by Homer
“I pray that it is so, O dear Menelaos.
A healer will lay hands and place medicines on the wound,190
which will put a stop to the dark pains.”
He spoke, and addressed Talthybios, the divinely protected herald:
“Talthybios, quickly as you can summon here Machaon,
the man who is the son of Asclepius, the blameless healer,
so that he may see Menelaos, warlike leader of Achaeans,
whom some archer well skilled in bows, a Trojan or Lycian,
has struck—a thing of glory to him, but grief to us.”
So he spoke, and hearing him the herald did not disobey,
and he left to go to the army of the bronze-clad Achaeans,
to search out the warrior Machaon; he recognized him200
as he stood by; around him were powerful ranks of shield-bearing
men, who had followed him from the horse-grazed pastures of Trikka.
Standing close, he addressed him with winged words:
“Up, son of Asclepius, lord Agamemnon summons,
so that you may see Menelaos, warlike leader of Achaeans,
whom some archer well skilled in bows, a Trojan or Lycian,
has struck—a thing of glory to him, but grief to us.”
So he spoke and stirred the spirit in the others’ breast;
They set out to go through the throng and along the broad army of Achaeans.
And when he arrived where fair-haired Menelaos210
was wounded, and all the best men were gathered around him
in a circle, Machaon, a man like a god, went to his side in their midst,
and at once he drew out the arrow from the fitted war-belt;
the sharp barbs were broken back as it was drawn out.
He loosened the war-belt, all-gleaming, and beneath it
the underbelt and belt-guard, which bronze-working men toiled to make.
Then when he saw the wound, where the pointed arrow had entered,
sucking out the blood, he then expertly sprinkled on soothing
herbs, which once upon a time Chiron with kind intent gave to his father.
While they attended to Menelaos of the war cry,220
all the while the ranks of shield-bearing Trojans drew near;
and the Achaeans again put on their armor, and recollected their fighting spirit.
Then you would not have seen godlike Agamemnon dozing,
or cowering, or reluctant to fight,
but rather rushing to battle where men win glory.
For he left aside his chariot, intricate with bronze, and his horses—
these, breathing hard, his attendant Eurymedon held apart,
Eurymedon, son of Ptolemaios, the son of Peiraios;
and on him Agamemnon laid a strong injunction to hold them in readiness, until the time when
exhaustion might take hold of his limbs, through being lord to so many230
—then going on foot he ranged around the ranks of men.
And those of the Danaans of swift horses whom he saw were eager,
these men, standing close, he encouraged further with his words:
“Argives, never yet, in any way, relax your fierce courage;
for Zeus the father will be no abettor to those who deceive,
and these men who have done harm contrary to their sacred oaths,
surely, vultures will devour their tender flesh,
and their dear wives and tender children
we shall lead off in our ships, when we take their city.”
Yet those men he saw hanging back from the hated war,240
these he reviled with angry words:
“Argive blusterers, disgraces, are you not ashamed?
Why do you stand in this way like bewildered fawns,
who exhausted after racing around a great plain
come to a stand, and there is no spirit of resistance in their hearts?
Just so you stand bewildered, and do not fight.
Or are you waiting for the Trojans to come close, to where the ships
are drawn up, strong-sterned, onto the beach of the gray sea,
to see whether the son of Cronus will hold over you his protective hand?”
Thus giving his commands he ranged around the ranks of men.250
And came upon the Cretans as he went through the throng of men;
they were arming around brilliant Idomeneus.
Idomeneus was in the front ranks, like a wild boar in courage,
while Meriones urged on the rear lines.
Seeing them, Agamemnon lord of men rejoiced,
and straightway addressed Idomeneus with winning words:
“Idomeneus, I honor you above all the Danaans of swift horses
in battle and for every type of deed,
and in the feast, when the Argive elite mix in a bowl
the dark-gleaming wine of kings.260
For although the rest of the long-haired Achaeans
drink down their portion, your cup stands always full
as does mine, to drink whenever our spirit desires.
But rouse yourself to war, as such a man you boast you were before.”
Then Idomeneus leader of the Cretans addressed him in reply:
“Son of Atreus, a trusty comrade I will surely be to you,
as at the first I undertook and promised.
But rally the other long-haired Achaeans,
so that we can fight without delay, since the Trojans
have destroyed their sacred oaths; there will be death and sorrows for them270
in time to come, since they were first to do harm against the sacred treaty.”
Thus he spoke, and the son of Atreus departed, rejoicing in his heart;
he came upon the two Aiantes as he went through the throng of men.
