The Iliad by Homer (ebooks children's books free TXT) 📕

And aid the Grecian cause; who now appears, The Greeks deserting, in the Trojan ranks.”

Thus Pallas spoke, and stretching forth her hand Backward his comrade Sthenelus she drew From off the chariot; down in haste he sprang.

His place beside the valiant Diomed

The eager Goddess took; beneath the weight Loud groan’d the oaken axle; for the car A mighty Goddess and a Hero bore.

Then Pallas took the whip and reins, and urg’d Direct at Mars the fiery coursers’ speed.

The bravest of th’ AEtolians, Periphas, Ochesius’ stalwart son, he just had slain, And stood in act to strip him of his arms.

The helmet then of Darkness Pallas donn’d, To hide her presence from the sight of Mars: But when the blood-stain’d God of War beheld Advancing tow’rd him godlike Diomed,

The corpse of stalwart Periphas he left, There where he fell, to lie; while he himself Of valiant Diomed th’ encounter met.

When near they came, first Mars his pond’rous spear Advane’d beyond the yoke and horses’ reins, With murd’rous aim; but Pallas from the car Turn’d it aside, and foil’d the vain attempt.

Then Diomed thrust forward in his turn His pond’rous spear; low on the flank of Mars, Guided by Pallas, with successful aim, Just where the belt was girt, the weapon struck: It pierc’d the flesh, and straight was back withdrawn: Then Mars cried out aloud, with such a shout As if nine thousand or ten thousand men Should simultaneous raise their battle-cry: Trojans and Greeks alike in terror heard, Trembling; so fearful was the cry of Mars.

As black with clouds appears the darken’d air, When after heat the blust’ring winds arise, So Mars to valiant Diomed appear’d,

As in thick clouds lie took his heav’nward flight.

With speed he came to great Olympus’ heights, Th’ abode of Gods; and sitting by the throne Of Saturn’s son, with anguish torn, he show’d Th’ immortal stream that trickled from the wound, And thus to Jove his piteous words address’d: “O Father Jove, canst thou behold unmov’d These acts of violence? the greatest ills We Gods endure, we each to other owe

Who still in human quarrels interpose.

Of thee we all complain; thy senseless child Is ever on some evil deed intent.

The other Gods, who on Olympus dwell,

Are all to thee obedient and submiss;

But thy pernicious daughter, nor by word Nor deed dost thou restrain; who now excites Th’ o’erbearing son of Tydeus, Diomed, Upon th’ immortal Gods to vent his rage.

Venus of late he wounded in the wrist, And, as a God, but now encounter’d me: Barely I ‘scap’d by swiftness of my feet; Else, ‘mid a ghastly heap of corpses slain, In anguish had I lain; and, if alive,

Yet liv’d disabl’d by his weapon’s stroke.”

Whom answer’d thus the Cloud-compeller, Jove, With look indignant: “Come no more to me, Thou wav’ring turncoat, with thy whining pray’rs: Of all the Gods who on Olympus dwell

I hate thee most; for thou delight’st in nought But strife and war; thou hast inherited Thy mother, Juno’s, proud, unbending mood, Whom I can scarce control; and thou, methinks, To her suggestions ow’st thy present plight.

Yet since thou art my offspring, and to me Thy mother bore thee, I must not permit That thou should’st long be doom’d to suffer pain; But had thy birth been other than it is, For thy misdoings thou hadst long ere now Been banish’d from the Gods’ companionship.”

He said: and straight to Paeon gave command To heal the wound; with soothing anodynes He heal’d it quickly; soon as liquid milk Is curdled by the fig-tree’s juice, and turns In whirling flakes, so soon was heal’d the wound.

By Hebe bath’d, and rob’d afresh, he sat In health and strength restor’d, by Saturn’s son.

Mars thus arrested in his murd’rous course, Together to th’ abode of Jove return’d The Queen of Argos and the blue-ey’d Maid.

ARGUMENT.

THE EPISODES OF GLAUCUS AND DIOMED, AND OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE.

The gods having left the field, the Grecians prevail. Helenus, the chief augur of Troy, commands Hector to return to the city, in order to appoint a solemn procession of the Queen and the Trojan matrons to the temple of Minerva, to entreat her to remove Diomed from the fight. The battle relaxing during the absence of Hector, Glaucus and Diomed have an interview between the two armies; where, coming to the knowledge of the friendship and hospitality past between their ancestors, they make exchange of their arms. Hector, having performed the orders of Helenus, prevailed upon Paris to return to the battle, and taken a tender leave of his wife Andromache, hastens again to the field.

The scene is first in the field of battle, between the rivers Simois and Scamander, and then changes to Troy.

BOOK VI.

The Gods had left the field, and o’er the plain Hither and thither surg’d the tide of war, As couch’d th’ opposing chiefs their brass-tipp’d spears, Midway ‘twixt Simois’ and Scamander’s streams.

First through the Trojan phalanx broke his way The son of Telamon, the prop of Greece, The mighty Ajax; on his friends the light Of triumph shedding, as Eusorus’ son

He smote, the noblest of the Thracian bands, Valiant and strong, the gallant Acamas.

Full in the front, beneath the plumed helm, The sharp spear struck, and crashing thro’ the bone, The warrior’s eyes were clos’d in endless night.

Next valiant Diomed Axylus slew,

The son of Teuthranes, who had his home In fair Arisba; rich in substance he,

And lov’d of all; for, dwelling near the road, He op’d to all his hospitable gate;

But none of all he entertain’d was there To ward aside the bitter doom of death: There fell they both, he and his charioteer, Calesius, who athwart the battle-field His chariot drove; one fate o’ertook them both.

