The Iliad of Homer

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And Juno answered, "Themis, do not ask me about it. You know what
a proud and cruel disposition my husband has. Lead the gods to
table, where you and all the immortals can hear the wicked
designs which he has avowed. Many a one, mortal and immortal,
will be angered by them, however peaceably he may be feasting
now."

On this Juno sat down, and the gods were troubled throughout the
house of Jove. Laughter sat on her lips but her brow was furrowed
with care, and she spoke up in a rage. "Fools that we are," she
cried, "to be thus madly angry with Jove; we keep on wanting to
go up to him and stay him by force or by persuasion, but he sits
aloof and cares for nobody, for he knows that he is much stronger
than any other of the immortals. Make the best, therefore, of
whatever ills he may choose to send each one of you; Mars, I take
it, has had a taste of them already, for his son Ascalaphus has
fallen in battle--the man whom of all others he loved most dearly
and whose father he owns himself to be."

When he heard this Mars smote his two sturdy thighs with the flat
of his hands, and said in anger, "Do not blame me, you gods that
dwell in heaven, if I go to the ships of the Achaeans and avenge
the death of my son, even though it end in my being struck by
Jove's lightning and lying in blood and dust among the corpses."

As he spoke he gave orders to yoke his horses Panic and Rout,
while he put on his armour. On this, Jove would have been roused
to still more fierce and implacable enmity against the other
immortals, had not Minerva, alarmed for the safety of the gods,
sprung from her seat and hurried outside. She tore the helmet
from his head and the shield from his shoulders, and she took the
bronze spear from his strong hand and set it on one side; then
she said to Mars, "Madman, you are undone; you have ears that
hear not, or you have lost all judgement and understanding; have
you not heard what Juno has said on coming straight from the
presence of Olympian Jove? Do you wish to go through all kinds of
suffering before you are brought back sick and sorry to Olympus,
after having caused infinite mischief to all us others? Jove
would instantly leave the Trojans and Achaeans to themselves; he
would come to Olympus to punish us, and would grip us up one
after another, guilty or not guilty. Therefore lay aside your
anger for the death of your son; better men than he have either
been killed already or will fall hereafter, and one cannot
protect every one's whole family."

With these words she took Mars back to his seat. Meanwhile Juno
called Apollo outside, with Iris the messenger of the gods.
"Jove," she said to them, "desires you to go to him at once on
Mt. Ida; when you have seen him you are to do as he may then bid
you."

Thereon Juno left them and resumed her seat inside, while Iris
and Apollo made all haste on their way. When they reached
many-fountained Ida, mother of wild beasts, they found Jove
seated on topmost Gargarus with a fragrant cloud encircling his
head as with a diadem. They stood before his presence, and he was
pleased with them for having been so quick in obeying the orders
his wife had given them.

He spoke to Iris first. "Go," said he, "fleet Iris, tell King
Neptune what I now bid you--and tell him true. Bid him leave off
fighting, and either join the company of the gods, or go down
into the sea. If he takes no heed and disobeys me, let him
consider well whether he is strong enough to hold his own against
me if I attack him. I am older and much stronger than he is; yet
he is not afraid to set himself up as on a level with myself, of
whom all the other gods stand in awe."

Iris, fleet as the wind, obeyed him, and as the cold hail or
snowflakes that fly from out the clouds before the blast of
Boreas, even so did she wing her way till she came close up to
the great shaker of the earth. Then she said, "I have come, O
dark-haired king that holds the world in his embrace, to bring
you a message from Jove. He bids you leave off fighting, and
either join the company of the gods or go down into the sea; if,
however, you take no heed and disobey him, he says he will come
down here and fight you. He would have you keep out of his reach,
for he is older and much stronger than you are, and yet you are
not afraid to set yourself up as on a level with himself, of whom
all the other gods stand in awe."

Neptune was very angry and said, "Great heavens! strong as Jove
may be, he has said more than he can do if he has threatened
violence against me, who am of like honour with himself. We were
three brothers whom Rhea bore to Saturn--Jove, myself, and Hades
who rules the world below. Heaven and earth were divided into
three parts, and each of us was to have an equal share. When we
cast lots, it fell to me to have my dwelling in the sea for
evermore; Hades took the darkness of the realms under the earth,
while air and sky and clouds were the portion that fell to Jove;
but earth and great Olympus are the common property of all.
Therefore I will not walk as Jove would have me. For all his
strength, let him keep to his own third share and be contented
without threatening to lay hands upon me as though I were nobody.
Let him keep his bragging talk for his own sons and daughters,
who must perforce obey him."

