The Iliad of Homer

by Richmond Lattimore

  the healers instructions and gone on to his shelter, still burning

  215 to face the battle, and now the strong earth-shaker spoke to him.

  Poseidon likened his voice to Thoas, son of Andraimon,

  lord of the Aitolians over all Pleuron, and headlong

  Kalydon, who was honored in his countryside as a god is:

  “Idomeneus, lord of the Kretans’ councils, where are those threats you gave

  220 now, that the sons of the Achaians uttered against the Trojans?”

  Then Idomeneus lord of the Kretans answered him in turn:

  “Thoas, no man is responsible for this, so far as

  my thought goes, since all of us understand how to wage war.

  It is not that heartless fear holds anyone, that a man yielding

  225 to dread emerges out of the evil fighting, but rather

  this way must be pleasurable to Kronos’ son in his great strength,

  that the Achaians must die here forgotten, and far from Argos.

  Since you, Thoas, have been before this a man stubborn in battle

  and stirred up another whenever you saw one hang back, so now

  230 also do not give up, and urge on each man as you find him.”

  Then in answer spoke the shaker of the earth, Poseidon:

  “Idomeneus, may that man who this day willfully hangs back

  from the fighting never win home again out of Troy land,

  but stay here and be made dogs’ delight for their feasting. Come then,

  235 take up your armor and go with me. We must speed this action

  together, since we, being two, might bring some advantage.

  The warcraft even of sad fighters combined turns courage,

  and you and I would have skill to fight even against good men.”

  So he spoke and strode on, a god, through the mortals’ struggle.

  240 Idomeneus, when he came back to his strong-built shelter,

  drew his splendid armor over his body, and caught up two spears,

  and went on his way, as a thunderbolt, which the son of Kronos

  catching up in his hand shakes from the shining edge of Olympos,

  flashes as a portent to men and the bright glints shine from it.

  245 Such was the glitter of bronze that girt his chest in his running.

  Close to his shelter there encountered him his strong henchman,

  Meriones, who was on his way to pick up a bronze spear

  and bring it back. Idomeneus in his strength spoke to him:

  “Meriones, son of Molos, swift-footed, dearest beloved

  250 companion, why have you come back and left the battle and fighting?

  Have you been hit somewhere? Does pain of a spear’s head afflict you?

  Have you come back with someone’s message for me? For my part

  my desire is to fight, not sit away in the shelters.”

  Meriones, a thoughtful man, spoke to him in answer:

  255 “Idomeneus, lord of the counsels of the bronze-armored Kretans,

  I am on my way to bring back a spear, if you have any

  left in your shelter. I broke just now the one I was carrying

  with a throw made against the shield of haughty Deïphobos.

  Then Idomeneus lord of the Kretans answered him in turn:

  260 “You will find one spear, and twenty spears, if you want them,

  standing against the shining inward wall in my shelter,

  Trojan spears I win from men that I kill, for my way

  is not to fight my battles standing far away from my enemies.

  Thereby I have spears there, and shields massive in the middle,

  265 and helms and corselets are there in all the pride of their shining.”

  Meriones, a thoughtful man, spoke to him in answer:

  “For me also, beside my shelter and beside my black ship,

  there are many spoils of the Trojans, but not near for me to get them.

  For I tell you, neither am I one who has forgotten his war strength

  270 but among the foremost, along the fighting where men win glory,

  I take my stand, whenever the quarrel of battle arises.

  Let my fighting be forgotten by some other bronze-armored

  Achaian. You are the very one I think must know of it.”

  Then Idomeneus lord of the Kretans answered him in turn:

  275 “I know your valor and what you are. Why need you speak of it?

  If now beside the ships all the best of us were to assemble

  for a hidden position, and there man’s courage is best decided,

  where the man who is a coward and the brave man show themselves clearly:

  the skin of the coward changes color one way and another,

  280 and the heart inside him has no control to make him sit steady,

  but he shifts his weight from one foot to another, then settles firmly

  on both feet, and the heart inside his chest pounds violent

  as he thinks of the death spirits, and his teeth chatter together:

  but the brave man’s skin will not change color, nor is he too much

  285 frightened, once he has taken his place in the hidden position,

  but his prayer is to close as soon as may be in bitter division:

  and there no man could make light of your battle strength or your hand’s work.

  Even were you to be wounded in your work with spearcast or spear-stroke,

  the weapon would not strike behind your neck, nor in your back,

  290 but would be driven straight against the chest or the belly

  as you made your way onward through the meeting of champions.

  But come, let us no longer stand here talking of these things

  like children, for fear some man may arrogantly scold us.

  Go to my shelter and choose for yourself a heavy spear.”

  295 So he spoke; Meriones, a match for the rapid war god,

  went into the shelter rapidly, and took up a bronze spear,

  and with his mind deeply set on battle followed Idomeneus.

