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

Yet were his troops, their leader though they mourn’d, Not leaderless: Oileus’ bastard son,

Medon, of Rhene born, their ranks array’d.

Who in OEchalia, Eurytus’ domain,

In Tricca, and in rough Ithome dwelt,

These Podalirius and Machaon led,

Two skilful leeches, AEsculapius’ sons.

Of these came thirty ships in order due.

Who in Ormenium and Asterium dwelt,

By Hypereia’s fount, and on the heights Of Titanum’s white peaks, of these was chief Eurypylus, Euaemon’s gallant son;

In his command came forty dark-ribb’d ships.

Who in Argissa and Gyrtona dwelt,

Ortha, Elone, and the white-wall’d town Of Oloosson, Polypoetes led;

Son of Pirithous, progeny of Jove,

A warrior bold; Hippodamia fair

Him to Pirithous bore, what time he slew The shaggy Centaurs, and from Pelion’s heights For refuge ‘mid the rude AEthices drove.

Nor he alone; with him to Troy there came A scion true of Mars, Leonteus, heir

Of nobly-born Coronus, Caeneus’ son.

In their command came forty dark-ribb’d ships.

With two and twenty vessels Gouneus came From Cythus; he the Enienes led,

And the Peraebians’ warlike tribes, and those Who dwelt around Dodona’s wintry heights, Or till’d the soil upon the lovely banks Of Titaresius, who to Peneus pours

The tribute of his clearly-flowing stream; Yet mingles not with Peneus’ silver waves, But on the surface floats like oil, his source From Styx deriving, in whose awful name Both Gods and men by holiest oaths are bound.

Magnesia’s troops, who dwelt by Peneus’ stream, Or beneath Pelion’s leafy-quiv’ring shades, Swift-footed Prothous led, Tenthredon’s son; In his command came forty dark-ribb’d ships.

These were the leaders and the chiefs of Greece: Say, Muse, of these, who with th’ Atridae came, Horses and men, who claim’d the highest praise.

Of steeds, the bravest and the noblest far Were those Eumelus drove, Admetus’ son: Both swift as birds, in age and colour match’d, Alike in height, as measur’d o’er the back; Both mares, by Phoebus of the silver bow Rear’d in Pieria, thunderbolts of war.

Of men, while yet Achilles held his wrath, The mightiest far was Ajax Telamon.

For with Achilles, and the steeds that bore The matchless son of Peleus, none might vie: But ‘mid his beaked ocean-going ships

He lay, with Agamemnon, Atreus’ son,

Indignant; while his troops upon the beach With quoits and jav’lins whil’d away the day, And feats of archery; their steeds the while The lotus-grass and marsh-grown parsley cropp’d, Each standing near their car; the well-wrought cars Lay all unheeded in the warriors’ tents; They, inly pining for their godlike chief, Roam’d listless up and down, nor join’d the fray.

Such was the host, which, like devouring fire, O’erspread the land; the earth beneath them groan’d: As when the Lord of thunder, in his wrath, The earth’s foundations shakes, in Arimi, Where, buried deep, ‘tis said, Typhoeus lies; So at their coming, groan’d beneath their feet The earth, as quickly o’er the plain they spread.

To Troy, sent down by aegis-bearing Jove, With direful tidings storm-swift Iris came.

At Priam’s gate, in solemn conclave met, Were gather’d all the Trojans, young and old: Swift Iris stood amidst them, and, the voice Assuming of Polites, Priam’s son,

The Trojan scout, who, trusting to his speed, Was posted on the summit of the mound

Of ancient AEsuetes, there to watch

Till from their ships the Grecian troops should march; His voice assuming, thus the Goddess spoke: “Old man, as erst in peace, so still thou lov’st The strife of words; but fearful war is nigh.

Full many a host in line of battle rang’d My eyes have seen; but such a force as this, So mighty and so vast, I ne’er beheld: In number as the leaves, or as the sand, Against the city o’er the plain they come.

