The Iliad of Homer Part 50

But they, when they reached the place where Achilles pointed out to them, laid him down; and immediately heaped on abundant wood for him.

Then again swift-footed Achilles remembered another thing. Standing apart from the pile, he cut off his yellow hair, which he had nurtured, blooming, for the river Sperchius;[734] and, moaning, he spake, looking upon the dark sea:

[Footnote 734: On this custom, cf. Schol. Hesiod. Theog. 348: ?p?????? ?a? p?ta??? ?? ???? ?p?te?? t?? ??a?, d?? t? a???se??

?a? ??at??f?? a?t???? e??a?. See Lindenbrog on Censorin. de Die Nat. i. p. 6, and Blomf. on aesch. Choeph. s. init., with my own note. Statius, Achill. i. 628, "Quaerisne meos, Sperchie, natatus, Promissasque comas?" Cf. Pausan. i. 43, 4; Philostrat. Her. xi.]

"In vain, O Sperchius, did my father Peleus vow to thee, that I, returning to my dear native land, should there cut off my hair for thee, and offer a sacred hecatomb; and besides, that I would in the same place sacrifice fifty male sheep at the fountains, where are a grove and fragrant altar to thee. Thus the old man spake, but thou hast not fulfilled his will. And now, since I return not to my dear fatherland, I will give my hair to the hero Patroclus, to be borne [with him]." Thus saying, he placed his hair in the hands of his dear companion; and excited amongst them all a longing for weeping. And the light of the sun had certainly set upon them, mourning, had not Achilles, standing beside, straightway addressed Agamemnon:

"O son of Atreus (for to thy words the people of the Greeks most especially hearken), it is possible to satiate oneself even with weeping;[735] but now do thou dismiss them from the pile, and order them to prepare supper. We, to whom the corpse is chiefly a care, will labour concerning these things; but let the chiefs remain with us."

But when the king of men, Agamemnon, heard this, he immediately dispersed the people among the equal s.h.i.+ps; but the mourners remained there, and heaped up the wood. They formed a pile[736] a hundred feet this way and that, and laid the body upon the summit of the pile, grieving at heart.

[Footnote 735: See b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 25. "Achilles speaks of the expediency of terminating the lamentations of the army at large, and leaving what remains to be performed in honour of the deceased to his more particular friends."--Kennedy.]

[Footnote 736: In ill.u.s.tration of the following rites, cf. Virg.

aen. iii. 62; v. 96; vi. 215; x. 517; xi. 80, 197, sqq.; and the notes of Stephens on Saxo Grammat. p. 92.]

Many fat sheep, and stamping-footed, bent-horned oxen, they skinned and dressed before the pile; from all of which magnanimous Achilles, taking the fat, covered over the dead body [with it] from head to feet, and heaped around the skinned carcases. Leaning towards the bier, he likewise placed vessels of honey and oil,[737] and, sighing deeply, hastily threw upon the pyre four high-necked steeds. There were nine dogs, companions at the table of the [departed] king, and, slaying two of them, he cast them upon the pile; also twelve gallant sons[738] of the magnanimous Trojans, slaying them with the bra.s.s; and he designed evil deeds in his mind. Next he applied to it the iron strength of fire, that it might feed upon it: then he groaned aloud, and addressed his beloved companion by name:[739]

[Footnote 737: Cf. Alcaeus apud Brunck, Ann. i. p. 490: ?a? t?f??

???sa?t?, ???a?t? d? p????e? a???? ???a?a? ?a??? ???e???

???t?. Compare the similar libations to the dead in Eur. Orest.

114; Heliodor. Eth. vi.; Apul. Met. 3; Stat. Theb. vi. 209; Virg.

aen. iii. 66.]

[Footnote 738: This cruel custom was in vogue amongst the followers of Odin. See Olaus Magnus, iii. 3, and Mallet, Northern Antiquities, p. 213, sq., ed. Bohn.]

[Footnote 739: On this p??sf???s??, or last address to the deceased, see my note on Eurip. Alcest. 625, t. i. p. 231, ed.

Bohn; and Suppl. 773, 804; Virg. aen. iii. 68, v. 79; Propert. i.

17; Auson. Parent. 159, 10.]

