The Iliad by Homer (ereader for textbooks .txt) 📕

they were done, and drew them off;
then, when they had finished their work and the feast was ready, they
ate it, and every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied.
As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Nestor, knight of
Gerene, began to speak. "King Agamemnon," said he, "let us not stay
talking here, nor be slack in the work that heaven has put into our
hands. Let the heralds summon the people to gather at their several
ships; we will then go about among the host, that we may begin fighting
at once."

Thus did he speak, and Agamemnon heeded his words. He at once sent the
criers round to call the people in assembly. So they called them, and
the people gathered thereon. The chiefs about the son of Atreus chose
their men and marshalled them, while Minerva went among them holding
her priceless aegis that knows neither age nor death. From it there
waved a hundred tassels of pure gold, all deftly woven, and each one of
them worth a hundred oxen. With this she darted furiously everywhere
among the hosts of the Achaeans, urging them forward, and putting
courage into the heart of each, so that he might fight and do battle
without ceasing. Thus war became sweeter in their eyes even than
returning home in their ships. As when some great forest fire is raging
upon a mountain top and its light is seen afar, even so as they marched
the gleam of their armour flashed up into the firmament of heaven.

They were like great flocks of geese, or cranes, or swans on the plain
about the waters of Cayster, that wing their way hither and thither,
glorying in the pride of flight, and crying as they settle till the fen
is alive with their screaming. Even thus did their tribes pour from
ships and tents on to the plain of the Scamander, and the ground rang
as brass under the feet of men and horses. They stood as thick upon the
flower-bespangled field as leaves that bloom in summer.

As countless swarms of flies buzz around a herdsman's homestead in the
time of spring when the pails are drenched with milk, even so did the
Achaeans swarm on to the plain to charge the Trojans and destroy them.

The chiefs disposed their men this way and that before the fight began,
drafting them out as easily as goatherds draft their flocks when they
have got mixed while feeding; and among them went King Agamemnon, with
a head and face like Jove the lord of thunder, a waist like Mars, and a
chest like that of Neptune. As some great bull that lords it over the
herds upon the plain, even so did Jove make the son of Atreus stand
peerless among the multitude of heroes.

And now, O Muses, dwellers in the mansions of Olympus, tell me--for you
are goddesses and are in all places so that you see all things, while
we know nothing but by report--who were the chiefs and princes of the
Danaans? As for the common soldiers, they were so that I could not name
every single one of them though I had ten tongues, and though my voice
failed not and my heart were of bronze within me, unless you, O
Olympian Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, were to recount them
to me. Nevertheless, I will tell the captains of the ships and all the
fleet together.

Peneleos, Leitus, Arcesilaus, Prothoenor, and Clonius were captains of
the Boeotians. These were they that dwelt in Hyria and rocky Aulis, and
who held Schoenus, Scolus, and the highlands of Eteonus, with Thespeia,
Graia, and the fair city of Mycalessus. They also held Harma, Eilesium,
and Erythrae; and they had Eleon, Hyle, and Peteon; Ocalea and the
strong fortress of Medeon; Copae, Eutresis, and Thisbe the haunt of
doves; Coronea, and the pastures of Haliartus; Plataea and Glisas; the
fortress of Thebes the less; holy Onchestus with its famous grove of
Neptune; Arne rich in vineyards; Midea, sacred Nisa, and Anthedon upon
the sea. From these there came fifty ships, and in each there were a
hundred and twenty young men of the Boeotians.

Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Mars, led the people that dwelt in
Aspledon and Orchomenus the realm of Minyas. Astyoche a noble maiden
bore them in the house of Actor son of Azeus; for she had gone with
Mars secretly into an upper chamber, and he had lain with her. With
these there came thirty ships.

The Phoceans were led by Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of mighty
Iphitus the son of Naubolus. These were they that held Cyparissus,
rocky Pytho, holy Crisa, Daulis, and Panopeus; they also that dwelt in
Anemorea and Hyampolis, and about the waters of the river Cephissus,
and Lilaea by the springs of the Cephissus; with their chieftains came
forty ships, and they marshalled the forces of the Phoceans, which were
stationed next to the Boeotians, on their left.

Ajax, the fleet son of Oileus, commanded the Locrians. He was not so
great, nor nearly so great, as Ajax the son of Telamon. He was a little
man, and his breastplate was made of linen, but in use of the spear he
excelled all the Hellenes and the Achaeans. These dwelt in Cynus,
Opous, Calliarus, Bessa, Scarphe, fair Augeae, Tarphe, and Thronium
about the river Boagrius. With him there came forty ships of the
Locrians who dwell beyond Euboea.

The fierce Abantes held Euboea with its cities, Chalcis, Eretria,
Histiaea rich in vines, Cerinthus upon the sea, and the rock-perched
town of Dium; with them were also the men of Carystus and Styra;
Elephenor of the race of Mars was in command of these; he was son of
Chalcodon, and chief over all the Abantes. With him they came, fleet of
foot and wearing their hair long behind, brave warriors, who would ever
strive to tear open the corslets of their foes with their long ashen
spears. Of these there came fifty ships.

