The fight between Achilles and the river Scamander—The gods fight
      among themselves—Achilles drives the Trojans within their gates.

      Now when they came to the ford of the full-flowing river Xanthus,
      begotten of immortal Jove, Achilles cut their forces in two: one
      half he chased over the plain towards the city by the same way
      that the Achaeans had taken when flying panic-stricken on the
      preceding day with Hector in full triumph; this way did they fly
      pell-mell, and Juno sent down a thick mist in front of them to
      stay them. The other half were hemmed in by the deep
      silver-eddying stream, and fell into it with a great uproar. The
      waters resounded, and the banks rang again, as they swam hither
      and thither with loud cries amid the whirling eddies. As locusts
      flying to a river before the blast of a grass fire—the flame
      comes on and on till at last it overtakes them and they huddle
      into the water—even so was the eddying stream of Xanthus filled
      with the uproar of men and horses, all struggling in confusion
      before Achilles.

      Forthwith the hero left his spear upon the bank, leaning it
      against a tamarisk bush, and plunged into the river like a god,
      armed with his sword only. Fell was his purpose as he hewed the
      Trojans down on every side. Their dying groans rose hideous as
      the sword smote them, and the river ran red with blood. As when
      fish fly scared before a huge dolphin, and fill every nook and
      corner of some fair haven—for he is sure to eat all he can
      catch—even so did the Trojans cower under the banks of the mighty
      river, and when Achilles’ arms grew weary with killing them, he
      drew twelve youths alive out of the water, to sacrifice in
      revenge for Patroclus son of Menoetius. He drew them out like
      dazed fawns, bound their hands behind them with the girdles of
      their own shirts, and gave them over to his men to take back to
      the ships. Then he sprang into the river, thirsting for still
      further blood.

      There he found Lycaon, son of Priam seed of Dardanus, as he was
      escaping out of the water; he it was whom he had once taken
      prisoner when he was in his father’s vineyard, having set upon
      him by night, as he was cutting young shoots from a wild fig-tree
      to make the wicker sides of a chariot. Achilles then caught him
      to his sorrow unawares, and sent him by sea to Lemnos, where the
      son of Jason bought him. But a guest-friend, Eetion of Imbros,
      freed him with a great sum, and sent him to Arisbe, whence he had
      escaped and returned to his father’s house. He had spent eleven
      days happily with his friends after he had come from Lemnos, but
      on the twelfth heaven again delivered him into the hands of
      Achilles, who was to send him to the house of Hades sorely
      against his will. He was unarmed when Achilles caught sight of
      him, and had neither helmet nor shield; nor yet had he any spear,
      for he had thrown all his armour from him on to the bank, and was
      sweating with his struggles to get out of the river, so that his
      strength was now failing him.

      Then Achilles said to himself in his surprise, “What marvel do I
      see here? If this man can come back alive after having been sold
      over into Lemnos, I shall have the Trojans also whom I have slain
      rising from the world below. Could not even the waters of the
      grey sea imprison him, as they do many another whether he will or
      no? This time let him taste my spear, that I may know for certain
      whether mother earth who can keep even a strong man down, will be
      able to hold him, or whether thence too he will return.”

      Thus did he pause and ponder. But Lycaon came up to him dazed and
      trying hard to embrace his knees, for he would fain live, not
      die. Achilles thrust at him with his spear, meaning to kill him,
      but Lycaon ran crouching up to him and caught his knees, whereby
      the spear passed over his back, and stuck in the ground,
      hungering though it was for blood. With one hand he caught
      Achilles’ knees as he besought him, and with the other he
      clutched the spear and would not let it go. Then he said,
      “Achilles, have mercy upon me and spare me, for I am your
      suppliant. It was in your tents that I first broke bread on the
      day when you took me prisoner in the vineyard; after which you
      sold me away to Lemnos far from my father and my friends, and I
      brought you the price of a hundred oxen. I have paid three times
      as much to gain my freedom; it is but twelve days that I have
      come to Ilius after much suffering, and now cruel fate has again
      thrown me into your hands. Surely father Jove must hate me, that
      he has given me over to you a second time. Short of life indeed
      did my mother Laothoe bear me, daughter of aged Altes—of Altes
      who reigns over the warlike Lelegae and holds steep Pedasus on
      the river Satnioeis. Priam married his daughter along with many
      other women and two sons were born of her, both of whom you will
      have slain. Your spear slew noble Polydorus as he was fighting in
      the front ranks, and now evil will here befall me, for I fear
      that I shall not escape you since heaven has delivered me over to
      you. Furthermore I say, and lay my saying to your heart, spare
      me, for I am not of the same womb as Hector who slew your brave
      and noble comrade.”

      With such words did the princely son of Priam beseech Achilles;
      but Achilles answered him sternly. “Idiot,” said he, “talk not to
      me of ransom. Until Patroclus fell I preferred to give the
      Trojans quarter, and sold beyond the sea many of those whom I had
      taken alive; but now not a man shall live of those whom heaven
      delivers into my hands before the city of Ilius—and of all
      Trojans it shall fare hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore,
      my friend, you too shall die. Why should you whine in this way?
      Patroclus fell, and he was a better man than you are. I too—see
      you not how I am great and goodly? I am son to a noble father,
      and have a goddess for my mother, but the hands of doom and death
      overshadow me all as surely. The day will come, either at dawn or
      dark, or at the noontide, when one shall take my life also in
      battle, either with his spear, or with an arrow sped from his
      bow.”

      Thus did he speak, and Lycaon’s heart sank within him. He loosed
      his hold of the spear, and held out both hands before him; but
      Achilles drew his keen blade, and struck him by the collar-bone
      on his neck; he plunged his two-edged sword into him to the very
      hilt, whereon he lay at full length on the ground, with the dark
      blood welling from him till the earth was soaked. Then Achilles
      caught him by the foot and flung him into the river to go down
      stream, vaunting over him the while, and saying, “Lie there among
      the fishes, who will lick the blood from your wound and gloat
      over it; your mother shall not lay you on any bier to mourn you,
      but the eddies of Scamander shall bear you into the broad bosom
      of the sea. There shall the fishes feed on the fat of Lycaon as
      they dart under the dark ripple of the waters—so perish all of
      you till we reach the citadel of strong Ilius—you in flight, and
      I following after to destroy you. The river with its broad silver
      stream shall serve you in no stead, for all the bulls you offered
      him and all the horses that you flung living into his waters.
      None the less miserably shall you perish till there is not a man
      of you but has paid in full for the death of Patroclus and the
      havoc you wrought among the Achaeans whom you have slain while I
      held aloof from battle.”

      So spoke Achilles, but the river grew more and more angry, and
      pondered within himself how he should stay the hand of Achilles
      and save the Trojans from disaster. Meanwhile the son of Peleus,
      spear in hand, sprang upon Asteropaeus son of Pelegon to kill
      him. He was son to the broad river Axius and Periboea eldest
      daughter of Acessamenus; for the river had lain with her.
      Asteropaeus stood up out of the water to face him with a spear in
      either hand, and Xanthus filled him with courage, being angry for
      the death of the youths whom Achilles was slaying ruthlessly
      within his waters. When they were close up with one another
      Achilles was first to speak. “Who and whence are you,” said he,
      “who dare to face me? Woe to the parents whose son stands up
      against me.” And the son of Pelegon answered, “Great son of
      Peleus, why should you ask my lineage. I am from the fertile land
      of far Paeonia, captain of the Paeonians, and it is now eleven
      days that I am at Ilius. I am of the blood of the river Axius—of
      Axius that is the fairest of all rivers that run. He begot the
      famed warrior Pelegon, whose son men call me. Let us now fight,
      Achilles.”