Iris fleet as the wind then answered, "Am I really, Neptune, to
take this daring and unyielding message to Jove, or will you
reconsider your answer? Sensible people are open to argument, and
you know that the Erinyes always range themselves on the side of
the older person."

Neptune answered, "Goddess Iris, your words have been spoken in
season. It is well when a messenger shows so much discretion.
Nevertheless it cuts me to the very heart that any one should
rebuke so angrily another who is his own peer, and of like empire
with himself. Now, however, I will give way in spite of my
displeasure; furthermore let me tell you, and I mean what I say--
if contrary to the desire of myself, Minerva driver of the spoil,
Juno, Mercury, and King Vulcan, Jove spares steep Ilius, and will
not let the Achaeans have the great triumph of sacking it, let
him understand that he will incur our implacable resentment."

Neptune now left the field to go down under the sea, and sorely
did the Achaeans miss him. Then Jove said to Apollo, "Go, dear
Phoebus, to Hector, for Neptune who holds the earth in his
embrace has now gone down under the sea to avoid the severity of
my displeasure. Had he not done so those gods who are below with
Saturn would have come to hear of the fight between us. It is
better for both of us that he should have curbed his anger and
kept out of my reach, for I should have had much trouble with
him. Take, then, your tasselled aegis, and shake it furiously, so
as to set the Achaean heroes in a panic; take, moreover, brave
Hector, O Far-Darter, into your own care, and rouse him to deeds
of daring, till the Achaeans are sent flying back to their ships
and to the Hellespont. From that point I will think it well over,
how the Achaeans may have a respite from their troubles."

Apollo obeyed his father's saying, and left the crests of Ida,
flying like a falcon, bane of doves and swiftest of all birds. He
found Hector no longer lying upon the ground, but sitting up, for
he had just come to himself again. He knew those who were about
him, and the sweat and hard breathing had left him from the
moment when the will of aegis-bearing Jove had revived him.
Apollo stood beside him and said, "Hector son of Priam, why are
you so faint, and why are you here away from the others? Has any
mishap befallen you?"

Hector in a weak voice answered, "And which, kind sir, of the
gods are you, who now ask me thus? Do you not know that Ajax
struck me on the chest with a stone as I was killing his comrades
at the ships of the Achaeans, and compelled me to leave off
fighting? I made sure that this very day I should breathe my last
and go down into the house of Hades."

Then King Apollo said to him, "Take heart; the son of Saturn has
sent you a mighty helper from Ida to stand by you and defend you,
even me, Phoebus Apollo of the golden sword, who have been
guardian hitherto not only of yourself but of your city. Now,
therefore, order your horsemen to drive their chariots to the
ships in great multitudes. I will go before your horses to smooth
the way for them, and will turn the Achaeans in flight."

As he spoke he infused great strength into the shepherd of his
people. And as a horse, stabled and full-fed, breaks loose and
gallops gloriously over the plain to the place where he is wont
to take his bath in the river--he tosses his head, and his mane
streams over his shoulders as in all the pride of his strength he
flies full speed to the pastures where the mares are feeding--
even so Hector, when he heard what the god said, urged his
horsemen on, and sped forward as fast as his limbs could take
him. As country peasants set their hounds on to a homed stag or
wild goat--he has taken shelter under rock or thicket, and they
cannot find him, but, lo, a bearded lion whom their shouts have
roused stands in their path, and they are in no further humour
for the chase--even so the Achaeans were still charging on in a
body, using their swords and spears pointed at both ends, but
when they saw Hector going about among his men they were afraid,
and their hearts fell down into their feet.

Then spoke Thoas son of Andraemon, leader of the Aetolians, a man
who could throw a good throw, and who was staunch also in close
fight, while few could surpass him in debate when opinions were
divided. He then with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them
thus: "What, in heaven's name, do I now see? Is it not Hector
come to life again? Every one made sure he had been killed by
Ajax son of Telamon, but it seems that one of the gods has again
rescued him. He has killed many of us Danaans already, and I take
it will yet do so, for the hand of Jove must be with him or he
would never dare show himself so masterful in the forefront of
the battle. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say; let us order
the main body of our forces to fall back upon the ships, but let
those of us who profess to be the flower of the army stand firm,
and see whether we cannot hold Hector back at the point of our
spears as soon as he comes near us; I conceive that he will then
think better of it before he tries to charge into the press of
the Danaans."

