{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_62453/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_62453","id":"gutenberg_62453","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62453","summary":null,"tags":["Achilles (Mythological character) -- Juvenile literature","Category: Historical Novels","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore"],"text":"[Illustration: _DEATH OF HECTOR_]\n\n                    _Life Stories for Young People_\n\n\n\n\n                                ACHILLES\n\n\n              _Translated, and abridged from the German of\n                         Carl Friedrich Becker_\n\n                                   BY\n                            GEORGE P. UPTON\n              _Translator of \u201cMemories,\u201d \u201cImmensee,\u201d etc._\n\n                        WITH THREE ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n                  [Illustration: A. C. McCLURG & CO.]\n\n                                CHICAGO\n                          A. C. McCLURG & CO.\n                                  1912\n\n                               Copyright\n                          A. C. McClurg & Co.\n                                  1912\n                       Published September, 1912\n\n                           THE\u00b7PLIMPTON\u00b7PRESS\n                                [W\u00b7D\u00b7O]\n                           NORWOOD\u00b7MASS\u00b7U\u00b7S\u00b7A\n\n\n\n\n                          Translator\u2019s Preface\n\n\nIn tracing the career of Achilles in connection with the Trojan war,\nthat inimitable classic story-teller, Carl Friedrich Becker, follows the\nlines of Homer\u2019s Iliad. He gives the reader a graphic picture of the\nstirring events in the ten years\u2019 siege maintained by the Greeks, under\nthe leadership of Agamemnon, king of Mycen\u00e6, in their finally successful\neffort to redress the injury done to Menelaus, king of Sparta, whose\nwife, Helen, was carried off by Paris. The striking points in this\nthrilling narrative are the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles; the\nexploits of Hector, noblest character of them all; the human\nimpersonations of the gods, who take part in the strife\u2014some on one\nside, some on the other; the death of Patroclus; the final\nreconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon and the former\u2019s tremendous\nexploits; the death of Hector, and the touching interview with the aged\nPriam, who seeks to recover his body.\n\nThe ultimate fate of Achilles and the fall of the city are not told, nor\nthe wretched end of Agamemnon, who, according to \u00c6schylus, was killed by\nClytemnestra, the queen, upon his return. Hector is one of the most\nconspicuous figures in this great drama and appears only second to\nAchilles among all the warriors. The exciting Trojan war story has never\nbeen told more graphically or interestingly in modern prose than in\nBecker\u2019s version. In adapting it to the series of \u201cLife Stories\u201d the\ntranslator has been obliged to abridge the original work somewhat, but\nthe parts omitted do not interfere with the flow of the story.\n\n                                                                G. P. U.\n\nChicago, _May_, 1912.\n\n\n\n\n                                Contents\n\n\n  Chapter                                                           Page\n  I The Greeks March Against Troy\u2014Agamemnon Quarrels with Achilles    11\n  II Thetis Promises to Aid the Angry Achilles and Begs Jupiter\u2019s\n          Assistance\u2014Juno is Angry\u2014Agamemnon and the Other Princes\n          Summon the Greeks to Battle                                 21\n  III Meeting of the Armies\u2014Menelaus and Paris\u2014Agamemnon Leads the\n          Greeks into Battle                                          28\n  IV Continuation of the Battle\u2014The Gods Take Part                    38\n  V The Greeks are Successful\u2014Hector Hastens to the City\u2014Glaucus\n          and Diomedes, Hector and Andromache                         46\n  VI Hector and Ajax in Single Combat\u2014A Truce\u2014Another Battle at\n          the Ships                                                   53\n  VII Agamemnon Advises Flight\u2014Council of the Princes\u2014A Deputation\n          is Sent to Achilles                                         63\n  VIII Agamemnon in Battle\u2014Many of the Greeks are Wounded             71\n  IX Agamemnon Consoled\u2014The Gods Take Part in the Strife and the\n          Trojans are Driven Back                                     82\n  X Jupiter\u2019s Message to Poseidon\u2014The Battle for the Ships            90\n  XI Patroclus Hastens into Battle and Scatters the Trojans\u2014Hector\n          and Patroclus                                               97\n  XII The Fight for Patroclus\u2019 Body\u2014Achilles Mourns His Fallen\n          Friend\u2014Thetis and Vulcan\u2014The Shield of Achilles            104\n  XIII Achilles and Agamemnon Become Reconciled\u2014Achilles Goes into\n          Battle                                                     115\n  XIV Achilles in Battle\u2014His Fight on the River Scamander            120\n  XV Hector and Achilles\u2014Hector\u2019s Death                              131\n  XVI Priam and Achilles\u2014Hector\u2019s Burial in Troy                     139\n\n\n\n\n                             Illustrations\n\n\n  Death of Hector                                         _Frontispiece_\n  Rescue of Paris by Aphrodite                                        34\n  Thetis Consoling Achilles                                          110\n\n\n\n\n                                Achilles\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter I\n     The Greeks March against Troy\u2014Agamemnon Quarrels with Achilles\n\n\nTroy was a small portion of that section of Asia Minor which was later\ncalled Phrygia. Its northern coast touched the entrance to the\nHellespont. It was very densely populated and had, besides many little\nplantations, villages, and settlements of farmers or herdsmen, a large\ncity with a strong wall, towers, and gates. Homer never called the city\nTroy, but always Ilios or Ilium. The surroundings he calls Troy and the\ninhabitants Trojans, after an ancestor named Tros, who was said to have\nfounded the city. He describes them as a bold, enterprising people, who\nlived in a high degree of comfort and practised many arts of which the\nEuropeans of that time were ignorant.\n\nThe Achaians, as Homer calls the inhabitants of Greece, and the Trojans,\nengaged in mutual depredations upon each other\u2019s property,\u2014until at last\nthe long-standing national hatred broke out violently through the fault\nof the Trojans. Alexandros, or Paris, one of the sons of the old Trojan\nking, Priam, sailed across to Europe and paid a visit to King Menelaus,\nruler over several cities in Sparta. He was hospitably received and\nentertained for many days, but repaid his good host with most shameless\ningratitude. He persuaded the queen, the beautiful Helen, to forget her\nduty and flee with him. Menelaus sought revenge and called upon his\nbrother Agamemnon, ruler over Mycen\u00e6, old Nestor of Pylos, Ulysses of\nIthaca, and many other valiant princes to ally themselves with him. A\nnumber of young lords who had long been wishing to take part in some\nglorious enterprise, like the expedition of the Argonauts, of which\ntheir fathers had so much to tell, offered their services with\ninnumerable followers.\n\nNews of the mighty campaign which was being arranged spread throughout\nGreece, causing great rejoicing. Everyone looked upon it as a great\nopportunity and an event in which it would be shameful not to take part.\nA whole year passed in preparing the equipments. In the meanwhile Nestor\nand Ulysses travelled about everywhere to persuade the princes of Greece\nand its neighboring islands, who had hesitated hitherto, not to miss\ntheir share in the honors and spoils which so brilliant a campaign was\nsure to afford. For the object was nothing less than the destruction of\nthe celebrated city of Troy, and the booty which was to be expected from\nsuch a rich people was incalculable. They had excellent success on this\nrecruiting expedition, calling upon Peleus, father of Achilles in\nThessalia, King Idomeneus in Crete, old Telamon in Salamis, and others.\n\nThe harbor of Aulis in B\u0153otia was selected for the place of meeting and\nat the appointed time more than one thousand ships assembled, with men\nfrom all parts of Greece. They agreed to offer the command to Agamemnon,\none of the foremost among the princes, partly because he had brought the\nlargest following and partly because he and his brother had organized\nthe campaign. He was, besides, a clever and honorable man and a brave\nwarrior, although considerably inferior in physical strength to\nAchilles, the invincible.\n\nAll was ready for departure, but the ships waited in vain for a\nfavorable wind. It was supposed that some god was delaying the voyage\nand that he must be propitiated by an offering, so the priest Calchas\nwas commanded to consult the oracle. After observing the usual signs he\nannounced that Agamemnon had slain a sacred animal in the chase, thereby\noffending Artemis, who now demanded a human sacrifice in the shape of\nAgamemnon\u2019s eldest daughter, Iphigenia. She was accordingly brought to\nthe altar, but Artemis relented at the moment when the fatal stroke was\nabout to be given, removed the trembling maiden in a dense cloud, and\nput an animal in her place. When Iphigenia awoke from her swoon, she\nfound herself in the temple of Artemis in Taurus, where she served for a\nlong time as priestess.\n\nThe same day, after this sacrifice, a favorable wind swelled the sails\nand the impatient heroes boarded their ships. In a few days the fleet\narrived at Troy. On the way they had stopped to plunder a few cities on\nthe islands of Scyros and Lesbos, had killed the men, and taken the\nwomen on board as slaves. After landing they proceeded in the same\nmanner in the country about Troy. At the end of the war the godlike\nAchilles boasted that he alone with his Myrmidons had conquered twelve\nrich cities by sea and eleven by land in the Trojan territory. The booty\nwhich each skirmishing party brought in to camp was divided and the\nchief always received the best of everything. The inhabitants of the\ncapital were safe behind their walls, and as the Greek forces were\nseldom united, the Trojans were often able, by a sudden sortie, to\nrepulse the attacking parties which ventured too near the gates. This\ndesultory warfare continued for several years, until many of the\nAchaians began to long for home. But they were ashamed to depart thus,\nwithout having accomplished their object. The leaders concentrated their\nmen and began the siege in earnest.\n\nThe Trojans now took measures for more careful defence and sent to the\nneighboring peoples to demand their aid. Many princes responded to the\ncall with their followers, until they had formed an alliance equal in\nstrength to the Achaians. In the tenth year of the siege fortune seemed\nto have turned her back on the Greeks, for besides the hardships of war,\nthey had to contend with a pestilence, and finally were nearly destroyed\nby the Trojans, while their two mightiest chiefs, Agamemnon and\nAchilles, were quarrelling.\n\nAgamemnon had plundered a city and had taken Chryse\u00efs, daughter of a\npriest of Apollo, for his slave. In the same way Achilles had become\npossessed of a maid named Brise\u00efs, to whom he became so attached that he\nwished to keep her always with him. After a time the priest appeared in\nthe Greek camp with rich presents to ransom his daughter, but Agamemnon\ndid not wish to give up the maiden and returned a harsh answer. The\nGreeks urged him to release the maid out of respect for the priest and\nfor fear of Apollo\u2019s wrath, but the obstinate man refused to listen to\nreason and bade the father depart on pain of chastisement. With loud\nlamentations the old man retired to the seacoast and prayed to Apollo.\nThe legend tells us that Apollo at once left Olympus, seated himself at\nsome distance from the ships, and began to shoot his arrows into the\nGreek camp. Whatever was struck died a sudden death by the plague. First\nthe donkeys and dogs and then the men fell victims. The pestilence raged\nfor nine days, during which the funeral pyres burned incessantly.\n\nThis filled the leaders with great apprehension, so that on the tenth\nday Achilles summoned a folk assembly and advised the people to call\nupon the seer Calchas to discover what fault of the army had brought\nthis woe upon them and by means of what sacrifice the god might be\nappeased. Calchas hesitated, but at length answered that he knew the\nreason, but feared to give it until the bravest among the heroes had\nsworn to protect him in case a man of great power among the Achaians\nshould be angry at his decree. Then Achilles stood up and made a public\nvow to protect him, even though the man he meant were Agamemnon,\nmightiest of the Greeks. \u201cVery well, then,\u201d replied Calchas, \u201cI will\ndeclare the truth. Yes, it is Agamemnon with whom Apollo is angry, for\nhe has dishonored his priest and has refused to restore his daughter to\nhim. Therefore hath he sent this punishment upon us and we cannot escape\nit until the maiden shall be returned freely to her father and a rich\nsacrifice has been offered to the god upon his holy altar.\u201d\n\nAgamemnon, trembling with rage, cried: \u201cMiserable seer, must I do\npenance for the people\u2019s sins? The maiden is wise and well trained in\nfeminine tasks. I prize her above my spouse, Clytemnestra, and must I\ngive her up? Let it be so; take her! I will bear even more than this for\nthe people\u2019s good. But I tell you, ye must provide another gift in her\nplace, for she was my share of the booty.\u201d\n\n\u201cAvaricious, insatiable man,\u201d answered Achilles, \u201cwhat dost thou demand?\nI knew not that we had treasures in reserve. Therefore be patient until\nthe gods aid us to conquer rich Troy. Then thou mayst replace thy\ntreasure many times over.\u201d\n\nAlthough this speech was just, the angry man imagined that it was\nintended in mockery and he cried: \u201cNot so, Achilles; strong and brave as\nthou art, thou shalt not intimidate me! Dost thou expect to keep thy\nspoils and the others theirs, while mine is taken from me? I tell thee,\nif I receive no compensation, I will myself take it from thy tent or\nthose of Ulysses or of Ajax, or wherever I please, and let him whom I\ndespoil avenge himself. Take now the maiden, put her aboard the ship,\ntogether with the sacrificial steer, and row her to Chryse, where her\nfather lives, that the god may no longer be angry with us.\u201d\n\nThis speech infuriated Achilles and he cried angrily: \u201cWhat! Thou\nwouldst take away my prize? Did we march against the Trojans for our own\nsakes? Not I, indeed! They never injured me, nor ever robbed me of a\nhorse or cow, nor pillaged my newly sown fields. I was well protected by\nwooded hills and the broad sea and never thought of Troy in my Phthian\nhome. It was solely on thy account, thou selfish, shameless man, that I\ncame hither to avenge thine and thy brother\u2019s sullied honor. And this\nhast thou so speedily forgotten and threatenest even to take away the\nspoils which the Achaians have unanimously accorded me and which I have\nhonestly earned? Have I not hitherto borne the chief burden of the war?\nWho has fought as much as I? Let him appear! And when have I received\nprizes like thine? Thou hast always taken the best of everything, while\nI have contented myself with little. Very well! Thou mayest fight alone!\nI return to Phthia!\u201d\n\n\u201cFly, if thy heart bids thee!\u201d flashed forth Agamemnon in anger. \u201cTruly\nI shall not beg thee to remain. There are other warriors here through\nwhom Jupiter will help me to achieve honor. Thou hast been obnoxious to\nme from the beginning. Thou hast ever loved quarrelling and strife and\nhast never kept peace. Thy strength hath been given thee by the gods and\nthou dost pride thyself altogether too much upon it. Thou mayest sail\naway with all thy followers and rule peacefully over thy Myrmidons. Thy\nwrath is nothing to me. But I tell thee, that as Ph\u0153bus Apollo has taken\nChryse\u2019s daughter from me, I shall take from thee the rosy daughter of\nBrise\u00efs, thy prize, so that thou mayest learn how much more powerful I\nam than thou, and that no other in future shall dare to defy me as thou\nhast done.\u201d\n\nIn a rage Achilles drew his shining sword from its scabbard to cut down\nAgamemnon. Suddenly, unseen by all the rest, the goddess Athena stood\nbehind him and whispered to him not to draw his sword against the king,\nbut that he might scold as much as he pleased. \u201cThy word I must obey, oh\ngoddess,\u201d answered Achilles, \u201cthough anger fills my heart. The gods\nattend those who follow their counsel.\u201d With these words he returned his\nsword to its scabbard, but turning to Agamemnon he cried: \u201cThou\nmiserable drunkard, with the look of a dog and the courage of a hare!\nNever hast thou dared to risk a decisive battle or to lie in ambush with\nthe other nobles; but it is more comfortable to take away his prize from\nthe single man who opposes thee. I swear that thou shalt never again see\nme raise my arm against the Trojans, though all thy Achaians should\nperish and thou shouldst beseech me on thy knees to save thee.\u201d\n\nThus he spake, and dashing his sceptre upon the ground, sat down in\nsilence. Agamemnon was preparing to answer this passionate speech when\nup rose old Nestor, reverenced like a father by everyone for his age,\nwisdom, and experience. When it was seen that he wished to speak all\nwere quiet. Even Agamemnon bridled his anger, and the well-meaning old\nman began: \u201cDear friends, what are you about! What an unhappy fate do ye\nbring upon us all! How Priam, his sons, and the whole Trojan people will\nrejoice when they hear that the foremost Achaians are quarrelling.\nListen to me, for ye are all much younger than I. However much power the\nAchaians have given thee, Agamemnon, do not abuse it. Let Achilles keep\nthe prize with which the Achaians have rewarded him. And thou, Achilles,\ndo not defy the king, for never has Jupiter crowned a king with such\nhonor as this one. Though thou art stronger than he and boastest thyself\nof divine ancestry, he is the more powerful and all the people obey\nhim.\u201d\n\n\u201cTruly, honorable father,\u201d answered Agamemnon, \u201cthou hast spoken\nworthily. But this man is unreasonable; he wishes to be above all\nothers, to rule all, to make laws for all.\u201d\n\nAchilles interrupted him. \u201cIndeed I should be a coward did I submit to\nall thy insults. I will keep the vow I have sworn. One thing I will\nsay\u2014if the Achaians wish the maiden they have given me, they may have\nher. But woe to thee if thou layest hands upon my other spoils.\u201d\n\nAgamemnon insisted on taking the maiden, and he had the power to carry\nout his threats. Wisdom counselled Achilles to surrender what he was not\nstrong enough to hold. He withdrew from the quarrel with more dignity\nthan his unjust enemy, and his threat of abandoning the war gave him\nample satisfaction. The result proved his value. He had thus far been\nthe only one able to vanquish Hector, Priam\u2019s most valiant son; and now\nthat he had withdrawn, it was the Trojans, day after day, who were the\nvictors. It seemed as though a god had doomed the Greeks to destruction.\n\nAgamemnon first sent Ulysses to conduct his slave and the appointed\nanimals for the sacrifice to her father\u2019s home. Next he called upon two\nheralds to fetch the beautiful Brise\u00efs from Achilles\u2019 tent. They obeyed\nhis command in fear and trembling. But Achilles banished their fears,\nsaying: \u201cCome hither, ye sacred messengers and peace be with ye. For ye\nare not to blame, but he who sends ye. He shall have the maid. Go,\nPatroclus, and fetch her out. Ye are all witnesses before gods and men\nthat I have sworn never to lift a hand again for Agamemnon against\nTroy.\u201d\n\nThey received the maid from the hands of his friend, Patroclus, and she\nwent reluctantly away with them, often glancing sorrowfully backward\ntoward the tent of her former beloved master.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter II\n      Thetis Promises to Aid the Angry Achilles and Begs Jupiter\u2019s\n  Assistance\u2014Juno is Angry\u2014Agamemnon and the Other Princes Summon the\n                            Greeks to Battle\n\n\nAchilles gazed gloomily after the men, then arose quickly and seated\nhimself far from his companions on the beach, looking moodily out over\nthe dark waters. He bethought him of his mother, Thetis, who lived in\nthe blue depths of the sea, spread out his arms, and prayed to her for\naid. She heard him and hastened to appear. Floating over the sea like a\ncloud, she seated herself beside her weeping son and tenderly caressed\nhim. \u201cDear son, why dost thou weep?\u201d she asked. \u201cWhat troubles thee?\nSpeak! Conceal nothing from me.\u201d With deep sighs he related what had\nhappened to him, begging his mother to avenge his wrongs and to\nintercede for him with Jupiter.\n\nIt was early on the twelfth day since Achilles had retired from the fray\nwhen Thetis rose from the dark waves and ascended the heights of\nOlympus. She found the mighty Jupiter seated on the summit of the\nmountain, apart from the other gods, bowed herself before him, embraced\nhis knees with her left hand, and caressed his chin with her right hand.\n\u201cFather Jupiter,\u201d she said coaxingly, \u201cif thou lovest me, grant me a\nboon and show favor to my son, who has but a short life to live. Give\nhim redress against Agamemnon and let the Trojans prevail, until the\nAchaians shall be obliged to recompense him with redoubled honors, for\nthis base insult.\u201d\n\nThe father of the gods and men began dejectedly: \u201cThou wilt involve me\nin strife and enmity with Juno. Even now she quarrels with me and says I\nam aiding the Trojans. Leave me quickly, that she may not see thee, and\nI will grant thy request with a nod.\u201d\n\nThe goddess descended from the shining heights of Olympus into the\ndepths of the sea, while Jupiter arose and went to his palace. When the\ngods saw him coming they all left their places and went respectfully to\nmeet him. He approached the throne and seated himself. But his jealous\nconsort had noticed Thetis and began straightway to pick a quarrel with\nhim. \u201cYes, I saw the silver-footed Thetis at thy knee, saw thy nod, and\nsaw her depart content. Doubtless thou art about to honor Achilles once\nmore, castigate the Achaians, and protect the insolent Trojans.\u201d\n\n\u201cThou art continually spying upon me,\u201d answered the ruler. \u201cBut it shall\ndo thee no good\u2014I do as I please. Therefore sit still and be silent, for\nshouldst thou arouse my anger, all the immortals together could not save\nthee from my powerful hands.\u201d\n\nThus spake the Thunderer, and Juno was frightened. All the gods were\nsorry for her, especially Heph\u00e6stus, the artist god of fire; for she was\nhis mother, and he had already learned that Jove\u2019s threats often\nreceived terrible fulfilment. He began in his mother\u2019s behalf: \u201cIt is\nintolerable that thou shouldst quarrel over mortals. I admonish thee,\nmother, to bear thyself acceptably, that our father may be content and\nour feast be undisturbed.\u201d He took his goblet, and handing it to his\nmother, said: \u201cBe patient, dear mother, even though grieved at heart,\nthat I may not have to look upon thy punishment. Once before when he\nstruck thee and I attempted to restrain him, he took me by the heel and\ncast me down into the air, so that I fell for a whole day before I\nstruck the earth, and I have limped ever since.\u201d\n\nThe mother smiled and took the cup, and Heph\u00e6stus filled the goblets of\nthe other gods. Then Apollo with his muses broke forth in sweet song,\nand thus the day passed among the immortals in blissful contentment.\nWhen Helios had put out his flaming torch, each went to his dwelling to\nrest. Jove was the only one whom sleep fled. He meditated anxiously how\nhe might favor Achilles by defeating the Greeks. He sent a deceptive\ndream to Agamemnon, telling him to prepare for battle and that it would\nbe easy for him to conquer the city. As soon as he awoke, Agamemnon told\nthe other princes of his dream. The assembly was called together.\nAgamemnon was uncertain whether he dared call upon the discontented\narmy, and wishing first to feel his way, he began to talk of their\nreturn. \u201cHere we have lain for ten years,\u201d he said. \u201cThe ships are\nrotting, the anchor ropes are mouldering, and we have as yet\naccomplished nothing. Indeed the gods seem to be against us. Therefore\nmy advice is that we quickly put to sea and sail for home before the\nTrojans do us a greater mischief. You all must see that we cannot take\nthe city.\u201d\n\nHe had scarcely ended when the whole company rushed exultantly away to\nthe ships, for all were anxious to return to their homes. This was more\nthan the king had expected and he looked on in despair, while the other\nbrave leaders gnashed their teeth. They were powerless to stay the\ntumultuous rabble until Ulysses, hurrying forward with quick presence of\nmind, admonished leaders and men to return to the assembly. \u201cDo not be\nin such a hurry,\u201d he would say when he met one of the princes; \u201chear the\nend. Thou dost not know the king\u2019s mind yet. He but wished to test us,\nand woe to thee if the mighty king\u2019s wrath overtake thee.\u201d Then he drove\nthe people back, and they came with a roar like angry waves breaking on\na rocky shore. They knew Ulysses\u2019 warlike spirit and feared he might\nadvise renewal of the struggle. Only respect for his great authority\nmoved them to return.\n\nWhen all the princes were seated and order had once more been restored,\nUlysses was about to take up the sceptre. Suddenly Thersites pushed\nforward. He was despised by the whole army as a quarrelsome, insolent\nfellow, who seldom let an opportunity go by to insult the princes, not\nexcepting Agamemnon himself, with mocking, rebellious words. He was the\nugliest of all the Greeks, having a lame foot, a deformed shoulder, a\npointed, bald head, and a cast in one eye.