Complete Works of Homer

by Homer

  The foremost fighters, yet his eye did every way explore

  For doubt of odds; out flew his lance; the Trojans did abstain

  While he was darting; yet his dart he cast not off in vain,

  For Menalippus, that rare son of great Hycetaon,

  As bravely he put forth to fight, it fiercely flew upon;

  And at the nipple of his breast his breast and life did part.

  And then much like an eager hound, cast off at some young hart

  Hurt by the hunter, that had left his covert then but new,

  The great-in-war Antilochus, O Menalippus, flew

  On thy torn bosom for thy spoil. But thy death could not lie

  Hid to great Hector, who all haste made to thee, and made fly

  Antilochus, although in war he were at all parts skilled.

  But as some wild beast, having done some shrewd turn (either killed

  The herdsman, or the herdsman's dog) and skulks away before

  The gathered multitude makes in; so Nestor's son forbore,

  But after him with horrid cries, both Hector and the rest

  Show'rs of tear-thirsty lanees poured; who having armed his breast

  With all his friends, he turned it then. Then on the ships all Troy,

  Like raw-flesh-nourished Hons, rushed, and knew they did employ

  Their pow'rs to perfect Jove's high wiH, who still their spirits enflamed,

  .'bid quenched the Grecians, one renowned, the other often shamed.

  For Hector's glory stiH he stood, and ever went about

  To make him cast the fleet such fire as never should go out,

  Heard Thetis' foul petition, and wished in any wise

  The splendour of the burning ships might satiate his eyes.

  From him yet the repulse was then to be on Troy conferred,

  The honour of it given the Greeks; which thinking on, he stirred,

  With such addition of his spirit, the spirit Hector bore

  To burn the fleet, that of itself was hot enough before.

  But now he fared like Mars himself, so brandishing his lance

  As through the deep shades of a wood a raging fire should glance,

  Held up to all eyes by a hill; about his Hps a foam

  Stood as when th' ocean is enraged, his eyes were overcome

  With fervour and resembled flames, set off by his dark brows,

  And from his temples his bright helm abhorred lightnings throws,

  For Jove, from forth the sphere of stars, to his state put his own,

  And all the blaze of both the hosts confined in him alone.

  And all this was, since after this he had not long to live,

  This lightning flew before his death, which Pallas was to give

  (A small time thence, and now prepared) beneath the violence

  Of great Pelides. In mean time, his present eminence

  Thought all things under it, and he, still where he saw the stands

  Of greatest strength and bravest armed, there he would prove his hands,

  Or nowhere, offering to break through, but that, past all his power,

  Although his will were past all theirs, they stood him like a tower,

  Conjoined so firm, that as a rock, exceeding high and great,

  And standing near the hoary sea, bears many a boisterous threat

  Of high-voiced winds and billows huge, belched on it by the storms;

  So stood the Greeks great Hector's charge, nor stirred their battellous forms.

  He, girt in fire borne for the fleet, still rushed at every troop,

  And fell upon it like a wave, high raised, that then doth stoop

  Out from the clouds, grows, as it stoops, with storms, then down doth come

  And cuff a ship when all her sides are hid in brackish foam,

  I I

  Strong gales still raging in her sails, her sailors' minds dismayed,

  Death being but little from their lives; so Jove-like Hector frayed

  And plied the Greeks, who knew not what would chance, for all their guards.

  And as the baneful king of beasts, leapt in to oxen herds

  Fed in the meadows of a fen exceeding great, the beasts

  In number infinite, 'mongst whom (their herdsmen wanting breasts

  To fight with lions for the price of a black ox' life)

  He here and there jumps, first and last, in his bloodthirsty strife,

  Chased and assaulted, and, at length, down in the midst goes one,

  And all the rest spersed through the fen; so now all Greece was gone,

  So Hector, in a flight from heaven upon the Grecians cast,

  Turned all their backs; yet only one his deadly lance laid fast,

  Brave Mycenseus Periphes, Cypraaus' dearest son,

  Who of the heaven's Queen-loved king, great Eurysthseus, won

  The grace to greet in ambassy the strength of Hercules,

  Was far superior to his sire in. feet, fight, nobleness-

  Of all the virtues, and all those did such a wisdom guide

  As all Mycena could not match; and this man dignified,

  Still making greater his renown, the state of Priam's son,

  For his unhappy hasty foot, as he addressed to run,

  Stuck in-th' extreme ring of his shield that to his ankles reached,

  And down he upwards fell, his fall up from the centre fetched

  A huge sound with his head and helm; which Hector quickly spied,

  Ran in, and in his worthy breast his lance's head did hide,

  And slew about him all his friends, who could' not give him aid,

  They grieved, and of his godlike foe fled so extreme afraid.

  And now amongst the nearest ships, that first were drawn to shore,

  The Greeks were driven; beneath whose sides, behind, them, and before.

  And into them they poured themselves, and thence were driven again

  Up to their tents, and there they stood, not daring to maintain

  Their guards more outward, but, betwixt the bounds of fear and shame,

  Cheered still each, other; when th' old man, that of the Grecian name

  Was called the Pillar, every man thus by his parents prayed :

  “O friends, be men, and in your minds let others' shames be weighed.