      Thus did he defy him, and Achilles raised his spear of Pelian
      ash. Asteropaeus failed with both his spears, for he could use
      both hands alike; with the one spear he struck Achilles’ shield,
      but did not pierce it, for the layer of gold, gift of the god,
      stayed the point; with the other spear he grazed the elbow of
      Achilles’ right arm drawing dark blood, but the spear itself went
      by him and fixed itself in the ground, foiled of its bloody
      banquet. Then Achilles, fain to kill him, hurled his spear at
      Asteropaeus, but failed to hit him and struck the steep bank of
      the river, driving the spear half its length into the earth. The
      son of Peleus then drew his sword and sprang furiously upon him.
      Asteropaeus vainly tried to draw Achilles’ spear out of the bank
      by main force; thrice did he tug at it, trying with all his might
      to draw it out, and thrice he had to leave off trying; the fourth
      time he tried to bend and break it, but ere he could do so
      Achilles smote him with his sword and killed him. He struck him
      in the belly near the navel, so that all his bowels came gushing
      out on to the ground, and the darkness of death came over him as
      he lay gasping. Then Achilles set his foot on his chest and
      spoiled him of his armour, vaunting over him and saying, “Lie
      there—begotten of a river though you be, it is hard for you to
      strive with the offspring of Saturn’s son. You declare yourself
      sprung from the blood of a broad river, but I am of the seed of
      mighty Jove. My father is Peleus, son of Aeacus ruler over the
      many Myrmidons, and Aeacus was the son of Jove. Therefore as Jove
      is mightier than any river that flows into the sea, so are his
      children stronger than those of any river whatsoever. Moreover
      you have a great river hard by if he can be of any use to you,
      but there is no fighting against Jove the son of Saturn, with
      whom not even King Achelous can compare, nor the mighty stream of
      deep-flowing Oceanus, from whom all rivers and seas with all
      springs and deep wells proceed; even Oceanus fears the lightnings
      of great Jove, and his thunder that comes crashing out of
      heaven.”

      With this he drew his bronze spear out of the bank, and now that
      he had killed Asteropaeus, he let him lie where he was on the
      sand, with the dark water flowing over him and the eels and
      fishes busy nibbling and gnawing the fat that was about his
      kidneys. Then he went in chase of the Paeonians, who were flying
      along the bank of the river in panic when they saw their leader
      slain by the hands of the son of Peleus. Therein he slew
      Thersilochus, Mydon, Astypylus, Mnesus, Thrasius, Oeneus, and
      Ophelestes, and he would have slain yet others, had not the river
      in anger taken human form, and spoken to him from out the deep
      waters saying, “Achilles, if you excel all in strength, so do you
      also in wickedness, for the gods are ever with you to protect
      you: if, then, the son of Saturn has vouchsafed it to you to
      destroy all the Trojans, at any rate drive them out of my stream,
      and do your grim work on land. My fair waters are now filled with
      corpses, nor can I find any channel by which I may pour myself
      into the sea for I am choked with dead, and yet you go on
      mercilessly slaying. I am in despair, therefore, O captain of
      your host, trouble me no further.”

      Achilles answered, “So be it, Scamander, Jove-descended; but I
      will never cease dealing out death among the Trojans, till I have
      pent them up in their city, and made trial of Hector face to
      face, that I may learn whether he is to vanquish me, or I him.”

      As he spoke he set upon the Trojans with a fury like that of the
      gods. But the river said to Apollo, “Surely, son of Jove, lord of
      the silver bow, you are not obeying the commands of Jove who
      charged you straitly that you should stand by the Trojans and
      defend them, till twilight fades, and darkness is over the
      earth.”

      Meanwhile Achilles sprang from the bank into mid-stream, whereon
      the river raised a high wave and attacked him. He swelled his
      stream into a torrent, and swept away the many dead whom Achilles
      had slain and left within his waters. These he cast out on to the
      land, bellowing like a bull the while, but the living he saved
      alive, hiding them in his mighty eddies. The great and terrible
      wave gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and beating on his
      shield, so that he could not keep his feet; he caught hold of a
      great elm-tree, but it came up by the roots, and tore away the
      bank, damming the stream with its thick branches and bridging it
      all across; whereby Achilles struggled out of the stream, and
      fled full speed over the plain, for he was afraid.

      But the mighty god ceased not in his pursuit, and sprang upon him
      with a dark-crested wave, to stay his hands and save the Trojans
      from destruction. The son of Peleus darted away a spear’s throw
      from him; swift as the swoop of a black hunter-eagle which is the
      strongest and fleetest of all birds, even so did he spring
      forward, and the armour rang loudly about his breast. He fled on
      in front, but the river with a loud roar came tearing after. As
      one who would water his garden leads a stream from some fountain
      over his plants, and all his ground—spade in hand he clears away
      the dams to free the channels, and the little stones run rolling
      round and round with the water as it goes merrily down the bank
      faster than the man can follow—even so did the river keep
      catching up with Achilles albeit he was a fleet runner, for the
      gods are stronger than men. As often as he would strive to stand
      his ground, and see whether or no all the gods in heaven were in
      league against him, so often would the mighty wave come beating
      down upon his shoulders, and he would have to keep flying on and
      on in great dismay; for the angry flood was tiring him out as it
      flowed past him and ate the ground from under his feet.

      Then the son of Peleus lifted up his voice to heaven saying,
      “Father Jove, is there none of the gods who will take pity upon
      me, and save me from the river? I do not care what may happen to
      me afterwards. I blame none of the other dwellers on Olympus so
      severely as I do my dear mother, who has beguiled and tricked me.
      She told me I was to fall under the walls of Troy by the flying
      arrows of Apollo; would that Hector, the best man among the
      Trojans, might there slay me; then should I fall a hero by the
      hand of a hero; whereas now it seems that I shall come to a most
      pitiable end, trapped in this river as though I were some
      swineherd’s boy, who gets carried down a torrent while trying to
      cross it during a storm.”

      As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and Minerva came up to him
      in the likeness of two men, and took him by the hand to reassure
      him. Neptune spoke first. “Son of Peleus,” said he, “be not so
      exceeding fearful; we are two gods, come with Jove’s sanction to
      assist you, I, and Pallas Minerva. It is not your fate to perish
      in this river; he will abate presently as you will see; moreover
      we strongly advise you, if you will be guided by us, not to stay
      your hand from fighting till you have pent the Trojan host within
      the famed walls of Ilius—as many of them as may escape. Then kill
      Hector and go back to the ships, for we will vouchsafe you a
      triumph over him.”

      When they had so said they went back to the other immortals, but
      Achilles strove onward over the plain, encouraged by the charge
      the gods had laid upon him. All was now covered with the flood of
      waters, and much goodly armour of the youths that had been slain
      was rifting about, as also many corpses, but he forced his way
      against the stream, speeding right onwards, nor could the broad
      waters stay him, for Minerva had endowed him with great strength.
      Nevertheless Scamander did not slacken in his pursuit, but was
      still more furious with the son of Peleus. He lifted his waters
      into a high crest and cried aloud to Simois saying, “Dear
      brother, let the two of us unite to save this man, or he will
      sack the mighty city of King Priam, and the Trojans will not hold
      out against him. Help me at once; fill your streams with water
      from their sources, rouse all your torrents to a fury; raise your
      wave on high, and let snags and stones come thundering down you
      that we may make an end of this savage creature who is now
      lording it as though he were a god. Nothing shall serve him
      longer, not strength nor comeliness, nor his fine armour, which
      forsooth shall soon be lying low in the deep waters covered over
      with mud. I will wrap him in sand, and pour tons of shingle round
      him, so that the Achaeans shall not know how to gather his bones
      for the silt in which I shall have hidden him, and when they
      celebrate his funeral they need build no barrow.”

      On this he upraised his tumultuous flood high against Achilles,
      seething as it was with foam and blood and the bodies of the
      dead. The dark waters of the river stood upright and would have
      overwhelmed the son of Peleus, but Juno, trembling lest Achilles
      should be swept away in the mighty torrent, lifted her voice on
      high and called out to Vulcan her son. “Crook-foot,” she cried,
      “my child, be up and doing, for I deem it is with you that
      Xanthus is fain to fight; help us at once, kindle a fierce fire;
      I will then bring up the west and the white south wind in a
      mighty hurricane from the sea, that shall bear the flames against
      the heads and armour of the Trojans and consume them, while you
      go along the banks of Xanthus burning his trees and wrapping him
      round with fire. Let him not turn you back neither by fair words
      nor foul, and slacken not till I shout and tell you. Then you may
      stay your flames.”

      On this Vulcan kindled a fierce fire, which broke out first upon
      the plain and burned the many dead whom Achilles had killed and
      whose bodies were lying about in great numbers; by this means the
      plain was dried and the flood stayed. As the north wind, blowing
      on an orchard that has been sodden with autumn rain, soon dries
      it, and the heart of the owner is glad—even so the whole plain
      was dried and the dead bodies were consumed. Then he turned
      tongues of fire on to the river. He burned the elms the willows
      and the tamarisks, the lotus also, with the rushes and marshy
      herbage that grew abundantly by the banks of the river. The eels
      and fishes that go darting about everywhere in the water, these,
      too, were sorely harassed by the flames that cunning Vulcan had
      kindled, and the river himself was scalded, so that he spoke
      saying, “Vulcan, there is no god can hold his own against you. I
      cannot fight you when you flare out your flames in this way;
      strive with me no longer. Let Achilles drive the Trojans out of
      their city immediately. What have I to do with quarrelling and
      helping people?”

