by Homer
since swift-footed godlike Achilles lay low by his ships,
angered for the girl, lovely haired Briseïs,
whom he had taken from Lyrnessos after much labor,690
after sacking Lyrnessos and the walls of Thebes,
and struck down Mynes and Epistrophos, spear-fighters,
sons of lord Euenos, who was son of Selepos—
for her sake he lay grieving; but soon he would rise.
Those who held Phylake and flowering Pyrasos,
the sanctuary of Demeter, and Iton, mother of flocks,
and Antron by the sea, and grass-banked Pteleos;
of these Protesilaos the warlike was leader—
while he lived; for already the dark earth held him,
and his wife, her cheeks torn in mourning, was left in Phylake,700
his house half built; a Dardanian man killed him
as he leapt from his ship, first by far of the Achaeans;
but they were not leaderless, though they mourned their leader.
Podarkes arrayed them, companion of Ares,
the son of Iphiklos, son of flock-rich Phylakos
a full brother of great-hearted Protesilaos,
younger by birth; the older brother, Protesilaos the warrrior,
who also the better; yet his men were not leaderless,
although they mourned him, noble as he was.
And with Podarkes there followed forty dark ships.710
Those who dwelt in Pherai beside Lake Boibeïs,
and in Boibe and Glaphyrai and well-built Iolkos,
of these the beloved son of Admetos led eleven ships,
Eumelos, he whom Alcestis, resplendent of women, bore to Admetos,
she the most beautiful of all daughters of Pelias.
Those who dwelt in Methone and Thaumakia
and held Meliboia and rugged Olizon—
Philoctetes well skilled in the bow was the leader
of their seven ships; and in each were embarked fifty rowers,
well skilled in the bow to fight strongly in battle.720
But on an island he lay, suffering powerful afflictions,
on Lemnos the sacred, where the Achaeans had left him
tormented by the baneful wound of a deadly water serpent;
there he lay suffering; but soon the Argives,
camped by their ships, were to turn their minds to lord Philoctetes.
Nor were they leaderless, for all they mourned their leader;
but Medon, bastard son of Oïleus, marshaled them,
Medon whom Rhene bore to Oïleus sacker of cites.
Those who held Trikka and rugged Ithome,
those who held Oichalia, city of Oichalian Eurytos,730
of these the two sons of Asclepius were leaders,
both good healers, Podaleirios and Machaon;
of these there sailed thirty hollow ships.
Those who held Ormenion and the spring Hypereia,
who held Asterion and the shining white summits of Titanos,
of these Eurypylos was leader, splendid son of Euaimon;
and with him there followed forty dark ships.
Those who held Argissa and dwelt in Gyrtone,
and Orthe and Elone and the white city Oloösson—
of these steadfast Polypoites was leader,740
the son of Peirithoös, whom immortal Zeus fathered,
he whom Hippodameia the glorious bore to Peirithoös
on that day he wreaked vengeance on the shaggy Centaurs,
and drove them from Mount Pelion into the land of the Aithikes;
not alone, for with him was Leonteus, companion of Ares,
son of high-hearted Koronos, of the line of Kaineus;
and with these there followed forty dark ships.
Gouneus from Kyphos led twenty-two ships;
the Enienes followed him and the steadfast Peraiboi,
they who made their homes around wintery Dodona,750
they who settled the tilled fields around the lovely Titaressos,
who pours forth his waters, lovely flowing, into the Peneus—
Titaressos does not mingle with the silver eddies of Peneus,
but rather floats above, like oil, on the surface;
for this is a branch of the Styx, dread river of oath.
Prothoös, son of Tenthredon, led the Magnesians,
those who dwelt around the Peneus and fluttering-leaved Mount Pelion;
of these swift Prothoös was leader,
and with him there followed forty dark ships.
Such, then, were the commanders and leaders of the Danaans.760
Tell me, Muse, who of these was very best,
of the men and the horses, who followed Atreus’ sons?
The best horses by far were belonging to the line of Pheres,
mares that Eumelos drove, swift-moving as birds,
matched in color, in age, their backs as level as a plumb line—
horses that Apollo of the silver bow had reared in Pereia,
both females, bearers of terror in battle.
And of men far the best was Telamonian Ajax—
while Achilles was wrathful; for Achilles was far strongest,
as were his horses, who always carried the blameless son of Peleus.770
But he lay idle among his curved seagoing ships,
raging against Agamemnon, shepherd of the people,
the son of Atreus; and along the breaking surf of the sea his men
amused themselves casting discus and hunting spears,
and aiming with their bows; and each horse stood beside its chariot
munching clover and marsh parsley.
The well-covered chariots were laid away
in the shelter of their lords. They, bereft of their warlike leader,
roaming here and there throughout the army, did not fight.
But the others advanced as if fire were grazing all the land,780
and the earth rumbled as when Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt rages,
when he lashes the earth around Typhoeus
in the land of the Arimoi, where men say monstrous Typhoeus has his lair.
