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

Not to the dance, but to the fight he calls; Nor better counsel can for us be found, Than in close fight with heart and hand to join.

‘Twere better far at once to die, than live Hemm’d in and straiten’d thus, in dire distress, Close to our ships, by meaner men beset.”

His words fresh courage rous’d in ev’ry breast.

Then Hector Schedius, Perimedes’ son,

The Thracian leader, slew; on th’ other side Ajax the captain of the foot o’ercame, Laodamas, Antenor’s noble son;

While of his arms Polydamas despoil’d

Cyllenian Otus, friend of Phyleus’ son, The proud Epeians’ leader; Meges saw,

And rush’d upon him; but Polydamas,

Stooping, the blow evaded; him he miss’d; For Phoebus will’d not Panthous’ son should fall In the front rank contending; but the spear Smote Croesmus through the breast; thund’ring he fell, And from his corpse the victor stripp’d his arms.

Him Dolops, son of Lampus, spearman skill’d, Well train’d in ev’ry point of war, assail’d (The son of Lampus he, the prince of men, Son of Laomedon); from close at hand

Forward he sprang, and thrust at Meges’ shield; But him the solid corslet which he wore, With breast and back-piece fitted, sav’d from harm:*

The corslet Phyleus brought from Ephyra, By Selles’ stream; Euphetes, King of men, Bestow’d it as a friendly gift, to wear In battle for a guard from hostile spears; Which from destruction now preserv’d his son.

Next Meges struck, with keen-edg’d spear, the crown Of Dolops’ brass-bound, horsehair-crested helm, Sev’ring the horsehair plume, which, brilliant late With crimson dye, now lay defil’d in dust.

Yet fought he on, and still for vict’ry hop’d; But warlike Menelaus to the aid

Of Meges came; of Dolops unobserv’d

He stood, and from behind his shoulder pierc’d; The point, its course pursuing, through his breast Was driv’n, and headlong on his face he fell.

Forthwith, advanc’d the two to seize the spoils; But loudly Hector on his kinsmen call’d; On all, but chief on Icetaon’s son,

The valiant Melanippus; he erewhile,

In far Percote, ere the foes appear’d, Pastur’d his herds; but when the ships of Greece Approach’d the shore, to Ilium back he came; There, ‘mid the Trojans eminent, he dwelt In Priam’s house, belov’d as Priam’s son.

Him Hector call’d by name, and thus address’d: “Why, Melanippus, stand we idly thus?

Doth not thy slaughter’d kinsmen touch thy heart?

See how they rush on Dolops’ arms to seize; Then on! no distant war must now be wag’d, But hand to hand, till or the Greeks be slain, Or lofty Troy, with all her children, fall.”

He said, and led the way; him follow’d straight The godlike chief; great Ajax Telamon

Meanwhile the Greeks encourag’d to the fight, And cried, “Brave comrades, quit ye now like men; Bear a stout heart; and in the stubborn fight Let each to other mutual succour give; By mutual succour more are sav’d than fall; In timid flight nor fame nor safety lies.”

He said; and pond’ring well his words, they stood, Firm in defence; as with a wall of brass The ships they guarded; though against them Jove Led on the Trojans; Menelaus then

With stirring words Antilochus address’d: “Antilochus, than thou, of all the Greeks Is none more active, or more light of foot; None stronger hurls the spear; then from the crowd Spring forth, and aim to reach some Trojan’s life.”

Thus saying, he withdrew; fir’d by his words, Forth sprang the youth, and pois’d his glitt’ring spear, Glancing around him; back the Trojans drew Before his aim; nor flew the spear in vain; But through the breast it pierc’d, as on he came, Brave Melanippus, Icetaon’s son.

Thund’ring he fell, and loud his armour rang.

Forth sprang Antilochus, as springs a hound Upon a fawn, which from its lair disturb’d A hunter’s shaft has struck, and quell’d its pow’rs; So, Melanippus, sprang to seize thy spoils The stout Antilochus; but not unmark’d Of Hector’s eye, who, hast’ning through the press, Advanc’d to meet him; waited not th’ attack, Bold warrior as he was, Antilochus,

But trembling fled: as when a beast of prey, Conscious of evil deed, amid the herd

The guardian dog or herdsman’s self has slain, And flies, ere yet th’ avenging crowd collect; So fled the son of Nestor; onward press’d, By Hector led, the Trojans; loud their shouts, As on the Greeks their murd’rous shafts they pour’d: Yet turn’d he, when his comrades’ ranks he reach’d.

Then on the ships, as rav’ning lions, fell The Trojans: they but work’d the will of Jove, Who still their courage rais’d, and quell’d the Greeks; Of vict’ry these debarr’d, and those inspir’d; For so he will’d, that Hector, Priam’s son, Should wrap in fire the beaked ships of Greece, And Thetis to the uttermost obtain

Her overbold petition; yet did Jove,

The Lord of counsel, wait but to behold The flames ascending from the blazing ships: For from that hour the Trojans, backward driv’n, Should to the Greeks the final triumph leave.

With such design, to seize the ships, he fir’d Th’ already burning zeal of Priam’s son; Fiercely he rag’d, as terrible as Mars With brandish’d spear; or as a raging fire ‘Mid the dense thickets on the mountain side.

The foam was on his lips; bright flash’d his eyes Beneath his awful brows, and terribly

Above his temples wav’d amid the fray

The helm of Hector; Jove himself from Heav’n.

His guardian hand extending, him alone With glory crowning ‘mid the host of men; But short his term of glory: for the day Was fast approaching, when, with Pallas’ aid, The might of Peleus’ son should work his doom.

