The Iliad of Homer Part 45

ARGUMENT.

Having divided the Trojan army, Achilles drives one part towards the city, and the other into the Xanthus, where he takes twelve youths alive, in order to sacrifice them at the tomb of Patroclus. He then slays Lycaon and Asteropaeus, deriding the river-G.o.d, Xanthus, as unable to aid his friends. The river endeavours to overwhelm him by the aid of Simos, but Vulcan defends him from the danger. Single combats of the G.o.ds then follow, but they afterwards retire to Olympus. Apollo then leads Achilles away, a.s.suming the form of Agenor, and the Trojans are thus enabled to regain the city.

But when they at last reached the course of the fairly-flowing river, the eddying Xanthus, which immortal Jove begat; there separating them, he pursued some indeed through the plain towards the city, by the [same]

way that the Greeks, on the preceding day, being astounded, had fled, when ill.u.s.trious Hector raged. By that way were they poured forth terrified; but Juno expanded a dense cloud before them, to check them: but the other half were rolled into the deep-flowing river, with silver eddies. But they fell in with a great noise; and the deep streams resounded, and the banks around murmured; but they, with clamour, swam here and there, whirled about in the eddies.[668] As when locusts, driven by the force of fire, fly into the air, to escape to a river, but the indefatigable fire, suddenly kindled, blazes, and they fall, through terror into the water: thus, by Achilles, was the resounding river of deep-eddied Xanthus filled promiscuously with horses and men. But the Jove-sprung [hero] left his spear upon the banks, leaning against a tamarisk; and he leaped in, like unto a G.o.d, having only his sword, and meditated destructive deeds in his mind. And he smote on all sides, and a shocking lamentation arose of those who were stricken by the sword, and the water was reddened with blood. And, as when the other fish, flying from a mighty dolphin, fill the inmost recesses of a safe-anchoring harbour, frightened; for he totally devours whatever he can catch; so the Trojans hid themselves in caves along the streams of the terrible river. But he, when he was wearied as to his hands, slaying, chose twelve youths alive out of the river, a penalty for dead Patroclus, the son of Mentius. These he led out [of the river], stupified, like fawns. And he bound their hands behind them[669] with well-cut straps, which they themselves bore upon their twisted tunics; and gave them to his companions to conduct to the hollow s.h.i.+ps. But he rushed on again, desiring to slay.

[Footnote 668: Virg. aen. i. 118: "Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto." With the following description may be compared aesch. Ag.

670: ???e? ?????? p??a??? ???a??? ?e???? ??d??? ??a??? ?a?t????

t' ??e?p???. Aristid. Panath. p. 142: ?? d? ???a t?? ???atta?

a?at? ?a? ????? ????sa?, ?a? p??ta ?????? ?a? ?a?a???? est?.]

[Footnote 669: As was customary with captives. Cf. Virg. aen. ii.

57, and Moll. on Longus, ii. 9.]

Then did he encounter the son of Dardanian Priam, Lycaon, escaping from the river, whom he himself had formerly led away, taking him unwilling from his father's farm, having come upon him by night: but he, with the sharp bra.s.s, was tr.i.m.m.i.n.g a wild fig-tree of its tender branches, that they might become the cinctures of a chariot. But upon him came n.o.ble Achilles, an unexpected evil; and then, conveying him in his s.h.i.+ps, he sold him into well-inhabited Lemnos; but the son of Jason gave his price.[670] And from thence his guest, Imbrian Eetion, ransomed him, and gave him many things, and sent him to n.o.ble Arisbe; whence, secretly escaping, he reached his father's house. Returning from Lemnos, for eleven days he was delighted in his soul, with his friends; but on the twelfth the deity again placed him in the hands of Achilles, who was about to send him into the [habitation] of Hades, although not willing to go. But when swift-footed, n.o.ble Achilles perceived him naked, without helmet and s.h.i.+eld, neither had he a spear, for all these, indeed, he had thrown to the ground, for the sweat overcame him, flying from the river, and fatigue subdued his limbs beneath; but [Achilles]

indignant, thus addressed his own great-hearted soul:

[Footnote 670: _I.e._ purchase him as a slave.]

