The Iliad (Trans. Caroline Alexander)

by Homer

  on the city and on the wives of the Trojans and their infant children,

  if she would ward off the son of Tydeus from holy Ilion—

  savage spearman, violent master of the rout,

  who I say has become the mightiest of Achaeans.

  We did not so fear Achilles, leader of men,

  who they say is sprung from a goddess; but this one rages beyond all bounds,100

  nor has any man power to contend with his strength.”

  So he spoke; and Hector did not disobey his brother.

  At once he sprang from his chariot in his armor to the ground,

  and brandishing his sharp spears he made his way to every place throughout the army

  rallying the men to fight, and stirred the dread battle.

  The Trojans wheeled about and stood facing the Achaeans.

  And the Argives withdrew, and ceased their slaughter—

  they thought some one of the immortals from the star-strewn heaven

  had descended to defend the Trojans; just so had they wheeled.

  And Hector called to the Trojans, shouting loud:110

  “High-spirited Trojans and allies far-renowned,

  be ready men and defend the city from outrage,

  so that I may go to Ilion and speak with

  the elder counselors and our wives

  to pray to the divine ones, and promise hecatombs.”

  So speaking Hector of the shimmering helm departed;

  the black oxskin of his shield struck him at both neck and ankles,

  the rim which ran on the edge of his bossed shield.

  Then Glaukos the son of Hippolochos and the son of Tydeus

  came together in the space between both armies, straining to fight.120

  And when they had advanced almost upon each other,

  Diomedes of the war cry first addressed the other:

  “Who are you, brave friend, of men consigned to death?

  For I have never seen you in battle where men win glory

  before this time, but now striding far in front of all men

  in your bold courage, you stand to wait my long-shadowed spear—

  and they are sons of brokenhearted men, who face my might.

  But if you are one of the immortals come down from heaven,

  I would not go to battle with the gods of heaven.

  For not long, not long at all, did the son of Dryas live, powerful Lykourgos,130

  who competed with the gods of heaven;

  who in time past drove the nurses of raving Dionysus

  down the mountain slopes of holy Nysa, and all of them as one

  scattered their sacred staffs to the ground, when struck by the cattle goad

  that man-slaughtering Lykourgos wielded. And Dionysus, fleeing,

  plunged beneath a wave of the salt sea, and Thetis took him, terrified,

  in her embrace; for powerful trembling held him at the man’s bellowing.

  Then the gods who live at ease were enraged with Lykourgos,

  and the son of Cronus struck him blind; nor was he still long

  for life, once he incurred the hatred of all immortal gods.140

  So I would not wish to do battle with the blessed gods.

  But if you are a man, of mortals who eat the fruit of worked land,

  draw near, so that you may more swiftly arrive at death’s border.”

  And in turn the glorious son of Hippolochos addressed him:

  “Great-hearted son of Tydeus, why do you ask my lineage?

  As a generation of leaves, so is the generation of men.

  The wind scatters some leaves to the ground, but the forest grows others

  that flourish and in the time of spring come to succeed them;

  so a generation of men either grows, or it dies.

  But if you indeed wish to learn these things, so as to know well150

  my family’s lineage, many men know of it.

  There is a city, Ephyre, in a corner of horse-pasturing Argos,

  where Sisyphus ruled, who was born most cunning of men,

  Sisyphus the son of Aeolus; he fathered a son, Glaukos;

  then Glaukos fathered blameless Bellerophon.

  And to Bellerophon the gods gave beauty and also attractive

  manliness; but Proitos intended evil things against him in his heart,

  and since he was more powerful by far, he drove Bellerophon from the land

  of Argives; since Zeus had subjugated them beneath Proitos’ scepter.

  For the wife of Proitos, regal Anteia, was mad160

  to lie with him in secret love; but she did not

  persuade wise-thinking Bellerophon, for he was noble-hearted.

  So speaking a lie, she addressed king Proitos:

  ‘May you die, O Proitos, or kill Bellerophon,

  who desired to lie in love with me, I who was not willing.’

  So she spoke; and anger seized the king at what he heard.

  Yet he refrained from killing Bellerophon, for in his heart he felt shame to do so,

  but sent him to Lycia, and gave him baneful signs,

  scratching on a folded tablet many destructive things,

  and instructed him to show them to his father-in-law, so that that he might die.170

  And Bellerophon went to Lycia under blameless escort of the gods.

  And when he came to Lycia and the flowing river Xanthos,

  the lord of wide Lycia honored him graciously;

  for nine days he gave him hospitality and sacrificed nine cattle.

  But when the tenth dawn shone forth her rosy fingers of light,

  then it was he questioned him and asked to see the symbols,

  whatever it was he had brought with him from his son-in-law Proitos.

  And when he was given his son-in-law’s evil message,

  first he ordered Bellerephon to slay the invincible Chimaira;

  a thing of divine origin, not of men,180

  a lion in front, its hind part a serpent, and its middle a goat,

  breathing forth a fearsome raging blaze of fire.

