Yet if I fight, alone as I am, the Trojans and Hektor
95 for shame, shall they not close in, many against one, about me?
Hektor of the shining helm leads all of the Trojans
here. Then why does my own heart within me debate this?
When a man, in the face of divinity, would fight with another
whom some god honors, the big disaster rolls sudden upon him.
100 Therefore, let no Danaän seeing it hold it against me
if I give way before Hektor, who fights from God. Yet if somewhere
I could only get some word of Aias of the great war cry,
we two might somehow go, and keep our spirit of battle
even in the face of divinity, if we might win the body
105 for Peleïd Achilleus. It would be our best among evils.”
Now as he was pondering this in his heart and his spirit
meanwhile the ranks of the Trojans came on, and Hektor led them;
and Menelaos backed away from them and left the dead man,
but kept turning on his way like some great bearded lion
110 when dogs and men drive him off from a steading with weapons
and shouts, and in the breast of the lion the strong heart of valor
freezes, and he goes reluctant away from the fenced ground.
So fair-haired Menelaos moved from Patroklos, but turning
stood fast when he had got back to the swarm of his own companions,
115 and looked all about for huge Aias, the son of Telamon,
and saw soon where he was, at the left of the entire battle
encouraging his companions and urging them into the fighting,
since Phoibos Apollo had smitten them all with unearthly terror.
He went on the run, and presently stood beside him and spoke to him:
120 “This way, Aias, we must make for fallen Patroklos
to try if we can carry back to Achilleus the body
which is naked; Hektor of the shining helm has taken his armor.”
So he spoke, and stirred the spirit in valiant Aias
who strode among the champions, fair-haired Menelaos with him.
125 But Hektor, when he had stripped from Patroklos the glorious armor,
dragged at him, meaning to cut his head from his shoulders with the sharp bronze,
to haul off the body and give it to the dogs of Troy; but meanwhile
Aias came near him, carrying like a wall his shield,
and Hektor drew back to the company of his own companions
130 and sprang to his chariot, but handed over the beautiful armor
to the Trojans, to take back to the city and to be his great glory.
Now Aias covering the son of Menoitios under his broad shield
stood fast, like a lion over his young, when the lion
is leading his little ones along, and men who are hunting
135 come upon them in the forest. He stands in the pride of his great strength
hooding his eyes under the cover of down-drawn eyelids.
Such was Aias as he bestrode the hero Patroklos,
while on the other side Atreus’ son, warlike Menelaos,
stood fast, feeding still bigger the great sorrow within him.
140 But Glaukos, lord of the Lykian men, the son of Hippolochos,
looked at Hektor, scowling, and laid a harsh word upon him:
“Hektor, splendid to look at, you come far short in your fighting.
That fame of yours, high as it is, belongs to a runner.
Take thought now how to hold fast your town, your citadel
145 by yourself, with those your people who were born in Ilion;
since no Lykian will go forth now to fight with the Danaäns
for the sake of your city, since after all we got no gratitude
for our everlasting hard struggle against your enemies.
How then, O hard-hearted, shall you save a worse man in all your
150 company, when you have abandoned Sarpedon, your guest-friend
and own companion, to be the spoil and prey of the Argives,
who was of so much use to you, yourself and your city
while he lived? Now you have not the spirit to keep the dogs from him.
Therefore now, if any of the Lykian men will obey me,
155 we are going home, and the headlong destruction of Troy shall be manifest.
For if the Trojans had any fighting strength that were daring
and unshaken, such as comes on men who, for the sake of their country,
have made the hard hateful work come between them and their enemies,
we could quickly get the body of Patroklos inside Ilion.
160 If, dead man though he be, he could be brought into the great city
of lord Priam, if we could tear him out of the fighting,
the Argives must at once give up the beautiful armor
of Sarpedon, and we could carry his body inside Ilion.
Such is the man whose henchman is killed. He is far the greatest
165 of the Argives by the ships, and his men fight hard at close quarters.
No, but you could not bring yourself to stand up against Aias
of the great heart, nor to look at his eyes in the clamor of fighting
men, nor attack him direct, since he is far better than you are.”
Looking darkly at him tall Hektor of the shining helm answered:
170 “Glaukos, why did a man like you speak this word of annoyance?
I am surprised. I thought that for wits you surpassed all others
of those who dwell in Lykia where the soil is generous; and yet
now I utterly despise your heart for the thing you have spoken
when you said I cannot stand in the face of gigantic Aias.
175 I am not one who shudders at attack and the thunder of horses.
But always the mind of Zeus is a stronger thing than a man’s mind.
He terrifies even the warlike man, he takes away victory
lightly, when he himself has driven a man into battle.
