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

you shall either
lift me, or I you, and let Jove settle it between us."

He lifted him from the ground as he spoke, but Ulysses did not forget
his cunning. He hit Ajax in the hollow at back of his knee, so that he
could not keep his feet, but fell on his back with Ulysses lying upon
his chest, and all who saw it marvelled. Then Ulysses in turn lifted
Ajax and stirred him a little from the ground but could not lift him
right off it, his knee sank under him, and the two fell side by side on
the ground and were all begrimed with dust. They now sprang towards one
another and were for wrestling yet a third time, but Achilles rose and
stayed them. "Put not each other further," said he, "to such cruel
suffering; the victory is with both alike, take each of you an equal
prize, and let the other Achaeans now compete."

Thus did he speak and they did even as he had said, and put on their
shirts again after wiping the dust from off their bodies.

The son of Peleus then offered prizes for speed in running--a
mixing-bowl beautifully wrought, of pure silver. It would hold six
measures, and far exceeded all others in the whole world for beauty; it
was the work of cunning artificers in Sidon, and had been brought into
port by Phoenicians from beyond the sea, who had made a present of it
to Thoas. Eueneus son of Jason had given it to Patroclus in ransom of
Priam's son Lycaon, and Achilles now offered it as a prize in honour of
his comrade to him who should be the swiftest runner. For the second
prize he offered a large ox, well fattened, while for the last there
was to be half a talent of gold. He then rose and said among the
Argives, "Stand forward, you who will essay this contest."

Forthwith uprose fleet Ajax son of Oileus, with cunning Ulysses, and
Nestor's son Antilochus, the fastest runner among all the youth of his
time. They stood side by side and Achilles showed them the goal. The
course was set out for them from the starting-post, and the son of
Oileus took the lead at once, with Ulysses as close behind him as the
shuttle is to a woman's bosom when she throws the woof across the warp
and holds it close up to her; even so close behind him was
Ulysses--treading in his footprints before the dust could settle there,
and Ajax could feel his breath on the back of his head as he ran
swiftly on. The Achaeans all shouted applause as they saw him straining
his utmost, and cheered him as he shot past them; but when they were
now nearing the end of the course Ulysses prayed inwardly to Minerva.
"Hear me," he cried, "and help my feet, O goddess." Thus did he pray,
and Pallas Minerva heard his prayer; she made his hands and his feet
feel light, and when the runners were at the point of pouncing upon the
prize, Ajax, through Minerva's spite slipped upon some offal that was
lying there from the cattle which Achilles had slaughtered in honour of
Patroclus, and his mouth and nostrils were all filled with cow dung.
Ulysses therefore carried off the mixing-bowl, for he got before Ajax
and came in first. But Ajax took the ox and stood with his hand on one
of its horns, spitting the dung out of his mouth. Then he said to the
Argives, "Alas, the goddess has spoiled my running; she watches over
Ulysses and stands by him as though she were his own mother." Thus did
he speak and they all of them laughed heartily.

Antilochus carried off the last prize and smiled as he said to the
bystanders, "You all see, my friends, that now too the gods have shown
their respect for seniority. Ajax is somewhat older than I am, and as
for Ulysses, he belongs to an earlier generation, but he is hale in
spite of his years, and no man of the Achaeans can run against him save
only Achilles."

He said this to pay a compliment to the son of Peleus, and Achilles
answered, "Antilochus, you shall not have praised me to no purpose; I
shall give you an additional half talent of gold." He then gave the
half talent to Antilochus, who received it gladly.

Then the son of Peleus brought out the spear, helmet and shield that
had been borne by Sarpedon, and were taken from him by Patroclus. He
stood up and said among the Argives, "We bid two champions put on their
armour, take their keen blades, and make trial of one another in the
presence of the multitude; whichever of them can first wound the flesh
of the other, cut through his armour, and draw blood, to him will I
give this goodly Thracian sword inlaid with silver, which I took from
Asteropaeus, but the armour let both hold in partnership, and I will
give each of them a hearty meal in my own tent."

Forthwith uprose great Ajax the son of Telamon, as also mighty Diomed
son of Tydeus. When they had put on their armour each on his own side
of the ring, they both went into the middle eager to engage, and with
fire flashing from their eyes. The Achaeans marvelled as they beheld
them, and when the two were now close up with one another, thrice did
they spring forward and thrice try to strike each other in close
combat. Ajax pierced Diomed's round shield, but did not draw blood, for
the cuirass beneath the shield protected him; thereon the son of Tydeus
from over his huge shield kept aiming continually at Ajax's neck with
the point of his spear, and the Achaeans alarmed for his safety bade
them leave off fighting and divide the prize between them. Achilles
then gave the great sword to the son of Tydeus, with its scabbard, and
the leathern belt with which to hang it.