  But Bellerophon killed it, following signs from the gods.

  Second, he now fought the legendary Solymi;

  it was, he used to say, the most violent battle of men he entered.

  The third time, he killed the man-battling Amazons.

  And then the king contrived another cunning trick for him as he returned;

  choosing the best men from wide Lycia

  he set an ambush. But it was these men who did not return back home,

  for blameless Bellerophon slew them all.190

  And when the king perceived that he was from the noble lineage of a god,

  he detained Bellerophon there, and indeed offered him his daughter,

  and gave him half of all his royal honor;

  and the Lycians cut out a plot of land surpassing all others,

  a beautiful plot, with orchards and tilled fields, for him to enjoy.

  And the king’s daughter bore three children to wise Bellerophon,

  Isandros and Hippolochos and Laodameia.

  And with Laodameia Zeus all-devising lay,

  and she bore godlike Sarpedon of the bronze armor.

  But when Bellerophon too became hateful to all gods,200

  he wandered alone across the Aleian plain,

  consuming his own heart, avoiding the paths of men,

  and his son Isandros was killed by Ares, insatiate of war,

  as he fought the glorious Solymi,

  and Artemis of the golden reins killed his daughter in anger.

  And Hippolochos begot me, and I say I am born of him;

  he sent me to Troy, and gave many directives to me,

  always to be best and to be better than all others,

  not to disgrace the line of my fathers, who were far the best

  in Ephyre and in broad Lycia.210

  Of such descent and blood do I claim to be.”
/>   So he spoke; and Diomedes of the war cry rejoiced.

  He fixed his spear in the nourishing earth,

  then with friendly words addressed the shepherd of the people:

  “Now then, surely you are my guest friend from my father’s side of long ago;

  for noble Oineus once received blameless Bellerophon

  as guest friend in his halls, detaining him for twenty days.

  They even gave to each other splendid gifts of friendship;

  Oineus gave a war-belt bright with crimson,

  and Bellerophon a two-handled cup of gold;220

  and I left it in my home when setting forth;

  I do not remember Tydeus, since I was still small

  when he left me, that time the Achaean people perished at Thebes.

  Now therefore I am guest friend to you in the heart of Argos,

  as you to me in Lycia, whenever I should come to their country.

  Let us avoid each other’s spears, even in the thick of battle;

  for there are many Trojans and their famed allies for me

  to kill, whom god might put in my hands, or let me catch with my feet,

  and in turn many Achaeans are there for you to kill, whomever of them you can.

  Let us exchange armor with each other, so that these others here230

  will know that we claim to be guest friends from our fathers.”

  Having so spoken, they both leapt from their chariots

  and took each other’s hands and pledged their trust.

  But Zeus the son of Cronus took away the wits from Glaukos,

  who exchanged with Diomedes son of Tydeus armor

  of gold for that bronze, a hundred oxen’s value for nine.

  But as Hector came to the Scaean gates and rampart,

  the wives and daughters of the Trojans ran to surround him,

  asking about their sons and brothers and kinsmen and

  their husbands; but he urged them to pray to the gods,240

  each woman in turn; for woes had been bound upon many.

  And when he came to the sumptuous house of Priam

  built with its smooth-wrought colonnades—within it

  were fifty chambers of polished stone,

  close built to one another; where the sons

  of Priam slept beside their wedded wives;

  on the other side, facing them inside the courtyard, were his daughters’

  twelve roofed chambers of polished stone,

  close built to one another; where the sons-in-law

  of Priam slept beside their modest wives—250

  there Hector’s mother, giver of kindness, came to meet him,

  leading Laodike, the most outstanding in beauty of her daughters,

  and clung to him with her hand and spoke to him and said his name:

  “Child, why have you come, leaving the reckless fighting?

  Truly, the sons of the Achaeans, of cursed name, have worn you out

  with their battling round the city, and your spirit has impelled you to come here,

  to lift your hands to Zeus in supplication from the high place of the city.

  But wait, while I bring you wine, honey-sweet,

  for you to make libation to Zeus the father and the immortals

  first, and then yourself have enjoyment, should you drink it.260

  Wine greatly strengthens the spirit in a weary man,

  as you have been wearied protecting your people.”

  And then great Hector of the shimmering helm answered her:

  “Do not to me offer up wine, sweet to the spirit, my lady mother,

  lest you sap my limbs of strength, and I forget my courage.

  And I shrink from pouring a libation of dark-gleaming wine to Zeus

  with unwashed hands; a man cannot pray to the son of Cronus

  of the dark clouds spattered with blood and gore.

  But you to the temple of Athena of the Spoils

  go with burnt offerings, summoning the elder women,270

  and place a robe, one which seems to you to be the loveliest and most ample

  in your house, and which is most precious to you,

  and place this on the knees of the statue of Athena of the lovely hair;

  and pledge to sacrifice to her in the temple twelve young cows,

  yearlings, unbroken, if she would have mercy

  on the city and on the wives of the Trojans and their infant children,

  if she would ward off the son of Tydeus from holy Ilion—

  savage spearman, violent master of the rout.