  Know you have friends besides yourselves, possessions, parents, wives,

  As well those that are dead to you as those ye love with lives,

  All sharing still their good, or bad, with yours. By these I pray,

  That are not present (and the more should therefore make ye weigh

  Their miss of you, as yours of them) that you will bravely stand,

  And this forced flight you have sustained at length yet countermand."

  Supplies of good words thus supplied the deeds and spirits of all.

  And bo at last Minerva cleared the cloud that Jove let fall

  Before their eyes; a mighty light flew beaming every way,

  As well about their ships as where their jiarts did hottest play.

  Then saw they Hector great in arms, and his associates,

  As well all those that then abstained as those that helped the fates,

  And all their own fight at the fleet. Nor did it now content

  Ajax to keep down like the rest; he up the hatches went,

  Stalked here and there; and in his hand a huge great bead-hook held,

  Twelve cubits long and full of iron. And as a man well-skilled

  In horse, made to the martial race, when, of a number more,

  He chooseth four, and brings them forth to run them all before

  Swarms of admiring citizens amids their town's high way,

  And, in their full career, he leaps from one to one, no stay

  Enforced on any, nor fails he in either seat or leap;

  So Ajax with his bead-hook leaped nimbly from ship to ship,

  As actively commanding all, them in their men as well


  As men in them, most terribly exhorting to repel,

  To save their navy arid their tents. But Hector nothing needs

  To stand on exhortations now at home, he strives for deeds.

  And look how Jove's great queen of birds, sharp set, looks out for prey,

  Knows floods that nourish wild-winged fowls, and, from her airy way,

  Beholds where cranes, swans, cormorants, have made their foody fall,

  Darkens the river with her wings, and stoops amongst them all;

  So Hector flew amongst the Greeks, directing his command,

  In chief, against one opposite ship; Jove with a mighty hand

  Still backing him and all his men. And then again there grew

  A bitter conflict at the fleet. You would have said none drew

  A weary breath, nor ever would, they laid so freshly on.

  And this was it that fired them both : the Greeks did build upon

  No hope but what the field would yield, flight an impossible course;

  The Trojans ail hope entertained that sword and fire should force

  Both ships and lives of all the Greeks. And thus, unlike affects

  Bred like strenuity in both. Great Hector still directs

  His pow'rs against the first near ship. 'Twas that fair bark that brought

  Protesilaus to those wars, and now herself to nought,

  With many Greek and Trojan lives all spoiled about her spoil.

  One slew another desperately, and close the deadly toil

  Was pitched on both parts. Not a shaft, nor far-off striking dart

  Was used through all. One fight fell out, of one despiteful heart.

  Sharp axes, twybills, two-hand swords, and spears with two heads borne,

  Were then the weapons; fair short swords, with sanguine hilts still worn,

  Had use in like sort; of which last, ye might have numbers viewed

  Drop with dissolved arms from their, hands, as many down-right hewed

  From off their shoulders as they fought, their bawdricks cut in twain.

  And thus the black blood flowed on earth from soldiers hurt and slain.

  When Hector once had seized the ship, he clapt his fair broad hand

  Fast on the stern, and held it there, and there gave this command :

  “Bring fire, and all together shout. Now Jove hath drawn the veil

  From such a day as makes amends for all his storms of hail,

  By whose blest light we take those ships that, in despite of heaven,

  Took sea, and brought us worlds of woe, all since our peers were given

  To such a laziness and fear; they would not let me end

  Our ling'ring banes, and charge thus home, but keep home and defend,

  And so they ruled the men I led. But though Jove then withheld

  My natural spirit, now by Jove 'tis freed, and thus impelled."

  This more inflamed them; in so much that Ajax now no more

  Kept up, he was so drowned in darts; a little he forbore

  The hatches to a seat beneath, of seven foot long, but thought

  It was impossible to 'scape; he sat yet where he fought,

  And hurled out lances thick as hail at all men that assayed

  To fire the ship; with whom he found his hands so overlaid,

  That on his soldiers thus he cried : " O friends, fight I alone?

  Expect ye more walls at your backs? Towns rampired here are none,

  No citizens to take ye in, no help in any kind.

  We are, I tell you, in Troy's fields, have nought but seas behind,

  And foes before, far, far from Greece. For shame, obey commands,

  There is no mercy in the wars, your healths lie in your hands."

  Thus raged he, and poured out his darts. Whoever he espied,

  Come near the vessel armed with fire on his fierce dart he died.

  All that pleased Hector made him mad, all that his thanks would earn,

  Of which twelve men, his most resolved, lay dead before his stem.

  BOOK XVI,

  ARGUMENT.

  Achilles, at Patroclus' suit, doth yield

  Bis arms and Myrmidons; which brought to field,

  The Trojans fly. Patroclus hath the grace

  Of great Sarpedon's death, sprung of the race

  Of Jupiter, he having slain the horse

  Of Thetis' son, fierce Pedasus. The force

  Of Hector doth revenge the much-rued end

  Of most renowned Sarpedon on the friend

  Of Thetides, first hy Euphorbus harmed,

  And by Apollo's personal pow'r disarmed.