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. Those who
were about Ajax and King Idomeneus, the followers moreover of
Teucer, Meriones, and Meges peer of Mars called all their best
men about them and sustained the fight against Hector and the
Trojans, but the main body fell back upon the ships of the
Achaeans.

The Trojans pressed forward in a dense body, with Hector striding
on at their head. Before him went Phoebus Apollo shrouded in
cloud about his shoulders. He bore aloft the terrible aegis with
its shaggy fringe, which Vulcan the smith had given Jove to
strike terror into the hearts of men. With this in his hand he
led on the Trojans.

The Argives held together and stood their ground. The cry of
battle rose high from either side, and the arrows flew from the
bowstrings. Many a spear sped from strong hands and fastened in
the bodies of many a valiant warrior, while others fell to earth
midway, before they could taste of man's fair flesh and glut
themselves with blood. So long as Phoebus Apollo held his aegis
quietly and without shaking it, the weapons on either side took
effect and the people fell, but when he shook it straight in the
face of the Danaans and raised his mighty battle-cry their hearts
fainted within them and they forgot their former prowess. As when
two wild beasts spring in the dead of night on a herd of cattle
or a large flock of sheep when the herdsman is not there--even so
were the Danaans struck helpless, for Apollo filled them with
panic and gave victory to Hector and the Trojans.

The fight then became more scattered and they killed one another
where they best could. Hector killed Stichius and Arcesilaus, the
one, leader of the Boeotians, and the other, friend and comrade
of Menestheus. Aeneas killed Medon and Iasus. The first was
bastard son to Oileus, and brother to Ajax, but he lived in
Phylace away from his own country, for he had killed a man, a
kinsman of his stepmother Eriopis whom Oileus had married. Iasus
had become a leader of the Athenians, and was son of Sphelus the
son of Boucolos. Polydamas killed Mecisteus, and Polites Echius,
in the front of the battle, while Agenor slew Clonius. Paris
struck Deiochus from behind in the lower part of the shoulder, as
he was flying among the foremost, and the point of the spear went
clean through him.

While they were spoiling these heroes of their armour, the
Achaeans were flying pell-mell to the trench and the set stakes,
and were forced back within their wall. Hector then cried out to
the Trojans, "Forward to the ships, and let the spoils be. If I
see any man keeping back on the other side the wall away from the
ships I will have him killed: his kinsmen and kinswomen shall not
give him his dues of fire, but dogs shall tear him in pieces in
front of our city."

As he spoke he laid his whip about his horses' shoulders and
called to the Trojans throughout their ranks; the Trojans shouted
with a cry that rent the air, and kept their horses neck and neck
with his own. Phoebus Apollo went before, and kicked down the
banks of the deep trench into its middle so as to make a great
broad bridge, as broad as the throw of a spear when a man is
trying his strength. The Trojan battalions poured over the
bridge, and Apollo with his redoubtable aegis led the way. He
kicked down the wall of the Achaeans as easily as a child who
playing on the sea-shore has built a house of sand and then kicks
it down again and destroys it--even so did you, O Apollo, shed
toil and trouble upon the Argives, filling them with panic and
confusion.

Thus then were the Achaeans hemmed in at their ships, calling out
to one another and raising their hands with loud cries every man
to heaven. Nestor of Gerene, tower of strength to the Achaeans,
lifted up his hands to the starry firmament of heaven, and prayed
more fervently than any of them. "Father Jove," said he, "if ever
any one in wheat-growing Argos burned you fat thigh-bones of
sheep or heifer and prayed that he might return safely home,
whereon you bowed your head to him in assent, bear it in mind
now, and suffer not the Trojans to triumph thus over the
Achaeans."

All-counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to the prayer of
the aged son of Neleus. When they heard Jove thunder they flung
themselves yet more fiercely on the Achaeans. As a wave breaking
over the bulwarks of a ship when the sea runs high before a
gale--for it is the force of the wind that makes the waves so
great--even so did the Trojans spring over the wall with a
shout, and drive their chariots onwards. The two sides fought
with their double-pointed spears in hand-to-hand encounter-the
Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing up into
their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on the
decks ready for use in a sea-fight, jointed and shod with bronze.

Now Patroclus, so long as the Achaeans and Trojans were fighting
about the wall, but were not yet within it and at the ships,
remained sitting in the tent of good Eurypylus, entertaining him
with his conversation and spreading herbs over his wound to ease
his pain. When, however, he saw the Trojans swarming through the
breach in the wall, while the Achaeans were clamouring and struck
with panic, he cried aloud, and smote his two thighs with the
flat of his hands. "Eurypylus," said he in his dismay, "I know
you want me badly, but I cannot stay with you any longer, for
there is hard fighting going on; a servant shall take care of you
now, for I must make all speed to Achilles, and induce him to
fight if I can; who knows but with heaven's help I may persuade
him. A man does well to listen to the advice of a friend."