"Hail! O Patroclus, even in the dwellings of Hades: for I now fulfil all things which I formerly promised thee; twelve brave sons of the magnanimous Trojans, all these, along with thee, shall the fire consume; but I will not suffer Hector, the son of Priam, to be devoured by fire, but by the dogs."

Thus he spoke, threatening; but about him the dogs were not busied; for Venus, the daughter of Jove, drove off the dogs both days and nights, and anointed him with a rosy unguent, ambrosial, that he might not lacerate him dragging him along. Over him also Phbus Apollo drew a dark cloud from heaven to the plain, and overshadowed the whole s.p.a.ce, as much as the dead body occupied, lest the influence of the sun should previously dry the body all around, with the nerves and limbs.

Yet the pile of dead Patroclus burnt not. Then again n.o.ble Achilles meditated other things. Standing apart from the pile, he prayed to two winds, Boreas and Zephyrus, and promised fair sacrifices; and, pouring out many libations with a golden goblet, he supplicated them to come, that they might burn the body with fire as soon as possible, and the wood might hasten to be burned. But swift Iris, hearing his prayers, went as a messenger to the winds. They, indeed, together at home with fierce-breathing Zephyrus, were celebrating a feast, when Iris, hastening, stood upon the stone threshold. But when they beheld her with their eyes, they rose up, and invited her to him, each of them. But she, on the contrary, refused to sit down, and spoke [this] speech:

"No seat [for me]; for I return again to the flowings of the ocean, to the land of the aethiopians, where they sacrifice hecatombs to the immortals, that now I, too, may have a share in their offerings. But Achilles now supplicates Boreas, and sonorous Zephyrus, to come, that ye may kindle the pile to be consumed, on which lies Patroclus, whom all the Greeks bewail."

She, indeed, thus having spoken, departed; but they hastened to go with a great tumult, driving on the clouds before them. Immediately they reached the sea, blowing, and the billow was raised up beneath their sonorous blast: but they reached the very fertile Troad, and fell upon the pile, and mightily resounded the fiercely-burning fire. All night, indeed, did they together toss about the blaze of the pyre, shrilly blowing; and all night swift Achilles, holding a double cup, poured wine upon the ground, drawing it from a golden goblet, and moistened the earth, invoking the manes of wretched Patroclus. And as a father mourns, consuming the bones of his son, a bridegroom who, dying, has afflicted his unhappy parents, so mourned Achilles, burning the bones of his companion, pacing pensively beside the pile, groaning continually. But when Lucifer arrived, proclaiming light over the earth, after whom saffron-vested Morn is diffused over the sea, then the pyre grew languid, and the flame decayed; and the Winds departed again, to return home through the Thracian sea; but it (the sea) groaned indeed, raging with swelling billow.

But Pelides, going apart[740] from the pile, reclined fatigued, and upon him fell sweet sleep. The others, however, were a.s.sembling in crowds round the son of Atreus, the noise and tumult of whom, approaching, awoke him; and, being raised up, he sat, and addressed them:

[Footnote 740: On ?????a?, cf. b.u.t.tm. Lex. p. 404.]

"O son of Atreus, and ye other chiefs of the Greeks, first, indeed, extinguish the whole pile, as much as the fire has seized, with dark wine; and then let us collect the bones of Patroclus, the son of Mentius, well discriminating them (for they are readily distinguished; for he lay in the centre of the pyre, but the others, both horses and men, were burned promiscuously at the extremity), and let us place them in a golden vessel, and with a double [layer of] fat, till I myself be hidden in Hades. And I wish that a tomb should be made, not very large, but of such[741] a size as is becoming; but do ye, O Achaeans, hereafter, make it both broad and lofty, you who may be left behind me at the many-benched barks."

Thus he spoke; and they obeyed the swift-footed son of Peleus. First of all, indeed, they totally extinguished the pyre with dark wine, as much as the fire had invaded, and the deep ashes fell in; and, weeping, they collected the white bones of their mild companion into a golden vessel, and a double [layer of] fat; then, laying them in the tent, they covered them with soft[742] linen. Next they marked out the area for the tomb, and laid the foundations around the pile; and immediately upraised a mound of earth; and, heaping up the tomb, returned. But Achilles detained the people there, and made the wide a.s.sembly sit down; but from the s.h.i.+ps he brought forth prizes, goblets, tripods, horses, mules, and st.u.r.dy heads of oxen, and slender-waisted women, and h.o.a.ry[743] iron.

