The Iliad (Trans. Caroline Alexander)

by Homer

  Then answering in turn Aeneas addressed him:

  “Son of Priam, why do you urge me to do these things against my will,

  to do battle against the high-hearted son of Peleus?

  This is not the first time I will stand against Achilles the swift-footed,

  but once before he put me to flight with his spear90

  from Mount Ida, when he came for our cattle,

  and sacked Lyrnessos and Pedasos; but Zeus protected me,

  and gave strength to me and swiftness to my knees.

  Otherwise I would have been brought down beneath the hands of Achilles and Athena,

  who going in advance bestowed the light of safety on him and bade him

  kill with his spear the Leleges and the Trojans.

  Therefore no man can do battle with Achilles;

  always one of the gods stands by him, who wards off destruction.

  And that apart, the spear he throws flies straight, nor stops

  until it pierces human flesh. But if the gods100

  would stretch the rope of war equally, he would not so easily

  be victorious, not though he boasts to be made of solid bronze.”

  Then in turn lord Apollo, son of Zeus, answered him:

  “Come, warrior, and you too make prayer to the everlasting gods;

  for it is said that you were born of Zeus’ daughter Aphrodite;

  that other is born of a lesser deity;

  for Aphrodite is a daughter of Zeus, the other was born of the sea’s old man.

  Come, carry your unyielding bronze straight before you, do not let him

  turn you aside with his contemptible words and threatening.”

  So speaking he breathed great strength into the shepherd of the people,110

  and he set out through the frontline fighters armed in gleaming bronze.

  Nor did the son of Anchises escape the notice of white-armed Hera

  as he set out against the son of Peleus through the throng of men,

  and she, summoning the gods together, made a speech:

  “Consider you two, Poseidon and Athena,

  in your minds, how this matter will be.

  Here comes Aeneas armed in gleaming bronze

  against the son of Peleus, and Phoebus Apollo sets him on;

  come, let us turn him back

  on the spot; or rather let one of us stand by Achilles,120

  and grant him great strength, so that he does not fail in spirit,

  and so he may know that the best of immortals love him,

  and the other gods are so much wind, they who before

  warded off the battle host and fighting from the Trojans.

  All of us have come down from Olympus to take our part

  in this battle, so that no harm befall Achilles at Trojan hands

  today; though later he will suffer all that Fate

  assigned to him with destiny’s thread when he was born, when his mother bore him to life.

  But if Achilles does not learn these things from the voice of gods,

  then he will be afraid, should some other god come face-to-face against him130

  in the fighting; for gods are hard to bear when they appear in their own form.”

  Then answered her Poseidon who shakes the earth:

  “Hera, do not rage beyond reason; you should not.

  I myself would not wish us to drive the other gods together in strife,

  since we are much the stronger,

  so let us go aside from the haunts of men

  and seat ourselves upon a lookout point, and let the war be the concern of mortals.

  But if Ares starts to fight, or Phoebus Apollo,

  or if they should keep Achilles back and not let him fight,

  there and then the strife of battle will arise140

  from our side too. And very swiftly, I think, they will break away,

  and go back to Olympus among the company of other gods,

  broken by force beneath our hands.”

  So speaking the dark-haired god Poseidon led the way

  to the wall of godlike Heracles, heaped up with earth,

  a high place, which the Trojans and Pallas Athena

  made, so that Heracles could escape the sea beast as he fled from its reach,

  at the time when it chased him away from the shore toward the plain.

  Here Poseidon took his seat as did the other gods,

  and around their shoulders they wrapped impenetrable cloud;150

  and on the opposite side the gods of Troy settled down upon the brow of Pleasant Hill

  around you, Phoebus to whom we cry aloud, and Ares, sacker of cities.

  And so they sat on either side taking counsel—

  for to commence the painful warfare

  was something both sides shrank to do, though it was Zeus who sits on high who urged them—

  and all the plain was filled with men and shone with the bronze

  of men and horses; and the earth quaked with the feet

  of them on the move together. And two men, the best by far,

  were advancing into the middle of both sides straining to do battle,

  Aeneas son of Anchises and godlike Achilles.160

  And Aeneas, menacing, first strode forth,

  gesturing with his heavy helmet; his charging shield

  he held before his chest, and he shook his brazen spear.

  And from the other side the son of Peleus rose up to face him like a

  ravening lion, for whose sake men have assembled, which they strain to kill,

  the whole village of them; and at first, paying them no heed,

  the lion goes his way; but when some sturdy young man

  strikes him with a spear-cast, then he crouches, jaws gaping, and foam forms

  around his teeth, and in his heart his brave spirit groans,

  and with his tail he lashes his ribs and flanks from side to side,170

  and goads himself for battle,

  and, eyes gleaming, he is carried by his fury straight ahead, either to kill

  one of the men, or himself to die at the forefront of the throng;

  so the fury and heroic spirit of Achilles goaded him

  to come face-to-face with great-hearted Aeneas.

