The Iliad of Homer by Homer (some good books to read txt) 📕

wherefore, Sleep! shouldst thou indulge a fear
So groundless? Chase it from thy mind afar.
Think'st thou the Thunderer as intent to serve315
The Trojans, and as jealous in their cause
As erst for Hercules, his genuine son?
Come then, and I will bless thee with a bride;
350 One of the younger Graces shall be thine,
Pasithea, day by day still thy desire.320

She spake; Sleep heard delighted, and replied.
By the inviolable Stygian flood
Swear to me; lay thy right hand on the glebe
All-teeming, lay thy other on the face
Of the flat sea, that all the Immortal Powers325
Who compass Saturn in the nether realms
May witness, that thou givest me for a bride
The younger Grace whom thou hast named, divine
Pasithea, day by day still my desire.

He said, nor beauteous Juno not complied,330
But sware, by name invoking all the powers
Titanian call'd who in the lowest gulf
Dwell under Tartarus, omitting none.
Her oath with solemn ceremonial sworn,
Together forth they went; Lemnos they left335
And Imbrus, city of Thrace, and in dark clouds
Mantled, with gliding ease swam through the air
To Ida's mount with rilling waters vein'd,
Parent of savage beasts; at Lectos[7] first
They quitted Ocean, overpassing high340
The dry land, while beneath their feet the woods
Their spiry summits waved. There, unperceived
By Jove, Sleep mounted Ida's loftiest pine
Of growth that pierced the sky, and hidden sat
Secure by its expanded boughs, the bird345
Shrill-voiced resembling in the mountains seen,[8]
Chalcis in heaven, on earth Cymindis named.

But Juno swift to Gargarus the top
Of Ida, soar'd, and there Jove saw his spouse.
—Saw her—and in his breast the same love felt350
Rekindled vehement, which had of old
Join'd them, when, by their parents unperceived,
They stole aside, and snatch'd their first embrace.
Soon he accosted her, and thus inquired.

351 Juno! what region seeking hast thou left355
The Olympian summit, and hast here arrived
With neither steed nor chariot in thy train?

To whom majestic Juno thus replied
Dissembling. To the green earth's end I go,
To visit there the parent of the Gods360
Oceanus, and Tethys his espoused,
Mother of all. They kindly from the hands
Of Rhea took, and with parental care
Sustain'd and cherish'd me;[9] to them I haste
Their feuds innumerable to compose,365
Who disunited by intestine strife
Long time, from conjugal embrace abstain.
My steeds, that lightly over dank and dry
Shall bear me, at the rooted base I left
Of Ida river-vein'd. But for thy sake370
From the Olympian summit I arrive,
Lest journeying remote to the abode
Of Ocean, and with no consent of thine
Entreated first, I should, perchance, offend.

To whom the cloud-assembler God replied.375
Juno! thy journey thither may be made
Hereafter. Let us turn to dalliance now.
For never Goddess pour'd, nor woman yet
So full a tide of love into my breast;
I never loved Ixion's consort thus380
Who bore Pirithoüs, wise as we in heaven;
Nor sweet Acrisian Danäe, from whom
Sprang Perseus, noblest of the race of man;
Nor Phœnix' daughter fair,[10] of whom were born
Minos unmatch'd but by the powers above,385
And Rhadamanthus; nor yet Semele,
Nor yet Alcmena, who in Thebes produced
The valiant Hercules; and though my son
By Semele were Bacchus, joy of man;
352 Nor Ceres golden-hair'd, nor high-enthroned390
Latona in the skies, no—nor thyself
As now I love thee, and my soul perceive
O'erwhelm'd with sweetness of intense desire.

Then thus majestic Juno her reply
Framed artful. Oh unreasonable haste!395
What speaks the Thunderer? If on Ida's heights.
Where all is open and to view exposed
Thou wilt that we embrace, what must betide,
Should any of the everlasting Gods
Observe us, and declare it to the rest?400
Never could I, arising, seek again,
Thy mansion, so unseemly were the deed.
But if thy inclinations that way tend,
Thou hast a chamber; it is Vulcan's work,
Our son's; he framed and fitted to its posts405
The solid portal; thither let us his,
And there repose, since such thy pleasure seems.

To whom the cloud-assembler Deity.
Fear thou not, Juno, lest the eye of man
Or of a God discern us; at my word410
A golden cloud shall fold us so around,
That not the Sun himself shall through that veil
Discover aught, though keenest-eyed of all.