  ANOTHER ARGUMENT.

  In Pi Patroclus bears the chance

  Of death imposed by Hector's lance.

  THUS fighting for this well-built ship; Patroclus all that space

  Stood by his friend, preparing words to win the Greeks his grace,

  With pow'r of uncontained tears; and, like a fountain poured

  In black streams from a lofty rock, the Greeks so plagued deplored.

  Achilles, ruthful for his tears, said : " Wherefore weeps my friend

  So like a girl, who, though she sees her mother cannot tend

  Her childish humours, hangs on her, and would be taken up,

  Still viewing her with tear-drowned eyes, when she has made her stoop.

  To nothing liker I can shape thy so unseemly tears.

  What causeth them? Hath any ills solicited thine ears

  Befall'n my Myrmidons? Or news from loved Phthia brought,

  Told only thee, lest I should grieve, and therefore thus hath wrought

  On thy kind spirit? Actor's son, the good Mencetius,

  Thy father, lives, and Peleus, mine, great son of iEacus,

  Amongst his Myrmidons, whose deaths in duty we should mourn.

  Or is it what the Greeks sustain that doth thy stomach turn,

  On whom, for their injustice' sake, plagues are so justly laid?

  Speak, man, let both know either's heart." Patroclus, sighing, said :

  “O Peleus' son, thou strongest Greek by all degrees that lives,

  Still be not angry, our sad state such cause of pity gives.

  Our greatest Greeks lie at their ships sore wounded; Ithacus,

  King Agamemnon, Diomed, and good Eurypylus;

  But these much-med'cine-knowing men, physicians, can recure,

  Thou yet unmed'cinable still, though thy wound all endure.

  Heaven bless my bosom from such wrath as thou sooth'st as thy bliss,

  Unprofitably virtuous. How shall our progenies,

  Born in thine age, enjoy thine aid, when these friends, in thy flow'r,

  Thou leav'st to such unworthy death? O idle, cruel pow'r!

  Great Peleus never did beget, nor Thetis bring forth thee,

  Thou from the blue sea, and her rocks, deriv'st thy pedigree.

  What so declines thee? If thy mind shuns any augury

  Related by the mother-queen from heaven's foreseeing eye,

  And therefore thou forsak'st thy friends, let me go ease their moans

  With those brave relics of our host, thy mighty Myrmidons,

  That I may bring to field more light to conquest than hath been.

  To which end, grace me with thine arms, since, any shadow seen

  Of thy resemblance, all the pow'r of perjured Troy will fly,

  And our so-tired friends will breathe, our fresh-set-on supply

  Will eas'ly drive their wearied off." Thus, foolish man, he sued

  For his sure death; of all whose speech Achilles first renewed

  The last part thus: " O worthy friend, what have thy speeches been?

  I shun the fight for oracles, or what my mother-queen

  Hath told from Jove? I take no care nor note of one such thing!

  But this fit anger stings me still, that the instilting king

  Should from his equal take his right, since he exceeds in pow'r.

&n
bsp; This, still his wrong, is still my grief. He took my paramour

  That all men gave, and whom I won by virtue of my spear

  That, for her, overturned a town. This rape he made of her,

  And used me like a fugitive, an inmate in a town,

  That is no city libertine, nor capable of their gown.

  But wear we this as out of date; 'tis past, nor must we still

  Feed anger in our noblest parts; yet thus, I have my will

  As well as our great king of men, for I did ever vow

  Never to cast off my disdain till, as it falls out now,

  Their miss of me knocked at my fleet, and told me in their cries

  I was revenged, and had my wish of all my enemies.

  And so of this repeat enough. Take thou my fame-blazed arms,

  And my fight-thirsty Myrmidons lead to these hot alarms.

  Whole clouds of. Trojans circle us with hateful eminence;

  The Greeks shut in a little shore, a sort of citizens

  Skipping upon them; all because their proud eyes do not see

  The radiance of my helmet there, whose beams had instantly

  Thrust back, and all these ditches filled with carrion of their flesh,

  If Agamemnon had been kind, where now they fight as fresh,

  As thus far they had put at ease, and at our tents contend.

  And may; for the repulsive hand of Diomed doth not spend

  His raging darts there, that their death could fright out of our fleet;

  Nor from that head of enmity can my poor hearers meet

  The voice of great Atrides now. Now Hector's only voice

  Breaks all the air about both hosts, and, with the very noise

  Bred by his loud encouragements, his forces fill the field,

  And fight the poor Achaians down. But on, put thou my shield

  Betwixt the fire-plague and our fleet. Rush bravely on, and turn

  War's tide as headlong on their throats. No more let them adjourn

  Our sweet home-turning. But observe the charge I lay on, thee-

  To each least point, that thy ruled hand may highly honour me,

  And get such glory from the Greeks, that they may send again

  My most sweet wench, and gifts to- boot, when thou hast cast a rein

  On these so headstrong citizens and forced them from our fleet.

  With which grace if the God of sounds thy kind egression greet;

  Retire, and be not tempted on (with pride to see thy hand

  Rain slaughtered carcasses on earth) to run forth thy command