The Iliad - Homer (ebook reader library .txt) š
- Author: Homer
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Pourād forth in groans his multitudinous grief, His spirit within him sinking. On the plain He lookād, and there, alarmād, the watchfires saw, Which, far advancād before the walls of Troy, Blazād numberless; and thence of pipes and flutes He heard the sound, and busy hum of men.
Upon the ships he lookād, and men of Greece, And by the roots his hair in handfuls tore To Jove on high; deep groanād his mighty heart.
Thus as he musād, the wisest course appearād, With Nestor, son of Neleus, to confer, If they some scheme in council might devise To ward destruction from the Grecian host.
He rose, and oāer his body drew his vest, And underneath his well-turnād feet he bound His sandals fair; then oāer his shoulders threw, Down reaching to his feet, a lionās skin, Tawny and vast; then graspād his pondārous spear.
On Menelaus weighād an equal dread;
Nor on his eyes that night had slumber sat, Lest ill befall the Greeks; who, in his cause, Crossing the watāry waste, had come to Troy, And bold defiance to the Trojans givān.
Round his broad chest a pantherās skin he threw; Then on his head his brazen helmet placād, And in his brawny hand a lance he bore.
To meet his brother went he forth, of Greece The mighty monarch, as a God reverād.
Him by the ship he found, in act to arm; And welcome was his presence to the King.
Then valiant Menelaus first began:
āWhy thus in arms, good brother? seekāst thou one The Trojan camp to spy? I greatly fear That none will undertake the task, alone To spy the movements of the hostile camp In the dark night: stout-hearted he must be.ā
To whom the monarch Agamemnon thus:
āGreat need, my noble brother, have we both Of sagest counsels, if we hope the Greeks And Grecian ships from ruin to preserve, Since turnād against us is the mind of Jove.
To Hectorās offārings most his soul inclines; For never have I seen, or heard men tell, How in one day one man has wrought such loss As Hector, dear to Jove, yet not the son Of God or Goddess, on the Greeks has wrought.
Such deeds hath he achievād, such havoc made, As we shall long in bitter memāry keep.
Haste thou amid the ships, and hither bring Idomeneus and Ajax; I the while
Will Nestor rouse, and urge that he with us The outposts visit, and instruct the guard.
To him they best will listen; for his son Commands the watch; with him Meriones, The follower of the King Idomeneus:
To them by prefārence hath this charge been givān.ā
He said: and Menelaus answerād thus:
āWhat wouldst thou have me do then? here remain With them, and wait thy coming, or to them Thy message give, and follow in thy steps?ā
Him answerād Agamemnon, King of men:
āRemain thou here, lest haply we might fail To meet; for in the camp are many paths.
But thou, whereāer thou goāst, each sevāral man Address, and ask to rise; to each his name And patronymic giving; pay to each
All due respect; nor bear thee haughtily; We like the rest must share the load of toil.
Which Jove assigns to all of mortal birth.ā
His brother thus with counsels wise dismissād, The King to aged Nestor took his way:
Him by his tent and dark-ribbād ship he found On a soft couch; beside him lay his arms, His shield, two lances, and a glittāring helm: There lay the rich-wrought belt the old man wore, When to the battle, armād, he led his troops; For nought to ageās weakness would he yield.
Raising his head, and on his elbow proppād, He questionād thus Atrides: āWho art thou, That wandārest through thā encampment thus alone, In the dark night, when other mortals sleep?
Seekāst thou some mule broke loose, or comrade lost?
Speak, nor in silence come; what wouldst thou here?ā
To whom thus Agamemnon, King of men:
āO Nestor! son of Neleus, pride of Greece, Know me for Agamemnon, Atreusā son,
On whom hath Jove, beyond the lot of men, Laid grief that neāer shall end, while I retain Breath in my lungs, and vigour in my limbs.
I wander thus, because these eyes of mine Sweet slumber visits not, by cares of war Oppressād, and harassād by the woes of Greece.
Much for the Greeks I fear; nor keeps my mind Its wonted firmess; I am ill at ease;
And leaps my troubled heart as thoā ātwould burst My bosomās bounds; my limbs beneath me shake.
But if thou wilt, since thou too knowāst not sleep, Together to the outposts let us go,
And see if there, by toil and sleep oāerpowārād, The guard repose, neglectful of their watch.
The foe is close at hand; nor are we sure He may not hazard eāen a night attack.ā
To whom Gerenian Nestor thus replied;
āMost mighty Agamemnon, King of men,
Not all the hopes that Hector entertains Shall by the Lord of counsel be fulfillād; For him are toil and danger yet in store, If but Achilles of his wrath repent.
Gladly will I attend thee; others too, Tydides, spearman bold, Ulysses sage,
Ajax the swift, and Phyleusā noble son, Should all be summonād; and ātwere well that one Across the camp should run, to call in haste The godlike Ajax, and Idomeneus;
Theirs are the farthest ships, nor near at hand.
But, dear to me as Menelaus is,
And highly honourād, I must blame, that thus (Though thou shouldst take offence, I needs must say) He sleeps, and leaves the toil to thee alone.
