by Homer
to fight standing at a distance from my enemies.
Therefore my spears and bossed shields are there,
and helmets and war-belts gleaming brightly.”
Then again wise Meriones answered him:
“I too, by my shelters and dark ship, have
much Trojan spoil; but it is not close at hand to take.
And indeed I think I am not careless of my courage,
but among the front ranks throughout the field of battle where men win glory270
I take my stand, whenever the conflict of war arises.
Let my fighting slip the notice of some other
of the bronze-clad Achaeans, but I think that you yourself know of it.”
Then in turn Idomeneus leader of the Cretans answered him:
“I know your courage, what manner of man you are; why must you recount these things?
If all the best of us should now be gathered by the ships
for an ambush, where more than anywhere men learn the value of their courage—
there the man who is cowardly and he who is brave is exposed for what he is,
for the complexion of the coward changes color this way and that,
nor can he restrain the spirit in his breast to sit without moving,280
but fidgeting, he shifts from one leg to the other,
and in his breast his heart pounds violently
as he thinks of death, and there is a chattering of his teeth;
but the complexion of the brave man does not change, nor is he
greatly afraid, once he takes his place among the ambush of men,
and his prayer is that with all speed he may join the distress of battle—
there no man would slight your spirit and strength of hands.
Even if you were wounded by a spear thrown or struck by a sword in the toil of battle,
the blow would not land upon your neck from behind, nor in your back,
but would meet your breast or your belly290
as you press forward among the clutch of frontline fighters.
But come, let us not discuss these things longer like children
standing around, lest someone high-handedly rebuke us,
but go to my tent and get a heavy spear.”
So he spoke; and Meriones a match for swift Ares
at once took up a bronze spear and went from the shelter,
with Idomeneus, his mind set firmly on battle.
As Ares ruinous to mortals sets out to war,
and Rout follows with him, his beloved son, powerful and fearless,
who puts to flight even the steadfast warrior—300
they two go armed from Thrace to join with the Ephyroi
or the great-hearted Phlegyes; and they do not
heed the prayers of both sides, but grant glory to one or to the other—
such were Meriones and Idomeneus, leaders of men,
as they were setting out for war, helmeted in gleaming bronze.
And Meriones spoke a word to the other first:
“Son of Deucalion, at what place do you intend to enter the battle-throng?
On the left of the whole army, or in the middle,
or on the right? For nowhere else do I think the long-haired Achaeans
so unequal to the combat.”310
Then Idomeneus leader of the Cretans answered him:
“There are others in the center to defend the ships,
the two Aiantes and Teucer, who is best of the Achaeans
with the bow, and good in close combat;
they will drive that one to have his fill of war, for all his eagerness,
this Hector, son of Priam, even if he is very powerful.
A hard climb it will be for him, for all his great hunger to do battle,
to best their spirit and invincible strength of hands,
and bring fire to the ships, unless the son of Cronus himself
should throw a burning firebrand onto the swift ships.320
Great Telamonian Ajax will yield to no man
who is mortal and eats the grain of Demeter,
and can be torn by bronze or by great boulders thrown;
nor would he give way to man-shattering Achilles
in close combat; though in swiftness of feet it is not possible to contend with Achilles.
As for us, hold this course to the left of the army, so that we swiftly see
whether we will give the right to vaunt to someone else, or he to us.”
So he spoke; and Meriones a match for swift Ares
led the way, until they arrived at the army, where he had urged.
And when the Trojans saw Idomeneus, firelike in spirit,330
him and his retainer in their elaborate armor,
then calling along the throng of battle they all ran for him.
The fray of massed men rose by the sterns of the ships;
as when under a shrill wind whirling gales rush
on a day when the dust is thickest on the roadsides,
and converging they raise a great hazy cloud of dust,
so the fighting men converged on the same spot, and their hearts were intent
on killing each other with sharp bronze throughout the throng of battle.
The man-destroying battle bristled with long, flesh-tearing spears
that the men held; it dazed their eyes—340
the bronze light from the glittering armor
and from the breastplates new-burnished and the shining shields,
as the men converged. Strong-hearted indeed would that man be
who could rejoice on looking at the battle toil, and not grieve.
So two powerful sons of Cronus, Poseidon and Zeus, disposed to both sides,
wrought painful hardship for the fighting men.
Zeus was planning victory for Hector and the Trojans,
to glorify swift-footed Achilles (nor did he wish
wholly to destroy the Achaean army in front of Ilion,
but only to glorify Thetis and her strong-hearted son);350
Poseidon had aroused the Argives, entering among them
in secret, emerging out of the gray salt sea; for he was oppressed with grief
because the Argives were being defeated by the Trojans, and violently did he reproach Zeus.