Come here, friend, and watch me at work; learn, standing beside me,
180 whether I shall be a coward all day, as you proclaim me,
or whether I stop some Danaän, for all of his fury,
from his fighting strength and from the defense of fallen Patroklos.”
So speaking he called afar in a great voice to the Trojans:
“Trojans, Lykians, Dardanians who fight at close quarters,
185 be men now, dear friends, remember your furious valor
while I am putting on the beautiful armor of blameless
Achilleus, which I stripped from Patroklos the strong when I killed him.”
So spoke Hektor of the shining helm, and departed
from the hateful battle, and running caught up with his companions
190 very soon, since he went on quick feet, and they had not gone far
carrying the glorious armor of Peleus’ son toward the city.
He stood apart from the sorrowful fighting, and changed his armor,
and gave what he had worn to the fighting Trojans to carry
to sacred Ilion, and himself put on that armor immortal
195 of Peleïd Achilleus, which the Uranian gods had given
to his loved father; and he in turn grown old had given it
to his son; but a son who never grew old in his father’s armor.
When Zeus who gathers the clouds saw him, apart from the others
arming himself in the battle gear of godlike Peleïdes,
200 he stirred his head and spoke to his own spirit: “Ah, poor wretch!
There is no thought of death in your mind now, and yet death stands
close beside you as you put on the immortal armor
of a surpassing man. There are others who tremble before him.
Now you have killed this man’s dear friend, who was
strong and gentle,
205 and taken the armor, as you should not have done, from his shoulders
and head. Still for the present I will invest you with great strength
to make up for it that you will not come home out of the fighting,
nor Andromachē take from your hands the glorious arms of Achilleus.”
He spoke, the son of Kronos, and nodded his head with the dark brows.
210 The armor was fitted to Hektor’s skin, and Ares the dangerous
war god entered him, so that the inward body was packed full
of force and fighting strength. He went onward calling in a great voice
to his renowned companions in arms, and figured before them
flaming in the battle gear of great-hearted Peleion.
215 “He ranged their ranks, and spoke a word to encourage each captain,
to Mesthles and Glaukos, to Thersilochos and Medon,
Deisenor and Hippothoös and Asteropaios,
to Phorkys and Chromios and the bird interpreter Ennomos,
and stirring all of these forward called to them in winged words:
220 “Hear me, you numberless hordes of companions who live at our borders.
It was not for any desire nor need of a multitude
that man by man I gathered you to come here from your cities,
but so that you might have good will to defend the innocent
children of the Trojans, and their wives, from the fighting Achaians.
225 With such a purpose I wear out my own people for presents
and food, wherewith I make strong the spirit within each one of you.
Therefore a man must now turn his face straight forward, and perish
or survive. This is the sweet invitation of battle.
That man of you who drags Patroklos, dead as he is, back
230 among Trojans, breakers of horses, and Aias gives way before him,
I will give him half the spoils for his portion, and keep half
for myself, and his glory shall be as great as mine is.”
So he spoke, and they lifted their spears and went straight for the Danaäns
who felt their weight, and inside each man the spirit was hopeful
235 to get the body away from Telamonian Aias.
Fools! since over the dead man he tore the life out of many.
Then Aias himself spoke to Menelaos of the great war cry:
“Illustrious Menelaos, dear friend, I no longer have hope
that even you and I can win back out of the fighting.
240 My fear is not so much for the dead body of Patroklos
who presently must glut the dogs and the birds of Troy, so much
as I fear for my own head, my life, and what may befall it,
and for yours, since this cloud of war is darkened on all things,
this Hektor, while for you and me sheer death is emerging.
245 Come then, call the great men of the Danaäns, if one might hear you.”
He spoke, and Menelaos of the great war cry obeyed him.
He lifted his voice and called in a piercing cry to the Danaäns:
“Friends, O leaders and men of counsel among the Argives,
you that beside Agamemnon and Menelaos, the two sons
250 of Atreus, drink the community’s wine and give, each man, his orders
to the people; and from Zeus the respect and honor attend you.
It is hard for me to discriminate among you each man
who is a leader, so big is the bitter fight that has blazed up.
Then let a man come of his own accord, think it shameful
255 that Patroklos be given to the dogs of Troy to delight them.”
He spoke, and swift Aias son of Oïleus was sharp to hear him
and was first to come running along the battle, and join him,
and after him Idomeneus, and Idomeneus’ companion
Meriones, a match for the murderous lord of battles.
260 But what man could tell forth from his heart the names of the others,
all who after these waked the war strength of the Achaians?
The Trojans came down on them in a pack, and Hektor led them.
