Complete Works of Homer

by Homer

  Above the nipple; and his sword a mortal wound impressed

  Beneath the ear of Antiphus; down from their horse they fell.

  The king had seen the youths before, and now did know them well,

  Remembering them the prisoners of swift Aeacides,

  Who brought them to the sable fleet from Ida's foody leas.

  And as a lion having found the furrow of a. hind,

  Where she had calved two little twins, at will and ease doth grind

  The joints snatched in his solid jaws, and crusheth into mist

  Their tender lives; their dam, though near, not able to resist,

  But shook with vehement fear herself, flies through the oaken chase

  From that fell savage, drowned in sweat, and seeks some covert place;

  So when with most unmatched strength the Grecian General bent

  'Gainst these two princes, none durst aid their native king's descent,

  But fled themselves before the Greeks. And where these two were slain,

  Pisander and Hippolochus, not able to restrain

  Their headstrong horse, the silken reins being from their hands let fall,

  Were brought by their unruly guides before the General.

  Antimachus begat them both, Antimachus that took

  Rich gifts, and gold, of Helen's love, and would by no means brook

  Just restitution should be made of Menelaus' wealth,

  Bereft him, with his ravished queen, by Alexander's stealth.

  Atrides, lion-like, did charge his sons, who on their knees

  Fell from their chariot, and besought regard to their degrees,

  Who, being Antimachus's sons, their father would afford

  A worthy ransom for their lives, who in his house -did hoard

  Much hidden treasure, brass, and gold, and steel, wrought wondrous choiec.

  Thus wept they, using smoothing terms, and heard this rugged voice

  Breathed from the unrelenting king : " If you be of the breed

  Of stout Antimachus, that stayed the honourable deed

  The other peers of Ilion in counsel had decreed,

  To render Helen and her wealth, and would have basely slain

  My brother and wise Ithacus, ambassadors t' attain

  The most due motion, now receive wreak for his shameful part."

  This said, in poor Pisander's breast he fixed his wreakful dart,

  Who upward spread th' oppressed earth; his brother crouched for dread,

  And, as he lay, the angry king cut off his arms and head,

  And let him like a football lie for every man to spurn.

  Then to th' 'extremest heat of fight he did his valour turn,

  And led a multitude of Greeks, where foot did foot subdue,

  Horse slaughtered horse. Need feathered flight, the battered centre flew

  In clouds of dust about their ears, raised from the horses' hooves,

  That beat a thunder out of earth as horrible as Jove's.

  The king, persuading speedy chase, gave his persuasions way

  With his own valour, slaught'ring still, as in a stormy day

  In thick-set woods a ravenous fire wraps in his fierce repair

  The shaken trees, and by the roots doth toss them into air;

  Even so beneath Atrides' sword flew up Troy's flying heels,

  Their horse drew empty chariots, and sought their thund'ring wheels

  Some fresh directors through the field, where least the pursuit drives.

  Thick fell the Trojans, much more sweet to vultures than their wives.

  Then Jove drew Hector from the darts, from dust, from death and blood,

  And from the tumult. Still the king firm to the pursuit stood,

  Till at old Ilus' monument, in midst of all the field,

  They reached the wild fig-tree, and longed to make their town their shield.

  Yet there they rested not; the king still cried, " Pursue! Pursue! "

  And all his unreproved hands did blood and dust imbrue.

  But when they came to Scsea's ports, and to the beech of Jove,

  There made they stand; and there every eye, fixed on each other, strove

  Who should outlook his mate amazed; through all the field they fled.

  And as a lion, when the night becomes most deaf and dead,

  Invades ox herds, affrighting all, that he of one may wreak

  His dreadful hunger, and his neck he first of all doth break,

  Then laps his blood and entrails up; so Agamemnon plied

  The manage of the Trojan chase, and still the last man died,

  The other fled, a number fell by his imperial hand,

  Some grovelling downwards from their horse, some upwards strewed the sand.