When he had thus spoken he went his way. The Achaeans stood firm
and resisted the attack of the Trojans, yet though these were
fewer in number, they could not drive them back from the ships,
neither could the Trojans break the Achaean ranks and make their
way in among the tents and ships. As a carpenter's line gives a
true edge to a piece of ship's timber, in the hand of some
skilled workman whom Minerva has instructed in all kinds of
useful arts--even so level was the issue of the fight between the
two sides, as they fought some round one and some round another.

Hector made straight for Ajax, and the two fought fiercely about
the same ship. Hector could not force Ajax back and fire the
ship, nor yet could Ajax drive Hector from the spot to which
heaven had brought him.

Then Ajax struck Caletor son of Clytius in the chest with a spear
as he was bringing fire towards the ship. He fell heavily to the
ground and the torch dropped from his hand. When Hector saw his
cousin fallen in front of the ship he shouted to the Trojans and
Lycians saying, "Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians good in close
fight, bate not a jot, but rescue the son of Clytius lest the
Achaeans strip him of his armour now that he has fallen."

He then aimed a spear at Ajax, and missed him, but he hit
Lycophron a follower of Ajax, who came from Cythera, but was
living with Ajax inasmuch as he had killed a man among the
Cythereans. Hector's spear struck him on the head below the ear,
and he fell headlong from the ship's prow on to the ground with
no life left in him. Ajax shook with rage and said to his
brother, "Teucer, my good fellow, our trusty comrade the son of
Mastor has fallen, he came to live with us from Cythera and whom
we honoured as much as our own parents. Hector has just killed
him; fetch your deadly arrows at once and the bow which Phoebus
Apollo gave you."

Teucer heard him and hastened towards him with his bow and quiver
in his hands. Forthwith he showered his arrows on the Trojans,
and hit Cleitus the son of Pisenor, comrade of Polydamas the
noble son of Panthous, with the reins in his hands as he was
attending to his horses; he was in the middle of the very
thickest part of the fight, doing good service to Hector and the
Trojans, but evil had now come upon him, and not one of those who
were fain to do so could avert it, for the arrow struck him on
the back of the neck. He fell from his chariot and his horses
shook the empty car as they swerved aside. King Polydamas saw
what had happened, and was the first to come up to the horses; he
gave them in charge to Astynous son of Protiaon, and ordered him
to look on, and to keep the horses near at hand. He then went
back and took his place in the front ranks.

Teucer then aimed another arrow at Hector, and there would have
been no more fighting at the ships if he had hit him and killed
him then and there: Jove, however, who kept watch over Hector,
had his eyes on Teucer, and deprived him of his triumph, by
breaking his bowstring for him just as he was drawing it and
about to take his aim; on this the arrow went astray and the bow
fell from his hands. Teucer shook with anger and said to his
brother, "Alas, see how heaven thwarts us in all we do; it has
broken my bowstring and snatched the bow from my hand, though I
strung it this selfsame morning that it might serve me for many
an arrow."

Ajax son of Telamon answered, "My good fellow, let your bow and
your arrows be, for Jove has made them useless in order to spite
the Danaans. Take your spear, lay your shield upon your shoulder,
and both fight the Trojans yourself and urge others to do so.
They may be successful for the moment but if we fight as we ought
they will find it a hard matter to take the ships."

Teucer then took his bow and put it by in his tent. He hung a
shield four hides thick about his shoulders, and on his comely
head he set his helmet well wrought with a crest of horse-hair
that nodded menacingly above it; he grasped his redoubtable
bronze-shod spear, and forthwith he was by the side of Ajax.

When Hector saw that Teucer's bow was of no more use to him, he
shouted out to the Trojans and Lycians, "Trojans, Lycians, and
Dardanians good in close fight, be men, my friends, and show your
mettle here at the ships, for I see the weapon of one of their
chieftains made useless by the hand of Jove. It is easy to see
when Jove is helping people and means to help them still further,
or again when he is bringing them down and will do nothing for
them; he is now on our side, and is going against the Argives.
Therefore swarm round the ships and fight. If any of you is
struck by spear or sword and loses his life, let him die; he dies
with honour who dies fighting for his country; and he will leave
his wife and children safe behind him, with his house and
allotment unplundered if only the Achaeans can be driven back to
their own land, they and their ships."