So spake the son of Saturn, and his spouse
Fast lock'd within his arms. Beneath them earth415
With sudden herbage teem'd; at once upsprang
The crocus soft, the lotus bathed in dew,
And the crisp hyacinth with clustering bells;
Thick was their growth, and high above the ground
Upbore them. On that flowery couch they lay,420
Invested with a golden cloud that shed
Bright dew-drops all around.[11] His heart at ease,
There lay the Sire of all, by Sleep and Love
Vanquish'd on lofty Gargarus, his spouse
Constraining still with amorous embrace.425
Then, gentle Sleep to the Achaian camp
353 Sped swift away, with tidings for the ear
Of earth-encircler Neptune charged; him soon
He found, and in wing'd accents thus began.

Now Neptune, yield the Greeks effectual aid,430
And, while the moment lasts of Jove's repose,
Make victory theirs; for him in slumbers soft
I have involved, while Juno by deceit
Prevailing, lured him with the bait of love.

He said, and swift departed to his task435
Among the nations; but his tidings urged
Neptune with still more ardor to assist
The Danaï; he leap'd into the van
Afar, and thus exhorted them aloud.

Oh Argives! yield we yet again the day440
To Priameian Hector? Shall he seize
Our ships, and make the glory all his own?
Such is his expectation, so he vaunts,
For that Achilles leaves not yet his camp,
Resentful; but of him small need, I judge,445
Should here be felt, could once the rest be roused
To mutual aid. Act, then, as I advise.
The best and broadest bucklers of the host,
And brightest helmets put we on, and arm'd
With longest spears, advance; myself will lead;450
And trust me, furious though he be, the son
Of Priam flies. Ye then who feel your hearts
Undaunted, but are arm'd with smaller shields,
Them give to those who fear, and in exchange
Their stronger shields and broader take yourselves.455

So he, whom, unreluctant, all obey'd.
Then, wounded as they were, themselves the Kings,
Tydides, Agamemnon and Ulysses
Marshall'd the warriors, and from rank to rank
Made just exchange of arms, giving the best460
To the best warriors, to the worse, the worst.
And now in brazen armor all array'd
Refulgent on they moved, by Neptune led
With firm hand grasping his long-bladed sword
354 Keen as Jove's bolt; with him may none contend465
In dreadful fight; but fear chains every arm.

Opposite, Priameian Hector ranged
His Trojans; then they stretch'd the bloody cord
Of conflict tight, Neptune cœrulean-hair'd,
And Hector, pride of Ilium; one, the Greeks470
Supporting firm, and one, the powers of Troy;
A sea-flood dash'd the galleys, and the hosts
Join'd clamorous. Not so the billows roar
The shores among, when Boreas' roughest blast
Sweeps landward from the main the towering surge;475
Not so, devouring fire among the trees
That clothe the mountain, when the sheeted flames
Ascending wrap the forest in a blaze;
Nor howl the winds through leafy boughs of oaks
Upgrown aloft (though loudest there they rave)480
With sounds so awful as were heard of Greeks
And Trojans shouting when the clash began.

At Ajax, first (for face to face they stood)
Illustrious Hector threw a spear well-aim'd,
But smote him where the belts that bore his shield485
And falchion cross'd each other on his breast.
The double guard preserved him unannoy'd.
Indignant that his spear had bootless flown,
Yet fearing death at hand, the Trojan Chief
Toward the phalanx of his friends retired.490
But, as he went, huge Ajax with a stone
Of those which propp'd the ships (for numerous such
Lay rolling at the feet of those who fought)
Assail'd him. Twirling like a top it pass'd
The shield of Hector, near the neck his breast495
Struck full, then plough'd circuitous the dust.
As when Jove's arm omnipotent an oak
Prostrates uprooted on the plain, a fume
Rises sulphureous from the riven trunk,
And if, perchance, some traveller nigh at hand500
See it, he trembles at the bolt of Jove,
So fell the might of Hector, to the earth
355 Smitten at once. Down dropp'd his idle spear,
And with his helmet and his shield himself
Also; loud thunder'd all his gorgeous arms.505
Swift flew the Grecians shouting to the skies,
And showering darts, to drag his body thence,
But neither spear of theirs nor shaft could harm
The fallen leader, with such instant aid
His princely friends encircled him around,510
Sarpedon, Lycian Chief, Glaucus the brave,
Polydamas, Æneas, and renown'd
Agenor; neither tardy were the rest,
But with round shields all shelter'd Hector fallen.
Him soon uplifted from the plain his friends515
Bore thence, till where his fiery coursers stood,
And splendid chariot in the rear, they came,
Then Troy-ward drove him groaning as he went.
Ere long arriving at the pleasant stream
Of eddied Xanthus, progeny of Jove,520
They laid him on the bank, and on his face
Pour'd water; he, reviving, upward gazed,
And seated on his hams black blood disgorged
Coagulate, but soon relapsing, fell
Supine, his eyes with pitchy darkness veil'd,525
And all his powers still torpid by the blow.

