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

son.
On the other side, the King of Ocean risen
Secretly from the hoary Deep, the host
Of Greece encouraged, whom he grieved to see430
Vanquish'd by Trojans, and with anger fierce
Against the Thunderer burn'd on their behalf.
Alike from one great origin divine
Sprang they, but Jove was elder, and surpass'd
In various knowledge; therefore when he roused435
Their courage, Neptune traversed still the ranks
Clandestine, and in human form disguised.
Thus, these Immortal Two, straining the cord
Indissoluble of all-wasting war,
Alternate measured with it either host,440
And loosed the joints of many a warrior bold.
Then, loud exhorting (though himself with age
Half grey) the Achaians, into battle sprang
Idomeneus, and scatter'd, first, the foe,
Slaying Othryoneus, who, by the lure445
Of martial glory drawn, had left of late
Cabesus. He Priam's fair daughter woo'd
Cassandra, but no nuptial gift vouchsafed
To offer, save a sounding promise proud
To chase, himself, however resolute450
The Grecian host, and to deliver Troy.
To him assenting, Priam, ancient King,
Assured to him his wish, and in the faith
Of that assurance confident, he fought.
But brave Idomeneus his splendid lance455
Well-aim'd dismissing, struck the haughty Chief.
Pacing elate the field; his brazen mail
Endured not; through his bowels pierced, with clang
Of all his arms he fell, and thus with joy
Immense exulting, spake Idomeneus.460

I give thee praise, Othryoneus! beyond
All mortal men, if truly thou perform
Thy whole big promise to the Dardan king,
Who promised thee his daughter. Now, behold,
324 We also promise: doubt not the effect.465
We give into thy arms the most admired
Of Agamemnon's daughters, whom ourselves
Will hither bring from Argos, if thy force
With ours uniting, thou wilt rase the walls
Of populous Troy. Come—follow me; that here470
Among the ships we may adjust the terms
Of marriage, for we take not scanty dower.

So saying, the Hero dragg'd him by his heel
Through all the furious fight. His death to avenge
Asius on foot before his steeds advanced,475
For them, where'er he moved, his charioteer
Kept breathing ever on his neck behind.
With fierce desire the heart of Asius burn'd
To smite Idomeneus, who with his lance
Him reaching first, pierced him beneath the chin480
Into his throat, and urged the weapon through.
He fell, as some green poplar falls, or oak,
Or lofty pine, by naval artists hewn
With new-edged axes on the mountain's side.
So, his teeth grinding, and the bloody dust485
Clenching, before his chariot and his steeds
Extended, Asius lay. His charioteer
(All recollection lost) sat panic-stunn'd,
Nor dared for safety turn his steeds to flight.
Him bold Antilochus right through the waist490
Transpierced; his mail sufficed not, but the spear
Implanted in his midmost bowels stood.
Down from his seat magnificent he fell
Panting, and young Antilochus the steeds
Drove captive thence into the host of Greece.495
Then came Deiphobus by sorrow urged
For Asius, and, small interval between,
Hurl'd at Idomeneus his glittering lance;
But he, foreseeing its approach, the point
Eluded, cover'd whole by his round shield500
Of hides and brass by double belt sustain'd,
And it flew over him, but on his targe
325 Glancing, elicited a tinkling sound.
Yet left it not in vain his vigorous grasp,
But pierced the liver of Hypsenor, son505
Of Hippasus; he fell incontinent,
And measureless exulting in his fall
Deiphobus with mighty voice exclaim'd.

Not unavenged lies Asius; though he seek
Hell's iron portals, yet shall he rejoice,510
For I have given him a conductor home.

So he, whose vaunt the Greeks indignant heard!
But of them all to anger most he roused
Antilochus, who yet his breathless friend[9]
Left not, but hasting, fenced him with his shield,515
And brave Alastor with Mecisteus son
Of Echius, bore him to the hollow ships
Deep-groaning both, for of their band was he.
Nor yet Idomeneus his warlike rage
Remitted aught, but persevering strove520
Either to plunge some Trojan in the shades,
Or fall himself, guarding the fleet of Greece.
Then slew he brave Alcathoüs the son
Of Æsyeta, and the son-in-law
Of old Anchises, who to him had given525
The eldest-born of all his daughters fair,
Hippodamia; dearly loved was she
By both her parents in her virgin state,[10]
For that in beauty she surpass'd, in works
Ingenious, and in faculties of mind530
All her coëvals; wherefore she was deem'd
Well worthy of the noblest prince of Troy.
Him in that moment, Neptune by the arm
Quell'd of Idomeneus, his radiant eyes
Dimming, and fettering his proportion'd limbs.535
All power of flight or to elude the stroke
326 Forsook him, and while motionless he stood
As stands a pillar tall or towering oak,
The hero of the Cretans with a spear
Transfix'd his middle chest. He split the mail540
Erewhile his bosom's faithful guard; shrill rang
The shiver'd brass; sounding he fell; the beam
Implanted in his palpitating heart
Shook to its topmost point, but, its force spent,
At last, quiescent, stood. Then loud exclaim'd545
Idomeneus, exulting in his fall.