And they that held the strong city of Athens, the people of great
Erechtheus, who was born of the soil itself, but Jove's daughter,
Minerva, fostered him, and established him at Athens in her own rich
sanctuary. There, year by year, the Athenian youths worship him with
sacrifices of bulls and rams. These were commanded by Menestheus, son
of Peteos. No man living could equal him in the marshalling of chariots
and foot soldiers. Nestor could alone rival him, for he was older. With
him there came fifty ships.

Ajax brought twelve ships from Salamis, and stationed them alongside
those of the Athenians.

The men of Argos, again, and those who held the walls of Tiryns, with
Hermione, and Asine upon the gulf; Troezene, Eionae, and the vineyard
lands of Epidaurus; the Achaean youths, moreover, who came from Aegina
and Mases; these were led by Diomed of the loud battle-cry, and
Sthenelus son of famed Capaneus. With them in command was Euryalus, son
of king Mecisteus, son of Talaus; but Diomed was chief over them all.
With these there came eighty ships.

Those who held the strong city of Mycenae, rich Corinth and Cleonae;
Orneae, Araethyrea, and Licyon, where Adrastus reigned of old;
Hyperesia, high Gonoessa, and Pellene; Aegium and all the coast-land
round about Helice; these sent a hundred ships under the command of
King Agamemnon, son of Atreus. His force was far both finest and most
numerous, and in their midst was the king himself, all glorious in his
armour of gleaming bronze--foremost among the heroes, for he was the
greatest king, and had most men under him.

And those that dwelt in Lacedaemon, lying low among the hills, Pharis,
Sparta, with Messe the haunt of doves; Bryseae, Augeae, Amyclae, and
Helos upon the sea; Laas, moreover, and Oetylus; these were led by
Menelaus of the loud battle-cry, brother to Agamemnon, and of them
there were sixty ships, drawn up apart from the others. Among them went
Menelaus himself, strong in zeal, urging his men to fight; for he
longed to avenge the toil and sorrow that he had suffered for the sake
of Helen.

The men of Pylos and Arene, and Thryum where is the ford of the river
Alpheus; strong Aipy, Cyparisseis, and Amphigenea; Pteleum, Helos, and
Dorium, where the Muses met Thamyris, and stilled his minstrelsy for
ever. He was returning from Oechalia, where Eurytus lived and reigned,
and boasted that he would surpass even the Muses, daughters of
aegis-bearing Jove, if they should sing against him; whereon they were
angry, and maimed him. They robbed him of his divine power of song, and
thenceforth he could strike the lyre no more. These were commanded by
Nestor, knight of Gerene, and with him there came ninety ships.

And those that held Arcadia, under the high mountain of Cyllene, near
the tomb of Aepytus, where the people fight hand to hand; the men of
Pheneus also, and Orchomenus rich in flocks; of Rhipae, Stratie, and
bleak Enispe; of Tegea and fair Mantinea; of Stymphelus and Parrhasia;
of these King Agapenor son of Ancaeus was commander, and they had sixty
ships. Many Arcadians, good soldiers, came in each one of them, but
Agamemnon found them the ships in which to cross the sea, for they were
not a people that occupied their business upon the waters.

The men, moreover, of Buprasium and of Elis, so much of it as is
enclosed between Hyrmine, Myrsinus upon the sea-shore, the rock Olene
and Alesium. These had four leaders, and each of them had ten ships,
with many Epeans on board. Their captains were Amphimachus and
Thalpius--the one, son of Cteatus, and the other, of Eurytus--both of
the race of Actor. The two others were Diores, son of Amarynces, and
Polyxenus, son of King Agasthenes, son of Augeas.

And those of Dulichium with the sacred Echinean islands, who dwelt
beyond the sea off Elis; these were led by Meges, peer of Mars, and the
son of valiant Phyleus, dear to Jove, who quarrelled with his father,
and went to settle in Dulichium. With him there came forty ships.

Ulysses led the brave Cephallenians, who held Ithaca, Neritum with its
forests, Crocylea, rugged Aegilips, Samos and Zacynthus, with the
mainland also that was over against the islands. These were led by
Ulysses, peer of Jove in counsel, and with him there came twelve ships.

Thoas, son of Andraemon, commanded the Aetolians, who dwelt in Pleuron,
Olenus, Pylene, Chalcis by the sea, and rocky Calydon, for the great
king Oeneus had now no sons living, and was himself dead, as was also
golden-haired Meleager, who had been set over the Aetolians to be their
king. And with Thoas there came forty ships.

The famous spearsman Idomeneus led the Cretans, who held Cnossus, and
the well-walled city of Gortys; Lyctus also, Miletus and Lycastus that
lies upon the chalk; the populous towns of Phaestus and Rhytium, with
the other peoples that dwelt in the hundred cities of Crete. All these
were led by Idomeneus, and by Meriones, peer of murderous Mars. And
with these there came eighty ships.

Tlepolemus, son of Hercules, a man both brave and large of stature,
brought nine ships of lordly warriors from Rhodes. These dwelt in
Rhodes which is divided among the three cities of Lindus, Ielysus, and
Cameirus, that lies upon the chalk. These were commanded by Tlepolemus,
son of Hercules by Astyochea, whom he had carried off from Ephyra, on
the river Selleis, after sacking many cities of valiant warriors. When
Tlepolemus grew up, he killed his father's uncle Licymnius, who had
been a famous warrior in his time, but was then grown old. On this he
built himself a fleet, gathered a great following,