The Iliad (Penguin Classics)

by Homer

  Siege and ambush

  The other town was under siege from two armies, which were (510) shown in their glittering armour. The besiegers were unable to agree whether to sack the place outright, or to take half the goods that the lovely town contained in return for surrender. But the townspeople had not yet given up: they were secretly preparing an ambush. Leaving the walls defended by their wives and little children, together with the older men, they advanced under the leadership of Ares and Pallas Athene. These were gold, wore golden clothes and looked as big and beautiful in their armour as gods should, standing out above their troops who were on a smaller scale. (520) When the townsmen had found a likely place for an ambush in a river-bed where all the cattle came to drink, they sat down there in their shining bronze armour and posted two scouts in the distance to watch for the arrival of the sheep and cattle with their crooked horns belonging to the besieging army. These soon appeared in the charge of two herdsmen, who were playing on their pipes and suspected no trap.

  The men who had laid the ambush saw them, charged out and promptly rounded up the herds of oxen and the fine flocks (530) of white sheep, killing the shepherds. But when the besiegers, who were sitting in debate, heard the commotion raised by this attack on their herds, they immediately mounted the chariots behind their high-stepping horses and made for the scene of action, which they quickly reached. A pitched battle ensued on the banks of the river, and volleys of bronze spears were exchanged. Strife and Panic were co-operating, and there was the dreadful Demon of Death, laying her hands on a freshly wounded man who was still alive and on another not yet wounded, and dragging a body by its foot through the crowd. The cloak on her shoulders was red with human blood; and the (540) warriors met and fought and dragged away each other’s dead, just as real warriors do.

  Ploughing

  (550) Next he placed on it a large field of soft, rich fallow, ploughed three times. A number of ploughmen were driving their teams of oxen across it, up and down. When they reached the ridge at the end of the field and had to turn, a man would come up and hand them a cup of delicious wine. Then they turned back down the furrows, keen to reach the other end through the deep fallow soil. The field, though it was made of gold, grew black behind them, as a field does when it is being ploughed. It was a miraculous piece of work.

  Reaping

  He also placed on it a lord’s estate where hired reapers were at work with sharp sickles in their hands. Handfuls of corn were falling to the ground one after the other along the lines cut by the reapers, while others were being tied up with bindings by the sheaf-binders following behind. There were three sheaf-binders at work, and boys were at hand, promptly picking up the sheaves and carrying them off in their arms to be stored. And there among them was the lord himself, staff in hand, standing quietly by the point the reapers had reached, delighted. Under an oak-tree some way from the reaping, his attendants were preparing a feast. They were busy with a great ox they had slaughtered, and the women were sprinkling (560) the meat with handfuls of white barley for the labourers’ supper.

  Grape harvest

  Next he placed on it a vineyard laden with grapes. It was beautiful and made of gold, but the bunches of grapes were black, and the supporting poles showed up throughout in silver. All round it, Hephaestus ran a ditch of blue inlay and, outside that, a fence of tin. There was a single pathway by which the pickers approached the vineyard to gather the vintage; and young girls and light-hearted boys were carrying off the delicious fruit in baskets. In the middle of them a boy (570) was playing delightfully on a tuneful lyre and singing the song of Linus, quite beautifully, in a high voice. They all kept time with him and followed, singing and shouting, with dancing feet.

  Cattle-herding

  He created a herd of straight-horned cattle, making the animals of gold and tin. They were mooing as they hurried from the byre to feed where the rushes swayed beside a murmuring stream. Four golden herdsmen marched with the cattle, and there were nine swift dogs accompanying them. But at the head of the herd a pair of fearsome (580) lions had seized a bellowing bull that roared aloud as it was being dragged off. The young men and dogs were running up to the rescue. But the lions had torn open the great bull’s hide and were lapping up its dark blood and entrails. It was in vain that the shepherds were setting their swift dogs on them and urging them forward: when it came to sinking their teeth into the lions, the dogs were having none of it. They stood there at close range, barking, but were careful to avoid them.