What thinks Deiphobus? seems it to thee
Vain boaster, that, three warriors slain for one,
We yield thee just amends? else, stand thyself
Against me; learn the valor of a Chief550
The progeny of Jove; Jove first begat
Crete's guardian, Minos, from which Minos sprang
Deucalion, and from famed Deucalion, I;
I, sovereign of the numerous race of Crete's
Extensive isle, and whom my galleys brought555
To these your shores at last, that I might prove
Thy curse, thy father's, and a curse to Troy.

He spake; Deiphobus uncertain stood
Whether, retreating, to engage the help
Of some heroic Trojan, or himself560
To make the dread experiment alone.
At length, as his discreeter course, he chose
To seek Æneas; him he found afar
Station'd, remotest of the host of Troy,
For he resented evermore his worth565
By Priam[11] recompensed with cold neglect.
Approaching him, in accents wing'd he said.

Æneas! Trojan Chief! If e'er thou lov'dst
Thy sister's husband, duty calls thee now
To prove it. Haste—defend with me the dead570
Alcathoüs, guardian of thy tender years,
327 Slain by Idomeneus the spear-renown'd.

So saying, he roused his spirit, and on fire
To combat with the Cretan, forth he sprang.
But fear seized not Idomeneus as fear575
May seize a nursling boy; resolved he stood
As in the mountains, conscious of his force,
The wild boar waits a coming multitude
Of boisterous hunters to his lone retreat;
Arching his bristly spine he stands, his eyes580
Beam fire, and whetting his bright tusks, he burns
To drive, not dogs alone, but men to flight;
So stood the royal Cretan, and fled not,
Expecting brave Æneas; yet his friends
He summon'd, on Ascalaphus his eyes585
Fastening, on Aphareus, Deipyrus,
Meriones, and Antilochus, all bold
In battle, and in accents wing'd exclaim'd.

Haste ye, my friends! to aid me, for I stand
Alone, nor undismay'd the coming wait590
Of swift Æneas, nor less brave than swift,
And who possesses fresh his flower of youth,
Man's prime advantage; were we match'd in years
As in our spirits, either he should earn
At once the meed of deathless fame, or I.595

