by Homer
And Automedon, swift Ares’ equal,
stripped his armor, and spoke vaunting:
“Now I have indeed lightened my heart of a little grief for the dying of
the son of Menoetius, although I have killed a lesser man.”
So speaking, he seized the bloody spoils and placed them in the chariot,540
and himself climbed up, covered from his feet to his hands above
with blood, like a lion that has feasted on a bull.
And once again the powerful combat was drawn tight across Patroclus,
hard to bear, full of tears; and thereon Athena stirred the struggle,
coming down from heaven; far-thundering Zeus sent her
to rally the Danaans, for now his intent had changed.
As when for mortal men Zeus bends the livid rainbow
from the heavens to be war’s portent,
or portent of a chilling storm that stops men from their working
of the earth, and afflicts the flocks,550
so Athena, having concealed herself in a livid cloud,
plunged into the host of the Achaeans, and stirred each man.
And first she addressed the son of Atreus strong Menelaos, rousing him,
since he was close by her,
having likened herself to Phoinix in body and unwearying voice:
“For you, Menelaos, it will surely be a disgrace and a rebuke
should the trusted companion of illustrious Achilles
be dragged by swift dogs beneath the wall of Troy.
Come, stand strong, rally the whole of your army.”
Then in turn Menelaos of the war cry addressed her:560
“Phoinix, old father born long ago, if only Athena
would give me strength, and keep off the rush of flying spears and arrows!
Then would I have heart to stand beside and protect
Patroclus; for his dying has touched my heart to the quick.
But Hector has the dread strength of fire, nor does he cease
rampaging with his bronze spear; for to him Zeus gives glory.”
So he spoke, and the gleaming-eyed goddess Athena rejoiced
that to her of all the gods he had prayed first.
And she placed strength in his shoulders and in his knees,
and threw into his breast the boldness of a horsefly,570
that though driven repeatedly away from a man’s skin,
craves to bite, so delectable is human blood to it.
With such boldness did Athena fill him round his dark heart,
and he made his way to Patroclus, and took aim with his shining spear.
And there was among the Trojans a certain Podes, the son of Eëtion,
a rich man and a good man, and Hector honored him above all others
in his realm, since he was his own companion at the feasts;
this man fair Menelaos struck down across his war-belt
as he was darting for flight, and the bronze point drove right through,
and he fell with a thud. Then Menelaos son of Atreus580
dragged the body out of the Trojans’ reach into the band of his own companions.
And Apollo, standing close, goaded Hector
in the likeness of Phainops son of Asios, who of all
Hector’s guest friends was dearest to him, and had his home in Abydos:584
“Hector, what other Achaean shall ever have fear of you,586
who flee before such a one as Menelaos, who was before
a feeble spearman? And now he departs carrying, on his own,
a dead body out from under the Trojans; he killed your trusted comrade,
a noble man among the front fighters, Podes the son of Eëtion.”590
So he spoke; and a dark cloud of grief enveloped Hector,
and he set out through the frontline fighters armored in gleaming bronze.
And as he did the son of Cronus took up the tasseled
glinting aegis, and drew the clouds down over Ida;
flashing lightning forth he thundered fearfully, and shook the aegis,
giving victory to the Trojans, and the Achaeans he put to flight.
And Peneleos the Boeotian first began the rout;
for he was struck on the shoulder by a spear as he turned to face ahead,
the tip grazing him; the spear-point of Poulydamas just scratched
the bone, for he came up close to make his throw.600
In turn Hector stabbed Leïtos from close quarters on the wrist of his hand,
Leïtos son of great-hearted Alektryon, and put a stop to his fighting;
glancing all about him, he retired in fear, since in his heart he could no longer hope
to do battle, spear in hand, with the Trojans.
And as Hector was rushing after Leïtos, Idomeneus
struck him on the breastplate across his chest, beside the nipple;
but the long spear shattered at the shaft-head socket, and the Trojans
shouted aloud. Then Hector took aim at Idomeneus, Deucalian’s son,
as he stood in his chariot; he missed him by a little,
but struck the henchman and charioteer of Meriones,610
Koiranos, who had followed with him from strong-built Lyktos—
for Idomeneus first set out on foot when he left the double-ended ships,
and would have handed a great victory to the Trojans,
had not Koiranos sharply driven the swift-footed horses,
and come as salvation’s light to him, and warded off the pitiless day of death,
but he lost his own life at the hands of man-slaying Hector—
for Hector struck him below the jaw and ear, and the spear shoved his teeth out
at the root, and cut his tongue in two.
Koiranos fell from the chariot, and the reins streamed to earth.
And Meriones, stooping, took them with his own hands620
from the ground, and spoke to Idomeneus:
“Lash on, now, until you come to the swift ships;
you know yourself, the Achaeans’ strength is gone.”