\n\n\u201cWhat wilt thou now, Atreus\u2019 son?\u201d he shrieked at Agamemnon. \u201cI should\nhave thought thou hadst collected enough money and valuable spoils to\nhave satisfied thy avarice. Dost thou desire still more? Must the\nAchaians still sacrifice themselves to fill thy insatiable throat? Are\nye not ashamed, ye princes, to suffer such a king to lead ye to\ndestruction? But ye are women or ye would desert him and embark without\nhim.\u201d\n\n\u201cSilence, foolish babbler!\u201d cried Ulysses. \u201cIf I ever again hear thee\nslander one of us so shamelessly, true as I live, I will tear thy\nclothes from thy body and whip thee out of the assembly so that the\nwhole camp shall hear thy cries!\u201d Thus spake the hero, beating him about\nthe back and shoulders with the sceptre, so that he cowered down and\nthen ran away crying out.\n\nThe heralds now commanded silence as Ulysses again stood up to speak.\nTurning to Agamemnon he said: \u201cOh son of Atreus, how badly have the\nAchaians kept faith with thee. They promised not to return home until we\nhad conquered Troy, and now they act like children. I do not blame\nanyone for longing for his home after ten years of absence. But just\nbecause we have waited so long, it were a shame to return when we are so\nnear the goal. For we must succeed or all the signs of the immortal Jove\nare a mockery. Did not Calchas tell us, back in Aulis, how it would be?\nDo ye not remember the sparrow\u2019s nest in the beautiful maple tree near\nour altar? I can still see the spotted serpent gliding up its trunk and\nswallowing the eight young birds and catching the frightened mother bird\nat last by the wing. We were all alarmed at the omen, but Calchas\ninterpreted the occurrence favorably. He said: \u2018The war shall consume\nnine years, but in the tenth, Troy shall fall.\u2019 Behold, friends, the\nprophecy is about to be fulfilled, and will ye now flee? Wait but a\nshort time until we have taken the proud city of Priam, and then let us\ndepart laden with rich booty and crowned with immortal glory.\u201d\n\nOld Nestor next arose to persuade those who still hesitated. \u201cThat is\nright,\u201d he said. \u201cLet reason speak to you. Shall our great plans go up\nin smoke and shall our sacred vows to Menelaus and his good brother,\nAgamemnon, be broken? Indeed no! Lead the Achaians into battle, great\nking, and most of them will, I hope, cheerfully follow thee. Let the men\nbe gathered together by tribes, that each may fight for his own blood.\nThen thou shalt clearly see whether the gods protect the city or whether\nit is the cowardice and ignorance of our army which defeats us.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell spoken!\u201d cried Agamemnon. \u201cWe must not rest until the fortress is\ntaken. Jove will surely aid us. His flashing lightnings as we left Aulis\nare the surest pledge of this. The city would already be ours had I ten\nmen in my army as wise as thou art, O Nestor, and alas! had Achilles not\nleft us\u2014Achilles, whom I have wounded so sorely. But come! Let everyone\nprepare for the battle. Let us quickly refresh and strengthen ourselves\nand then advance upon the city in a body.\u201d\n\nWith these words he dismissed the assembly and the people streamed back\nto the tents to arm themselves and take some food. The king invited all\nthe chiefs to join him at breakfast in his tent. Nestor, Idomeneus, the\ntwo brave Ajaxes, Diomedes, and Ulysses were there, besides his brother\nMenelaus. They took a steer, strewing sacred barley upon it, and while\nthey all stood about it in a circle, Agamemnon lifted up his voice and\nprayed to Jupiter for victory. Alas! he did not know that the god had\nturned against him.\n\nThe drivers harnessed their horses, the warriors donned helmet and\nshield and took up their lances, and the heralds lifted up their mighty\nvoices above the din, to call the stragglers together. Company after\ncompany, they assembled like a swarm of migrating birds. Then the\nprinces hastily mustered the ranks and arranged the races and tribes as\nNestor had advised. But the king called to them in a loud voice to fight\nbravely, and when all was in readiness they swept forwards with a din\nand outcry, like a flock of screeching cranes.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter III\nMeeting of the Armies\u2014Menelaus and Paris\u2014Agamemnon Leads the Greeks into\n                                 Battle\n\n\nThe Trojan nobles were holding a council of war before the palace when\nIris, a messenger from Jupiter, appearing in the shape of Priam\u2019s son\nPolites, joined them. He came from one of the watch towers and brought\nthe news that an incalculable number of Achaians was approaching.\nHastily the council broke up, each chief going to assemble his people,\nthat they might be ready to meet the Greeks before they should reach the\ncity wall. In their midst were many heroes, but distinguished amongst\nthem all for invincible strength and heroic courage were Hector, son of\nPriam, several of his brothers, and also \u00c6neas, a connection of the\nroyal house.\n\nMasses of men now poured out of the open city gates and ranged\nthemselves in long lines of battle. The Achaians advanced ever nearer,\nbut could not be distinguished for the tremendous dust which arose\nbefore them, enveloping them like a cloud. When they came to a\nstandstill the leaders at last recognized one another. In front of the\nTrojans marched the godlike Paris, wearing a leopard skin, his bow slung\nover his shoulder, his sword on his thigh, and swinging two javelins in\nhis right hand. With mocking words he challenged the bravest Achaians to\ncombat. His arch-enemy, Menelaus, was the first to hear him and his\nheart swelled with anger, while he burned to meet the robber of his\nhonor. He guided his chariot toward him, sprang hastily down, and ran to\nmeet him, eager as a lion to spring upon its prey. The handsome youth\nwas frightened at his appearance and fled, vanishing among the throng of\nTrojans.\n\nHis brother Hector saw his flight and was indignant at the sight.\n\u201cCoward,\u201d he cried, \u201cwould that thou hadst never been born or else hadst\ndied ere ever thou didst learn to seduce women! Now thou hast made a\nlaughing-stock of thyself before both armies. I can only wonder how thou\nhadst ever the courage to go to a foreign land and there to steal away a\nbeautiful woman. The deed has been the undoing of us all and brought\neternal shame upon thyself. Menelaus appears quite different to thee\nto-day, I suppose, from what he did then? Had he caught thee, thy lute\nand curled hair, thy slender shape, and the favor of Aphrodite had\navailed thee little. Were the Trojans not a cowardly rabble thou wouldst\nlong ago have paid the penalty for all thou hast brought upon them.\u201d\n\nParis answered: \u201cThou art right, brother. But forgive me. Wouldst thou\nsee me fight, bid the others cease and let me challenge Menelaus to\nsingle combat before the people. Then let whichever is the victor take\nHelen, with all the other treasures, that the Trojans and Achaians may\npart in peace.\u201d\n\nThese words pleased Hector and he advanced, holding out his lance before\nthe Greeks and calling upon them to cease fighting. The arrows of the\nenemy fell about him like rain until Agamemnon spied him and cried\nloudly: \u201cStop, men! Do not shoot, for he wishes to speak to us.\u201d\n\nHector called out: \u201cHear me now, Achaians and Trojans! Paris, my\nbrother, the cause of all this trouble, would also make an end of it and\nchallenges Menelaus to single combat. Whichever wins shall take both\nHelen and the treasure and the death of the vanquished shall end the\nwar. Ye shall all return to your homes and we will swear a bond of\nfriendship.\u201d\n\nMenelaus listened, well pleased, and stepped forth to accept the\nchallenge, only stipulating that a solemn pledge should be taken with\nall the customary sacrifices and observances and that King Priam should\nhimself be present at the combat. All this was willingly granted.\n\nIn the meanwhile Agamemnon and Hector sent for the lambs and goats for\nthe sacrifice. Priam was seated upon the city wall near the Sc\u00e6an gate\nwith the elders who were no longer able to go into battle, and there the\nmessage was brought him by a herald. Helen also received the message,\nwhich she heard with pleasure, hoping in her heart that Menelaus might\nbe the victor; for she had begun to long for her former husband, her\nnative city, and old friends. She hastily wrapped herself in a silvery\nveil of linen and hurried away to the Sc\u00e6an gate, accompanied by two\nfemale attendants. The aged men at the tower were entranced with her\nbeauty and compared her to one of the immortal goddesses. Priam welcomed\nher kindly, saying: \u201cApproach, my daughter. Sit here beside me, that\nthou mayest see all thy dear relatives and thy former husband. Do not\nweep. It is not thy fault. It is the immortal gods who have sent us this\nunhappy war. But tell me, who is that stately man who stands out amongst\nall the others, so noble and commanding in appearance?\u201d\n\n\u201cHow kind thou art, gracious father, and how unhappy am I!\u201d answered\nHelen. \u201cWould I had died ere I followed thy son hither. That stately\nhero of whom thou speakest is Agamemnon, the powerful king of Mycen\u00e6. He\nwas my brother-in-law. Alas! would that he were now.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo that is Agamemnon!\u201d replied Priam slowly, observing him with\nadmiration. \u201cBut tell me more. I see one who is not so tall, but with\nbroad chest and mighty shoulders. He has laid his weapons upon the\nground and goes among the soldiers, from one company to another, even as\na ram musters the flock.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is Ulysses, La\u00ebrtes\u2019 son,\u201d said Helen; \u201ca good soldier and the\nwisest of them all in council.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is true, and now I recognize him myself,\u201d said Antenor. \u201cHe came\nwith Menelaus into the city, as ambassador from the Achaians, to make\nterms for thee.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut look!\u201d cried Priam. \u201cThere go two others, who appear to be powerful\nkings.\u201d\n\n\u201cTruly they are valiant heroes,\u201d answered Helen. \u201cThe first is Ajax of\nSalamis and the other Idomeneus, king of Crete. He often visited us and\nMenelaus entertained him gladly, for he is an excellent man.\u201d\n\nWhile this conversation was going on, there came a herald to the aged\nking to announce that the chariot was waiting to take him to the\nbattlefield. On their arrival in the midst of the two armies, Agamemnon\nadvanced to meet the king, surrounded by the other princes. Heralds went\namong the company, sprinkling the hands of each with water; for none\nmight perform a sacred rite with unclean hands. Then Agamemnon drew a\ngreat knife from his belt and sheared the wool from the lambs\u2019 heads and\nthe heralds gave a piece of it to each prince. Then Agamemnon lifted up\nhis hands and prayed: \u201cFather Jupiter, glorious ruler, and thou, Helios,\nall-seeing sungod; ye Streams and Earth and ye Shades who punish those\nwho swear falsely, be ye witnesses of our vows and of this solemn\ntreaty. If Paris vanquish King Menelaus, he shall keep Helen and her\ntreasures and we will return to our country. But if he fall in the\nfight, the Trojans shall give up the woman, together with all the\ntreasure, and pay us besides a fair tribute in this and future years.\nAnd should they ever refuse to fulfil this vow, I shall renew the war\nand never stop until I have received full satisfaction.\u201d All took the\noath and the king cut the throats of the lambs and laid them down upon\nthe ground. Then each took wine and poured the first drops upon the\nearth in honor of the gods, saying: \u201cMay Jupiter thus spill the blood of\nhim who shall first break the sacred oath.\u201d\n\n\u201cWorthy men,\u201d said old Priam, with tears in his eyes, \u201cgrant me leave to\nreturn home that I may not look upon the combat. Let Jupiter decide. He\nknoweth best the right.\u201d With these words he was lifted into his chariot\nand Antenor drove him swiftly to the palace.\n\nHector and Ulysses, the arbiters of the combat, now measured off the\nground and put the lots in a helmet, one for Menelaus and one for Paris,\nin order to decide who should first cast his spear. Hector shook the\nhelmet until one of the lots flew out. It was that of Paris. The\nbystanders at once retired to a distance and seated themselves in a\ncircle. Paris, in shining armor and carrying a heavy javelin, advanced\nfrom one side and Menelaus from the other into the middle of the arena.\nThey shook their weapons fiercely and Paris was the first to cast his\njavelin. But he struck only the edge of Menelaus\u2019 shield; the point was\nbent and the spear fell harmless to the ground.\n\nMenelaus cast his spear with such force that it pierced the shield and\nwould have penetrated his heart had Paris not quickly sprung aside. But\nwhile he was gazing in dismay at the wreck of his shield, Menelaus\nsprang upon him with drawn sword and had cloven his head in twain had\nnot the thick helmet shivered the brittle blade. For the third time he\nsprang at Paris and seized him by the helmet to throw him to the ground,\nbut at the same moment the chin strap broke and Menelaus\u2019 arm flew up\nand he found himself holding the empty helmet in his hand. Paris took\nthe opportunity to rush away and take refuge among the Trojans, and when\nMenelaus turned to cast his spear a second time at him, he had already\ndisappeared. It was the friendly goddess Aphrodite who had saved him.\n\nWhile the Greeks were loudly acclaiming the victor, Jupiter put it into\nthe heart of a Trojan to shoot an arrow at Menelaus. Pandarus was the\nman\u2019s name and Athena herself had put the arrow into his hands just as\nMenelaus passed under the city wall. But the wound was not dangerous and\nwas quickly dressed by Machaon with a salve which he always carried\nabout him. The victorious cries of the Achaians now changed to cries of\nrage. All condemned the treacherous act and called down the vengeance of\nJupiter upon the Trojan people.\n\n             [Illustration: _RESCUE OF PARIS BY APHRODITE_]\n\nAgamemnon assembled his cohorts once more and hastened among the ranks\nencouraging, threatening. Brave Idomeneus he found ready armed amongst\nhis Cretans. Next he mustered the tribes under command of the two\nAjaxes, which were ready to go into battle. The next company that he met\nwere the Pylians, under the command of young princes whom old Nestor\ndirected. The old man was even now going about among the men,\nrestraining the horsemen and placing the weaker in the middle, with the\nmore courageous and experienced at the front and on the sides, and\ngiving much valuable advice to the young leaders. Well pleased,\nAgamemnon hurried on to the Athenians and Cephallenians, led by\nMenestheus and Ulysses. He found the two chieftains conversing\nunconcernedly together and called to them: \u201cIs this the interest ye take\nin the war? All the rest are armed and ready and would ye be left\nbehind? Ye are always foremost at the banquet and now ye look on while\nten companies of Achaians enter the battlefield before ye.\u201d\n\nUlysses answered, darkly frowning: \u201cWhat words are these, oh ruler? When\nhast thou ever found us tardy in battle? When the fight begins we shall\nnot be far away, and thou shalt see the father of Telemachus at the\nfront amongst the Trojan horsemen. Those were empty words thou spakest!\u201d\nSmiling at his anger Agamemnon answered: \u201cNoble son of La\u00ebrtes, thou\nneedest no advice nor blame from me, for we are of one mind. Let it be\nforgotten if I have spoken harshly.\u201d\n\nHe hastened to the next company, where he found Diomedes and Sthenelus\nstanding together in their chariot, the former with sad and disheartened\nmien. \u201cWhat, son of Tydeus!\u201d he said to him, \u201cthou seemest disturbed and\nart trembling. Thy noble father knew no fear. What deeds that man\naccomplished! His son is less heroic in battle, though more ready of\ntongue.\u201d\n\n\u201cSpeak not falsely, Atride,\u201d answered Sthenelus, as Diomedes bowed\nrespectfully under the king\u2019s reproaches. \u201cWe boast ourselves braver\nthan our fathers, for they led many foot-soldiers and horsemen to Thebes\nand failed to take the city, while we stormed it with but few followers.\nDo not praise our fathers at our expense.\u201d\n\n\u201cSilence, friend,\u201d interrupted Diomedes. \u201cI do not blame Agamemnon for\ninciting the Achaians to battle. The fame and gain will be his if the\nwar is ended gloriously, and his the disgrace and ruin should the\nAchaians be put to flight.\u201d\n\nWith these words he sprang from the chariot, so that his bronze harness\nrattled, and began to arm himself for the fight. Agamemnon passed on.\nWhile he was mustering the right wing, the left advanced to the attack.\nThey moved slowly and silently forward, enveloped in a cloud of dust. At\nlast Achaians and Trojans met; shield rang against shield, lance broke\nlance. Now loud shouts arose, and mingled with the battle cries were\nheard the groans of the wounded and dying being dragged away by their\nfriends, that they might not be trampled upon or subjected to the\ncruelties of the enemy. Above the din of battle rose the commands of the\nchieftains and the cries of the soldiers. Swords hissed through the air,\nspears whistled, shields rang against one another.\n\nHector, seeing his companions give way, called to them: \u201cForward, Trojan\nhorsemen! Come, do not leave the field to the Argives. They are made\nneither of iron nor stone that our spears should rebound from them, and\nAchilles, the great hero, no longer fights in their ranks.\u201d\n\nThe Trojans took courage at this and renewed the battle. Diores, the\nGreek, was stretched senseless upon the ground by a heavy stone, and\njust as his conqueror, the Trojan Peirus, had given him the deathblow\nwith his spear and was about to strip his victim, Thoas the \u00c6tolian\nrushed upon him with his sword and he fell across the body of Diores.\nBut Thoas was obliged to flee in turn, for the Trojans ran up to carry\noff Peirus, and he had to seek other booty. It had been a hot day and\nhorse and rider were panting.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter IV\n             Continuation of the Battle\u2014The Gods Take Part\n\n\nThe sun stood high in the heavens and the battle continued to rage with\nthe greatest bitterness. Hector and \u00c6neas, Agamemnon, Ulysses, and the\nother great heroes raged about the broad battlefield like beasts of\nprey. Diomedes was especially favored by Athena on this great day and\nlaid many warriors in the dust. Among the Trojans, two sons of the rich\nand pious priest of Vulcan, Dares, spurred forward from the swarm of\nwarriors against him. One of them cast his spear at the hero, but missed\nthe mark, which but served to enrage the warrior. He grimly cast back at\nthe youth and pierced him through the heart. His brother turned and fled\nand Diomedes quickly seized the handsome steeds and commanded his men to\nconduct them to the ships.\n\nOne could not tell to which side Diomedes belonged, for he was always in\nthe midst of the fight. He was at last espied by Pandarus, the same who\nhad broken the oath by shooting at Menelaus. He approached Diomedes\nstealthily from behind and shot a sharp arrow into his right shoulder,\nso that blood stained his coat of mail. \u201cCome, ye Trojans,\u201d he cried, \u201cI\nhave wounded the most formidable of the Achaians.\u201d But the arrow had not\npenetrated so deeply as he thought. Diomedes sought his charioteer\nSthenelus. \u201cFriend,\u201d he said, \u201ccome quickly and pluck this arrow from my\nshoulder.\u201d As it was withdrawn, blood spurted from the wound and the\nwarrior prayed to Athena: \u201cHear me, goddess, and as thou hast ever been\nmy protector in battle, oh aid me now and let me slay the man who hath\nwounded me and boasts that I shall not much longer see the light of\nday.\u201d\n\nThe goddess heard him and stanched the blood. \u201cThou canst return to the\nfight,\u201d she said. \u201cI have endowed thee with the strength and courage of\nthy father and will distinguish thee to-day above all other Achaians.\nOnly take care not to oppose the immortal gods in battle, but attack all\nothers courageously. If Jupiter\u2019s daughter Aphrodite should enter the\nfield, thou mayest wound her with thy sharp spear.\u201d The goddess\ndisappeared and Diomedes flew back to the foremost ranks with renewed\nardor. Behind him came his followers, ready to strip his victims of\ntheir armor and to carry away the captured horses and chariots. \u00c6neas\ncalled upon Pandarus and said: \u201cWhere are to-day thy bow and\nnever-failing arrows? Here is a chance to distinguish thyself. See,\nthere is a man who has slain many, and none of our warriors can prevail\nagainst him.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is Diomedes, son of Tydeus,\u201d interrupted Pandarus; \u201che must be\nunder the protection of a god. Already my arrow has wounded him so that\nblood spurted from the place, and in spite of this he is again in the\nfield wielding his deadly lance. I dare not aim at him again, for it is\nunlucky to contend with the gods. Besides, I came on foot to Ilium and\nhave no horses or chariot.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome, friend, take mine and learn what Trojan horses are. Here, take\nthe whip and reins, while I remain on foot and watch the fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo thou guide the steeds thyself, \u00c6neas, for they know thee; else might\nDiomedes take them captive and slay us too. I will meet him with the\npoint of my sharp spear.\u201d\n\nTogether they mounted the handsome chariot and dashed toward Diomedes,\nwho was driving across the field with Sthenelus. \u201cLook!\u201d cried\nSthenelus. \u201cThere come two heroes making for us. Let me turn back, for\nthey seem bold warriors, and thou art weary with long fighting and thy\npainful wound.\u201d\n\n\u201cNot so,\u201d said Diomedes angrily. \u201cIt is not my custom thus to flee. I\nwill await them here, and if one of them escape, the other shall be my\nprey. Do thou follow me, and if I should wound them both, seize thou the\nenemy\u2019s steeds. I know them. They are magnificent horses of the famous\nbreed which Jupiter once gave to King Thoas for his captured son\nGanymede. Hasten, for the chariot is already upon us.\u201d\n\nHe swung himself to the ground and at the same moment Pandarus\u2019 arrow\nstruck his shield, and though it made him stagger, he shook the shield\nin Pandarus\u2019 face and cried: \u201cDo not triumph too soon, but rather take\ncare that thou thyself escape death!\u201d \u00c6neas turned his steeds in terror,\nbut he could not save his friend; Diomedes\u2019 spear had struck him down.\nAs \u00c6neas descended to bear away the body, he too was sorely wounded.\nSthenelus meanwhile led away the beautiful steeds and they were taken to\nDiomedes\u2019 tents.\n\nAphrodite now approached her fainting son and her merciful arms bore him\noff the field. \u201cIt must be a goddess who has rescued him,\u201d said Diomedes\nto himself. \u201cBut it can be none other than Aphrodite, who appears so\nunwarlike. Good, I will overtake her and attain undying fame.\u201d He\nhastened after the goddess, swung his spear, and wounded her in the\nwrist, so that her clear blood stained the earth. The goddess screamed\nand let the warrior slip from her arms, but he was again rescued by\nPh\u0153bus Apollo, who covered him with a dark cloud.\n\nDiomedes still pursued the goddess with loud cries. \u201cRetire, daughter of\nJupiter, and leave the battlefield to men. It is bad enough that thou\ncausest women to bring such misery upon the nations. Woe to thee\nshouldst thou come near me in the fight!\u201d The goddess was terrified and\nfled as fast as she could. Iris came to meet her and conducted her to\nthe edge of the battlefield, where Mars, the god of war, sat gloating\nover his work. A cloud surrounded him and concealed him from mortal\neyes. \u201cDear brother,\u201d said Aphrodite, \u201clend me thy horses that I may\nquickly reach Olympus. Look! A mortal has wounded me.\u201d Iris took the\nreins and the horses flew swiftly away through the air.\n\nMeanwhile Diomedes was still on the field seeking \u00c6neas, and not until\nhe heard Apollo\u2019s threatening voice, \u201cTake heed, son of Tydeus, and give\nway, tremble and do not strive with the gods,\u201d did he desist and\nremember Athena\u2019s warning. Apollo carried Aphrodite\u2019s son to his sacred\ntemple on the heights of Pergamus. There he healed and strengthened him,\nand the hero soon reappeared among his followers, who were amazed at the\nmiracle. He at once plunged into the fight and slew many brave youths\namong the Achaians.\n\nApollo had meanwhile complained to Mars of the defeat of the Trojans and\nof Diomedes\u2019 insolence in daring to attack the gods. The god of war, who\ninclined first to one side, then to the other, was persuaded to take\npart in the battle himself, and this time to support the Trojans.\nConcealed in a cloud, he strode first before Hector, then before another\nTrojan, and wherever he went the aim never failed. Diomedes, however,\nhad been endowed by his friend Athena with the power to recognize the\ngods when they appeared amongst men, so that he was terrified, as he was\nabout to throw himself upon Hector, to see the war god striding before\nhim. He started back, and hastening toward the other Greek warriors\ncried: \u201cTake care, friends, give way and do not contend with the gods!\nFor Hector hath ever a god at his side. Mars is with him now in the\nguise of a mortal.\u201d Diomedes, in awe of Mars, retired from the field,\nalthough the battle still raged. Hector slew two of the bravest Greek\nwarriors and captured their horses. Ajax of Salamis looked grimly on,\nbut did not dare attack him; he preferred to pursue a weaker man,\nAmphius of P\u00e6sus.\n\nThe battle had begun almost under the walls of Troy, but the Greeks had\nbeen forced back nearly to the ships, and they began to lose courage.