"O G.o.ds! surely I perceive this, a great marvel, with mine eyes.

Doubtless the magnanimous Trojans whom I have slain will rise again from the murky darkness, as now this man has returned, escaping the merciless day, having been sold in sacred Lemnos; nor has the depth of the sea restrained him, which restrains many against their will. But come now, he shall taste the point of my spear, that I may know in my mind, and learn, whether he will in like manner return thence, or whether the fruitful earth will detain him, which detains even the mighty."

Thus he pondered, remaining still; but near him came Lycaon, in consternation, anxious to touch his knees; for he very much wished in his mind to escape evil death and black fate. Meanwhile n.o.ble Achilles raised his long spear, desiring to wound him; but he ran in under it, and, stooping, seized his knees, but the spear stuck fixed in the earth over his back, eager to be satiated with human flesh. But he, having grasped his knees with one hand, supplicated him, and with the other held the sharp spear, nor did he let it go; and, supplicating, addressed to him winged words:

"O Achilles, embracing thy knees, I supplicate thee; but do thou respect and pity me. I am to thee in place of a suppliant, to be revered, O Jove-nurtured one! For with thee I first tasted the fruit of Ceres on that day when thou tookest me in the well-cultivated field, and didst sell[671] me, leading me away from my father and friends, to sacred Lemnos; and I brought thee the price of a hundred oxen. But now will I redeem myself, giving thrice as many. This is already the twelfth morning to me since I came to Troy, having suffered much, and now again pernicious fate has placed me in thy hands. Certainly I must be hated by father Jove, who has again given me to thee. For my mother Laothoe, the daughter of aged Altes, brought forth short-lived me, of Altes, who rules over the warlike Lelegans, possessing lofty Padasus, near the Satnio: and Priam possessed his daughter, as well as many others; but from her we two were born, but thou wilt slay both. Him, G.o.dlike Polydorus, thou hast subdued already among the foremost infantry, when thou smotest him with the sharp spear, and now will evil be to me here; for I do not think that I shall escape thy hands, since a deity has brought me near thee. Yet another thing will I tell thee, and do thou store it in thy mind. Do not slay me, for I am not of the same womb with Hector, who killed thy companion, both gentle and brave." Thus then, indeed, the n.o.ble son of Priam addressed him, supplicating with words; but he heard a stern reply.

[Footnote 671: Hesych. ??asa? e??t? p??a? t?? ?a??ss??

d?ap??asa?, ?p???sa?. See Schol. on ver. 40.]

"Fool, talk not to me of ransom, nor, indeed, mention it. Before Patroclus fulfilled the fatal day, so long to me was it more agreeable in my mind to spare the Trojans, and many I took alive and sold. But now there is not [one] of all the Trojans, whom the deity shall put into my hands before Ilium, who shall escape death; but above all of the sons of Priam. But die thou also, my friend; why weepest thou thus? Patroclus likewise died, who was much better than thou. Seest thou not how great I am? both fair and great; and I am from a n.o.ble sire, and a G.o.ddess mother bore me; but Death and violent Fate will come upon thee and me, whether [it be] morning, evening, or mid-day;[672] whenever any one shall take away my life with a weapon, either wounding me with a spear, or with an arrow from the string."

[Footnote 672: See Kennedy.]

Thus he spoke; but his knees and dear heart were relaxed. He let go the spear, indeed, and sat down, stretching out both hands. But Achilles, drawing his sharp sword, smote [him] at the clavicle, near the neck. The two-edged sword penetrated totally, and he, p.r.o.ne upon the ground, lay stretched out, but the black blood flowed out, and moistened the earth.

Then Achilles, seizing him by the foot, threw him into the river, to be carried along, and, boasting, spoke winged words:

"Lie there now with the fishes,[673] which, without concern, will lap the blood of thy wound; nor shall thy mother[674] weep, placing thee upon the funeral couch, but the eddying Scamander shall bear thee into the wide bosom of the ocean. Some fish, bounding through the wave, will escape to the dark ripple,[675] in order that he may devour the white fat of Lycaon. Perish [ye Trojans], till we attain to the city of sacred Ilium, you flying, and I slaughtering in the rear: nor shall the wide-flowing, silver-eddying river, profit you, to which ye have already sacrificed many bulls, and cast solid-hoofed steeds alive into its eddies. But even thus shall ye die an evil death, until ye all atone for the death of Patroclus, and the slaughter of the Greeks, whom ye have killed at the swift s.h.i.+ps, I being absent."