Then, seeing Hector borne away, the Greeks
Rush'd fiercer on, all mindful of the fight,
And far before the rest, Ajax the swift,
The Oïlean Chief, with pointed spear530
On Satnius springing, pierced him. Him a nymph
A Naiad, bore to Enops, while his herd
Feeding, on Satnio's grassy verge he stray'd.
But Oïliades the spear-renown'd
Approaching, pierced his flank; supine he fell,535
And fiery contest for the dead arose.
In vengeance of his fall, spear-shaking Chief
The son of Panthus into fight advanced
Polydamas, who Prothöenor pierced
Offspring of Areïlocus, and urged540
356 Through his right shoulder sheer the stormy lance.
He, prostrate, clench'd the dust, and with loud voice
Polydamas exulted at his fall.

Yon spear, methinks, hurl'd from the warlike hand
Of Panthus' noble son, flew not in vain,545
But some Greek hath it, purposing, I judge,
To lean on it in his descent to hell.

So he, whose vaunt the Greeks indignant heard.
But most indignant, Ajax, offspring bold
Of Telamon, to whom he nearest fell.550
He, quick, at the retiring conqueror cast
His radiant spear; Polydamas the stroke
Shunn'd, starting sideward; but Antenor's son
Archilochus the mortal dint received,
Death-destined by the Gods; where neck and spine555
Unite, both tendons he dissever'd wide,
And, ere his knees, his nostrils met the ground.

Then Ajax in his turn vaunting aloud
Against renown'd Polydamas, exclaim'd.
Speak now the truth, Polydamas, and weigh560
My question well. His life whom I have slain
Makes it not compensation for the loss
Of Prothöenor's life! To me he seems
Nor base himself; nor yet of base descent,
But brother of Atenor steed-renown'd,565
Or else perchance his son; for in my eyes
Antenor's lineage he resembles most.

So he, well knowing him, and sorrow seized
Each Trojan heart. Then Acamas around
His brother stalking, wounded with his spear570
Bœotian Promachus, who by the feet
Dragg'd off the slain. Acamas in his fall
Aloud exulted with a boundless joy.

Vain-glorious Argives, archers inexpert!
War's toil and trouble are not ours alone,575
But ye shall perish also; mark the man—
How sound he sleeps tamed by my conquering arm,
Your fellow-warrior Promachus! the debt
357 Of vengeance on my brother's dear behalf
Demanded quick discharge; well may the wish580
Of every dying warrior be to leave
A brother living to avenge his fall.

He ended, whom the Greeks indignant heard,
But chiefly brave Peneleus; swift he rush'd
On Acamas; but from before the force585
Of King Peneleus Acamas retired,
And, in his stead, Ilioneus he pierced,
Offspring of Phorbas, rich in flocks; and blest
By Mercury with such abundant wealth
As other Trojan none, nor child to him590
His spouse had borne, Ilioneus except.
Him close beneath the brow to his eye-roots
Piercing, he push'd the pupil from its seat,
And through his eye and through his poll the spear
Urged furious. He down-sitting on the earth595
Both hands extended; but, his glittering blade
Forth-drawn, Peneleus through his middle neck
Enforced it; head and helmet to the ground
He lopp'd together, with the lance infixt
Still in his eye; then like a poppy's head600
The crimson trophy lifting, in the ears
He vaunted loud of Ilium's host, and cried.

Go, Trojans! be my messengers! Inform
The parents of Ilioneus the brave
That they may mourn their son through all their house,605
For so the wife of Alegenor's son
Bœotian Promachus must him bewail,
Nor shall she welcome his return with smiles
Of joy affectionate, when from the shores
Of Troy the fleet shall bear us Grecians home.610

He said; fear whiten'd every Trojan cheek,
And every Trojan eye with earnest look
Inquired a refuge from impending fate.

Say now, ye Muses, blest