\nJuno and Athena now determined to protect their favorites; for had they\nnot promised Menelaus to avenge his wrongs? They signed Hebe to hitch\nthe horses to the splendid chariot. Athena donned her breastplate, put\non her golden helmet, and took up her mighty lance and the shield called\n\u00e6gis. It was decorated with golden tassels and in the midst was the head\nof Medusa, the mere sight of which turned men to stone. Thus armed, she\nmounted the shining chariot, and Juno, standing beside her, guided the\nsteeds. The gates of heaven, guarded by the Hor\u00e6, opened of themselves\nand the goddesses stormed the heights of Olympus, where the father of\nthe gods was sitting in solitude looking down upon the confusion. \u201cArt\nthou not angered, Father Jupiter,\u201d spake Juno, \u201cthat Mars is destroying\nthe great and noble Achaian people? Wilt thou object if I force him from\nthe field?\u201d\n\nJupiter answered: \u201cTo work! Set Pallas Athena upon him. She will soon\ndiscomfit him.\u201d\n\nOverjoyed at the permission, Juno turned the horses and in an instant\nthey had descended to the field before Troy. They paused where the\nSimois flows into the Scamander and enveloped chariot and steeds in a\nthick cloud. Then they hastened to the side of Tydeus\u2019 son, and in\nStentor\u2019s shape and with his brazen voice Juno cried out: \u201cShame upon\nye, people of Argos, so glorious to look upon and so faint-hearted. When\nAchilles was among you, the Trojans scarce ventured from the gates, but\nnow that the only man among you is gone, they push you back to the\nships.\u201d\n\nAthena approached Diomedes where he stood beside his chariot, cooling\nthe wound which Pandarus had inflicted. He was just beginning to feel\nthe pain of it and could scarcely move his arm. He loosened the leather\nstraps and pressed out the blood. \u201cShame upon you, son of Tydeus,\u201d said\nthe goddess reproachfully. \u201cThou art not as thy noble father. He was\nmore eager for the fray and slew countless men of Cadmus\u2019 race before\nThebes. Thou knowest that I never leave thy side. Speak, how can fear\nhave dominion over thee?\u201d\n\n\u201cGoddess,\u201d answered the hero, \u201cfor I recognize thy voice, neither sloth\nnor fear restrain me, but I remember thy command. I plunged into the\nthick of the fight and piled corpse on corpse, until I saw Mars, the\nterrible, who fights in the front ranks of the Trojans. I gave way\nbefore him and warned the others; for who shall fight against the gods?\u201d\n\nThe goddess answered: \u201cDiomedes, beloved of my soul, henceforth fear\nneither Mars nor any of the immortals, for I am beside thee. Turn thy\nprancing horses upon Mars and wound him boldly at close range, the\nunstable one.\u201d\n\nShe then took Sthenelus\u2019 place in the chariot, wearing the helm of\nAides, which rendered her invisible even to Mars. She guided the chariot\nstraight towards him. When Mars saw Diomedes approaching he turned\ntowards him, and leaning over, was about to plunge his spear into his\nbody, but Athena turned it aside, and now Diomedes gave him such a\nthrust in the side that a mortal would certainly have succumbed. He\nwithdrew the shaft and Mars fled, howling like ten thousand men. Both\nAchaians and Trojans were terrified at the din and Diomedes was amazed\nat his own deed and saw with astonishment the god rise up into the sky.\nThere he showed the painful wound to Jupiter and complained loudly of\nAthena.\n\nBut the father of the gods answered grimly: \u201cSpare me thy whining! I\ndespise thee above all the gods. Thou hast always loved quarrels and\nbickerings and art as stubborn and contentious as thy mother, Juno. But\nI cannot see my son suffer.\u201d With these words he commanded P\u00e6on, the\nphysician of Olympus, to heal him. He placed a cooling balm upon the\nwound and Mars was healed, for he was immortal. Then Juno bathed him and\nclothed him with soft garments. As soon as the murderous Mars had been\ndriven from the field the goddesses returned to the dwellings of the\nOlympian gods.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter V\n    The Greeks are Successful\u2014Hector Hastens to the City\u2014Glaucus and\n                    Diomedes, Hector and Andromache\n\n\nThe day was declining, but once more the Achaians pressed forward with\nrenewed courage, knowing that Mars was no longer on the field. The\nTrojans gave way before them, and soon they were near enough to see\nagain the elders and the women upon the city walls. Hector and \u00c6neas did\ntheir best to spur the soldiers to resistance, but without avail. Then\nHelenus, one of Priam\u2019s sons, who had the gift of prophecy, spake unto\nHector: \u201cDear brother, do thou and \u00c6neas try once more to encourage the\npeople. Then go and leave the battle to us. Hasten into the city. Tell\nour mother quickly to summon the noble women of the city to Athena\u2019s\nsacred temple and there to lay her most costly garment in the lap of the\ngoddess. Furthermore she shall promise to sacrifice twelve yearling\ncalves upon Athena\u2019s altar, if she will repulse that terrible warrior,\nTydeus\u2019 son.\u201d\n\nHector carried out his brother\u2019s bidding and while he was away the\nAchaians regained the supremacy. Nestor went busily about admonishing\nthem not to waste any time in collecting booty, but only to kill, kill,\nkill. Afterward, he said, there would be plenty of time to strip the\naccoutrements from the slain. Diomedes the insatiable, panting still for\nfresh conquests, espied a man among the Trojans whom he had never seen\nbefore, but who appeared by his rich armor, his stature, and commanding\nmien to be one of the leaders. When they had approached each other\nwithin a spear\u2019s cast, they both reined in their steeds and Diomedes\ncried out to the enemy: \u201cWho art thou, excellent sir? I have not seen\nthee before, although thou seemest to be a practised warrior. Art thou\nsome god? Then would I not contend with thee, for such rashness hath\never brought misfortune to a mortal. But if thou art a man like myself,\nadvance, that thou mayest quickly meet thy doom.\u201d\n\nIt was Glaucus, Hippolochus\u2019 son, who answered: \u201cOh son of Tydeus, dost\nthou ask who I am? The children of men are like the leaves of the\nforest, blown about by the winds and budding anew when Spring\napproaches. One flourishes and another fades. My race is a glorious one.\nIt sprang from the Argive land and my ancestors ruled the city of\nEphyra. Anolus was the founder of my family; Sisyphus, his son, was that\nwise king whose son was Glaucus; his son in turn the glorious\nBellerophon, endowed by the gods with superhuman beauty and strength.\nWho has not heard of his heroic deeds? He slew Chim\u00e6ra, the creature\nwith a lion\u2019s head, a dragon\u2019s tail, and body of a goat\u2014a savage,\nravening monster. Next he conquered the king\u2019s hostile neighbors,\ngaining every battle. The king gave him his beautiful daughter and half\nof his kingdom. His two sons were Isander and Hippolochus, who is my\nfather. He sent me hither to Troy and admonished me to excel all others\nand never to disgrace my ancestors.\u201d\n\nDiomedes planted his spear in the sand, crying joyfully: \u201cThen thou art\nmy friend for old times\u2019 sake. My grandfather \u0152neus entertained the\nglorious Bellerophon in his house for twenty days, and on his departure\nthey exchanged gifts in token of friendship. \u0152neus\u2019 gift was a purple\ngirdle and Bellerophon\u2019s a golden goblet, which I have in my possession\nand often admire. Therefore thou shalt be my guest in Argos and I thine,\nif I should ever visit Lycia. So let us avoid each other in the battle.\nThere remain enough Trojans for me and enough Achaians for thee to kill.\nBut as a pledge of the agreement let us exchange armor that it may be\nseen that we are friends of old standing.\u201d They descended from their\nchariots, shook hands cordially, and took off their armor. Glaucus got\nthe worst of the bargain, for his breastplate and shield were of gold,\nwhile those of Diomedes were only of brass. However, he gave them up\ngladly. They then renewed their vows of friendship and drove rapidly\naway in opposite directions.\n\nWhen Hector reached the Sc\u00e6an gate he was surrounded by Trojan women\ninquiring for their sons, brothers, and husbands, but he could not stay\nto comfort them and hastened away to his father\u2019s palace, where he\nsought out his venerable mother, Hecuba. \u201cDear son,\u201d she began, \u201cwhy\nhast thou deserted the battlefield to come hither? The cruel Achaians\nare pressing us hard. But tarry until I bring thee good wine, that thou\nmayest make an offering to the gods and then refresh thyself; for wine\ngiveth strength to a weary man.\u201d\n\n\u201cNot so, mother,\u201d answered Hector. \u201cBefouled as I am, how can I\nsacrifice to the gods? Not for this did I come hither, but to bring thee\na message from Helenus.\u201d Then he repeated his brother\u2019s instructions and\nHecuba hastened to obey them.\n\nHector meanwhile made his way to the handsome palace of Paris, where he\nfound his brother turning over and examining his weapons. Helen sat by\nthe fireside among her maidens, occupied with domestic tasks. \u201cStrange\nman!\u201d said Hector. \u201cI cannot understand thy conduct. The people are\nmelting away before the walls and this bloody battle is chiefly on thine\naccount. Thou wert always bitter against the slothful and hast ever\nencouraged others to fight. Come, let us go, before the city is fired by\nthe enemy.\u201d\n\n\u201cGladly will I follow thee, brother,\u201d answered Paris. \u201cThy reproaches\nare just. I have been brooding upon my misfortune, but my wife has just\npersuaded me to return to the field, and I am ready. Tarry a while until\nI have put on my armor or else go and I will follow thee.\u201d\n\n\u201cDear Hector,\u201d spake gracious Helen sadly, \u201chow it grieves me to see you\nall engaged in this cruel war, for the sake of a contemptible woman like\nmyself. O that I had been destroyed at birth or had been flung into the\nsea! Or, if the gods have destined me to such misfortune, would at least\nthat I had fallen into the hands of a brave man, who would take the\ndisgrace and reproaches of his family to heart and could wipe out his\nshame by heroic deeds. But Paris is not a man. Enter and be seated,\nHector, for thou has toiled most arduously in my behalf and suffered\nmost for thy brother\u2019s crime.\u201d\n\n\u201cThy gracious invitation I may not accept,\u201d answered Hector, \u201cfor my\nheart urges me to return to aid the Trojans. I beg thee persuade Paris\nto overtake me before I leave the city. Now I must go to my own house to\nsee my wife once more and little son; for who knoweth whether I shall\never return?\u201d\n\nHe did not find his spouse at home, but on the tower at the Sc\u00e6an gate,\nwhere she was following the fate of the Trojans. As he neared the gate\nshe came to meet him, the modest, sensible Andromache, and behind her\ncame the nurse with the little boy. His loving wife took him tenderly by\nthe hand and wept over him. \u201cThy courage will surely be thy death,\u201d she\nsaid. \u201cTake pity on thy miserable wife and infant son, for the Achaians\nwill surely kill thee, and then I had best sink into the earth; for what\nwould remain for me? I am alone. Hector, thou art father and mother and\nbrother to me, my precious husband. Take pity on me and remain in the\ntower. Do not make me a widow and thy son an orphan.\u201d\n\nHector answered: \u201cDearly beloved, I am troubled also at thy fate, but I\ncould not face the Trojan people if I shunned danger like a coward.\nTrue, I foresee the day when sacred Ilium will fall, bringing disaster\nupon the king and all the people, and thy fate touches me more nearly\nthan that of father, mother, or brothers. Thou mayest be carried away to\nslavery in Argos to labor for a cruel mistress. Rather would I be in the\ngrave than see thee in misery.\u201d\n\nSadly the hero stretched out his arms to his boy, but the child hid his\nface in the nurse\u2019s bosom, terrified at the helmet with its fluttering\nplumes. Smiling, the father took it off and laid it on the ground, and\nnow the boy went to him willingly. He kissed the child tenderly, and\nturning his eyes heavenward prayed fervently; \u201cJupiter and ye other\ngods, grant that my boy may be a leader among the Trojans like his\nfather and powerful in Ilium, that sometime it may be said: \u2018He is much\ngreater than his father.\u2019 May his mother rejoice in him.\u201d\n\nAs he placed the child in its mother\u2019s arms, she smiled through her\ntears. \u201cPoor wife,\u201d he said, caressing her, \u201cdo not grieve too much. I\nshall not be sent to Hades unless it is my fate\u2014no one can escape his\ndestiny, be he high or low. Do thou attend to thine affairs at home and\nkeep thy maidens busily at work. Men are made for war, and I most of\nall.\u201d He picked up his helmet and hurried away. Andromache went also,\nbut often turned to gaze after her dear husband.\n\nParis overtook his brother at the gate. \u201cDo not be angry, brother, at my\ntardiness,\u201d he said. \u201cMy good fellow,\u201d answered Hector, \u201cthou art a\nbrave warrior, but often indifferent. I cannot bear the scornful gossip\nof the people who are enduring so much for thy sake. But we will talk of\nthis another time\u2014perhaps when we shall make a thankoffering for the\ndefeat of the Achaians.\u201d Thus speaking they hastened towards the\nbattlefield.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter VI\n  Hector and Ajax in Single Combat\u2014A Truce\u2014Another Battle at the Ships\n\n\nTo the weary Trojans the appearance of the two heroes was as welcome as\na long-desired breeze after a calm at sea to a sailor, and they soon\nmade their presence felt. Pierced by Paris\u2019 arrow, the excellent\nMenestheus fell and Hector slew the valiant E\u00efoneus. Many another who\nhad believed Hector far away met death at his hands.\n\nThen came his brother Helenus, the seer, and bade him summon a warrior\nfrom among the Achaians to come forth and fight with him in single\ncombat. The gods had revealed to him that the day of Hector\u2019s doom was\nnot yet come. Immediately the hero ran to the front, and requesting a\ntruce cried out: \u201cHear me, ye Trojans and Achaians! Jupiter hath brought\nto naught our agreement, and our quarrel has not been settled as we\nhoped. Let us now arrange a second combat. Send your most valiant\nwarrior forth to fight with me. If he slay me, let him take my costly\narmor, but my body he shall send to Ilium, that my bones may be burned\nand the ashes preserved. Should the gods grant that I slay him, then I\nwill hang his armor in the temple of Ph\u0153bus Apollo. But ye may raise a\nfitting monument on the shore, so that when his grandchild sails the\nHellespont and passes the high promontory he may say: \u2018That is the\nmighty monument to the brave hero whom Hector slew in the final\ncombat.\u2019\u201d\n\nFor a while all was quiet in the Greek camp. Each was waiting for the\nother to offer himself, for it was a hazardous undertaking. At last\nMenelaus arose, overcome by a rising feeling of shame, and cried angrily\nto the other princes: \u201cHa! ye who can boast so well at home and on the\nbattlefield are women, where is your courage now? It would indeed be our\neverlasting shame if none of the Achaians dared match himself with\nHector. Sit still, ye cowards! I will gird myself for the fight. The\nvictory lies in the hands of the immortal gods.\u201d\n\nHe began to put on his armor, but the other kings, and even his brother,\nrestrained him. \u201cStay, my brother,\u201d said Agamemnon; \u201cdo not be in a\nhurry to take up the challenge. Some other valiant Achaian will\ndoubtless come forward.\u201d Menelaus reluctantly obeyed, and now old Nestor\nbegan to reproach the faint-hearted warriors. \u201cYour hearts have no\ncourage and your bones no marrow,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I were like myself of\nold, when I slew the hero Ereuthalion, Hector should soon find his man.\u201d\n\nAbashed at Nestor\u2019s well-merited rebuke, nine men arose and came\nforward. Agamemnon himself was among them and the two Ajaxes; the others\nwere Diomedes, Ulysses, Idomeneus, and his charioteer Meriones,\nEurypylus, and Thoas. It was proposed that they draw lots, and it fell\nto the elder Ajax, who was proud of the honor that had come to him. \u201cI\ntrust that Jupiter will give me the victory, for I am not unskilful and\nfear not the foeman; but pray for me that Jupiter may give me success,\u201d\nhe said.\n\nAjax now rushed forward to meet the waiting Hector. Truly he was no mean\nadversary, being a man of powerful build. His armor was impenetrable and\nit was this fact alone which now saved him from certain death. His\nshield was composed of seven layers of cowhide with an iron covering;\nhelmet and breastplate were equally strong. According to the custom of\nthe time, the combat did not begin at once and in silence, but the\nwarriors first paused to taunt and revile each other.\n\nAjax cried out: \u201cNow thou canst see, Hector, that there are still men\namong the Achaians who are not afraid to accept thy challenge, even\nthough Achilles is not with us. I am but one of many. Come, let us to\nwork!\u201d\n\n\u201cThinkest thou to anger me by thy defiance, son of Telamon?\u201d answered\nHector. \u201cDo not deceive thyself. I know how to hurl the spear and turn\nthe shield so that no bolt can touch me. My deeds bear witness to my\nwords. Beware, valiant hero, I shall not attack thee with craft, but\nopenly.\u201d\n\nAt the same moment he hurled the great spear with all his might, and it\npierced six of the leathern layers of Ajax\u2019s shield before its power was\nspent. Ajax quickly aimed his own at Hector\u2019s breast. Hector\u2019s shield\nwas not strong enough to withstand the blow; however, by a quick turn of\nhis body, he prevented the point from entering his flesh. Both men now\nwithdrew their spears from the shields and threw themselves upon each\nother. But Hector\u2019s well-aimed blow only blunted the point of his lance\nand Ajax\u2019s spear slipped on the smooth surface of Hector\u2019s shield,\nwounding him slightly in the neck. Then Hector turned hastily to pick up\na stone, which he hurled with all his might at Ajax\u2019s head, but the hero\nwarded it off with his shield. Ajax then picked up a much larger stone,\nwhich he threw, breaking Hector\u2019s shield and wounding his knee. No doubt\nHector would have attacked him once more had the Greeks themselves not\ninterfered, sending forward a herald who separated the heroes, saying:\n\u201cWarriors, it is enough. Ye are good fighters and beloved of Jupiter;\nthat we have all seen. But night is falling and the darkness bids us\ncease our strife.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well, friend,\u201d said Ajax. \u201cBid Hector lay down his arms, for he\nbegan the fight. When he is ready to stop, I also am willing.\u201d\n\nThen Hector said calmly: \u201cAjax, thou hast borne thyself manfully and\nsome god hath lent thee strength and skill. Let us now rest and renew\nthe fight another time, until death shall claim one of us. Go thou to\nfeast with thy people, while I return to Priam\u2019s city. But before we\npart let us exchange gifts that future generations may say, \u2018Behold,\nthey fought a bitter fight, then parted in friendship.\u2019\u201d\n\nThereupon he presented Ajax with his finely-chased sword with its\ngraceful scabbard and Ajax gave him his purple belt. Thus they parted,\neach side welcoming his man with cries of triumphant joy. Agamemnon\nentertained the chieftains in his tent as usual and to-day he set the\nlargest and choicest pieces before Ajax. When the meal was ended Nestor\nbegan: \u201cListen to my advice, chieftains. Let us pause to-morrow long\nenough to bury our dead. We will burn the bodies that each may gather\nthe ashes of his friends to bear them home to his people. But here we\nwill erect a great monument to mark the place where the brave warriors\nhave fallen. I have also another proposal to make. What think ye if we\nshould hastily construct a deep moat and a bulwark with a great gateway\naround our camp? Then we should be as safe in our tents as in a walled\ncity.\u201d The counsel of the old man was received with universal approval\nand Agamemnon determined to set to work at once.\n\nThe Trojan princes too were holding council to decide what they should\ndo to force the Achaians to retire. Antenor, the wise, urged the return\nof Helen, but none would consent, not even Priam and Hector, to force\nParis to give up his beloved wife. \u201cI will gladly return the treasure\nwhich we took from Menelaus,\u201d he said, \u201cand give him plentifully of mine\nown, if that will propitiate the Achaians. But never will I give up\nHelen.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor the present let us be on our guard,\u201d answered King Priam, \u201cand\nto-morrow let Id\u00e6us go down and give Paris\u2019 message to the Achaians and\nask if they are not inclined to an armistice, until we have burned the\ndead and paid them funeral honors.\u201d\n\nEarly the next morning Id\u00e6us went forth on his errand. He entered\nAgamemnon\u2019s tent and delivered his message. The Greeks welcomed the\nproposal for a truce, but Paris\u2019 offer was rejected with disdain. \u201cLet\nno one take Paris\u2019 property,\u201d roared Diomedes. \u201cWe no longer fight for\nParis\u2019 wealth, nor even for Helen. Even though he should send her back,\nTroy shall fall, and truly the end is not far off!\u201d Agamemnon and the\nother chieftains all signified their approval and the herald took the\nmessage back to the city.\n\nMeanwhile the greater part of the Achaians were engaged in digging a\nmoat and building a wall about the camp. The outcome showed that this\nprecaution had not been unnecessary, for as soon as the battle was\nrenewed the Achaians began to lose ground. Jupiter forbade the gods to\ntake sides, and driving the celestial steeds himself, he descended from\nOlympus to Mount Ida, from whence he could observe the battlefield. The\nslaughter had begun early in the morning and already many Trojans had\nfallen, and still more Achaians, for the Trojans fought desperately.\n\nA little past noon a threatening storm gathered on Mount Ida and the\npeople recognized the presence of the father of the gods, for he alone\nhad power over the flashing lightning. It was soon apparent whom he\nfavored, for suddenly a terrible thunderbolt with blinding flashes\nstruck the foremost ranks of the Achaians, so that all were\npanic-stricken and none dared remain on the field against the will of\nJupiter. All fled to the ships, pale with terror. Nestor was about to\nfollow, when an arrow from Paris\u2019 bow laid one of his horses low, and if\nDiomedes had not come to his rescue, he would certainly have fallen a\nprey to the pursuing Trojans. Filled with renewed courage at the\nthunderbolts of Jove, which they took for favorable omens, they were\nlike dogs on the track of the frightened flock. Hector called loudly\nupon his people to attack the wall and gave orders that firebrands be\nbrought from the city to fire the ships. But the Trojans were dubious\nabout attacking the Greeks within their fortifications. They were not\nwell prepared for such an undertaking.\n\nThe Greeks now stood behind the wall, huddled close to the ships. The\nterrible thunderstorm had passed over and the sun shone once more.\nAgamemnon boarded a ship, where he might be seen and heard by all. The\nwarriors were silent while he cried: \u201cShame upon you, sons of Argos, who\nin Lemnos boasted that ye would each fight one hundred Trojans! Now ye\nflee like frightened deer before a single man. Already Hector threatens\nto burn the ships. No wonder! It is your cowardice which makes him bold.\nOh, father Jupiter, hast thou ever cursed a king as thou hast me? And\nyet how many fat cattle have I not offered up? On the way hither I did\nnot pass by a single one of thy sacred temples where I did not stop to\nburn fat haunches in thine honor. Thou hast doubtless determined to\ndestroy us here.\u201d\n\nFull of pity, the father of gods and men looked down upon him and made a\nsign that he would save the Dan\u00e6ans. He sent an eagle bearing a young\ndeer in its beak, which it dropped as it flew high above the Greek camp,\nso that it fell palpitating before the altar of Jupiter on the ships. As\nsoon as the Greeks saw this favorable sign, they pressed forward with\nfresh zeal into the Trojan lines. The heroes were like ravening wolves.\nTeucer of Salamis, who was skilful with the bow, remained beside his\nbrother Ajax, who covered him with his shield whenever he was in danger.\nEvery arrow hit its mark. Agamemnon looked on with delight, and clapping\nthe youth on the shoulder, he cried: \u201cWell done, my dear fellow! Thus\nshalt thou bring joy and glory to thy father in his old age. If the gods\ngrant me the victory over Troy thy reward shall not fail\u2014whether it be a\ntripod, a pair of horses and a chariot, or a beautiful slave girl.\u201d\n\nSoon afterward Hector\u2019s chariot came galloping up. Teucer quickly set an\narrow to his bow and aimed at the hero, but the missile went astray and\nHector did not see the youth. Teucer shot another arrow, which pierced\nthe charioteer\u2019s breast. Hector sprang down, and just as Teucer was\ntaking aim for the third time, a rock from Hector\u2019s hand struck his\nbreast and he sank on his knees. Ajax covered him with his shield until\nsoldiers came up and carried the wounded youth away to his tent.\n\nJuno and Athena, gazing sadly at the unfortunate outcome of the battle,\nventured in their resentment to disobey the command of the father of the\ngods and go to the rescue of the hard-pressed Achaians. But Jupiter\nespied them and sent the gold-winged Iris to warn them to turn back or\nhe would strike them with a thunderbolt that would shatter their chariot\nand teach them not to resist father and husband. Pouting, they obeyed,\nand in a rage arrived at Olympus and seated themselves in the great\nhall. Soon afterwards the mountain trembled at the tread of Jupiter, who\nentered the hall and seated himself on his golden throne with dark looks\nat his wife and daughter, whose glances were fixed defiantly on the\nground.