[Footnote 673: Cf. Virg. aen. x. 555, sqq.; Longus, ii. 20: ????

???? [???] ?????? ??s? ?atad?sa?.]

[Footnote 674: Cf. Soph. Electr. 1138, sqq. with my note.]

[Footnote 675: _I.e._ the surface.]

Thus he spoke; but the River was the more enraged at heart, and revolved in his mind how he might make n.o.ble Achilles cease from labour, and avert destruction from the Trojans. But meanwhile the son of Peleus, holding his long-shadowed spear, leaped upon Asteropaeus, son of Pelegon, desirous to kill him whom the wide-flowing Axius begat, and Periba, eldest of the daughters of Accessamenus; for with her had the deep-eddying river been mingled. Against him Achilles rushed; but he, [emerging] from the river, stood opposite, holding two spears; for Xanthus had placed courage in his mind, because he was enraged on account of the youths slain in battle, whom Achilles had slain in the stream, nor pitied them. But when they were now near, advancing towards each other, him first swift-footed, n.o.ble Achilles addressed:

"Who, and whence art thou of men, thou who darest to come against me?

Truly they are the sons of unhappy men who encounter my might." Him again the ill.u.s.trious son of Pelegon addressed: "O magnanimous son of Peleus, why dost thou ask my race? I am from fruitful Paeonia, being far off, leading the long-speared Paeonian heroes; and this is now the eleventh morning to me since I came to Troy. But my descent is from the wide-flowing Axius, who pours the fairest flood upon the earth, he who begat Pelegon, renowned for the spear; who, men say, begat me. But now, O ill.u.s.trious Achilles, let us fight."

Thus he spake, threatening: but n.o.ble Achilles raised the Pelian ash; but the hero Asteropaeus [took aim] with both spears at the same time,[676] for he was ambidexter.[677] With the one spear he struck the s.h.i.+eld, nor did it pierce the s.h.i.+eld completely through; for the gold restrained it, the gift of a G.o.d; and the other slightly wounded him upon the elbow of the right arm; and the black blood gushed out: but the [spear pa.s.sing] over him, was fixed in the earth, longing to satiate itself with his body. But second Achilles hurled his straight-flying ashen spear at Asteropaeus, anxiously desiring to slay him. From him indeed he erred, and struck the lofty bank, and drove the ashen spear up to the middle in the bank. Then the son of Peleus, drawing his sharp sword from his thigh, eagerly leaped upon him; but he was not able to pluck out, with his strong hand, the ashen spear of Achilles, from the bank. Thrice, indeed, he shook it, desiring to pluck it out, and thrice he failed in strength. And the fourth time he had determined in his mind, bending, to snap the ashen spear of aeacides; but Achilles first, close at hand, took away his life with the sword; for he smote him upon the belly at the navel, and all his bowels were poured out upon the ground, and darkness veiled him, dying, as to his eyes. Then Achilles, leaping upon his breast, despoiled him of his arms, and boasting, spoke:

[Footnote 676: ?a?t? is here an adverb.]

[Footnote 677: Symmachus, Epist. ix. 105: "Pari nitore atque gravitate senatorias actiones et Romanae rei monumenta limasti, ut plane Homerica appellatione pe??d?????, id est, aequimanum, te esse p.r.o.nunciem."]

"Lie so: it is a difficult thing for thee, though descended from a River, to contend with the sons of the most mighty Saturnian [Jove].

Thou saidst thou wert of the race of a wide-flowing River, but I boast myself to be of the race of mighty Jove. The hero ruling over many Myrmidons begat me, Peleus, son of aeacus; but aeacus was from Jove; wherefore Jove is more powerful than Rivers flowing into the sea, and the race of Jove again is more powerful than that of a river. Besides, a very great River is at hand to thee, if it can aught defend thee; but it is not lawful to fight with Jove, the son of Saturn. With him neither does king Achelous vie, nor the mighty strength of deep-flowing Ocea.n.u.s, from which flow all rivers, and every sea, and all fountains, and deep wells; but even he dreads the bolt of the great Jove, and the dreadful thunder, when it bellows from heaven."