With all the chiefs he should be busied now, Imploring aid, in this our utmost need.ā
To whom thus Agamemnon, King of men:
āFor other times, old man, reserve thy blame; Sometimes, I own, he lags behind, nor takes His share of labour; not from indolence, Or want of sense; but still regarding me; Waiting from me an impulse to receive.
But now, before me he was up, and came To visit me; and I have sent him on
To call those very men whom thou hast namād.
Come then; for we, beside the gates, and guard Shall find them; there my orders were to meet.ā
To whom Gerenian Nestor thus replied;
āThen none can blame him; nor can any Greek Justly refuse his summons to obey.ā
He said, and round his body wrapped his vest; Then on his feet his sandals fair he bound, And oāer his shoulders claspād a purple cloak, Doubled, with ample folds, and downy pile; Then took his spear, with point of sharpenād brass, And through the camp preparād to take his way.
Gerenian Nestor from his slumbers first Ulysses, sage as Jove in council, rousād, Loud shouting; soon the voice his senses reachād; Forth from his tent he came, and thus he spoke: āWhat cause so urgent leads you, through the camp, In the dark night to wander thus alone?ā
To whom Gerenian Nestor thus replied:
āUlysses sage, Laertesā godlike son,
Be not offended; such the stress that now Weighs down our army; come thou then with us, And others let us call; with whom ātis meet That we should counsel take, to fight or fly.ā
He said; Ulysses to the tent returnād; Then, his broad shield across his shoulders thrown, Came forth again, and with them took his way.
To Diomed, the son of Tydeus, next
They went; and him they found beside his arms, Without his tent; his comrades slept around, Their heads upon their bucklers laid; their spears Stood upright, on the butts; the burnishād brass Like Heavānās own lightning, flashing far around.
Stretchād on a wild bullās hide the chief reposād, A gay-wrought carpet rollād beneath his head.
Gerenian Nestor close behind him stood, And touched him with his foot, and thus in tone Reproachful spoke: āArouse thee, Tydeusā son!
Why sleepāst thou thus all night? or knowāst thou not That on the very margin of the plain,
And close beside the ships the Trojans lie, And little space between the camps is left?ā
Quick rousād from sleep, thus answerād Diomed: āBeshrew thy heart, old man! no labour seems For thee too hard; are there not younger men To run about the camp, and summon all
The sevāral chiefs? thou dost too much, old man.ā
To whom Gerenian Nestor thus replied:
āTrue, friend, and full of wisdom are thy words; Good sons indeed I have, and followers brave And many, who might well my message bear; But great is now the stress that lies on Greece; For on a razorās edge is balancād now, To all the Greeks, the chance of life or death.
Do thou then go (for thou my younger art), And if thou pity me, thyself arouse
Ajax the swift, and Phyleusā noble son.ā
He said; the warrior round his shoulders threw, Down reaching to his feet, a lionās hide, Tawny and dark; and took his pondārous spear.
He went, arousād, and with him brought the chiefs.
When to the guard they came, not sunk in sleep Found they the leaders; but on wakeful watch Intent, and all alert beside their arms.
As round a sheepfold keep their anxious watch The dogs, who in the neighbouring thicket hear Some beast, that, bold in search of prey, has come Down from the mountain; loud the clamours rise Of men and dogs; all sleep is banishād thence; So from their eyes was banishād sleep, who watchād Through that disastrous night; still plainward turning At evāry movement in the Trojan camp.
The old man saw, well-pleasād; and thus addressād With cheering words the captains of the guard: āWatch ever thus, good youths; nor be surprisād By slumber, lest the foe a triumph gain.ā
This said, he crossād the ditch, and with him went The Grecian leaders, to the council callād: With them, admitted to the confārence, went Meriones, and Nestorās noble son.
The deep-dug ditch they crossād, and sat them down Upon an open space, from corpses clear; Where Hector from the slaughter of the Greeks Turnād back, when Evāning spread her veil around: There sat they down, and there the confārence held.
Gerenian Nestor first took up the word: āO friends! is any here with heart so bold Who dares, self-confident, the Trojan camp To enter? there some straggler he might take, Or in the camp itself some tidings gain, What are their secret counsels; if they mean Here by the ships to hold their ground, or back, Sated with victāry, to the town retire.
This could he learn, and hither scatheless bring His tidings, high as Heavān in all menās mouths Would be his praise, and ample his reward.
For evāry captain of a ship should give A coal-black ewe, and at her foot a lamb, A prize beyond compare; and high should be His place at banquets and at solemn feasts.ā
He said; but all the chiefs in silence heard; Then rose the valiant Diomed, and said: āNestor, that heart is mine; I dare alone Enter the hostile camp, so close at hand; Yet were one comrade givān me, I should go With more of comfort, more of confidence.
Where two combine, one before other sees The better course; and evān though one alone The readiest way discover, yet would be His judgment slower, his decision less.ā
He said, and many chiefs to Diomed
Profferād companionship; stood forth at once, With him to penetrate the Trojan camp, The two Ajaces, ministers of Mars;
Stood forth Meriones, and eagerly
Stood
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