To be sure the same generation and same parentage belonged to both,
but Zeus had been born first and knew more.
Therefore while Poseidon shrank from defending the Achaeans openly,
in secret he ever stirred them to action throughout the army, but in the likeness of a man.
So the two gods stretched the rope of violent strife and of war that levels all alike
back and forth across both sides.
unbreakable, not to be undone, a rope that made slack the strength of knees of many men.360
And graying though he was, Idomeneus in command of the Danaans
rushed upon the Trojans and incited panic in them.
He slew Othryoneus, who was with them from Kabesos,
who had come recently after report of the war,
and had asked for the hand of the most beautiful of Priam’s daughters,
Cassandra, without bride-price, and promised a great deed—
to drive away from Troy by force the sons of the Achaeans.
And old Priam nodded assent and promised to give her to him;
and Othryoneus fought trusting in his promises.
At this man Idomeneus took aim with his shining spear370
and cast, striking him in mid high-stepping stride; nor did his breastplate protect him,
bronze though it was, which he was wont to wear, but it fixed in the middle of his stomach,
and he fell with a thud. And Idomeneus vaunted over him in a loud voice:
“Othryoneus, I compliment you beyond all men,
if you are really to accomplish all you promised
to Dardanian Priam; and he promised you his
daughter.
We too would promise to fulfill the same terms for you,
and give you the son of Atreus’ most beautiful daughter,
bringing her out from Argos to marry, if joining with us
you would sack the well-settled city of Ilion.380
Come, follow me, so that we may come to agreement by our seagoing ships
about your marriage, since we are not greedy about marriage gifts.”
So speaking the warrior Idomeneus dragged Othryoneus by the foot
through the mighty combat. But Asios came up to defend him,
dismounted ahead of his horses; his retainer and charioteer
held them close in check as they breathed upon his shoulders; and he longed with all his heart
to strike Idomeneus; but it was Idomeneus who first struck him with his spear
in the throat beneath his chin, and the bronze drove straight through;
he fell as when an oak falls, or white poplar,
or stately pine that in the mountains timbering men390
fell with fresh-whetted axes to make a ship;
so he lay stretched out before his chariot and horses,
roaring, clutching at the bloodied dust.
His charioteer was struck out of such wits as he possessed before,
and had not courage to turn the horses back
to escape from out of enemy hands; and so battle-staunch Antilochos
striking with his spear impaled him in the middle; nor did his breastplate protect him,
bronze though it was, which he was wont to wear, but the spear fixed in the middle of his stomach.
Then, gasping, he dropped from the well-wrought chariot,
and Antilochos, son of great-hearted Nestor, drove off the horses400
from the Trojans toward the strong-greaved Achaeans.
And Deïphobos came up very close to Idomeneus
stricken with grief over Asios, and took aim with his shining spear-shaft.
But watching straight ahead, Idomeneus evaded the bronze point;
for he was sheltered under the round shield
that he carried, adorned as it was with rings of oxhide
and gleaming bronze, fitted with two struts inside it.
Beneath this he crouched his whole body, and the bronze spear flew over,
and his shield rang harshly as the spear brushed by.
Yet Deïphobos did not hurl it from his powerful hand in vain,410
but he struck Hypsenor, son of Hippasos, shepherd of the people,
in the liver, under the midriff, and in an instant unstrung his knees.
And Deïphobos exulted wildly, shouting loud:
“Asios then does not lie unavenged, but I think that
even on his way to Hades, the mighty keeper of the gates,
he will rejoice in his heart, since I have given him on escort.”
So he spoke; and grief descended on the Argives at his crowing,
and most of all he stirred the spirit of wise Antilochos.
And though grieving, he was not heedless of his comrade,
but running up stood astride and put his shield to cover Hypsenor.420
Then getting their shoulders under him, two faithful companions,
Mekisteus the son of Echios and godlike Alastor,
bore him, groaning heavily, to the hollow ships.
And Idomeneus did not check his great fury, but ever strove
to bury some Trojan in death’s dark night,
or to fall himself, warding off destruction from the Achaeans.
The beloved son of Aisyetes, cherished by Zeus,
the warrior Alkathoös—he was Anchises’ son-in-law,
and had married the eldest of his daughters, Hippodameia,
whom her father and lady mother loved with all their hearts430
in their home; for she surpassed all her age
in beauty and handiwork and good sense; and for this reason
the best man in Troy’s broad land had married her—
this man Poseidon broke at the hands of Idomeneus,
bewitching his shining eyes, shackling his bright limbs.
And he was neither able to flee back, nor to escape,
but while he stood without moving, like a pillar or a high-leafed tree,
the warrior Idomeneus stabbed him in the middle of his chest
with his spear, and he lay open the bronze armor about him,
which before had protected his body from death.440
Now, though, it rasped loud as it was rent about the spear,
and Alkathoös fell with a thud, and the spear-shaft plunged into his heart,
and his heart as it labored shook the butt-end of the spear;
then mighty Ares dispatched its vital force.
