by Homer
Above his right arm making way, the pile stuck in the mould:
He stay’d and trembled, and his teeth did chatter in his head.
They came in blowing, seiz’d him fast; he, weeping, offered
A wealthy ransom for his life, and told them he had brass,
Much gold and iron, that fit for use in many labours was,
From whose rich heaps his father would a wondrous portion give,
If, at the great Achaian fleet, he heard his son did live.
Ulysses bad him cheer his heart. ‘Think not of death,’ said he,
‘But tell us true, why runn’st thou forth when others sleeping be?
Is it to spoil the carcasses? Or art thou choicely sent
T’ explore our drifts? Or of thyself seek’st thou some wish’d event?’
He trembling answer’d: ‘Much reward did Hector’s oath propose,
And urg’d me much against my will, t’ endeavour to disclose
If you determin’d still to stay, or bent your course for flight,
As all dismay’d with your late foil, and wearied with the fight:
For which exploit, Pelides’ horse and chariot he did swear
I only ever should enjoy.’ Ulysses smil’d to hear
So base a swain have any hope so high a prize t’ aspire,
And said, his labours did affect a great and precious hire:
And that the horse Pelides rein’d no mortal hand could use
But he himself, whose matchless life a goddess did produce:
‘But tell us, and report but truth, where left’st thou Hector now?
Where are his arms? His famous horse? On whom doth he bestow
The watch’s charge? Where sleep the kings? Intend they still to lie
Thus near encamp d? Or turn suffic’d with their late victory?’
‘All this,’ said he, ‘I’ll tell most true. At Ilus’ monument
Hector with all our princes sits, t’ advise of this event;
Who choose that place remov’d, to shun the rude confused sounds
The common soldiers throw about: but, for our watch, and rounds.
Whereof, brave lord, thou mak’st demand; none orderly we keep:
The Trojans that have roofs to save, only abandon sleep,
And privately without command each other they exhort
To make prevention of the worst; and in this slender sort
Is watch and guard maintain’d with us. th’ auxiliary bands
Sleep soundly, and commit their cares into the Trojans hands;
For they have neither wives with them, nor children to protect;
The less they need to care, the more, they succour dull neglect.
‘But tell me,’ said wise Ithacus, ‘are all these foreign pow’rs
Appointed quarters by themselves, or else commix’d with yours?’
‘And this,’ said Dolon, ‘too, my lords, I’ll seriously unfold:
The Paeons with the crooked bows, and Cares, quarters hold
Next to the sea; the Leleges and Caucons join’d with them,
And brave Pelasgians; Thimber’s mead, remov’d more from the stream,
Is quarter to the Lycians, the lofty Mysian force,
The Phrygians and Meonians, that fight with armed horse.
But what need these particulars? If ye intend surprise
Of any in our Trojan camps, the Thracian quarter lies
Utmost of all, and uncommix’d with Trojan regiments,
That keep the voluntary watch: new pitch’d are all their tents.
King Rhesus, Eioneus’ son, commands them; who hath steeds
More white than snow, huge and well shap’d; their fiery pace exceeds
The winds in swiftness; these I saw: his chariot is with gold
And pallid silver richly fram’d, and wondrous to behold.
His great and golden armour is not fit a man should wear,
But for immortal shoulders fram’d: come then, and quickly bear
Your happy prisoner to your fleet, or leave him here fast bound
Till your well-urg’d and rich return prove my relation sound.’
Tydides dreadfully replied: ‘Think not of passage thus,
Though of right acceptable news thou hast advertis’d us;
Our hands are holds more strict than so: and should we set thee free
For offer’d ransom, for this ’scape, thou still wouldst scouting be
About our ships or do us scathe in plain opposed arms;
But if I take thy life, no way can we repent thy harms.’
With this, as Dolon reach’d his hand to use a suppliant’s part,
And stroke the beard of Diomed, he struck his neck athwart
With his forc’d sword, and both the nerves he did in sunder wound;
And suddenly his head, deceiv’d, fell speaking on the ground:
His weasel’s helm they took, his bow, his wolf’s skin, and his lance;
Which to Minerva Ithacus did zealously advance
With lifted arm into the air; and to her thus he spake:
‘Goddess, triumph in thine own spoils: to thee we first will make
Our invocations, of all powers, thron’d on th’ Olympian hill;
Now to the Thracians, and their horse, and beds, conduct us still.’
With this, he hung them up aloft, upon a tamrick bough,
As eyeful trophies: and the sprigs that did about it grow,
He proined from the leafy arms, to make it easier view’d,
When they should hastily retire, and be perhaps pursu’d.