      He was boiling as he spoke, and all his waters were seething. As
      a cauldron upon a large fire boils when it is melting the lard of
      some fatted hog, and the lard keeps bubbling up all over when the
      dry faggots blaze under it—even so were the goodly waters of
      Xanthus heated with the fire till they were boiling. He could
      flow no longer but stayed his stream, so afflicted was he by the
      blasts of fire which cunning Vulcan had raised. Then he prayed to
      Juno and besought her saying, “Juno, why should your son vex my
      stream with such especial fury? I am not so much to blame as all
      the others are who have been helping the Trojans. I will leave
      off, since you so desire it, and let your son leave off also.
      Furthermore I swear never again will I do anything to save the
      Trojans from destruction, not even when all Troy is burning in
      the flames which the Achaeans will kindle.”

      As soon as Juno heard this she said to her son Vulcan, “Son
      Vulcan, hold now your flames; we ought not to use such violence
      against a god for the sake of mortals.”

      When she had thus spoken Vulcan quenched his flames, and the
      river went back once more into his own fair bed.

      Xanthus was now beaten, so these two left off fighting, for Juno
      stayed them though she was still angry; but a furious quarrel
      broke out among the other gods, for they were of divided
      counsels. They fell on one another with a mighty uproar—earth
      groaned, and the spacious firmament rang out as with a blare of
      trumpets. Jove heard as he was sitting on Olympus, and laughed
      for joy when he saw the gods coming to blows among themselves.
      They were not long about beginning, and Mars piercer of shields
      opened the battle. Sword in hand he sprang at once upon Minerva
      and reviled her. “Why, vixen,” said he, “have you again set the
      gods by the ears in the pride and haughtiness of your heart? Have
      you forgotten how you set Diomed son of Tydeus on to wound me,
      and yourself took visible spear and drove it into me to the hurt
      of my fair body? You shall now suffer for what you then did to
      me.”

      As he spoke he struck her on the terrible tasselled aegis—so
      terrible that not even can Jove’s lightning pierce it. Here did
      murderous Mars strike her with his great spear. She drew back and
      with her strong hand seized a stone that was lying on the
      plain—great and rugged and black—which men of old had set for the
      boundary of a field. With this she struck Mars on the neck, and
      brought him down. Nine roods did he cover in his fall, and his
      hair was all soiled in the dust, while his armour rang rattling
      round him. But Minerva laughed and vaunted over him saying,
      “Idiot, have you not learned how far stronger I am than you, but
      you must still match yourself against me? Thus do your mother’s
      curses now roost upon you, for she is angry and would do you
      mischief because you have deserted the Achaeans and are helping
      the Trojans.”

      She then turned her two piercing eyes elsewhere, whereon Jove’s
      daughter Venus took Mars by the hand and led him away groaning
      all the time, for it was only with great difficulty that he had
      come to himself again. When Queen Juno saw her, she said to
      Minerva, “Look, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, unweariable, that
      vixen Venus is again taking Mars through the crowd out of the
      battle; go after her at once.”

      Thus she spoke. Minerva sped after Venus with a will, and made at
      her, striking her on the bosom with her strong hand so that she
      fell fainting to the ground, and there they both lay stretched at
      full length. Then Minerva vaunted over her saying, “May all who
      help the Trojans against the Argives prove just as redoubtable
      and stalwart as Venus did when she came across me while she was
      helping Mars. Had this been so, we should long since have ended
      the war by sacking the strong city of Ilius.”

      Juno smiled as she listened. Meanwhile King Neptune turned to
      Apollo saying, “Phoebus, why should we keep each other at arm’s
      length? it is not well, now that the others have begun fighting;
      it will be disgraceful to us if we return to Jove’s
      bronze-floored mansion on Olympus without having fought each
      other; therefore come on, you are the younger of the two, and I
      ought not to attack you, for I am older and have had more
      experience. Idiot, you have no sense, and forget how we two alone
      of all the gods fared hardly round about Ilius when we came from
      Jove’s house and worked for Laomedon a whole year at a stated
      wage and he gave us his orders. I built the Trojans the wall
      about their city, so wide and fair that it might be impregnable,
      while you, Phoebus, herded cattle for him in the dales of many
      valleyed Ida. When, however, the glad hours brought round the
      time of payment, mighty Laomedon robbed us of all our hire and
      sent us off with nothing but abuse. He threatened to bind us hand
      and foot and sell us over into some distant island. He tried,
      moreover, to cut off the ears of both of us, so we went away in a
      rage, furious about the payment he had promised us, and yet
      withheld; in spite of all this, you are now showing favour to his
      people, and will not join us in compassing the utter ruin of the
      proud Trojans with their wives and children.”

      And King Apollo answered, “Lord of the earthquake, you would have
      no respect for me if I were to fight you about a pack of
      miserable mortals, who come out like leaves in summer and eat the
      fruit of the field, and presently fall lifeless to the ground.
      Let us stay this fighting at once and let them settle it among
      themselves.”

      He turned away as he spoke, for he would lay no hand on the
      brother of his own father. But his sister the huntress Diana,
      patroness of wild beasts, was very angry with him and said, “So
      you would fly, Far-Darter, and hand victory over to Neptune with
      a cheap vaunt to boot. Baby, why keep your bow thus idle? Never
      let me again hear you bragging in my father’s house, as you have
      often done in the presence of the immortals, that you would stand
      up and fight with Neptune.”

      Apollo made her no answer, but Jove’s august queen was angry and
      upbraided her bitterly. “Bold vixen,” she cried, “how dare you
      cross me thus? For all your bow you will find it hard to hold
      your own against me. Jove made you as a lion among women, and
      lets you kill them whenever you choose. You will find it better
      to chase wild beasts and deer upon the mountains than to fight
      those who are stronger than you are. If you would try war, do so,
      and find out by pitting yourself against me, how far stronger I
      am than you are.”

      She caught both Diana’s wrists with her left hand as she spoke,
      and with her right she took the bow from her shoulders, and
      laughed as she beat her with it about the ears while Diana
      wriggled and writhed under her blows. Her swift arrows were shed
      upon the ground, and she fled weeping from under Juno’s hand as a
      dove that flies before a falcon to the cleft of some hollow rock,
      when it is her good fortune to escape. Even so did she fly
      weeping away, leaving her bow and arrows behind her.

      Then the slayer of Argus, guide and guardian, said to Leto,
      “Leto, I shall not fight you; it is ill to come to blows with any
      of Jove’s wives. Therefore boast as you will among the immortals
      that you worsted me in fair fight.”

      Leto then gathered up Diana’s bow and arrows that had fallen
      about amid the whirling dust, and when she had got them she made
      all haste after her daughter. Diana had now reached Jove’s
      bronze-floored mansion on Olympus, and sat herself down with many
      tears on the knees of her father, while her ambrosial raiment was
      quivering all about her. The son of Saturn drew her towards him,
      and laughing pleasantly the while began to question her saying,
      “Which of the heavenly beings, my dear child, has been treating
      you in this cruel manner, as though you had been misconducting
      yourself in the face of everybody?” and the fair-crowned goddess
      of the chase answered, “It was your wife Juno, father, who has
      been beating me; it is always her doing when there is any
      quarrelling among the immortals.”

      Thus did they converse, and meanwhile Phoebus Apollo entered the
      strong city of Ilius, for he was uneasy lest the wall should not
      hold out and the Danaans should take the city then and there,
      before its hour had come; but the rest of the ever-living gods
      went back, some angry and some triumphant to Olympus, where they
      took their seats beside Jove lord of the storm-cloud, while
      Achilles still kept on dealing out death alike on the Trojans and
      on their horses. As when the smoke from some burning city ascends
      to heaven when the anger of the gods has kindled it—there is then
      toil for all, and sorrow for not a few—even so did Achilles bring
      toil and sorrow on the Trojans.

      Old King Priam stood on a high tower of the wall looking down on
      huge Achilles as the Trojans fled panic-stricken before him, and
      there was none to help them. Presently he came down from off the
      tower and with many a groan went along the wall to give orders to
      the brave warders of the gate. “Keep the gates,” said he, “wide
      open till the people come flying into the city, for Achilles is
      hard by and is driving them in rout before him. I see we are in
      great peril. As soon as our people are inside and in safety,
      close the strong gates for I fear lest that terrible man should
      come bounding inside along with the others.”

