The Iliad - Homer (ebook reader library .txt) đ
- Author: Homer
- Performer: -
Book online «The Iliad - Homer (ebook reader library .txt) đ». Author Homer
And stout Ulysses, whose enduring heart For evâry deed of valour was preparâd.
Rose Agamemnon, King of men, and said: âTydides, comrade dearest to my soul,
Choose thou thine own companion, whom thou wilt; Of all the many here that proffer aid
Him whom thou deemâst the best; nor from respect To persons leave the better man behind, And take the worse; nor defârence show to rank, Not though the purest royal blood were his.â
In fear for Menelaus thus he spoke:
Then answerâd valiant Diomed, and said; âIf my companion I may freely choose,
How can I pass the sage Ulysses by?
Of ready wit, and dauntless courage, provâd In evâry danger; and to Pallas dear.
I should not fear, by him accompanied, To pass through fire, and safely both return; So far in prudence he surpasses all.â
Whom answerâd thus Ulysses, stout of heart: âTydides, nor exaggerated praise
Bestow on me, nor censure; for thou speakâst To those who know me all for what I am.
But go we; night wanes fast, the morn is near: The stars are high in Heavân; and of the night Two thirds are spent, one third alone remains.â
He said; and both preparâd to don their arms.
The youthful warrior Thrasymedes gave
To Diomed a two-edgâd sword (his own
Had in the ship been left) and ample shield; Then on his brows a leathern headpiece placâd, Without or peak or plume; a simple casque, Such as is worn by youths to guard their head.
A bow, and well-fillâd quiver, and a sword, Meriones to sage Ulysses gave;
And on his brows a leathern headpiece placâd, Well wrought within, with numârous straps securâd, And on thâ outside, with wild boarsâ gleaming tusks Profusely garnishâd, scatterâd here and there By skilful hand; the midst with felt was linâd; This from Amyntor, son of Ormenus,
Autolycus from Eleon bore away,
Spoil of his pillagâd house; Autolycus Gave to Amphidamas, Cytheran chief,
Who in Scandea dwelt; Amphidamas
To Molus, pledge of friendship; he again Gave to his son, Meriones, from whom
It now encircled sage Ulyssesâ brow.
Thus with accoutrements and arms supplied, They left their brother chiefs, and took their way.
Then close beside their path, by Pallas sent, Rose, on the right, a heron; through the gloom They saw it not indeed, but heard the cry.
The favâring sign with joy Ulysses hailâd, And thus to Pallas prayâd: âHear me, thou child Of aegis-bearing Jove, who still hast stood In evâry peril at my side, whose eye
My evâry movement sees; now, Goddess, now Befriend me; grant that safe, with triumph crownâd, We may return, some great exploit achievâd, Such as the Trojans long may bear in mind.â
Him following, thus the brave Tydides prayâd: âMy voice too, child of Jove, undaunted, hear; And be with me, as with my father erst, The godlike Tydeus, when to Thebes he went, An envoy, in advance; and left behind, Upon Asopusâ banks the mail-clad Greeks.
Smooth was the message which to Thebes he bore; But great, his mission ended, were the deeds That with thine aid he wrought; for, Goddess, thou Wast with him, and thine arm was his defence: So be thou now with me, and me defend.
Then on thine altar will I sacrifice
A yearling heifer, broad of brow, untamâd, Whereon no yoke hath mortal ever laid: Her will I give, and tip her horns with gold.â
Thus as they prayâd, their prayâr the Goddess heard; Then, their devotions ended, on they farâd Through the deep dead of night, like lions twain, âMid slaughter, corpses, arms, and blackenâd gore.
Nor, in the Trojan camp, did Hector leave The chiefs to rest; but all to confârence callâd, The leaders and the councillors of Troy; To whom his prudent speech he thus addressâd: âWho is there here, that for a rich reward A noble work will undertake? A car
And two strong-collarâd horses, best of all That can be found within the Grecian lines, Shall he receive, who, to his endless praise, Shall dare approach the ships; and learn if still They keep their wonted watch, or, by our arms Subdued and vanquished, meditate retreat, And, worn with toil, the nightly watch neglect.â
Thus Hector spoke; but all in silence heard.
There was one Dolon in the Trojan camp, The heraldâs son, Eumedes; rich in gold And brass; not fair of face, but swift of foot; Amid five sisters he the only son;
Who thus to Hector and the Trojans spoke: âHector, with dauntless courage I will dare Approach the ships, and bring thee tidings sure; But hold thou forth thy royal staff, and swear That I the horses and the brass-bound car Shall have, the boast of Peleusâ matchless son: Not vain shall be my errand, nor deceive Thy hopes; right through the camp I mean to pass To Agamemnonâs tent, where all the chiefs Debate in council, or to fight or fly.â
He said; and Hector took his royal staff, And swore to him: âBe witness Jove himself, The Lord of thunder, that no Trojan man, Thyself except, shall eâer those horses drive; For thee they are reservâd, a glorious prize.â
Thus Hector swore; though unfulfillâd the oath.
The hope to Dolon fresh assurance gave.
Forthwith, his bow across his shoulders slung, A grisly wolf-skin oâer it, on his head A cap of martenâs fur, and in his hand A javâlin, from the camp he took his way, Straight to the Grecian ships; but never thence Destinâd to bring thâ expected tidings back.