  High was the fury of his lance. But, having beat them close

  Beneath their walls, the both worlds' Sire did now again repose

  On fountain-flowing Ida's tops, being newly slid from heaven,

  And held a lightning in his hand; from thence this charge was given

  To Iris with the golden wings : " Thaumantia, fly," said he,

  “And tell Troy's Hector, that as long as he enraged shall see

  The soldier-loving Atreus' son amongst the foremost fight,

  Depopulating troops of men, so long he must excite

  Some other to resist the foe, and he no arms advance;

  But when he wounded takes his horse, attained with shaft or lance,

  Then will I fill his arm with death, even till he reach the fleet,

  And peaceful night treads busy day beneath her sacred feet."

  The wind-foot swift Thaumantia obeyed, and used her wings

  To famous Ilion from the mount enchased with silver springs,

  And found in his bright chariot the hardy Trojan knight,

  To whom she spake the words of Jove, and vanished from his sight.

  He leapt upon the sounding earth, and shook his lengthful dart,

  And everywhere he breathed exhorts, and stirred up every heart.

  A dreadful fight he set on foot. His soldiers straight turned head.

  The Greeks stood firm. In both the hosts the field was perfected.

  But Agamemnon foremost still did all his side exceed,

  And would not be the first in name unless the first in deed.

  Now sing, fair Presidents of verse, that in the heavens embower,

  Who first encountered with the king, of all the adverse power.

  Iphidamas, Antenor's son, ample and higly set,

  Brought up in pasture-springing Thrace that doth soft sheep beget,

  In grave Cisseus' noble house, that was his mother's sire,

  Fair Theano; and when his breast was height'ned with the fire

  Of gaysome youth, his grandsire gave his daughter to his love.

  Who straight his bridal-chamber left. Fame with affection strove,

  And made him furnish twelve fair ships to lend fair Troy his hand.

  His ships he in Percope left, and came to Troy by land.

  And now he tried the fame of Greece, encount'ring with the king,

  Who threw his royal lance and missed. Iphidamas did fling,

  And struck him on the arming waist, beneath his coat of brass,

  Which forced him stay upon his arm, so violent it was,

  Yet pierced it not his well-wrought zone, hut when the lazy head

  Tried hardness with his silver waist, it turned again like lead.

  He followed, grasping the ground end, but with a lion's wile

  That wrests away a hunter's staff, he caught it by the pile,

  And plucked it from the caster's hand, whom with his sword he strook

  Beneath the ear, and with his wound his timeless death he took.

  He fell and slept an iron sleep; wretched young man, he died,

  Far from his newly-married wife, in aid of foreign pride,

  And saw no pleasure of his love; yet was her jointure great,
/>   An hundred oxen gave he her, and vowed in his retreat

  Two thousand head of sheep and goats, of which he store did leave.

  Much gave he of his love's first fruits, and nothing did receive.

  When Coon (one that for his form might feast an amorous eye,

  And elder brother of the slain) beheld his tragedy,

  Deep sorrow sat upon his eyes, and (standing laterally,

  And to the General undiscerned) his javelin he let fly,

  That 'twixt his elbow and his wrist transfixed his axmless arm;

  The bright head shined on th' other side. The unexpected harm

  Impressed some horror in the king; yet so he ceased not fight,

  But rushed on Coon with his lance, who made what haste he might,

  Seizing his slaughtered brother's foot, to draw him from the field,

  And called the ablest to his aid, when under his round shield

  The king's brass javelin, as he drew, did strike him helpless dead;

  Who made Iphidamas the block, and cut off Coon's head.

  Thus under great Atrides' arm Antenor's issue thrived;

  And, to suffice precisest fate, to Pluto's mansion dived.

  He with his lance, sword, mighty stones, poured his heroic wreak

  On other squadrons of the foe, whiles yet warm blood did break

  Through his cleft veins; but when the wound was quite exhaust and crude,

  The eager anguish did approve his princely fortitude.