      As he spoke they drew back the bolts and opened the gates, and
      when these were opened there was a haven of refuge for the
      Trojans. Apollo then came full speed out of the city to meet them
      and protect them. Right for the city and the high wall, parched
      with thirst and grimy with dust, still they fled on, with
      Achilles wielding his spear furiously behind them. For he was as
      one possessed, and was thirsting after glory.

      Then had the sons of the Achaeans taken the lofty gates of Troy
      if Apollo had not spurred on Agenor, valiant and noble son to
      Antenor. He put courage into his heart, and stood by his side to
      guard him, leaning against a beech tree and shrouded in thick
      darkness. When Agenor saw Achilles he stood still and his heart
      was clouded with care. “Alas,” said he to himself in his dismay,
      “if I fly before mighty Achilles, and go where all the others are
      being driven in rout, he will none the less catch me and kill me
      for a coward. How would it be were I to let Achilles drive the
      others before him, and then fly from the wall to the plain that
      is behind Ilius till I reach the spurs of Ida and can hide in the
      underwood that is thereon? I could then wash the sweat from off
      me in the river and in the evening return to Ilius. But why
      commune with myself in this way? Like enough he would see me as I
      am hurrying from the city over the plain, and would speed after
      me till he had caught me—I should stand no chance against him,
      for he is mightiest of all mankind. What, then, if I go out and
      meet him in front of the city? His flesh too, I take it, can be
      pierced by pointed bronze. Life is the same in one and all, and
      men say that he is but mortal despite the triumph that Jove son
      of Saturn vouchsafes him.”

      So saying he stood on his guard and awaited Achilles, for he was
      now fain to fight him. As a leopardess that bounds from out a
      thick covert to attack a hunter—she knows no fear and is not
      dismayed by the baying of the hounds; even though the man be too
      quick for her and wound her either with thrust or spear, still,
      though the spear has pierced her she will not give in till she
      has either caught him in her grip or been killed outright—even so
      did noble Agenor son of Antenor refuse to fly till he had made
      trial of Achilles, and took aim at him with his spear, holding
      his round shield before him and crying with a loud voice. “Of a
      truth,” said he, “noble Achilles, you deem that you shall this
      day sack the city of the proud Trojans. Fool, there will be
      trouble enough yet before it, for there is many a brave man of us
      still inside who will stand in front of our dear parents with our
      wives and children, to defend Ilius. Here therefore, huge and
      mighty warrior though you be, here shall you die.”

      As he spoke his strong hand hurled his javelin from him, and the
      spear struck Achilles on the leg beneath the knee; the greave of
      newly wrought tin rang loudly, but the spear recoiled from the
      body of him whom it had struck, and did not pierce it, for the
      god’s gift stayed it. Achilles in his turn attacked noble Agenor,
      but Apollo would not vouchsafe him glory, for he snatched Agenor
      away and hid him in a thick mist, sending him out of the battle
      unmolested. Then he craftily drew the son of Peleus away from
      going after the host, for he put on the semblance of Agenor and
      stood in front of Achilles, who ran towards him to give him chase
      and pursued him over the corn lands of the plain, turning him
      towards the deep waters of the river Scamander. Apollo ran but a
      little way before him and beguiled Achilles by making him think
      all the time that he was on the point of overtaking him.
      Meanwhile the rabble of routed Trojans was thankful to crowd
      within the city till their numbers thronged it; no longer did
      they dare wait for one another outside the city walls, to learn
      who had escaped and who were fallen in fight, but all whose feet
      and knees could still carry them poured pell-mell into the town.


