The Iliad of Homer by Homer (some good books to read txt) 📕

The Trojans, thus with their confederate powers,
The counsel of the accomplish'd Prince pursued,140
297 Polydamas, one Chief alone except,
Asius Hyrtacides. He scorn'd to leave
His charioteer and coursers at the trench,
And drove toward the fleet. Ah, madly brave!
His evil hour was come; he was ordain'd145
With horse and chariot and triumphant shout
To enter wind-swept Ilium never more.
Deucalion's offspring, first, into the shades
Dismiss'd him; by Idomeneus he died.
Leftward he drove furious, along the road150
By which the steeds and chariots of the Greeks
Return'd from battle; in that track he flew,
Nor found the portals by the massy bar
Secured, but open for reception safe
Of fugitives, and to a guard consign'd.155
Thither he drove direct, and in his rear
His band shrill-shouting follow'd, for they judged
The Greeks no longer able to withstand
Their foes, but sure to perish in the camp.
Vain hope! for in the gate two Chiefs they found160
Lapithæ-born, courageous offspring each
Of dauntless father; Polypœtes, this,
Sprung from Pirithöus; that, the warrior bold
Leonteus, terrible as gore-tainted Mars.
These two, defenders of the lofty gates,165
Stood firm before them. As when two tall oaks
On the high mountains day by day endure
Rough wind and rain, by deep-descending roots
Of hugest growth fast-founded in the soil;
So they, sustain'd by conscious valor, saw,170
Unmoved, high towering Asius on his way,
Nor fear'd him aught, nor shrank from his approach
Right on toward the barrier, lifting high
Their season'd bucklers and with clamor loud
The band advanced, King Asius at their head,175
With whom Iämenus, expert in arms,
Orestes, Thöon, Acamas the son
Of Asius, and Oenomäus, led them on.
298 Till now, the warlike pair, exhorting loud
The Grecians to defend the fleet, had stood180
Within the gates; but soon as they perceived
The Trojans swift advancing to the wall,
And heard a cry from all the flying Greeks,
Both sallying, before the gates they fought
Like forest-boars, which hearing in the hills185
The crash of hounds and huntsmen nigh at hand,
With start oblique lay many a sapling flat
Short-broken by the root, nor cease to grind
Their sounding tusks, till by the spear they die;
So sounded on the breasts of those brave two190
The smitten brass; for resolute they fought,
Embolden'd by their might who kept the wall,
And trusting in their own; they, in defence
Of camp and fleet and life, thick battery hurl'd
Of stones precipitated from the towers;195
Frequent as snows they fell, which stormy winds,
Driving the gloomy clouds, shake to the ground,
Till all the fertile earth lies cover'd deep.
Such volley pour'd the Greeks, and such return'd
The Trojans; casques of hide, arid and tough,200
And bossy shields rattled, by such a storm
Assail'd of millstone masses from above.
Then Asius, son of Hyrtacus, a groan
Indignant utter'd; on both thighs he smote
With disappointment furious, and exclaim'd,205

Jupiter! even thou art false become,
And altogether such. Full sure I deem'd
That not a Grecian hero should abide
One moment force invincible as ours,
And lo! as wasps ring-streaked,[1] or bees that build210
Their dwellings in the highway's craggy side
Leave not their hollow home, but fearless wait
The hunter's coming, in their brood's defence,
So these, although two only, from the gates
299 Move not, nor will, till either seized or slain.215

So Asius spake, but speaking so, changed not
The mind of Jove on Hector's glory bent.
Others, as obstinate, at other gates
Such deeds perform'd, that to enumerate all
Were difficult, unless to power divine.220
For fierce the hail of stones from end to end
Smote on the barrier; anguish fill'd the Greeks.
Yet, by necessity constrain'd, their ships
They guarded still; nor less the Gods themselves,
Patrons of Greece, all sorrow'd at the sight.225

At once the valiant Lapithæ began
Terrible conflict, and Pirithous' son
Brave Polypœtes through his helmet pierced
Damasus; his resplendent point the brass
Sufficed not to withstand; entering, it crush'd230
The bone within, and mingling all his brain
With his own blood, his onset fierce repress'd.
Pylon and Ormenus he next subdued.
Meantime Leonteus, branch of Mars, his spear
Hurl'd at Hippomachus, whom through his belt235
He pierced; then drawing forth his falchion keen,
Through all the multitude he flew to smite
Antiphates, and with a downright stroke
Fell'd him. Iämenus and Menon next
He slew, with brave Orestes, whom he heap'd,240
All three together, on the fertile glebe.