And Idomeneus exulted wildly, shouting loud:
“Deïphobos, do we reckon that it is fair exchange,
that three men were slain for one? Since you it was who boasted this way.
Madman, come yourself and take your stand face-to-face against me,
so you may see what son of Zeus has come here,
Zeus who first begat Minos the guardian of Crete,450
Minos then begat his blameless son Deucalion,
and Deucalion begat me, lord of many men
throughout wide Crete; now I have carried my ships here
as evil to you and your father and to all Trojans.”
So he spoke; and Deïphobos weighed in his mind two ways,
whether he should find some one of the great-hearted Trojans as a comrade
after drawing back, or should take a chance on his own.
And this seemed to him as he considered to be best—
to go to Aeneas; and he found him standing at the back of the throng;
for he was ever wrathful with godlike Priam,460
because noble though he was among men, Priam held him in no honor.
Standing close to him he spoke winged words:
“Aeneas, leader of the Trojan council, now there is need for you
to protect your brother-in-law, if any care for family comes to you.
Come, follow me, let us fight for Alkathoös, who in time before
as your sister’s husband raised you in his house when you were young;
the famed spearman Idomeneus has killed him.”
So he spoke; and stirred the heart in Aeneas’ breast to confusion;
and Aeneas strode after Idomeneus, his mind resolutely set on battle.
But no thought of flight gripped Idomeneus like some untested child,470
but he remained like a wild boar in the mountains confident in his courage,
who awaits a great approaching band of men
in a desolate place, and his back bristles above,
and his eyes glitter with fire; then he sharpens his tusks,
straining to defend himself against both dogs and men;
so spear-famed Idomeneus awaited, nor did he retreat,
as Aeneas, swift to defend, approached; but Idomeneus called to his companions,
looking to Askalaphos and Aphareus and Deïpyros and
Meriones and Antilochos too, masters of the battle cry;
rallying these he addressed them with winged words:480
“Come, friends, and stand by me, who am alone; for terribly I fear
Aeneas, drawing near, swift of foot, who advances on me,
who is powerful indeed in slaying men in battle;
and he has also the bloom of youth, which is the greatest strength.
For if we were of the same age with this same spirit,
at once either he would carry away a great victory, or would I.”
So he spoke; and as one in spirit they all
stood in a body, inclining their shields again their shoulders.
But on the other side Aeneas called to his companions,
looking to Deïphobos and Paris and brilliant Agenor,490
who with h
im were leaders of the Trojans; and
the host followed, as flocks follow after a ram
when they go to drink from their place of pasture, and the shepherd rejoices;
so the heart in the breast of Aeneas rejoiced,
as he saw the host following in company with him.
These men charged in close combat around the body of Alkathoös at close range
with their long spears; and the clash of bronze around their chests
was terrible to hear through the throng of battle as they hurled spears
at one another. Two warlike men preeminent beyond others,
Aeneas and Idomeneus, both a match for Ares,500
strained to cut each other’s flesh with pitiless bronze.
And Aeneas was first to cast at Idomeneus;
but he, watching straight ahead, evaded the bronze spear,
and the point went quivering down into the ground,
for it sprang in vain from the strong hand of Aeneas.
Then Idomeneus struck Oinomaos in the pit of the stomach,
and shattered the hollow of his breastplate; and the bronze made his entrails
gush through, and falling in the dust he clutched the earth with his clenched hand.
And from the corpse Idomeneus wrenched his long-shadowed spear,
but was not able to strip the rest of the splendid armor510
from the dead man’s shoulders; for he was assailed by spears and arrows.
His feet were no longer steady when he attacked,
not for darting forward after his thrown spear, not for fleeing from harm;
so in close standing combat he fought off the pitiless day of death,
and his feet no longer carried him for speedy flight from fighting.
Step by step Idomeneus retreated, as Deïphobos took aim at him with his
shining spear; for the bitterness he held for him was undying.
But even then he missed, and struck Askalaphos with his spear,
the son of Ares Enyalios, the god of war; through his shoulder the heavy spear
held its way; and falling in the dust he clutched the earth with his clenched hand.520
Nor had mighty roaring Ares heard a thing
of his son falling in the mighty conflict,
but he sat beneath golden clouds on the height of Olympus,
held by the will of Zeus, there with the rest of the
immortals gods, debarred from battle.
And around the body of Askalaphos the men charged in close combat.
And Deïphobos seized the shining helmet from Askalaphos;
then Meriones, match of the swift war god,
leaping forward struck Deïphobos’ arm with his spear, and from his hand