by Homer
took their stand around the son of Menoetius united in spirit,
fenced about with their shields of bronze. And around their
gleaming helmets the son of Cronus poured
thick mist, since before this he had no hatred for Menoetius’ son,270
while he was living and was henchman to Achilles,
and he abhorred that he should become prey for the dogs of the Trojan
enemy; therefore Zeus roused the companions of Patroclus to defend him.
And first the Trojans forced the dark-eyed Achaeans back;
abandoning the body they fled; but not one of them
did the high-hearted Trojans kill with spears, for all their desire,
but they began to drag the body. Yet for a short while only were the Achaeans
to desert it; Ajax swiftly wheeled them hard around,
Ajax who in stature and deeds exceeded
the other Danaans after blameless Achilles.280
He charged through the frontlines with the courage of a wild boar
that in the mountains easily scatters the dogs and sturdy youths
as it wheels through the narrow valleys;
so did the son of noble Telamon, glorious Ajax,
easily scatter the ranks of Trojans as he sped toward them,
those who stood astride Patroclus and were most intent on
dragging him to their city and claiming glory.
And already the glorious son of Pelasgian Lethos,
Hippothoös, was dragging Patroclus by the foot through the powerful combat,
having tied it near the ankle with his sword strap, around the tendons,290
seeking the favor of Hector and the Trojans; but evil came to him
swiftly, nor did any of them ward it off from him, for all they desired.
The son of Telamon, springing through the throng of battle,
struck him at close quarters through his helmet with its cheeks of bronze;
the crested helmet split apart about the spear-point,
smashed by the great spear and his weighty hand,
and his brains spurted from the wound along the spearhead socket,
mingled with his blood. And there, at once, his life force was undone, and from his hands
he let drop the foot of great-hearted Patroclus to lie upon the ground,
and he close by it fell face-first upon the body,300
a long way from the rich soil of Larisa, nor did he repay his beloved
parents for his nurture, and short was the life allotted to him,
who was broken under the spear of great-hearted Ajax.
And once again Hector took aim at Ajax with his shining spear;
but watching straight in front he evaded the bronze point,
barely, and Hector struck Schedios the son of great-hearted Iphitos,
by far the best of the Phocians, who used to live in a house
in famous Panopeus, ruling over many men—
this man he struck squarely below the collarbone, and all the way through
the sharp spear-point of bronze projected, at the base of his shoulder;310
he fell with a thud and his armor clashed upon him.
And Ajax then struck Phorkys, the brilliant son of Phainops,
in the middle of his stomach, as he stood astride Hippothoös,
and shattered the hollow of his breastplate; and the bronze spear made
his entrails gush through, and falling in the dust he clutched the earth with his clenched hand.
Then the front ranks fell back, even shining Hector;
and the Argives gave a great cry and dragged off the dead men,
Phorkys and Hippothoös, and undid the armor from their shoulders.
Then would the Trojans once more have gone up into Ilion,
broken by their cowardice before the warlike Achaeans,320
and the Argives would have won glory even beyond the fate decreed by Zeus
with their strength and power; but Apollo himself
roused up Aeneas, likening himself in form to Periphas
the herald, son of Epytos, who at the side of Aeneas’ old father
had grown old as a herald, and had kindly thoughts in his mind for him;
likening himself to this man Apollo, son of Zeus, addressed him:
“Aeneas, how would you and your men defend sheer Ilion
if a god were against you? In truth I have seen other men
trusting in their might, their strength, their manhood,
their own numbers, although fewer, protect their country!330
Zeus desires victory for us more than the Danaans;
but you and your men are struck with unspeakable panic and do not fight.”
So he spoke; and Aeneas looking him in the face recognized Apollo
who shoots from afar, and calling loud he spoke to Hector:
“Hector and you other leaders of the Trojans and their allies,
for shame now, that under the hands of the warlike Achaeans
you go up into Ilion, broken by your cowardice.
But come, for one of the gods standing close to me has said
that Zeus the supreme master of battle still supports us;
therefore let us go straight against the Danaans, and do not let them340
bring Patroclus at their leisure to the ships now he has died.”
So he spoke, and leaping out far beyond the front fighters he took his stand;
and the others wheeled about and took up position facing the Achaeans.
And then Aeneas stabbed Leokritos with his spear,
the son of Arisbas and the noble companion of Lykomedes.
And as he fell Lykomedes, dear to Ares, pitied him,
and coming up he stood very close and took aim with his shining spear;
and struck Apisaon son of Hippasos, shepherd of his people,
in the liver beneath the midriff, and straightway his limbs were loosed beneath him,
he who had come from Paeonia of the rich soil350
and had also been, after Asteropaios, best in waging battle.