First he staked as prizes for swift-footed steeds, a woman to be borne away, faultless, skilled in works, as well as a handled tripod of two-and-twenty measures, for the first; but for the second he staked a mare six years old, unbroken, pregnant with a young mule; for the third he staked a fireless tripod, beautiful, containing four measures, yet quite untarnished;[744] for the fourth he staked two talents of gold; and for the fifth he staked a double vessel, untouched by the fire.

Erect he stood, and spoke this speech to the Greeks:

[Footnote 741: Ernesti considers that t???? is here added to indicate _magnitude_, and Heyne accordingly renders it: "magnitudine fere hac," the speaker being supposed to use a gesture while thus speaking.]

[Footnote 742: See b.u.t.tm. Lexil. pp. 236--9.]

[Footnote 743: "Ernesti conceives that the colour is here maintained to express, not merely the _s.h.i.+ning aspect_, but the newness of the metal; as ?e???? in 268. This is ingenious; but why not receive it as expressive of colour, and borrowed from that to which the metal itself supplies a well-known epithet, viz., the hair of age?"--Kennedy.]

[Footnote 744: ??t?? here designates "_that which is original, unchanged_, in opposition to common changes, ?e???? ??? a?t??, still in _that_ its original state, completely unblackened with fire; and ?. 413; of the body of Hector, ???' ?te ?e???? ?e?ta?.

??t??, in _that_ state in which he was before, still free from corruption."--b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 173.]

"O son of Atreus, and ye other well-greaved Greeks, these prizes lie in the circus, awaiting the charioteers. If now, indeed, in honour of another, we Grecians were contending, then truly would I, receiving, bear the first [prizes] to my tent. For ye know how much my steeds surpa.s.s in excellence; for they are both immortal, and Neptune gave them to my father Peleus, who, again, delivered them to me. But nevertheless I and my solid-hoofed steeds will remain apart [from the contest]; because they have lost the excellent might of such a charioteer, who very often poured the moist oil over their manes, having washed them with limpid water. They, indeed, standing, lament him, but their manes hang down upon the ground, and they stand, grieved at heart. However, do ye others through the army prepare, whoever of the Greeks confides in his steeds and well-fastened chariots."

Thus spoke the son of Peleus; but the swift charioteers arose. But, far the first, arose Eumelus, king of men, the dear son of Admetus, who surpa.s.sed in equestrian skill. After him arose the son of Tydeus, valiant Diomede, and led under the yoke the horses of Tros, which he formerly took from aeneas; but Apollo preserved himself[745] alive; next to whom arose the most n.o.ble son of yellow-haired Atreus, Menelaus, and led beneath the yoke fleet steeds, Agamemnon's mare aethe, and his own stallion, Podargus. Her Echepolus, the son of Anchises, had presented as a gift to Agamemnon, that he need not follow him to wind-swept Ilium, but staying there might be delighted; for Jove had given him great wealth, and he dwelt in wise Sicyon. Her, persevering in the race, he led under the yoke. But Antilochus, the fourth, harnessed his beautiful-maned steeds (the ill.u.s.trious son of the magnanimous king Nestor, the son of Neleus), and swift-footed Pelian-born steeds drew his chariot for him; but his father, standing near, spoke for his good, advising him, though himself prudent:

[Footnote 745: aeneas.]

"O Antilochus, a.s.suredly indeed both Jove and Neptune have loved thee, although being young, and have taught thee all kinds of equestrian exercise; wherefore there is no great need to instruct thee. For thou knowest how to turn the goals with safety; but thy horses are very slow to run, wherefore I think that disasters may happen. Their horses, indeed, are more fleet, but they themselves know not how to manoeuvre better than thou thyself. But come now, beloved one, contrive every manner of contrivance in thy mind, lest the prizes by any chance escape thee. By skill is the wood-cutter much better than by strength; and, again, by skill the pilot directs upon the dark sea the swift s.h.i.+p, tossed about by the winds; and by skill charioteer excels charioteer.