\n\n\u201cWhy are ye so sad?\u201d he began mockingly. \u201cYe did not remain long on the\nbattlefield, meseems. Your lovely limbs trembled ere ever ye saw the\nfray. Truly ye would never have returned to the glorious home of the\ngods had my thunderbolt struck you. My power is far beyond that of the\nother gods. Even should they all come to measure their strength against\nmine, and if I stood at heaven\u2019s gate and let down a chain to earth and\nall Olympus hung to the chain, ye could not pull me down. If I but\nraised my hand ye would all fly up. Even the earth and sea I would draw\nup, and if I should wind the chain around the peaked top of Olympus, the\nwhole globe would dangle in space.\u201d\n\nMeanwhile night had fallen, which put a stop to further strife. Hector\nretired to the middle of the field and gave orders that the whole army\nshould remain in camp lighting watchfires everywhere, so that the Greeks\nmight not board their ships unseen and steal away. The old men and boys\nwere to watch the city gates to guard against surprise.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter VII\nAgamemnon Advises Flight\u2014Council of the Princes\u2014A Deputation is Sent to\n                                Achilles\n\n\nFear and unrest prevailed in the camp by the ships, and even Agamemnon\nwas no longer confident. He quietly called the chieftains to a council\nof war. \u201cFriends,\u201d he said, \u201cI perceive that Jupiter is not inclined to\nfulfil the promise of his omens and no longer desires that I take Troy\nand lead ye home laden with booty. He has already destroyed many of us\nand our misery grows greater day by day. Surely he is but making sport\nof us. Therefore let us launch our ships and return home, saving at\nleast those of us who are left.\u201d\n\nFor a while the princes were silent. Then Diomedes sprang up and spake:\n\u201cDo not be angry, O King, if I disagree with thee. It seems to me thou\nart faint-hearted, for none of us has given up hope. Truly the gods do\nnot give everything to one man, and Jupiter has made thee a powerful\nking; but valor, the flower of manly virtues, he has denied thee. If\nthou art so anxious to return, very good; then go. The way is open and\nthe ships are ready. But the rest of us will remain until we have\ndestroyed Priam\u2019s fortress. And if all others should flee, I would\nremain with my friend Sthenelus, for it is the gods who have brought us\nhither.\u201d\n\nAll the warriors applauded this, and when Nestor had praised Diomedes\u2019\nwords, there was no further talk of retreat. The venerable man now\ncounselled that the walls should be carefully guarded and that\nwatchfires should be lighted everywhere. He signed to Agamemnon to\ninvite the friends into his tent, offer them refreshment, learn each\none\u2019s opinion, and to follow the best.\n\nNestor was the first to speak. \u201cGreat Atride,\u201d he began, \u201cif thou wilt\nconsider when it was the gods began to compass our ruin, thou wilt admit\nthat our misfortunes began on the day when thou didst unjustly insult\nand abuse, to our great sorrow, that most valiant man whom even the\nimmortals have honored. We were all displeased and thou knowest how I\ntried to dissuade thee. I think that even now we had better seek to\nconciliate the angry man with flattering words and gifts.\u201d\n\n\u201cHonored Nestor,\u201d answered Agamemnon, \u201cI will not deny that I was in the\nwrong. It is true a single man, if chosen by the gods, is equal in might\nto an army. But having offended I will gladly make amends and offer him\nevery atonement. I will give him rich gifts and he shall have, besides,\nthe maiden over whom we quarrelled. How glad I would have been to return\nher as soon as my rage had cooled. If Jupiter will but grant me the good\nfortune to destroy Priam\u2019s mighty fortress, Achilles\u2019 vessel shall be\nheaped up with gold and silver and he may select twenty Trojan women for\nhimself, the fairest after Helen. And when we return to Argos I will\nrefuse him none of my daughters, should he wish to become my son-in-law,\nand will present him with seven of my most populous cities as a wedding\ngift. Thus will I honor him if he be willing to forget.\u201d\n\nTo this Nestor answered: \u201cSon of Atreus, thou dost offer princely gifts\nwhich might well propitiate the proudest. Let us send messengers to him.\nLet them be Ulysses and Ajax and the venerable Ph\u0153nix, whom his father\nPeleus sent hither as his companion and friend. Let the heralds, Hodius\nand Eurybates, accompany them.\u201d\n\nThe encampment of the Myrmidons was on the seashore and they found\nAchilles in his tent, apart from the others, playing the harp and\nsinging of heroic deeds. His good friend and comrade, Patroclus, sat\nopposite him listening. Ajax and Ulysses entered first and Achilles\nimmediately put down his harp and came towards them. Patroclus also\narose to welcome his old comrades.\n\n\u201cYe are heartily welcome, old friends,\u201d began Achilles, \u201cfor I am not\nangry with you. Sit on these cushions and, Patroclus, bring a tankard\nand mix the wine, for we have honored guests here.\u201d\n\nAfter they had eaten and poured out a libation to the gods, Ulysses took\nthe goblet and drank to Achilles with a hearty handclasp. \u201cGreeting to\nthee, Pelide,\u201d he began. \u201cIt is not food and drink we crave. But we are\ntroubled that thou art not on the battlefield. The Trojans have pushed\nforward to the ships and nothing stops them. Jupiter has sent fiery\ntokens to encourage them and the invincible Hector is hard upon us with\nmurder in his eye. Already he has threatened to burn the ships. Even at\nnight he does not retire, but encamps on the open field and the whole\nplain is illumined by his campfires. No doubt he is now eagerly awaiting\ndaybreak to destroy us, for he fears neither gods nor men.\n\n\u201cHear what Agamemnon offers thee\u2014gifts so costly that they would suffice\nto make any man rich and powerful. Ten pounds of gold will he give thee,\nand seven new tripods, with twenty polished basins, besides twelve\nmagnificent horses and seven Lesbian slave women accompanying Brise\u00efs\u2019\ndaughter. And when we shall have conquered Priam\u2019s city, thou shalt heap\nthy ship with gold and bronze and take twenty of Troy\u2019s fairest women\nfor thyself. And when we return to blessed Argos thou shalt be his\nson-in-law and he will honor thee as his own son. But if thy hatred of\nAtreus\u2019 son is so great that thou canst not forgive him, then consider\nthe dire need of the Achaian people, who are ready to pay thee honor\nlike a god. Truly thou shalt earn great glory.\u201d\n\nAchilles answered him: \u201cNoble son of La\u00ebrtes, let me open my heart to\nthee frankly. Neither Agamemnon nor any other Greek can move me to fight\nagain for this ungrateful people. The coward and the hero enjoy equal\nreputation among you. Why should I risk my life for others? As the\nswallow feeds its young with the morsels which it denies itself, thus I\nhave spent my sweat and blood these many days for the ungrateful Achaian\npeople; have watched through many a restless night, fought brave men,\nburning their houses and stealing away their women and children. I have\ndestroyed twelve populous cities in Troy by sea and eleven by land and\nalways delivered the spoils up to Agamemnon. He remained quietly at the\nships and took my plunder gladly, keeping always the greater part for\nhimself. Although each chieftain received a princely gift, he took mine\nfrom me\u2014the lovely woman who was dear to me as a spouse.\n\n\u201cWhy did we accompany him hither? Was it not for the sake of beauteous\nHelen? Do we not love our women even as he? Let him leave me in peace\nand take counsel with thee, Ulysses, and with the other chieftains. For\nHector shall never again meet me in battle. To-morrow I shall launch my\nships, make offerings to the gods, and if thou wilt take notice, friend,\nthou shalt see my ships at dawn, floating upon the Hellespont. If\nNeptune favors me I may reach my native Phthia on the third day. There I\nhave riches enough, so that I shall not need the gifts of the haughty\nking. No, should he offer me twenty times as much, and even a city like\nunto the Egyptian Thebes, which, it is said, has one hundred gates out\nof each of which issue two hundred men with horses and chariots in time\nof war, even then he could not persuade me until he had atoned for his\ninsult.\n\n\u201cLet him find another husband, who is nobler and more powerful than I,\nfor his daughter. Should I reach home safely, my father will choose me a\nnoble consort, for there are many beautiful Achaian maidens who are not\nwanting in rich dowries. I long for Phthia and already I foretaste the\njoys of reigning over my father\u2019s good subjects and enjoying a life of\nplentiful ease by the side of a gentle spouse. Life is worth more than\nall Agamemnon\u2019s treasures, and once lost can never be regained.\n\n\u201cDost know what fate my goddess mother hath revealed to me? Either I die\nyoung upon the battlefield and my name shall be imperishable upon earth,\nor I shall live to a great age without renown. Let it be as I have said,\nand if ye would have a word of advice from me, it is this: \u2018Sail away\nbefore Hector burns your ships, for ye will never conquer Troy.\u2019 Go,\nfriends, and take this message to the Greeks. But, Ph\u0153nix, stay and\nreturn with me to our native land, if so it pleaseth thee; for I would\nnot compel thee.\u201d\n\nThey were all silent until the gray-haired Ph\u0153nix began to speak. \u201cIf\nthou hast determined to return, noble Achilles, how can I part from\nthee, my son, for thy father confided thee to my care? Thy splendid\ndeeds have made me proud and happy; but now, forgive me, godlike\nAchilles, now thy obstinate and unreasonable behavior grieves me. Calm\nthy rage. A gentle disposition well becomes the hero, and even the anger\nof the gods can be placated. How often have we seen them appeased by\nsacrifices and penitential prayers. Yea, woe unto him who listens not to\nrepentant supplication and who hardens his heart against the enemy who\nis ready to make atonement. Behold what gifts Agamemnon offers to win\nthee. What is the wrong thou hast suffered in comparison with this great\nhonor? The ancient heroes of whom our fathers tell certainly were\nsubject to fits of anger, but they also allowed themselves to be\nconciliated.\u201d\n\n\u201cPh\u0153nix, honored sire,\u201d answered Achilles, \u201cdo not disturb my soul with\nlamentations; rather as my friend shouldst thou hate him who hath\nwronged me. But now repose thyself. As soon as dawn appears we will take\ncounsel whether to go or stay.\u201d With a secret sign he bade Patroclus\nprepare a soft couch for Ph\u0153nix.\n\nHastily Ajax arose, saying: \u201cLet us be going, for we can scarce expect\nto persuade this hard-hearted man, and our friends are awaiting us\nanxiously. Cruel man, to cause all thy friends to suffer for one. How\noft have anger and revenge for a murdered brother been forgotten when\nthe murderer has offered gifts and tokens of repentance. But thou hast a\nstony and implacable heart in thy bosom, and all this on account of a\ngirl. Oh be persuaded! We have come here as thy old friends.\u201d\n\n\u201cAjax, godlike son of Telamon,\u201d answered Achilles, \u201cthou hast read my\nsoul. But my heart is full of bitterness when I think of the man who\ntreated me so vilely before the Argives. Go and bear him the message. I\nwill not take up arms until the firebrands of the Trojans fall upon my\nown ships. Terrible as he is, I think Hector will not venture near my\ntents.\u201d Perceiving that their eloquence was unavailing, the ambassadors\nreturned to Agamemnon\u2019s tent. Ph\u0153nix, however, remained with Achilles.\n\nThe Greek princes were much cast down at the answer to their mission.\nOnly Diomedes was able to keep up their courage by his unshakable\nconfidence. \u201cAtreus\u2019 son,\u201d he cried, \u201cwould thou hadst never implored\nhelp of the Pelide or offered him rich presents. He was proud enough\nbefore. Let him go or come; he will take up his lance as soon as his\nheart speaks. But do thou, King Agamemnon, as soon as Eos\u2019 rosy fingers\npaint the sky, array thine horsemen and thy cohorts in front of the\nships and place thyself at the front. Let us now to rest, for it is late\nand to-morrow we fight for our lives.\u201d\n\nAll agreed. The goblets were filled once more, a libation poured out to\nthe gods, and then they separated, each one going to his own tent.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter VIII\n           Agamemnon in Battle\u2014Many of the Greeks are Wounded\n\n\nMorning had scarcely dawned when Agamemnon called all to arms, appearing\nin the foremost ranks clad in his most splendid armor and determined to\nfight more heroically this day than ever before. The great mass of\nfoot-soldiers pressed forward in long lines shouting their battle cries,\nthe war chariots containing the leaders following after them.\n\nAt last the two armies met and whole ranks of men fell like grain before\nthe reaper\u2019s scythe. For some hours each side held its own, but toward\nnoon the Achaians broke through the enemy\u2019s lines and forced them back.\nAs soon as the ranks were broken and bodies of men began to scatter in\nlittle groups over the plain, the charioteers had room for action and\ndashed forward to terrorize the foot-soldiers.\n\nAgamemnon was among the foremost, hurling his deadly lance continually\nat the Trojan princes. Two young and beautiful sons of Priam, both in\none chariot, fell before him, and he took their accoutrements and\nhorses. Next two sons of Antimachus came his way and received no quarter\nat his hands. He stood with bloody arm uplifted, swinging his lance,\nready to strike down any who approached him. The Trojans fled in\nmultitudes at the sound of his lionlike voice, and amid the wild\nconfusion one could see frightened horses, with empty chariots trailing\nbehind them, galloping back toward the city. Agamemnon and the other\nchieftains were relentlessly pursuing the flying Trojans, and as a lion\nfollowing a herd of cattle will fasten his cruel claws into the necks of\nthose which fall behind, thus the Achaians struck down many a fleeing\nwarrior.\n\nIt was now Hector\u2019s care to stop the rout and bring order into the ranks\nonce more at the city gates. He implored, he admonished, he scolded and\nthreatened, and thus drove them back again after a brief rest. Shamed by\nhis words, the young princes sought out the most dangerous antagonists\nto show their valor. Iphidamas, son of Antenor, was even anxious to\ncontend with Agamemnon himself, who, however, saw him coming and was the\nfirst to cast his lance. But the youth dodged the missile and ran\nquickly at him with his own spear and would surely have run him through\nhad the brazen coat not bent the point of the weapon and broken the\nforce of the blow. Agamemnon seized hold of the youth\u2019s lance with his\npowerful left hand and forced both him and it down, while, with a sudden\nblow of his sword, he cut off the youth\u2019s head. A servant soon stripped\nhim and carried off the armor.\n\nKoon, Antenor\u2019s second son, who had seen his brother\u2019s fall, called some\nof his companions together to avenge him. They approached Agamemnon\nunobserved and Koon cast his spear, which struck the hero\u2019s arm,\nwounding him so that the warm blood spurted forth. The youth was\ntriumphant, for although Agamemnon did not fall, he saw him stagger\nbackward. He wished to make use of this moment to carry off his\nbrother\u2019s body, but as he was bending over it, Agamemnon\u2019s spear entered\nhis side, and before he could recover himself Agamemnon had sprung upon\nhim and cut off his head. The hero then turned away and attacked another\nbody of the enemy, slaying many. As long as the warm blood continued to\ngush out he did not notice his wound, but when it began to dry, he could\nno longer endure the pain and was obliged to retire from the field. He\nmounted his chariot, admonishing the Achaians once more to fight\nbravely, and then drove rapidly away to his tent to have his wound\ndressed.\n\nHis departure revived the sinking courage of the Trojans. Hector pressed\nforward and the Achaians, abandoned by their courageous leader, turned\nto flee, as the Trojans had done before. The young princes sought to\nmeasure their strength against Hector, but only paid for their temerity\nwith their lives. Seeing this, Ulysses\u2019 heart burned with rage. He\ncalled Diomedes and said: \u201cSon of Tydeus, let us fight together against\nthat terrible man. It would be a shame should plumed Hector take our\ngreat ships from us.\u201d\n\n\u201cGladly will I tarry here,\u201d answered his friend surlily; \u201cbut much good\nwill it do us, for Jove, the Thunderer, does not intend the victory for\nus, but for the Trojans.\u201d However, they set forth together and plunged\namongst the swarms of soldiers like two raging lions, driving them\nbackward, as waves are whipped by the wind. Hector saw this from afar\nand quick as a flash he bore down upon them in his chariot, sprang to\nearth, and met the heroes on foot.\n\n\u201cLook,\u201d cried Diomedes to Ulysses when he saw him; \u201cthere cometh our\ndestruction. But let us stand firm, we will not flee.\u201d\n\nThey stood awaiting him with their lances in position, and at the moment\nwhen Hector emerged from the crowd Diomedes\u2019 spear struck his helmet\nwith such force that he was thrown stunned to the ground. But the weapon\nhad not wounded him, for his iron helmet was not broken, and before\nDiomedes had time to rush upon him with his sword, Hector had jumped up\nand plunged back into the crowd. Ulysses\u2019 lance had missed the mark, and\nbefore the two had recovered their weapons Hector was safely on his\nchariot. Diomedes stamped his foot with rage. He now set upon the enemy\nmore murderously than ever, and as he drove them back and was nearing\nthe tomb of the old Trojan King Ilus, he was met by Paris, who stayed\nhis mad impetuosity. Hiding behind a pillar of the tomb, he let fly one\nof his never-failing arrows, which struck Diomedes, pinning his foot to\nthe ground. He saw the hero falter and stand still and sprang from his\nhiding place crying in triumph: \u201cHa! it was a good shot. But how gladly\nwould I have pierced a vital part and taken thy life!\u201d\n\n\u201cMiserable coward!\u201d roared Diomedes. \u201cHadst thou met me in the open thy\nbow and arrow had helped thee little. And now thou boastest as though\nthou hadst conquered me, and it is but a scratch. It is as though a\nmosquito had stung me. Woe unto thee when I catch thee!\u201d However, the\nwound was troublesome enough, for he could not stand on his foot, and\nParis would perhaps have ventured to shoot a second arrow, if Ulysses\nhad not come up in the nick of time. He placed himself in front of his\nfriend and covered him with his shield, while Diomedes sat on the ground\nand drew the arrow out of his foot, which caused him sharp pain. He then\ncalled for his charioteer and drove back to the ships, his heart full of\nbitterness.\n\nUlysses remained behind alone, for his companions had retreated in\nterror, and now he found himself suddenly surrounded by the Trojans. He\ncould not escape and resolved to sell his life dearly with the blood of\nhis enemies. He met their attack like a wild boar at bay, and so savage\nwas his onslaught that the enemy, surprised, stood still and none dared\ncome near him. But when he had stabbed Charops, the noble son of\nHippasus, his brother Socus, full of grief and anger, stepped boldly\nforward to avenge him, crying: \u201cMurderous Ulysses, either thou shalt\nboast that thou hast slain both of Hippasus\u2019 sons or thou shalt die by\nmy hand!\u201d With this he threw himself upon Ulysses with his spear and did\nactually pierce the shield and coat of mail, tearing the flesh and\ncausing him to start back. But when Ulysses felt that the wound was not\nmortal, he quickly hurled his own lance, crying: \u201cMiserable man, thou\ntoo art destined to fall this day by my hand!\u201d Socus shrieked aloud, for\nthe weapon had pierced clean through his breast.\n\nOn the other side of the battlefield the fighting was equally fierce.\nHector and Paris were busy with spear and bow. Paris wounded the\nvenerable Machaon, a good soldier and much prized for his surgical\nskill, for he had saved many lives. Therefore his friends were anxious\nabout him and Nestor lifted him into his chariot and drove quickly away\nwith him to camp. There they dismounted to refresh themselves in the\ncool breeze from the sea and to dry their damp clothing. Then they\nentered Nestor\u2019s tent, where he bound up his friend\u2019s wound and gave him\nfood. While they were eating Patroclus entered the tent. Achilles had\nsent him to inquire who the wounded man was whom he had seen brought in\nby Nestor\u2019s chariot. For Achilles was accustomed, when the Greeks were\nfighting, to station himself on the high deck of his vessel to watch the\nfray, not without regrets that he was condemned to idleness; often his\nhand would grasp his sword involuntarily. His joy over the overthrow of\nthe Achaians was the sweetest revenge he had for his wounded pride.\n\n\u201cAh, here is Patroclus,\u201d cried Nestor. \u201cEnter, friend, and sit down with\nus. I have not seen thee for a long time.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo not press me, venerable sir,\u201d answered Patroclus. \u201cI may not remain,\nfor I must take the tidings to Achilles for which he has sent me, and\nnow that I have seen Machaon I must away. Thou well knowest how\nimpatient he is.\u201d\n\nBut Nestor continued: \u201cWe thought that Achilles was no longer interested\nin our fate. And hast thou, his friend and companion, no influence with\nhim? Canst thou not win him with persuasive words and tame his proud\nheart? That was what thy good father expected.\u201d Patroclus was moved by\nhis words, and promising to do what he could, took his leave.\n\nOnce more the Achaians were obliged to take refuge behind the walls of\nthe camp. Hector, followed by the victorious Trojans, drove all before\nhim. When the greater part of the Achaians had reached the shelter of\nthe gate, Hector gave orders that all the charioteers should leave their\nchariots and lead their bands on foot across the moat, for he was\ndetermined to climb or tear down the flimsy walls. Hector was\nsuccessful, although there was a fearful struggle at the wall. The\nAchaians defended their last stand with desperate courage, while the\nTrojans were just as determined to accomplish their purpose of driving\nthe enemy from their coasts and burning their ships that day.\n\nThus far Jupiter seemed to aid the Trojans, for a terrible gale arose\nwhich blinded the eyes of the Achaians with dust, though they still\nfought manfully on and Hector was not able to accomplish his purpose.\nTwo Lycian youths, Sarpedon and Glaucus, met outside the wall, resolved\nto shed glory upon their people by their bravery and enterprise. They\nsought to break down the wall at a spot defended by Menestheus, and\ntheir first onslaught was so savage that the Greek looked about him for\nhelp. He sent a messenger to Ajax and Teucer to come quickly to his aid,\nand they came running up with spear and bow. Ajax threw a stone which\nkilled Sarpedon\u2019s attendant, who was already on top of the wall. Next\nGlaucus climbed up, but received Teucer\u2019s arrow in his arm, which\nincapacitated him for further fighting. He got down very quietly, so\nthat the Achaians should not observe his misfortune, pausing to cast one\nmore spear, which did its deadly work. Then he drove back to the city.\n\nAt last Sarpedon succeeded in making the first breach in the top of the\nbreastworks, and under repeated blows the rest followed. This made the\nwall so low at this place that the soldiers could shoot over it, and\nhere the hottest fighting now took place. It was impossible to move\nSarpedon from his position. After a long struggle Hector came up, saw\nthe breach, and cried joyfully: \u201cForward, ye Trojan horsemen, break\nthrough the Argives\u2019 wall and cast burning brands into the ships!\u201d He\nraised a mighty stone in both arms, and although it was so heavy that\ntwo of the strongest men could not have lifted it or even have loaded it\non a wagon with crowbars, Hector bore it as easily as a shepherd might\ncarry a bundle of shorn wool, and with feet planted firmly wide apart,\nhe hurled it with such force against the gateway that the bolts cracked,\nthe hinges gave way, and the gate flew wide open. He sprang triumphantly\ninto the intrenchments, followed by the shouting Trojans. The frightened\nAchaians hurried away to defend their ships. The cries and confusion\nwere indescribable. The Achaians were in despair. Nothing remained for\nthem but to save their ships, and placing themselves in front of them in\nlong rows with lances set, they thus awaited the final onset of the\nTrojans.\n\nEach now forgot his own distress and all worked together, and soon a\nsolid chain of armed men surrounded the ships like a wall. Hector\nhimself, like a mighty rock which falls from the mountain top and\nplunges from ledge to ledge until it rests upon the plain, could get no\nfarther, but was obliged to pause before the wall of lances. He tried to\nencourage his men by promising them great rewards. Now they believed\nthat the last decisive moment had come and that before night it would be\nseen whether the gods had determined on the destruction of the Achaians\nor of Troy. But Jupiter was but favoring the Trojans in order to please\nAchilles and his mother, Thetis. Fate had already decreed that Troy was\nto fall, and even the gods could not change this decision, for they too\nwere subject to the laws of iron necessity. As soon as Agamemnon had\nbeen sufficiently punished and Achilles could be persuaded to join the\nranks of fighting Achaians, the destruction of the mighty city was to be\nexpected.