1  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο
2  Ξάνθου δινήεντος, ὃν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς,
3  ἔνθα διατμήξας τοὺς μὲν πεδίον δὲ δίωκε
4  πρὸς πόλιν, ᾗ περ Ἀχαιοὶ ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο
5  ἤματι τῷ προτέρῳ, ὅτε μαίνετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·
6  τῇ ῥʼ οἵ γε προχέοντο πεφυζότες, ἠέρα δʼ Ἥρη
7  πίτνα πρόσθε βαθεῖαν ἐρυκέμεν· ἡμίσεες δὲ
8  ἐς ποταμὸν εἰλεῦντο βαθύρροον ἀργυροδίνην,
9  ἐν δʼ ἔπεσον μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ, βράχε δʼ αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα,
10  ὄχθαι δʼ ἀμφὶ περὶ μεγάλʼ ἴαχον· οἳ δʼ ἀλαλητῷ
11  ἔννεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ἑλισσόμενοι περὶ δίνας.
12  ὡς δʼ ὅθʼ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ἀκρίδες ἠερέθονται
13  φευγέμεναι ποταμὸν δέ· τὸ δὲ φλέγει ἀκάματον πῦρ
14  ὄρμενον ἐξαίφνης, ταὶ δὲ πτώσσουσι καθʼ ὕδωρ·
15  ὣς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος Ξάνθου βαθυδινήεντος
16  πλῆτο ῥόος κελάδων ἐπιμὶξ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
17  αὐτὰρ ὃ διογενὴς δόρυ μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ὄχθῃ
18  κεκλιμένον μυρίκῃσιν, ὃ δʼ ἔσθορε δαίμονι ἶσος
19  φάσγανον οἶον ἔχων, κακὰ δὲ φρεσὶ μήδετο ἔργα,
20  τύπτε δʼ ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς
21  ἄορι θεινομένων, ἐρυθαίνετο δʼ αἵματι ὕδωρ.
22  ὡς δʼ ὑπὸ δελφῖνος μεγακήτεος ἰχθύες ἄλλοι
23  φεύγοντες πιμπλᾶσι μυχοὺς λιμένος εὐόρμου
24  δειδιότες· μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει ὅν κε λάβῃσιν·
25  ὣς Τρῶες ποταμοῖο κατὰ δεινοῖο ῥέεθρα
26  πτῶσσον ὑπὸ κρημνούς. ὃ δʼ ἐπεὶ κάμε χεῖρας ἐναίρων,
27  ζωοὺς ἐκ ποταμοῖο δυώδεκα λέξατο κούρους
28  ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος·
29  τοὺς ἐξῆγε θύραζε τεθηπότας ἠΰτε νεβρούς,
30  δῆσε δʼ ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι,
31  τοὺς αὐτοὶ φορέεσκον ἐπὶ στρεπτοῖσι χιτῶσι,
32  δῶκε δʼ ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.
33  αὐτὰρ ὃ ἂψ ἐπόρουσε δαϊζέμεναι μενεαίνων.
34  ἔνθʼ υἷι Πριάμοιο συνήντετο Δαρδανίδαο
35  ἐκ ποταμοῦ φεύγοντι Λυκάονι, τόν ῥά ποτʼ αὐτὸς
36  ἦγε λαβὼν ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλοντα
37  ἐννύχιος προμολών· ὃ δʼ ἐρινεὸν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ
38  τάμνε νέους ὄρπηκας, ἵνʼ ἅρματος ἄντυγες εἶεν·
39  τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνώϊστον κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
40  καὶ τότε μέν μιν Λῆμνον ἐϋκτιμένην ἐπέρασσε
41  νηυσὶν ἄγων, ἀτὰρ υἱὸς Ἰήσονος ὦνον ἔδωκε·
42  κεῖθεν δὲ ξεῖνός μιν ἐλύσατο πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκεν
43  Ἴμβριος Ἠετίων, πέμψεν δʼ ἐς δῖαν Ἀρίσβην·
44  ἔνθεν ὑπεκπροφυγὼν πατρώϊον ἵκετο δῶμα.
45  ἕνδεκα δʼ ἤματα θυμὸν ἐτέρπετο οἷσι φίλοισιν
46  ἐλθὼν ἐκ Λήμνοιο· δυωδεκάτῃ δέ μιν αὖτις
47  χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος θεὸς ἔμβαλεν, ὅς μιν ἔμελλε
48  πέμψειν εἰς Ἀΐδαο καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλοντα νέεσθαι.
49  τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
50  γυμνὸν ἄτερ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος, οὐδʼ ἔχεν ἔγχος,
51  ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν ῥʼ ἀπὸ πάντα χαμαὶ βάλε· τεῖρε γὰρ ἱδρὼς
52  φεύγοντʼ ἐκ ποταμοῦ, κάματος δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἐδάμνα·
53  ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·
54  ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι·
55  ἦ μάλα δὴ Τρῶες μεγαλήτορες οὕς περ ἔπεφνον
56  αὖτις ἀναστήσονται ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος,
57  οἷον δὴ καὶ ὅδʼ ἦλθε φυγὼν ὕπο νηλεὲς ἦμαρ
58  Λῆμνον ἐς ἠγαθέην πεπερημένος· οὐδέ μιν ἔσχε
59  πόντος ἁλὸς πολιῆς, ὃ πολέας ἀέκοντας ἐρύκει.
60  ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ καὶ δουρὸς ἀκωκῆς ἡμετέροιο
61  γεύσεται, ὄφρα ἴδωμαι ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἠδὲ δαείω
62  ἢ ἄρʼ ὁμῶς καὶ κεῖθεν ἐλεύσεται, ἦ μιν ἐρύξει
63  γῆ φυσίζοος, ἥ τε κατὰ κρατερόν περ ἐρύκει.
64  ὣς ὅρμαινε μένων· ὃ δέ οἱ σχεδὸν ἦλθε τεθηπὼς
65  γούνων ἅψασθαι μεμαώς, περὶ δʼ ἤθελε θυμῷ
66  ἐκφυγέειν θάνατόν τε κακὸν καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν.
67  ἤτοι ὃ μὲν δόρυ μακρὸν ἀνέσχετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
68  οὐτάμεναι μεμαώς, ὃ δʼ ὑπέδραμε καὶ λάβε γούνων
69  κύψας· ἐγχείη δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ νώτου ἐνὶ γαίῃ
70  ἔστη ἱεμένη χροὸς ἄμεναι ἀνδρομέοιο.
71  αὐτὰρ ὃ τῇ ἑτέρῃ μὲν ἑλὼν ἐλλίσσετο γούνων,
72  τῇ δʼ ἑτέρῃ ἔχεν ἔγχος ἀκαχμένον οὐδὲ μεθίει·
73  καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
74  γουνοῦμαι σʼ Ἀχιλεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·
75  ἀντί τοί εἰμʼ ἱκέταο διοτρεφὲς αἰδοίοιο·
76  πὰρ γὰρ σοὶ πρώτῳ πασάμην Δημήτερος ἀκτὴν
77  ἤματι τῷ ὅτε μʼ εἷλες ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν ἀλωῇ,
78  καί μʼ ἐπέρασσας ἄνευθεν ἄγων πατρός τε φίλων τε
79  Λῆμνον ἐς ἠγαθέην, ἑκατόμβοιον δέ τοι ἦλφον.
80  νῦν δὲ λύμην τρὶς τόσσα πορών· ἠὼς δέ μοί ἐστιν
81  ἥδε δυωδεκάτη, ὅτʼ ἐς Ἴλιον εἰλήλουθα
82  πολλὰ παθών· νῦν αὖ με τεῇς ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε
83  μοῖρʼ ὀλοή· μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί,
84  ὅς με σοὶ αὖτις δῶκε· μινυνθάδιον δέ με μήτηρ
85  γείνατο Λαοθόη θυγάτηρ Ἄλταο γέροντος
86  Ἄλτεω, ὃς Λελέγεσσι φιλοπτολέμοισιν ἀνάσσει
87  Πήδασον αἰπήεσσαν ἔχων ἐπὶ Σατνιόεντι.
88  τοῦ δʼ ἔχε θυγατέρα Πρίαμος, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ἄλλας·
89  τῆς δὲ δύω γενόμεσθα, σὺ δʼ ἄμφω δειροτομήσεις,
90  ἤτοι τὸν πρώτοισι μετὰ πρυλέεσσι δάμασσας
91  ἀντίθεον Πολύδωρον, ἐπεὶ βάλες ὀξέϊ δουρί·
92  νῦν δὲ δὴ ἐνθάδʼ ἐμοὶ κακὸν ἔσσεται· οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω
93  σὰς χεῖρας φεύξεσθαι, ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπέλασσέ γε δαίμων.
94  ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσι·
