Much admonition, ere ye went, received.
Old Peleus charged Achilles to aspire 950
To highest praise, and always to excel.
But thee, thy sire Menœtius thus advised.
“My son! Achilles boasts the nobler birth,
But thou art elder; he in strength excels
Thee far; thou, therefore, with discretion rule 955
His inexperience; thy advice impart
With gentleness; instruction wise suggest
Wisely, and thou shalt find him apt to learn.”
So thee thy father taught, but, as it seems,
In vain. Yet even now essay to move 960
Warlike Achilles; if the Gods so please,
Who knows but that thy reasons may prevail
To rouse his valiant heart? men rarely scorn
The earnest intercession of a friend.
But if some prophecy alarm his fears, 965
And from his Goddess mother he have aught
Received, who may have learnt the same from Jove,
Thee let him send at least, and order forth
With thee the Myrmidons; a dawn of hope
Shall thence, it may be, on our host arise. 970
And let him send thee to the battle clad
In his own radiant armor; Troy, deceived
289 By such resemblance, shall abstain perchance
From conflict, and the weary Greeks enjoy
Short respite; it is all that war allows. 975
Fresh as ye are, ye, by your shouts alone,
May easily repulse an army spent
With labor from the camp and from the fleet.
Thus Nestor, and his mind bent to his words.
Back to Æacides through all the camp 980
He ran; and when, still running, he arrived
Among Ulysses’ barks, where they had fix’d
The forum, where they minister’d the laws,
And had erected altars to the Gods,
There him Eurypylus, Evæmon’s son, 985
Illustrious met, deep-wounded in his thigh,
And halting-back from battle. From his head
The sweat, and from his shoulders ran profuse,
And from his perilous wound the sable blood
Continual stream’d; yet was his mind composed. 990
Him seeing, Menœtiades the brave
Compassion felt, and mournful, thus began.
Ah hapless senators and Chiefs of Greece!
Left ye your native country that the dogs
Might fatten on your flesh at distant Troy? 995
But tell me, Hero! say, Eurypylus!
Have the Achaians power still to withstand
The enormous force of Hector, or is this
The moment when his spear must pierce us all?
To whom Eurypylus, discreet, replied. 1000
Patroclus, dear to Jove! there is no help,
No remedy. We perish at our ships.
The warriors, once most strenuous of the Greeks,
Lie wounded in the fleet by foes whose might
Increases ever. But thyself afford 1005
To me some succor; lead me to my ship;
Cut forth the arrow from my thigh; the gore
With warm ablution cleanse, and on the wound
Smooth unguents spread, the same as by report
Achilles taught thee; taught, himself, their use 1010
290 By Chiron, Centaur, justest of his kind
For Podalirius and Machaon both
Are occupied. Machaon, as I judge,
Lies wounded in his tent, needing like aid
Himself, and Podalirius in the field 1015
Maintains sharp conflict with the sons of Troy.
To whom Menœtius’ gallant son replied.
Hero! Eurypylus! how shall we act
In this perplexity? what course pursue?
I seek the brave Achilles, to whose ear 1020
I bear a message from the ancient chief
Gerenian Nestor, guardian of the Greeks.
Yet will I not, even for such a cause,
My friend! abandon thee in thy distress.
He ended, and his arms folding around 1025
The warrior bore him thence into his tent.
His servant, on his entrance, spread the floor
With hides, on which Patroclus at his length
Extended him, and with his knife cut forth
The rankling point; with tepid lotion, next, 1030
He cleansed the gore, and with a bitter root
Bruised small between his palms, sprinkled the wound.
At once, the anodyne his pain assuaged,
The wound was dried within, and the blood ceased.
It will be well here to observe the position of the Greeks. All human aid is cut off by the wounds of their heroes, and all assistance from the Gods forbidden by Jupiter. On the contrary, the Trojans see their general at their head, and Jupiter himself fights on their side. Upon this hinge turns the whole poem. The distress of the Greeks occasions first the assistance of Patroclus, and then the death of that hero brings back Achilles.
The poet shows great skill in conducting these incidents. He gives Achilles the pleasure of seeing that the Greeks could not carry on the war without his assistance, and upon this depends the great catastrophe of the poem.
ARGUMENT OF THE TWELFTH BOOK.
The Trojans assail the ramparts, and Hector forces the gates.
BOOK XII.
So was Menœtius’ gallant son employ’d
Healing Eurypylus. The Greeks, meantime,
And Trojans with tumultuous fury fought.
Nor was the foss ordain’d long time to exclude
The host of Troy, nor yet the rampart built 5
Beside it for protection of the fleet;
For hecatomb the Greeks had offer’d none,
Nor prayer to heaven, that it might keep secure
Their ships with all their spoils. The mighty work
As in defiance of the Immortal Powers 10
Had risen, and could not therefore long endure.