Oft he essay’d to break the ranks, where’er The densest and throng noblest arms he saw; But strenuous though his efforts, all were vain: They, mass’d in close array, his charge withstood; Firm as a craggy rock, upstanding high, Close by the hoary sea, which meets unmov’d The boist’rous currents of the whistling winds, And the big waves that bellow round its base; So stood unmov’d the Greeks, and undismay’d.

At length, all blazing in his arms, he sprang Upon the mass; so plunging down, as when On some tall vessel, from beneath the clouds A giant billow, tempest-nurs’d, descends; The deck is drench’d in foam; the stormy wind Howls in the shrouds; th’ affrighted seamen quail In fear, but little way from death remov’d; So quail’d the spirit in ev’ry Grecian breast.

As when a rav’ning lion on a herd

Of heifers falls, which on some marshy mead Feed numberless, beneath the care of one, Unskill’d from beasts of prey to guard his charge; And while beside the front or rear he walks, The lion on th’ unguarded centre springs, Seizes on one, and scatters all the rest; So Hector, led by Jove, in wild alarm

Scatter’d the Grecians all; but one alone, Brave Periphetes, of Mycenae, slew;

The son of Copreus, whom Eurystheus sent His envoy to the might of Hercules;

Far nobler than the father was the son; In speed of foot, in warlike might, in mind, In all, among Mycenians foremost he;

Who now on Hector fresh renown conferr’d; For, backward as he stepp’d, against the rim Of the broad shield which for defence he bore, Down reaching to his feet, he tripp’d, and thus Entangled, backward fell; and as he fell, Around his temples clatter’d loud his helm.

Hector beheld, and o’er him stood in haste, And with his spear transfix’d his breast, and slew Before his comrades’ eyes; yet dar’d not one, Though grieving for their comrade’s loss, advance To rescue; such of Hector was their awe.

They fronted now the ships; the leading prows Which first were drawn on shore, still barr’d their way; Yet on they stream’d; and from the foremost ships, Now hardly press’d, the Greeks perforce retir’d; But closely mass’d before the tents they stood, Not scatter’d o’er the camp; by shame restrain’d, And fear; and loudly each exhorted each.

Gerenian Nestor chief, the prop of Greece, Thus by their fathers singly each adjur’d: “Quit ye like men, dear friends; and think it shame To forfeit now the praise of other men; Let each man now his children and his wife, His fortunes and his parents, bear in mind; And not the living only, but the dead; For them, the absent, I, your suppliant, pray, That firm ye stand, and scorn disgraceful flight.”

His words fresh courage rous’d in ev’ry breast; And from their eyeballs Pallas purg’d away The film of darkness; and on ev’ry side, Both tow’rd the ships and tow’rd the level fight, Clear light diffus’d; there Hector they discern’d, And all his comrades, those who stood aloof, And those who near the ships maintain’d the war.

Then was not Ajax’ mighty soul content To stand where stood the other sons of Greece; Along the vessels’ lofty decks he mov’d With haughty stride; a pond’rous boarding-pike, Well polish’d, and with rivets well secur’d, Of two and twenty cubits’ length, he bore, As one well-skill’d in feats of horsemanship, Who from a troop of horses on the plain Has parted four, and down the crowded road, While men and women all in wonder gaze, Drives tow’rd the city; and with force untir’d From one to other springs, as on they fly; O’er many a vessel’s deck so Ajax pass’d With lofty stride, and voice that reach’d to Heav’n, As loudly shouting on the Greeks he call’d To save their ships and tents: nor Hector stay’d Amid the closely buckler’d Trojan ranks; But, as upon a flock of birds, that feed Beside a river’s bank, or geese, or cranes, Or long-neck’d swans, a fiery eagle swoops; So on the dark-prow’d ship with furious rush Swept Hector down; him Jove with mighty hand Sustain’d, and with him forward urg’d the crowd.

Fierce round the ships again the battle rag’d; Well might ye deem no previous toil had worn Their strength, who in that dread encounter met; With edge so keen, and stubborn will they fought.

But varying far their hopes and fears: the Greeks Of safety and escape from death despair’d; While high the hopes in ev’ry Trojan’s breast, To burn the ships, and slay the warlike Greeks; So minded each, oppos’d in arms they stood.

On a swift-sailing vessel’s stern, that bore Protesilaus to the coast of Troy,

But to his native country bore not thence, Hector had laid his hand; around that ship Trojans and Greeks in mutual slaughter join’d.

The arrow’s or the jav’lin’s distant flight They waited not, but, fir’d with equal rage, Fought hand to hand, with axe and hatchet keen, And mighty swords, and double-pointed spears.

Many a fair-hilted blade, with iron bound, Dropp’d from the hands, or from the sever’d arms, Of warrior chiefs; the dark earth ran with blood: Yet loos’d not Hector of the stern his hold, But grasp’d the poop, and on the Trojans call’d; “Bring fire, and all together loud and clear Your war-cry raise; this day will Jove repay Our labours all, with capture of those ships, Which hither came, against the will of Heav’n, And which on us unnumber’d ills have brought, By our own Elders’ fault, who me, desiring Ev’n at their vessels’ sterns to urge the war, Withheld, and to the town the troops confin’d.

But Jove all-seeing, if he then o’errul’d Our better mind, himself is now our aid.”

Thus he: they onward press’d with added zeal; Nor Ajax yet endur’d, by hostile spears Now sorely gall’d; yet but a little space, Back to the helmsman’s sev’n-foot board he mov’d, Expecting death; and left the lofty deck, Where long he stood on guard; but still his spear The Trojans kept aloof, whoe’er essay’d Amid the ships to launch th’