So he spoke, and Idomeneus lashed his fine-maned horses
toward the hollow ships; for fear had fallen on his heart.
And it did not escape great-hearted Ajax and Menelaos
that Zeus was giving to the Trojans the turn of victory’s tide.
And great Telamonian Ajax was first of them to speak:
“Alas, by now even a great fool can see
that father Zeus himself stands by the Trojans;630
all their weapons find their mark, whoever throws them,
good warrior or bad, Zeus directs them all alike,
but all ours fall like this, useless to the ground.
But come, let us consider the best plan,
and how we will drag this body away, and how we ourselves
returning home can bring joy to our own companions,
who as they look this way are doubtless filled with grief, nor still believe
that man-slaying Hector’s might and invincible strength of hand
can be restrained, but that he will fall upon our black ships.
If only there were some companion who could swiftly bring a message640
to the son of Peleus, since I do not think that he has learned
of this disastrous news, that the companion dear to him has died.
And yet nowhere can I see such a one of the Achaeans;
for they and the horses are alike engulfed in mist.
Father Zeus, come—save the sons of the Achaeans from this mist,
make clear the air, grant our eyes to see,
and destroy us in the light of day, since thus it pleases you.”
So he spoke; and as he wept his tears Zeus the father pitied him,
and scattered the mist forthwith and thrust back the murk;
the sun shone out, and thereupon the whole field of battle was revealed.650
Then Ajax spoke to Mene
laos of the war cry:
“Look about now, god-cherished Menelaos, if you can see
Antilochos still living, great-hearted Nestor’s son;
despatch him to go with all speed to brilliant Achilles
to tell him that his far dearest companion has died.”
So he spoke, nor did Menelaos of the war cry disobey,
but set out like a lion from a cattle fold,
who when he has worn himself out harrying dogs and men,
who do not suffer him to seize the cream of their herd,
on alert the whole night long; and he in his lust for meat660
makes straight for them, but achieves nothing; for showers of spears
fly against him from the men’s strong hands
and burning torches, which he shrinks from, for all his urgent desire,
and at dawn he departs far away, his spirit aggrieved;
so from Patroclus Menelaos of the war cry
departed much against his will; for greatly did he fear lest the Achaeans
in the face of panic that cannot be endured should abandon the body of Patroclus as spoil for their enemies.
Much he enjoined on Meriones and the Aiantes:
“Aiantes, leaders of the Argives, and Meriones,
now let you each be mindful of gentle, unhappy Patroclus,670
for to all men he knew to be kind
while he was alive; and now death and fate have swallowed him.”
So speaking fair Menelaos departed,
peering about in every direction, like an eagle, which they say
sees most keenly of all things on wing under heaven,
and which even on high does not fail to mark a swift-footed hare
lying low under a thick-leafed bush, but swoops for it,
and swiftly seizing it, snatches its life away;
so now, Menelaos cherished by Zeus, your shining eyes
wandered everywhere across the band of your many comrades,680
with the hope of somewhere seeing the son of Nestor still alive.
And very soon he spotted him on the left wing of all the fighting,
encouraging his companions and stirring them on to battle.
And going to him fair Menelaos stood close and spoke to him:
“Antilochos, come over here, you whom Zeus cherishes, so you may learn
our disastrous news—would that it had never happened.
By now I think you know yourself by looking
that some god has rolled disaster against the Danaans
and victory is the Trojans’; the best of Achaeans has died,
Patroclus, and great is the loss befallen the Danaans.690
Come, run at once to the ships of the Achaeans to tell Achilles,
that with all speed he might bring the body safe to his ship,
naked though it is; for Hector of the shimmering helm has his armor.”
So he spoke, and Antilochos was struck with horror hearing this word;
for a long while he was held speechless, his eyes
filled with tears, and his strong full voice was checked.
But even so he was not careless of Menelaos’ behest,
and he left on the run; his armor he handed to his blameless companion
Laodokos, who was wheeling round his single-hoofed horses hard by.
Antilochos’ feet carried him, weeping, from the battle,700
to bear his evil message to Achilles son of Peleus.
Then, Menelaos cherished by Zeus, your heart did not wish
to defend the exhausted comrades of Antilochos, those he had left—
for great was the Pylians yearning for him—
but instead he sent godlike Thrasymedes to them,
and himself went back to the warrior Patroclus,
running, and took his stand beside the two Aiantes, and straightway addressed them:
“I have sent that one to the swift ships,
to go to Achilles, the fleet of foot. But I do not think that he
is coming now, for all his great anger with shining Hector;710
for in no way would he go unarmed to battle with the Trojans.
Let us ourselves consider the best plan,
and how we shall drag away this body, and also how we ourselves
shall escape death and fate out from under the shouting throng of Trojans.
