The Iliad (Trans. Caroline Alexander)

by Homer

  I have no concern for any prophecy I know,50

  nor has my lady mother revealed anything to me from Zeus,

  but terrible anguish comes upon my heart and spirit

  when a man seeks to rob one equal to him

  and to take back his prize of honor because he is preeminent in power;

  mine is a terrible anguish, because I have undergone sufferings at heart.

  The girl, whom the sons of the Achaeans picked out as prize for me,

  acquired by my spear, after I sacked her strong-walled city,

  she it was, from my hands, lord Agamemnon took back,

  the son of Atreus, as if I were some worthless vagabond.

  But let us leave these things in the past; for it was not, after all, possible 60

  for my heart to be angered forever. But assuredly I did say

  I would not make an end of my wrath, except when

  the battle and the fighting reached my own ships.

  You then put on your shoulders my illustrious armor,

  and lead the war-loving Myrmidons to battle,

  if in truth a dark cloud of Trojans now closes round

  the ships in overwhelming might, and the Argives are backed against

  the breakers of the sea, having little portion left of land.

  The entire city of the Trojans has come out

  emboldened; for they do not see the brow of my helmet70

  glittering near. They would swiftly in their flight fill the gullies with

  their dead, if lord Agamemnon were

  solicitous of me; but as it is they fight about his very camp.

  For no spear rages in the hands of Diomedes son of Tydeus

  to ward off from the Danaans their destruction,

  never yet have I heard the voice of the son of Atreus shouting

  from his hated head, but the voice of man-slaying Hector

  calling to the Trojans breaks all round, and they with their war shout

  pour down upon the whole plain, as they overcome Achaeans in battle.

  But even so, Patroclus, ward off disaster from the ships,80

  fall upon them with overwhelming might, lest with blazing fire

  they burn our ships, and take away our cherished journey home.

  “But hear me, as I lay in your mind the sum of my instruction,

  so that you win great honor and victorious glory for me

  from the Danaans, who will then send

  the beautiful girl back again, and hand over glorious gifts in addition.

  After you have driven the Trojans from the ships, come back; and if

  Hera’s far-thundering husband should grant you to win glory,

  you must not, without me, strive to battle

  the war-loving Trojans; you will render me less honored;90

  do not—as you exult in the war and throng of fighting,

  as you kill Trojans—lead on to Ilion,

  lest one of the ever-living gods of Olympus

  intervene—Apollo who shoots from afar loves these people greatly—

  but turn back, after you have brought the light of safety to the ships,

  and let the others struggle on across the plain.

  Father Zeus and Athena and Apollo—would that

  not one of the Trojans escape death, as many as they be,

  not one of the Argives, but we two emerge from the destruction,

  so that we alone strip the sacred veil from Ilion.”100

  Thus they were speaking such things to one another,

  but Ajax no longer stood his ground; for he was battered by spears and arrows;

  the plan of Zeus overpowered him and the noble Trojans

  hurling spears. The shining helmet around his temples

  rang dreadfully when struck, and it was struck continually

  upon its strong-made plates; his left shoulder was wearied,

  always holding steady his glancing shield; nor could the Trojans

  shake it from its position around him as they pressed in with their missiles;

  and always he was gripped with painful breathing, and down from his limbs

  sweat streamed on every side, nor was he able by any means110

  to draw breath; and on every side evil was piled upon evil.

  Tell me now, Muses who have homes on Olympus,

  how fire first fell upon the ships of the Achaeans.

  Hector taking a stand close by smote Ajax’s ashen spear

  with his great sword behind the spearhead near its socket,

  and struck it off completely; and Telamonian Ajax

  brandished this, the lopped spear, vainly in his hands, while far from him

  its bronze point resounded as it fell to the ground.

  And Ajax understood within his blameless heart and shuddered

  at the workings of the gods, seeing that Zeus who thunders on high120

  wholly cut across his plans for battle, and desired victory for the Trojans;

  he retreated out from the missiles; and the Trojans hurled unwearying fire

  on the swift ship; and at once the quenchless flame of fire poured down upon it.

  And as the fire lapped the stern, Achilles

  struck his thighs and addressed Patroclus:

  “Rise up god-cherished Patroclus, rider of horses;

  I see the blast of enemy fire about the ships;

  I fear lest they will take the ships and there be no escape.

  Put on the armor quickly, I will muster the men.”

  So he spoke, and Patroclus began to arm himself with gleaming bronze.130

  First he strapped the splendid greaves around his shins,

  fitted with silver bindings around his ankles;

  next he girt about his chest the breastplate—

  elaborate, star-strewn—of swift-footed Aeacides;

  across his shoulders he slung his bronze sword

  studded with silver; and then the great strong shield;

  over his powerful head he placed the well-forged helmet

  with its flowing horsehair; and terribly the crest nodded on it.

  He took strong spears, fitted to his hand.

