The Iliad of Homer. Homer

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СКАЧАТЬ With anguish, her white wrist to livid changed.

       They came where Mars far on the left retired410

       Of battle sat, his horses and his spear

       In darkness veil'd. Before her brother's knees

       She fell, and with entreaties urgent sought

       The succor of his coursers golden-rein'd.

      Save me, my brother! Pity me! Thy steeds415

       Give me, that they may bear me to the heights

       Olympian, seat of the immortal Gods!

       Oh! I am wounded deep; a mortal man

       Hath done it, Diomede; nor would he fear

       This day in fight the Sire himself of all.420

      Then Mars his coursers gold-caparison'd

       Resign'd to Venus; she, with countenance sad,

       The chariot climb'd, and Iris at her side

       The bright reins seizing lash'd the ready steeds.

       Soon as the Olympian heights, seat of the Gods,425

       They reach'd, wing-footed Iris loosing quick

       The coursers, gave them large whereon to browse

       Ambrosial food; but Venus on the knees

       Sank of Dione, who with folded arms

       Maternal, to her bosom straining close430

       Her daughter, stroked her cheek, and thus inquired.

      My darling child! who? which of all the Gods

       Hath rashly done such violence to thee

       As if convicted of some open wrong?

      Her then the Goddess of love-kindling smiles435

       Venus thus answer'd; Diomede the proud,

       Audacious Diomede; he gave the wound,

       For that I stole Æneas from the fight

       My son of all mankind my most beloved;

       Nor is it now the war of Greece with Troy,440

       But of the Grecians with the Gods themselves.

      Then thus Dione, Goddess all divine.

       120 My child! how hard soe'er thy sufferings seem

       Endure them patiently. Full many a wrong

       From human hands profane the Gods endure,445

       And many a painful stroke, mankind from ours.

       Mars once endured much wrong, when on a time

       Him Otus bound and Ephialtes fast,

       Sons of Alöeus, and full thirteen moons

       In brazen thraldom held him. There, at length,450

       The fierce blood-nourished Mars had pined away,

       But that Eëribœa, loveliest nymph,

       His step-mother, in happy hour disclosed

       To Mercury the story of his wrongs;

       He stole the prisoner forth, but with his woes455

       Already worn, languid and fetter-gall'd.

       Nor Juno less endured, when erst the bold

       Son of Amphytrion with tridental shaft

       Her bosom pierced; she then the misery felt

       Of irremediable pain severe.460

       Nor suffer'd Pluto less, of all the Gods

       Gigantic most, by the same son of Jove

       Alcides, at the portals of the dead

       Transfix'd and fill'd with anguish; he the house

       Of Jove and the Olympian summit sought465

       Dejected, torture-stung, for sore the shaft

       Oppress'd him, into his huge shoulder driven.

       But Pæon[12] him not liable to death With unction smooth of salutiferous balms Heal'd soon. Presumptuous, sacrilegious man!470 Careless what dire enormities he wrought, Who bent his bow against the powers of heaven! But blue-eyed Pallas instigated him By whom thou bleed'st. Infatuate! he forgets That whoso turns against the Gods his arm475 Lives never long; he never, safe escaped From furious fight, the lisp'd caresses hears 121 Of his own infants prattling at his knees. Let therefore Diomede beware, lest strong And valiant as he is, he chance to meet490 Some mightier foe than thou, and lest his wife, Daughter of King Adrastus, the discrete Ægialea, from portentous dreams Upstarting, call her family to wail Her first-espoused, Achaia's proudest boast,485 Diomede, whom she must behold no more.

      She said, and from her wrist with both hands wiped

       The trickling ichor; the effectual touch

       Divine chased all her pains, and she was heal'd.

       Them Juno mark'd and Pallas, and with speech490

       Sarcastic pointed at Saturnian Jove

       To vex him, blue-eyed Pallas thus began.

      Eternal father! may I speak my thought,

       And not incense thee, Jove? I can but judge

       That Venus, while she coax'd some Grecian fair495

       To accompany the Trojans whom she loves

       With such extravagance, hath heedless stroked

       Her golden clasps, and scratch'd her lily hand.

      So she; then smiled the sire of Gods and men,

       And calling golden Venus, her bespake.500

      War and the tented field, my beauteous child,

       Are not for thee. Thou rather shouldst be found

       In scenes of matrimonial bliss. The toils

       Of war to Pallas and to Mars belong.

      Thus they in heaven. But Diomede the while505

       Sprang on Æneas, conscious of the God

       Whose hand o'ershadow'd him, yet even him

       Regarding lightly; for he burn'd to slay

       Æneas, and to seize his glorious arms.

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