So the earth loudly thundered beneath the feet
of the approaching men; and with lightning speed they traversed the plain.
Then to the Trojans, swift Iris with feet like the wind came as messenger,
sent from Zeus who wields the aegis with a painful message.
They were gathered in assembly by Priam’s gates
all together, both young and old.
Standing close, swift-footed Iris addressed them;790
she likened her voice to that of Priam’s son Polites,
who confident in his swiftness of his feet, sat as sentinel of Troy
on the highest point of the tomb of old Aisyetes,
on the lookout for when the Achaeans might sally forth from the ships.
In his likeness, swift-footed Iris addressed them:
“Old sir, endless talk is always dear to you
as before, in the days of peace; but war unceasing has arisen.
And to be sure I have entered into many a battle with men,
but never have I beheld such a force and in such numbers;
more numerous than leaves or grains of sand800
the men advance across the plain toward the city to do battle.
Hector, on you above all I lay this injunction, to do as I say;
many allies are around the great city of Priam,
and every language of these widely scattered men is different from the others;
let each man give orders to those troops he leads,
and once he has marshaled his fellow citizens, have him lead them forth.”
So Iris spoke, and Hector did not fail to recognize the word of a goddess,
and at once he broke the assembly; and the men rushed to their arms.
All the gates were opened, and the host surged forth,
on f
oot and on horse; and a great roar rose.810
There is a steep hill in front of the city
on its own in the plain, with running room on every side.
This men call by the name “Batieia,” or the place of brambles,
but the gods know it as the tomb of the far-dancing Amazon Myrine;
there the Trojans and their allies were arrayed.
Great Hector of the shimmering helm was leader of the Trojans,
Priam’s son; with him by far the most numerous and best
troops were mustered, at the ready with their spears.
Next the noble son of Anchises led the Dardanians,
Aeneas, whom divine Aphrodite bore to Anchises,820
a goddess lying with a mortal man in the foothills of Mount Ida;
he was not alone, for with Aeneas were two sons of Antenor,
Archelochos and Akamas, both skilled in all manner of fighting.
Those who dwelt in Zeleia below the furthest foot of Ida,
wealthy men who drank the dark water of Aisepos,
Trojans; of these Lykaon’s splendid son,
Pandaros, was leader, to whom Apollo himself had given a bow.
Those who held Adresteia and the country of Apaisos,
and held Pityeia and the steep mountain Tereia—
of these was Adrestos leader and Amphios too, in his breastplate of linen,830
both sons of Merops of Percote, who beyond all men
was skilled in divination, and forbade his sons
to go to man-destroying war. But these two did not
obey him; for the forces of dark death drove them.
Those who dwelt around Percote and Praktion,
and held Sestos and Abydos and shining Arisbe,
of these Asios the son of Hyrtakos was leader, a chief among men,
Asios son of Hyrtakos, whose great blazing
horses carried him from Arisbe, away from the river Selleïs.
Hippothoös led the tribe of Pelasgian spear-fighters,840
they who inhabited Larisa with its rich soil.
Of these Hippothoös and Pylaios, companion of Ares, were leaders,
two sons of Pelasgian Lethos, who was son of Teutamos.
Akamas and the warrior Peiroös led the Thracians,
all those whom the strong-flowing Hellespont bounds within.
Euphemos led the Ciconian spearmen,
a son of Troizenos, cherished by Zeus, and the son of Keas.
Pyraichmes led the Paeonians with their curved bows,
from faraway Amydon and the wide-flowing Axios—
Axios, whose water flows loveliest on earth.850
Rough-hearted Pylaimenes led the Paphlagonians
from the land of the Enetoi, the place of wide-ranging mules,
they who held Kytoros and who dwelt around Sesamos,
and who lived in splendid homes around the river Parthenios,
at Kromna and Aigialos and Erythinoi on high.
Then Odios and Epistrophos led the Halizones
from far-off Alybe, where silver is born.
Of the Mysians, Chromis was leader, with Ennomos auger of birds;
but not by birds did he ward off dark death,
but was broken under the hands of swift-footed Achilles860
in the river, where he cut down other Trojans.
Phorkys and godlike Askanios led the Phrygians
from faraway Askania; for they hungered to go to battle in the combat.
Mesthles and Antiphos commanded the Maeonians,
sons of Talaimenes, whom Lake Gygaia bore;
these led the Maeonians, those reared beneath Mount Tmolos.
Nastes led the wild-speaking Carians,
those who held Miletos and Phthires, the mountain of dense leaves,
and the stream of Maeander and the steep peak of Mykale.
Of these Amphimachos and Nastes were leaders,870
Nastes and Amphimachos, splendid sons of Nomion;
Nastes who came to the war wearing gold like a girl—
fool, nor did this ward off miserable death,
but he was killed at the hands of swift-footed Aeacides
in the river, and blazing Achilles attended to his gold.