  And when they had advanced almost upon each other,

  swift-footed godlike Achilles addressed him first:

  “Aeneas, why have you come to stand so far from your company?

  Does your spirit urge you to fight with me

  in the hope that you will rule the horse-breaking Trojans over Priam’s domain?180

  But if you should kill me,

  for all that, Priam will not drop any prize of honor in your hands;

  for he has his sons, and his mind is steady and not witless.

  Or have the Trojans cut out a plot of land for you surpassing all others,

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

  if you should kill me? But I think you will do this with some difficulty.

  For I believe another time before this you fled my spear.

  Or do you not recall when I caught you alone and chased you smartly from your cattle

  down from the Idaean hills in the swiftness of your feet?

  And at that time you did not look behind you as you fled.190

  From there you escaped into Lyrnessos; but I sacked it

  as I followed after in pursuit, with Athena’s help and father Zeus,

  and led the women away, captives, having stripped them of their day of freedom;

  but Zeus protected you, Zeus and the other gods.

  Yet I do not think they will protect you now, as you may believe

  in your heart, and I urge you to retreat

  back to your host, and not stand against me,

  before you suffer some harm; even a fool learns after the event.”

  Then in turn Aeneas spoke to him in answer:

  “Son of P
eleus, do not hope to frighten me with words200

  as if I were a child, since I too know well

  how to speak both taunts and words of slander.

  We know each other’s birth, we know our parents,

  having heard the words of old from mortal men;

  yet with your own eyes you have never seen mine, nor I then yours.

  They say you are born of blameless Peleus

  from your mother, Thetis, lovely haired daughter of the sea;

  but I claim to be by birth the son of Anchises, the great of heart,

  and my mother is Aphrodite.

  And now one or the other of these will weep for their beloved son210

  this day; for I do not think it is thus, with foolish words,

  we two will part and go home from battle.

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

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

  Zeus who gathers the clouds first begat Dardanos;

  and he founded the city Dardania, since sacred Ilion

  was not yet established on the plain, the city of mortal men,

  but at that time they dwelt in the foothills of Ida with its many springs.

  And Dardanos in turn begat a son, Erichthonios the king,

  who became the wealthiest of mortal men;220

  his three thousand horses grazed below the marshy meadow,

  mares, delighting in their young fillies.

  And the North Wind Boreas was enamored of them as they grazed,

  and likening himself to a dark-maned stallion, coupled with them;

  and they conceived and bore twelve foals.

  And when these gamboled over wheat-giving fields,

  they ran upon the tip-top fruit of the tasseled grain, nor would they break it;

  and when they gamboled over the broad back of the sea,

  they would run upon the breaking foam of the gray salt water.

  And Erichthonios begat Tros, who ruled the Trojans;230

  And three blameless sons were born in turn to Tros,

  Ilos and Assarakos and godlike Ganymede,

  who was born most beautiful of mortal men;

  the gods plucked him up to be wine-pourer to Zeus

  on account of his beauty, so that he would dwell among the deathless gods.

  And Ilos in turn begat his blameless son Laomedon;

  and Laomedon in turn begat Tithonos and Priam

  and Lampos and Klytios and Hiketaon, companion of Ares.

  And Assarakos begat Kapys, and he begat Anchises, his son;

  and Anchises was father to me, as Priam was to shining Hector.240

  Of such descent and blood I claim to be.

  Zeus gives men their valor and diminishes them too,

  in whatever way he wishes, for he is mightiest of all.

  “But come, let us no longer debate these things like children

  standing around in the middle of battle combat;

  for both of us can speak many words

  of insult, nor could a ship of a hundred benches bear their weight.

  For the tongue of man is fickle, and there are many words

  in everyone, and they cover, here and there, a wide field;

  and whatever word you say, such you may also hear.250

  So why must we two hurl words of abuse and strife

  in each other’s faces, like women,

  who enraged about some heart-devouring quarrel

  go in the middle of the street and throw abusive words at each other,

  many of them true, many not, which anger drives them to say?

  You will not turn me, who am determined, from my prowess with your words

  before we have fought man-to-man with bronze; but come,

  with all speed let us taste each other’s mettle with our bronze spears.”

  He spoke, and into Achilles’ dread and terrible shield Aeneas drove his

  powerful spear; and the shield rang loud around the spear-point.260

  And the son of Peleus with his massive hand held his shield away from him,

  alarmed; for he thought the long-shadowed spear

  of great-hearted Aeneas would easily pierce it—

  the fool; in mind and heart he did not understand

  that the glorious gifts of gods are not so easily

  broken by mortal men, nor do they give way.

  So the powerful spear of brilliant Aeneas did not

  shatter his shield; for the gold checked it, a gift of the god.