Then Dresus and Opheltius of their arms Euryalus despoil’d; his hot pursuit

AEsepus next, and Pedasus assail’d,

Brothers, whom Abarbarea, Naiad nymph, To bold Bucolion bore; Bucolion, son

Of great Laomedon, his eldest born,

Though bastard: he upon the mountain side, On which his flocks he tended, met the nymph, And of their secret loves twin sons were born; Whom now at once Euryalus of strength

And life depriv’d, and of their armour stripp’d.

By Polypoetes’ hand, in battle strong, Was slain Astyalus; Pidutes fell,

Chief of Percote, by Ulysses’ spear;

And Teucer godlike Aretaon slew.

Antilochus, the son of Nestor, smote

With gleaming lance Ablerus; Elatus

By Agamemnon, King of men, was slain,

Who dwelt by Satnois’ widely-flowing stream, Upon the lofty heights of Pedasus.

By Leitus was Phylacus in flight

O’erta’en; Eurypylus Melanthius slew.

Then Menelaus, good in battle, took

Adrastus captive; for his horses, scar’d And rushing wildly o’er the plain, amid The tangled tamarisk scrub his chariot broke, Snapping the pole; they with the flying crowd Held cityward their course; he from the car Hurl’d headlong, prostrate lay beside the wheel, Prone on his face in dust; and at his side, Poising his mighty spear, Atrides stood.

Adrastus clasp’d his knees, and suppliant cried, “Spare me, great son of Atreus! for my life Accept a price; my wealthy father’s house A goodly store contains of brass, and gold, And well-wrought iron; and of these he fain Would pay a noble ransom, could he hear That in the Grecian ships I yet surviv’d.”

His words to pity mov’d the victor’s breast; Then had he bade his followers to the ships The captive bear; but running up in haste.

Fierce Agamemnon cried in stern rebuke; “Soft-hearted Menelaus, why of life

So tender? Hath thy house receiv’d indeed Nothing but benefits at Trojan hands?

Of that abhorred race, let not a man

Escape the deadly vengeance of our arms; No, not the infant in its mother’s womb; No, nor the fugitive; but be they all, They and their city, utterly destroy’d, Uncar’d for, and from mem’ry blotted out.”

Thus as he spoke, his counsel, fraught with death, His brother’s purpose chang’d; he with his hand Adrastus thrust aside, whom with his lance Fierce Agamemnon through the loins transfix’d; And, as he roll’d in death, upon his breast Planting his foot, the ashen spear withdrew.

Then loudly Nestor shouted to the Greeks: “Friends, Grecian heroes, ministers of Mars!

Loiter not now behind, to throw yourselves Upon the prey, and bear it to the ships; Let all your aim be now to kill; anon

Ye may at leisure spoil your slaughter’d foes.”

With words like these he fir’d the blood of all.

Now had the Trojans by the warlike Greeks In coward flight within their walls been driv’n; But to AEneas and to Hector thus

The son of Priam, Helenus, the best

Of all the Trojan seers, address’d his speech: “AEneas, and thou Hector, since on you, Of all the Trojans and the Lycian hosts, Is laid the heaviest burthen, for that ye Excel alike in council and in fight,

Stand here awhile, and moving to and fro On ev’ry side, around the gates exhort The troops to rally, lest they fall disgrac’d, Flying for safety to their women’s arms, And foes, exulting, triumph in their shame.

Their courage thus restor’d, worn as we are, We with the Greeks will still maintain the fight, For so, perforce, we must; but, Hector, thou Haste to the city; there our mother find, Both thine and mine; on Ilium’s topmost height By all the aged dames accompanied,

Bid her the shrine of blue-ey’d Pallas seek; Unlock the sacred gates; and on the knees Of fair-hair’d Pallas place the fairest robe In all the house, the amplest, best esteem’d; And at her altar vow to sacrifice

Twelve yearling kine that never felt the goad, So she have pity on the Trojan state,

Our wives, and helpless babes, and turn away The fiery son of Tydeus, spearman fierce, The Minister of Terror; bravest he,

In my esteem, of all the Grecian chiefs: For not Achilles’ self, the prince of men, Though Goddess-born, such dread inspir’d; so fierce His rage; and with his prowess none may vie.”

He said, nor uncomplying, Hector heard His brother’s counsel; from his car he leap’d In arms upon the plain; and brandish’d high His jav’lins keen, and moving to and fro The troops encourag’d, and restor’d the fight.

Rallying they turn’d, and fac’d again the Greeks: These ceas’d from slaughter, and in turn gave way, Deeming that from the starry Heav’n some God Had to the rescue come; so fierce they turn’d.

Then to the Trojans Hector call’d aloud: “Ye valiant Trojans, and renown’d Allies, Quit you like men; remember now, brave friends, Your wonted valour; I to Ilium go

To bid our wives and rev’rend Elders raise To Heav’n their pray’rs, with vows of hecatombs.”

Thus saying, Hector of the glancing helm Turn’d to depart; and as he mov’d along, The black bull’s-hide his neck and ancles smote, The outer circle of his bossy shield.

Then Tydeus’ son, and Glaucus, in the midst, Son of Hippolochus, stood forth to fight; But when they near were met, to Glaucus first The valiant Diomed his speech address’d: “Who art thou, boldest man of mortal birth?

For in the glorious conflict heretofore I ne’er have seen thee; but in daring now Thou far surpassest all, who hast not fear’d To face my spear; of most unhappy sires The children they, who my encounter meet.

But if from Heav’n thou com’st, and art indeed A God, I fight not with the heav’nly powers.

Not long did Dryas’ son, Lycurgus brave, Survive, who dar’d th’ Immortals to defy: He, ‘mid their frantic orgies,