  As when most sharp and bitter pangs distract a labouring dame,

  Which the divine Ilithyas, that rule the painful frame

  Of human child-birth, pour on her; th' Ilithyas that are

  The daughters of Saturnia; with whose extreme repair

  The woman in her travail strives to take the worst it gives,

  With thought it must be, 'tis love's fruit, the end for which she lives,

  The mean to make herself new born, what comforts will redound;

  So Agamemnon did sustain the torment of his wound.

  Then took he chariot, and to fleet bade haste his charioteer,

  But first poured out his highest voice to purchase every ear:

  “Princes and leaders of the Greeks, brave friends, now from our fleet

  Do you expel this boist'rous sway. Jove will not let me meet

  Illustrate Hector, nor give leave that I shall end the day

  In fight against the Ilion power; my wound is in my way."

  This said, his ready charioteer did scourge his spriteful horse,

  That freely to the sable fleet performed their fiery course,

  To bear their wounded sovereign apart the martial thrust,

  Sprinkling their powerful breasts with foam, and snowing on the dust.

  When Hector heard of his retreat, thus he for fame contends:

  “Trojans, Dardanians, Lycians, all my close-fighting friends,

  Think what it is to be renowned, be soldiers all of name,

  Our strongest enemy is gone, Jove vows to do us fame,

  Then in the Grecian faces drive your one-hooved violent steeds,

  And far above their best be best, and glorify your deeds."

  Thus as a dog-given hunter sets upon a brace of boars

  His white-toothed hounds, puffs, shouts, breathes terms, and on his emprese pours

  All his wild art to make them pinch; so Hector urged his host

  To charge the Greeks, and, he himself most bold and active most,

  He brake into the heat of fight, as when a tempest raves,

  Stoops from the clouds, and all on heaps doth cuff the purple waves.

  Who then was first, and last, he killed, when Jove did grace his deed?

  Assseus, and Autonous, Opys, and Clytus' seed

  Prince Dolops, and the honoured sire of sweet Euryalus

  Opheltes, Agelaus next, and strong Hipponous,

  Orus, .ZEsymnus, all of name. The common soldiers fell,

  As when the hollow flood of air in Zephyr s cheeks doth swell,

  And sparseth all the gathered clouds white Notus' power did draw,

  Wraps waves in waves, hurls up the froth beat with a vehement flaw;

  So were the common soldiers wracked in troops by Hector's hand.

  Then ruin had enforced such works- as no Greeks could withstand,

  Then in their fleet they had been housed, had not Laertes' son

  Stirred up the spirit of Diomed, with this impression:

  “Tydides, what do we sustain, forgetting what we are?

  Stand by me, dearest in my love. 'Twere horrible impair

  For our two valours to> endure a customary flight,

  To leave our navy still engaged', and but by fits to fight."

  He answered: " I am bent to stay, and anything sustain;

  But our delight to prove us men will prove, but short and vain,

  For Jove makes Trojans instruments, and virtually then

  Wields arms himself. Our cross affairs are not 'twixt men and men.''

  This said, Thymbrseus with his lance he tumbled from his horse,

  Near his left nipple wounding him. Ulysses did enforce

  Fair Molion, minion to this king that Diomed subdued.

  Both sent they thence till they returned, who now the king pursued

  And furrowed through the thickened troops. As when two chased boars

  Turn head 'gainst kennels of bold hounds, and race way through their gores;

  So, turned from flight, the forward kings showed Trojans backward death.

  Nor fled the Greeks, but by their wills, to get great Hector breath.

  Then took they horse and chariot from two bold city foes,

  Merops Percosius' mighty sons. Their father could disclose,

  Beyond all men, hid auguries, and would not give consent

  To their egression to these wars, jret wilfully they went,

  For Fates, that order sable death, enforced their tragedies.

  Tydides slew them with his lance, and made their arms his prize.