He said, and plucked his brazen spear from the bank. But him he left there, after he had taken away his life, lying in the sand, and the dark water laved him. About him, indeed, the eels and fishes were busied, eating [and] nibbling the fat around his kidneys. But he (Achilles) hastened to go against the Paeonian equestrian warriors, who were already turned to flight beside the eddying river, when they saw the bravest in the violent conflict bravely subdued by the hands and sword of the son of Peleus. Then he slew Thersilochus, Mydon, Astypylus, Mnesus, Thrasius, aenius, and Ophelestes. And now had swift Achilles slain even more Paeonians, had not the deep-eddying River, enraged, addressed him, likening itself to a man, and uttered a voice from its deep vortex:

"O Achilles, thou excellest, it is true, in strength, but thou doest unworthy acts above [others], for the G.o.ds themselves always aid thee.

If indeed the son of Saturn has granted to thee to destroy all the Trojans, at least having driven them from me, perform these arduous enterprises along the plain. For now are my agreeable streams full of dead bodies, nor can I any longer pour my tide into the vast sea, choked up by the dead; whilst thou slayest unsparingly. But come, even cease--a stupor seizes me--O chieftain of the people."

But him swift-footed Achilles, answering, addressed:

"These things shall be as thou desirest, O Jove-nurtured Scamander. But I will not cease slaughtering the treaty-breaking[678] Trojans, before that I enclose them in the city, and make trial of Hector, face to face, whether he shall slay me, or I him."

[Footnote 678: Although this meaning of ?pe?f?a??? is well suited to this pa.s.sage, yet b.u.t.tmann, Lexil. p. 616, -- 6, is against any such particular explanation of the word. See his whole dissertation.]

Thus speaking, he rushed upon the Trojans like unto a G.o.d; and the deep-eddying River then addressed Apollo:

"Alas! O G.o.d of the silver bow, child of Jove, thou hast not observed the counsels of Jove, who very much enjoined thee to stand by and aid the Trojans, till the late setting evening[679] sun should come, and overshadow the fruitful earth."

[Footnote 679: ?e?e??? has been shown by b.u.t.tmann to be really the _afternoon_; but he observes, p. 223, that in the present pa.s.sage, "it is not the Attic de??? ???a, with which it has been compared, but by the force of d???, the actual sunset of evening.

The ??? is therefore, strictly speaking, redundant, and appears to be used with reference only to the time past, something in this way: 'Thou shouldst a.s.sist the Trojans until the sun sinks late in the west.'"]

He spoke, and spear-renowned Achilles leaped into the midst, rus.h.i.+ng down from the bank. But he (the River) rushed on, raging with a swoln flood, and, turbid, excited all his waves. And it pushed along the numerous corpses, which were in him[680] in abundance, whom Achilles had slain. These he cast out, roaring like a bull, upon the sh.o.r.e; but the living he preserved in his fair streams, concealing them among his mighty deep gulfs. And terrible around Achilles stood the disturbed wave, and the stream, falling upon his s.h.i.+eld, oppressed him, nor could he stand steady on his feet. But he seized with his hands a thriving, large elm; and it, falling from its roots, dislodged the whole bank, and interrupted the beautiful streams with its thick branches, and bridged over the river itself,[681] falling completely in. Then leaping up from the gulf, he hastened to fly over the plain on his rapid feet, terrified. Nor yet did the mighty G.o.d desist, but rushed after him, blackening on the surface, that he might make n.o.ble Achilles cease from toil, and avert destruction from the Trojans. But the son of Peleus leaped back as far as is the cast of a spear, having the impetuosity of a dark eagle, a hunter, which is at once the strongest and the swiftest of birds. Like unto it he rushed, but the bra.s.s clanked dreadfully upon his breast; but he, inclining obliquely, fled from it, and it, flowing from behind, followed with a mighty noise. As when a ditch-worker leads a stream of water from a black-flowing fountain through plantations and gardens, holding a spade in his hands, and throwing out the obstructions from the channel; all the pebbles beneath are agitated as it flows along, and, rapidly descending, it murmurs down a sloping declivity, and outstrips even him who directs it: so the water of the river always overtook Achilles, though being nimble; for the G.o.ds are more powerful than mortals. As often as swift-footed, n.o.ble Achilles attempted to oppose it, and to know whether all the immortals who possess the wide heaven put him to flight, so often did a great billow of the river, flowing from Jove, lave his shoulders from above; whilst he leaped up with his feet, sad in mind, and the rapid stream subdued his knees under him, and withdrew the sand from beneath his feet. But Pelides groaned, looking toward the wide heaven:

