Complete Works of Homer

by Homer

'Twere high dishonour; yet 'twere worse to be surprised alone.

  'Tis Jove that drives the rest to flight; but that's a faint excuse.

  Why do I tempt my mind so much? Pale cowards fight refuse.

  He that affects renown in war must like a rock be fixed,

  Wound, or be wounded. Valour's truth puts no respect betwixt."

  In this contention with himself, in flew the shady bands

  Of targeteers, who sieged him round with mischief-filled hands.

  As when a crew of gallants watch the wild muse of a boar,

  Their dogs put after in full cry, he rusheth on before,

  Whets, with his lather-making jaws, his crooked tusks for blood,

  And, holding firm his usual haunts, breaks through the deep'ned wood,

  They charging, though his hot approach be never so abhorred;

  So, to assail the Jove-loved Greek, the Uians did accord,

  And he made through them.' First he hurt, upon his shoulder blade,

  Deiops, a blameless man at arms; then sent to endless shade

  Thoon and Eunomus; and struck the strong Chersidamas,

  As from his chariot he leaped down, beneath his targe of brass,

  Who fell, and crawled upon the earth with his sustaining palms,

  And left the fight. Nor yet his lance left dealing martial alms,

  But Socus' brother by both sides, young Carops, did impress.

  Theu princely Socus to his aid made brotherly access,

  And, coming near, spake in his charge : " O great Laertes' son,

  Insatiate in sly stratagems, and labours never done,

  This hour, or thou shalt boast to kill the two Hippasides

  And prize their arms, or fall thyself in my resolved access.''

  This said, he threw quite through his shield his fell and well-driven lance,

  Which held way through his curaces, and on his rihs did glance,

  Plowing the flesh alongst his sides-; but Pallas did repel

  All inward passage to his life. Ulysses, knowing well

  The wound undeadly (settiug back his foot to form his stand)

  Thus spake to Socus: " O thou wretch, thy death is in this hand,

  That stay'st my victory on Troy, and where thy charge was made

  In doubtful terms (or this or that) this shall thy life invade."

  This frighted Socus to retreat, and, in his faint reverse,

  The lance betwixt his shoulders fell, and through his breast did perse,

  Down fell he sounding, and the king thus played with his mis-ease:

  “O Socus, you that make by birth the two Hippasides,

  Now may your house and you perceive death can outfly the flyer.

  Ah wretch! thou canst not 'scape my vows. Old Hippasus thy sire,

  Nor thy well-honoured mother's hands, in both which lies thy worth,

  Shall close thy wretched eyes in death, but vultures dig them forth,

  And hide them with their darksome wings; but when Ulysses dies,

  Divinest Greeks shall tomb my corse with all their obsequies."

  Now from his body and his shield the violent lance he drew,

  That princely Socus had infixed; which drawn, a crimson dew

  Fell from his bosom on the earth; the wound did dare him sore.

  And when the furious Trojans saw Ulysses' forced gore,

  Encouraging themselves in gross, all his destruction vowed.

  Then he retired, and summoned aid. Thrice shouted he aloud,

  As did denote a man engaged. Thrice Menelaus' ear

  Observed his aid-suggesting voice, and Ajax being near,

  He told him of Ulysses' shouts, as if he were enclosed

  From all assistance, and advised their aids might be disposed

  Against the ring that circled him, lest, charged with troops alone,

  (Though valiant) he might be oppressed, whom Greece so built upon.

  He led, and Ajax seconded. They found their Jove-loved king

  Circled with foes. As when a den of bloody lucerns cling

  About a goodly-palmed hart, hurt with a hunter's bow,

  Whose 'scape his nimble feet enforce, whilst his warm blood doth flow,

  And his light knees have power to move; but, mast'red of his wound,

  Embossed within a shady hill, the lucerns charge him round,

  And tear his flesh; when instantly fortune sends in the powers

  Of some stern lion, with whose sight they fly, and he devours;

  So charged the Ilians Ithacus, many and mighty men.