  Hypirochus, and Hippodus, Ulysses reft of light.

  But Jove, that out of Ida looked, then equalised the fight,

  A Grecian for a Trojan then paid tribute to the Fates.

  Yet royal Diomed slew one, even in those even debates,

  That was of name more than the rest, Paeon's renowned son,

  The Prince Agastrophus; his lance into his hip did run;

  His squire detained his horse apart, that hindered him to fly,

  Which he repented at his heart, yet did his feet apply

  His 'scape with all the speed they had alongst the foremost bands,

  And there his loved life dissolved. This Hector understands,

  And rushed with clamour on the king, right soundly seconded

  With troops of Trojans. Which perceived by famous Diomed,

  The deep conceit of Jove's high will stiffened his royal hair,

  Who spake to near-fought Ithacus: " The fate of this affair

  Is bent to us. Come let us stand, and bound his violence."

  Thus threw he his long javelin forth, which smote his head's defence

  Full on the top, yet pierced no skin; brass took repulse with brass;

  His helm (with three folds made, and sharp) the gift of Phoebus was.

  The blow made Hector take the troop, sunk him upon his hand,

  And struck him blind. The king pursued before the foremost band

  His dart's recovery, which he found laid on the purple plain;

  By which time Hector was revived, and, taking horse again,

  Was far commixed within his strength, and fled his darksome grave.

  He followed with his trusty lance, and this elusive brave :

  “Onpe more be thankful to thy heels, proud dog, for thy escape.

  Mischief sat near thy bosom now; and now another rape

  Hath thy Apollo made of thee, to whom thou well mayst pray,

  When thr
ough the singing of our darts thou find'st such guarded way,

  But I shall meet with thee at length, and bring thy latest hour,

  If with like favour any God be fautor of my power.

  Meanwhile some other shall repay what I suspend in thee."

  This said, he set the wretched soul of Paeon's issue free,

  Whom his late wound not fully slew. But Priam's amorous birth

  Against Tydides bent his bow, hid with a hill of earth,

  Part of the ruinated tomb for honoured Ilus built,

  And as the curace of the slain, engraven and richly gilt,

  Tydides from his breast had spoiled, and from his shoulders raft

  His target and his solid helm, he shot, and his keen shaft

  (That never flew from him in vain) did nail unto the ground

  The king's right foot; the spleenful knight laughed sweetly at the wound,

  Crept from his covert, and triumphed : " Now art thou maimed," said he,

  “And would to God my happy hand had so much honoured me

  To have infixed it in thy breast as deep as in thy foot,

  Even to th' expulsure of thy soul! Then blest had been my shoot

  Of all the Trojans; who had then breathed from their long unrests,

  Who fear thee, as the braying goats abhor the king of beasts."

  Undaunted Diomed replied : " You braver with your bow,

  You slick-haired lover, you that hunt and fleer at wenches so,

  Dost thou but stand in arms with me, thy silly archery

  Would give thee little cause to vaunt. As little suffer I

  In this same tall exploit of thine, performed when thou wert hid,

  As if a woman, or a child that knew not what it did,

  Had touched my foot. A coward's steel hath never any edge.

  But mine, t'assure it sharp, still lays dead carcasses in pledge;

  Touch it, it renders lifeless straight, it strikes the fingers' ends

  Of hapless widows in their cheeks, and children blind of friends.

  The subject of it makes earth red, and air with sighs inflames,

  And leaves limbs more embraced with birds than with enamoured dames."

  Lauce-famed Ulysses now came in, and stept before the king,

  Kneeled opposite, and drew the shaft. The eager pain, did sting

  Through all his body. Straight he took his royal chariot there,

  And with direction to the fleet did charge his charioteer.

  Now was Ulysses desolate, fear made no friend remain,

  He thus spake to his mighty mind : " What doth, my state sustain?

  If I should fly this odds in fear, that thus comes clust'ring on,