One man who is confident in his steeds and chariot, turns imprudently hither and thither over much [ground], and his steeds wander through the course, nor does he rein them in. But he, on the contrary, who is acquainted with stratagem [though] driving inferior steeds, always looking at the goal, turns it close, nor does it escape him in what manner he may first turn [the course][746] with his leathern reins; but he holds on steadily, and watches the one who is before him. But I will show thee the goal, easily distinguished, nor shall it escape thy notice. A piece of dry wood, as much as a cubit, stands over the ground, either of oak or of larch, which is not rotted by rain; and two white stones are placed on either side, in the narrow part of the way;[747]

but the racecourse around is level: either it is the monument[748] of some man long since dead, or perhaps it has been a goal in the time of former men, and now swift-footed n.o.ble Achilles has appointed it the goal. Approaching this very closely, drive thy chariot and horses near; but incline thyself gently towards the left of them (the steeds), in the well-joined chariot-seat; and, cheering on the right-hand horse, apply the whip, and give him the rein with thy hands. Let thy left-hand horse, however, be moved close to the goal, so that the nave of the well-made wheel may appear to touch, the top [of the post]; but avoid to touch upon the stone, lest thou both wound thy horses, and break thy chariot in pieces, and be a joy to the others, and a disgrace to thyself. But, my beloved son, mind to be on thy guard; for if at the goal thou couldst pa.s.s by in the course, there will not be one who could overtake thee in pursuit, nor pa.s.s thee by; not if behind he drives n.o.ble Arion, the swift steed of Adrastus,[749] which was from a G.o.d in race; or those of Laomedon, which, excellent, have here been reared."

[Footnote 746: Or "pull with his leathern reins."--Oxf. Transl.

"ta??s?, viz. d???? s?? ??s??. Thus t??? d????, ver. 375. The same ellipsis occurs in the following verse, in the case of ??e?, which, however, admits also of the construction ??e? ?a?t??, one usual in the latter language."--Kennedy.]

[Footnote 747: "The old interpreter explained ?? ??????s?? ?d??, and I think correctly, of a wide track in the open plain becoming somewhat narrower at the point where the old monument stood; but ?f?? they took in the opposite sense of ?????, or still more forced. Heyne, however, understood it quite correctly of the wide plain around, which was so suited to a chariot-race, and within which, in the distance, stood also the mark chosen by Achilles, ver. 359. Others see in this pa.s.sage the course winding round the monument; but then it must have been an old course regularly drawn out for the purpose; whereas this monument was selected by Achilles for the goal or mark quite arbitrarily, and by his own choice; and Nestor, ver. 332, only conjectures that it might have formerly served for a goal."--b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 95.]

[Footnote 748: Such monumental stones were frequently placed in public places. Cf. Theocrit. vi. 10; Virg. Eel. ix. 55; Dicaearchus in Athen. xiii. p. 594.]

[Footnote 749: According to many authors, this horse was produced from the earth by a stroke of Neptune's trident. See Serv. on Virg. Georg. i. 12; Pausan. viii. p. 650; Apollodor. iii. 6, 8; and Bernart. on Stat. Theb. iv. 43.]

Thus speaking, Neleian Nestor sat down again in his own place, when he had mentioned the most important points of each matter to his son; and Meriones, fifth, harnessed his beautiful-maned steeds. Then they ascended their chariots, and cast lots into [the helmet]. Achilles shook, and the lot of Antilochus, son of Nestor, leaped forth; after him king Eumelus was allotted; but after him spear-renowned Menelaus, son of Atreus, and Meriones was allotted to drive after him. But the son of Tydeus, by far the bravest, was allotted to drive his coursers last.

Then they stood in order; and Achilles pointed out the goals,[750] far off in the level plain; and near it placed G.o.dlike Phoenix as an umpire, the armour-bearer of his own sire, that he might attend to the race, and report the truth.

[Footnote 750: Cf. aen. v. 129; Quintus Calab. iv. 193: ???s? d?

s?a??es?e d???? t???? ???t?t??? ?t?e?d??.]

