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

With care Automedon and Alcimus

The horses yok’d, with collars fair attach’d: Plac’d in their mouths the bits, and pass’d the reins Back to the well-built car: Automedon

Sprang on the car, with shining lash in hand: Behind, Achilles came, array’d for war, In arms all glitt’ring as the gorgeous sun, And loudly to his father’s steeds he call’d: “Xanthus and Balius, noble progeny

Of swift Podarge, now in other sort

Back to the Grecian ranks in safety bear, When he shall quit the field, your charioteer; Nor leave him, as ye left Patroclus, slain.”

To whom in answer from beneath the yoke Xanthus, the noble horse, with glancing feet: Bowing his head the while, till all his mane Down from th’ yokeband streaming, reach’d the ground; By Juno, white-arm’d Queen, with speech endued: “Yes, great Achilles, we this day again Will bear thee safely; but thy day of doom Is nigh at hand; nor we shall cause thy death, But Heav’n’s high will, and Fate’s imperious pow’r.

By no default of ours, nor lack of speed, The Trojans stripp’d Patroclus of his arms: The mighty God, fair-hair’d Latona’s son, Achiev’d his death, and Hector’s vict’ry gain’d.

Our speed of foot may vie with Zephyr’s breeze, Deem’d swiftest of the winds; but thou art doom’d To die, by force combin’d of God and man.”

He said; his farther speech the Furies stay’d.

To whom in wrath Achilles swift of foot; “Xanthus, why thus predict my coming fate?

It ill beseems thee! well I know myself That I am fated here in Troy to die,

Far from my home and parents; yet withal I cease not, till these Trojans from the field Before me fly.” He said, and to the front, His war-cry shouting, urg’d his fiery steeds.

ARGUMENT.

THE BATTLE OF THE GODS, AND THE ACTS OF ACHILLES.

Jupiter, upon Achilles’ return to the battle, calls a council of the gods and permits them to assist either party. The terrors of the combat described when the deities are engaged. Apollo encourages AEneas to meet Achilles. After a long conversation, these two heroes encounter; but AEneas is preserved by the assistance of Neptune. Achilles falls upon the rest of the Trojans, and is upon the point of killing Hector, but Apollo conveys him away in a cloud. Achilles pursues the Trojans with a great slaughter.

The same day continues. The scene is in the field before Troy.

BOOK XX.

Round thee, Achilles, eager for the fray, Stood thus accoutred, by their beaked ships, The sons of Greece; the Trojan host, oppos’d, Stood on the sloping margin of the plain.

Then Jove to Themis gave command to call The Gods to council from the lofty height Of many-ridg’d Olympus; to the house

Of Jove she summon’d them from ev’ry side.

Thence of the Rivers, save Oceanus,

Not one was absent; nor of Nymphs, who haunt Clear fount, or shady grove, or grassy mead.

They, at the Cloud-compeller’s house arriv’d, Within the polish’d corridor reclin’d, Which Vulcan’s cunning hand for Jove had built.

There were they gather’d in th’ abode of Jove: Nor did th’ Earth-shaking Neptune slight the call, But came from ocean’s depths, and in the midst He sat, and thus the will of Jove enquir’d: “Why, Lord of lightning, hast thou summon’d here The Gods to council? dost thou aught devise Touching the Greeks and Trojans? who e’en now Kindle anew, it seems, the blaze of war.”

To whom the Cloud-compeller, answ’ring, thus: “The purpose, Neptune, well thou know’st thyself For which I call’d ye; true, they needs must die, But still they claim my care; yet here will I Upon Olympus’ lofty ridge remain,

And view, serene, the combat; you, the rest, Go, as you list, to Trojans or to Greeks, And at your pleasure either party aid.

For if we leave Achilles thus alone

To fight against the Trojans, not an hour Will they before the son of Peleus stand.

They dreaded him before; but now, I fear, Since rous’d to fury by his comrade’s death, He e’en in fate’s despite may storm the wall.”

Thus Saturn’s son, and quenchless battle rous’d: The Gods, divided, hasten’d to the war: Juno and Pallas to the ships of Greece, With them th’ Earth-shaker, and the helpful God, Hermes, for cunning subtleties unmatch’d; And Vulcan too, exulting in his strength, Yet halting, and on feeble limbs sustain’d.

Mars of the glancing helm took part with Troy, And golden Phoebus with his locks unshorn, Latona too, and Dian, Archer-Queen,

Xanthus, and Venus, laughter-loving dame.

While from the fight of men the Gods abstain’d, High rose the Grecian vaunts, as, long withdrawn, Achilles on the field again appear’d:

And ev’ry Trojan’s limbs with terror quak’d, Trembling, as Peleus’ godlike son they saw, In arms all-glitt’ring, fierce as blood-stain’d Mars.

But when th’ Immortals mingled in the throng, Then furious wax’d the spirit-stirring strife; Then Pallas rais’d her war-cry, standing now Beside the deep-dug trench, without the wall, Now shouting loud along the sounding beach.

On th’ other side, as with the tempest’s roar, Mars to the Trojans shouted loud; one while From Ilium’s topmost height; anon again From the fair hill, o’erhanging Simois’ stream.

Thus, either side exciting to the fray, Th’ immortal Gods unchain’d the angry war.

Thunder’d on high the Sire of Gods and men With awful din; while Neptune shook beneath The boundless earth, and lofty mountain tops.

The spring-abounding Ida quak’d and rock’d From her firm basis to her loftiest peak, And Troy’s proud city, and the ships of Greece.

Pluto, th’ infernal monarch, heard alarm’d, And, springing from his throne, cried out in fear, Lest Neptune, breaking through the solid earth, To mortals and Immortals should lay bare His dark and drear abode, of Gods abhorr’d.

