or be destroyed."

  All heard, and followed his advice. There was appointed then

  Seven captains of the watch, who forth did march with all their men.

  The first was famous Thrasymed, adviceful Nestor's son;

  Ascalaphus; and Ialmen; and mighty Merion;

  Alphareus; and Deipyrus; and lovely Lycomed,

  Old Creon's joy. These seven bold lords an hundred soldiers led,

  In every severed company, and every man his pike,

  Some placed on the rampire's top, and some amidst the dike.

  All fires made, and their suppers took. Atrides to his tent

  Invited all the peers of Greece, and food sufficient

  Apposed before them, and the peers apposed their hands to it.

  Hunger and thirst being quickly quenched, to counsel still they sit.

  And first spake Nestor, who they thought of late advised so well,

  A father grave, and rightly wise, who thus his tale did tell:

  “Most high Atrides, since in thee I have intent to end,

  I1 rom thee will I begin my speech, to whom Jove doth commend

  The empire of so many men, and puts into thy hand

  A sceptre, and established laws, that thou mayst well command,

  And counsel all men under thee. It therefore doth behove

  Thyself to speak most, since of all thy speeches most will move;

  And yet to hear, as well as speak; and then perform as well

  A free just counsel; in thee still must stick what others tell.

  For me, what in my judgment stands the most convenient

  I will advise, and am assured advice more competent

  Shall not be given, the general proof, that hath before been made

  Of what I speak, confirms me still, and now may well persuade,

  Because I could not then, yet ought, when thou, most royal king,

  Even from the teat, Achilles' love didst violently bring,

  Against my counsel, urging thee by all means to relent;

  But you, obeying your high mind, would venture the event,

  Dishonouring our ablest Greek, a man th' Immortals grace.

  Again yet let's deliberate, to make him now embrace

  Affection to our general good, and bring his force to field;

  Both which kind words and pleasing gifts must make his virtues yield."

  “O father," answered the king, " my wrongs thou tell'st me right.

  Mine own offence mine own tongue grants. One man must stand in fight

  For our whole army; him I wronged; him Jove loves from his heart,

  He shows it in thus honouring him; who, living thus apart,

  Proves us but number, for his want makes all our weakness seen.

  Yet after my confessed offence, soothing my hum'rous spleen,

  I'll sweeten his affects again with presents infinite,

  Which, to approve my firm intent, I'll openly recite :

  Seven sacred tripods free from fire; ten talents of fine gold;

  Twenty bright caldrons; twelve young horse, well-shaped, and well controlled,

  And victors too, for they have won the prize at many a race,

  That man should not be poor that had but what their winged pace

  Hath added to my treasury, nor feel sweet gold's defect.

  Seven Lesbian ladies he shall have, that were the most select,

  And in their needles rarely skilled, whom, when he took the town

  Of famous Lesbos, I did choose, who won the chief renown

  For beauty from their whole fair sex, amongst whom I'll resign

  Fair Briseis, and I deeply swear (for any fact of mine

  That may discourage her receipt) she is untouched, and rests

  As he resigned her. To these gifts, if Jove to our requests

  Vouchsafe performance, and afford the work, for which we wait,

  Of winning Troy, with brass and gold he shall his navy freight;

  And, ent'ring when we be at spoil, that prfacely hand of his

  Shall choose him twenty Trojan dames, excepting Tyndaris,

  The fairest Pergamus enfolds; and, if we make retreat

  To Argos, called of all the world the Navel, or chief seat,

  He shall become my son-in-law, and I will honour him

  Even as Orestes, my sole son, that doth in honours swim.

  Three daughters in my well-built court unmarried are, and fair;

  Laodice, Chrysothemis that hath the golden hair,

  And Iphianassa; of all three the. worthiest let him take

  All jointureless to Peleus' court, I will her jointure make,

  And that so great as never yet did any maid prefer.

  Seven cities right magnifice
nt I will bestow on her:

  Enope, and Cardamyle, Hira for herhs renowned,

  The fair yEpea, Pedasus that doth with grapes abound,

  Anthsea girded with green meads, Phera surnamed Divine;

  All whose bright turrets on the seas, in sandy Pylos, shine.

  Th' inhabitants in flocks and herds are wondrous confluent,

  Who like a God will honour him, and him with gifts present,

  And to his throne will contribute what tribute he will rate.

  All this I gladly will perform, to pacify his hate.

  Let him be mild and tractahle; 'tis for the God of ghosts

  To be unruled, implacable, and seek the blood of hosts,

  Whom therefore men do much abhor; then let him yield to me,

  I am his greater, being a king, and more in years than he.''

  “Brave king," said Nestor, " these rich gifts must make him needs relent,

  Choose then fit legates instantly to greet him at his tent.

  But stay; admit my choice of them, and let them straight he gone.

  Jove-loved Phcenix shall be chief, then Ajax Telamon,

  And prince Ulysses; and on them let these two heralds wait,

  Grave Odius and Eurybates. Come, lords, take water straight,

  Make pure your hands, and with sweet words appease Achilles' mind,

  Which we will pray the king of Gods may gently make inclined."

  All liked his speech; and on their hands the heralds water shed,

  The youths crowned cups of sacred wine to all distributed.

  But having sacrificed, and drunk to every man's content,

  With many notes by Nestor given, the legates forward went.

  With courtship in fit gestures used he did prepare them well,

  But most Ulysses, for his grace did not so much excel.

  Such rites beseem ambassadors; and Nestor urged these,

  That their most honours might reflect enraged Aeacides.

  They went along the shore, and prayed the God,.that earth doth bind

  In braekish chains, they might not fail, but bow his mighty mind.

  The quarter of the Myrmidons they reached, and found him set

  Delighted with his solemn harp, which curiously was fret

  With works conceited through the verge; the bawdriek that embraced

  His lofty neck was silver twist; this, when his hand laid waste

  Aetion's eity, he did choose as his especial prize,

  And, loving sacred music well, made it his exercise.

  To it he sung the glorious deeds of great heroes dead,