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

To whom in anger thus the Cretan chief: “Ajax, at wrangling good, in judgment naught, And for aught else, among the chiefs of Greece Of small account—so stubborn is thy soul; Wilt thou a tripod or a caldron stake, And Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, appoint

The umpire to decide whose steeds are first?

So shalt thou gain thy knowledge at thy cost.”

He said; up sprang Oileus’ active son, In anger to reply; and farther yet

Had gone the quarrel, but Achilles’ self Stood up, and thus the rival chiefs address’d: “Forbear, both Ajax and Idomeneus,

This bitter interchange of wordy war;

It is not seemly; and yourselves, I know, Another would condemn, who so should speak.

But stay ye here, and seated in the ring, Their coming wait; they, hurrying to the goal, Will soon be here; and then shall each man know Whose horses are the second, whose the first.”

Thus he; but Tydeus’ son drew near, his lash Still laid upon his horses’ shoulder-points; As lightly they, high-stepping, scour’d the plain.

Still on the charioteer the dust was flung; As close upon the flying-footed steeds Follow’d the car with gold and tin inlaid; And lightly, as they flew along, were left Impress’d the wheel-tracks on the sandy plain.

There in the midst he stood, the sweat profuse Down-pouring from his horses’ heads and chests; Down from the glitt’ring car he leap’d to earth, And lean’d his whip against the chariot yoke; Nor long delay’d the valiant Sthenelus, But eagerly sprang forth to claim the prize; Then to his brave companions gave in charge To lead away the woman, and to bear

The tripod, while himself unyok’d the steeds.

Nest came the horses of Antilochus,

Who had by stratagem, and not by speed, O’er Menelaus triumph’d; yet e’en so

Atrides’ flying coursers press’d him hard; For but so far as from the chariot-wheel A horse, when harness’d to a royal car; Whose tail, back-streaming, with the utmost hairs Brushes the felloes; close before the wheel, Small space between, he scours the wide-spread plain: So far was Menelaus in the rear

Of Nestor’s son; at first, a discus’ cast Between them lay; but rapidly his ground He gain’d—so well the speed and courage serv’d Of AEthe, Agamemnon’s beauteous mare;

And, but a little farther were the course, Had pass’d him by, nor left the race in doubt.

Behind the noble son of Atreus came,

A jav’lin’s flight apart, Meriones,

The faithful follower of Idomeneus:

His were the slowest horses, and himself The least experienc’d in the rapid race.

Dragging his broken car, came last of all, His horses driv’n in front, Admetus’ son; Achilles swift of foot with pity saw,

And to the Greeks his winged words address’d: “See where the best of all the last appears; But let him take, as meet, the second prize; The first belongs of right to Tydeus’ son.”

Thus he; they all assented to his words; And, by the gen’ral voice of Greece, the mare Had now been his; but noble Nestor’s son, Antilochus, stood up, his right to claim, And to Achilles, Peleus’ son, replied: “Achilles, thou wilt do me grievous wrong, If thou thy words accomplish; for my prize Thou tak’st away, because mishap befell His car and horses, by no fault of his; Yet had he to th’ Immortals made his pray’r, He surely had not thus been last of all.

But, pitying him, if so thy mind incline, Thy tents contain good store of gold, and brass, And sheep, and female slaves, and noble steeds; For him, of these, hereafter mayst thou take A prize of higher value; or e’en now,

And with th’ applause of all; but for the mare, I will not give her up; and let who will Stand forth, my own right hand shall guard my prize.”

He said; and smil’d Achilles swift of foot, Delighted; for he lov’d the noble youth, To whom his winged words he thus address’d: “Antilochus, if such be thy request,

That for Eumelus I should add a prize, This too I grant thee; and to him I give My breastplate, from Asteropaeus won,

Of brass, around whose edge is roll’d a stream Of shining tin; a gift of goodly price.”

He said, and bade Automedon, his friend And comrade, bring the breastplate from his tent; He went, and brought it; in Eumelus’ hand He plac’d it; he with joy the gift receiv’d.

Then Menelaus, sad at heart, arose,

Burning with wrath against Antilochus; And while the herald in the monarch’s hand His royal sceptre plac’d, and bade the Greeks Keep silence, thus the godlike hero spoke: “Antilochus, till now reputed wise,

What hast thou done? thou hast impugn’d my skill, And sham’d my horses, who hast brought thine own, Inferior far, before them to the goal.

But come, ye chiefs and councillors of Greece, Judge ye between us, fav’ring neither side: That none of all the brass-clad Greeks may say That Menelaus hath by false reports

O’erborne Antilochus, and holds his prize: His horses fairly worsted, and himself Triumphant only by superior pow’r.

Or come now, I myself will judgment give; Nor deem I any Greek will find to blame In my decision, for ‘tis fair and just.

Antilochus, come forward, noble chief; And standing, as ‘tis meet, before the car And horses, in thy hand the slender whip Wherewith thou drov’st, upon the horses lay Thy hand, and by Earth-shaking Neptune swear That not of malice, and by set design, Thou didst by fraud impede my chariot’s course.”

To whom Antilochus with prudent speech: “Have patience with me yet; for I, O King, O Menelaus, am thy junior far;

My elder and superior thee I own.

Thou know’st th’ o’er-eager vehemence of youth, How quick in temper, and in judgment weak.

Set then thy heart at ease; the mare I won I freely give; and if aught else of mine Thou shouldst desire, would sooner give it all, Than all my life be low’r’d, illustrious King, In thine esteem, and sin against the Gods.”