And Sarpedon and blameless Glaukos led the Lycians,
from faraway Lycia, and the whirling eddies of Xanthos.
3.ILIÁDOS Γ
Then when all the contingents were marshaled with their leaders
the Trojans set out with ringing cries and clamor, like birds—
as when the ringing cry of cranes goes up before heaven
when they flee the winter storms and monstrous rains
and with a ringing cry fly to the rivers of Ocean,
bearing bloodshed and death to Pygmy men,
and high in the air display their evil battle strife—
but the Achaeans advanced in silence, breathing fury,
intent in their hearts to stand by one another.
As when on a mountain height the South Wind spills dark mist—10
no friend to the shepherd, but to the thief better than night—
and a man sees before him only so far as he throws a stone;
so the thick dust rose beneath the feet
of the advancing men; and in all swiftness they traversed the plain.
Then when they had advanced almost upon each other,
godlike Alexandros stepped out before the Trojans as their champion,
a leopard skin and curved bow upon his shoulders,
and a sword; shaking two bronze-tipped spears
he called forth all the best of the Argives
to fight him man-to-man in dread combat.20
As he did, Menelaos beloved by Ares caught sight of him
as he came striding before the throng of battle;
and as a lion rejoices when he comes upon a great carcass,
finding a horned deer or a wild goat
in his hunger, and devours it greedily, for all
the swift dogs and sturdy young men rush him;
so Menelaos rejoiced seeing godlike Alexandros
before his own eyes; for he thought to take vengeance on his offender;
and straightway he leapt from his chariot in his armor to the ground.
As he did, godlike Alexandros saw him30
emerging among the front fighters, and was shaken in his heart,
and he drew back into the band of his companions, shunning death.
As when a man sees a snake in a mountain glen
and leaping back stands at a distance, and trembling seizes his limbs
and he draws back again, and pallor claims his cheeks,
so godlike Alexandros slipped back into the company
of noble Trojans, fearing the son of Atreus.
And seeing him Hector reviled him with contemptuous words:
“Accursed Paris, outstanding only in beauty, woman crazed, seducer—
would that you were never born and died unwed;40
so I would wish, and it would have been far better
than to be as now an outrage and something sneered at by others.
The long-haired Achaeans howl in laughter
thinking you our first champion, because your appearance
is beautiful—but there is no strength in your heart, nor any courage.
Were you such a man when in seagoing ships
you sailed the deep sea, assembling your trusty comrades,
and coming among foreign people led away a beautiful woman
from a distant land, a woman related to spearmen—
mighty ruin to your father and city and all your people,50
but great joy to our enemies and disgrace to yourself?
You will not stand to face Menelaos, beloved by Ares?
You would learn what kind of man was he whose luscious wife you hold.
Your lyre and the gifts of Aphrodite would be of no use to you,
nor your hair and looks when you coupled with the dust.
The Trojans are great cowards; else before now
you would have worn a shirt of flying stones for your evils, such things you have done.”
Then in turn godlike Alexandros addressed him:
“Hector, since you rebuke me fairly, and not beyond what is fair—
your heart is ever unyielding, like an axe60
that goes through wood wielded by a man who skillfully
carves timber for a ship, and the axe increases the man’s swing;
just so is the spirit in your breast relentless—
do not cast in my teeth the desirable gifts of golden Aphrodite.
Not to be thrown away are the glorious gifts of the gods,
whatever it is they might give; not at will can a man obtain them.
If you wish for me now to go to war again and do battle,
have all the other Trojans seated and all the Achaeans,
and match me and Menelaos beloved by Ares in the space between
to fight for Helen and all her possessions;70
whichever of us proves winner and is mightier,
let him take all the possessions and duly lead the woman home—
and the others, swearing faithful oaths of friendship, let them
dwell in Troy where the soil is rich, or return
to the horse-grazed pastures of Argos and Achaea with its beautiful women.”
So he spoke; and Hector rejoiced greatly hearing his word,
and going into the midst of the Trojans he restrained the battle lines,
taking hold of his spear by the middle; and they all sat down.
But the long-haired Achaeans turned their bows on him,
and taking aim with arrows and stones, tried to hit him.80
Then the lord of men Agamemnon shouted loudly:
“Hold back, Argives, do not strike, Achaean men;
for Hector of the shimmering helm has come forward to say something.”
So he spoke, and the men held off and were silent
in expectation. And Hector spoke between both sides:
“Hear from me, Trojans and strong-greaved Achaeans,
the word of Alexandros, for whose sake this strife arose.
He bids the other Trojans and all the Achaeans
lay their fine armor aside on the nourishing earth,
and in the space between, he and Menelaos beloved by Ares90
alone will fight for Helen and all her possessions;
whichever of them proves winner and is mightier,
let him take all the possessions and duly lead the woman home—
and let the others swear faithful oaths of friendship.”
So he spoke, and all the men were hushed in silence.