And as he fell warlike Asteropaios pitied him,
and he advanced straight forward determined to go to battle with the Danaans;
but it was no longer possible, for on every side they made a barrier with their shields,
as they stood around Patroclus, holding their spears before them.
And Ajax ranged among them all, giving his many orders;
no man, he commanded, was to retreat from the body,
nor was any man to fight in front beyond the other Achaeans,
but to stand close around the body and fight at close quarters.
Thus towering Ajax enjoined them; and the earth was soaked360
with crimson blood, and one upon the other fell the bodies
of both Trojans and their enduring allies,
and of the Danaans; for they too did not fight without bloodshed,
although far fewer died, for always they were mindful
to defend one another throughout their company from sheer slaughter.
So they fought in the likeness of fire; nor could you have said
the sun or moon was ever safe in the sky,
for they were shrouded in mist at the place of battle, where all the bravest
stood around the fallen son of Menoetius.
But the rest of the Trojans and strong-greaved Achaeans370
fought untroubled beneath the clear high air, and the piercing rays
of the sun were spread, and no cloud appeared over all
the earth or mountains. They fought with pause for rest,
evading one another’s arrows and the groaning pain they bring,
standing off at a good distance; but those in the middle of the mist
and fighting suffered painfully, worn down by pitiless bronze,
all who were bravest. But two men,
two men of renown, Thrasymedes a
nd Antilochos, had not yet learned
of the falling of blameless Patroclus, but still thought
that he was alive in the front of the throng, waging battle.380
These two, watchful for the death and flight of their comrades,
battled on by themselves, since so Nestor had enjoined them,
urging them away from the black ships toward the place of battle.
But for the others the great strife of hard contention rose
the whole day long; and always, relentlessly, the sweat of toil
stained the knees and shins and feet of each man under him,
and the hands and eyes of those who fought
about the noble henchman of swift-footed Aeacides.
As when a man gives the hide of a great ox bull
dripping with fat to his servants to stretch,390
and taking it they stretch it, standing about
in a circle, and soon its own moisture goes, and the fat soaks in
with so many pulling, and the whole of it is stretched its whole extent—
so there and there, in little space,
they pulled the body on either side; and great was their hearts’ hope—
the Trojans to drag it to the city, and the Achaeans
to drag it to the hollow ships; and about it a savage contest
rose; nor would Ares who drives the army into battle, nor Athena
have made light of it had they seen, not even if war-rage gripped them strongly.
Such was the evil toil of men and even horses that Zeus strained tight400
this day above Patroclus; but godlike Achilles did not yet
know that Patroclus was dead.
For the men were fighting at great distance from the swift ships,
beneath the wall of Troy; so Achilles did not ever in his heart
imagine he had died, but believed that having come right up to the city gates,
Patroclus would return alive, since Achilles did not in any way imagine
he would try to sack the citadel without him—nor even with him.
For many a time, listening in private, he had heard this from his mother,
who always would make report to him of the design of mighty Zeus;
but this time his mother did not tell him of such great evil as had happened,410
that his dearest companion had died.
And always around the body of Patroclus, gripping their pointed spears, the men
relentlessly pressed hard upon and killed each other.
And thus would one of the bronze-clad Achaeans speak:
“O friends, it will be no distinction to return for us
to the hollow ships, but right here may the black earth open
for us all; this would be far better for us
than if we yield this man to the horse-breaking Trojans
to drag to their city and to claim the glory.”
And in turn one of the great-hearted Trojans would cry out:420
“O friends, even if fate has us all die together
beside this man, let no one draw back from this battle.”
Thus would a man speak, and rally the strength of each.
So they fought, and the unyielding tumult
reached through the murmuring high clear air to the brazen sky.
And at a distance from the battle the horses of Aeacides
had been mourning from the time they first learned of the falling of their charioteer
in the dust at the hands of man-slaying Hector.
Indeed Automedon, the courageous son of Diores,
struck them again and again, lashing with his swift whip,430
again and again he spoke to them with soothing words, again and again he threatened;
but they were neither willing to go back to the ships by the broad Hellespont,
nor into the fighting with the Achaeans,
but remained unmovable as a marker of stone that stands upon the burial mound
of a man who has died, or of a woman.
So they remained motionless, holding the splendid chariot in place,
hanging their heads upon the earth, and hot tears
from their lids flowed down to the ground as they wept
with longing for their charioteer; and their luxuriant manes were soiled as they streamed down
from under their yoke-pad on either side.440
And seeing them as they wept the son of Cronus pitied them,
and shaking his head he addressed his own heart:
“Ah, poor wretches, why did we give you to lord Peleus,
a mortal man, you who are ageless and immortal?