Achilles next offered the massive iron quoit which mighty Eetion had
erewhile been used to hurl, until Achilles had slain him and carried it
off in his ships along with other spoils. He stood up and said among
the Argives, "Stand forward, you who would essay this contest. He who
wins it will have a store of iron that will last him five years as they
go rolling round, and if his fair fields lie far from a town his
shepherd or ploughman will not have to make a journey to buy iron, for
he will have a stock of it on his own premises."

Then uprose the two mighty men Polypoetes and Leonteus, with Ajax son
of Telamon and noble Epeus. They stood up one after the other and Epeus
took the quoit, whirled it, and flung it from him, which set all the
Achaeans laughing. After him threw Leonteus of the race of Mars. Ajax
son of Telamon threw third, and sent the quoit beyond any mark that had
been made yet, but when mighty Polypoetes took the quoit he hurled it
as though it had been a stockman's stick which he sends flying about
among his cattle when he is driving them, so far did his throw
out-distance those of the others. All who saw it roared applause, and
his comrades carried the prize for him and set it on board his ship.

Achilles next offered a prize of iron for archery--ten double-edged
axes and ten with single edges: he set up a ship's mast, some way off
upon the sands, and with a fine string tied a pigeon to it by the foot;
this was what they were to aim at. "Whoever," he said, "can hit the
pigeon shall have all the axes and take them away with him; he who hits
the string without hitting the bird will have taken a worse aim and
shall have the single-edged axes."

Then uprose King Teucer, and Meriones the stalwart squire of Idomeneus
rose also, They cast lots in a bronze helmet and the lot of Teucer fell
first. He let fly with his arrow forthwith, but he did not promise
hecatombs of firstling lambs to King Apollo, and missed his bird, for
Apollo foiled his aim; but he hit the string with which the bird was
tied, near its foot; the arrow cut the string clean through so that it
hung down towards the ground, while the bird flew up into the sky, and
the Achaeans shouted applause. Meriones, who had his arrow ready while
Teucer was aiming, snatched the bow out of his hand, and at once
promised that he would sacrifice a hecatomb of firstling lambs to
Apollo lord of the bow; then espying the pigeon high up under the
clouds, he hit her in the middle of the wing as she was circling
upwards; the arrow went clean through the wing and fixed itself in the
ground at Meriones' feet, but the bird perched on the ship's mast
hanging her head and with all her feathers drooping; the life went out
of her, and she fell heavily from the mast. Meriones, therefore, took
all ten double-edged axes, while Teucer bore off the single-edged ones
to his ships.

Then the son of Peleus brought in a spear and a cauldron that had never
been on the fire; it was worth an ox, and was chased with a pattern of
flowers; and those that throw the javelin stood up--to wit the son of
Atreus, king of men Agamemnon, and Meriones, stalwart squire of
Idomeneus. But Achilles spoke saying, "Son of Atreus, we know how far
you excel all others both in power and in throwing the javelin; take
the cauldron back with you to your ships, but if it so please you, let
us give the spear to Meriones; this at least is what I should myself
wish."

King Agamemnon assented. So he gave the bronze spear to Meriones, and
handed the goodly cauldron to Talthybius his esquire.


BOOK XXIV

Priam ransoms the body of Hector--Hector's funeral.

THE assembly now broke up and the people went their ways each to his
own ship. There they made ready their supper, and then bethought them
of the blessed boon of sleep; but Achilles still wept for thinking of
his dear comrade, and sleep, before whom all things bow, could take no
hold upon him. This way and that did he turn as he yearned after the
might and manfulness of Patroclus; he thought of all they had done
together, and all they had gone through both on the field of battle and
on the waves of the weary sea. As he dwelt on these things he wept
bitterly and lay now on his side, now on his back, and now face
downwards, till at last he rose and went out as one distraught to
wander upon the seashore. Then, when he saw dawn breaking over beach
and sea, he yoked his horses to his chariot, and bound the body of
Hector behind it that he might drag it about. Thrice did he drag it
round the tomb of the son of Menoetius, and then went back into his
tent, leaving the body on the ground full length and with its face
downwards. But Apollo would not suffer it to be disfigured, for he
pitied the man, dead though he now was; therefore he shielded him with
his golden aegis continually, that he might take no hurt while Achilles
was dragging him.

Thus shamefully did Achilles in his fury dishonour Hector; but the
blessed gods looked down in pity from heaven, and urged Mercury, slayer
of Argus, to steal the body. All were of this mind save