The Iliad of Homer. Homer

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СКАЧАТЬ living, heal'd, And all his strength possessing unimpair'd. Yet no man ask'd him aught. No leisure now For question was; far other thoughts had they; Such toils the archer of the silver bow,615 Wide-slaughtering Mars, and Discord as at first Raging implacable, for them prepared.

      Ulysses, either Ajax, Diomede—

       These roused the Greeks to battle, who themselves

       The force fear'd nothing, or the shouts of Troy,620

       But steadfast stood, like clouds by Jove amass'd

       On lofty mountains, while the fury sleeps

       125 Of Boreas, and of all the stormy winds

       Shrill-voiced, that chase the vapors when they blow,

       So stood the Greeks, expecting firm the approach625

       Of Ilium's powers, and neither fled nor fear'd.

      Then Agamemnon the embattled host

       On all sides ranging, cheer'd them. Now, he cried,

       Be steadfast, fellow warriors, now be men!

       Hold fast a sense of honor. More escape630

       Of men who fear disgrace, than fall in fight,

       While dastards forfeit life and glory both.

      He said, and hurl'd his spear. He pierced a friend

       Of brave Æneas, warring in the van,

       Deicöon son of Pergasus, in Troy635

       Not less esteem'd than Priam's sons themselves,

       Such was his fame in foremost fight acquired.

       Him Agamemnon on his buckler smote,

       Nor stayed the weapon there, but through his belt

       His bowels enter'd, and with hideous clang640

       And outcry[14] of his batter'd arms he fell.

      Æneas next two mightiest warriors slew,

       Sons of Diocles, of a wealthy sire,

       Whose house magnificent in Phæræ stood,

       Orsilochus and Crethon. Their descent645

       From broad-stream'd Alpheus, Pylian flood, they drew.

       Alpheus begat Orsilochus, a prince

       Of numerous powers. Orsilochus begat

       Warlike Diodes. From Diodes sprang

       Twins, Crethon and Orsilochus, alike650

       Valiant, and skilful in all forms of war.

       Their boyish prime scarce past, they, with the Greeks

       Embarking, in their sable ships had sail'd

       To steed-fam'd Ilium; just revenge they sought

       For Atreus' sons, but perished first themselves.655

      As two young lions, in the deep recess

       Of some dark forest on the mountain's brow

       Late nourished by their dam, forth-issuing, seize

       126 The fatted flocks and kine, both folds and stalls

       Wasting rapacious, till, at length, themselves660

       Deep-wounded perish by the hand of man,

       So they, both vanquish'd by Æneas, fell,

       And like two lofty pines uprooted, lay.

       Them fallen in battle Menelaus saw

       With pity moved; radiant in arms he shook665

       His brazen spear, and strode into the van.

       Mars urged him furious on, conceiving hope

       Of his death also by Æneas' hand.

      But him the son of generous Nestor mark'd

       Antilochus, and to the foremost fight670

       Flew also, fearing lest some dire mischance

       The Prince befalling, at one fatal stroke

       Should frustrate all the labors of the Greeks.

       They, hand to hand, and spear to spear opposed,

       Stood threatening dreadful onset, when beside675

       The Spartan chief Antilochus appear'd.

       Æneas, at the sight of two combined,

       Stood not, although intrepid. They the dead

       Thence drawing far into the Grecian host

       To their associates gave the hapless pair,680

       Then, both returning, fought in front again.

      Next, fierce as Mars, Pylæmenes they slew,

       Prince of the shielded band magnanimous

       Of Paphlagonia. Him Atrides kill'd

       Spear-practised Menelaus, with a lance685

       His throat transpiercing while erect he rode.

       Then, while his charioteer, Mydon the brave,

       Son of Atymnias, turn'd his steeds to flight,

       Full on his elbow-point Antilochus,

       The son of Nestor, dash'd him with a stone.690

       The slack reins, white as ivory,[15] forsook His torpid hand and trail'd the dust. At once Forth sprang Antilochus, and with his sword Hew'd deep his temples. On his head he pitch'd 127 Panting, and on his shoulders in the sand695 (For in deep sand he fell) stood long erect, Till his own coursers spread him in the dust; The son of Nestor seized, and with his scourge Drove them afar into the host of Greece.

      Them Hector through the ranks espying, flew700

       With clamor loud to meet them; after whom

       Advanced in phalanx firm the powers of Troy,

       Mars led them, with Enyo terror-clad;

       She by the maddening tumult of the fight

       Attended, he, with his enormous spear705

       in both hands brandish'd, stalking now in front

       Of Hector, and now following his steps.

      Him Diomede the bold discerning, felt

       Himself no small dismay; and as a man

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