Such was the shock when Gods in battle met; For there to royal Neptune stood oppos’d Phoebus Apollo with his arrows keen;

The blue-ey’d Pallas to the God of War; To Juno, Dian, heav’nly Archeress,

Sister of Phoebus, golden-shafted Queen.

Stout Hermes, helpful God, Latona fac’d; While Vulcan met the mighty rolling stream, Xanthus by Gods, by men Scamander call’d.

Thus Gods encounter’d Gods: Achilles’ soul Meantime was burning ‘mid the throng to meet Hector, the son of Priam; with whose blood He long’d to glut th’ insatiate Lord of War.

Apollo then, the spirit-stirring God,

AEneas mov’d Achilles to confront,

And fill’d with courage high; and thus, the voice Assuming of Lycaon, Priam’s son,

Apollo, son of Jove, the chief address’d: “AEneas, prince and councillor of Troy, Where are the vaunts, which o’er the wine-cup late Thou mad’st amid th’ assembled chiefs of Troy, That hand to hand thou wouldst Achilles meet?”

To whom AEneas thus in answer spoke:

“Why, son of Priam, urge me to contend, Against my will, with Peleus’ mighty son?

Not for the first time should I now engage Achilles swift of foot: I met him once, And fled before his spear, on Ida’s hill, When on our herds he fell; Lyrnessus then He raz’d, and Pedasus; me Jove preserv’d, With strength, endowing, and with speed of foot.

Else had I fall’n beneath Achilles’ hand, By Pallas aided; who before him moves, Light of his life, and guides his brazen spear Trojans and Leleges alike to slay.

‘Tis not in mortal man with him to fight, Whom still some God attends, and guards from harm; And, e’en unaided, to the mark his spear Unerring flies, uncheck’d until it pierce A warrior’s breast; yet if the Gods the scale Impartial held, all brass-clad as he is, O’er me no easy triumph should he gain.”

To whom the King Apollo, son of Jove:

“Brave chief, do thou too to th’ immortal Gods Address thy pray’r; men say that thou art sprung From Venus, child of Jove; his mother owns A humbler origin; one born to Jove,

The other to the aged Ocean God.

On then with dauntless spear, nor be dismay’d By his high tone and vaunting menaces.”

His words with courage fill’d the hero’s breast, And on he sprang, in dazzling arms arrayed; But not unmark’d of white-arm’d Juno pass’d, To meet Achilles, through the press of men, Who thus address’d the Gods, to council call’d: “Neptune and Pallas both, bethink ye well What now should be our course; AEneas comes, In dazzling arms array’d, to meet in fight The son of Peleus; Phoebus sends him forth.

Say, then, shall we, encount’ring, to retreat Perforce constrain him? or shall one of us Beside Achilles stand, and give him strength That he may nothing lack; and know himself By all the mightiest of th’ immortal Gods Belov’d, and those how pow’rless, by whose aid The Trojans yet maintain defensive war?

Therefore, to join the battle, came we all From high Olympus, that in this day’s fight No ill befall him; though the time shall come For him to meet the doom, by fate decreed, When at his birth his thread of life was spun.

But if Achilles from a voice divine

Receive not this assurance, he may well Be struck with fear, if haply to some God He find himself oppos’d: ‘tis hard for man To meet, in presence visible, a God.”

To whom Earth-shaking Neptune thus replied: “Juno, thine anger carry not too far;

It ill beseems thee. Not with my consent Shall we, the stronger far, provoke to arms The other Gods; but rather, from the field Retiring, let us from on high survey,

To mortals left, the turmoil of the war.

Should Mars or Phoebus then begin the fight, Or stay Achilles, and his arm restrain, Then in the contest we too may engage; And soon, methinks, will they be fain to join, Driv’n from the field, the Synod of the Gods, Subdued perforce by our victorious hands.”

The dark-hair’d monarch spoke; and led the way To the high wall, by Trojans built of old, With Pallas’ aid, for godlike Hercules; Within whose circle he might safety seek, When from the beach the monster of the deep Might chase him toward the plain; there Neptune sat, And with him, the other Gods, a veil of cloud Impenetrable around their shoulders spread.

On th’ other side, upon the fair hill’s brow, Phoebus with Mars the fort-destroyer sat.

On either side they sat, each facing each With hostile counsels; yet reluctant both To take th’ initiative of ruthless war; Till Jove, enthron’d on high, the signal gave.

Then all the plain, with men and horses throng’d, The brazen gleam illumin’d; rang the earth Beneath their feet, as to the battle-shock They rush’d; but in the midst, both hosts between, Eager for fight, stood forth two warriors bold, Proudly pre-eminent; Anchises’ son

AEneas, and Achilles’ godlike might.

AEneas first with threat’ning mien advanc’d, Nodding his pond’rous helm; before his breast His shield he bore, and pois’d his brazen spear.

Him met Achilles from th’ opposing ranks; Fierce as a rav’ning lion, whom to slay Pour forth the stalwart youths, th’ united strength Of the rous’d village; he unheeding moves At first; but wounded by a jav’lin thrown By some bold youth, he turns, with gaping jaws, And frothing fangs, collecting for the spring, His breast too narrow for his mighty heart; And with his tail he lashes both his flanks And sides, as though to rouse his utmost rage; Then on, in pride of strength, with glaring eyes He dashes, if some hunter he may slay, Or in the foremost rank himself be slain.

So mov’d his dauntless spirit Peleus’ son AEneas to confront; when near they came, Thus first Achilles, swift of foot, began: “AEneas, why so far before the ranks

Advanc’d? dost thou presume