\n\nAs soon as the Achaians had intrenched themselves they grew bolder and\nbegan a fearless attack. Idomeneus charged the Trojans, followed by his\nbrave Cretans. As the hurricane raises dark clouds of dust between the\nbattle lines, thus the ironclad cohorts moved hurriedly forward and\nthrew themselves on a party of the enemy. Idomeneus himself sought an\nantagonist among the princes, and now he chanced upon Othryoneus, who\nhad just joined the Trojans with his squadron and had a reputation for\ngreat bravery. He had wooed Priam\u2019s most beautiful daughter, not with\nthe customary gifts, but instead had promised his aid in driving the\nAchaians out of Asia. Priam had given his word, and the young hero was\njust beginning the struggle for the lovely prize when Idomeneus\u2019 spear\nput a sudden end to his life.\n\nThe battle raged fiercest on the right side of the camp where Hector was\nfighting. He was determined, in spite of the heroes who opposed him, to\ncapture and burn the ships. All the fury of war was displayed on this\nspot\u2014rage, despair, revenge, wild cries, fear, horror, and flight. The\nground was slippery with the blood of the fallen; there was now no time\nto remove the corpses of the slain. The Trojans were the first to lose\ncourage. Even Hector dared not keep his post where Ajax, Ulysses, and\nIdomeneus stood together like a wall, but sought out weaker adversaries\nand contented himself by answering the challenge of the two Ajaxes with\ninsults and boasts.\n\n\u201cWhy dost thou seek to frighten the common soldiers?\u201d called the elder\nAjax to him. \u201cDrive us back if thou canst! Thou wouldst gladly take our\nships, wouldst thou not? But I tell thee that thy proud Troy shall\nsooner sink into ashes than our fleet, and thou shalt sooner turn thy\nface homeward in flight than triumph over us.\u201d\n\nAt this moment an eagle flew high over the heads of the Achaians toward\nthe right and, delighted with the omen, they had confidence in Ajax\u2019s\nwords. But Hector answered him defiantly: \u201cMiserable boaster, what\nfoolishness is this! Would I were but as certainly a son of Jupiter as\nthat to-day will bring destruction upon ye all. And woe to thee shouldst\nthou stand before my spear! It would tear thy delicate body and give thy\nblood to the dogs.\u201d He then dashed away with his band to enter the\nbattle at another point. All were intimidated where he appeared, and the\nbattle cries of the Trojans surrounding him rose high into the air.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter IX\nAgamemnon Consoled\u2014The Gods Take Part in the Strife and the Trojans are\n                              Driven Back\n\n\nThe Greek heroes who had been wounded on the morning of this unlucky day\nand had been obliged to retire from the fight had remained in their\ntents in great discouragement, caring for their wounds. Nestor still sat\nwith Machaon, and after he had tended him and given him food and drink\nhe arose restlessly and said to his wounded friend: \u201cMy dear fellow, let\nme go and see what our fortunes are. The shouts of the warriors seem\nlouder at the wall.\u201d\n\nHe took a shield and lance and went out. Alas, what a sight met his\neyes! The wall was half demolished, the gateway shattered, the Trojans\ninside the intrenchments, and such wild confusion prevailed that one\ncould not tell friend from foe. He sighed deeply and considered for a\nmoment whether he should go down into the turmoil or seek Agamemnon in\nhis tent. He chose the latter course. But as he turned in the direction\nof the kings\u2019 ships, the wounded lords, Tydeus\u2019 son Diomedes, Ulysses,\nand Agamemnon, came toward him with slow steps, leaning on their lances\nand sick with wounds.\n\n\u201cNestor, Neleus\u2019 son,\u201d cried Agamemnon, \u201cwhence comest thou and why\ndidst thou leave the field? Alas, I fear that all will come to pass as\nHector has threatened; that the Trojans will not rest until our ships\nare burned and our people destroyed. The Achaians hate and curse me as\nAchilles hates me, for it is I who have led them into this misery. No\ndoubt they are now deserting or sitting brooding beside the ships.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat has been, even Jupiter cannot change,\u201d answered Nestor. \u201cBut let\nus consider what is still to be done.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen let me tell thee what I think,\u201d said Agamemnon. \u201cAs we are at the\nend of our resources, my advice is that as soon as it is dark we launch\nour ships and sail away while the Trojans are asleep. Let them call us\ncowards! It is better to escape thus than to be destroyed.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat words are these, O Atride,\u201d said Ulysses, frowning. \u201cThou shouldst\nhave led an army of deserters hither, instead of commanding men like us,\nwho have been taught from early youth to support the hardships of war\nunto death. What? Dost thou really intend to save thyself by stealing\naway like a thief in the night? Hush! That no one else may hear such\nunbecoming words!\u201d\n\nAgamemnon answered him: \u201cUlysses, I feel thy stern rebuke deeply, and I\nwould not have the Argives launch the ships against their will. If\nanyone can give better counsel, let us hear it.\u201d\n\nNow Diomedes began to speak. \u201cIt is not far to seek if thou wilt listen\nto me. I am indeed the youngest here, but as well born as any, and I\nthink Jupiter hath given me courage and strength for manly deeds. My\nadvice, then, is that we return to the battlefield, not to fight, for\nour wounds prevent that, but in order to encourage the others.\u201d\n\nThis speech pleased all and they followed him straight to the place of\ncombat. Just as they arrived there they were met by Poseidon in the\nfigure of an elderly warrior, who grasped the right hand of the ruler\nand said: \u201cTake courage, brave Atride, the immortal gods will not be\nangry with thee forever. Thou shalt surely see the day when the Trojans\nwill retreat in defeat to their city and their heroes fall before our\nlance thrusts.\u201d\n\nWith these words the old man returned to the fight and with encouraging\nwords spurred on the hesitating soldiers to renewed effort. His voice\nresounded over the battlefield like the shouting of a thousand men and\nthe Achaians obeyed it. The princes gazed after him in astonishment, for\nhis kingly figure was unknown to them. They suspected that it was a god\ncome to encourage them. Through hatred of the Trojans, Poseidon was\nsecretly aiding the Achaians contrary to the express commands of\nJupiter. But it would have gone hard with him if the son of Cronos, who\nwas looking down on the battlefield from Mount Ida, had discovered him\nat once. Juno contrived a scheme to prevent this for a while at least.\nShe went to Aphrodite and said coaxingly: \u201cWilt thou grant me a favor,\nor refuse it because thou art resentful of my aiding the Achaians,\nwhilst thou art for the Trojans?\u201d\n\nAphrodite graciously answered: \u201cMighty Juno, speak. What dost thou\ndesire? If I can grant it I will do so.\u201d\n\nThen Juno said cunningly: \u201cGive me thy magic girdle of love and longing,\nwhich inclines the hearts of gods and men to thee. I wish to visit old\ngrandfather Oceanus, who has quarrelled with his spouse Thetis, and try\nif I may not reconcile them.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow could I refuse thee my help?\u201d answered the goddess. \u201cHere, take it,\nand mayest thou be successful.\u201d\n\nSmiling happily, Juno took the magic girdle and hastened to her chamber.\nShe bathed her delicate body, anointed it with ambrosial oil, and\narranged her hair in shining ringlets. She then put on the fine long\nrobe which Athena had woven for her, closed it with golden clasps on her\nbreast, and wound the magic girdle about her waist. Beautiful earrings,\na shimmering veil, and golden sandals completed the splendid dress. Juno\nnow hastened over the heights of Olympus and across the mountains and\nstreams of earth to Lemnos, where she found Sleep, the brother of Death.\nHe was indispensable to her in carrying out the trick she had planned,\nso she took him graciously by the hand and said: \u201cMighty Sleep, who\ntamest gods and men, if thou wouldst ever do me a service, do it now and\nI shall be forever grateful. My son Heph\u00e6stus shall fashion thee an\nindestructible seat, whose cushions are always soft, and it shall be\nshining with gold and have a comfortable footstool for thy feet.\u201d\n\nA smile like a ray of sunshine lit up the god\u2019s face. Nothing could have\ntempted him more. Yawning he asked: \u201cWhat dost thou want of me, honored\ngoddess?\u201d\n\n\u201cCome with me and put the father of the gods to sleep for a short time,\u201d\nshe said. \u201cAnd to make it easier for thee, I will beguile him with sweet\nspeeches.\u201d\n\n\u201cThou askest a hard thing,\u201d answered Sleep. \u201cAnyone else I would dare\napproach, even ever-flowing old Oceanus; but Jupiter, the Terrible, I\ncannot venture near unless he calls for me himself. Only remember how he\nraged the time I deceived him at thy behest, when thou didst pursue his\ndear son Hercules with storms, with intent to imprison him on the island\nof Kos. All Olympus trembled at his wrath, and I should have been lost\nhad Night not protected me out of friendship.\u201d\n\nJuno replied: \u201cDost thou suppose the father of the gods cares as much\nfor the Trojans as he did for his dear son? No indeed! As thy reward I\npromise thee for thy wife the fairest of the Graces, whom thou hast so\nlong desired.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen swear it,\u201d cried Sleep, overjoyed, \u201cthat I may trust thee, and I\nwill do thy bidding instantly.\u201d\n\nThe goddess touched the earth with one hand and the sea with the other\nand swore by the River Styx and by the gods of the underworld. Then they\nboth passed over the sea to Phrygia. Juno went straight up Ida, while\nSleep, in the form of a nighthawk, slowly circled about the mountain top\nand hid himself in the branches of a tall pine tree.\n\nWhen Jupiter saw his consort he was greatly astonished. His dear wife\nhad never appeared so lovely to him before. She had Juno\u2019s eyes, but\nAphrodite\u2019s soulful glance; Juno\u2019s voice, but the words seemed to come\nfrom the heart of the goddess of love. The masterful, rebellious Juno,\nbecome gentle, kind, tender, and modest, so surprised him that he\nimmediately forgot all his past grievances against her and gave himself\nup to the sweet delusion that this change would last forever. And now\nJuno became so confiding and affectionate that her lord forgot the\nTrojans and in looking at her his back was turned to them, so that he\ncould not see his disobedient brother Poseidon. At last she made secret\nsigns to the bird lurking in the pine branches to encompass the happy\none with his outspread wings, and he was soon peacefully at rest. Sleep\nthen flew quickly down to Poseidon to tell him that Jupiter was\nslumbering and that it was now time to aid the Achaians in earnest.\n\nThen the sea god in the shape of an old warrior went up and down the\nranks preaching courage. Under his leadership the people charged forward\nlike a hurricane beating against a forest. Many men fell, most of them\nTrojans. Hector knew not that a god was opposing him, so he did not give\nway and still expected victory. But he soon met his doom. He had just\ncast his lance in vain at Ajax, and was about to pick up a stone, when\nAjax quickly hurled a great piece of rock, which struck the hero under\nhis shield and he fell back breathless. Shield and stone dropped from\nhis hands and he tumbled over in the sand. Ajax and his friends were\nabout to come up and strip him, but at this moment the bravest Trojan\nprinces, \u00c6neas, Polydamas, Agenor, and the valiant Lycians, Sarpedon and\nGlaucus, surrounded him, all covering him with their shields at once,\nuntil some of the servants lifted him on their shoulders and carried him\nto his chariot. When the chariot crossed the ford of the little River\nScamander or Xanthus, the friends lifted down the moaning and still\nunconscious hero, laid him on the ground, and sprinkled him with water.\nHe revived, opened his eyes, and wanted to arise, so they took hold of\nhis arms and lifted him to a kneeling position. A stream of dark blood\nburst from his lips and he sank into unconsciousness again.\n\nThe news of Hector\u2019s fall was greeted with loud rejoicing in the Achaian\narmy. Their old courage returned and Poseidon\u2019s presence worked wonders\nof heroism. The Trojans retreated farther and farther and few of the\nleaders fought alone. Victory now inclined toward the side of the\nAchaians, for Hector lay wounded on the banks of the Xanthus and the\ngods no longer fought for Troy. Thus the Trojans soon found themselves\nagain near the city walls and even forced behind them.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter X\n         Jupiter\u2019s Message to Poseidon\u2014The Battle for the Ships\n\n\nJupiter awoke and rubbed his eyes. His first glance sought the ships.\nHow changed was the situation! \u201cHa, Juno,\u201d he cried angrily, \u201cthis is\nthy work, deceitful, malicious woman! So that was the meaning of thy\ncaresses, thy friendliness and sweet talk, false serpent. Of what use is\nit to chastise thee? Hast thou already forgotten thy punishment when\nthou didst send a storm to drive my son Hercules into imprisonment on\nKos and I made thee swing on a chain twixt heaven and earth with an\nanvil fastened to each foot? Suppose that now I were to\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHeaven and Earth are my witnesses, and I will even swear it by the\nStyx, that Poseidon did not go into the battle at my behest,\u201d said the\naffrighted goddess. \u201cI do not know whether the Achaians have persuaded\nhim to it or his own heart. Rather would I counsel him to go\nwhithersoever thou commandest.\u201d\n\nThe father of gods and men answered, smiling grimly: \u201cIf thou wert of my\nmind, regal Juno, Poseidon would certainly soon change his course. But\nnow call Iris quickly and Apollo of the bow, that they may descend and\ncommand Poseidon to leave the battlefield and return to his palace.\u201d\n\nThe lily-armed Juno willingly obeyed, though she still meditated\nmischief in her heart. She drove quickly to high Olympus, where she\nfound the immortals in the banquet hall. Craftily she spoke to them. \u201cIt\nis useless to seek to change Jupiter\u2019s decrees,\u201d she said. \u201cLittle he\ncares for us, for he feels himself high above us all in strength and\npower. Only just now I saw Ascalaphus, the beloved son of mighty Mars,\nslain in battle.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo not blame me, ye dwellers in Olympus, if I go to avenge the death of\nmy son,\u201d wailed Mars; \u201ceven though the bolt of the Thunderer strike me\ndown.\u201d He rushed from the hall and donned his shining armor, appearing\ngreater and more terrible than ever.\n\nIncalculable mischief would have followed if Athena, concerned for the\nrest of the gods, had not hurried after him and taken his helmet,\nshield, and lance from him by force. \u201cImbecile,\u201d she cried, \u201cwouldst\nthou destroy us all? Woe unto us if he should see thee, the terrible\nJupiter! Thy son was but a mortal and other noble warriors have fallen;\nit is impossible to save them all from death.\u201d With these words she\nforced her angry brother back to the throne and he obediently submitted\nto her warning.\n\nApollo and Iris flew quickly down to the green summit of Ida, where\nJupiter sat enveloped in dark clouds. Iris he sent with a stern message\nto Poseidon and his beloved son Apollo to Hector to strengthen him with\nhis divine breath. \u201cThen lead him into the battle once more,\u201d said\nJupiter, \u201cand aid him thyself to drive the Achaians on board their\nships. Take the terrible \u00e6gis in thy hand and shake it, that their\nhearts may quake.\u201d\n\nIris delivered her message to the sea god and he answered it defiantly.\n\u201cPowerful as he is, I call that tyrannical. To combat my will\u2014mine, who\nam his equal! For are not he and Pluto and I brothers, and were not the\nupper and under worlds divided equally between us? We cast lots; air\nfell to him and water to me, but earth and sky are free to us all, and\nhe shall not stop me here. Let him rule his consort and his sons and\ndaughters. What care I for his threats or commands!\u201d\n\nThen Iris said doubtfully: \u201cWhat, dark-haired World-power! Shall I take\nJupiter thy answer in just those words, or wilt thou not change thy\nmind? It is well to keep the peace and respect is always due the elder.\u201d\n\n\u201cIris, exquisite goddess,\u201d answered the angry king, \u201cthou speakest\nsensibly and with reason, but it was righteous anger overcame me, for no\nbrother should rule another. Now that I come to think it over, I know I\nhad best obey him. But tell him this\u2014that if, contrary to the wishes of\nall the other gods, he protects Ilium\u2019s fortress and gives not the\nvictory to the Achaians, he may expect our eternal enmity.\u201d\n\nHe spoke, left the battlefield, and plunged into the sea. Meanwhile\nApollo had appeared to Hector, saying: \u201cBe comforted, son of Priam, for\nJupiter sends me to save thee. I am Ph\u0153bus Apollo, who hath so often\nprotected thee and thine. Follow me, that we may scatter the Achaians.\u201d\nThus the god encouraged the shepherd of the people, and like a colt\nwhich has broken its halter and gallops after the other horses to the\npasture, he hastened into the battle turmoil. The reappearance of the\nhero caused astonishment and consternation among the enemy, and as the\ninvisible Apollo shook the shield of Jupiter, the mighty \u00e6gis, fear and\nhorror took complete possession of the people, and turning they fled\nback to the ships. The battle raged fiercer than before, and many brave\nmen fell there.\n\nThen Hector called aloud: \u201cThe time has come, brave Trojans, to board\nthe ships. Let all keep together. Let no one tarry to gather booty, and\nif one remains behind, he shall die by my own hand.\u201d He urged his horses\nacross the moat, and the others followed him with exultant cries. When\nthey reached the ships they paused and prayed aloud to the gods for\nvictory. A long roll of thunder presaged good fortune, and with\nredoubled courage they charged forward. Hector tried to board a vessel,\nbut in vain. The Achaians, from the deck, thrust back everyone who made\nthe attempt with their long oars, and where Hector fought there were\nalways to be found gathered together the bravest warriors. The Trojans,\nwith their double-edged lances, fought in their chariots, but the\nAchaians, from the high decks of their dark vessels, used long,\nironbound oars.\n\nWhile the battle raged between the wall and the ships Patroclus was\nsitting in Eurypylus\u2019 tent nursing his wounded friend. But he dared not\nremain long, for fear of arousing Achilles\u2019 anger. He felt that he must\nsee how his friends were faring, and his heart urged him to persuade\nAchilles to come to the rescue of the Achaians at last. He left the tent\nand gazed with horror upon the dreadful battleground. He saw Hector rush\nforward with a flaming torch and try to fire a ship, but the Achaians\nturned aside the fatal missile. Ajax of Salamis stood upon the deck and\nthrust down with his lance all who bore a burning brand. Hector aimed\nhis javelin at him, but it struck Lykophron, who stood beside him. Ajax\nthen called upon Teucer: \u201cLook, brother, our friend has fallen by\nHector\u2019s hand! Where is thy avenging arrow?\u201d\n\nTeucer hastily climbed up with his bow and with the first arrow struck\nKlitus from his chariot. He then selected a second and sharper arrow for\nHector and, as he was quite near to him, would doubtless have pierced\nhim had the cord of his bow not broken just as he was in the act of\ndrawing it. \u201cWoe is me!\u201d he cried. \u201cA god brings all our attempts to\nnaught and must have broken this cord, a newly twisted one, which I put\non this morning.\u201d\n\nHector had seen the accident, accepted it as a favorable omen, and\ncheered on his men. \u201cLet everyone fight with all his might, for the\nOlympian Jove is with us. And if ye fall it shall be a glorious death\nfor the women and children of Troy, and surely the Trojans shall\nrecompense ye as soon as the Achaians are driven away.\u201d\n\nWhere Hector rushed in, the troops huddled together like a herd of sheep\nbefore a wolf. None dared defend himself, but bowed his head in terror,\nand trembling, received his deathblow with averted face. The hero\u2019s\nfluttering plumes were like a lion\u2019s mane and his eyes flashed fury\nunder his dark brows. Fear and shame kept the Achaians together. They\ncontinually encouraged one another. Nestor particularly besought the\npeople to make one last attempt.\n\nAmong the Achaian leaders the most notable courage was shown by the\nTelamonian Ajax. He ran from one ship to another to encourage the\nsoldiers, who could scarcely be forced to make another stand. A Trojan\nbrought Hector a torch, which he threw into the foremost of the deserted\nships. The sight drove the Achaians to desperation. They all rushed\nforward to defend the ship and a horrible struggle took place. Battle\naxes, swords, and lances hissed through the air and much blood flowed.\nHector clung to the ship and shouted: \u201cBring up the firebrands! Jupiter\nhas given us the day and we shall certainly take the ships.\u201d And \u201cfire!\nfire!\u201d echoed through the entire army, so that all the Achaians\ntrembled. Ajax himself could make no headway, but standing on one of the\nships, he threw lance after lance at everyone he saw approaching with\nfire. His voice was never silent, but rose continually above the din,\ncalling to his people: \u201cFriends, keep up your courage and show\nyourselves men! Is there any help but in yourselves or is there another\nwall behind you? Do ye know of other ships, if these are burned, to\ncarry you over the sea? Your deliverance depends solely upon\nyourselves!\u201d\n\nFruitless zeal! The rattling spears of the enemy drove them to flight\nmore convincingly than the voice of the lone leader to the attack. Their\nstrength was broken.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter XI\n   Patroclus Hastens into Battle and Scatters the Trojans\u2014Hector and\n                               Patroclus\n\n\nProfoundly grieved at the sad fate of his comrades, Patroclus turned\nfrom the bloody spectacle and hurried to Achilles\u2019 tent. Hot tears were\nrolling down his cheeks as he entered. Achilles, dismayed, forgot to\nrebuke him and inquired with concern: \u201cWhy dost thou weep, Patroclus?\nSpeak, tell me all!\u201d\n\nSighing deeply, Patroclus replied: \u201cSon of Peleus, thou mighty hero of\nthe Achaians, do not be angry with me if I tell thee that the Achaians\nare suffering too great misery. All over the field and at the ships\ntheir bravest warriors have fallen, and but few of the princes remain\nunharmed. Diomedes has been shot through the foot and Agamemnon through\nthe arm; Ulysses is wounded in the side and Eurypylus received an arrow\nin his thigh. The deserted soldiers are panic-stricken and thou,\nobstinate one, wilt not take pity on them. Cruel man! Thou art so brave\nand yet thou wilt not raise thy hand to save thy despairing friends. May\na god never be angry with me as thou art angry. Surely Peleus is not thy\nfather nor a goddess thy mother. The dark sea depths or adamantine rocks\nmust have brought thee forth, so unfeeling is thy heart. Or is it that\nthou obeyest some secret command of the gods and darest not take part in\nthe battle? Then, at least, send me and give me thy Myrmidons that I may\nperchance drive back the Trojans from the ships. Lend me thy armor that\nthe Trojans, deceived, may retreat and the Achaian warriors take fresh\ncourage.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo behest of the gods restrains me,\u201d replied Achilles, \u201cnor is it my\npurpose to be angry forever. As soon as the Trojans approach my tents\nand ships, I shall gird on my sword and spear, and woe to him whom I\nshall meet! But until then, let Agamemnon bitterly repent his outrage\nand promise expiatory sacrifices to all the gods. But I shall not allow\nthe Trojans the pleasure of destroying the ships. Therefore go, as thou\ndesirest. Lead the Myrmidons into battle, for the danger is great.\nDiomedes no longer shakes his mighty spear and I do not hear the hated\nAgamemnon\u2019s valiant battle cry; instead, Hector\u2019s lionlike voice\npenetrates my tent, with the loud rejoicing of the Trojans. Take my\nresplendent armor, but listen well to what I say. Thou mayest drive the\nTrojans from the ships and back to the intrenchments, but pursue them no\nfarther. Take care not to allow thyself to be enticed into an open\nbattle, nor still less dare to storm Troy\u2019s fortress without me, for\nmine must be the glory, that the Achaians may learn whom they have\ninsulted.\u201d\n\nWith these words he climbed to the upper deck of his ship to\nreconnoitre. And how horrified he was to see Protesilaus\u2019 ship in\nflames, Hector still advancing, and the Achaians giving way. \u201cHurry,\nhurry, Patroclus!\u201d he cried and smote his thigh with impatience. \u201cThe\nships are already burning! Put on the armor quickly, while I gather the\nMyrmidons.\u201d There were more than two thousand of them, splendid warriors\nof great strength and stature. At their leader\u2019s call they assembled\nunder arms. Achilles divided them into five companies, to each of which\nhe gave a leader of proven courage and experience. Meanwhile Patroclus\nbade Automedon bring forth Achilles\u2019 chariot and horses, with a second\none for emergencies. Then he put on the shining armor, placed on his\nhead the great helmet with its crest of waving horsehair, and took two\nlances, but not that of Achilles, for no other living mortal could wield\nthat.\n\nThus armed he sprang into the chariot beside Automedon, who was waiting,\nwhip in hand. Then Achilles went to the chest which his mother had given\nhim, filled with cloths and warm garments, and took out of it a precious\ngolden goblet from which he was accustomed to make sacrifice to the\ngreatest of the gods alone. He dipped it in the sea, washed his hands,\nthen filled the goblet with clear wine, and with it in his hands went to\nthe door of his tent. \u201cFather Jupiter, ruler of the world,\u201d he prayed,\nwhile he poured the first drops on the ground in honor of the god, \u201chear\nme now as thou didst hear me when I was honored before the Achaians.