The crowd of men and horses left behind, Briskly he movâd along; Ulysses first
Markâd his approach, and to Tydides said: âSee, from the camp where some one this way comes, With what intent I know not; if to play The spy about the ships, or rob the dead.
Turn we aside, and let him pass us by
A little way; we then with sudden rush May seize him; or if he outstrip us both By speed of foot, may urge him towârd the ships, Driving him still before us with our spears, And from, the city cutting off his flight.â
Thus saying, âmid the dead, beside the road They crouchâd; he, all unconscious, hastenâd by.
But when such space was interposâd as leave Between the sluggish oxen and themselves [3]
A team of mules (so much the faster they Through the stiff fallow drag the jointed plough), They rushâd upon him; at the sound he stoppâd, Deeming that from the Trojan camp they came, By Hector sent, to order his return.
Within a spearâs length when they came, or less, For foes he knew them, and to night addressâd His active limbs; they rushâd in hot pursuit.
And as two hounds, well practisâd in the chase, With glistâning fangs, unflagging, strain to catch, In woodland glade, some pricket deer, or hare, That flies before them, screaming; so those two, Tydides and Ulysses, stout of heart,
With fiery zeal, unflagging, strainâd to catch The flying Dolon, from the camp cut off; But when the fugitive approachâd the ships, Close by the guard, fresh vigour Pallas gave To Diomed, lest haply from the walls
Some other might anticipate his blow,
And he himself but second honours gain.
Tydides then with threatâning gesture cried, âStop, or I hurl my spear; and small thy chance, If I assail thee, of escape from death.â
He said, and threw his spear; but by design It struck him not; above his shoulder flew The polishâd lance, and quiverâd in the ground.
Sudden he stoppâd, with panic paralysâd: His teeth all chattâring, pale with fear he stood, With faltâring accents; panting, they came up And seizâd him in their grasp; he thus, in tears: âSpare but my life; my life I can redeem; For ample stores I have of gold, and brass, And well-wrought iron; and of these my sire Would pay a genârous ransom, could he learn That in the Grecian ships I yet survivâd.â
To whom Ulysses, deep-designing, thus: âBe of good cheer; nor let the fear of death Disturb thy mind; but tell me truly this; How is ât that towârd the ships thou comâst alone, In the still night, when other mortals sleep?
Comâst thou perchance for plunder of the dead?
Or seekâst upon our ships to play the spy, By Hector sent? or of thine own accord?â
Then Dolon thusâhis knees with terror shookâ
âWith much persuasion, of my better mind Hector beguilâd me, offâring as my prize Achillesâ horses and his brass-bound car; Through the dark night he sent me, and enjoinâd, Entâring your hostile camp, to learn if still Ye keep your wonted watch, or by our arms Subdued and vanquishâd, meditate retreat, And worn with toil, your nightly watch neglect.â
To whom Ulysses thus with scornful smile: âHigh soarâd thy hopes indeed, that thought to win The horses of Achilles; hard are they
For mortal man to harness or control,
Save for Achillesâ self, the Goddess-born.
But tell me truly this; when here thou camâst, Where leftâst thou Hector, guardian chief of Troy?
Where are his warlike arms? his horses where?
Where lie the rest? and where are placâd their guards?
What are their secret counsels? do they mean Here by the ships to keep their ground, or back, Sated with victâry, to the town return?â
Whom Dolon answerâd thus, Eumedesâ son: âThy questions all true answers shall receive; Hector, with those who share his counsels, sits In confârence, far apart, near Ilusâ tomb; But for the guards thou speakâst of, noble chief, Not one is stationâd to protect the camp.
Around the Trojan fires indeed, perforce, A watch is kept; and they, among themselves, Due caution exercise: but, for thâ Allies, They sleep, and to the Trojans leave the watch, Since nor their children nor their wives are near.â
To whom in answer sage Ulysses thus:
âSay now, where sleep they? with the Trojans mixâd, Or separate? explain, that I may know.â
Whom answerâd Dolon thus, Eumedesâ son: âTo this too will I give ye answer true; Next to the sea the Carian forces lie; The Paeon archers and the Leleges,
The Caucons, and the bold Pelasgians next; On Thymbraâs side the Lyciansâ lot has fallân, The Mysians brave, the Phrygian cavalry, And the Maeonians with their horsehair plumes.
But why of these enquire? if ye intend An inroad on the camp, apart from all, New come, the farthest off, the Thracians lie: Rhesus their King, the son of Eioneus, Sleeps in the midst; no steeds that eâer I saw For size and beauty can with his compare: Whiter than snow, and swifter than the wind.
With gold and silver is his chariot wrought, His armour golden, of gigantic size,
A marvel to behold! it seems not meet
For mortal man, but for thâ immortal Gods.
But take me now in safety to the ships; Or leave me here in fetters bound, that so, Ere ye return, ye may approve my words, And see if I have told you true, or no.â
To whom thus Diomed with stern regard: âDolon, though good thy tidings, hope not thou, Once in our hands, to âscape the doom of death; For if we now should let thee go, again In after times thou mightst our ships approach, As secret spy, or open enemy:
But if beneath my hands thou lose thy life, No farther trouble shalt thou cause the Greeks.â
He said; and as the suppliant sought in vain To touch his beard, imploring, through his throat, Both tendons sevâring, drove his trenchant blade: Evân while he spoke, his head was rollâd in dust.
The cap of marten fur from off his head They took, the wolf-skin, and the bow unstrung,
Comments (0)