95  μή με κτεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὁμογάστριος Ἕκτορός εἰμι,
96  ὅς τοι ἑταῖρον ἔπεφνεν ἐνηέα τε κρατερόν τε.
97  ὣς ἄρα μιν Πριάμοιο προσηύδα φαίδιμος υἱὸς
98  λισσόμενος ἐπέεσσιν, ἀμείλικτον δʼ ὄπʼ ἄκουσε·
99  νήπιε μή μοι ἄποινα πιφαύσκεο μηδʼ ἀγόρευε·
100  πρὶν μὲν γὰρ Πάτροκλον ἐπισπεῖν αἴσιμον ἦμαρ
101  τόφρά τί μοι πεφιδέσθαι ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φίλτερον ἦεν
102  Τρώων, καὶ πολλοὺς ζωοὺς ἕλον ἠδʼ ἐπέρασσα·
103  νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅς τις θάνατον φύγῃ ὅν κε θεός γε
104  Ἰλίου προπάροιθεν ἐμῇς ἐν χερσὶ βάλῃσι
105  καὶ πάντων Τρώων, περὶ δʼ αὖ Πριάμοιό γε παίδων.
106  ἀλλὰ φίλος θάνε καὶ σύ· τί ἦ ὀλοφύρεαι οὕτως;
107  κάτθανε καὶ Πάτροκλος, ὅ περ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων.
108  οὐχ ὁράᾳς οἷος καὶ ἐγὼ καλός τε μέγας τε;
109  πατρὸς δʼ εἴμʼ ἀγαθοῖο, θεὰ δέ με γείνατο μήτηρ·
110  ἀλλʼ ἔπι τοι καὶ ἐμοὶ θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα κραταιή·
111  ἔσσεται ἢ ἠὼς ἢ δείλη ἢ μέσον ἦμαρ
112  ὁππότε τις καὶ ἐμεῖο Ἄρῃ ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται
113  ἢ ὅ γε δουρὶ βαλὼν ἢ ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ὀϊστῷ.
114  ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ·
115  ἔγχος μέν ῥʼ ἀφέηκεν, ὃ δʼ ἕζετο χεῖρε πετάσσας
116  ἀμφοτέρας· Ἀχιλεὺς δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος ξίφος ὀξὺ
117  τύψε κατὰ κληῗδα παρʼ αὐχένα, πᾶν δέ οἱ εἴσω
118  δῦ ξίφος ἄμφηκες· ὃ δʼ ἄρα πρηνὴς ἐπὶ γαίῃ
119  κεῖτο ταθείς, ἐκ δʼ αἷμα μέλαν ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν.
120  τὸν δʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ποταμὸν δὲ λαβὼν ποδὸς ἧκε φέρεσθαι,
121  καί οἱ ἐπευχόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν·
122  ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν κεῖσο μετʼ ἰχθύσιν, οἵ σʼ ὠτειλὴν
123  αἷμʼ ἀπολιχμήσονται ἀκηδέες· οὐδέ σε μήτηρ
124  ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι γοήσεται, ἀλλὰ Σκάμανδρος
125  οἴσει δινήεις εἴσω ἁλὸς εὐρέα κόλπον·
126  θρῴσκων τις κατὰ κῦμα μέλαιναν φρῖχʼ ὑπαΐξει
127  ἰχθύς, ὅς κε φάγῃσι Λυκάονος ἀργέτα δημόν.
128  φθείρεσθʼ εἰς ὅ κεν ἄστυ κιχείομεν Ἰλίου ἱρῆς
129  ὑμεῖς μὲν φεύγοντες, ἐγὼ δʼ ὄπιθεν κεραΐζων.
130  οὐδʼ ὑμῖν ποταμός περ ἐΰρροος ἀργυροδίνης
131  ἀρκέσει, ᾧ δὴ δηθὰ πολέας ἱερεύετε ταύρους,
132  ζωοὺς δʼ ἐν δίνῃσι καθίετε μώνυχας ἵππους.
133  ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ὀλέεσθε κακὸν μόρον, εἰς ὅ κε πάντες
134  τίσετε Πατρόκλοιο φόνον καὶ λοιγὸν Ἀχαιῶν,
135  οὓς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν ἐπέφνετε νόσφιν ἐμεῖο.
136  ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, ποταμὸς δὲ χολώσατο κηρόθι μᾶλλον,
137  ὅρμηνεν δʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ὅπως παύσειε πόνοιο
138  δῖον Ἀχιλλῆα, Τρώεσσι δὲ λοιγὸν ἀλάλκοι.
139  τόφρα δὲ Πηλέος υἱὸς ἔχων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος
140  Ἀστεροπαίῳ ἐπᾶλτο κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων
141  υἱέϊ Πηλεγόνος· τὸν δʼ Ἀξιὸς εὐρυρέεθρος
142  γείνατο καὶ Περίβοια Ἀκεσσαμενοῖο θυγατρῶν
143  πρεσβυτάτη· τῇ γάρ ῥα μίγη ποταμὸς βαθυδίνης.
144  τῷ ῥʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ἐπόρουσεν, ὃ δʼ ἀντίος ἐκ ποταμοῖο
145  ἔστη ἔχων δύο δοῦρε· μένος δέ οἱ ἐν φρεσὶ θῆκε
146  Ξάνθος, ἐπεὶ κεχόλωτο δαϊκταμένων αἰζηῶν,
147  τοὺς Ἀχιλεὺς ἐδάϊζε κατὰ ῥόον οὐδʼ ἐλέαιρεν.
148  οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,
149  τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
150  τίς πόθεν εἰς ἀνδρῶν ὅ μευ ἔτλης ἀντίος ἐλθεῖν;
151  δυστήνων δέ τε παῖδες ἐμῷ μένει ἀντιόωσι.
152  τὸν δʼ αὖ Πηλεγόνος προσεφώνεε φαίδιμος υἱός·
153  Πηλεΐδη μεγάθυμε τί ἦ γενεὴν ἐρεείνεις;
154  εἴμʼ ἐκ Παιονίης ἐριβώλου τηλόθʼ ἐούσης
155  Παίονας ἄνδρας ἄγων δολιχεγχέας· ἥδε δέ μοι νῦν
156  ἠὼς ἑνδεκάτη ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰλήλουθα.
157  αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ γενεὴ ἐξ Ἀξιοῦ εὐρὺ ῥέοντος
158  Ἀξιοῦ, ὃς κάλλιστον ὕδωρ ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησιν,
159  ὃς τέκε Πηλεγόνα κλυτὸν ἔγχεϊ· τὸν δʼ ἐμέ φασι
160  γείνασθαι· νῦν αὖτε μαχώμεθα φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ.
161  ὣς φάτʼ ἀπειλήσας, ὃ δʼ ἀνέσχετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
162  Πηλιάδα μελίην· ὃ δʼ ἁμαρτῇ δούρασιν ἀμφὶς
163  ἥρως Ἀστεροπαῖος, ἐπεὶ περιδέξιος ἦεν.
164  καί ῥʼ ἑτέρῳ μὲν δουρὶ σάκος βάλεν, οὐδὲ διὰ πρὸ
165  ῥῆξε σάκος· χρυσὸς γὰρ ἐρύκακε δῶρα θεοῖο·
166  τῷ δʼ ἑτέρῳ μιν πῆχυν ἐπιγράβδην βάλε χειρὸς
167  δεξιτερῆς, σύτο δʼ αἷμα κελαινεφές· ἣ δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ
168  γαίῃ ἐνεστήρικτο λιλαιομένη χροὸς ἆσαι.
169  δεύτερος αὖτʼ Ἀχιλεὺς μελίην ἰθυπτίωνα
170  Ἀστεροπαίῳ ἐφῆκε κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων.
171  καὶ τοῦ μέν ῥʼ ἀφάμαρτεν, ὃ δʼ ὑψηλὴν βάλεν ὄχθην,
172  μεσσοπαγὲς δʼ ἄρʼ ἔθηκε κατʼ ὄχθης μείλινον ἔγχος.
173  Πηλεΐδης δʼ ἄορ ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ
174  ἆλτʼ ἐπί οἱ μεμαώς· ὃ δʼ ἄρα μελίην Ἀχιλῆος
175  οὐ δύνατʼ ἐκ κρημνοῖο ἐρύσσαι χειρὶ παχείῃ.
176  τρὶς μέν μιν πελέμιξεν ἐρύσσασθαι μενεαίνων,
177  τρὶς δὲ μεθῆκε βίης· τὸ δὲ τέτρατον ἤθελε θυμῷ
178  ἆξαι ἐπιγνάμψας δόρυ μείλινον Αἰακίδαο,
179  ἀλλὰ πρὶν Ἀχιλεὺς σχεδὸν ἄορι θυμὸν ἀπηύρα.
180  γαστέρα γάρ μιν τύψε παρʼ ὀμφαλόν, ἐκ δʼ ἄρα πᾶσαι
181  χύντο χαμαὶ χολάδες· τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν
182  ἀσθμαίνοντʼ· Ἀχιλεὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὀρούσας
183  τεύχεά τʼ ἐξενάριξε καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα·
184  κεῖσʼ οὕτως· χαλεπόν τοι ἐρισθενέος Κρονίωνος
185  παισὶν ἐριζέμεναι ποταμοῖό περ ἐκγεγαῶτι.
186  φῆσθα σὺ μὲν ποταμοῦ γένος ἔμμεναι εὐρὺ ῥέοντος,
187  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ γενεὴν μεγάλου Διὸς εὔχομαι εἶναι.
188  τίκτέ μʼ ἀνὴρ πολλοῖσιν ἀνάσσων Μυρμιδόνεσσι
189  Πηλεὺς Αἰακίδης· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ Αἰακὸς ἐκ Διὸς ἦεν.
190  τὼ κρείσσων μὲν Ζεὺς ποταμῶν ἁλιμυρηέντων,