  But then made Menelaus in, and horrid Ajax then,

  Bearing a target like a tower, close was his violent stand,

  And every way the foe dispersed; when, by the royal hand,

  Kind Menelaus led away the hurt Laertes' son,

  Till his fair squire had brought his horse. Victorious Telamon

  Still plied the foe, and put to sword a young Priamides,

  Doryclus, Priam's bastard son; then did his lance impress

  Pandocus, and strong Pirasus, Lysander and Palertes.

  As when a torrent from tlie hills, swoln with Saturnian showers,

  Falls on the fields, bears blasted oaks and withered rosin flowers,

  Loose weeds, and all dispersed filth, into the ocean's force;

  So matchless Ajax beat the field, and slaughtered men and horse.

  Yet had not Hector heard of this, who fought on the left wing

  Of all the host, near those sweet herbs Scamander's flood doth spring,

  Where many foreheads trode the ground, and where the skirmish burned

  Near Nestor and king Idomen, where Hector overturned

  The Grecian squadrons, authoring high service with his lance,

  And skilful manage of his horse. Nor yet the discrepance

  He made in death betwixt the hosts had made the Greeks retire,

  If fair-haired Helen's second spouse had not repressed the fire

  Of bold Machaon's fortitude, who with a three-forked head

  In his right shoulder wounded him. Then had the Grecians dread,

  Lest, in his strength declined, the foe should slaughter their hurt friend.

  Then Crete's king urged Neleides his chariot to ascend,

  And getting near him, take him in, and bear him to their tents.

  A surgeon is to be preferred, with physic ornaments,

  Before a multitude; his life gives hurt lives native bounds

  With sweet inspersion of fit balms, and perfect search of wounds.

  Thus spake the royal Idomen. Neleides obeyed,

  And to his chariot presently the wounded Greek conveyed

  The son of iEsculapius, the great physician.

  To fleet they flew. Cebriones perceived the slaughter done

  By Ajax on the other troops, and spake to Hector thus :

  "Whiles we encounter Grecians here, stern Telamonius

  Is yonder raging, turning up in heaps our horse and men;

  I know him by his spacious shield. Let us turn chariot then

  Where both of horse and foot the fight most hotly is proposed,

  In mutual slaughters. Hark, their throats from cries are never closed."

  This said, with his shrill scourge he struck the horse, that fast ensued

  Stung with his lashes, tossing shields, and carcasses imbrued.

  The chariot tree was drowned in blood, and th' arches by the seat

  Dispurpled from the horses' hoofs, and from the wheelbands beat.

  Great Hector longed to break the ranks and startle their close fight,

  Who horribly amazed the Greeks, and plied their sudden fright

  With busy weapons, ever winged; his lance, sword, weighty stones.

  Yet charged he other leaders' bands not dreadful Telamon's,

  With whom he wisely shunned foul blows. But Jove (that weighs above

  All human powers) to Ajax' breast divine repressions drove,

  And m
ade him shun who shunned himself; he ceased from fight amazed,

  Cast on his back his sevenfold shield, and round about him gazed

  Like one turned wild, looked on himself in his distract retreat,

  Knee before knee did scarcely move. As when from herds of neat

  Whole threaves of boors and mongrels chase a lion skulking near,

  Loth he should taint the well-prized fat of any stall-fed steer,

  Consuming all the night in watch, he, greedy of his prey,

  Oft thrusting on is oft thrust off, so thick the javelins play

  On his bold charges, and so hot the burning fire-brands shine,

  Which he, though horrible, abhors, about his glowing eye,

  And early his great heart retires; so Ajax from the foe,

  For fear their fleet should be inflamed, 'gainst his swoln heart did go,

  As when a dull mill ass comes near a goodly field of corn

  Kept from the birds by children's cries, the boys are overborne

  By his insensible approach, and simply he will eat,

  About whom many wands are broke, and still the children beat,

  And still the self-providing ass doth with their weakness bear,

  Not stirring till his paunch be full, and scarcely then will stir;