While them the Lapithæ of their bright arms
Despoil'd, Polydamas and Hector stood
(With all the bravest youths and most resolved
To burst the barrier and to fire the fleet)245
Beside the foss, pondering the event.
For, while they press'd to pass, they spied a bird
Sublime in air, an eagle. Right between
Both hosts he soar'd (the Trojan on his left)
A serpent bearing in his pounces clutch'd250
Enormous, dripping blood, but lively still
And mindful of revenge; for from beneath
300 The eagle's breast, updarting fierce his head,
Fast by the throat he struck him; anguish-sick
The eagle cast him down into the space255
Between the hosts, and, clanging loud his plumes
As the wind bore him, floated far away.
Shudder'd the Trojans viewing at their feet
The spotted serpent ominous, and thus
Polydamas to dauntless Hector spake.260

Ofttimes in council, Hector, thou art wont
To censure me, although advising well;
Nor ought the private citizen, I confess,
Either in council or in war to indulge
Loquacity, but ever to employ265
All his exertions in support of thine.
Yet hear my best opinion once again.
Proceed we not in our attempt against
The Grecian fleet. For if in truth the sign
Respect the host of Troy ardent to pass,270
Then, as the eagle soar'd both hosts between,
With Ilium's on his left, and clutch'd a snake
Enormous, dripping blood, but still alive,
Which yet he dropp'd suddenly, ere he reach'd
His eyry, or could give it to his young,275
So we, although with mighty force we burst
Both gates and barrier, and although the Greeks
Should all retire, shall never yet the way
Tread honorably back by which we came.
No. Many a Trojan shall we leave behind280
Slain by the Grecians in their fleet's defence.
An augur skill'd in omens would expound
This omen thus, and faith would win from all.

To whom, dark-louring, Hector thus replied.
Polydamas! I like not thy advice;285
Thou couldst have framed far better; but if this
Be thy deliberate judgment, then the Gods
Make thy deliberate judgment nothing worth,
Who bidd'st me disregard the Thunderer's[2] firm
301 Assurance to myself announced, and make290
The wild inhabitants of air my guides,
Which I alike despise, speed they their course
With right-hand flight toward the ruddy East,
Or leftward down into the shades of eve.
Consider we the will of Jove alone,295
Sovereign of heaven and earth. Omens abound,
But the best omen is our country's cause.[3]
Wherefore should fiery war thy soul alarm?
For were we slaughter'd, one and all, around
The fleet of Greece, thou need'st not fear to die,300
Whose courage never will thy flight retard.
But if thou shrink thyself, or by smooth speech
Seduce one other from a soldier's part,
Pierced by this spear incontinent thou diest.

So saying he led them, who with deafening roar305
Follow'd him. Then, from the Idæan hills
Jove hurl'd a storm which wafted right the dust
Into the fleet; the spirits too he quell'd
Of the Achaians, and the glory gave
To Hector and his host; they, trusting firm310
In signs from Jove, and in their proper force,
Assay'd the barrier; from the towers they tore
The galleries, cast the battlements to ground,
And the projecting buttresses adjoin'd
To strengthen the vast work, with bars upheaved.315
All these, with expectation fierce to break
The rampart, down they drew; nor yet the Greeks
Gave back, but fencing close with shields the wall,
Smote from behind them many a foe beneath.
Meantime from tower to tower the Ajaces moved320
302 Exhorting all; with mildness some, and some
With harsh rebuke, whom they observed through fear
Declining base the labors of the fight,

Friends! Argives! warriors of whatever rank!
Ye who excel, and ye of humbler note!325
And ye the last and least! (for such there are,
All have not magnanimity alike)
Now have we work for all, as all perceive.
Turn not, retreat not to your ships, appall'd
By sounding menaces, but press the foe;330
Exhort each other, and e'en now perchance
Olympian Jove, by whom the lightnings burn,
Shall grant us to repulse them, and to chase
The routed Trojans to their gates again.