Thus saying, noble Nestor’s son led forth, And plac’d in Menelaus’ hands the mare: The monarch’s soul was melted, like the dew Which glitters on the ears of growing corn, That bristle o’er the plain; e’en so thy soul, O Menelaus, melted at his speech;

To whom were thus address’d thy winged words: “Antilochus, at once I lay aside

My anger; thou art prudent, and not apt To be thus led astray; but now thy youth Thy judgment hath o’erpow’r’d; seek not henceforth By trick’ry o’er thine elders to prevail.

To any other man of all the Greeks

I scarce so much had yielded; but for that Thyself hast labour’d much, and much endur’d, Thou, thy good sire, and brother, in my cause: I yield me to thy pray’rs; and give, to boot, The mare, though mine of right; that these may know I am not of a harsh, unyielding mood.”

He said, and to Noemon gave in charge, The faithful comrade of Antilochus,

The mare; himself the glitt’ring caldron took.

Of gold two talents, to the fourth assign’d, Fourth in the race, Meriones receiv’d; Still the fifth prize, a vase with double cup, Remain’d; Achilles this to Nestor gave, Before th’ assembled Greeks, as thus he spoke: “Take this, old man, and for an heirloom keep, In mem’ry of Patroclus’ fun’ral games, Whom thou no more amid the Greeks shalt see.

Freely I give it thee; for thou no more Canst box, or wrestle, or in sportive strife The jav’lin throw, or race with flying feet; For age with heavy hand hath bow’d thee down.”

He said, and plac’d it in his hand; th’ old man Beceiv’d with joy the gift, and thus replied: “All thou hast said, my son, is simple truth: No firmness now my limbs and feet retain, Nor can my arms with freedom, as of old, Straight from the shoulder, right and left, strike out.

Oh that such youth and vigour yet were mine, As when th’ Epeians in Buprasium held

The royal Amarynceus’ fun’ral games,

And when the monarch’s sons his prizes gave!

Then could not one of all th’ Epeian race, Or Pylians, or AEtolians, vie with me.

In boxing, Clytomedes, OEnops’ son,

I vanquished; then Anchaeus, who stood up To wrestle with me, I with ease o’erthrew; Iphiclus I outran, though fleet of foot; In hurling with the spear, with Phyleus strove, And Polydorus, and surpass’d them both.

The sons of Actor in the chariot-race

Alone o’ercame me; as in number more, [8]

And grudging more my triumph, since remain’d, This contest to reward, the richest prize.

They were twin brothers; one who held the reins, Still drove, and drove; the other plied the whip.

Such was I once; but now must younger men Engage in deeds like these; and I, the chief Of heroes once, must bow to weary age.

But honour thou with fitting fun’ral games Thy comrade: I accept, well-pleas’d, thy gift, My heart rejoicing that thou still retain’st Of me a kindly mem’ry, nor o’erlook’st The place of honour, which among the Greeks Belongs to me of right; for this, the Gods Reward thee with a worthy recompense!”

He said; Achilles listen’d to the praise Of Neleus’ son; then join’d the gen’ral throng.

Next, he set forth the prizes, to reward The labours of the sturdy pugilists;

A hardy mule he tether’d in the ring,

Unbroken, six years old, most hard to tame; And for the vanquished man, a double cup; Then rose, and to the Greeks proclaim’d aloud: “Thou son of Atreus, and ye well-greav’d Greeks, For these we bid two champions brave stand forth.

And in the boxer’s manly toil contend; And he, whose stern endurance Phoebus crowns With vict’ry, recogniz’d by all the Greeks, He to his tent shall lead the hardy mule; The loser shall the double cup receive.”

He said; up sprang Epeius, tall and stout, A boxer skill’d, the son of Panopeus,

Who laid his hand upon the mule, and said: “Stand forth, if any care the cup to win; The mule, methinks, no Greek can bear away From me, who glory in the champion’s name.

Is’t not enough, that in the battle-field I claim no special praise? ‘tis not for man In all things to excel; but this I say, And will make good my words, who meets me here, I mean to pound his flesh, and smash his bones.

See that his seconds be at hand, and prompt To bear him from the ring, by me subdued.”

He said; they all in silence heard his speech: Only Euryalus, a godlike chief,

Son of Mecistheus, Talaion’s son,

Stood forth opposing; he had once in Thebes Join’d in the fun’ral games of OEdipus, And there had vanquish’d all of Cadmian race.

On him attended valiant Diomed,

With cheering words, and wishes of success.

Around his waist he fasten’d first the belt, Then gave the well-cut gauntlets for his hands.

Of wild bull’s hide. When both were thus equipp’d, Into the centre of the ring they stepp’d: There, face to face, with sinewy arms uprais’d, They stood awhile, then clos’d; strong hand with hand Mingling, in rapid interchange of blows.

Dire was the clatter of their jaws; the sweat Pour’d forth, profuse, from ev’ry limb; then rush’d Epeius on, and full upon the cheek,

Half turn’d aside, let fall a stagg’ring blow; Nor stood Euryalus; but, legs and feet Knock’d from beneath him, prone to earth he fell; And as a fish, that flounders on the sand, Thrown by rude Boreas on the weedy beach, Till cover’d o’er by the returning wave; So flounder’d he beneath that stunning blow.

But brave Epeius took him by the hand, And rais’d him up; his comrades crowded round And bore him