With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Ajax on the
other side exhorted his comrades saying, "Shame on you Argives,
we are now utterly undone, unless we can save ourselves by
driving the enemy from our ships. Do you think, if Hector takes
them, that you will be able to get home by land? Can you not hear
him cheering on his whole host to fire our fleet, and bidding
them remember that they are not at a dance but in battle? Our
only course is to fight them with might and main; we had better
chance it, life or death, once for all, than fight long and
without issue hemmed in at our ships by worse men than
ourselves."

With these words he put life and soul into them all. Hector then
killed Schedius son of Perimedes, leader of the Phoceans, and
Ajax killed Laodamas captain of foot soldiers and son to Antenor.
Polydamas killed Otus of Cyllene a comrade of the son of Phyleus
and chief of the proud Epeans. When Meges saw this he sprang upon
him, but Polydamas crouched down, and he missed him, for Apollo
would not suffer the son of Panthous to fall in battle; but the
spear hit Croesmus in the middle of his chest, whereon he fell
heavily to the ground, and Meges stripped him of his armour. At
that moment the valiant soldier Dolops son of Lampus sprang upon
Lampus was son of Laomedon and for his valour, while his son
Dolops was versed in all the ways of war. He then struck the
middle of the son of Phyleus' shield with his spear, setting on
him at close quarters, but his good corslet made with plates of
metal saved him; Phyleus had brought it from Ephyra and the river
Selleis, where his host, King Euphetes, had given it him to wear
in battle and protect him. It now served to save the life of his
son. Then Meges struck the topmost crest of Dolops's bronze
helmet with his spear and tore away its plume of horse-hair, so
that all newly dyed with scarlet as it was it tumbled down into
the dust. While he was still fighting and confident of victory,
Menelaus came up to help Meges, and got by the side of Dolops
unperceived; he then speared him in the shoulder, from behind,
and the point, driven so furiously, went through into his chest,
whereon he fell headlong. The two then made towards him to strip
him of his armour, but Hector called on all his brothers for
help, and he especially upbraided brave Melanippus son of
Hiketaon, who erewhile used to pasture his herds of cattle in
Percote before the war broke out; but when the ships of the
Danaans came, he went back to Ilius, where he was eminent among
the Trojans, and lived near Priam who treated him as one of his
own sons. Hector now rebuked him and said, "Why, Melanippus, are
we thus remiss? do you take no note of the death of your kinsman,
and do you not see how they are trying to take Dolops's armour?
Follow me; there must be no fighting the Argives from a distance
now, but we must do so in close combat till either we kill them
or they take the high wall of Ilius and slay her people."

He led on as he spoke, and the hero Melanippus followed after.
Meanwhile Ajax son of Telamon was cheering on the Argives. "My
friends," he cried, "be men, and fear dishonour; quit yourselves
in battle so as to win respect from one another. Men who respect
each other's good opinion are less likely to be killed than those
who do not, but in flight there is neither gain nor glory."

Thus did he exhort men who were already bent upon driving back
the Trojans. They laid his words to heart and hedged the ships as
with a wall of bronze, while Jove urged on the Trojans. Menelaus
of the loud battle-cry urged Antilochus on. "Antilochus," said
he, "you are young and there is none of the Achaeans more fleet
of foot or more valiant than you are. See if you cannot spring
upon some Trojan and kill him."

He hurried away when he had thus spurred Antilochus, who at once
darted out from the front ranks and aimed a spear, after looking
carefully round him. The Trojans fell back as he threw, and the
dart did not speed from his hand without effect, for it struck
Melanippus the proud son of Hiketaon in the breast by the nipple
as he was coming forward, and his armour rang rattling round him
as he fell heavily to the ground. Antilochus sprang upon him as a
dog springs on a fawn which a hunter has hit as it was breaking
away from its covert, and killed it. Even so, O Melanippus, did
stalwart Antilochus spring upon you to strip you of your armour;
but noble Hector marked him, and came running up to him through
the thick of the battle. Antilochus, brave soldier though he was,
would not stay to face him, but fled like some savage creature
which knows it has done wrong, and flies, when it has killed a
dog or a man who is herding his cattle, before a body of men can
be gathered to attack it. Even so did the son of Nestor fly, and
the Trojans and Hector with a cry that rent the air showered
their weapons after him; nor did he turn round and stay his
flight till he had reached his comrades.

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