\nGrant that my friend may return to me covered with glory, and fill his\nheart and the hearts of his companions with courage, that they may make\nan end of the Trojans at the ships, and that Hector may learn that\nPatroclus knows how to order the battle even if I am not with him.\u201d\n\nThe appearance of Patroclus and his followers was like sunshine after a\nshower to the Achaians. The Trojans were frightened, for they thought\nthat Achilles had come forth again, and even without him the advent of\ntwo thousand fresh warriors was matter enough for concern. When\nAchilles\u2019 band made a dash for Protesilaus\u2019 burning ship, not a Trojan\nstood his ground. The space about the ship was cleared by the Myrmidons\nand they quenched the fire which had already destroyed half of the ship.\nBut the battle was by no means at an end. The leaders of the Trojans\nrallied their forces inside the intrenchments and put them in order once\nmore. Patroclus did his friend credit; he was indefatigable and himself\nslew many of the boldest warriors. The other Achaian leaders joined him\nand new life and hope filled every breast.\n\nThe Trojans could no longer maintain their position inside the\nintrenchments. Hector was the first to reach the open plain with his\nchariot, but many another who tried to follow him was crushed in the\nthrong. But the rout would not have been so general had Patroclus\nremembered Achilles\u2019 instructions. But his success, the suddenness of\nthe victory, and particularly his secret desire to kill Hector, misled\nthe zealous man to pursue the fleeing enemy. He jumped from his chariot,\nwhich he instructed to have follow him, and hurried after his victims.\nNow he overthrew Pronous and took his armor; next he slew the charioteer\nThestor and took his likewise. With a stone he crushed the head of\nEuryalus, who was about to attack him, and many others were struck down\nby his mighty arm. Not a Trojan was able to withstand Patroclus. The\nfoolish man! Had he but remembered Achilles\u2019 warning he might have\nescaped death; but Jupiter\u2019s decree is mightier than man.\n\nA few hours earlier the Trojans had broken down the enemy\u2019s wall and now\nthe Achaians were seeking to conquer the lofty walls of Troy\u2019s fortress,\nand Patroclus himself was ambitious of being the first to enter the\ncity. But Hector plucked up courage and commanded his charioteer to\ndrive straight at the leader. As soon as he saw him coming, Patroclus\nleft the wall and ran furiously to meet him, holding his lance in his\nleft hand and in the right a stone which he had hastily picked up. This\nhe threw with all his might at the two tall men in the chariot, and\nbehold, it struck the good Kebriones, Priam\u2019s son, and crushed his\nskull, so that his body fell abruptly across the chariot seat. Patroclus\ncried out maliciously: \u201cSee how hasty the man is! There are splendid\ndivers among the Trojans. If he could but have tried his luck in the\nwater, instead of in the sand, he would have caught plenty of oysters to\nsatisfy his hunger.\u201d\n\nHe sprang upon the wounded man to take his arms, but Hector jumped from\nhis chariot and seized his brother\u2019s head. Patroclus took his feet and\nthe two men struggled for the body. A crowd of Trojans and Achaians came\nto their aid, and spears, shields, and naked swords rattled noisily\nagainst one another. The Trojans defended Hector as well as they could,\nbut while he struggled for the body, none could get near him. However, a\nbold Trojan seized a favorable opportunity, and with a powerful blow of\nhis sword, knocked off Patroclus\u2019 helmet, cutting the strap of his\nshield at the same time, so that it fell to the earth. The hero started\nback and let go the corpse, but as he turned, Euphorbus stabbed him in\nthe back. He tried to escape, but Hector laid him low with his heavy\nlance. The Achaians trembled, and even the most courageous of them lost\ntheir heads, and none dared interfere as Hector, bracing his foot\nagainst the body, drew out his spear, then stripped off the armor. It\nwas now Hector\u2019s turn to mock at the dying man and he cried: \u201cWell,\nPatroclus, dost thou still expect to lay waste our city and carry off\nour women? One could see thou hadst great deeds in mind. No doubt\nAchilles bade thee not return without Hector\u2019s bloody coat of mail. Now,\npoor man, thou liest here and givest me thy fine armor, but thee I give\nto the dogs and birds of prey for food.\u201d\n\nFaintly the dying man answered him: \u201cIt is a foolish boast, Hector. Thou\ncamest, when I was defenseless and wounded, to rob me. In open conflict\nI could have slain twenty like thee, but a boy could have done what thou\nhast done. But vengeance is approaching and when it comes, think of me.\nThe godlike Achilles still lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cSpare me thy prophecies and die,\u201d replied Hector. \u201cWho knoweth but\nAchilles, like thee, may give up his soul at the point of my spear?\u201d\nWith these words he left the dying man and carried the splendid armor to\na place of safety, then went back into the fray.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter XII\n      The Fight for Patroclus\u2019 Body\u2014Achilles Mourns for His Fallen\n               Friend\u2014Thetis and Vulcan\u2014Achilles\u2019 Shield\n\n\nHector next roved about seeking to capture the splendid steeds of\nAchilles with which Patroclus had entered the field, but he could not\ncome near them, for Patroclus\u2019 charioteer, Automedon, was already far\ndistant. Meanwhile the space about Patroclus\u2019 body was deserted except\nfor Menelaus, who stood guard beside it, covering it with his shield\nuntil some of his comrades should come up to bear it away to the ships.\nHe was spied by Euphorbus, brother of that Hyperenor who had fallen by\nMenelaus\u2019 hand the day before. He approached within a spear\u2019s cast and\ncalled to him: \u201cSon of Atreus, stand back from the dead! Thou shalt not\ngive honorable burial to this destroyer who hath slain so many of us.\nBack, before I rob thee of thy sweet life!\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat Jupiter,\u201d cried Menelaus, \u201cdid one ever hear such insolence! Only\nyesterday thy brother Hyperenor was equally bold, but I believe he has\npaid the penalty, for he can scarcely have returned to his dear wife and\nold father on his own feet. The same fate awaiteth thee, if thou\napproach nearer. I advise thee to escape while thou canst.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is for my brother\u2019s sake that I would fight with thee,\u201d cried\nEuphorbus. \u201cHow delighted shall my father be when I bring him thy bloody\narmor in token of vengeance. But why do I waste time in talk? Let us try\nour skill.\u201d\n\nAs he spoke he ran at Menelaus full tilt with his lance, but the point\nbent like lead against the shield and did not even scratch it. Then\nMenelaus ran him through with his own spear and the slender youth fell,\nas a tender sprout of olive is uprooted by the wind. His long waving\nhair was bathed in blood and he, who but a moment before had bounded\namong the ranks of warriors like a deer, lay unrecognizable. Menelaus\nwas about to take his armor when he saw Hector at a distance, and not\ncaring to face him he left Patroclus\u2019 body and ran to fetch the elder\nAjax, that together they might protect their friend from the thieving\nhands of the Trojans.\n\nThen Glaucus spoke sullenly to Hector. \u201cThou art a great boaster, but\nnever have I seen thee at the post of danger, nor attempting to defend\nor avenge any of thy comrades. The heroic Sarpedon, who sacrificed so\nmuch for thee, was left to his fate, and no one knoweth where he fell.\nDo the Lycians deserve this at thy hands? If thou art so ungrateful and\nno honor is paid a fallen hero, then mayest thou fight thy battles alone\nand I will take my Lycians home. If ye Trojans were men of courage and\ndecision, ye would carry off the body of Patroclus to a place of safety.\nDoubtless the Achaians would then offer the body of Sarpedon and his\nweapons in exchange and even more. But thou fleest the battle like a\ncoward, fearing Ajax, who is, indeed, quite another sort of man.\u201d\n\nDarkly Hector gazed at him and began: \u201cAh, my friend, I have always\ntaken thee for a man of sense, but now hast thou spoken rashly. When did\nthe enemy or the snorting of horses ever terrify me? No, I fear neither\nAjax nor Diomedes nor any of the Achaian heroes, but rather the decree\nof Jove, who has apparently given victory into the hands of the enemy.\nWhat availeth the valor of a mortal against the god of gods? But if thou\nwilt observe my actions, take heed and see if I am as timid as thou hast\nsaid.\u201d\n\nClad in Achilles\u2019 magnificent armor he immediately assembled his men\nwith loud battle cries. Calling all the princes together, he spoke to\nthem. \u201cFriends and allies, not to be in the midst of many men have I\ncalled ye to Troy, but that ye might aid me in time of danger to protect\nour wives and children. It is for this that our poor people are laboring\nto feed and sustain ye with their flocks and the fruits of their fields,\nand for this I am striving with sword and speech to encourage ye and\nspur ye on to the combat. Then let us fight to the death! And to him who\nbears the body of Patroclus into Troy I promise a rich recompense.\u201d\n\nAll followed him, shouting, to the spot where Menelaus and Ajax stood\nshielding the body of Patroclus. Their hearts beat wildly when they saw\nthe little band bearing down on them, and Menelaus ran as fast as he\ncould to procure more help. \u201cCome friends,\u201d he cried, \u201cthere lies\nPatroclus, whom the Trojans would seize and carry away to become food\nfor Trojan dogs. Do ye not feel the shame of it?\u201d\n\nThe younger Ajax was the first to hear and respond; then came Idomeneus\nand Meriones, each with a band of followers. They arrived beside the\ncorpse just as Hector and his men came up, and the shock of meeting was\nlike the ocean tide at the mouth of some mighty river which empties into\nthe sea, so terrible was the crash of shields and lances.\n\nThen Automedon with Achilles\u2019 steeds came dashing along, resolved\nhimself to contend for the corpse. Hector saw him coming and cried,\nrejoicing, to \u00c6neas: \u201cThere come Achilles\u2019 splendid horses! Come, if\nthou wilt aid me, let us take them!\u201d They ran toward the chariot, but\nAutomedon, springing to the ground, called Ajax and Menelaus to his aid.\nChromeus and Aretus joined Hector and \u00c6neas and a fresh contest raged\nabout the chariot. Hector aimed well and cast with mighty power, but\nAutomedon dashed quickly aside and the spear flew far over him into the\nearth, where it quivered for a long time. Automedon was more fortunate,\nand although Hector dodged the blow, it struck Aretus, who stood behind\nhim. Meanwhile evening was descending and Ajax was anxious to secure the\nbody before night came on. But it was all the Achaians could do to hold\nback the enemy. Then Ajax said to Menelaus: \u201cIf only some good youth\nwould hasten to the ships and take to Achilles the tidings of his\nfriend\u2019s death perhaps he would come himself to rescue the body from the\nenemy\u2019s hands. Dost thou see Antilochus, Nestor\u2019s son? I think he could\nreach camp quickest.\u201d Menelaus hastened away to seek the youth, where he\nwas fighting at the other side of the battlefield. He was horrified to\nlearn of the hero\u2019s death and tears filled his eyes; but he did not\ntarry and hurried away to Achilles.\n\nMenelaus returned straightway to Ajax, saying: \u201cI have sent him, but I\ndoubt whether Achilles will come without his armor. So let us try once\nmore to secure the body.\u201d\n\n\u201cThou art right,\u201d answered Ajax. \u201cLet us make another attempt, and if\nthey retire but a little way, do thou and Meriones seize the corpse\nwhile the rest of us keep off the mighty Hector and the other Trojans.\u201d\n\nThis strategy partially succeeded and Menelaus and Meriones were able to\ndrag the body some distance away. Meanwhile Achilles had been\nimpatiently awaiting his tardy friend. He ascended to his usual post,\nthe high deck of his ship, and saw, approaching through the twilight and\nclouds of dust, dense crowds which looked like fleeing men. It seemed to\nhim that he could hear Hector\u2019s triumphant voice pursuing the Achaians.\nAn uneasy premonition seized him and he was about to send out a\nmessenger when young Antilochus appeared before him and spake, weeping:\n\u201cWoe is me, son of Peleus, I bring thee sad tidings. Patroclus is slain,\nand our warriors are fighting desperately for his naked body, for Hector\nhas taken his weapons.\u201d\n\nAchilles grew pale as death. He tore his hair with rage, beat his\nbreast, and threw himself upon the ground, covering dress, face, and\nhead with dust. His eyes flashed dangerously, his heart palpitated, and\nhorrible groans escaped his half-open lips. His slaves gathered about\nhim in affright; but when they learned the cause of his boundless\nsorrow, they all burst out weeping. Antilochus wept also and held the\nhero\u2019s hands, fearing that the passionate man would harm himself. This\nterrible despair lasted a long time, but at last the overburdened heart\nfound relief in tears and he broke out in loud lamentations.\n\nHis mother Thetis heard him and arose from the depths of the sea to seat\nherself beside her unhappy son. She pressed his head to her bosom and\ninquired tenderly: \u201cDear child, what is troubling thee now? Do not\nconceal anything from me. Speak! Hath Jupiter not fulfilled thy wish and\ngiven the victory to the Trojans?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat care I for the favor of Jupiter when Patroclus, whom I loved as\nmyself, lies dead! Hector hath slain him and taken the armor, that\nsplendid gift of my valiant father. For what a fate was I born! But,\nindeed, I will not live if I may not slay Hector and avenge the death of\nmy friend.\u201d\n\n\u201cGlorious son,\u201d said his mother, weeping, \u201cwhen thou hast slain him it\nwill be thy doom; for thy death is decreed immediately after Hector\u2019s.\u201d\n\n\u201cWould that I were already dead,\u201d answered Achilles gloomily, \u201cas I was\nnot permitted to save my friend. But I will avenge him and pay him such\nhonor as no mortal has ever received before. Then let Jupiter do with me\nas he will. Death is the lot of all. Even great Hercules died, the best\nbeloved of all Jupiter\u2019s sons. But before Death takes me, many a Trojan\nwoman shall lament that I have slain her son or young spouse. They shall\nall learn that my long rest is ended.\u201d\n\n\u201cI shall not restrain thee,\u201d answered the silver-footed Thetis, \u201cfor thy\ngrief is righteous and thy resolution to honor the dead and save thy\nfriends from destruction is commendable. But thou hast no weapons and I\nforbid thee to enter the turmoil of Mars until at dawn thou seest me\nreturning with armor from the hand of the artist Vulcan.\u201d She suddenly\ndisappeared and ascended to Olympus to beg the weapons from the god.\n\n              [Illustration: _THETIS CONSOLING ACHILLES_]\n\nMeanwhile the noise of the struggle grew louder as the fortunes of war\ndrove the Achaians to flight. With loud cries the Trojans followed the\nbody of Patroclus in the twilight, and although the two bearers hurried\nas fast as they could to get it to a place of safety, they were often in\ndanger of losing it. Hector pursued them continually with his men and\nmore than once had seized one of the dead man\u2019s feet. The two Ajaxes had\nno thought of killing Hector, for his gigantic stature appalled them.\nThey only held the corpse tighter, to keep it from being torn from them.\nJust as they were nearing the moat, they would have lost it, if a swift\nmessenger had not summoned Achilles. \u201cHelp! help! Achilles!\u201d he cried.\n\u201cHector will soon have taken the body of Patroclus. He threatens to cut\noff the head and put it on a pike and to throw the trunk to the Trojan\ndogs. What a disgrace if thy friend\u2019s body be taken and misused!\u201d\n\nLike a maniac, without armor or weapons, Achilles rushed out, and in a\nvoice like thunder rolling in the mountains, he roared out most terrible\nthreats, so that both Trojans and Achaians were overcome by fear and\nHector, terrified, let go the corpse and quickly retired with his\nfollowers, thinking Achilles was already on his track. Thus the two\nheroes brought the corpse safely into camp. Achilles gazed long upon his\nfriend, speechless, with bowed head, clenched hands, and tears coursing\ndown his cheeks. The Trojans now held council whether they should spend\nthe night in the city or on the battlefield. Polydamas was anxious to\nretire, for he feared Achilles; but Hector insisted on remaining, for he\nheld that it would be cowardly to allow the enemy to suspect that they\nwere afraid. \u201cLet Achilles come forth to-morrow,\u201d he concluded; \u201che will\ndo so at his own risk. I shall surely not fly before him. I long to meet\nhim, and then Jupiter shall decide which one of us shall be covered with\nglory. Mars is a vacillating god, who oft destroys the destroyer.\u201d\n\nSo they encamped on the field for the night. Youths brought forth\nanimals from the city for the sacrifice, together with bread and wine,\nlit fires, and prepared the evening meal. The Achaians also, after\nsupping, laid down to rest. But Achilles could not sleep. Kneeling\nbeside his dead friend, he laid his hand on his cold breast and sobbed.\nOvercome with grief he cried: \u201cBefore the earth hides me, thou shalt be\navenged, my Patroclus. I will lay Hector\u2019s weapons at thy feet and\nHector\u2019s bloody head beside them. I will slay twelve Trojan youths in\nthine honor. Rest thou here in peace, for the morrow shall shed glory\nupon thee and me.\u201d\n\nMeanwhile Thetis had arrived in Olympus and went straightway to Vulcan\u2019s\ndwelling. Late as it was, she heard him hammering in his workshop, for\nhe was making twenty bronze tripods for the Olympians\u2019 hall. He had\nfastened golden wheels to each foot, so that they could roll to the\nbanquet of themselves. They were all finished except for the handles,\nand these he wished to complete that night. Aphrodite, the beautiful\nspouse of the lame fire god, was the first to spy the newcomer at the\ndoor. She took her hand, saying: \u201cWelcome, dear friend, what bringeth\nthee so late from thy sea depths? Thou dost not often visit me.\u201d She led\nher within and called her spouse.\n\nHe immediately left his anvil, washed his hands with a sponge, also his\nsooty face, neck, and powerful chest, threw on his cloak, and leaning on\nhis golden staff, came limping to the door. He took the goddess\u2019 hand\nand bade her welcome. \u201cI always think of thee with gratitude,\u201d he said;\n\u201cfor thou didst take me in when I was lamed and my mother would not\ntolerate me in heaven. Then I lived for a time in thy crystal palace\nunder the sea and fashioned many a pretty piece of work\u2014rings and\nclasps, pins and chains\u2014until Juno took me into favor again and I left\nthy dwelling. Therefore, Aphrodite, see that thou entertain our guest\nworthily.\u201d\n\nWhen Thetis had partaken of the nectar and ambrosia which Aphrodite set\nbefore her, she began to recite all her son\u2019s troubles, from Agamemnon\u2019s\ninjustice down to the fall of Patroclus. Then she begged the god to\nforge new armor for the unlucky Achilles, so that he might be ready to\nattack Hector in the morning. Aphrodite was displeased, for she feared\nfor the Trojans, but the god paid no attention to her and promised to\nfulfil Thetis\u2019 desire. He immediately returned to his workshop and began\nthe work.\n\nBefore the night was two thirds past the most splendid suit of armor\nthat ever a hero had possessed was completed. The shield especially was\na work of art. In the middle the earth was represented with the sea and\nsky, sun, moon, and stars. There were also two cities; one at peace and\nthe other in the throes of war. In one a wedding was being celebrated\nwith music and dance and there were many pictures of peaceful labor in\nfield and vineyard. The other city was in a state of siege, and one\ncould plainly see the besiegers and the citizens defending themselves.\nAround the edge of the shield flowed the deep river Oceanus.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter XIII\n      Achilles and Agamemnon Reconciled\u2014Achilles Goes into Battle\n\n\nRosy-fingered Eos was mounting the eastern sky as Thetis arrived at her\nson\u2019s tent with the rich suit of armor. She found him still stretched\nbeside Patroclus\u2019 body with the mourning women about him. Achilles\naccepted Vulcan\u2019s wonderful work joyfully, and the sight of the weapons\nmade his eyes flash with a dangerous light. When he had carefully\nexamined and admired the artistic embellishments he said to Thetis:\n\u201cMother, these weapons are not the work of a mortal; some god has forged\nthem. Come, I will arm myself, that the Trojans may tremble at the\nglorious sight.\u201d\n\nHe then approached the tents and ships of the Achaians, calling to them\nloudly to come forth. They rejoiced to hear the thunder of that voice,\nwhich had been silent so long, and came hastening to the council place.\nDiomedes was limping painfully and leaning on his lance. Even Agamemnon\nand Ulysses, both weakened by painful wounds, came dragging themselves\nalong with staves. When they were all seated in their places, Achilles\ntook up the sceptre and spoke. \u201cSon of Atreus, let us be reconciled, as\nwe have long wished to be. I had rather the gods had slain the rosy\nmaiden before ever a quarrel on her account had estranged us and my\nanger sent so many noble Achaians down to Hades. But let us forget the\nbitter past. I have moderated my anger, for a generous man should not be\nimplacable, however much he has been wronged. And now let us hasten to\nlead our people to the combat, for the Trojans must not burn the ships\nto-day.\u201d\n\nHe was interrupted by a loud shout of exultation. The tidings that he\nhad relented and would join them in the battle was enough to fill all\nhearts with joy. In their excitement they did not care to hear more, and\nnot until the thunderous tones of the heralds had commanded silence\ncould Agamemnon\u2019s answer be heard. \u201cJupiter alone knows,\u201d said he, \u201chow\nblind rage could have led me to commit such an injustice, from which my\nheart now recoils and which I have long bitterly repented. Thou hast\nalready heard from Ulysses of the gifts which I offered thee in\nreparation, and even now, that thou comest of thyself, I will take\nnothing back. My servants shall deliver all to thee, if thou wilt but\nsave the Achaians.\u201d\n\nSmiling, the warlike Achilles answered him: \u201cI care not whether thou\ngivest or retainest thy treasure. Let us think only of the war and lead\nthe battalions without delay against the enemy, for there is much work\nto do and great deeds must be accomplished this day.\u201d\n\nNow Ulysses spoke up. \u201cNot thus, excellent Achilles; we must not be\nhasty. Let the soldiers partake of food, for the battle will not be of a\nfew hours\u2019 duration only. Thou hast more endurance than all others, but\nnone but thee can hold out through the long day\u2019s work without food or\ndrink. Let the people first break their fast, while Agamemnon sends for\nthe promised gifts, that we may all look upon them. Then he shall feast\nthee in his tent, that thou mayest enjoy all the honor due thee; for\neven a king should propitiate the man whom he hath wronged.\u201d\n\n\u201cI gladly follow thy wise counsel,\u201d answered Agamemnon, \u201cand if thou\nwilt, thou mayest go thyself to my ships, with six picked men, to fetch\nthe promised gifts.\u201d\n\n\u201cSon of Atreus,\u201d interrupted Achilles, \u201cnever mind the gifts. Let us\nthink only of the slain, who are calling to us to avenge them. And ye\ntalk of eating and drinking and of rest! If I were in command the people\nshould be led forth fasting and at night; after the day\u2019s work they\nshould feast twice over. For my part, not a drop shall pass my lips\nuntil I shall have avenged my friend. I have no thoughts, but of murder,\nbloodshed, and the death rattle of falling men.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat son of Peleus,\u201d suggested Ulysses, \u201cthough thou art no doubt\nstronger and braver than I, yet I think I can give thee good counsel,\nfor I have lived longer and seen much. Take my advice this once. Thou\ncanst conquer only with warriors who are rested, refreshed, and eager\nfor the fight; but the hungry and thirsty soldier will follow thee\nhalf-heartedly and in the end be overcome by his own weakness.\u201d\n\nWithout awaiting Achilles\u2019 answer, the leaders gave the soldiers the\nsignal to break their fast. Ulysses quickly selected six good comrades\nand went to fetch the presents from Agamemnon\u2019s ships and tents. He\nselected the basins, ewers, the horses and women, weighed out ten pounds\nof gold, and then summoned the fair Brise\u00efs to follow him. On their\nreturn to the council place Agamemnon sent the gifts immediately to\nAchilles\u2019 encampment.\n\nIn vain the noble Achaian heroes surrounded Achilles and begged him to\njoin them at the banquet. He shook his head, saying: \u201cKind friends, do\nnot trouble me, for I am very sorrowful and I shall fast until the sun\nsets.\u201d The princes retired sadly to their tents to partake of food. Only\nAtreus\u2019 sons and the noble Ulysses, Nestor, Idomeneus, and the gigantic\nPh\u0153nix remained with him, trying to comfort the mourner. He sat brooding\nover his sorrow. \u201cDear, unhappy friend,\u201d he said, \u201chow oft hast thou\nbrought me my breakfast and tended me while the others went forth to\nbattle, and now thou liest here dead; but neither food nor drink can\nrefresh me while I mourn for thee. I had always hoped that I alone\nshould die in the Trojan land and that thou shouldst return to Phthia,\nto bring up my son, dear Neoptolemus. And now thou art gone before me.