  But you go to the temple of Athena of the Spoils,

  and I will seek after Paris, to summon him,280

  if he should chose to hear me speak. Would that the earth

  would gape to swallow him on the spot. For the Olympian has raised him to be a great affliction

  to the Trojans and to great-hearted Priam and to his children.

  If I could see him on his way down into the house of Hades,

  I would declare my heart had forgotten sorrow.”

  So he spoke; and his mother going to the house called for

  her handmaids, and they gathered the elder women throughout the city.

  And she herself went down into the scented chamber,

  where were robes of intricate design, the work of women of Sidon

  whom Alexandros, godlike in beauty, himself290

  led from Sidon, sailing upon the wide deep sea

  on that journey, on which he brought away high-born Helen.

  Taking up one of these, Hecuba carried it as a gift to Athena,

  the robe that was most beautiful in decorations and the largest,

  which gleamed like a star; it had been lying beneath the others.

  Then she set out on her way, and many women elders went with her.

  And when they came to the temple of Athena on the citadel height,

  Theano of the lovely cheeks opened the doors for them,

  the daughter of Kisseus, wife of Antenor breaker of horses;

  for the Trojans had appointed her priestess of Athena.300

  With a wailing cry, all the women raised their hands to Athena;

  and taking the robe, Theano of the lovely cheeks

  lay it on the knees of the statue of lovely haired Athena;

  and praying, she entreated the daughter of mighty Zeus:

  “Lady, Athena protector of the city, shining of goddesses,

  break the spear of Diomedes, and grant that he

  drop headlong before the Scaean gates,

  so we will now, without delay, sacrifice to you in your temple twelve young cows,

  yearlings, unbroken, if you would have mercy

  on the city and on the wives of the Trojans and their infant children.”310

  Thus she spoke beseeching; but Pallas Athena turned away her head.

  So the women were praying to the daughter of almighty Zeus;

  but Hector went to the house of Alexandros,

  a thing of beauty, which he himself had built by men who were the very best

  craftsmen in Troy’s rich-soiled land,

  and who built for him a sleeping chamber, hall and courtyard

  close by that of Priam and Hector, on the citadel height.

  Therein entered Hector, beloved by Zeus, and in his hand

  he held his spear of eleven cubits length; before him gleamed

  the bronze point of the spear shaft, round which ran a golden binding ring.320

  He found Alexandros in his splendid chamber handling his armor,

  his shield and breastplate, and turning over his curved bow;

  Argive Helen was sitting with her serving women,

  and directing her maids’ fine handwork.

  And seeing him, Hector reviled him with contemptuous words:

  “Unnatural man, it is not good to store this anger in your heart.

  Men are perishing about the city and steep walls

&
nbsp; as they do battle, and it is on your account the battle shout and war

  blaze all around this city; you would confront another man

  were you to see him anywhere hanging back from hated war.330

  Up now; lest the town is soon made hot by enemy fire.”

  In turn godlike Alexandros addressed him:

  “Hector, since you fairly rebuke me, nor beyond what is fair,

  on this account I will speak to you, and you mark and hear me.

  It was not so much in anger and resentment of the Trojans

  I was sitting in my room; no, I wished to yield myself to grief.

  Just now, my wife was coaxing me with gentle words,

  urging me into battle. And it seems to me too that this

  will be better; victory shifts from man to man.

  But come, wait a bit, let me put on the armor of Ares;340

  or go, and I will come after; I expect I’ll catch you up.”

  So he spoke, and Hector of the shimmering helm said nothing to him.

  But Helen addressed him softly:

  “Brother-in-law of me, an evil-thinking dog that strikes cold fear,

  would that on the day when first my mother gave me birth,

  some foul-weather storm of wind carrying me had borne me

  to a mountain or a swelling wave of the tumultuous sea,

  where the wave would have swept me away before these deeds had happened.

  But since the gods have so decreed these evils,

  then would I were the wife of a better man,350

  a man who knew what righteous blame was and the many reproaches that men make.

  But the wits of this man here are not steady now, nor will they be

  hereafter; and I think that he will reap the fruit of this.

  But come now, come in and take your seat upon this stool,

  brother-in-law, since the toil of fighting has mostly stood astride your heart

  because of me, a dog, and Alexandros’ infatuation,

  we on whom Zeus has laid this evil fate, so that even after this

  there will be songs of us for men to come.”

  Then answered her great Hector of the shimmering helm:

  “Do not have me sit, Helen, for all your love; you will not persuade me. 360

  For my spirit has already set me to defend

  the Trojans, who have great longing for me when I am away.

  But you rouse this one, and let him hurry,

  so that he might catch me up while inside the city.

  For my part I am going home, so that I may see

  my household and my beloved wife and little son.

  For I do not know whether, returning once more to them, I will come back again,