The Iliad of Homer. Homer

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СКАЧАТЬ Commanded; but he suffering anguish keen885

       Inflicted by a serpent's venom'd tooth,

       Lay sick in Lemnos; him the Grecians there

       Had left sore-wounded, but were destined soon

       To call to dear remembrance whom they left.

       Meantime, though sorrowing for his sake, his troops890

       Yet wanted not a chief; them Medon ruled,

       Whom Rhena to the far-famed conqueror bore

       Oïleus, fruit of their unsanction'd loves.

      From Tricca, from Ithome rough and rude

       With rocks and glens, and from Oechalia, town895

       Of Eurytus Oechalian-born, came forth

       Their warlike youth by Podalirius led

       And by Machaon, healers both expert

       Of all disease, and thirty ships were theirs.

      The men of Ormenus, and from beside900

       The fountain Hypereia, from the tops

       Of chalky Titan, and Asteria's band;

       Them ruled Eurypylus, Evæmon's son

       Illustrious, whom twice twenty ships obeyed.

      Orthe, Gyrtone, Oloösson white,905

       Argissa and Helone; they their youth

       Gave to control of Polypœtes, son

       Undaunted of Pirithoüs, son of Jove.

       Him, to Pirithoüs, (on the self-same day

       When he the Centaurs punish'd and pursued910

       Sheer to Æthicæ driven from Pelion's heights

       The shaggy race) Hippodamia bore.

       Nor he alone them led. With him was join'd

       Leonteus dauntless warrior, from the bold

       058 Coronus sprung, who Cæneus call'd his sire.915

       Twice twenty ships awaited their command.

      Guneus from Cyphus twenty and two ships

       Led forth; the Enienes him obey'd,

       And the robust Perœbi, warriors bold,

       And dwellers on Dodona's wintry brow.920

       To these were join'd who till the pleasant fields

       Where Titaresius winds; the gentle flood

       Pours into Peneus all his limpid stores,

       But with the silver-eddied Peneus flows

       Unmixt as oil;[27] for Stygian is his stream,925 And Styx is the inviolable oath.

      Last with his forty ships, Tenthredon's son,

       The active Prothoüs came. From the green banks

       Of Peneus his Magnesians far and near

       He gather'd, and from Pelion forest-crown'd.930

      These were the princes and the Chiefs of Greece.

       Say, Muse, who most in personal desert

       Excell'd, and whose were the most warlike steeds

       And of the noblest strain. Their hue, their age,

       Their height the same, swift as the winds of heaven935

       And passing far all others, were the mares

       Which drew Eumelus; on Pierian hills

       The heavenly Archer of the silver bow,

       Apollo, bred them. But of men, the chief

       Was Telamonian Ajax, while wrath-bound940

       Achilles lay; for he was worthier far,

       And more illustrious were the steeds which bore

       The noble son of Peleus; but revenge

       On Agamemnon leader of the host

       Was all his thought, while in his gallant ships945

       Sharp-keel'd to cut the foaming flood, he lay.

       Meantime, along the margin of the deep

       His soldiers hurled the disk, or bent the bow.

       059 Or to its mark dispatch'd the quivering lance.

       Beside the chariots stood the unharness'd steeds950

       Cropping the lotus, or at leisure browsed

       On celery wild, from watery freshes gleaned.

       Beneath the shadow of the sheltering tent

       The chariot stood, while they, the charioteers

       Roam'd here and there the camp, their warlike lord955

       Regretting sad, and idle for his sake.

      As if a fire had burnt along the ground,

       Such seem'd their march; earth groan'd their steps beneath;

       As when in Arimi, where fame reports

       Typhoëus stretch'd, the fires of angry Jove960

       Down darted, lash the ground, so groan'd the earth

       Beneath them, for they traversed swift the plain.

      And now from Jove, with heavy tidings charged,

       Wind-footed Iris to the Trojans came.

       It was the time of council, when the throng965

       At Priam's gate assembled, young and old:

       Them, standing nigh, the messenger of heaven

       Accosted with the voice of Priam's son,

       Polites. He, confiding in his speed

       For sure deliverance, posted was abroad970

       On Æsyeta's tomb,[28] intent to watch When the Achaian host should leave the fleet. The Goddess in his form thus them address'd.

      Oh, ancient Monarch! Ever, evermore

       Speaking, debating, as if all were peace;975

       I have seen many a bright-embattled field,

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