Then answered him great Telamonian Ajax:
“All these things you say properly, O glorious Menelaos.
Come, you and Meriones quickly get under
the body, and lifting it carry it from the field of battle; then behind
you two, we will fight shining Hector and the Trojans,
we two of like spirit, of the same name, who before this720
have withstood the cut of war standing firm beside each other.”
So he spoke; and they took the body in their arms
with a mighty effort, from the ground up on high. And thereon the Trojan host behind them
shouted out, as they saw the Achaeans lift the body;
and they charged for them like dogs that spring
at a wounded boar ahead of their young hunters;
and for a time they race along straining to rip it to pieces—
but when the boar at last turns on them, trusting in his courage,
they withdraw back and scuttle in fear hither and thither;
so for a while the Trojans followed keeping always in a group,730
stabbing with their swords and double-edged spears,
but when at last the two Aiantes wheeled around and took their stand
against them, then their skin changed color, nor did any dare
to wage a contest for the body by charging forward.
So with fierce resolve they bore the body from the fighting
toward the hollow ships; and the line of war was stretched tight upon them,
like a line of savage fire that as it sweeps toward a city full of men,
rearing of a sudden, consumes it, and the houses are destroyed
in its great blazing, and the wind’s force roars upon it;
so as they made their way, the incessant din of740
horses and of spearmen was upon them.
And they like mules who throwing their steady strength around their work
drag from the mountain down a rocky path
a beam or a great timber for a ship, and their spirit within
is exhausted alike with toil and sweat as they press on,
so with fierce resolve they carried the dead man. And behind them
the two Aiantes held the Trojans off, as a wooded ridge holds off
water, a ridge that happens to jut across the plain,
and that holds off even the baneful coursings of mighty rivers,
swifly diverting the flow of each, and causes them to go across the plain,750
nor do they shatter the ridge with their power as they gush forth;
so always the two Aiantes restrained the fighting of the Trojans
behind their comrades. But the Trojans followed close, and two among them more than most,
Anchises’ son Aeneas and shining Hector;
and before them, as a cloud of daws or starlings goes
shrieking of their destruction, as they spy the coming of
a hawk that bears death to tiny birds,
so before Hector and Aeneas the young Achaeans
went shrieking of their destruction, and forgot their fire for battle.
And much fine armor fell around the ditch760
from the Danaans as they fled; and there was no cessation in the battle.
18.ILIÁDOS Σ
So they fought like blazing fire;
but Antilochos went as swift-footed messenger to Achilles.
And he found him in front of his straight-horned ships,
foreboding in his heart those things that now had happened,
and troubled he addressed his own great
-hearted spirit:
“Ah me, why now are the long-haired Achaeans again
driven to the ships in panicked confusion across the plain?
May the gods not have accomplished evil sufferings for my heart,
as once my mother plainly told me, and said to me
that while I yet lived, the best of Myrmidons10
at Trojan hands would leave the light of day.
Surely Menoetius’ brave son has already died,
stubborn one; and yet I told him that when he had driven off the blazing fire
to come back to the ships, nor battle in his strength with Hector.”
While he churned these things through his mind and heart,
the son of noble Nestor drew close to him
shedding hot tears, and spoke his grievous message:
“Woe to me, son of brilliant Peleus, surely it is a baleful
message you will hear, would that it had never happened.
Patroclus lies dead, and they are fighting round his naked20
body; for Hector of the shimmering helm has his armor.”
So he spoke; and a dark cloud of grief enveloped Achilles.
Taking with both hands the fire-blackened ashes,
he poured them down upon his head, and defiled his handsome face;
on his fragrant tunic the black ash settled;
and he lay outstretched in the dust,
a great man in his greatness, and with his own hands he defiled his hair, tearing at it.
And the female slaves, whom Achilles and Patroclus had seized as plunder,
stricken at heart cried loud, and ran outside
around brilliant Achilles, and all with their hands30
beat their breasts, and the limbs of each went slack beneath them;
on his other side Antilochos wept, pouring tears,
holding the hands of Achilles as his noble heart groaned.
For he feared lest Achilles cut his own throat with iron.
Dreadful were Achilles’ cries of grief; his lady mother heard
as she sat in the depths of the sea beside her aged father.
Then she wailed in turn; and all the goddesses gathered round her,
who down in the depths of the sea were daughters of Nereus.
There was Glauke, Thaleia and Kymodoke,
Nesaie and Speio, Thoë and ox-eyed Halia,40
Kymothoë and also Aktaia, and Limnoreia,
Melite, and Iaira, Amphithoë and Agauë,
Doto, Proto and Pherousa, Dynamene,
Dexamene, Amphinome and Kallianeira;
Doris and Panope and illustrious Galateia
and Nemertes and Apseudes and Kallianassa;
and Klymene was there and Ianeira and also Ianassa,