He said; they all unanimous approach'd,
Sloping their shields, and stood. On the other side
His aids Æneas call'd, with eyes toward
Paris, Deiphobus, Agenor, turn'd,
His fellow-warriors bold; them follow'd all600
Their people as the pastured flock the ram
To water, by the shepherd seen with joy;
Such joy Æneas felt, seeing, so soon,
That numerous host attendant at his call.
Then, for Alcathoüs, into contest close605
Arm'd with long spears they rush'd; on every breast
Dread rang the brazen corselet, each his foe
Assailing opposite; but two, the rest
Surpassing far, terrible both as Mars,
328 Æneas and Idomeneus, alike610
Panted to pierce each other with the spear.
Æneas, first, cast at Idomeneus,
But, warn'd, he shunn'd the weapon, and it pass'd.
Quivering in the soil Æneas' lance
Stood, hurl'd in vain, though by a forceful arm.615
Not so the Cretan; at his waist he pierced
Oenomaüs, his hollow corselet clave,
And in his midmost bowels drench'd the spear;
Down fell the Chief, and dying, clench'd the dust.
Instant, his massy spear the King of Crete620
Pluck'd from the dead, but of his radiant arms
Despoil'd him not, by numerous weapons urged;
For now, time-worn, he could no longer make
Brisk sally, spring to follow his own spear,
Or shun another, or by swift retreat625
Vanish from battle, but the evil day
Warded in stationary fight alone.
At him retiring, therefore, step by step
Deiphobus, who had with bitterest hate
Long time pursued him, hurl'd his splendid lance,630
But yet again erroneous, for he pierced
Ascalaphus instead, offspring of Mars;
Right through his shoulder flew the spear; he fell
Incontinent, and dying, clench'd the dust.
But tidings none the brazen-throated Mars635
Tempestuous yet received, that his own son
In bloody fight had fallen, for on the heights
Olympian over-arch'd with clouds of gold
He sat, where sat the other Powers divine,
Prisoners together of the will of Jove.640
Meantime, for slain Ascalaphus arose
Conflict severe; Deiphobus his casque
Resplendent seized, but swift as fiery Mars
Assailing him, Meriones his arm
Pierced with a spear, and from his idle hand645
Fallen, the casque sonorous struck the ground.
Again, as darts the vulture on his prey,
329 Meriones assailing him, the lance
Pluck'd from his arm, and to his band retired.
Then, casting his fraternal arms around650
Deiphobus, him young Polites led
From the hoarse battle to his rapid steeds
And his bright chariot in the distant rear,
Which bore him back to Troy, languid and loud-
Groaning, and bleeding from his recent wound.655
Still raged the war, and infinite arose
The clamor. Aphareus, Caletor's son,
Turning to face Æneas, in his throat
Instant the hero's pointed lance received.
With head reclined, and bearing to the ground660
Buckler and helmet with him, in dark shades
Of soul-divorcing death involved, he fell.
Antilochus, observing Thoön turn'd
To flight, that moment pierced him; from his back
He ripp'd the vein which through the trunk its course665
Winds upward to the neck; that vein he ripp'd
All forth; supine he fell, and with both hands
Extended to his fellow-warriors, died.
Forth sprang Antilochus to strip his arms,
But watch'd, meantime, the Trojans, who in crowds670
Encircling him, his splendid buckler broad
Smote oft, but none with ruthless point prevail'd
Even to inscribe the skin of Nestor's son,
Whom Neptune, shaker of the shores, amid
Innumerable darts kept still secure.675
Yet never from his foes he shrank, but faced
From side to side, nor idle slept his spear,
But with rotation ceaseless turn'd and turn'd
To every part, now levell'd at a foe
Far-distant, at a foe, now, near at hand.680
Nor he, thus occupied, unseen escaped
By Asius' offspring Adamas, who close
Advancing, struck the centre of his shield.
But Neptune azure-hair'd so dear a life
Denied to Adamas, and render'd vain685
330 The weapon; part within his disk remain'd
Like a seer'd stake, and part fell at his feet.
Then Adamas, for his own life alarm'd,
Retired, but as he went, Meriones
Him reaching with his lance, the shame between690
And navel pierced him, where the stroke of Mars
Proves painful most to miserable man.
There enter'd deep the weapon; down he fell,
And in the dust lay panting as an ox
Among the mountains pants by peasants held695
In twisted bands, and dragg'd perforce along;
So panted dying Adamas, but soon
Ceased, for Meriones, approaching, pluck'd
The weapon forth, and darkness veil'd his eyes.
Helenus, with his heavy Thracian blade700
Smiting the temples of Deipyrus,
Dash'd off his helmet; from his brows remote
It fell, and wandering roll'd, till at his feet
Some warrior found it, and secured; meantime
The sightless shades of death him wrapp'd around.705
Grief at that spectacle the bosom fill'd
Of valiant Menelaus; high he shook
His radiant spear, and threatening him, advanced
On royal Helenus, who ready stood
With his bow bent. They met; impatient, one,710
To give his pointed lance its rapid course,
And one, to start his arrow from the nerve.
The arrow of the son of Priam struck
Atrides' hollow corselet, but the reed
Glanced wide. As vetches or as swarthy beans715
Leap from the van and fly athwart the floor,
By sharp winds driven, and by the winnower's force,
So from the corselet of the glorious Greek
Wide-wandering flew the bitter shaft away.
But Menelaus the left-hand transpierced720
Of Helenus, and with the lance's point
Fasten'd it to his bow; shunning a stroke
More fatal, Helenus into his band
331 Retired, his arm dependent at his side,
And trailing, as he went, the ashen beam;725
There, bold Agenor from his hand the lance
Drew forth, then folded it with softest wool
Around, sling-wool, and borrow'd from the sling
Which his attendant into battle bore.
Then sprang Pisander on the glorious Chief730
The son of Atreus, but his evil fate
Beckon'd him to his death in conflict fierce,
Oh Menelaus, mighty Chief! with thee.
And now they met, small interval between.
Atrides hurl'd his weapon, and it err'd.735
Pisander with his spear struck full the shield
Of glorious Menelaus, but his force
Resisted by