Both were in armor, and a cloud of foot soldiers followed with them;
as when a goat-herding man watches a cloud from a mountain peak
when it bears down over the sea by the power of the West Wind’s blast,
and, being far away, to him it seems blacker than pitch
as it moves over the sea, and carries a great tempest with it,
and he shudders seeing it, and drives his flocks into a cave,
just so did the dark ranks of young men cherished by Zeus move with the two Aiantes280
close-pressed to war’s destruction,
and bristling with spears and shields.
And seeing them lord Agamemnon rejoiced,
and lifting his voice he addressed them with winged words:
“Aiantes, you two leaders of the bronze-clad Argives,
it is not fitting to urge you two, nor to give orders;
for you yourselves strongly command your people to fight.
Father Zeus, Athena and Apollo, would that
such a spirit were in the breast of every man!
The city of lord Priam would swiftly totter290
beneath our hands, captured and sacked.”
So speaking he left them there, and went among the other men.
There he came on Nestor, the clear speaker from Pylos,
arraying his companions and urging them to fight,
great Pelagon and Alastor and Chromios about him
and powerful Haimon and Bias, shepherd of the people;
in front he positioned the horsemen with their horses and chariots,
and the foot soldiers behind them, numerous and warlike,
to be a defensive wall against the war; and the spiritless men he drove into the middle,
so that even an unwilling man would by constraint do battle.300
And in the front ranks he commanded the horsemen; and he urged them
to restrain their horses so they would not be fouled in the throng of battle:
“Let no man trusting in his horsemanship and manhood,
on his own, in front of the other men, strive to do battle with the Tro
jans,
nor let him retreat; for you will be too weak.
And a man who from his own chariot can reach chariots of the enemy,
let him thrust with his spear, since this is more effective.
In this way the men of time before sacked walls and cities,
holding this purpose and this spirit in their breasts.”
So the old man urged them on, skilled in warfare of long ago;310
and seeing him lord Agamemnon rejoiced,
and speaking out addressed Nestor with winged words:
“O old man, would that, like the spirit in your very breast,
your knees’ strength might keep pace with you, and your power be unwavering;
but old age wears you, which levels all alike. Would that some
other man had your age, and you were among the younger men.”
Then answered him the Gerenian horseman Nestor:
“Son of Atreus, indeed I myself could also wish
to be so, as when I slew godlike Ereuthalion.
But the gods never grant all things to men at the same time.320
If then I was a youth, now in turn old age comes upon me.
Yet even so I will take my station and command the horsemen
with advice and counsel; for this is the privilege of age;
younger men will throw the spear, men
later born than me and who put their trust in strength.”
So he spoke; and the son of Atreus went on his way rejoicing in his heart.
He found the son of Peteos, Menestheus, driver of horses,
standing idle; about him were the Athenians, raisers of the battle cry;
and close by resourceful Odysseus had taken position,
and beside and around him unwearying ranks of the Kephallenians330
stood by; for the people had not yet heard the cry for battle,
and the lines of horse-breaking Trojans and Achaeans had only just
begun to move; those waiting
stood by for the time when some other line of advancing Achaeans
might make onslaught on the Trojans and begin the war.
Seeing them, the lord of men Agamemnon spoke words of revilement;
and lifting his voice he addressed them with winged words:
“O son of Peteos, Zeus-cherished king,
and you surpassing all in craven schemes, cunning in spirit,
why do you hang back, cowering in fear, waiting out the other men?340
It is only decent that you two take your stand
among the front ranks and have your share of searing battle,
for you two are the first to hear me when it comes to feasting,
whenever we Achaeans make ready a feast for the ruling counselors.
There it is your pleasure to eat roasted meats and to drink
cups of honey-sweet wine for so long as you wish;
but now you would gladly look on, even should ten battalions of Achaeans
fight before your eyes with pitiless bronze.”
Then looking at him from under his brows resourceful Odysseus addressed him:
“Son of Atreus, what kind of word has escaped the barrier of your teeth?350
How do you say that we hang back from battle? Whenever we Achaeans
rouse shrill battle against the Trojans, breakers of horses,
you will see, if you have a wish to and if these things concern you,
the beloved father of Telemachos grappling with the foremost fighters
of the horse-breaking Trojans; these words you talk are so much wind.”
Then smiling on him lord Agamemnon addressed him,
as he knew he was angry, and he took back his word:
“Son of Laertes descended from Zeus, Odysseus of many stratagems,
I neither rebuke you needlessly, nor give you orders.
For I know that the spirit in your own breast360
has well-disposed intentions; for you think the same things I do.
But come, we will redress these matters later, if anything unworthy
has been said now; may the gods make all these things come to nothing.”
So speaking he left them there, and went among the other men.
And he found the son of Tydeus, high-spirited Diomedes,
standing among his horses and bolted chariot;
and beside him stood Sthenelos, the son of Kapaneus.