  So the huge son of Telamon amongst the Trojans fared,

  Bore showers of darts upon his shield, yet scorned to fly as scared,

  And so kept softly on his way; nor would he mend his pace

  For all their violent pursuits, that still did arm the chase

  With singing lances. But, at last, when their cur-like presumes

  More urged the more forborne, his spirits did rarify their fumes,

  And he revoked his active strength, turned head, and did repel

  The horse troops that were new made in, 'twixt whom the fight grew fell,

  And by degrees he stole retreat, yet with such puissant stay

  That none could pass him to the fleet. In both the armies' sway

  He stood, and from strong hands received sharp javelins on his shield,

  Where many stuck, thrown on before, many fell short in field,

  Ere the white body they could reach, and stuck, as telling how

  They purposed to have pierced his flesh. His peril pierced now

  The eyes of prince Eurypylus, Evemon's famous son,

  Who came close on, and with his dart struck duke Apisaon.

  Whose surname was Phausiades, even to the concrete blood

  That makes the liver; on the earth out gushed his vital flood.

  Eurypylus made in, and eased his shoulders of his arms;

  Which Paris seeing, he drew his bow, and wreaked in part the harms

  Of his good friend Phausiades, his arrow he let fly

  That smote Eurypylus, and brake in his attainted thigh;

  Then took he troop to shun black death, and to the flyers cried :

  “Princes, and leaders of the Greeks, stand, and repulse the tide

  Of this our honour-wracking chase. Ajax is drowned in darts,

  I fear past 'scape; turn, honoured friends, help out his vent'rous parts.''

  Thus spake the wounded Greek; the sound cast on their backs their shields,

  And raised their darts; to whose relief Ajax his person wields,

  Then stood he firmly with his friends, retiring their retire.

  And thus both hosts indifferent joined, the fight grew hot as fire.

  Now had Neleides' sweating steeds brought him, and his hurt friend,

  Amongst their fleet. Aeacides, that wishly did intend,

  Standing astern his tall-necked ship, how deep the skirmish drew

  Amongst the Greeks, and with what ruth the insecution grew,

  Saw Nestor bring Machaon hurt, and from within did call

  His friend Patroclus, who, like Mars in form celestial,

  Came forth with first sound of his voice, first spring of his decay,

  And asked his princely friend's desire. " Dear friend," said he, " this day

  I doubt not will enforce the Greeks to swarm about my knees;

  I see unsuffered need employed in their extremities.

  Go, sweet Patroclus, and inquire of old Neleides

  Whom he brought wounded from the fight; by his back parts I guess

  It is Machaon, but his face I could not well descry

  They passed me in such earnest speed." Patroclus presently

  Obeyed his friend, and ran to know. They now descended were,

  And Nestor's squire, Eurymedon, the horses did ungear;

  Themselves stood near th' extremest shore to let the gentle air

  Dry up their sweat; th^n to the tent, where Hecamed the fair

  Set chairs, and for the wounded prince a potion did prepare.

  This Hecamed, by war's hard fate, fell to old Nestor's share,

  When Thetis' son sacked Tenedos; she was the princely seed

  Of worthy king Arsinous, and by the Greeks decreed

  The prize of Nestor, since all men in counsel he surpassed.

  First, a fair table she apposed, of which the feet were graced

  With bluish metal mixed with black; and on the same she put,

  A brass fruit dish, in which she served a wholesome onion cut

  For pittance to the potion, and honey newly wrought,

  And bread, the fruit of sacred meal. Then to the board she brought

  A right fair cup with gold studs driven, which Nestor did transfer

  From Pylos; on whose swelling sides four handles fixed were,

  And upon every handle sat a pair of doves of gold,

  Some billing, and some pecking meat; two gilt feet did uphold

  The antique body; and withal so weighty was the cup

  That, being proposed brimful of wine, one scarce could lift it up,

  Yet Nestor drunk in it with ease, spite of his years' respect.