191  κρείσσων αὖτε Διὸς γενεὴ ποταμοῖο τέτυκται.
192  καὶ γὰρ σοὶ ποταμός γε πάρα μέγας, εἰ δύναταί τι
193  χραισμεῖν· ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι Διὶ Κρονίωνι μάχεσθαι,
194  τῷ οὐδὲ κρείων Ἀχελώϊος ἰσοφαρίζει,
195  οὐδὲ βαθυρρείταο μέγα σθένος Ὠκεανοῖο,
196  ἐξ οὗ περ πάντες ποταμοὶ καὶ πᾶσα θάλασσα
197  καὶ πᾶσαι κρῆναι καὶ φρείατα μακρὰ νάουσιν·
198  ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃς δείδοικε Διὸς μεγάλοιο κεραυνὸν
199  δεινήν τε βροντήν, ὅτʼ ἀπʼ οὐρανόθεν σμαραγήσῃ.
200  ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐκ κρημνοῖο ἐρύσσατο χάλκεον ἔγχος,
201  τὸν δὲ κατʼ αὐτόθι λεῖπεν, ἐπεὶ φίλον ἦτορ ἀπηύρα,
202  κείμενον ἐν ψαμάθοισι, δίαινε δέ μιν μέλαν ὕδωρ.
203  τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ ἐγχέλυές τε καὶ ἰχθύες ἀμφεπένοντο
204  δημὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι ἐπινεφρίδιον κείροντες·
205  αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ ῥʼ ἰέναι μετὰ Παίονας ἱπποκορυστάς,
206  οἵ ῥʼ ἔτι πὰρ ποταμὸν πεφοβήατο δινήεντα,
207  ὡς εἶδον τὸν ἄριστον ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ
208  χέρσʼ ὕπο Πηλεΐδαο καὶ ἄορι ἶφι δαμέντα.
209  ἔνθʼ ἕλε Θερσίλοχόν τε Μύδωνά τε Ἀστύπυλόν τε
210  Μνῆσόν τε Θρασίον τε καὶ Αἴνιον ἠδʼ Ὀφελέστην·
211  καί νύ κʼ ἔτι πλέονας κτάνε Παίονας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς,
212  εἰ μὴ χωσάμενος προσέφη ποταμὸς βαθυδίνης
213  ἀνέρι εἰσάμενος, βαθέης δʼ ἐκ φθέγξατο δίνης·
214  ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ, περὶ μὲν κρατέεις, περὶ δʼ αἴσυλα ῥέζεις
215  ἀνδρῶν· αἰεὶ γάρ τοι ἀμύνουσιν θεοὶ αὐτοί.
216  εἴ τοι Τρῶας ἔδωκε Κρόνου παῖς πάντας ὀλέσσαι,
217  ἐξ ἐμέθεν γʼ ἐλάσας πεδίον κάτα μέρμερα ῥέζε·
218  πλήθει γὰρ δή μοι νεκύων ἐρατεινὰ ῥέεθρα,
219  οὐδέ τί πῃ δύναμαι προχέειν ῥόον εἰς ἅλα δῖαν
220  στεινόμενος νεκύεσσι, σὺ δὲ κτείνεις ἀϊδήλως.
221  ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ καὶ ἔασον· ἄγη μʼ ἔχει ὄρχαμε λαῶν.
222  τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
223  ἔσται ταῦτα Σκάμανδρε διοτρεφές, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις.
224  Τρῶας δʼ οὐ πρὶν λήξω ὑπερφιάλους ἐναρίζων,
225  πρὶν ἔλσαι κατὰ ἄστυ καὶ Ἕκτορι πειρηθῆναι
226  ἀντιβίην, ἤ κέν με δαμάσσεται, ἦ κεν ἐγὼ τόν.
227  ὣς εἰπὼν Τρώεσσιν ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος·
228  καὶ τότʼ Ἀπόλλωνα προσέφη ποταμὸς βαθυδίνης·
229  ὢ πόποι ἀργυρότοξε Διὸς τέκος οὐ σύ γε βουλὰς
230  εἰρύσαο Κρονίωνος, ὅ τοι μάλα πόλλʼ ἐπέτελλε
231  Τρωσὶ παρεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν, εἰς ὅ κεν ἔλθῃ
232  δείελος ὀψὲ δύων, σκιάσῃ δʼ ἐρίβωλον ἄρουραν.
233  ἦ, καὶ Ἀχιλλεὺς μὲν δουρικλυτὸς ἔνθορε μέσσῳ
234  κρημνοῦ ἀπαΐξας· ὃ δʼ ἐπέσσυτο οἴδματι θύων,
235  πάντα δʼ ὄρινε ῥέεθρα κυκώμενος, ὦσε δὲ νεκροὺς
236  πολλούς, οἵ ῥα κατʼ αὐτὸν ἅλις ἔσαν, οὓς κτάνʼ Ἀχιλλεύς
237  τοὺς ἔκβαλλε θύραζε μεμυκὼς ἠΰτε ταῦρος
238  χέρσον δέ· ζωοὺς δὲ σάω κατὰ καλὰ ῥέεθρα,
239  κρύπτων ἐν δίνῃσι βαθείῃσιν μεγάλῃσι.
240  δεινὸν δʼ ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα κυκώμενον ἵστατο κῦμα,
241  ὤθει δʼ ἐν σάκεϊ πίπτων ῥόος· οὐδὲ πόδεσσιν
242  εἶχε στηρίξασθαι· ὃ δὲ πτελέην ἕλε χερσὶν
243  εὐφυέα μεγάλην· ἣ δʼ ἐκ ῥιζῶν ἐριποῦσα
244  κρημνὸν ἅπαντα διῶσεν, ἐπέσχε δὲ καλὰ ῥέεθρα
245  ὄζοισιν πυκινοῖσι, γεφύρωσεν δέ μιν αὐτὸν
246  εἴσω πᾶσʼ ἐριποῦσʼ· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐκ δίνης ἀνορούσας
247  ἤϊξεν πεδίοιο ποσὶ κραιπνοῖσι πέτεσθαι
248  δείσας· οὐδέ τʼ ἔληγε θεὸς μέγας, ὦρτο δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ
249  ἀκροκελαινιόων, ἵνα μιν παύσειε πόνοιο
250  δῖον Ἀχιλλῆα, Τρώεσσι δὲ λοιγὸν ἀλάλκοι.
251  Πηλεΐδης δʼ ἀπόρουσεν ὅσον τʼ ἐπὶ δουρὸς ἐρωή,
252  αἰετοῦ οἴματʼ ἔχων μέλανος τοῦ θηρητῆρος,
253  ὅς θʼ ἅμα κάρτιστός τε καὶ ὤκιστος πετεηνῶν·
254  τῷ ἐϊκὼς ἤϊξεν, ἐπὶ στήθεσσι δὲ χαλκὸς
255  σμερδαλέον κονάβιζεν· ὕπαιθα δὲ τοῖο λιασθεὶς
256  φεῦγʼ, ὃ δʼ ὄπισθε ῥέων ἕπετο μεγάλῳ ὀρυμαγδῷ.
257  ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ὀχετηγὸς ἀπὸ κρήνης μελανύδρου
258  ἂμ φυτὰ καὶ κήπους ὕδατι ῥόον ἡγεμονεύῃ
259  χερσὶ μάκελλαν ἔχων, ἀμάρης ἐξ ἔχματα βάλλων·
260  τοῦ μέν τε προρέοντος ὑπὸ ψηφῖδες ἅπασαι
261  ὀχλεῦνται· τὸ δέ τʼ ὦκα κατειβόμενον κελαρύζει
262  χώρῳ ἔνι προαλεῖ, φθάνει δέ τε καὶ τὸν ἄγοντα·
263  ὣς αἰεὶ Ἀχιλῆα κιχήσατο κῦμα ῥόοιο
264  καὶ λαιψηρὸν ἐόντα· θεοὶ δέ τε φέρτεροι ἀνδρῶν.
265  ὁσσάκι δʼ ὁρμήσειε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
266  στῆναι ἐναντίβιον καὶ γνώμεναι εἴ μιν ἅπαντες
267  ἀθάνατοι φοβέουσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι,
268  τοσσάκι μιν μέγα κῦμα διιπετέος ποταμοῖο
269  πλάζʼ ὤμους καθύπερθεν· ὃ δʼ ὑψόσε ποσσὶν ἐπήδα
270  θυμῷ ἀνιάζων· ποταμὸς δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἐδάμνα
271  λάβρος ὕπαιθα ῥέων, κονίην δʼ ὑπέρεπτε ποδοῖιν.
272  Πηλεΐδης δʼ ᾤμωξεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν·
273  Ζεῦ πάτερ ὡς οὔ τίς με θεῶν ἐλεεινὸν ὑπέστη
274  ἐκ ποταμοῖο σαῶσαι· ἔπειτα δὲ καί τι πάθοιμι.
275  ἄλλος δʼ οὔ τις μοι τόσον αἴτιος Οὐρανιώνων,
276  ἀλλὰ φίλη μήτηρ, ἥ με ψεύδεσσιν ἔθελγεν·
277  ἥ μʼ ἔφατο Τρώων ὑπὸ τείχεϊ θωρηκτάων
278  λαιψηροῖς ὀλέεσθαι Ἀπόλλωνος βελέεσσιν.
279  ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ Ἕκτωρ κτεῖναι ὃς ἐνθάδε γʼ ἔτραφʼ ἄριστος·
280  τώ κʼ ἀγαθὸς μὲν ἔπεφνʼ, ἀγαθὸν δέ κεν ἐξενάριξε·
281  νῦν δέ με λευγαλέῳ θανάτῳ εἵμαρτο ἁλῶναι
282  ἐρχθέντʼ ἐν μεγάλῳ ποταμῷ ὡς παῖδα συφορβόν,
283  ὅν ῥά τʼ ἔναυλος ἀποέρσῃ χειμῶνι περῶντα.
284  ὣς φάτο, τῷ δὲ μάλʼ ὦκα Ποσειδάων καὶ Ἀθήνη
285  στήτην ἐγγὺς ἰόντε, δέμας δʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἐΐκτην,
286  χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα λαβόντες ἐπιστώσαντʼ ἐπέεσσι.
287  τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων·
288  Πηλεΐδη μήτʼ ἄρ τι λίην τρέε μήτέ τι τάρβει·
289  τοίω γάρ τοι νῶϊ θεῶν ἐπιταρρόθω εἰμὲν
290  Ζηνὸς ἐπαινήσαντος ἐγὼ καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·
291  ὡς οὔ τοι ποταμῷ γε δαμήμεναι αἴσιμόν ἐστιν,