While Hector lived, and while Achilles held
His wrathful purpose; while the city yet
Of royal Priam was unsack’d, so long
The massy structure stood; but when the best 15
And bravest of the Trojan host were slain,
And of the Grecian heroes, some had fallen
And some survived, when Priam’s towers had blazed
In the tenth year, and to their native shores
The Grecians with their ships, at length, return’d, 20
Then Neptune, with Apollo leagued, devised
Its ruin; every river that descends
From the Idæan heights into the sea
They brought against it, gathering all their force.
Rhesus, Caresus, Rhodius, the wide-branch’d 25
Heptaporus, Æsepus, Granicus,
294 Scamander’s sacred current, and thy stream
Simöis, whose banks with helmets and with shields
Were strew’d, and Chiefs of origin divine;
All these with refluent course Apollo drove 30
Nine days against the rampart, and Jove rain’d
Incessant, that the Grecian wall wave-whelm’d
Through all its length might sudden disappear.
Neptune with his tridental mace, himself,
Led them, and beam and buttress to the flood 35
Consigning, laid by the laborious Greeks,
Swept the foundation, and the level bank
Of the swift-rolling Hellespont restored.
The structure thus effaced, the spacious beach
He spread with sand as at the first; then bade 40
Subside the streams, and in their channels wind
With limpid course, and pleasant as before,
Apollo thus and Neptune, from the first,
Design’d its fall; but now the
battle raved
And clamors of the warriors all around 45
The strong-built turrets, whose assaulted planks
Rang, while the Grecians, by the scourge of Jove
Subdued, stood close within their fleet immured,
At Hector’s phalanx-scattering force appall’d.
He, as before, with whirlwind fury fought. 50
As when the boar or lion fiery-eyed
Turns short, the hunters and the hounds among,
The close-embattled troop him firm oppose,
And ply him fast with spears; he no dismay
Conceives or terror in his noble heart, 55
But by his courage falls; frequent he turns
Attempting bold the ranks, and where he points
Direct his onset, there the ranks retire;
So, through the concourse on his rolling wheels
Borne rapid, Hector animated loud 60
His fellow-warriors to surpass the trench.
But not his own swift-footed steeds would dare
That hazard; standing on the dangerous brink
They neigh’d aloud, for by its breadth the foss
295 Deterr’d them; neither was the effort slight 65
To leap that gulf, nor easy the attempt
To pass it through; steep were the banks profound
On both sides, and with massy piles acute
Thick-planted, interdicting all assault.
No courser to the rapid chariot braced 70
Had enter’d there with ease; yet strong desires
Possess’d the infantry of that emprize,
And thus Polydamas the ear address’d
Of dauntless Hector, standing at his side.
Hector, and ye the leaders of our host, 75
Both Trojans and allies! rash the attempt
I deem, and vain, to push our horses through,
So dangerous is the pass; rough is the trench
With pointed stakes, and the Achaian wall
Meets us beyond. No chariot may descend 80
Or charioteer fight there; strait are the bounds,
And incommodious, and his death were sure.
If Jove, high-thundering Ruler of the skies,
Will succor Ilium, and nought less intend
Than utter devastation of the Greeks, 85
I am content; now perish all their host
Inglorious, from their country far remote.
But should they turn, and should ourselves be driven
Back from the fleet impeded and perplex’d
In this deep foss, I judge that not a man, 90
‘Scaping the rallied Grecians, should survive
To bear the tidings of our fate to Troy.
Now, therefore, act we all as I advise.
Let every charioteer his coursers hold
Fast-rein’d beside the foss, while we on foot, 95
With order undisturb’d and arms in hand,
Shall follow Hector. If destruction borne
On wings of destiny this day approach
The Grecians, they will fly our first assault.
So spake Polydamas, whose safe advice 100
Pleased Hector; from his chariot to the ground
All arm’d he leap’d, nor would a Trojan there
296 (When once they saw the Hero on his feet)
Ride into battle, but unanimous
Descending with a leap, all trod the plain. 105
Each gave command that at the trench his steeds
Should stand detain’d in orderly array;
Then, suddenly, the parted host became
Five bands, each following its appointed chief.
The bravest and most numerous, and whose hearts 110
Wish’d most to burst the barrier and to wage
The battle at the ships, with Hector march’d
And with Polydamas, whom follow’d, third,
Cebriones; for Hector had his steeds
Consign’d and chariot to inferior care. 115
Paris, Alcathoüs, and Agenor led
The second band, and, sons of Priam both,
Deïphobus and Helenus, the third;
With them was seen partner of their command;
The Hero Asius; from Arisba came 120
Asius Hyrtacides, to battle drawn
From the Selleïs banks by martial steeds
Hair’d fiery-red and of the noblest size.