  In this the goddess-like fair dame a potion did confect

  With good old wine of Pramnius, and scraped into the wine

  Cheese made of goat's milk, and on it 'spersed flour exceeding fine.

  In this sort for the wounded lord the potion she prepared,

  And bade him drink. For company, with him old Nestor shared.

  Thus physically quenched they thirst, and then their spirits revived

  With pleasant conference. And now Patroclus, being arrived,

  Made stay at th' entry of the tent. Old Nestor, seeing it,

  Rose, and received him by the hand, and fain would have him sit.

  He set that courtesy aside, excusing it with haste,

  Since his much-to-be-reverenced friend sent him to know who past,

  Wounded with him in chariot, so swiftly through the shore:

  “Whom now," said he, '' I see and know, and now can stay no more;

  You know, good father, our great friend is apt to take offence,

  Whose fiery temper will inflame sometimes with innocence."

  He answered : " When will Peleus' son some royal pity show

  On his thus wounded countrymen? Ah! is he yet to know

  How much affliction tires our host? How our especial aid,

  Tainted with lances, at their tents are miserably laid?

  Ulysses, Diomed, our king, Eurypylus, Machaon,

  All hurt, and all our worthiest friends; yet no compassion

  Can supple thy friend's friendless breast! Doth he reserve his eye

  Till our fleet burn, and we ourselves one after other die?

  Alas, my forces are not now as in my younger life.

  Oh would to God I had that strength I used in the strife

  Betwixt us and the Elians, for oxen to be driven,

  When Itymonius' lofty soul was by my valour given

  As sacrifice to destiny, Hypirochus' strong son,

  That dwelt in Elis, and fought first in our contention!

  We foraged, as proclaimed foes, a wondrous wealthy b
oot,

  And he, in rescue of his herds, fell breathless at my foot.

  All the Dorp boors with terror fled. Our prey was rich and great;

  Twice five and twenty flocks of sheep; as many herds of neat;

  As many goats, and nasty swine; an hundred fifty mares,

  All sorrel, most with sucking foals. And these soon-moneyed ware..

  We drave into Neleius' town, fair Pylos, all by night.

  My father's heart was glad to see so much good fortune quite

  The forward mind of his young son, that used my youth in deeds.

  And would not smother it in moods. Now drew the Sun's bright steeds

  Light from the hills; our heralds now accited all that were

  Endamaged by the Elians; our princes did appear;

  Our boot was parted; many men th' Epeians much did owe,

  That, being our neighbours, they did spoil; afflictions did so flow

  On us poor Pylians though but few. In brake great Hercules

  To our sad confines of late years, and wholly did suppress

  Our hapless princes. Twice six sons renowned Neleius bred,

  Only myself am left of all, the rest subdued and dead.

  And this was it that made so proud the base Epeian bands,

  On their near neighbours, being oppressed, to lay injurious hands,

  A herd of oxen for himself, a mighty flock of sheep,

  My sire selected, and made choice of shepherds for their keep;

  And from the general spoil he culled three hundred of the best.

  The Elians ought him infinite, most plagued of all the rest.

  Four wager-winning horse he lost, and chariots intervented,

  Being led to an appointed race; the prize that was presented

  Was h religious three-foot urn; Augeas was the king

  That did detain them, and dismissed their keeper sorrowing

  For his loved charge lost with foul words. Then both for words and deeds

  My sire being worthily incensed, thus justly he proceeds

  To satisfaction, in first choice of all our wealthy prize;

  And, as he shared much, much he left his subjects to suffice,

  That none might be oppressed with power, or want his portion due.

  Thus for the public good we shared. Then we to temples drew

  Our complete city, and to heaven we thankful rites did burn

  For our rich conquest. The third day ensuing our return

  The Elians flew on us in heaps; their general leaders were

  The two Moliones, two boys, untrained in the fear

  Of horrid war, or use of strength. A certain city shines

  Upon a lofty prominent, and in th' extreme confines