  As manslaughtering Ares is when he strides into battle

  and Terror goes on beside him, his beloved son, the powerful

  300 and dauntless, who frightens even the patient-hearted warrior:

  these two come out of Thrace to encounter in arms the Ephyroi

  or the great-hearted Phlegyes, but the two will not listen to prayers

  from both sides, but give the glory to one side or the other:

  such were Meriones and Idomeneus, leaders of armies,

  305 as they went on into the fighting helmed in the bright bronze.

  First of the two, Meriones, spoke his word to Idomeneus:

  “Deukalides, where are you minded to enter the battle?

  Would it be on the right of the whole array, or in the center,

  or to the left? Since I think that nowhere else in the fighting

  310 are the flowing-haired Achaians overmatched so badly.”

  Idomeneus lord of the Kretans answered him in turn:

  “There are others beside us to defend the ships in the center,

  the two Aiantes, and Teukros, best of all the Achaians

  in archery, and a good man in the close of standing combat.

  315 They can give Hektor, Priam’s son, enough hard hitting,

  even though he is very strong, and sweeps hard into battle.

  Furious though he is for fighting, it will be very steep work

  for him to win through their irresistible hands and their war strength

  and fire the ships, unless the son of Kronos in person

  320 should hurl the blazing firebrand into our fast-running vessels.

  Nor would huge Telamonian Aias give way to any man,

  one who was mortal and ate bread, the yield of Demeter,

  one who could be broken by the bronze and great stones flung at him.

  He wo
uld not make way for Achilleus who breaks men in battle,

  325 in close combat. For speed of feet none can strive with Achilleus.

  Hold, as you say, for the left of the army, and thus soonest

  shall we see whether we win glory or give it to others.”

  He spoke, and Meriones, a match for the running war god,

  led the way, till they came to the place in the army he spoke for.

  330 These, as they saw Idomeneus like a flame in his valor

  himself and his henchman with him in their elaborate war gear,

  they called out across the battle and gathered about him,

  and an indiscriminate fight rose up by the sterns of the vessels.

  And as when under the screaming winds the whirlstorms bluster

  335 on that day when the dust lies deepest along the pathways

  and the winds in the confusion of dust uplift a great cloud,

  such was their indiscriminate battle, and their hearts were furious

  to slaughter each other with the sharp bronze through the press of the fighting.

  The battle where men perish shuddered now with the long

  340 man-tearing spears they held in their hands, their eyes were blinded

  in the dazzle of the bronze light from the glittering helmets,

  from the burnished corselets and the shining shields as men came on

  in confusion. That man would have to be very bold-hearted

  who could be cheerful and not stricken looking on that struggle.

  345 Two powerful sons of Kronos, hearts divided against each other,

  were wreaking bitter agonies on the fighting warriors,

  since Zeus willed the victory for the Trojans and Hektor,

  glorifying swift-footed Achilleus, yet not utterly

  did he wish the Achaian people to be destroyed before Ilion,

  350 but only was giving glory to Thetis and her strong-spirited

  son, while Poseidon emerging unseen from the gray salt water

  went among the Argives and stirred them, since he was angered

  that they were beaten by the Trojans and blamed Zeus for it bitterly.

  Indeed, the two were of one generation and a single father,

  355 but Zeus was the elder born and knew more. Therefore Poseidon

  shrank from openly defending them, but secretly

  in a man’s likeness was forever stirring them up through the army.

  So these two had looped over both sides a crossing

  cable of strong discord and the closing of battle, not to be

  360 slipped, not to be broken, which unstrung the knees of many.

  There Idomeneus, graying though he was, called on the Danaäns

  and charged in upon the Trojans and drove panic among them

  for he killed Othryoneus, a man who had lived in Kabesos,

  who was newly come in the wake of the rumor of war, and had asked

  365 Priam for the hand of the loveliest of his daughters,

  Kassandra, without bride price, but had promised a great work for her,

  to drive back the unwilling sons of the Achaians from Troy land,

  and aged Priam had bent his head in assent, and promised

  to give her, so Othryoneus fought in the faith of his promises.

  370 Idomeneus aimed at him with the shining spear, and threw it,

  and hit him as he came onward with high stride, and the corselet

  of bronze he wore could not hold, the spear fixed in the middle belly.

  He fell, thunderously, and Idomeneus vaunting cried out:

  “Othryoneus, I congratulate you beyond all others

  375 if it is here that you will bring to pass what you promised

  to Dardanian Priam, who in turn promised you his daughter.

  See now, we also would make you a promise, and we would fulfill it;

  we would give you the loveliest of Atreides’ daughters,

  and bring her here from Argos to be your wife, if you joined us

  380 and helped us storm the strong-founded city of Ilion.

  Come then with me, so we can meet by our seafaring vessels

  about a marriage; we here are not bad matchmakers for you.”

  The hero Idomeneus spoke and dragged him through the strong encounter

  caught by the foot, but now Asios came to stand by him

  385 dismounted, ahead of his horses whom his henchman held ever behind him

  so that they breathed on his shoulders. He was striving in all his fury

  to strike Idomeneus, but he, too quick with a spearcast,

  struck him in the gorge underneath the chin, and drove the bronze clean through.