The fourth, Anchises’ mighty son controll’d,
Æneas; under him Antenor’s sons, 125
Archilochus and Acamas, advanced,
Adept in all the practice of the field.
Last came the glorious powers in league with Troy
Led by Sarpedon; he with Glaucus shared
His high control, and with the warlike Chief 130
Asteropæus; for of all his host
Them bravest he esteem’d, himself except
Superior in heroic might to all.
And now (their shields adjusted each to each)
With dauntless courage fired, right on they moved 135
Against the Grecians; nor expected less
Than that beside their sable ships, the host
Should self-abandon’d fall an easy prey.
The Trojans, thus with their confederate powers,
The counsel of the accomplish’d Prince pursued, 140
297 Polydamas, one Chief alone except,
Asius Hyrtacides. He scorn’d to leave
His charioteer and coursers at the trench,
And drove toward the fleet. Ah, madly brave!
His evil hour was come; he was ordain’d 145
With horse and chariot and triumphant shout
To enter wind-swept Ilium never more.
Deucalion’s offspring, first, into the shades
Dismiss’d him; by Idomeneus he died.
Leftward he drove furious, along the road 150
By which the steeds and chariots of the Greeks
Return’d from battle; in that track he flew,
Nor found the portals by the massy bar
Secured, but open for reception safe
Of fugitives, and to a guard consign’d. 155
Thither he drove direct, and in his rear
His band shrill-shouting follow’d, for they judged
The Greeks no longer able to withstand
Their foes, but sure to perish in the camp.
Vain hope! for in the gate two Chiefs they found 160
Lapithæ-born, courageous offspring each
Of dauntless father; Polypœtes, this,
Sprung from Pirithöus; that, the warrior bold
Leonteus, terrible as gore-tainted Mars.
These two, defenders of the lofty gates, 165
Stood firm before them. As when two tall oaks
On the high mountains day by day endure
Rough wind and rain, by deep-descending roots
Of hugest growth fast-founded in the soil;
So they, sustain’d by conscious valor, saw, 170
Unmoved, high towering Asius on his way,
Nor fear’d him aught, nor shrank from his approach
Right on toward the barrier, lifting high
Their season’d bucklers and with clamor loud
The band advanced, King Asius at their head, 175
With whom Iämenus, expert in arms,
Orestes, Thöon, Acamas the son
Of Asius, and Oenomäus, led them on.
298 Till now, the warlike pair, exhorting loud
The Grecians to defend the fleet, had stood 180
Within the gates; but soon as they perceived
The Trojans swift advancing to the wall,
And heard a cry from all the flying Greeks,
Both sallying, before the gates they fought
Like forest-boars, which hearing in the hills 185
The crash of hounds and huntsmen nigh at hand,
With start oblique lay many a sapling fl
at
Short-broken by the root, nor cease to grind
Their sounding tusks, till by the spear they die;
So sounded on the breasts of those brave two 190
The smitten brass; for resolute they fought,
Embolden’d by their might who kept the wall,
And trusting in their own; they, in defence
Of camp and fleet and life, thick battery hurl’d
Of stones precipitated from the towers; 195
Frequent as snows they fell, which stormy winds,
Driving the gloomy clouds, shake to the ground,
Till all the fertile earth lies cover’d deep.
Such volley pour’d the Greeks, and such return’d
The Trojans; casques of hide, arid and tough, 200
And bossy shields rattled, by such a storm
Assail’d of millstone masses from above.
Then Asius, son of Hyrtacus, a groan
Indignant utter’d; on both thighs he smote
With disappointment furious, and exclaim’d, 205
Jupiter! even thou art false become,
And altogether such. Full sure I deem’d
That not a Grecian hero should abide
One moment force invincible as ours,
And lo! as wasps ring-streaked, or bees that build 210
Their dwellings in the highway’s craggy side
Leave not their hollow home, but fearless wait
The hunter’s coming, in their brood’s defence,
So these, although two only, from the gates
299 Move not, nor will, till either seized or slain. 215
So Asius spake, but speaking so, changed not
The mind of Jove on Hector’s glory bent.
Others, as obstinate, at other gates
Such deeds perform’d, that to enumerate all
Were difficult, unless to power divine. 220
For fierce the hail of stones from end to end
Smote on the barrier; anguish fill’d the Greeks.
Yet, by necessity constrain’d, their ships
They guarded still; nor less the Gods themselves,
Patrons of Greece, all sorrow’d at the sight. 225
At once the valiant Lapithæ began
Terrible conflict, and Pirithous’ son
Brave Polypœtes through his helmet pierced
Damasus; his resplendent point the brass
Sufficed not to withstand; entering, it crush’d 230
The bone within, and mingling all his brain
With his own blood, his onset fierce repress’d.
Pylon and Ormenus he next subdued.
William Cowper- Collected Poetical Works Page 113