\u201d\n\nThus he lamented, and all his friends mourned with him. Even Jupiter was\ntouched by his deep sorrow and sent his daughter Athena down secretly to\nstrengthen his heart with heavenly nectar, and thus the hero was able to\nappear in all his glory when the warriors gathered together. The lust of\nbattle had dried the tears upon his eyelids.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter XIV\n               Achilles in Battle\u2014The Fight on the River\n\n\nAll Olympus was now interested in the combat of mortals since the\ngodlike Achilles had taken up arms again. Many of the divinities\npromised him victory, but Jupiter was resolved that he should not yet\ndestroy the splendid city of the Trojans, for fate had not decreed that\nit should fall by his hand. Therefore he commanded the other gods to\nstay the zeal of the Pelide should he rage too terribly. The Trojans\nwere already armed and in the field and the swarms of Achaians flew to\nmeet them like a heap of dry leaves driven before the wind. Achilles\nlooked everywhere for Hector, but without discovering him. Instead, he\nespied two other chieftains, \u00c6neas and Lykaon.\n\n\u00c6neas determined to face the hero. He commended his soul to his divine\nmother and pushed forward shouting fierce threats. Achilles ran toward\nhim without hesitation and then stopping suddenly he called out: \u201cHow\ncanst thou venture so far from thy men, \u00c6neas? What is it impels thee to\nfight with me? Dost think perchance that if thou shouldst conquer me\nthou shalt become ruler of the Trojans? Priam has still plenty of sons!\nDid I not meet thee on Mount Ida, where father Jupiter himself was\nscarce able to save thee? Thou didst run like a deer, not daring to look\nbehind thee. Thou hadst better fly now, if life is dear to thee, and\ntake care not to get in my way a second time.\u201d\n\n\u201cSon of Peleus,\u201d answered \u00c6neas, \u201cdo not hope to frighten me with words\nlike a child. My race is as exalted as thine own, for I was fathered by\nAnchises of Dardanus\u2019 family and Aphrodite is my mother. My family is\nold and powerful. But why do we gossip like women? Come, let us see\nwhether it be Aphrodite or Thetis who shall mourn for her son to-day.\u201d\n\nHe was the first to cast his spear, and Achilles held his shield before\nhim at arm\u2019s length, so that should it pierce the metal, it might not\ntouch his body. But the swift-flying weapon glanced off harmlessly.\nImmediately he hurled his own powerful lance, but \u00c6neas threw himself on\nthe ground and covered himself. The mighty lance crashed through the\nedge of his shield and buried itself in the ground just behind the\ncrouching man. He arose quickly, seized a great stone, and threw it at\nthe head of Achilles, who was rushing upon him with drawn sword in a\nblind rage, forgetting to shield himself, so that had Vulcan\u2019s helmet\nnot been so strong, helmet and skull would doubtless have been crushed.\n\u00c6neas was about to exult over his fall, but Achilles only staggered back\na step and a god warned \u00c6neas to escape. He therefore drew Achilles\u2019\nheavy spear from his shield, and throwing it down, fled into the crowd\nof Trojans.\n\nWhen Achilles came to, he found himself on the ground, supporting\nhimself on one arm, and alone. He was astonished and said to himself:\n\u201cWhat miracle is this? Here lies my spear and my adversary is nowhere to\nbe seen. But indeed \u00c6neas must be beloved of the gods, for no one has\never vanquished me thus. But he did not venture to kill me in my swoon\nand is, no doubt, happy to have himself escaped. And now I must away to\nmeasure myself with other Trojans.\u201d He first returned to his Myrmidons\nand cheered them with loud cries of \u201cForward, man to man! Let none hold\nback! I cannot alone conquer the whole Trojan army, even Mars himself\ncould not do that. But my lance shall never rest.\u201d\n\nAmong the Trojans the gallant Hector was going about encouraging his\nbands. \u201cDo not fear, ye valiant Trojans, because the enemy has gained a\nsingle man to-day. Grim Achilles has certainly uttered great threats,\nbut words are not deeds. Behold, I go forward to encounter him unafraid,\nthough his hand were a bolt of lightning and his breast of bronze.\u201d\n\nAchilles had already broken into the ranks of the Trojans and slain a\nman here and there. He was like a hungry wolf hasting from one victim to\nanother. His lance was constantly in flight. He pierced the noble\nDemoleon, then laid his charioteer Hippodamos in the dust, then drawing\nhis spear from the body, he hurled it after Polydorus, Priam\u2019s youngest\nson, whom his father had begged not to enter the fight. But the youth,\nconsidered the best runner in the army, was passionate and fiery and\nwould not be restrained. Just as he was flying past, Achilles\u2019 terrible\nspear struck him. He fell, groaning and holding his wounded side. Thus\nhis brother Hector espied him and in a passion of grief he advanced upon\nAchilles, swinging his lance like flashing lightning.\n\nSeeing him coming thus, Achilles cried: \u201cAh! there is he who killed my\nfriend! Come, Hector, come, that thou mayest meet thy doom!\u201d He had\nscarcely spoken when Hector stood before him and answered unabashed: \u201cDo\nnot hope to intimidate me with words, O Achilles! Even if thou art\nstronger than I, it rests with the gods to decide whether I shall not\nrob thee of thy life.\u201d\n\nHe threw the lance with all his might, but it glanced off Achilles\u2019\nhard-polished shield. He turned about, frightened, and fled like the\nwind before the hero\u2019s hissing spear. \u201cAh! truly Ph\u0153bus must be with\nthee,\u201d cried Achilles. \u201cDestruction was hard upon thee and thou hast\nescaped. But the next time I meet thee I shall send thee down to Hades.\u201d\nHe glanced about angrily for other adversaries.\n\nSee, now his chariot pursues a band of Trojans who prefer to flee all\ntogether rather than meet this single man. He pressed forward to one\nside, cutting them off from the rest of the army and driving them all\ninto the river. There they paddled about like swimming poodles until\nAchilles, leaving his lance on the bank, sprang after them to stab those\nwhom he could reach with his sword. Finally he drove twelve youths into\nthe reeds and there bound their hands behind their backs with his armor\nstraps. He then led them out and gave them into the hands of his\ncharioteer to take back to the Myrmidons. They were destined for a cruel\nsacrifice to Patroclus.\n\nAchilles turned again to the river and there he recognized with\nastonishment, among those who were trying in vain to clamber up the\nsteep banks, a youth, son of Priam, named Lykaon, whom he had taken at\nthe beginning of the war and sold for one hundred oxen into Lemnos. Some\nyears later a rich Phrygian had purchased him, from whom he had but\nlately escaped, having returned only eleven days before to the house of\nhis venerable father. \u201cHa! there is Lykaon!\u201d cried Achilles in surprise.\n\u201cHow comes he here? This time he shall taste the tip of my spear and we\nshall see if he return from the underworld to cause me trouble again.\u201d\nHe went to fetch his spear and Lykaon swam as hard as he could to throw\nhimself at his feet and beg for mercy.\n\n\u201cFool!\u201d thundered the terrible voice of the hero, \u201cwhat do I want with\nransom money? Before Patroclus fell I was inclined to show mercy and\ncarried away many captives, but now not one who falls into my hands\nshall survive\u2014least of all one of Priam\u2019s sons. Die then, my friend!\nThou criest out in vain. Patroclus, too, had to die, who was far\nmightier than thou. And seest thou not how great and powerful I am? My\nfather was a noble king, a goddess is my mother, and yet my death and\ndoom are drawing near and sooner or later I shall fall by the spear or\narrow.\u201d\n\nThe poor youth\u2019s heart and knees trembled. He spread out his arms, shut\nhis eyes, and thus received the death stroke. Then Achilles seized him\nby the feet and flung him far out into the river. \u201cThere! Swim among the\nfish,\u201d he cried. \u201cMany a one shall feed on Lykaon. Thus I shall pursue\nye all, until ye have atoned for Patroclus\u2019 death and the woe of the\nAchaians.\u201d\n\nBut the river god who heard this blasphemy was angered. Asterop\u00e6us, son\nof Pelegon, was still standing in the water and Scamander breathed\ncourage into him. He was practised in casting with both hands and\nAchilles saw him advancing with two raised spears. He shouted to him:\n\u201cWho art thou, rash man? Unhappy are the parents of those who contend\nwith me!\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat wouldst thou know of me, great Pelide?\u201d he answered. \u201cI came from\ndistant P\u00e6onia with a gallant army but eleven days ago. Now let us\nfight, valiant Achilles.\u201d\n\nWith these words he let fly both lances at once upon the hero. One of\nthem rebounded harmlessly from the shield, the other brushed his left\nelbow and buried itself in the sand. And now Achilles swung his bloody\nstaff, but missed aim also, and his lance struck the sandy bank on the\nother side of the river. Angrily he sprang into the water with drawn\nsword, and striding powerfully through the waves, he approached the\nunlucky Asterop\u00e6us, who was trying in vain to secure Achilles\u2019 lance.\nBefore he could do so the hero felled him, and he sank down unconscious.\n\n\u201cAh,\u201d he cried joyously, \u201cthou couldst scarcely contend with a man of\nJupiter\u2019s divine race, although thy ancestor was a river god.\u201d\n\nAchilles drew his spear out of the earth and left the dying man gasping\nat the water\u2019s edge. He threw himself next upon a troop of P\u00e6onians and\ndrove them into the stream. Those who would not go of their own accord\nhe thrust down into a watery grave. Then from the depths of the stream\nhe heard the voice of the river god: \u201cO Achilles, thou art superhuman in\nthy fury and the gods are always with thee. But I warn thee, that if\nJupiter hath given the Trojans into thy hand this day, murder where thou\nwilt, but do not pollute my waters, for my stream is already glutted\nwith the dead, and even now I can scarce flow down into the holy sea.\nTherefore forbear!\u201d\n\nAchilles heard the warning unmoved and replied: \u201cIt shall be as thou\nsayest, divine Scamander, but I shall never stop destroying the Trojans\nuntil I have fought the last decisive battle with Hector.\u201d\n\nBut when he chanced upon a fresh troop of the enemy, who were astray\nnear the river, he forgot the river god\u2019s decree, and when they all\njumped into the stream to gain the opposite shore he plunged in after\nthem. Then the invisible god arose in his might, determined to destroy\nhim. He sent wave after wave breaking over him and drew him deeper and\ndeeper down. Struggle as he might he could make no headway against the\nmighty stream on whose waves he rose and fell, almost losing his balance\nand being carried away. The bodies of the slain bore against him and he\ncould scarcely hold them back with his shield. He struggled to the\nshore, but the angry god stirred up a foaming surf which threw him back\nagain.\n\nAlmost exhausted he struggled forward once more and grasped a young elm\nwhose branches hung over the stream; but just as he was about to swing\nhimself up by it the roots gave way, so that it lay across the river\nlike a bridge. Upon this the hero reached the bank, although he vainly\nhoped to escape the river god thus. Furiously Scamander followed him\nacross the fallow fields with breaking waves. He also called to his aid\nthe other streams who generally dash their waters from the mountain\nheights to destroy the farmer\u2019s fields only in springtime. To the\nSimo\u00efs, which joins him just before he flows into the sea, he cried:\n\u201cCome, brother, and help me stem the power of this terrible man, else he\nwill batter down the walls of Priam\u2019s fortress to-day; for none can\nwithstand him. Arise, friend, let thy floods loose; roll down rocks and\nstones with thundering waves upon him, that we may tame him. For I ween\nthat neither his strength nor beauty nor his resplendent weapons shall\nsave him. They shall be buried deep in mud, and him will I cover with\nsand and heap a monument of shells and pebbles over him so high that\nnone shall ever find his bones.\u201d\n\nThe hero was almost overcome and in his despair cried aloud: \u201cFather\nJupiter, not a single one of the gods will take pity on me, and I\nthought ye all loved me! But none has deceived me more than my divine\nmother, who promised me the glorious death of a hero before Troy. And\nnow, alas, an ignoble end awaits me, and I shall be drowned as\nignominiously as any swineherd in a mud puddle.\u201d\n\nThen from afar a solemn and consoling voice arose. \u201cBe comforted,\nPeleus\u2019 son, thou shalt not die in the waters. Keep up the struggle\nuntil the Trojans have fled the field. But when Hector is vanquished\nthou shalt return.\u201d\n\nThis promise filled his heart with courage, for it was the voice of\nPoseidon, to whom all streams are subject. And now the waters quickly\nsubsided and were drawn into the broad gulf of the sea. Then a south\nwind arose which sucked up the moisture from the ground and bore it\naway. The valiant hero soon stood upon firm ground again and hurried\naway as fast as he could to plunge into the fray. Fired by his example,\nhis people followed him like a consuming flame fanned by the wind. All\nwho could do so fled to the walls, most of them toward the gate. The\nvenerable Priam sat upon the top of the wall, looking mournfully down\nupon the sad plight of his people. When the crush at the gate became\nintolerable he descended and called to the guards: \u201cFriends, open the\ndoors and let the men in, for they can no longer withstand the terrible\nPelide. When all are inside, shut the gate and put up the bars, that the\nenemy may not enter also.\u201d\n\nIn the confusion of flight, where none wished to be lost, Achilles and\nhis band would doubtless have pushed in with them had not Apollo\ndistracted his attention by the sight of Agenor. This bold youth stood\nconcealed behind a beech tree turning over a thousand projects in his\nanxious mind. \u201cWhat shall I do?\u201d he said to himself. \u201cI am too far\nbehind to follow the others\u2014he would take me in the back like a coward.\nIf I try to creep along the wall and escape by way of the thickets of\nIda, the bushes may hide me; then I could steal up to the gate at night\nand whisper to them softly to let me in. But what if he should discover\nme there? Then I should be lost indeed; for who is as strong as he? But\nhis body is not invulnerable and he is a mortal like the others.\nTherefore I will try my skill with him, that I may save my life with\nhonor.\u201d\n\nMeanwhile Achilles came running up and espied the man hidden behind the\ntree. Agenor stepped boldly forth and cried: \u201cMadman, dost thou hope to\ndestroy the fortress to-day? Nevermore! There are still plenty of brave\nmen in the city, and all are fighting for parents, wives, and children.\nOn the contrary, thy own sad fate may be upon thee to-day, thou\nungovernable monster.\u201d\n\nWith these words his flashing sword descended upon Achilles, and not\nwithout effect. He struck his shin, and only the impenetrable greaves\nfashioned by Vulcan prevented the leg from being shattered. Like a\nwounded boar Achilles pounced upon the youth, who fled through\nwheatfields and thickets along the river, leading his grim pursuer far\naway from the city; for he did not give up the chase until the youth was\nlost to sight. And this never would have occurred had the blow on his\nleg not sapped his strength. But Apollo had arranged it thus, so that\nfor this time the Trojans should escape; for when he returned breathless\nhe found them safe behind their walls.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter XV\n                   Hector and Achilles\u2014Hector\u2019s Death\n\n\nThe Achaians, their shields slung over their shoulders, were awaiting\nAchilles close under the walls of Troy. All the Trojans were within the\ncity except Hector, who had remained outside, resolved to meet Achilles\nonce more in combat; for he believed that he owed it to his fatherland\nand to his own honor, either to free his people from this dread enemy or\nto give up his own life for them. His old father looked gloomily down\nfrom the wall and signalled for him to come inside, but in vain.\n\nAchilles returned from his pursuit of Agenor, his lance on his shoulder.\nAt the sight old Priam beat his breast in consternation and he trembled,\nseeing his son without and alone. \u201cDear son,\u201d he entreated, \u201cdo not face\nthat cruel man, for he is stronger than thou. Alas, would that the gods\nhated him as I do and he would soon be food for the dogs! How many of my\nsons he has already murdered or sold to distant isles! And now, my\nHector, thou on whom the Trojan people put their hopes, wilt thou also\ngo to meet him? Come, take pity on me! Already hath Jupiter heaped\nendless misfortunes upon mine old age, and should he rob me of thee now,\nI already foresee the enemy breaking into our fortress, carrying off our\nwomen, murdering our children, and plundering our treasures. Woe is me!\nfor I shall become food for mine own dogs in the courtyard. Alas, that\nwould be the most lamentable of all destinies!\u201d\n\nBut Hector could not be persuaded and remained steadfast at the gate,\nawaiting Achilles. \u201cWoe is me if I should hide now behind walls and\ngates!\u201d he said. \u201cThen Polydamas could chide me with reason for\nsacrificing so many good friends to-day. I would not follow his advice\nand retire into the city, but presumed to contend with Achilles alone,\nand alas, I have not saved a single man from his fury and, I openly\navow, have myself avoided him in fear, for he is truly terrible in his\nmight. But now I must challenge fate boldly, that the women of Troy may\nnot denounce me for leading the people to destruction and then fleeing\nlike a coward. But how would it be if I should lay helmet and shield on\nthe ground beside my lance and thus go to meet the hero and offer him a\npeaceful settlement? Offer him Helen and all their treasure, together\nwith half of all the goods which the houses of the Trojan princes\ncontain? But no! I cannot approach him a suppliant. It would be base and\nunworthy and he would strike me down unarmed like a weak woman. No! I\nwill fight like a man. Be my fate what it may, I will conquer or die\nwith honor.\u201d\n\nAchilles came up looking like Mars himself. When Hector saw him he\ntrembled, and fled like a dove pursued by a hawk. Hector turned first to\nthe left, then to the right, striving to tire out his pursuer; but in\nvain. Now they ran past the watch tower, now past the fig tree, and now\nby the hot springs, where were the stone basins of the washerwomen. His\npursuer drove him clear round the great city, yea, even three times\nround the walls, and as often as Hector tried to slip through an open\nportal, Achilles would drive him out again into the open fields, keeping\nnear the walls himself. But when they passed the place where the\nAchaians were resting on their spears awaiting the outcome, Achilles\nforbade anyone to cast a spear at Hector and rob him of the honor of the\nvictory.\n\nAs they neared the hot springs for the fourth time, a man ran forward as\nthough to offer Hector aid. It was Athena in the form of Hector\u2019s\nbrother De\u00efphobus, who called to him: \u201cBrother, I saw thy danger and am\ncome forth to help thee. Stop and await him boldly.\u201d\n\n\u201cBeloved De\u00efphobus, how didst thou dare\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cMy soul was wrung and I could no longer look upon the grief of my\nfather and mother.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo be it, I will fight,\u201d said Hector, and made ready to meet the foe.\n\u201cI will no longer flee before thee, O Pelide,\u201d he cried to Achilles. \u201cMy\nheart bids me encounter thee, whether I conquer or fall. But let us\nfirst make a compact and swear to it before the all-seeing gods. Should\nJupiter give me the victory, I will not misuse thee. Thy armor will I\ntake and leave thy body to the Achaians, that they may give it burial.\nAnd thou shalt do the same to me.\u201d\n\nBut with a furious look Achilles roared his answer. \u201cNo compacts, hated\nHector! Does the lion make a compact with the cattle, or the wolf with\nthe lambs? One of us must lie stretched upon the ground, that Mars may\nbe satiated with his blood. I hope that thou mayest not escape me, and\nthus atone at once for all the woe thou hast inflicted on my people.\u201d\n\nThus speaking, he sent his terrible spear flying through the air. But\nHector, quickly sinking on one knee, avoided it and the iron missile\npassed over him. Fresh courage filled him, and springing up joyfully he\ncried: \u201cWide of the mark, godlike Achilles! Thou art a good talker and\ncrafty, hoping I should lose strength and courage. Now protect thyself,\nfor my spear shall not strike thee lightly!\u201d\n\nHe hurled his lance with tremendous force and did not miss the mark, for\nthe point struck the boss of the shield with a loud crash and would have\npierced both shield and breast had the shield not been forged by Vulcan\nhimself. But the lance rebounded like a ball thrown against a wall and\nHector stood confounded, for he had but one spear. He quickly looked\nabout for De\u00efphobus and called loudly for another spear, but there was\nno answer and his brother was nowhere to be seen. Then he was filled\nwith foreboding. \u201cWoe is me!\u201d he cried. \u201cSome cunning god in De\u00efphobus\u2019\nshape hath deceived me, and now, when I hoped he would save me, he has\ndisappeared.\u201d In desperation he seized his sword, rushing forward like a\nsoaring eagle swooping down upon its prey. But Achilles had already\npicked up Hector\u2019s spear, and, as they charged each other, the long\nspear reached its goal sooner than the short sword. Taken in the neck\nabove his breastplate, the hope of Troy sank into the dust, while the\ncruel victor and all the Achaians loudly rejoiced.\n\n\u201cHa!\u201d cried Achilles as he drew forth his spear, \u201conly yesterday thou\nwert so proudly triumphant, as thou didst invade our ships in Patroclus\u2019\nstolen harness, and to-day thou liest powerless before the walls of thy\nproud fortress. Surely thou didst little dream that the slain hero had\nleft a powerful avenger. We shall pay him all the honors of a hero,\nwhile thou shalt make a shameful end among the dogs and birds of prey.\u201d\n\nBreathing painfully, Hector tried to speak. \u201cI conjure thee by thy life\nand by thy parents, let me not be torn by Dam\u00e6an dogs, but accept the\nbronze and valuable gold which my father and mother shall offer thee.\nSend my body to Ilios, that the men and women of Troy may pay me the\nlast honors of the funeral pyre.\u201d But Achilles shouted: \u201cSilence and\ndie, contemptible one!\u201d\n\nDying, Hector answered: \u201cIndeed I knew I should not move thee, for thou\nhast an iron heart. But think of me when the gods avenge me and thou\nsinkest into the dust felled by the shots of Ph\u0153bus Apollo.\u201d And Death,\nthe brother of Sleep, bore the hero\u2019s soul down to Hades. Many warriors\nfrom the Greek army came up and looked with admiration upon the splendid\nform of the hero. And to one another they said: \u201cIt is wonderful how\nmuch gentler he is to look on now than there at our ships when he was\nleading the assault.\u201d\n\nAchilles arose among the people and spoke. \u201cFriends, now that the gods\nhave permitted me to subdue the man who has done us greater injury than\nany other, let us discover whether the Trojans will dare withstand us,\nwithout the support of their great hero. But what am I saying? My friend\nlies still unburied. Therefore let us chant the hymn of victory and take\nHector with us as an expiatory offering for my friend.\u201d\n\nFirst the procession passed by the Sc\u00e6an gate, that the Trojans standing\nthere upon the walls might see it. There sat old Priam and his spouse\nHecuba, without any warning of the outcome of the combat. What a\nhorrible sight for the venerable father and loving mother! Their bravest\nson, the pride and hope of Troy, dragged at the wheels of the victor\u2019s\nchariot! All Troy set up a despairing lament, as though the city were\nalready in ruins and a prey to devouring flames. His mother, almost\nbeside herself with grief, wrung her hands, and shrieking, pulled the\nveil from her head and tore her gray hair. And his father was scarcely\nto be restrained from going down to cut his son loose or die across his\nmutilated body. He called on those by name who stood about it; begged,\nimplored, wept, and threw himself on the ground, strewing dust on his\ngray head. And all those who saw it wept with him.\n\nHector\u2019s faithful wife, Andromache, was the last to learn the sad\ntidings, for she had been busy in her home attending to household duties\namong her women. And now, as twilight fell, she sent one of her maids to\nheat water in a tripod for the hero\u2019s bath when he should return. From a\ndistance arose a sound of loud lamentation and wailing of women. The\nwife trembled and sad foreboding filled her heart. \u201cFollow me,\u201d she\ncried to two of the maids. \u201cMy knees are trembling, for I fear the noble\nAchilles has cut off the valiant Hector from the city, for he is always\nbefore all others and fears no one.\u201d\n\nShe rushed out, the servants following after her. There was nobody to be\nseen in the street; the cries came from the walls. The unhappy woman\nhastened thither. One look revealed the tragedy, and she sank down in a\nswoon. She lay for long as one dead, and at length, when consciousness\nreturned, she began in a low, broken voice: \u201cHector! Alas, the unhappy\npeople! Oh, that I had never been born! Now must thou go down to Hades\nand I remain here a widow, miserable and deserted. And thy young\nson\u2014trouble and sorrow menace his future now that thou art gone\u2014for\nothers will seek to take his patrimony\u2014and his childhood shall pass\nwithout a friend. For an orphaned child has no playmates; and when the\nother boys take their share of their fathers\u2019 feast, none calls the\norphan boy to divide with him. The child casts down his eyes ashamed and\nweeps silently. Then, hungry, he goes about among his father\u2019s friends,\npulls one by the coat, another by the cloak; and if one of them is\nkindly inclined, he will perhaps hold the goblet to his lips. But, alas,\nhe does not give him his fill. The other boys, insolent and greedy, do\nnot suffer him at their feasts, but push him away, crying: \u2018Thy father\ndoth not sit at our feasts.