Then, Hector, for to thee I chiefly speak, This do; thou know’st how various our allies, Of diff’rent nations and discordant tongues: Let each then those command o’er whom he reigns, And his own countrymen in arms array.”

She said; and Hector knew the voice divine, And all, dissolv’d the council, flew to arms, The gates were open’d wide; forth pour’d the crowd, Both foot and horse; and loud the tumult rose.

Before the city stands a lofty mound,

In the mid plain, by open space enclos’d; Men call it Batiaea; but the Gods

The tomb of swift Myrinna; muster’d there The Trojans and Allies their troops array’d.

The mighty Hector of the glancing helm, The son of Priam, led the Trojan host: The largest and the bravest band were they, Bold spearmen all, who follow’d him in arms.

Anchises’ valiant son, AEneas, led

The Dardans; him, ‘mid Ida’s jutting peaks, Immortal Venus to Anchises bore,

A Goddess yielding to a mortal’s love: With him, well skill’d in war, Archilochus And Acamas, Antenor’s gallant sons.

Who in Zeleia dwelt, at Ida’s foot,

Of Trojan race, a wealthy tribe, who drank Of dark AEsepus’ waters, these were led By Pandarus, Lycaon’s noble son,

Taught by Apollo’s self to draw the bow.

Who from Adraste, and Apaesus’ realm,

From Pityeia, and the lofty hill

Tereian came, with linen corslets girt, Adrastus and Amphius led; two sons

Of Merops of Percote; deeply vers’d

Was he in prophecy; and from the war

Would fain have kept his sons; but they, by fate, Doom’d to impending death, his caution scorn’d.

Those who from Practium and Percote came, And who in Sestos and Abydos dwelt,

And in Arisba fair; those Asius led,

The son of Hyrtacus, of heroes chief;

Asius the son of Hyrtacus, who came

From fair Arisba, borne by fiery steeds Of matchless size and strength, from Selles’ stream.

Hippothous led the bold Pelasgian tribes, Who dwell in rich Larissa’s fertile soil, Hippothous and Pylaeus, Lethus’ sons,

The son of Teutamus, Pelasgian chief.

The Thracians, by fast-flowing Hellespont Encompass’d, Acamas and Peirous brave; The spear-skill’d Cicones Euphemus led, Son of Troezenus, Ceus’ highborn son.

From distant Amydon Pyraecmes brought

The Paeon archers from broad Axius’ banks; Axius, the brightest stream on earth that flows.

The hairy strength of great Pylaemenes The Paphlagonians led from Eneti

(Whence first appear’d the stubborn race of mules), Who in Cytorus and in Sesamum,

And round Parthenius’ waters had their home; Who dwelt in Cromne, and AEgialus,

And on the lofty Erythinian rock.

By Hodius and Epistrophus were brought From distant Alybe, the wealthy source Of silver ore, the Alizonian bands.

Chromis the Mysians led, and Ennomus;

A skilful augur, but his augury

From gloomy death to save him nought avail’d; Slain by the son of Peleus, in the stream, Where many another Trojan felt his arm.

From far Ascania’s lake, with Phorcys join’d, The godlike presence of Ascanius brought The Phrygians, dauntless in the standing fight.

From Lydia came Pylaemenes’ two sons,

Born of the lake Gygeian; Antiphus,

And Mesthles; these Maeonia’s forces led, Who dwelt around the foot of Tmolus’ hill.

In charge of Nastes came the Carian troops, Of barbarous speech; who in Miletus dwelt, And in the dense entangled forest shade Of Phthira’s hill, and on the lofty ridge Of Mycale, and by Maeander’s stream;

These came with Nastes and Amphimacus; Amphimacus and Nastes, Nomion’s sons;

With childish folly to the war he came, Laden with store of gold; yet nought avail’d His gold to save him from the doom of death; Slain by the son of Peleus in the stream; And all his wealth Achilles bore away.

