The Iliads of Homer. Homer

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       Back to Asopus' flood, renown'd for bulrushes and grass.

       Yet, once more, their ambassador, the Grecian peers address

       Lord Tydeus to Eteocles; to whom being giv'n access,

       He found him feasting with a crew of Cadmeans in his hall;

       Amongst whom, though an enemy, and only one to all;

       To all yet he his challenge made at ev'ry martial feat,

       And eas'ly foil'd all, since with him Minerva was so great.

       The rank-rode Cadmeans, much incens'd with their so foul disgrace,

       Lodg'd ambuscadoes for their foe, in some well-chosen place

       By which he was to make return. Twice five-and-twenty men,

       And two of them great captains too, the ambush did contain.

       The names of those two men of rule were Mæon, Hæmon's son,

       And Lycophontes, Keep-field call'd, the heir of Autophon,

       By all men honour'd like the Gods; yet these and all their friends

       Were sent to hell by Tydeus' hand, and had untimely ends.

       He trusting to the aid of Gods, reveal'd by augury,

       Obeying which, one chief he sav'd, and did his life apply

       To be the heavy messenger of all the others' deaths;

       And that sad message, with his life, to Mæon he bequeaths.

       So brave a knight was Tydeüs of whom a son is sprung,

       Inferior far in martial deeds, though higher in his tongue."

       All this Tydides silent heard, aw'd by the rev'rend king;

       Which stung hot Sthenelus with wrath, who thus put forth his sting:

       "Atrides, when thou know'st the truth, speak what thy knowledge is,

       And do not lie so; for I know and I will brag in this,

       That we are far more able men than both our fathers were.

       We took the sev'n-fold ported Thebes, when yet we had not there

       So great help as our fathers had; and fought beneath a wall,

       Sacred to Mars, by help of Jove, and trusting to the fall

       Of happy signs from other Gods, by whom we took the town

       Untouch'd; our fathers perishing here by follies of their own;

       And therefore never more compare our fathers' worth with ours."

       Tydides frown'd at this, and said: "Suppress thine anger's pow'rs,

       Good friend, and hear why I refrain'd. Thou seest I am not mov'd

       Against our gen'ral, since he did but what his place behov'd,

       Admonishing all Greeks to fight; for, if Troy prove our prise,

       The honour and the joy is his; if here our ruin lies,

       The shame and grief for that as much is his in greatest kinds.

       As he then his charge, weigh we ours; which is our dauntless

       minds."

       Thus, from his chariot, amply arm'd, he jump'd down to the ground;

       The armour of the angry king so horribly did sound,

       It might have made his bravest foe let fear take down his braves.

       And as when with the west-wind flaws, the sea thrusts up her waves,

       One after other, thick and high, upon the groaning shores,

       First in herself loud, but oppos'd with banks and rocks she roars,

       And, all her back in bristles set, spits ev'ry way her foam;

       So, after Diomed, instantly the field was overcome

       With thick impressions of the Greeks; and all the noise that grew

       (Ord'ring and cheering up their men) from only leaders flew.

       The rest went silently away, you could not hear a voice,

       Nor would have thought, in all their breasts, they had one in their

       choice,

       Their silence uttering their awe of them that them controll'd,

       Which made each man keep right his arms, march, fight still where

       he should

       The Trojans (like a sort of ewes, penn'd in a rich man's fold,

       Close at his door, till all be milk'd, and never baaing hold

       Hearing the bleating of their lambs) did all their wide host fill

       With shouts and clamours, nor observ'd one voice, one baaing still,

       But show'd mix'd tongues from many a land of men call'd to their

       aid.

       Rude Mars had th' ordering of their spirits; of Greeks, the learned

       Maid

       But Terror follow'd both the hosts, and Flight, and furious Strife

       The sister, and the mate, of Mars, that spoil of human life;

       And never is her rage at rest, at first she is but small,

       Yet after, but a little fed, she grows so vast and tall

       That, while her feet move here in earth, her forehead is in heav'n;

       And this was she that made ev'n then both hosts so deadly giv'n.

       Through ev'ry troop she stalk'd, and stirr'd rough sighs up as she

       went;

       But when in one field both the foes her fury did content,

       And both came under reach of darts, then darts and shields oppos'd

       To darts and shields; strength answer'd strength; then swords and

       targets clos'd

       With swords and targets; both with pikes; and then did tumult rise

       Up to her height; then conqu'rors' boasts mix'd with the

       conquer'd's cries;

       Earth flow'd with blood. And as from hills rainwaters headlong

       fall,

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