  Two layers the spear did drive through, but three remained,

  since the crippled god had hammered out five layers—270

  two that were bronze, two on the inside of tin,

  and one of gold, in which was checked the ash-wood spear.

  But next Achilles let fly his long-shadowed spear,

  and struck the perfect circle of Aeneas’ shield,

  at the extreme edge of the rim, where the bronze ran thinnest,

  and the oxhide was fitted thinnest; right through

  the Pelian ash-spear flew, and the shield crashed beneath it.

  Aeneas crouched and held the shield from him,

  terrified; and flying forward over his back the spear

  stopped standing in the ground, after breaking through two circled layers280

  of the man-surrounding shield. Escaping the great spear

  Aeneas stood up, and great was the anguish that flooded his eyes

  in his terror, because the weapon had fixed so close to him. And Achilles

  in burning speed was rushing at him, sharp sword drawn,

  shouting his terifying cry; and Aeneas took in his hand

  a boulder, a great feat, which two men could not lift,

  such as mortal men are now; but he, even alone, brandished it with ease.

  Then Aeneas would have struck Achilles with the stone as he charged toward him

  on his helmet or shield, which warded off fatal destruction from him,

  and the son of Peleus, closing in, would have stripped Aeneas of his life with his sword,290

  had not Poseidon who shakes the earth paid sharp attention;

  and at once he addressed the immortal gods:

  “Alas, I grieve for great-hearted Aeneas,

  who will soon go down to the house of Hades, broken by the son of Peleus,

  having trusted in the words of Apollo who shoots from afar—

  fool, for Apollo will be no use in warding off death’s sorrow from him.

  And why does this guiltless man suffer agonies now

  to no end, for the troubles of others, and always

  gives pleasing gifts to the gods who hold the broad heaven?

  But come, let us take him away from the reach of death,300

  lest the son of Cronus too be provoked to anger if Achilles

  kills this man; for it is fated for Aeneas to escape death,

  so that the race of Dardanos not perish without seed, blotted out,

  Dardanos whom the son of Cronus loved beyond all his sons

  who were born to him from mortal women.

  Yet the son of Cronus has come to hate the race of Priam;

  and now it is strong Aeneas who will rule the Trojans,

  and the sons of his sons, who will be born hereafter.”

  Then answered him the ox-eyed lady Hera:

  “Earth-Shaker, you decide in your own mind310

  about Aeneas, whether you will save him, or whether you will let him go;311

  but know this, that we two have sworn many oaths313

  before all the immortals, I and Pallas Athena,

  never to fend off the day of evil from the Trojans,

  not when all of Troy with raging fire is burning,

  set ablaze, and the warrior sons of the Achaeans set it blazing.”

  Then when Poseidon who shakes the earth had heard this,

  he proceeded to go toward the battle and tumult of spears, />
  and came to where Aeneas was and glorious Achilles.320

  Swiftly he poured a cloud of mist down over his eyes,

  over the eyes of Achilles son of Peleus, and pulled his ash-wood bronze-pointed

  spear out of the shield of great-hearted Aeneas,

  and lay it before Achilles’ feet;

  but Aeneas himself he hurled from the earth, lofting him on high;

  over the many ranks of warriors, over the many ranks of horses

  Aeneas vaulted, sped from the hand of the god,

  and arrived at the farthest edge of the charging battle,

  where the Kaukones were armed for war.

  Then Poseidon who shakes the earth came up very close to him,330

  and addressed him with winged words:

  “Aeneas, which of the gods bade you in this crazed manner

  go to battle and fight against Achilles,

  who is both stronger than you and very dear to the immortals?

  Rather draw back, whenever you encounter him,

  lest even beyond fate you arrive at the house of Hades.

  But when Achilles meets his death and his fate,

  at that time summon your courage to do battle with the frontline fighters;

  for no other of the Achaeans will kill you.”

  So speaking he left him there, since he had revealed all.340

  And forthwith from Achilles’ eyes he scattered the divine

  mist; and Achilles stared with all his might,

  then troubled, spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

  “Oh shame! This is a great wonder I see with my eyes.

  This spear lies upon the earth, and I do not see the man at all

  at whom I let fly, as I raged to kill.

  So, after all, Aeneas is beloved by the immortal gods;

  and I thought he boasted idly of this.

  Let him go. He will have no heart to make further trial of me,

  as now, again, he was happy to flee death.350

  But come, I will command the warlike Danaans

  and make trial of the other Trojans I come against.”

  He spoke and sprang to the ranks, and began giving orders to every man:

  “No longer, now, stand back from the Trojans, brave Achaeans,

  but come, and let it be man against man, eager to do battle;

  for it is hard for me, strong though I am,

  to take in hand so many men and fight them all.

  Nor could Ares, god immortal though he is, nor could Athena

  for all their toil curb the jaws of so great a battle.

  But as much as I am able—with hands and feet360

  and with my strength—I say, I will no more slacken, not a little,