Then they all at once raised their lashes over their steeds, and struck them with the reins, and cheered them on with words incessantly; but they rapidly flew over the plain, far away from the s.h.i.+ps, swiftly, and beneath their b.r.e.a.s.t.s the excited dust stood up, raised like a cloud or a whirlwind; whilst their manes were tossed about by the breath of the wind. Sometimes, indeed, the chariots approached the fruitful earth, and at others bounded aloft; but the drivers stood erect in their chariots, and the heart of each of them, eager for victory, palpitated: and each animated his own steeds, but they flew along, stirring up dust from the plain. But when now the fleet steeds were performing the last course, back towards the h.o.a.ry deep, then appeared the excellence of each, and the course was immediately extended to the horses;[751] and then the swift-footed steeds of the son of Pheres[752] swiftly bore him away. The male Trojan steeds of Diomede, however, bore [themselves] next to them; nor were they at all far distant, but very near; for they always seemed as if about to mount into the chariot. And with their breathing the back and broad shoulders of Eumelus were warmed; for they flew along, leaning their heads over him. And certainly he had either pa.s.sed, or made [the victory] doubtful, had not Phbus Apollo been enraged with the son of Tydeus, and accordingly shaken out of his hands the s.h.i.+ning lash. Then from the eyes of him indignant tears poured, because indeed he beheld the others now going much swifter, whilst his [steeds] were injured, running without a goad. Neither did Apollo, fraudulently injuring Tydides, escape the notice of Minerva, but she very quickly overtook the shepherd of the people, and gave him his lash, and put vigour into his steeds. And to the son of Admetus, the G.o.ddess, indignant, advanced, and broke for him his horse-yoke; and so his mares ran on both sides out of the way, and the pole was dashed upon the ground. He himself was thrown from the driving-seat close by the wheel, and was lacerated all round in his arms, his mouth, and nostrils, and his forehead was bruised near the eyebrows; but his eyes were filled with tears, and his liquid voice was clogged. Then Diomede pa.s.sing by, directed his hollow-hoofed steeds, bounding far before the others; for Minerva had put vigour into his steeds, and given him glory. But after him, however, the son of Atreus, yellow-haired Menelaus, drove; but Antilochus cheered on the steeds of his father:

[Footnote 751: _I.e._ "the speed of the horses was immediately put to the stretch," as the Oxford Translator well, but freely, renders it.]

[Footnote 752: Eumelus.]

"Push on! and exert yourselves, both of you, as fast as possible. I indeed do not order you to contend with the steeds of warlike Diomede, to which Minerva has now given speed, and given glory to him; but quickly overtake the horses of Atrides, nor be left behind, lest aethe, being a mare, shed disgrace upon you both. Why should ye be left inferior, O best [of steeds]? For thus I tell you, and it shall surely be accomplished; attention will not be paid to you by Nestor, the shepherd of the people, but he will immediately slay you with the sharp bra.s.s, if we, remiss, bear off the less worthy prize. But follow, and hasten as fast as possible. These things will I myself manage and look to, to pa.s.s him by in the narrow way; nor shall it escape me."

Thus he spoke; but they, dreading the threat of their master, ran faster for a short time: but immediately then warlike Antilochus perceived the narrow of the hollow way. It was a fissure of the earth, where the wintry torrent collected, had broken away [part] of the road, and gullied the whole place; thither drove Menelaus, avoiding the clash of wheels. But Antilochus, deviating, guided his solid-hoofed horses out of the way, and turning aside, pursued him a little. But the son of Atreus feared, and shouted to Antilochus:

"Antilochus, rashly art thou driving thy horses; but check thy steeds for the road is narrow, and thou wilt soon drive past in a wider lest thou damage both [of us], running foul of [my] chariot." Thus he spoke; but Antilochus drove even much faster, urging [them] on with the lash, like unto one not hearing. As far as is the cast of a quoit, hurled from the shoulder, which a vigorous youth has thrown, making experiments of his youthful strength; so far they ran abreast; but those of Atrides fell back: for he himself voluntarily ceased to drive, lest the solid-hoofed steeds should clash in the road, and overturn the well-joined chariots, and they themselves should fall in the dust, while contending for the victory. And him yellow-haired Menelaus, chiding, addressed:

"O Antilochus, no other mortal is more pernicious than thou. Avaunt! for we Greeks untruly said that thou wast prudent. Yet not even thus shalt thou bear away the prize without an oath." [753] Thus saying, he cheered on his steeds, and spoke to them: