The Iliad and the Odyssey (Classics of World Literature)

by Homer

Cranes, geese, or long-neck’d swans, here, there, proud of their pinions fly,

  And in their falls lay out such throats, that with their spiritful cry

  The meadow shrieks again: so here, these many-nation’d men

  Flow’d over the Scamandrian field, from tents and ships: the din

  Was dreadful, that the feet of men and horse beat out of earth.

  And in the flourishing mead they stood, thick as the odorous birth

  Of flow’rs, or leaves bred in the spring; or thick as swarms of flies

  Throng then to sheep-cotes, when each swarm his erring wing applies

  To milk ’dew’d on the milk-maid’s pails: all eagerly dispos’d

  To give to ruin the Ilians. And as in rude heaps clos’d,

  Though huge goatherds are at their food, the goatherds easily yet

  Sort into sundry herds, so here the chiefs in battle set,

  Here tribes, here nations, ordering all. Amongst whom shin’d the king,

  With eyes like lightning-loving Jove; his forehead answering,

  In breast like Neptune; Mars in waist: and as a goodly bull

  Most eminent of all a herd, most strong, most masterful,

  So Agamemnon Jove that day made overheighten clear

  That heav’n-bright army, and preferr’d to all th’ heroës there.

  Now tell me, Muses, you that dwell in heavenly roofs (for you

  Are goddesses, are present here, are wise, and all things know;

  We only trust the voice of fame, know nothing), who they were

  That here were captains of the Greeks. Commanding princes here,

  The multitude exceed my song, though fitted to my choice

  Ten tongues were, harden’d palates ten, a breast of brass, a voice

  Infract and trump-like: that great work, unless the seed of Jove

  (The deathless Muses) undertake, maintains a pitch above

  All mortal powers. The princes then, and navy that did bring

  Those so inenarrable troops; and all their soils, I sing.

  The catalogue of the Grecian ships and captains

  Peneleus and Leitus, all that Boeotia bred,

  Arcesilaus, Clonius and Prothoaenor led –

  Th’ inhabitants of Hyria, and stony Aulida,

  Schaene, Schole, the hilly Eteon, and holy Thespia;

  Of Graea, and great Micalesse, that hath the ample plain

  Of Harma, and Ilesius, and all that did remain

  In Erith, and in Eleon; in Hylen, Peteona,

  In fair Ocalea, and the town well-builded Medeona;

  Capas, Eutresis, Thisbe that for pigeons doth surpass;

  Of Coroneia, Haliart, that hath such store of grass;

  All those that in Platea dwelt, that Glissa did possess;

  And Hypothebs, whose well-built walls are rare and fellowless,

  In rich Onchestus’ famous wood to watery Neptune vow’d;

  And Arne, where the vine-trees are, with vigorous bunches bow’d;

  With them that dwelt in Mydea, and Nissa most divine;

  All those whom utmost Anthedon did wealthily confine.

  From all these coasts in general full fifty sail were sent,

  And six score strong Boeotian youths in every burthen went.

  But those who in Aspledon dwelt, and Mynian Orchomen,

  God Mars’s sons did lead (Ascalaphus and Iahmen),

  Who in Azidon Actor’s house did of Astioche come;

  The bashful maid, as she went up into the higher room,

  The war-god secretly compress’d: in safe conduct of these,

  Did thirty hollow-bottom’d barks divide the wavy seas.

  Brave Schedius and Epistrophus the Phocian captains were,

  Naubolida, Iphitus’ sons, all proof ’gainst any fear;

  With them the Cyparisians went, and bold Pythonians,

  Men of religious Chrysa’s soil, and fat Daulidians,

  Panopaeans, Anemores, and fierce Hyampolists;

  And those that dwell where Cephisus casts up his silken mists;

  The men that fair Lylea held near the Cephisian spring:

  All which did forty sable barks to that designment bring.

  About th’ entoil’d Phocensian fleet had these their sail assign’d,

  And near to the sinister wing the arm’d Boeotians shin’d.

  Ajax the less, Oïleus’ son, the Locrians led to war,

  Not like to Ajax Telamon, but lesser man by far:

  Little he was, and ever wore a breastplate made of lin;

  But for the manage of his lance he general praise did win.

  The dwellers of Caliarus, of Bessa, Opoën,

  The youths of Cynus, Scarphis, and Augias, lovely men;

  Of Tarphis, and of Thronius, near flood Boagrius’ fall:

  Twice twenty martial barks of these, less Ajax sail’d withal.

  Who near Euboea’s blessed soil their habitations had,

  Strength-breathing Abants, who their seats in sweet Euboea made;

  The Astiaeans rich in grapes, the men of Chalcida,

  The Cerinths bordering on the sea; of rich Eretria,

  Of Dyon’s highly-seated town, Charistus, and of Styre;

  All these the Duke Alphenor led, a flame of Mars’s sire,

  Surnam’d Chalcodontiades, the mighty Abants’ guide,

  Swift men of foot, whose broad-set backs their trailing hair did hide,

  Well seen in fight, and soon could pierce with far extended darts

  The breastplates of their enemies, and reach their dearest hearts.

  Forty black men of war did sail in this Alphenor’s charge.

  The soldiers that in Athens dwelt – a city builded large –

  The people of Erecthius, whom Jove-sprung Pallas fed,

  And plenteous-feeding Tellus brought out of her flow’ry bed,

  Him Pallas placed in her rich fane, and every ended year,

  Of bulls and lambs th’ Athenian youths please him with off’rings there.

  Mighty Menestheus, Peteus’ son, had their divided care:

  For horsemen and for targeters, none could with him compare,

  Nor put them into better place, to hurt or to defend,

  But Nestor – for he elder was – with him did sole contend:

  With him came fifty sable sail. And out of Salamine

  Great Ajax brought twelve sail that with th’ Athenians did combine.

  Who did in fruitful Argos dwell, or strong Hyrintha keep,

  Hermion, or in Asinen whose bosom is so deep;

  Trazena, Elion, Epidaure where Bacchus crowns his head,

  Egina, and Mazeta’s soil, did follow Diomed

  And Sthenelus, the dear-lov’d suit of famous Capaneus,

  Together with Eurialus, heir of Mecistaeus,

  The king of Talaeonides; past whom in deeds of war,

  The famous soldier Diomed of all was held by far;

  Four score black ships did follow these. The men fair Mycene held –

  The wealthy Corinth, Cleon that for beauteous sight excell’d,

  Araethirea’s lovely seat, and in Ornia’s plain,

  And Sicyona where at first did king Adrastus reign;

  High-seated Genoëssa’s towers, and Hyperisius;

  That dwelt in fruitful Pellenen, and in divine Aegius,

  With all the sea-side borderers, and wide Helice’s friends –

  To Agamemnon every town her native birth commends,

  In double fifty sable barks. With him a world of men

  Most strong and full of valour went: and he in t
riumph then

  Put on his most resplendent arms, since he did overshine

  The whole heroic host of Greece, in pow’r of that design.

  Who did in Lacedaemon’s rule th’ unmeasur’d concave hold,

  High Phare’s, Sparta’s, Messe’s towers, for doves so much extoll’d;

  Bryseia’s and Augia’s grounds, strong Laa, Oetylon,

  Amyclas, Helo’s harbour-town that Neptune beats upon:

  All these did Menelaus lead (his brother, that in cries

  Of war was famous); sixty ships convey’d these enemies

  To Troy in chief, because their king was chiefly injur’d there,

  In Helen’s rape, and did his best to make them buy it dear.

  Who dwelt in Pylos’ sandy soil, and Arene the fair,

  In Thryon near Alphaeus’ flood, and Aepy full of air,

  In Cyparisseus, Amphygen, and little Peteleon,

  The town where all the Illiots dwelt, and famous Doreon,

  Where all the Muses – opposite in strife of poesy,

  To ancient Thamyris of Thrace – did use him cruelly

  (He coming from Eurytus’ court, the wise Oechalian king),

  Because he proudly durst affirm he could more sweetly sing

  Than that Pierean race of Jove; who, angry with his vaunt,

  Bereft his eyesight, and his song that did the ear enchant,

  And of his skill to touch his harp disfurnished his hand:

  All these in ninety hollow keels grave Nestor did command.

  The richly blest inhabitants of the Arcadian land

  Below Cyllene’s mount (that by Epyrus’ tomb did stand)

  Where dwelt the bold near-fighting men: who did in Phaeneus live,

  And Orchomen where flocks of sheep the shepherds clust’ring drive

  In Rype and in Stratie the fair Mantinean town,

  And strong Enispe that for height is ever weather-blown;

  Tegea, and in Stymphalus, Parrhasia strongly wall’d;

  All these Alcaeus’ son to field (king Agapenor) call’d,

  In sixty barks he brought them on, and every bark well mann’d

  With fierce Arcadians, skill’d to use the utmost of a band.

  King Agamemnon on these men did well-built ships bestow,

  To pass the gulfy purple sea, that did no sea rites know.

  They who in Hermin, Buphrasis, and Elis did remain,

  What Olen’s cliffs, Alisius, and Myrsin did contain,

  Were led to war by twice two dukes; and each ten ships did bring,

  Which many venturous Epians did serve for burthening,

  Beneath Alphimacus his charge, and valiant Talphius

  (Son of Euritus Actor one, the next of Cteatus);

  Diores Amarincides the third ships did employ,

  The fourth divine Polixenus (Agasthenis’s joy).

  The king of fair Angeiades, who from Dulichius came,

  And from Euchinaus’ sweet isles which hold their holy frame

  By ample Elis region – Meges Phelides led:

  Whom Duke Phyleus, Jove’s belov’d, begat; and whilom fled

  To large Dulichius, for the wrath that fir’d his father’s breast.

  Twice twenty ships with ebon sails were in his charge address’d.

  The warlike men of Cephale, and those of Ithaca,

  Woody Neritus, and the men of wet Crocilia;

  Sharp Aegilipha, Samos’ isle, Zacynthus (sea-inclos’d) –

  Epyrus, and the men that hold the continent oppos’d;

  All these did wise Ulysses lead, in counsel peer to Jove:

  Twelve ships he brought, which in their course vermilion sterns did move.

  Thoas, Andremon’s well-spoke son, did guide th’ Aetolians well,

  Those that in Pleuron, Olenon, and strong Pylene dwell,

  Great Calcis that by sea-side stands, and stony Calydon;

  (For now no more of Oeneus’ sons surviv’d; they all were gone:

  No more his royal self did live, no more his noble son

  The golden Meleager now, their glasses all were run.)

  All things were left to him in charge; the Aetolians’ chief he was,

  And forty ships to Trojan wars the seas within him did pass.

  The royal soldier Idomen did lead the Cretans stout:

  The men of Gnossus, and the town Cortima wall’d about,

  Of Lictus, and Myletus’ towers, of white Lycastus’ state,

  Of Phestus and of Rhistias the cities fortunate,

  And all the rest inhabiting the hundred towns of Crete;

  Whom warlike Idomen did lead, co-partner in the fleet,

  With kill-man Merion: eighty ships with them did Troy invade.

  Tlepolemus Heraclides, right strong and bigly made,

  Brought nine tall ships of war from Rhodes, which haughty Rhodians mann’d;

  Who dwelt in three dissever’d parts of that most pleasant land,

  Which Lyndus and Jalissus were, and bright Camyrus, call’d.

  Tlepolemus commanded these, in battle unappall’d:

  Whom fair Astioche brought forth, by force of Hercules;

  Led out of Ephyr with his hand, from river Selleës,

  When many towns of princely youths he levell’d with the ground.

  Tlepolem in his father’s house (for building much renown’d)

  Brought up to headstrong state of youth, his mother’s brother slew,

  The flower of arms, Lycymnius, that somewhat aged grew:

  Then straight he gather’d him a fleet, assembling bands of men,

  And fled by sea, to shun the threats that were denounced then,

  By other sons and nephews of th’ Alciden fortitude;

  He in his exile came to Rhodes, driven in with tempests rude.