  He fell, as when an oak goes down or a white poplar

  390 or like a towering pine tree which in the mountains the carpenters

  have hewn down with their whetted axes to make a ship timber.

  So he lay there felled in front of his horses and chariot,

  roaring, and clawed with his hands at the bloody dust. Meanwhile

  the charioteer who was close behind him was stricken in the wits

  395 and shrinking from the hands of the enemy did not have daring

  to turn the horses about, but Antilochos stubborn in battle

  pinned him through the middle with a spearstroke, and the corselet

  of bronze he wore could not hold, the spear fixed in the middle belly,

  so that he tumbled, gasping, out of the strong-wrought chariot.

  400 But for the horses, Antilochos, son of great-hearted Nestor,

  drove them away from the Trojans among the strong-greaved Achaians.

  Deïphobos in sorrow for Asios now came close

  in on Idomeneus, and with the bright spear made a cast at him,

  but Idomeneus with his eyes straight on him avoided the bronze spear

  405 since also he was hidden beneath his shield’s perfect circle, that shield

  he carried, hooped in circles of glaring bronze, and the skins

  of oxen, fitted with double cross-stays. He was all gathered

  together under this, and the brazen spear shot over him

  and the shield gave out a hollow clash as the spear glanced from it.

  410 Yet Deïphobos made no utterly vain cast from his strong hand,

  but struck Hypsenor, son of Hippasos, shepherd of the people,

  in the liver under the midriff, and at once took the strength from his knees.

  And Deïphobos vaunted terribly over him, calling in a great voice:

  “Asios lies not now all unavenged. I think rather

  415 as he goes down to Hades of the Gates, the strong one,

  he will be cheerful at heart, since I have sent him an escort.”

  He spoke, and sorrow came over the Argives at his vaunting,

  and beyond others stirred the spirit in wise Antilochos,

  yet sorrowful though he was he did not forget his companion

  420 but running stood and bestrode him and covered him under the great shield.

  Thereon Mekisteus, son of Echios, and brilliant Alastor,

  two staunch companions, stooping beneath it, caught up Hypsenor,

  and carried him, groaning heavily, to the hollow vessels.

  Idomeneus did not slacken his great fury, but always

  425 was straining to shroud some one of the Trojans in dark night

  or go down crashing himself as he fought the bane from the Achaians.

  There was a man, loved son of illustrious Aisyetes,

  the hero Alkaïthoös, who was son-in-law of Anchises,

  and had married the eldest of his daughters, Hippodameia,

  430 dear to the hearts of her father and the lady her mother

  in the great house, since she surpassed all the girls of her own age

  for beauty and accomplishments and wit; for which reason

  the man married her who was the best in the wide Troad.

  But no
w Poseidon beat him down at the hands of Idomeneus,

  435 for he bewitched his shining eyes, made moveless his bright limbs,

  so that he could not run backward, neither evade him,

  but stood like a statue or a tree with leaves towering

  motionless, while fighting Idomeneus stabbed at the middle

  of his chest with the spear, and broke the bronze armor about him

  440 which in time before had guarded his body from destruction.

  He cried out then, a great cry, broken, the spear in him,

  and fell, thunderously, and the spear in his heart was stuck fast

  but the heart was panting still and beating to shake the butt end

  of the spear. Then and there Ares the huge took his life away from him.

  445 Idomeneus vaunted terribly over him, calling in a great voice:

  “Deïphobos, are we then to call this a worthy bargain,

  three men killed for one? It was you yourself were so boastful.

  Strange man. Do you rather come yourself and stand up against me

  so you can see what I am like, Zeus’ seed, come here to face you.

  450 Since Zeus first got by Krete Minos, who cared for his people,

  and to Minos in turn was born a blameless son, Deukalion,

  and Deukalion sired me to be lord over many people

  in wide Krete, and now my ships have brought me to this place

  to be an evil for you and your father and the rest of the Trojans.”

  455 So he spoke, and the heart in Deïphobos was divided,

  pondering whether to draw back and find some other high-hearted

  Trojan to be his companion, or whether to attempt him singly.

  And in the division of his heart this way seemed best to him,

  to go for Aineias. He found him at the uttermost edge of the battle

  460 standing, since he was forever angry with brilliant Priam

  because great as he was he did him no honor among his people.

  Deïphobos came and stood close to him and addressed him in winged words:

  “Aineias, lord of the Trojans’ counsels, now there is need of you

  to stand by your brother-in-law, if this bond of kinship touches you.

  465 Come then, stand by Alkaïthoös, who was your sister’s husband

  and in time past nursed you in his house when you were still little.

  But now Idomeneus the spear-famed has killed him in battle.”

  So he spoke, and stirred the anger in the breast of Aineias.

  He went against Idomeneus, strongly eager for battle,

  470 yet no fear gripped Idomeneus as if he were a stripling,