So they vociferating to the Greeks,335
Stirr'd them to battle. As the feathery snows
Fall frequent, on some wintry day, when Jove
Hath risen to shed them on the race of man,
And show his arrowy stores; he lulls the winds,
Then shakes them down continual, covering thick340
Mountain tops, promontories, flowery meads,
And cultured valleys rich; the ports and shores
Receive it also of the hoary deep,
But there the waves bound it, while all beside
Lies whelm'd beneath Jove's fast-descending shower,345
So thick, from side to side, by Trojans hurl'd
Against the Greeks, and by the Greeks return'd
The stony vollies flew; resounding loud
Through all its length the battered rampart roar'd.
Nor yet had Hector and his host prevail'd350
To burst the gates, and break the massy bar,
Had not all-seeing Jove Sarpedon moved
His son, against the Greeks, furious as falls
The lion on some horned herd of beeves.
At once his polish'd buckler he advanced355
With leafy brass o'erlaid; for with smooth brass
The forger of that shield its oval disk
Had plated, and with thickest hides throughout
303 Had lined it, stitch'd with circling wires of gold.
That shield he bore before him; firmly grasp'd360
He shook two spears, and with determined strides
March'd forward. As the lion mountain-bred,
After long fast, by impulse of his heart
Undaunted urged, seeks resolute the flock
Even in the shelter of their guarded home;365
He finds, perchance, the shepherds arm'd with spears,
And all their dogs awake, yet can not leave
Untried the fence, but either leaps it light,
And entering tears the prey, or in the attempt
Pierced by some dexterous peasant, bleeds himself;370
So high his courage to the assault impell'd
Godlike Sarpedon, and him fired with hope
To break the barrier; when to Glaucus thus,
Son of Hippolochus, his speech he turn'd.

Why, Glaucus, is the seat of honor ours,375
Why drink we brimming cups, and feast in state?
Why gaze they all on us as we were Gods
In Lycia, and why share we pleasant fields
And spacious vineyards, where the Xanthus winds?
Distinguished thus in Lycia, we are call'd380
To firmness here, and to encounter bold
The burning battle, that our fair report
Among the Lycians may be blazon'd thus—
No dastards are the potentates who rule
The bright-arm'd Lycians; on the fatted flock385
They banquet, and they drink the richest wines;
But they are also valiant, and the fight
Wage dauntless in the vanward of us all.
Oh Glaucus, if escaping safe the death
That threats us here, we also could escape390
Old age, and to ourselves secure a life
Immortal, I would neither in the van
Myself expose, nor would encourage thee
To tempt the perils of the glorious field.
But since a thousand messengers of fate395
Pursue us close, and man is born to die—
304 E'en let us on; the prize of glory yield,
If yield we must, or wrest it from the foe.

He said, nor cold refusal in return
Received from Glaucus, but toward the wall400
Their numerous Lycian host both led direct.
Menestheus, son of Peteos, saw appall'd
Their dread approach, for to his tower they bent;
Their threatening march. An eager look he cast,
On the embodied Greeks, seeking some Chief405
Whose aid might turn the battle from his van:
He saw, where never sated with exploits
Of war, each Ajax fought, near whom his eye
Kenn'd Teucer also, newly from his tent;
But vain his efforts were with loudest call410
To reach their ears, such was the deafening din
Upsent to heaven, of shields and crested helms,
And of the batter'd gates; for at each gate
They thundering' stood, and urged alike at each
Their fierce attempt by force to burst the bars.415
To Ajax therefore he at once dispatch'd
A herald, and Thöotes thus enjoin'd.

My noble friend, Thöotes! with all speed
Call either Ajax; bid them hither both;
Far better so; for havoc is at hand.420
The Lycian leaders, ever in assault
Tempestuous, bend their force against this tower
My station. But if also there they find
Laborious conflict pressing them severe,
At least