  Sheep-flocks

  (590) The famous lame god created a big grazing ground for white-fleeced sheep, in a beautiful valley, with farm buildings, pens and well-roofed huts.

  Dancing

  Next the famous lame god cleverly depicted a dancing-floor, like the one Daedalus designed in the spacious town of Cnossus for lovely-haired Ariadne. Youths and marriageable maidens were dancing there holding each other by the wrists, the girls in fine linen shawls, the men in closely woven tunics showing a faint gleam of oil, the girls with lovely garlands on their heads, the men with daggers of gold hanging (600) from their silver belts. Here they circled lightly round on accomplished feet, like the wheel which fits neatly in a potter’s hands when he sits down and tests it to see if it will spin; and here they ran in lines to meet each other. A large crowd stood round enjoying the delightful dance. A godlike singer of tales sang with them to the lyre, while a couple of solo dancers led off and spun round among the people.

  Ocean

  Then, round the very rim of the superbly constructed shield, he placed the mighty Stream of Ocean.

  (610) When he had finished the great, heavy shield, he made Achilles’ body-armour brighter than blazing fire. Then he made a massive helmet to fit on his temples. It was beautifully decorated, and he put a gold crest on top. He also made him leg-guards of soft tin for his shins.

  When the famous lame god had finished every piece, he gathered them up and laid them before Achilles’ mother. She took the glittering armour from Hephaestus in her arms and swooped down like a falcon from snow-clad Olympus.

  19

  THE FEUD ENDS

  1–144: [27th day: fourth day of combat] THETIS delivers Achilles’ new armour. Achilles summons an assembly, expresses his regret for the past, his willingness to renounce his anger and his desire to return to battle. Agamemnon blames DELUSION for his actions, describes how even ZEUS was deluded by HERA and agrees to hand over the compensation.

  145–237: Achilles wants to return to battle at once, but Odysseus says the men must be fed.

  238–356: Agamemnon’s gifts are fetched. Briseis laments for Patroclus. At ZEUS’ suggestion, ATHENE secretly feeds Achilles with ambrosia and nectar.

  3 57–424: The Greeks come out for battle – bronze armour flashes, the earth resounds – and Achilles arms himself, taking his father’s spear. The horse Xanthus prophesies Achilles’ death.

  As saffron-robed Dawn rose from the river of Ocean to bring daylight to the immortals and to men, Thetis reached the Greek ships with the god’s gifts in her hands. She found her son Achilles prostrate, with his arms round Patroclus. He was weeping bitterly and many of his men stood round him lamenting. The celestial goddess went up to them and, putting her hand in her son’s, said:

  ‘My child, the man who lies here was struck down by the will of the gods. For all your grief, let him be now and take (10) this impressive armour I have brought you from Hephaestus. It is utterly magnificent. No mortal has ever worn anything like it.’

  [Day 27, fourth combat day] THETIS protects Patroclus

  With these words the goddess laid the intricately worked armour before Achilles. It rang out loud, and all the Myrmidons shook with fear. They could not endure to look at it and backed away. But the more Achilles looked, the deeper his anger against Hector grew, and from beneath their lids his eyes shone fearfully like flames. He picked up the god’s splendid gifts and handled them with delight. When he had (20) taken in all their intricate work, he spoke to h
is mother with winged words:

  ‘Mother, this armour of the god’s – this is indeed the workmanship we might expect from the immortals. No human could have made it. So now I will arm for battle. But I am terribly afraid that in the meantime flies will defile the body of brave Patroclus by settling on the open wounds and breeding worms in them. Life has gone out of him, and all his flesh may rot.’

  The goddess silver-footed Thetis replied:

  ‘My child, have no worries about any of this. I shall arrange (30) to keep off those pests, the flies that devour the bodies of men killed in battle. Patroclus could lie here for a whole year, and still his flesh would be preserved – indeed, it might be better than now. But go and summon the Greek warriors to assembly, renounce your anger against Agamemnon shepherd of the people, and then immediately arm for battle and clothe yourself in valour.’

