The Iliad. Homer

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">       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.

       Table of Contents

      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.

       Table of Contents

      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 СКАЧАТЬ