  The Rhodians were distinct in tribes, and great with Jove did stand,

  The king of men and gods, who gave much treasure to their land.

  Nireus out of Syma’s haven three well-built barks did bring:

  Nireus, fair Aglaia’s son, and Charopes, the king:

  Nireus was the fairest man that to fair Ilion came

  Of all the Greeks, save Peleus’ son, who passed for general frame.

  But weak this was, not fit for war, and therefore few did guide.

  Who did in Cassus, Nisyrus, and Crapathus abide,

  In Co, Euripilus’s town, and in Calydna’s soils,

  Phydippus and bold Antiphus did guide to Trojan toils

  (The sons of crowned Thessalus, deriv’d from Hercules);

  Who went with thirty hollow ships well order’d to the seas.

  Now will I sing the sackful troops Pelasgian Argos held,

  That in deep Alus, Alope, and soft Trechina dwell’d;

  In Pthya, and in Hellade where live the lovely dames,

  The Myrmidons, Helenians, and Achives, rob’d of fames –

  All which the great Aeacides in fifty ships did lead.

  For these forgot war’s horrid voice, because they lack’d their head,

  That would have brought them bravely forth; but now at fleet did he,

  That wind-like user of his feet, fair Thetis’ progeny,

  Wroth for bright-cheek’d Briseis’ loss, whom from Lyrnessus’ spoils

  (His own exploit) he brought away as trophy of his toils,

  When that town was depopulate; he sunk the Theban tow’rs,

  Myneta and Epistrophus he sent to Pluto’s bow’rs,

  Who came of king Evenus’ race, great Helepiades:

  Yet now he idly lives enrag’d, but soon must leave h
is ease.

  Of those that dwelt in Phylace, and flow’ry Pyrrason,

  The wood of Ceres, and the soil that sheep are fed upon –

  Iten, and Antron built by sea, and Pteleus full of grass –

  Protesilaus while he liv’d the worthy captain was:

  Whom now the sable earth detains. His tear-torn-faced spouse

  He woeful left in Phylace, and his half-finish’d house:

  A fatal Dardan, first his life of all the Greeks bereft,

  As he was leaping from his ship; yet were his men unleft

  Without a chief, for though they wish’d to have no other man

  But good Protesilay their guide, Podarces yet began

  To govern them (Iphitis’ son, the son of Philacus),

  Most rich in sheep, and brother to short-liv’d Protesilaus:

  Of younger birth, less and less strong; yet serv’d he to direct

  The companies, that still did more their ancient duke affect.

  Twice twenty jetty sails with him the swelling stream did take.

  But those that did in Pheres dwell at the Baebreian lake

  In Baebe, and in Glaphira, Iaolcus builded fair;

  In thrice six ships to Pergamus did through the seas repair,

  With old Admetes’ tender son, Eumelus, whom he bred

  Of Alceste, Pelius’ fairest child of all his female seed.

  The soldiers that before the siege Methone’s vales did hold,

  Thaumaciae, flow’ry Melibae, and Olison the cold,

  Duke Philoctetes governed (in darts, of finest sleight);

  Seven vessels in his charge convey’d their honourable freight,

  By fifty rowers in a bark, most expert in the bow:

  But he in sacred Lemnos lay, brought miserably low

  By torment of an ulcer grown with Hydra’s poison’d blood;

  Whose sting was such, Greece left him there in most impatient mood:

  Yet thought they on him at his ship, and choos’d to head his men

  Medon, Oïleus’ bastard son, brought forth to him by Rhen.

  From Thricce, bleak Ithomen’s cliffs, and hapless Oechaly –

  Euritus’ city rul’d by him in wilful tyranny –

  In charge of Aesculapius’ sons (physician highly prais’d)

  Machaon, Podalirius, were thirty vessels rais’d.

  Who near Hiperia’s fountain dwelt, and in Ormenius,

  The snowy tops of Titannus, and in Asterius,

  Evemon’s son, Euripilus, did lead into the field:

  Whose towns did forty black-sail’d ships to that encounter yield.