And seeing him lord Agamemnon rebuked him;
and lifting his voice he addressed him with winged words:
“Oh me! Son of Tydeus, the skilled breaker of horses,370
why do you skulk, why gape between the lines of battle?
It did not please Tydeus to crouch this way in fear,
but rather to fight the enemy far in front of his beloved comrades—
so they say who saw him at work; I myself never
saw nor encountered him; but they say he surpassed all men.
Indeed he once came to Mycenae, although not for war,
but as a guest friend with godlike Polyneikes, recruiting men;
they were at that time on campaign against the sacred walls of Thebes,
and greatly did they beseech us to offer our renowned men as allies.
Our men were willing to give them, and were assenting to what the others desired,380
but Zeus changed their purpose, showing forth ill-omened signs.
After that, then, the two departed and were forward on the road,
and arrived at the Asopos, with its grassy banks and deep rushes,
where the Achaeans appointed Tydeus as their ambassador;
and he went on his way, and came upon a large number of Thebans from
the city of Cadmus,
taking their meal at the home of strong Eteocles.
There, stranger though he was, Tydeus striker of horses was not
frightened, although alone among so many Cadmeians,
but he challenged them to contests of strength, and won all events
easily. Such an ally to him was Athena.390
Then angered, the Thebans, skilled drivers of horses,
set a cunning ambush for him as he returned home—
fifty young warriors, and there were two leaders,
Maion the son of Haimon, a man resembling the gods,
and the son of Autophonos, Lykophontes, steadfast in war.
Tydeus sent these men a shameful death;
he slew them all—one man alone he permitted to return home;
for he let Maion go, obedient to signs from the gods.
Such a man was Aetolian Tydeus; but he begat a son
inferior to him in battle, but more skilled in public speaking.”400
So he spoke; and powerful Diomedes did not answer him at all,
respecting the rebuke of the honored king.
But the son of glorious Kapaneus gave him answer:
“Son of Atreus, do not lie when you know how to speak clearly.
We claim to be far better than our fathers;
we sacked the very seat of seven-gated Thebes,
leading fewer men beneath a stronger wall,
trusting in the signs of the gods and the help of Zeus;
the others died by their own reckless folly.
Therefore never in my presence accord our fathers the same honor.”410
Then looking at him from beneath his brows powerful Diomedes addressed him:
“My friend, keep silent, and heed my word.
I myself do not blame Agamemnon the shepherd of the people
for rallying the strong-greaved Achaeans to fight.
For honor will follow him if the Achaeans should
cut down the Trojans and capture sacred Ilion,
and in turn great will be his pain should the Achaeans be cut down.
But come, and let us two also remember our fierce courage.”
He spoke and leapt from his chariot in his armor to the ground,
and ter
ribly did the bronze clash on the chest of the king420
as he moved; thereon would fear have seized even a steadfast man.
As when waves of the sea dash on the thundering shore,
one after another under power of the West Wind moving—
the wave rises first in the open sea, then
shattering on land it roars mightily, and curling as it goes
breaks around the headland, and spatters foam of the salt sea—
so in this way did the ranks of Danaans move one after another
ceaselessly to war. Each leader commanded his
own men; the rest of the men were silent, nor would you have thought
that so large an army could restrain its voice and follow,430
keeping silent, for fear of their commanders; and on them all
shone the elaborate armor that they wore as they marched.
But the Trojans, as the numberless ewes of a wealthy man
stand in their pen to be milked of their white milk,
bleating incessantly as they hear the cries of their lambs,
so the war cries of the Trojans rose through the broad army;
for the speech of all the men was not the same, nor was there one voice,
but the tongues were mixed in confusion; the men were summoned from many places.
These men Ares drove on, and gleaming-eyed Athena drove the Achaeans,
and Terror and Panic and Strife, raging, insatiable,440
the sister and companion of man-slaughtering Ares;
she is small when she first rises up, but in the end
she leans her head against the heavens even as she strides upon the earth.
She too hurled into their midst war-strife that levels all alike
as she advanced through the throng, multiplying the groans of men.
Then when the armies arrived in one place, pitted against each other,
they hurled their oxhide shields together, their spears, even the strength of their
bronze-armored men; and their bossed shields
met each the other, and a great roar rose.
Then came at once cries of distress and vaunts of men450
killing and being killed, and the earth flowed with blood.
As when rivers in winter torrent, flooding down from a mountain
to where valleys meet, hurl together their heavy weight of water,
fed from mighty springs within a cleft ravine,
and to a long distance a shepherd hears their roaring in the mountains—
such was the shouting and panic of men as they came together.
Antilochos was first to kill a Trojan commander, an outstanding man
in the front ranks, Echepolos son of Thalysios;