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

Thus as he spoke, amid the tamarisk scrub Far off he threw the trophies; then with reeds, And twigs new broken from the tamarisk boughs, He set a mark, lest in the gloom of night Returning, they might haply miss the spot.

Then on they pass’d thro’ arms and blacken’d gore, And reach’d the confines of the Thracian camp.

There found they all by sleep subdued; their arms Beside them on the ground, in order due, In triple rows; and by the side of each, Harness’d and yok’d, his horses ready stood.

Surrounded by his warriors, Rhesus slept; Beside him stood his coursers fleet, their reins Suspended to the chariot’s topmost rail: Ulysses mark’d him as he lay, and said, “This is the man, Tydides, these the steeds, To us by Dolon, whom we slew, describ’d.

Now then, put forth thy might; beseems it not To stand thus idly with thine arms in hand: Loose thou the horses; or do thou the men Despatch, and to my care the horses leave.”

He said: and Pallas vigour new inspir’d, That right and left he smote; dire were the groans Of slaughter’d men; the earth was red with blood; And as a lion on th’ untended flock

Of sheep or goats with savage onslaught springs, Ev’n so Tydides on the Thracians sprang, Till twelve were slain; and as Tydides’ sword Gave each to death, Ulysses by the feet Drew each aside; reflecting, that perchance The horses, startled, might refuse to pass The corpses; for as yet they knew them not.

But when Tydides saw the sleeping King, A thirteenth victim to his sword was giv’n, Painfully breathing; for by Pallas’ art, He saw that night, as in an evil dream, The son of OEneus standing o’er his head.

Meanwhile Ulysses sage the horses loos’d; He gather’d up the reins, and with his bow (For whip was none at hand) he drove them forth; Then softly whistling to Tydides gave

A signal; he, the while, remain’d behind, Musing what bolder deed he yet might do; Whether the seat, whereon the arms were laid, To draw away, or, lifted high in air,

To bear it off in triumph on the car;

Or on the Thracians farther loss inflict; But while he mus’d, beside him Pallas stood, And said, “Bethink thee, Tydeus’ son, betimes Of thy return, lest, if some other God Should wake the Trojans, thou shouldst need to fly.”

She said; the heav’nly voice he recogniz’d, And mounted straight the car; Ulysses touch’d The horses with his bow; and, urg’d to speed, They tow’rd the ships their rapid course pursued.

Nor idle watch Apollo kept, who saw

Tydides o’er the plain by Pallas led;

With anger fill’d, the Trojan camp he sought; And Rhesus’ kinsman, good Hippocoon,

The Thracian councillor, from sleep arous’d; Awaking, when the vacant space he view’d, Where late had stood the horses; and his friends Gasping in death, and welt’ring in their blood, He groan’d as on his comrade’s name he call’d: Then loud the clamour rose, and wild uproar, Unspeakable, of Trojans thronging round; They marvell’d at the deeds; but marvell’d more How they who wrought them had escap’d unscath’d.

Meantime arriv’d where Hector’s scout they slew, Ulysses, lov’d of Heav’n, a moment check’d His eager steeds; Tydides from the car Leap’d to the ground, and in Ulysses’ hand The bloody trophies plac’d; then mounted quick, And tow’rd the ships, their destin’d goal, urg’d on The fiery horses; nothing loth, they flew.

Nestor first heard the sound, and cried, “O friends, The leaders and the councillors of Greece, Am I deceiv’d, or is it true? methinks The sound of horses, hurrying, strikes mine ear; Grant Heav’n, Ulysses and brave Diomed May bring those horses from the Trojan camp; Yet much I fear our bravest may have met With some disaster ‘mid the crowd of foes.”

He scarce had ended, when themselves appear’d, And from the car descended: welcom’d back With cordial grasp of hands, and friendly words.

Gerenian Nestor first, enquiring, said: “Tell me, renown’d Ulysses, pride of Greece, Whence come these horses? from the Trojan camp?

Or hath some God, that met you by the way, Bestow’d them, radiant as the beams of light?

Among the Trojans day by day I move;

‘Tis not my wont; old warrior though I be, To lag behind; but horses such as these I never saw; some God hath giv’n them, sure; For Jove, the Cloud-compeller, loves you both, And Pallas, child of aegis-bearing Jove.”

To whom again the sage Ulysses thus:

“O Nestor, son of Neleus, pride of Greece, Had they so will’d, the Gods, so great their pow’r, E’en better horses could have giv’n than these; But these, old man, are Thracians, newly come; Whose King the valiant Diomed hath slain, And with him twelve, the best of all his band.

A scout too have we slain, by Hector sent, And by the Trojan chiefs, to spy our camp.”

He said, and o’er the ditch the horses drove, Exulting in their prize; and with him went The other chiefs, rejoicing, through the camp.

Arriv’d at Diomed’s well-order’d tent, First with strong halters to the rack, where stood, High-fed with corn, his own swift-footed steeds, The horses they secur’d; Ulysses then

The bloody spoils of Dolon stow’d away In the ship’s stern, till fitting sacrifice To Pallas might be offer’d; to the sea Descending then, they wash’d away the sweat, Which on their necks, and thighs, and knees had dried; The sweat wash’d off, and in the ocean waves Themselves refresh’d, they sought the polish’d bath; Then, by the bath restor’d, and all their limbs Anointed freely with the lissom oil,

Sat down to breakfast; and from flowing bowls In Pallas’ honour pour’d the luscious wine.

ARGUMENT.

THE THIRD BATTLE, AND THE ACTS OF AGAMEMNON.

Agamemnon, having armed himself, leads the Grecians to battle; Hector prepares the Trojans to receive them; while Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, give the signals of war. Agamemnon bears all before him; and Hector is commanded by Jupiter (who sends Iris for that purpose) to decline the engagement, till the king should be wounded, and retire from the field.

He then makes a great slaughter of the enemy; Ulysses and Diomed put a stop to him for a time; but the latter, being wounded by Paris, is obliged to desert his companion, who is encompassed by the Trojans, wounded, and in the utmost danger, till Menelaus and Ajax rescue him.

Hector comes against Ajax, but that hero alone opposes multitudes and rallies the Greeks. In the meantime Machaon, in the other wing of the army, is pierced with an arrow by Paris, and carried from the fight in Nestor’s chariot. Achilles (who overlooked the action from his ship) sends Patroclus to inquire which of the Greeks was wounded in that manner. Nestor entertains him in his tent with an account of the accidents of the day, and a long recital of some former wars which he had remembered, tending to put Patroclus upon persuading Achilles to fight for his countrymen, or at least to permit him to do it clad in Achilles’ armour. Patroclus in his return meets Eurypylus also wounded, and assists in that distress.

This book opens with the eight-and-twentieth day of the poem; and the same day, with its various actions and adventures, is extended through the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and part of the eighteenth books. The scene lies in the field near the monument of Ilus.

BOOK XI.

Now rose Aurora from Tithonus’ bed,

To mortals and Immortals bringing light; When to the ships of Greece came Discord down, Despatch’d from Jove, with dire portents of war.

Upon Ulysses’ lofty ship she stood,

The midmost, thence to shout to either side, Or to the tents of Ajax Telamon,

Or of Achilles, who at each extreme,

Confiding in their strength, had moor’d their ships.

There stood the Goddess, and in accents loud And dread she call’d, and fix’d in ev’ry breast The fierce resolve to wage unwearied war; And dearer to their hearts than thoughts of home Or wish’d return, became the battle-field.

Atrides, loudly shouting, call’d the Greeks To arms: himself his flashing armour donn’d.

First on his legs the well-wrought greaves he fix’d, Fasten’d with silver clasps; his ample chest A breastplate guarded, giv’n by Cinyras In pledge of friendship; for in Cyprus’ isle He heard the rumour of the glorious fleet About to sail for Troy; and sought with gifts To win the favour of the mighty King.

Ten bands were there inwrought of dusky bronze, Twelve of pure gold, twice ten of shining tin: Of bronze six dragons upwards tow’rds the neck Their length extended, three on either side: In colour like the bow, which Saturn’s son Plac’d in the clouds, a sign to mortal men: Then o’er his shoulder threw his sword; bright flash’d The golden studs; the silver scabbard shone, With golden baldrick fitted; next his shield He took, full-siz’d, well-wrought, well-prov’d in fight; Around it ran ten circling rims of brass; With twenty bosses round of burnish’d tin, And, in the centre, one of dusky bronze.

A Gorgon’s head, with aspect terrible, Was wrought, with Fear and Flight encircled round: Depending from a silver belt it hung;

And on the belt a dragon, wrought in bronze, Twin’d his lithe folds, and turn’d on ev’ry side, Sprung from a single neck, his triple head.

Then on his brow his lofty helm he plac’d, Four-crested, double-peak’d, with horsehair plumes, That nodded,-fearful, from the warrior’s head.

Then took two weighty lances, tipp’d with brass, Which fiercely flash’d against the face of Heav’n: Pallas and Juno thund’ring from on high In honour of Mycenae’s wealthy lord.

Forthwith they order’d, each his charioteer, To stay his car beside the ditch; themselves, On foot, in arms accoutred, sallied forth, And loud, ere early dawn, the clamour rose.

Advanc’d before the cars, they lin’d the ditch; Follow’d the cars, a little space between: But Jove with dire confusion fill’d their ranks, Who sent from Heav’n a show’r of blood-stain’d rain.

In sign of many a warrior’s coming doom, Soon to the viewless shades untimely sent.

Meanwhile upon the slope, beneath the plain, The Trojan chiefs were gather’d; Hector’s self, Polydamas, AEneas, as a God

In rev’rence held; Antenor’s three brave sons, Agenor’s godlike presence, Polybus,

And, heav’nly fair, the youthful Acamas.

In front was seen the broad circumference Of Hector’s shield; and as amid the clouds Shines forth the fiery dog-star, bright and clear, Anon beneath the cloudy veil conceal’d; So now in front was Hector seen, and now Pass’d to the rear, exhorting; all in brass, His burnish’d arms like Jove’s own lightning flash’d.

As in the corn-land of some wealthy Lord The rival bands of reapers mow the swathe, Barley or wheat; and fast the trusses fall; So Greeks and Trojans mow’d th’ opposing ranks; Nor these admitted thought of faint retreat, But still made even head; while those, like wolves, Rush’d to the onset; Discord, Goddess dire, Beheld, rejoicing; of the heav’nly pow’rs She only mingled with the combatants;

The others all were absent; they, serene, Repos’d in gorgeous palaces, for each

Amid Olympus’ deep recesses built.

Yet all the cloud-girt son of Saturn blam’d, Who will’d the vict’ry to the arms of Troy.

He heeded not their anger; but withdrawn Apart from all, in pride of conscious strength, Survey’d the walls of Troy, the ships of Greece, The flash of arms, the slayers and the slain.

While yet ‘twas morn, and wax’d