Forth went they, through black blood and arms; and presently aspir’d
The guardless Thracian regiment, fast bound with sleep, and tir’d;
Their arms lay by, and triple ranks they, as they slept, did keep,
As they should watch and guard their king; who, in a fatal sleep,
Lay in the midst; their chariot horse, as they coachfellows were,
Fed by them; and the famous steeds, that did their general bear,
Stood next him, to the hinder part of his rich chariot tied.
Ulysses saw them first, and said, ‘Tydides, I have spied
The horse that Dolon (whom we slew) assur’d us we should see:
Now use thy strength; now idle arms are most unfit for thee.
Prize thou the horse; or kill the guard, and leave the horse to me.’
Minerva with the azure eyes breath’d strength into her king,
Who fill’d the tent with mixed death: the souls he set on wing
Issu’d in groans, and made air swell into her stormy flood:
Horror and slaughter had one power; the earth did blush with blood.
As when a hungry lion flies with purpose to devour
On flocks unkept, and on their lives doth freely use his pow’r:
So Tydeus son assail’d the foe; twelve souls before him flew;
Ulysses waited on his sword, and ever as he slew,
He drew them by their strengthless heels out of the horses’ sight,
That when he was to lead them forth, they should not with affright
Boggle, nor snore, in treading on the bloody carcasses;
For being new come, they were unus’d to such stern sights as these.
Through four ranks now did Diomed the king himself attain;
Who (snoring in his sweetest sleep) was like his soldiers slain.
An ill dream, by Minerva sent, that night stood by his head
(Which was Oenides’ royal son) – unconquer’d Diomed.
Meanwhile Ulysses loos’d his hor
se, took all their reins in hand,
And led them forth: but Tydeus’ son did in contention stand
With his great mind, to do some deed of more audacity,
If he should take the chariot, where his rich arms did lie
And draw it by the beam away, or bear it on his back,
Or if of more dull Thracian lives he should their bosoms sack.
In this contention with himself, Minerva did suggest
And bade him think of his retreat, lest from their tempted rest
Some other god should stir the foe, and send him back dismay’d.
He knew the voice; took horse, and fled; the Trojans’ heavenly aid
(Apollo with the silver bow) stood no blind sentinel
To their secure and drowsy host, but did discover well
Minerva following Diomed; and angry with his act,
The mighty host of Ilion he enter’d, and awak’d
The cousin german of the king, a counsellor of Thrace,
Hypocoön; who when he rose, and saw the desert place
Where Rhesus’ horse did use to stand, and th’ other dismal harms,
Men struggling with the pangs of death, he shriek’d out thick alarms,
Call’d ‘Rhesus! Rhesus!’ but in vain; then still, ‘Arm, arm,’ he cried.
The noise and tumult was extreme on every startled side
Of Troy’s huge host, from whence in throngs all gather’d, and admir’d,
Who could perform such harmful facts, and yet be safe retir’d.
Now, coming where they slew the scout, Ulysses stay’d the steeds;
Tydides lighted, and the spoils (hung on the tamrick reeds)
He took and gave to Ithacus, and up he got again;
Then flew they joyful to their fleet: Nestor did first attain
The sounds the horse-hoofs struck through air, and said: ‘My royal peers!
Do I but dote, or say I true? Methinks about mine ears
The sounds of running horses beat. O would to god they were
Our friends thus soon return’d with spoils: but I have hearty fear,
Lest this high tumult of the foe doth their distress intend.’
He scarce had spoke, when they were come: both did from horse descend.
All, with embraces and sweet words, to heaven their worth did raise.
Then Nestor spake: ‘Great Ithacus, ev’n heap’d with Grecian praise,
How have you made these horse your prize? Pierc’d you the dangerous host,
Where such gems stand? Or did some god your high attempts accost,
And honour’d you with this reward? Why, they be like the rays
The sun effuseth. I have mix’d with Trojans all my days;
And now, I hope you will not say I always lie abord,
Though an old soldier I confess: yet did all Troy afford
Never the like to any sense that ever I possess’d,
But some good god, no doubt, hath met, and your high valours bless’d.
For he that shadows heaven with clouds loves both as his delights,
And she that supples earth with blood cannot forbear your sights.’
Ulysses answer’d: ‘Honour’d sire, the willing gods can give
Horse much more worth than these men yield, since in more power they live:
These horse are of the Thracian breed; their king Tydides slew,
And twelve of his most trusted guard: and of that meaner crew
A scout for thirteenth man we kill’d, whom Hector sent to spy
The whole estate of our designs, if bent to fight or fly.’
Thus, follow’d with whole troops of friends, they with applauses pass’d
The spacious dike, and in the tent of Diomed they plac’d
The horse without contention, as his deserving’s meed:
Which, with his other horse set up, on yellow wheat did feed.
Poor Dolon’s spoils Ulysses had; who shrin’d them on his stern,
As trophies vow’d to her that sent the good-aboding hern.