As when at the outpouring place of a rain-glutted river
the huge surf of the sea roars against the current, out-jutting
265 beaches thunder aloud to the backwash of the salt water,
with such a bellow the Trojans came on, but now the Achaians
stood fast about the son of Menoitios, in a single courage
and fenced beneath their bronze-armored shields, while the son of Kronos
drifted across the glitter of their helmets a deepening
270 mist; since before this time he had not hated Menoitios’
son, while he lived yet and was Achilleus’ companion,
and loathed now that he should become the spoil of the hated
Trojans’ dogs, and stirred his companions on to defend him.
First the Trojans shouldered back the glancing-eyed Achaians,
275 who abandoned the body and ran for terror, nor did the high-hearted
Trojans take any with their spears, for all of their striving,
but dragged at the dead man, only the Achaians were not long destined
to fail him, since they were pulled around in sudden speed
by Aias, who for his beauty and the work of his hands surpassed
280 all other Danaäns, after the blameless son of Peleus.
He steered through the front fighters in pride of strength like a savage
wild boar, who among the mountains easily scatters
the dogs and strong young men when he turns at bay in the valley.
So now the son of haughty Telamon, glorious Aias,
285 turned to charge and easily scatter the Trojan battalions,
who had taken their stand bestriding Patroklos, in high hope
of dragging him off to their own city, and so winning honor.
Indeed, Hippothoös, glorious son of Pelasgian Lethos,
was trying to drag him by the foot through the strong encounter
290 by fastening the sling of his shield round the ankle tendons
for the favor of Hektor and the Trojans, but the sudden evil
came to him, and none for all their desire could defend him.
The son of Telamon, sweeping in through the mass of the fighters,
struck him at close quarters through the brazen cheeks of his helmet
295 and the helm crested with horse-hair was riven about the spearhead
to the impact of the huge spear and the weight of the hand behind it
and the brain ran from the wound along the spear by the eye-hole,
bleeding. There his strength was washed away, and from his hands
he let fall to the ground the foot of great-hearted Patroklos
300 to lie there, and himself collapsed prone over the dead man
far away from generous Larissa, and he could not
render again the care of his dear parents; he was short-lived,
beaten down beneath the spear of high-hearted Aias.
Again Hektor threw at Aias with the shining javelin,
305 but Aias with his eyes straight on him avoided the bronze spear
by a little, and Hektor struck Schedios, the son of high-hearted
Iphitos and far the best of the Phokians, one who lived
in his home in famous Panopeus and was lord over many people.
He struck him fair beneath the collar-bone, and the pointed
310 bronze head tore clean through and came out by the base of the shoulder.
He fell, thunderously, and his armor clattered upon him.
But Aias in turn cut at Phorkys, the wise son of Phainops,
in the middle of the belly as he stood over fallen Hippothoös,
and broke the hollow of the corselet, so that the entrails spurted
315 from the
bronze, and he went down clawing the dust in his fingers.
The champions of Troy gave back then, and glorious Hektor,
and the Argives gave a great cry and dragged back the bodies
of Hippothoös and Phorkys, and eased the armor from their shoulders.
Then, once more, might the Trojans have climbed back into Ilion’s
320 wall, subdued by terror before the warlike Achaians,
and the Argives, even beyond Zeus’ destiny, might have won glory
by their own force and strength, had not Apollo in person
stirred on Aineias; he had assumed the form of the herald
Periphas, Epytos’ son, growing old in his herald’s office
325 by Aineias’ aged father, and a man whose thoughts were of kindness.
In the likeness of this man Zeus’ son Apollo spoke to him:
“Aineias, how could you be the man to defend sheer Ilion
even against a god’s will, as I have seen other men do it
in the confidence of their own force and strength, their own manhood
330 and their own numbers, though they had too few people for it?
But now Zeus wishes the victory far rather for our side
than the Danaäns’, only yourselves keep blenching and will not fight them.”
So he spoke, but Aineias knew far-striking Apollo
as he looked him straight in the face, and called in a great voice to Hektor:
335 “Hektor, and you other lords of the Trojans and their companions,
here is a shameful thing! We are climbing back into Ilion’s
wall, subdued by terror before the warlike Achaians.
Yet see, some one of the gods is standing beside me, and tells me
that Zeus the supreme counselor lends his weight to our fighting.
340 Therefore we must go straight for the Danaäns, so that they may not
carry thus easily back to their ships the fallen Patroklos.”
He spoke, and with a long leap stood far before the front fighters,
and the Trojans turned and held their ground against the Achaians.
And now Aineias killed Leiokritos, with a spear-thrust,
345 the son of Arisbas and noble companion of Lykomedes;
but as he fell the warrior Lykomedes pitied him,
and stood close in, and made a cast with the shining javelin
and struck Apisaon, son of Hippasos, shepherd of the people,
in the liver under the midriff, and the strength of his knees was broken.
350 He was one who had come from Paionia of the rich soil
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