  (40) With these words she breathed supreme confidence into her son; and, to save Patroclus from decay, she treated his body with ambrosia and red nectar which she dripped through his nostrils.

  Wounded leaders’ assembly (11.251, 373,434)

  Meanwhile godlike Achilles went along the beach shouting at the top of his voice to call out the Greek warriors. As a result, even the men who usually stayed with the ships (the helmsmen in charge of the steering-oars and the on-board stewards who dealt out provisions) came to the assembly, now that Achilles had reappeared after his long absence from war and its agonies. The two attendants of Ares, resolute Diomedes and godlike Odysseus, came limping in, still troubled by their wounds and (50) leaning on their spears. They came and sat down in the front of the assembly, and last of all came Agamemnon lord of men. He too was suffering, from the wound that Coön son of Antenor had given him with his bronze-headed spear in the thick of the action.

  When all the Greeks were gathered together, swift-footed Achilles stood up and spoke to them:

  ‘Agamemnon son of Atreus, has it proved a good thing, either for you or me, to keep up this soul-destroying rivalry about a girl, which has brought us such anguish? I only wish Artemis (60) had killed her with an arrow on board ship, that day I won her when I sacked Lyrnessus. Fewer Greeks would then have bitten the dust of the broad earth, slaughtered by the enemy, while I sat apart in my implacable fury. It was only Hector and the Trojans who profited by our quarrel. The Greeks, I think, will have cause to remember it for many a long day. But however much it still rankles, it is now over and done with: let it go. We must master our pride. We have no choice.

  Achilles renounces his anger (9.646, 1.488)

  ’So I now renounce my anger. There is no need for me to (70) nurse it any longer. But come, summon the long-haired Greeks to battle immediately, so that, if the Trojans insist on camping out by our ships, I can pit myself against them once more. I reckon that any Trojan who dodges my spear and comes out of this battle alive will be only too glad to rest his weary limbs.’

  So he spoke, and the Greek men-at-arms shouted for joy when they heard the great-hearted son of Peleus disclaim his anger. Agamemnon lord of men then addressed them from his seat, rather than rising and speaking from the centre:

  ‘Friends, Greek warriors, attendants of Ares, when a man stands to speak, as Achilles has just done, it is only courteous to (80) give him a hearing and not interrupt, which even the experienced orator finds hard to cope with. How can anyone talk or hear, when everyone is making an uproar to drown out the shrillest speaker? Now, I am going to clarify my position to Achilles in particular, but all the rest of you pay attention and take in what I say.

  ZEUS and Delusion (2.377, 9.119)

  ’The Greeks have often insulted me, making the very point with which the last speech began. But I was not to blame. It was Zeus and Destiny and the Fury that walks in darkness that blinded my judgement that day at the assembly when I took Achilles’ prize (90) for myself. What could I do? At such moments a god takes complete command – Delusion, eldest daughter of Zeus who blinds us all, damn her. She never touches the ground with those soft feet of hers but flits over men’s heads, corrupting them and shackling one man after another.

  ‘Why, even Zeus was blinded by her once, and they say he is the best of all men and gods. Hera and her feminine wiles tricked him on the day when Alcmene was going to give birth to mighty Heracles in Thebes with its crown of battlements. (100) Zeus boasted to all the gods: ‘‘Listen to me, all you gods and goddesses, so that I can tell you what I feel compelled to say. This day Eileithyia, goddess of labour, will bring into the light a baby, born of a family with my blood in their veins, who will have dominion over all his neighbours.’’

  ‘The lady Hera set a trap for Zeus and said: ‘‘That’s a lie – as time will show, a prophecy that you will not fulfil. Come now, Olympian, swear me a solemn oath that the child delivered by (110) the woman between her feet this day, who comes of a family with your blood in its veins, shall indeed have dominion over all his neighbours.’’ So she spoke, and Zeus saw no trickery in this and swore a great oath. In so doing, he was completely deluded.