\u2019 Then the child goes away and cries in his\nmother\u2019s arms. O ye gods, my Astyanax! How gayly his father used to rock\nhim on his knees! And now, robbed of a tender father, he shall suffer\nmuch\u2014our Astyanax, as the Trojans call him.\u201d\n\nThus mourned Andromache, and round about her wept and lamented the women\nof Troy.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter XVI\n               Priam and Achilles\u2014Hector\u2019s Burial in Troy\n\n\nIt was after sundown when the assembled Achaians dispersed. Each\nreturned to his own ship or tent to partake of the evening meal and then\nlay down to rest, well content. Only Achilles could not sleep for\nthinking of his lost friend. In vain he tossed to and fro on his bed;\nsweet slumber came not nigh him. Thus he mourned half the night, then\nsuddenly arose, ran out into the darkness, and wandered up and down the\nshore, his heart full of sorrow. At last he went to Patroclus\u2019 grave,\nthen hastened back to yoke his horses to the chariot, to which he bound\nHector\u2019s corpse once more and dragged him thrice round the grave mound.\nAfter this he drove the horses back to the enclosure and threw himself\nagain upon his couch.\n\nMeanwhile the palace of old Priam had become a house of mourning. The\nafflicted father had taken no food nor drink since the death of his son,\nand the wailing of the wife and mother had so touched the people that\nthey gathered about the house in crowds. Even the gods looked down\npitifully on the unhappy family and Apollo appeared in dreams to Priam\nto strengthen his heart and encourage him to enter the Greek camp and\nplead for the body of his son. Jupiter commanded Hermes to accompany the\nold man, so that no enemy should hinder him or do him an injury by the\nway. Overjoyed at the divine vision, Priam forgot his complaints and\nwent at once to the chamber where stood the chests in which he kept his\ntreasures. He said to Hecuba, his mourning spouse: \u201cI go to conciliate\nour terrible enemy with presents, and the god who has given me courage\nwill protect me.\u201d\n\nThen the queen burst out weeping, saying reproachfully: \u201cUnhappy man!\nHast thou lost thy senses? How canst thou go alone to the ships and meet\nthe man who has slain so many of thy valiant sons! Truly thy heart is\nmade of iron! Ah! if he set eyes upon thee and seize thee, that false\nand terrible man will have neither mercy nor respect nor reverence for\nthine age. Oh, do not go! Let us mourn at a distance our lost son, whom\nthe fates at his birth decreed should be vanquished far from his people.\nRemain with us, dear one, that thou mayest preserve thine own life.\u201d\n\nBut the old man answered confidently: \u201cI should not go if it were only a\npriest or seer who sent me, but I saw a god in my dream. He will not\ndeceive me and my own heart impels me to go. Dost thou say the monster\nwould kill me? Oh let him do so, if only he will strike me down upon the\nbreast of my dear son!\u201d\n\nHe opened the chest and took out the rich garments which he intended to\ntake with him for a ransom\u2014twelve splendid festal robes, twelve warm\ncovers, and as many tunics and magnificent cloaks. Then from another\nchest he took ten talents of gold, four polished basins, and two\ntripods. Even the exquisite goblet presented by the Thracians when he\nvisited them as ambassador from his father he did not withhold. For he\ndid not begrudge giving even his greatest treasure to soften the hard\nheart of Achilles and ransom his beloved son.\n\nWhen he had closed the box and turned around, he found himself\nsurrounded by a crowd of idle people, who had come up to stare at the\ntreasures which were to be offered for Hector\u2019s ransom. Angrily he cried\nout: \u201cOut with you! Away, ye idlers! Have ye not trouble enough at home,\nthat ye come to look upon my sorrow? Only think what ye have lost in\nHector! Without his support the Achaians will have an easier victory.\nThen it will be your turn to lament, but I shall doubtless then be\ndead!\u201d\n\nHe drove them out of the courtyard, then called for his sons, reproving\nthem. \u201cWhere are ye? Not one is at hand when I need ye! My best sons are\ndead, only the good-for-nothings remain. Pack these gifts quickly in the\nhampers, and when it grows dark, harness the horses and summon my old,\nexperienced Id\u00e6us.\u201d\n\nAbashed, the sons obeyed all these commands and Hecuba began to prepare\na strengthening draught for the travellers. Carrying a golden goblet in\nher right hand, she came out to the chariot, and placing herself in\nfront of the steeds, she said to her husband: \u201cHere, beloved, take this\nand pour out a libation to Jupiter and petition him for a safe return,\nas thou goest against my wishes. For I should never let thee go if I\ncould prevent it. And even now I would counsel thee to consult the god\nand learn whether it is his will to protect thee. Should this prayer\nremain unanswered then I would say, Remain. For woe to him who goes into\ndanger without divine support!\u201d\n\nThe worthy man answered her: \u201cI will obey thy behest. It is always well\nto lift up our hands to Jupiter.\u201d He spake and called upon the\nstewardess for water, which she brought in a silver dish, sprinkling him\nwith her right hand, while with the left she held a basin beneath. After\nthis he received the wine cup from his spouse, poured out the first\ndrops in honor of Jupiter, and prayed aloud with eyes raised to the sky:\n\u201cFather Jupiter, almighty ruler, let me approach Achilles as a friend\nand find favor before him. Grant me a sign that thou wilt protect me, so\nthat I may set out confident and comforted.\u201d His wish was fulfilled, for\nsoon afterward one of the eagles which nest high up in the clefts of\nMount Ida flew past on his right hand. All who saw this rejoiced and the\nking and his companion mounted the chariot, full of confidence. His sons\naccompanied him to the city gates and, weeping, wished him luck.\n\nNow the swift messenger of the gods descended from Olympus to the shores\nof the Hellespont and wandered along the road which Priam was to take.\nHe had assumed the form of a Greek youth of noble race, whose appearance\ninspired confidence. Priam had arrived at the grave of Ilus, where the\nScamander flows gently along, and there he had stopped to water his\nhorses. Old Id\u00e6us saw the godlike youth coming along the river bank in\nthe twilight and said fearfully to the king: \u201cLook! son of Dardanus,\nthere cometh a strange man. He will surely kill us both and make off\nwith our goods. What shall we do? Shall we fly to the city or shall we\nget down and embrace his knees, begging for mercy?\u201d Priam looked up and\nsaw with dismay that the man was already close to the chariot. Sudden\nfear paralyzed his limbs, but when he saw the youth\u2019s face close by and\nheard his friendly voice he was reassured.\n\n\u201cGreeting to thee, old man.\u201d Thus the youth addressed him. \u201cWhither\ngoest thou so late when all other mortals are asleep? Dost thou not fear\nthe Achaians, who are not far away? And neither thou, nor the old man\nthy companion, are fit to defend yourselves. But I will not harm thee,\nfor thou art so like my dear father, noble king, that I am drawn to\nthee.\u201d\n\n\u201cFortune favors me,\u201d cried the old man. \u201cNow I see that Jupiter is with\nme, as he hath sent me such a noble guide through the dark night, of\nsuch remarkable stature and strength and of such wisdom. Truly thou hast\nfortunate parents.\u201d\n\n\u201cTell me, old man,\u201d continued the stranger, \u201cwhere art thou taking these\ngoods? Art trying to carry thy greatest treasures to a place of safety\nbefore the destruction of Troy, or art thou flying secretly from the\ncity for fear of the victorious enemy? For indeed thou hast lost thy\nchief treasure. As long as noble Hector lived, ye could battle on equal\nterms with the Achaians.\u201d This warmed the old father\u2019s heart. \u201cWho art\nthou,\u201d he asked, \u201cwho speakest so kindly of my poor son?\u201d\n\n\u201cWho does not so?\u201d answered the stranger. \u201cHow often I have seen him in\nthe stress of battle driving the Argives in droves before him. We often\nstood and admired him from a distance when Achilles forbade us to join\nin the battle; for I am one of his companions and came hither in the\nsame ship with him. My father is a noble Myrmidon called Polyctor. He\nhas property and money, but is an old man like thyself. I am the\nyoungest of seven brothers. When Achilles went to war we cast lots to\nsee which should go with him, and the lot fell to me. I have been\nwandering about, thinking of the fate of Troy, for to-morrow the\nAchaians intend to assault the city. They are weary of the long truce\nand are anxious to end the war.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf thou art one of Achilles\u2019 companions,\u201d said Priam, \u201cthou canst\ndoubtless tell me whether my son\u2019s body is still lying at the ships or\nwhether the cruel man has already thrown it to the dogs.\u201d\n\nThe stranger replied: \u201cNot yet have dogs or birds of prey touched it,\nalthough it has lain there for twelve days and Achilles drags it round\nthe grave of his friend every morning. Neither has decomposition touched\nit, and the beautiful limbs are still preserved in remarkable freshness.\nSeeing him, one would suppose he had but just died. Thus the gods watch\nover him even in death, for they always loved him.\u201d\n\nHow happy the old man was at this news. \u201cOh child,\u201d he cried, \u201chow good\nit is for a man to pay honor to the gods with due offerings. My son\nnever forgot that. He never failed to make sacrifice before he partook\nof food himself, and now in death he is receiving his reward. Oh what a\nhappy father I am! Here, friend, take this handsome cup in remembrance\nof Priam. It was intended for Achilles, for I am going to him to ransom\nmy Hector. But I have enough other gifts for him. Take it and guide me\nto his tent. Thou knowest the way.\u201d\n\n\u201cWilt thou tempt me, old man?\u201d answered the stranger. \u201cI will not yield\nto it. I cannot take a gift from thee without Achilles\u2019 knowledge and\nrob him of it. No, I am too much in awe of him. Some harm might befall\nme. But I will accompany thee, notwithstanding, and no plunderer shall\ncome nigh thee unpunished.\u201d\n\nWith these words he swung himself on to the chariot and placed himself\nbetween the two old men, taking the whip and reins from the herald. The\nhorses trotted along boldly and confidently through the fields and soon\nbrought the travellers to the walls of the camp. From a distance they\nsaw the servants busied with the remains of the evening meal, but the\ngod waved his staff and they all sank into a deep slumber. Then he\nunbarred the gates, drove inside and in the direction of the enclosure\nin which the tents and ships of the Myrmidons stood. There he took leave\nof Priam and disappeared; but before he went he pointed out Achilles\u2019\ntent and encouraged the trembling old man. \u201cGo boldly in,\u201d said he, \u201cand\nembrace his knees. The sight of thee will certainly move him, for his\nsoul is filled with melancholy. Adjure him by his father and by his\ndivine mother, whom he loves tenderly. Thou wilt certainly touch his\nheart if thou speak of her.\u201d\n\nMuch comforted the king got down, leaving the chariots and the presents\noutside in the care of his old companion. His heart beat faster as he\ncrossed the threshold of the tent, but after a moment of indecision he\nentered. He found Achilles still sitting at the table where he had\nsupped. Beside him stood his two favorite companions, the excellent\ndriver Automedon and the skilful spearsman Alkimos. The great hero was\nleaning on his elbows, sunk deep in moody thought, and was not aware of\nthe entrance of the old man until he had fallen at his feet, clasped his\nknees, and kissed his hands\u2014those horrible hands which had murdered so\nmany of his sons. Achilles was amazed, for he had been taken completely\nby surprise. For a moment they gazed into each other\u2019s faces, Achilles\npuzzled and agitated, Priam imploring and anxious. At length a flood of\ntears relieved the oppressed heart of the venerable man and in a\ntrembling voice he uttered these beseeching words:\n\n\u201cRemember thy father, godlike Achilles, who languishes at home, old and\nhelpless like myself. Ah, perhaps his neighbors are even now oppressing\nhim and there is none to protect him. But he knows that he has a good\nand faithful son, even though far away, who will make an end of all his\ntroubles when he returns. The old man is full of hope and every day he\ncherishes sweet thoughts of thee. But woe is me! I was the happiest of\nfathers. I had raised fifty sons, nineteen of them born of one mother.\nThey were my pride and joy. Then ye came to invest my city and the\nunhappy war took one of them after the other until but few were left.\nBut among them all, the best one still remained\u2014he who had protected me\nand all of us thus far; but now he also is no more. Alas, I can no\nlonger beg for his life, but we long to see the dead once more and pay\nhim the honors due my son. At home sisters, wife, and mother mourn for\nhim, and see, here lies his unhappy father at thy feet. Give him back to\nme. I have brought thee rich gifts. Fear the gods! Bethink thee and\nimagine thy old father kneeling thus to a younger man. But I suffer as\nno mortal ere has done before me and press my lips to the hand which\nslew my children.\u201d\n\nThe heart of the invincible hero could not withstand these words and\ntears. He was deeply moved. The picture of his own gray-haired father\nrose before him and a sad longing for his embrace filled his heart. He\nwept aloud and bent gently down to raise the old man up, but Priam still\nclasped his knees tightly. Thus they both sobbed, each conscious of his\nown fate through the sorrow of the other. At last, when they had wept\nfor some time, Achilles spoke. \u201cIn truth, unhappy man, thou hast been\nmuch afflicted. And yet thou hast dared to come alone and by night to\nthe Achaian ships and to the man who has slain thy bravest sons. Thy\nheart is certainly strong and courageous. But come, forget thy sorrow\nand let me see no more of thy tears. Arise and sit here and let us calm\nourselves. The gods have decreed that miserable mankind should live in\nsorrow, while they know naught of trouble. For many they have mixed the\nsad lots with the happy ones, but some receive only ill fortune, so that\nhis whole life is a miserable failure and he is favored neither by gods\nnor men. Alas! neither is my father fortunate. Although the gods have\nbestowed worldly goods and power upon him, and although a goddess became\nhis spouse, it is ordained that there shall be no heir to his kingdom;\nfor alas! he shall never look upon me again, though his heart longs for\nme. I am not fated to return home a peaceful ruler, to enjoy a happy old\nage. Thus has fate robbed thee, also, of thy good son. But he is dead;\ntherefore lament no more. Thou canst not bring him back to life. Who can\ndo aught against the all-powerful gods?\u201d\n\n\u201cBid me not sit,\u201d sobbed the old man. \u201cI will lie here until thou hast\ngiven me back my only beloved son, that my tears may fall upon him. But\ntake the gifts and enjoy them in peace when thou returnest to thy native\nland, because thou sendest me away filled with gratitude and love.\u201d\n\nAt these words Achilles frowned and said: \u201cDo not agitate me further,\nold man! Arise, for I have already determined to give thee back thy son.\nDo not insult me with fears and mistrust!\u201d\n\nSilently the old man obeyed this earnest behest and rising seated\nhimself. Meanwhile the hero, mighty as a lion, arose and went out,\nfollowed by his two friends. Before the tent they unyoked the horses and\nconducted the herald inside. They then took the valuable gifts out of\nthe hamper, except two soft garments, in which they were to wrap the\nbody of Hector. Then, unseen by the father, Achilles caused two female\nslaves to wash the body and to cleanse, arrange, and anoint the hair.\nNext the servants wrapped the body in the fine robes and Achilles\nhimself lifted it onto the chariot and laid it on a bier prepared for\nit. Then he stood still a moment and said: \u201cDo not be angry with me,\nPatroclus, if thou shouldst learn, perchance, in Hades\u2019 dwelling, that I\nhave returned Hector\u2019s body to his unhappy father. Look, he brings me a\nnot unworthy ransom and a share of it shall be consecrated to thee.\u201d\n\nHe re\u00ebntered the tent and seated himself opposite his two guests. \u201cNow\nthou canst rest content, old man,\u201d he said. \u201cThy son is ransomed and\nlies on thy chariot wrapped in fine garments. Now let us partake of food\nand comfort our hearts. Even Niobe did not forget to eat, although her\nheart was torn by bitter sorrow when Artemis had slain her six blooming\ndaughters in one day and Apollo her six splendid sons. So let us feast.\nThou canst mourn for thy son at home, for he is doubtless worthy of thy\ntears.\u201d\n\nWith these words Achilles got up quickly, fetched a sheep and killed it.\nHis companions cut up the meat and roasted it carefully on spits. Then\nthey sat down at table, Automedon passed bread in a basket, but Achilles\nhimself served the meat, and they all ate and drank their fill. The old\nman admired and wondered at the splendid proportions of the great hero,\nhis godlike mien, and his bold and fiery glance. But Achilles too was\namazed at heart when he noted the awe-inspiring, majestic demeanor and\nthe dignified countenance of the king and heard his words of wisdom.\nWhen they had finished eating, Priam said: \u201cNow, godlike host, take me\nto a place, I beg thee, where we may refresh ourselves with slumber; for\nI have not closed my eyes since my son sank down among the dead, and\nthis is the first food and drink that have passed my lips.\u201d\n\nAchilles commanded his comrades to prepare a couch for Priam and his\ncompanion in the porch. The maids brought soft cushions and warm\nblankets, arranged them all, and lighted the strangers out with their\ntorches. Achilles accompanied the king to the door and pressed his hand\nat parting. A few hours\u2019 sleep sufficed for the old man. Then he arose\nto awaken Achilles, for he was anxious to start before daybreak.\n\n\u201cRestless old man,\u201d said Achilles kindly, \u201cdepart then. But first tell\nme something. How soon dost thou intend to bury thy son? For until then\nI will keep the peace and restrain my people from battle.\u201d\n\n\u201cO Achilles,\u201d answered the old man, much moved, \u201cif thou wilt grant us\nthis favor, give us nine days to mourn the dead and prepare for his\nburial. On the tenth day we will burn him, on the eleventh erect the\ngrave mound, and on the twelfth, if it must be, we will resume the war.\u201d\n\n\u201cLet this, too, be as thou desirest,\u201d replied Achilles. \u201cI will hold the\narmy in check for as long as thou hast demanded.\u201d\n\nHe clasped the old man\u2019s wrist to assure him of good faith, then\naccompanied the chariot as far as the gate in the wall, taking care that\nnone of the Achaians should harm the old man. Priam drove once more\nthrough the well-known fields, past the ford of the flowing Scamander,\nwhere yesterday the friendly youth had appeared. And now, just as he was\nwatering his horses there, the sun rose. Cassandra, Priam\u2019s favorite\ndaughter, who had been standing on the watch tower since dawn awaiting\nthe return of her father with beating heart, recognized the travellers.\nShe waited until she could discern all plainly, even the covered body of\nher brother on the chariot. Then she ran down the stairs to the palace,\ncalling her mother and sisters loudly. \u201cOnly look, they are coming!\nHasten, Trojans, to look upon the body of Hector, if ye have ever\nrejoiced over him alive as he returned from the battlefield. For he was\nthe pride of the city and of all the people!\u201d\n\nAll who heard her voice hurried forth, men and women, all hearts filled\nwith boundless sorrow. But first of all came the old mother and\nAndromache. They went out to meet the chariot and stopped it at the city\ngate with loud cries. Mother and wife threw themselves on the body and\nwet it with their tears, tore their hair, touched his head, and lifted\nup the cloths to look upon his wounds. The crowd gathered, weeping,\nabout them. But the king cried: \u201cStand back and let the horses pass! Ye\nmay weep your fill when I have carried him into the house.\u201d\n\nThey all stood aside and the king entered the city, the crowd following\nhim to the palace. When the corpse was lifted from the chariot the\nuniversal lament began afresh. Singers were brought to chant the hymn of\nmourning and round about the women sobbed, especially Andromache, the\nbeautiful princess. She held the dead man\u2019s head in her hands and\nmoaned: \u201cBeloved, thou hast lost thy life, but the widow, alas, is left\nbehind and thy young son. How shall he grow to manhood? For before that\nTroy will fall, as thou art dead, who didst defend the walls, the women,\nand lisping children. Soon they will be carried away to bondage, myself\namong them. And thou, my dear son, wilt go hence to endure ignominy with\nthy mother, if indeed some cruel Achaian entering the conquered city\ndoes not seize thee by thy tender neck and hurl thee down from the tiles\ninto the streets below. Thy valiant father hath slain many Achaians;\ntherefore the people mourn. O Hector, what unspeakable sorrow thou hast\ncaused thy parents, but I am unhappy above all others! Dying, thou\ncouldst not give me thy hand nor speak words of wisdom which I might\nhave cherished.\u201d Thus she spake, weeping, fathomless sorrow in her\nheart.\n\nThe old mother also could not be torn from her beloved son. First she\ncaressed his head, then the cold hands, as though she hoped to call him\nback to life. Helen too lamented over the dead. \u201cHector dearest,\u201d she\ncried, \u201cthou didst love me more than any of my husband\u2019s brothers. What\ninsults I have suffered since the hero brought me to Troy! Thou alone\nhadst never an unkind word for me. Yea often, when thy mother or one of\nmy sisters-in-law or even their husbands heaped abuse upon me, thou\ndidst mollify the angry ones and make peace. How thy friendly\nencouragement comforted me! Ah, I shall never hear that dear voice\nagain, and I have no longer a friend in this house, where all turn from\nme with loathing.\u201d\n\nThus she lamented, and all the women mourned with her. But the venerable\nPriam now raised his commanding voice and spake. \u201cYe Trojans, fetch wood\ninto the city and go without fear that the Dan\u00e6ans are lying in wait for\nyou. For Peleus\u2019 son promised with a sacred vow not to raise his hand\nagainst us until the twelfth day.\u201d\n\nQuickly they yoked oxen and horses to the carts, and on the tenth day,\nwhen golden Eos arose, the people all assembled for the funeral\nobsequies of Hector. With loud lamentations they carried out the corpse\nand laid it on the high scaffolding, which they set on fire. When the\npyre had burnt itself out, they quenched the gleaming embers with red\nwine. His brothers and the comrades of the hero gathered together the\nwhite bones out of the ashes and deposited them in a golden urn, which\nwas placed in the grave and gigantic blocks of stone heaped upon it. The\ngrave mound was raised above it and sentinels were stationed about the\nplace so that the Greeks should not surprise and attack them. After this\nall the people returned into the city and the solemn funeral feast was\nheld in Priam\u2019s palace. Thus the Trojans paid honor to the body of great\nHector.\n\n\n\n\n                     LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE\n\n                    _Translated from the German by_\n                            GEORGE P. UPTON\n\n                          44 Volumes Now Ready\n\n                          _American Explorers_\n\n  Columbus\n  Francisco Pizarro\n  Cortes\n  Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky, and Other Pre-Columbian Discoverers\n          of America\n\n                     _Historical and Biographical_\n\n  Washington\n  Franklin\n  Penn\n  Maximilian\n  Barbarossa\n  William of Orange\n  Maria Theresa\n  The Maid of Orleans\n  Frederick the Great\n  The Little Dauphin\n  Herman and Thusnelda\n  The Swiss Heroes\n  Marie Antoinette\u2019s Youth\n  The Duke of Brittany\n  Louise, Queen of Prussia\n  The Youth of the Great Elector\n  Emperor William First\n  Elizabeth, Empress of Austria\n  Charlemagne\n  Prince Eugene\n  Eug\u00e9nie, Empress of the French\n  Queen Maria Sophia of Naples\n  Emin Pasha\n  General (\u201cChinese\u201d) Gordon\n  David Livingstone\n  Stanley\u2019s Journey through the Dark Continent\n\n                          _Musical Biography_\n\n  Beethoven\n  Mozart\n  Johann Sebastian Bach\n  Joseph Haydn\n\n                              _Legendary_\n\n  Frithjof Saga\n  Gudrun\n  The Nibelungs\n  William Tell\n  Arnold of Winkelried\n  Undine\n  Ulysses of Ithaca\n  Achilles\n  Gods and Heroes\n  The Argonautic Expedition and the Labors of Hercules\n\n                    Illustrated. Each 50 cents _net_\n                      A. C. McCLURG & CO., Chicago\n\n\n\n\n                          Transcriber\u2019s Notes\n\n\n--Copyright notice provided as in the original\u2014this e-text is public\n  domain in the country of publication.\n\n--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the\n  HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)\n\n--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and\n  dialect unchanged.","title":"Achilles","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":35922}