  Only the spear of blameless Aeacides he did not take up,140

  heavy, massive, powerful; this no other of the Achaeans could

  wield, but only Achilles knew how to wield it,

  the spear of Pelian ash, which Chiron gave to his beloved father

  from the heights of Mount Pelion to be death to warriors.

  And Patroclus bade Automedon yoke the horses swiftly,

  Automedon whom he honored most after man-shattering Achilles,

  and most trusted to await his called command in battle.

  Automedon led the swift horses under the yoke for him,

  Xanthos and Balios, who could fly with the wind,

  they whom Podarge, mare of windstorms, bore to the West Wind150

  as she grazed in a meadow beside the stream of Ocean.

  And in harness alongside he put blameless Pedasos,

  who in time before Achilles took as prize after sacking the city of Eëtion.

  He, mortal though he was, kept pace with the immortal horses.

  And Achilles armed the Myrmidons with their weapons, ranging

  everywhere among the shelters; and they streamed in, like raw flesh-devouring wolves,

  whose hearts are filled around with boundless courage,

  who having slaughtered a great horned stag in the mountains

  devour it, and the jaws of each is red with blood,

  and in a pack they go, lapping from a dark-water spring160

  with narrow tongues the dark surface of the water,

  disgorging clots of blood; and the heart

  within them is not shaken, and the pinched belly of each growls;

  so the leaders and counselors of the Myrmidons

  around swift-footed Achilles’ noble henchman

  streamed in; and in their midst lik
e the war god stood Achilles,

  rallying the horses and shield-bearing men.

  Fifty were the swift ships that Achilles

  beloved of Zeus led to Troy, and in each

  were fifty men, his companions, at the oarlocks;170

  He made five of these leaders, whom he trusted

  to give orders; and he himself ruling powerfully was commander.

  One detachment Menesthios of the shimmering war-belt led,

  the son of the river Spercheios, rain-filled from Zeus above,

  whom the daughter of Peleus bore, beautiful Polydora,

  to tireless Spercheios, the woman having lain with the god,

  but in name the child was born to Boros, son of Perieres,

  who wed her openly, after giving bride-gifts without number.

  Warlike Eudoros was leader of the next,

  born of an unwed maiden, Polymele, the daughter of Phylas,180

  lovely in dance; mighty Hermes Argeiphontes loved her

  when his eyes fell on her among the singers

  on the dancing floor of Artemis, goddess of the golden arrow and din of hunt;

  swiftly climbing to her upper chamber, Hermes the healer lay in secret

  with her; and she gave a glorious son to him,

  Eudoros, swift beyond measure in running, and a warrior.

  But when Eileithyia, the goddess who causes pain in birth,

  brought him forth to the light of day and he beheld the rays of the sun,

  then powerful Echekles, the strong son of Aktor,

  led Polymele in marriage to his home, after giving countless bride-gifts for her,190

  and the old man Phylas nurtured the boy well and reared him,

  embracing him round with love as if he were his own son.

  Of the third detachment warlike Peisandros was leader,

  the son of Maimalos, who was finest among all Myrmidons

  in fighting with the spear, after Patroclus, companion of the son of Peleus.

  The fourth the aged horseman Phoinix led;

  Alkimedon led the fifth, the blameless son of Laerkes.

  Then when Achilles had drawn them up marshaled in good order

  with their leaders, he lay a strong injunction on them:

  “Myrmidons, let no one forget the threats200

  that you made by our fast ships against the Trojans

  during all the time of my wrath, when each of you blamed me:

  ‘Cruel son of Peleus, your mother nursed you on bile,

  pitiless one, who hold your companions against their will beside the ships.

  Let us go back home again in our sea-going ships

  since bitter anger has so fallen on your heart.’

  In your gatherings you often said such things to me; but now looms

  the great task of battle, for which before you longed.

  Therefore each one of you with brave heart go to battle with the Trojans.”

  So speaking he roused the fury and spirit of each man;210

  and the ranks, when they hearkened to their king, pressed more closely.

  As when a man puts in place the wall of a high-roofed house,

  with close-fitting stones, to escape the force of the winds,

  so helmets joined together and shields with their bosses.

  Buckler weighed on buckler, helmet on helmet, man on man,

  and the helmets plumed with horsehair touched with shining crests

  when the men nodded; so close did they stand beside each other.

  And out before them all two men were armed,

  Patroclus and Automedon, one in spirit,

  to go to battle at the forefront of the Myrmidons. But Achilles220

  went to his shelter, and removed the cover from a chest,

  beautiful, ornamented, that silver-footed Thetis

  put on the ship for him to take, having packed it carefully with tunics

  and cloaks to protect him from the wind, and thick fleecy blankets;

  here he kept his fine-wrought cup nor did any other

  man drink gleaming wine from it,

  nor did he make libation to any of the gods but Zeus the father.