  ‘Hera swooped down from the summit of Olympus and hurried to Argos in Achaea, where, as she knew, the noble wife of Sthenelus son of Perseus also had a baby on its way, but was only seven months gone. Hera brought this child into the light of day prematurely and postponed Alcmene’s delivery by restraining the goddesses of childbirth. Then she went to Zeus (120) and personally gave him the news: ‘‘Father Zeus, lord of the vivid lightning, just to let you know a noble child has been born today, who is to have dominion over the Greeks. They have called him Eurystheus, and his father is Sthenelus, son of Perseus - of your family. So it is no disgrace for him to have dominion over the Greeks.’’

  ‘So she spoke, and it was a bitter blow to Zeus and stung him very badly. In his rage, he seized Delusion by her glossy hair and, swearing a mighty oath that this goddess who blinds everyone should never set foot in Olympus and the starry sky again, he (130) whirled her round his head and hurled her down from the starry skies. Delusion quickly found herself in the world of men. But Zeus could not think of her without a groan when he saw Heracles, his own beloved son, labouring away at the humiliating tasks set him by Eurystheus.

  ‘It was the same with me. When great Hector of the flashing helmet was once more slaughtering Greeks at the sterns of the ships, I could not forget Delusion who blinded me that day. But since I was blinded and Zeus robbed me of my wits, I am willing to make amends and grant immense compensation. So prepare (140) yourself for battle and give a lead to the rest of the army. As for the gifts, I am ready to produce all that godlike Odysseus promised when he went to you yesterday in your hut. Or if you like, restrain your desire for battle for a while, and my attendants will fetch your gifts from my ship, so that you will be able to see I am giving you the very best.’

  Swift-footed Achilles replied and said:

  Achilles wants to fight now

  ’Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon lord of men, it is up to you if you want to produce the gifts, as would be right, or keep them. But now, let us call up our old will to fight – immediately. There is serious work to be done. We ought not to stay here chatting away and wasting (150) time. As each of you sees Achilles in the front line once again destroying Trojan ranks with his bronze spear, so let him keep that image in his mind as he fights the enemy.’

  Quick-thinking Odysseus replied and said:

  Odysseus says the men need food

  ’You are a great warrior, godlike Achilles, but you must not order the men to march against Ilium and take on the enemy without having eaten something first. The battle will not soon be over, once the two forces are engaged and the god has breathed his fire into them. (160) Tell the men rather to take some food and wine by the ships their courage and stamina depend on it. It’s impossible for a man to stand up to the enemy all day long till sunset without food. His heart may be set on fighting, but exhaustion takes him unawares, hunger and thirst set in and his legs give way under him. But when a man has had his fill
of wine and food before (170) an all-day battle, his spirit is up and his strength doesn’t flag till the fight is broken off.

  ‘So, dismiss the troops and tell them to prepare a meal. As for the gifts, let lord Agamemnon bring them into the middle of the assembly so that everyone can see them for themselves, and you can be satisfied. Further, let him stand up before the whole army and swear on oath that he has never been in the girl’s bed and slept with her. In return, Achilles, you must show a gracious and forgiving spirit. Then let Agamemnon make it (180) up to you with a rich feast in his hut, so that you will not feel you have been sold short. Agamemnon, you will be more ready in the future to give others their due. It is no disgrace for a ruler to make up in full for trouble he has begun.’

  Agamemnon lord of men said:

  ‘Odysseus son of Laertes, I am delighted to have heard your views. Nothing was missing: you dealt properly with every point. I am not only ready but anxious to take the oath you suggest and I will not swear falsely in the sight of the god. But meanwhile let Achilles wait here, though he is eager for action, (190) and all the rest of you remain in your places too, till the gifts are brought from my hut and we can make a pact on oath. You yourself, Odysseus, are the man I entrust with this task. Pick out some young men, the best you can find in the whole force, go to my ship and fetch all the gifts we promised Achilles yesterday, and bring the women too. And let Talthybius get a boar ready for me at once to sacrifice to Zeus and the Sun in the presence of this whole great army.’