Was it so you might suffer grief among unhappy men?
For there is nothing more wretched than mankind
of all things that breathe and creep upon the earth.
But verily, not on you, nor your elaborate chariot
will Hector son of Priam ride; for I will not allow it.
Is it not enough that he has the armor and so exults?450
I shall cast strength in your knees, and in your heart,
so that you bring Automedon safe from fighting
to the hollow ships. And I shall still give the Trojans the glory
of killing, until that time they come to the well-benched ships.”454
So speaking he breathed new strength into the horses;456
and they tossing the dust from their manes to the earth,
lightly carried the swift chariot among the Trojans and Achaeans,
and on them Automedon went to battle, grieving though he was for his companion,
charging with the horses like an eagle among geese.460
Out from the Trojan tumult he would adroitly flee,
then adroitly would rush in, pressing hard through the throng of battle.
But he killed no men, as he charged in pursuit,
for alone in the divine chariot it was not possible
both to attack with his spear and to manage the flying horses.
But at length a comrade set eyes upon him,
Alkimedon, the son of Laerkes, son of Haimon.
And he took position behind the chariot and spoke to Automedon:
“Automedon, which of the gods now put this useless plan
in your heart, and took away your good wits—470
how will you fight against the Trojans at the head of the battle
on your own—your companion slain, and Hector exulting
with the arms of Aeacides on his own shoulders?”
And in turn Automedon the son of Diores answered him:
“Alkimedon, who else of the Achaeans is your equal
to control and hold the strength of these immortal horses?
If only Patroclus, the gods’ equal in skill,
were alive; but now death and fate have swallowed him.
Come now, take the whip and glossy reins,
and I will dismount the chariot, to fight.480
So he spoke, and Alkimedon, leaping at once into the swift-fighting
chariot, seized the whip and reins into his hands,
and Automedon leapt down. And shining Hector marked him,
and at once spoke to Aeneas from close by:
“Aeneas, leader in counsel of the bronze-clad Trojans,
I see the two horses of swift-footed Achilles
making appearance in the fighting with unworthy charioteers.
I could hope to capture them, if you were willing in your
heart to join with me, since they would not endure our onslaught,
standing up to go to war against us.”490
So he spoke; nor did the good son of Anchises disobey.
And the two men set out directly, their shoulders covered by their shields
of tough oxhide hammered with much bronze.
And going with them were both Chromios and godlike Aretos;
and greatly did their hearts hope
to kill the two men and
seize the high-necked horses;
fools, who were not destined to return without the spilling of blood
by Automedon; for he, making prayer to Zeus the father,
was filled round his dark heart with strength and courage.
And forthwith he spoke to Alkimedon, his trusted comrade:500
“Alkimedon, do not hold the horses at a distance from me,
but have them breathing hard upon my back; for I do not think
that Hector son of Priam will check his fury
until he has mounted behind the fine-maned horses of Achilles,
killing us both, and put to flight the ranks of Argive men,
or himself is taken among the frontline fighters.”
So speaking he called to the two Aiantes and to Menelaos:
“Aiantes and Menelaos, leaders of the Argives,
leave the body to those who can best
stand over it and ward off the ranks of men,510
and you ward off death’s pitiless day from those who are living;
for bearing hard for this place through the battle and its tears
are Hector and Aeneas, who are the best men of the Trojans.
But these things surely lie in the laps of the gods;
I will make my throw, and all that follows will be Zeus’ care.”
He spoke, and balancing the long-shadowed spear he hurled it,
and struck the circle of the shield of Aretos;
and it did not protect him from the spear, but the bronze passed straight through,
and piercing his war-belt, into the pit of his stomach it drove.
And as when a sturdy young man wielding his sharp axe520
smites behind the horns of a field-ranging ox
so as to cut all the way through; and it falls lurching forward,
so Aretos lurched, then fell on his back; and in his belly
the shaking spear, keenly sharp, unstrung his limbs.
And Hector took aim at Automedon with his shining spear;
but he, looking straight ahead, dodged the bronze spear-point,
for he ducked forward, and the long spear-shaft
was fixed in the earth behind him, the butt-end quivering;
then mighty Ares took away its force.
And surely now with swords they would have been stabbing at close quarters,530
had not the two Aiantes driven them apart as they raged,
coming through the battle throng when their companion called.
Struck with dread before them,
Hector and Aeneas and godlike Chromios retreated back again,
and left Aretos there, lying, his life ripped out.