  Taking this from the chest he purified it with sulphur

  first, then washed it with bright streams of water,

  and washed his own hands, and drew off gleaming wine.230

  Then standing in the middle of the courtyard he prayed and poured wine in libation,

  looking up into the sky, and Zeus who strikes with the thunderbolt saw him:

  “Lord Zeus of Pelasgian Dodona, dwelling far away,

  ruler of Dodona of the bitter winter, around you dwell the Selloi

  your interpreters, sleepers on the ground with unwashed feet;

  surely once before this you heard me when I prayed;

  honoring me you smote hard the host of the Achaeans;

  now, as once before, fulfill this wish for me;

  for I will remain amid my gathered ships,

  but I am sending my companion with the many Myrmidons240

  to combat; send glory forth with him, Zeus far-thunderer;

  make brave the heart within his breast, so that even Hector

  comes to know whether my henchman on his own will prove skilled

  in fighting, or his hands rage invincible only at that time,

  when I myself go to join war’s struggle.

  Then when he has driven the din of battle and the fighting from the ships,

  unharmed let him return to my swift ships

  with all his armor and his close-fighting comrades.”

  So he spoke in prayer, and Zeus all-devising heard him;

  and the father granted one thing to him, but the other he refused him;250

  that his companion would drive the war and fighting from the ships

  he granted him, but he refused his safe return from battle.

  And when Achilles had made libation and prayed to father Zeus

  he went into his shelter again, and put the cup back in the chest.

  Then he went to stand before his shelter; for in his heart he still wished

  to look upon the dread combat of the Trojans and Achaeans.

  And the Myrmidons with Patroclus the great-hearted set out under arms,

  then charged with high resolve against the Trojans.

  Straightway they poured forth like wasps by the wayside,

  which children are wont to enrage,260

  provoking them continually, as they live in their nests by the road,

  children only; but they create trouble shared by many;

  if some wayfaring man as he passes

  unwittingly stirs them, the wasps with bold spirit

  each and all fly straight out and defend their young.

  With such heart and fury then the Myrmidons

  poured from the ships; and quenchless cry of battle rose.

  And Patroclus shouting loud called to his companions:

  “Myrmidons, companions of Achilles son of Peleus,

  be men, my friends, and recollect your fierce courage,270

  so that we give honor to the son of Peleus, who is far best

  of the Achaeans by the ships and we his close-fighting henchmen far the best,

  and the son of Atreus will know, wide-ruling Agamemnon,

  his delusion, when he paid no honor to the best of the Achaeans.”

  So speaking he roused the fury and spirit of each man;

  and in a pack they fell upon the Trojans; and the ships around them

  echoed terribly with the force of the Achaeans’ shouting.

  And the Trojans when they saw the brave son of Menoetius,

  him and his henchman, glittering in their armor,

  the heart in every man was thrown into confusion, the ranks were shaken,280

  supposing that from beside the ships the swift-footed son of Peleus

  had cast off his anger, and come to friendship;

  each
man looked about him for where he could flee the sheer destruction.

  And Patroclus was first to take aim with his shining spear

  straight down through the middle, where the tumult was greatest,

  beside the stern of the ship of great-hearted Protesilaos,

  and he struck Pyraichmes, who led the Paeonians, marshalers of the chariot,

  out of Amydon, away from the wide-flowing river Axios;

  he struck him on the right shoulder, and he fell on his back in the dust

  crying aloud. And his Paeonian comrades about him290

  scattered in flight; for Patroclus drove panic upon them all

  when he killed their leader, who used to be their best in battle.

  And from the ships he drove them, and extinguished the blazing fire,

  and the half-burned ship was left as it was; with inhuman roar

  the Trojans fled in fear. Danaans streamed

  over the hollow ships; and there arose tumult unceasing.

  As when from the high peak of a great mountain

  Zeus who gathers the lightning sets the thick cloud moving,

  and all the peaks and jutting cliffs are shown,

  and the valleys, and from heaven above the boundless bright air is rent with light,300

  so the Danaans having driven the enemy fire from their ships

  caught their breath for a moment; but there was no respite from fighting;

  for the Trojans did not yet flee before the war-loving Achaeans

  from the black ships in headlong flight,

  but still they took their stand before them; and withdrew only by necessity.

  Then man slew man as the ranks of leaders

  were shattered. And the bold son of Menoetius first

  hit Areïlykos in the thigh as he was turning

  with his sharp spear, and the bronze drove straight through;

  and the spear shattered bone, and face down he fell upon the earth.310

  Then warlike Menelaos stabbed Thoas

  in the chest where he was exposed beside his shield, and unstrung his limbs.

  And Meges son of Phyleus, his eye on Amphiklos as he attacked,

  got to the Trojan first, striking at the top of the thigh, where a man’s

  muscle is thickest, and round the spear-point

  the tendons severed; and darkness covered his eyes.

  Then one of Nestor’s sons, Antilochos, stabbed Atymnios with his sharp spear,

  and drove the bronze spear through his flank,

  and he fell forward; but from close at hand, his brother Maris

  lunged with his spear at Antilochos in anger for his brother’s death,320

  standing guard before his body; but Thrasymedes, like a god, another son of Nestor,