Sarpedon last, and valiant Glaucus led The Lycian bands, from distant Lycia’s shore, Beside the banks of Xanthus’ eddying stream.

ARGUMENT.

THE DUEL OF MENELAUS AND PARIS.

The armies being ready to engage, a single combat is agreed upon, between Menelaus and Paris (by the intervention of Hector) for the determination of the war. Iris is sent to call Helen to behold the fight. She leads her to the walls of Troy, where Priam sat with his counsellors, observing the Grecian leaders on the plain below, to whom Helen gives an account of the chief of them. The kings on either part take the solemn oath for the conditions of the combat. The duel ensues, wherein Paris being overcome, is snatched away in a cloud by Venus, and transported to his apartment. She then calls Helen from the walls, and brings the lovers together. Agamemnon, on the part of the Grecians, demands the restoration of Helen, and the performance of the articles.

The three-and-twentieth day still continues throughout this book. The scene is sometimes in the field before Troy, and sometimes in Troy itself.

BOOK III.

WHEN by their sev’ral chiefs the troops were rang’d, With noise and clamour, as a flight of birds, The men of Troy advanc’d; as when the cranes, Flying the wintry storms, send forth on high Their dissonant clamours, while o’er the ocean stream They steer their course, and on their pinions bear Battle and death to the Pygmaean race.

On th’ other side the Greeks in silence mov’d, Breathing firm courage, bent on mutual aid.

As when the south wind o’er the mountain tops Spreads a thick veil of mist, the shepherd’s bane, And friendly to the nightly thief alone, That a stone’s throw the range of vision bounds; So rose the dust-cloud, as in serried ranks With rapid step they mov’d across the plain.

But when th’ opposing forces near were met, A panther’s skin across his shoulders flung, Arm’d with his bow and sword, in front of all Advanc’d the godlike Paris; in his hand He pois’d two brass-tipp’d jav’lins, and defied To mortal combat all the chiefs of Greece.

Him when the warlike Menelaus saw

With haughty strides advancing from the crowd; As when a lion, hunger-pinch’d, espies Some mighty beast of chase, or antler’d stag, Or mountain goat, and with exulting spring Strikes down his prey, and on the carcase feeds, Unscar’d by baying hounds and eager youths: So Menelaus saw with fierce delight

The godlike Paris; for he deem’d that now His vengeance was at hand; and from his car, Arm’d as he was, he leap’d upon the plain.

But when the godlike Paris saw him spring Defiant from the ranks, with quailing heart, Back to his comrades’ shelt’ring crowd he sprang, In fear of death; as when some trav’ller spies, Coil’d in his path upon the mountain side, A deadly snake, back he recoils in haste, His limbs all trembling, and his cheek all pale; So back recoil’d, in fear of Atreus’ son, The godlike Paris ‘mid the Trojan host.

To whom in stern rebuke thus Hector spoke: “Thou wretched Paris, though in form so fair, Thou slave of woman, manhood’s counterfeit!

Would thou hadst ne’er been born, or died at least Unwedded; so ‘twere better far for all, Than thus to live a scandal and reproach.

Well may the long-hair’d Greeks triumphant boast, Who think thee, from thine outward show, a chief Among our warriors; but thou hast in truth Nor strength of mind, nor courage in the fight.

How was’t that such as thou could e’er induce A noble band, in ocean-going ships

To cross the main, with men of other lands Mixing in amity, and bearing thence

A woman, fair of face, by marriage ties Bound to a race of warriors; to thy sire, Thy state, thy people, cause of endless grief, Of triumph to thy foes, contempt to thee!

Durst thou the warlike Menelaus meet,

Thou to thy cost shouldst learn the might of him Whose bride thou didst not fear to bear away: Then shouldst thou find of small avail thy lyre, Or Venus’ gifts of beauty and of grace, Or, trampled in the dust, thy flowing hair.

But too forbearing are the men of Troy; Else for the ills that thou hast