Then enter’d they the mere main sea, to cleanse their honour’d sweat
From off their feet, their thighs and necks: and when their vehement heat
Was calm’d, and their swoln hearts refresh’d, more curious baths they us’d,
Where odorous and dissolving oils they through their limbs diffus’d.
Then, taking breakfast, a big bowl fill’d with the purest wine,
They offer’d to the maiden Queen, that hath the azure eyne.
The end of the tenth book
Book 11
The Argument
Atrides and his other peers of name
Lead forth their men; whom Eris doth inflame.
Hector (by Iris’ charge) takes deedless breath,
Whiles Agamemnon plies the work of death,
Who with the first bears his imperial head.
Himself, Ulysses, and king Diomed,
Euripylus, and Aesculapius’ son,
(Enforc’d with wounds) the furious skirmish shun.
Which martial sight, when great Achilles views,
A little his desire of fight renews:
And forth he sends his friend, to bring him word
From old Neleides, what wounded lord
He in his chariot from the skirmish brought:
Which was Machaon. Nestor then besought
He would persuade his friend to wreak their harms,
Or come himself, deck’d in his dreadful arms.
Another Argument
Lamda presents the general
In fight the worthiest man of all.
Book 11
Aurora, out of restful bed, did from bright Tython rise,
To bring each deathless essence light and use to mortal eyes;
When Jove sent Eris to the Greeks, sustaining in her hand
Stern signs of her designs for war: she took her horrid stand
Upon Ulysses’ huge black bark that did at anchor ride
Amidst the fleet, from whence her sounds might ring on every side,
Both to the tents of Telamon, and th’ authors of their smarts,
Who held, for fortitude and force, the navy’s utmost parts.
The red-ey’d goddess seated there thunder’d th’ Orthian song,
High, and with horror, through the ears of all the Grecian throng;
Her verse with spirits invincible did all their breasts inspire,
Blew out all darkness from their limbs, and set their hearts on fire;
And presently was bitter war more sweet a thousand times
Than any choice in hollow keels to greet their native climes.
Atrides summon’d all to arms, to arms himself dispos’d:
First on his legs he put bright greaves with silver buttons clos’d,
Then with rich cuirass arm’d his breast, which Cyniras bestow’d
To gratify his royal guest; for even to Cyprus flow’d
Th’ unbounded fame of those designs the Greeks propos’d for Troy,
And therefore gave he him those arms, and wish’d his purpose joy.
Ten rows of azure mix’d with black, twelve golden like the sun,
Twice ten of tin, in beaten paths, did through this armour run.
Three serpents to the gorget crept, that like three rainbows shin’d,
Such as by Jove are fix’d in clouds, when wonders are divin’d.
About his shoulders hung his sword, whereof the hollow hilt
Was fashion’d all with shining bars, exceeding richly gilt;
The scabbard was of silver pl
ate, with golden hangers grac’d;
Then took he up his weighty shield, that round about him cast
Defensive shadows: ten bright zones of gold-affecting brass
Were driven about it; and of tin (as full of gloss as glass)
Swell’d twenty bosses out of it: in centre of them all
One of black metal had engraven (full of extreme appal)
An ugly gorgon, compassed with terror and with fear:
At it a silver bawdrick hung, with which he us’d to bear
(Wound on his arm) his ample shield, and in it there was wov’n
An azure dragon, curl’d in folds, from whose one neck was clov’n
Three heads contorted in an orb: then plac’d he on his head
His four-plum’d casque, and in his hands two darts he managed,
Arm’d with bright steel that blaz’d to heaven: then Juno and the Maid
That conquers empires trumpets serv’d to summon out their aid,
In honour of the general, and on a sable cloud,
To bring them furious to the field, sate thund’ring out aloud.
Then all enjoin’d their charioteers to rank their chariot horse
Close to the dike: forth march’d the foot, whose front they did reinforce
With some horse troops: the battle then was all of charioteers,
Lin’d with light horse: but Jupiter disturb’d this form with fears,
And from air’s upper region did bloody vapours rain,
For sad ostent much noble life should ere their times be slain.
The Trojan host at Ilus’ tomb was in battalia led
By Hector and Polydamas; and old Anchises’ seed,
Who god-like was esteem’d in Troy; by grave Antenor’s race,
Divine Agenor, Polybus, unmarried Acamas,
Proportion’d like the states of heaven: in front of all the field,
Troy’s great Priamides did bear his always-equal shield,
Still plying th’ ordering of his power. And as amid the sky
We sometimes see an ominous star blaze clear and dreadfully,
Then run his golden head in clouds, and straight appear again:
So Hector otherwhiles did grace the vanguard, shining plain,
Then in the rearguard hid himself, and labour’d everywhere
To order and encourage all: his armour was so clear,
And he applied each place so fast, that, like a lightning thrown
Out of the shield of Jupiter, in every eye he shone.