[Footnote 680: _I.e._ in the river. One translator absurdly renders it "through him," _i.e._ through Achilles.]

[Footnote 681: "The circ.u.mstance of a fallen tree, which is by Homer described as reaching from one of its banks to the other, affords a very just idea of the breadth of the Scamander at the season when we saw it."--Wood on Homer, p. 328.]

"O father Jove, how does none of the G.o.ds undertake to save me, miserable, from the river! Hereafter, indeed, I would suffer anything.[682] But no other of the heavenly inhabitants is so culpable to me as my mother, who soothed me with falsehoods, and said that I should perish by the fleet arrows of Apollo, under the wall of the armed Trojans. Would that Hector had slain me, who here was nurtured the bravest; then a brave man would he have slain, and have despoiled a brave man. But now it is decreed that I be destroyed by an inglorious death, overwhelmed in a mighty river, like a swine-herd's boy, whom, as he is fording it, the torrent overwhelms in wintry weather."

[Footnote 682: _I.e._ grant that I may but escape a disgraceful death by drowning, and I care not how I perish afterwards. The Scholiast compares the prayer of Ajax in p. 647: ?? d? f?e? ?a?

??ess??. Cf. aen, i. 100, sqq. aesch. Choeph 340; Eur. Andr. 1184.]

Thus he spoke; but Neptune and Minerva, very quickly advancing, stood near him (but in body they had likened themselves to men), and, taking his hand in their hands, strengthened him with words. But to them earth-shaking Neptune began discourse:

"O son of Peleus, neither now greatly fear, nor yet be at all dismayed; so great allies from among the G.o.ds are we to thee, Jove approving it, I and Pallas Minerva, so that it is not decreed that thou shouldst be overcome by a river. It, indeed, shall soon cease, and thou thyself shalt see it. But let us prudently suggest, if thou be obedient, not to stop thy hands from equally destructive war, before thou shalt have enclosed the Trojan army within the renowned walls of Troy, whoever, indeed, can escape: but do thou, having taken away the life of Hector, return again to the s.h.i.+ps; for we grant to thee to bear away glory."

They indeed having thus spoken, departed to the immortals. But he proceeded towards the plain (for the command of the G.o.ds strongly impelled him), and it was all filled with the overflowed water. Much beautiful armour and corpses of youths slain in battle, floated along; but his knees bounded up against the course of it rus.h.i.+ng straight forward; for Minerva had put great strength into him. Nor did Scamander remit his strength, but was the more enraged with the son of Peleus. And he swelled the wave of the stream, and, shouting, animated Simos:

"O dear brother, let us both, at least, restrain the force of the man, since he will quickly destroy the great city of king Priam, for the Trojans resist him not in battle. But aid me very quickly, and fill thy streams of water from thy fountains, and rouse all thy rivulets, raise a great wave, and stir up a mighty confusion of stems and stones, that we may restrain this furious man, who now already is victorious, and is bent on deeds equal to the G.o.ds. For I think that neither his strength will defend him, nor his beauty at all, nor those beautiful arms, which shall lie everywhere in the very bottom of my gulf, covered with mud.

Himself also will I involve in sand, pouring vast abundant silt around him; nor shall the Greeks know where to gather his bones, so much slime will I spread over him. And there forthwith shall be[683] his tomb, nor shall there be any want to him of entombing, when the Greeks perform his obsequies."

[Footnote 683: Observe the force of tete??eta?.]