292  ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν τάχα λωφήσει, σὺ δὲ εἴσεαι αὐτός·
293  αὐτάρ τοι πυκινῶς ὑποθησόμεθʼ αἴ κε πίθηαι·
294  μὴ πρὶν παύειν χεῖρας ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο
295  πρὶν κατὰ Ἰλιόφι κλυτὰ τείχεα λαὸν ἐέλσαι
296  Τρωϊκόν, ὅς κε φύγῃσι· σὺ δʼ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἀπούρας
297  ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν· δίδομεν δέ τοι εὖχος ἀρέσθαι.
298  τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰπόντε μετʼ ἀθανάτους ἀπεβήτην·
299  αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ, μέγα γάρ ῥα θεῶν ὄτρυνεν ἐφετμή,
300  ἐς πεδίον· τὸ δὲ πᾶν πλῆθʼ ὕδατος ἐκχυμένοιο,
301  πολλὰ δὲ τεύχεα καλὰ δαὶ κταμένων αἰζηῶν
302  πλῶον καὶ νέκυες· τοῦ δʼ ὑψόσε γούνατʼ ἐπήδα
303  πρὸς ῥόον ἀΐσσοντος ἀνʼ ἰθύν, οὐδέ μιν ἴσχεν
304  εὐρὺ ῥέων ποταμός· μέγα γὰρ σθένος ἔμβαλʼ Ἀθήνη.
305  οὐδὲ Σκάμανδρος ἔληγε τὸ ὃν μένος, ἀλλʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον
306  χώετο Πηλεΐωνι, κόρυσσε δὲ κῦμα ῥόοιο
307  ὑψόσʼ ἀειρόμενος, Σιμόεντι δὲ κέκλετʼ ἀΰσας·
308  φίλε κασίγνητε σθένος ἀνέρος ἀμφότεροί περ
309  σχῶμεν, ἐπεὶ τάχα ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος
310  ἐκπέρσει, Τρῶες δὲ κατὰ μόθον οὐ μενέουσιν.
311  ἀλλʼ ἐπάμυνε τάχιστα, καὶ ἐμπίπληθι ῥέεθρα
312  ὕδατος ἐκ πηγέων, πάντας δʼ ὀρόθυνον ἐναύλους,
313  ἵστη δὲ μέγα κῦμα, πολὺν δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸν ὄρινε
314  φιτρῶν καὶ λάων, ἵνα παύσομεν ἄγριον ἄνδρα
315  ὃς δὴ νῦν κρατέει, μέμονεν δʼ ὅ γε ἶσα θεοῖσι.
316  φημὶ γὰρ οὔτε βίην χραισμησέμεν οὔτέ τι εἶδος
317  οὔτε τὰ τεύχεα καλά, τά που μάλα νειόθι λίμνης
318  κείσεθʼ ὑπʼ ἰλύος κεκαλυμμένα· κὰδ δέ μιν αὐτὸν
319  εἰλύσω ψαμάθοισιν ἅλις χέραδος περιχεύας
320  μυρίον, οὐδέ οἱ ὀστέʼ ἐπιστήσονται Ἀχαιοὶ
321  ἀλλέξαι· τόσσην οἱ ἄσιν καθύπερθε καλύψω.
322  αὐτοῦ οἱ καὶ σῆμα τετεύξεται, οὐδέ τί μιν χρεὼ
323  ἔσται τυμβοχόης, ὅτε μιν θάπτωσιν Ἀχαιοί.
324  ἦ, καὶ ἐπῶρτʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ κυκώμενος ὑψόσε θύων
325  μορμύρων ἀφρῷ τε καὶ αἵματι καὶ νεκύεσσι.
326  πορφύρεον δʼ ἄρα κῦμα διιπετέος ποταμοῖο
327  ἵστατʼ ἀειρόμενον, κατὰ δʼ ᾕρεε Πηλεΐωνα·
328  Ἥρη δὲ μέγʼ ἄϋσε περιδείσασʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ
329  μή μιν ἀποέρσειε μέγας ποταμὸς βαθυδίνης,
330  αὐτίκα δʼ Ἥφαιστον προσεφώνεεν ὃν φίλον υἱόν·
331  ὄρσεο κυλλοπόδιον ἐμὸν τέκος· ἄντα σέθεν γὰρ
332  Ξάνθον δινήεντα μάχῃ ἠΐσκομεν εἶναι·
333  ἀλλʼ ἐπάμυνε τάχιστα, πιφαύσκεο δὲ φλόγα πολλήν.
334  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Ζεφύροιο καὶ ἀργεστᾶο Νότοιο
335  εἴσομαι ἐξ ἁλόθεν χαλεπὴν ὄρσουσα θύελλαν,
336  ἥ κεν ἀπὸ Τρώων κεφαλὰς καὶ τεύχεα κήαι
337  φλέγμα κακὸν φορέουσα· σὺ δὲ Ξάνθοιο παρʼ ὄχθας
338  δένδρεα καῖʼ, ἐν δʼ αὐτὸν ἵει πυρί· μὴ δέ σε πάμπαν
339  μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν ἀποτρεπέτω καὶ ἀρειῇ·
340  μὴ δὲ πρὶν ἀπόπαυε τεὸν μένος, ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν δὴ
341  φθέγξομʼ ἐγὼν ἰάχουσα, τότε σχεῖν ἀκάματον πῦρ.
342  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἥφαιστος δὲ τιτύσκετο θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ.
343  πρῶτα μὲν ἐν πεδίῳ πῦρ δαίετο, καῖε δὲ νεκροὺς
344  πολλούς, οἵ ῥα κατʼ αὐτὸν ἅλις ἔσαν, οὓς κτάνʼ Ἀχιλλεύς·
345  πᾶν δʼ ἐξηράνθη πεδίον, σχέτο δʼ ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ.
346  ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ὀπωρινὸς Βορέης νεοαρδέʼ ἀλωὴν
347  αἶψʼ ἀγξηράνῃ· χαίρει δέ μιν ὅς τις ἐθείρῃ·
348  ὣς ἐξηράνθη πεδίον πᾶν, κὰδ δʼ ἄρα νεκροὺς
349  κῆεν· ὃ δʼ ἐς ποταμὸν τρέψε φλόγα παμφανόωσαν.
350  καίοντο πτελέαι τε καὶ ἰτέαι ἠδὲ μυρῖκαι,
351  καίετο δὲ λωτός τε ἰδὲ θρύον ἠδὲ κύπειρον,
352  τὰ περὶ καλὰ ῥέεθρα ἅλις ποταμοῖο πεφύκει·
353  τείροντʼ ἐγχέλυές τε καὶ ἰχθύες οἳ κατὰ δίνας,
354  οἳ κατὰ καλὰ ῥέεθρα κυβίστων ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα
355  πνοιῇ τειρόμενοι πολυμήτιος Ἡφαίστοιο.
356  καίετο δʼ ἲς ποταμοῖο ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·
357  Ἥφαιστʼ, οὔ τις σοί γε θεῶν δύνατʼ ἀντιφερίζειν,
358  οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγὼ σοί γʼ ὧδε πυρὶ φλεγέθοντι μαχοίμην.
359  λῆγʼ ἔριδος, Τρῶας δὲ καὶ αὐτίκα δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
360  ἄστεος ἐξελάσειε· τί μοι ἔριδος καὶ ἀρωγῆς;
361  φῆ πυρὶ καιόμενος, ἀνὰ δʼ ἔφλυε καλὰ ῥέεθρα.
362  ὡς δὲ λέβης ζεῖ ἔνδον ἐπειγόμενος πυρὶ πολλῷ
363  κνίσην μελδόμενος ἁπαλοτρεφέος σιάλοιο
364  πάντοθεν ἀμβολάδην, ὑπὸ δὲ ξύλα κάγκανα κεῖται,
365  ὣς τοῦ καλὰ ῥέεθρα πυρὶ φλέγετο, ζέε δʼ ὕδωρ·
366  οὐδʼ ἔθελε προρέειν, ἀλλʼ ἴσχετο· τεῖρε δʼ ἀϋτμὴ
367  Ἡφαίστοιο βίηφι πολύφρονος. αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ Ἥρην
368  πολλὰ λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
369  Ἥρη τίπτε σὸς υἱὸς ἐμὸν ῥόον ἔχραε κήδειν
370  ἐξ ἄλλων; οὐ μέν τοι ἐγὼ τόσον αἴτιός εἰμι
371  ὅσσον οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, ὅσοι Τρώεσσιν ἀρωγοί.
372  ἀλλʼ ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼν ἀποπαύσομαι εἰ σὺ κελεύεις,
373  παυέσθω δὲ καὶ οὗτος· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ καὶ τόδʼ ὀμοῦμαι,
374  μή ποτʼ ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀλεξήσειν κακὸν ἦμαρ,
375  μὴ δʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν Τροίη μαλερῷ πυρὶ πᾶσα δάηται
376  καιομένη, καίωσι δʼ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν.
377  αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
378  αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ Ἥφαιστον προσεφώνεεν ὃν φίλον υἱόν·
379  Ἥφαιστε σχέο τέκνον ἀγακλεές· οὐ γὰρ ἔοικεν
380  ἀθάνατον θεὸν ὧδε βροτῶν ἕνεκα στυφελίζειν.
381  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἥφαιστος δὲ κατέσβεσε θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ,
382  ἄψορρον δʼ ἄρα κῦμα κατέσσυτο καλὰ ῥέεθρα.
383  αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Ξάνθοιο δάμη μένος, οἳ μὲν ἔπειτα
384  παυσάσθην, Ἥρη γὰρ ἐρύκακε χωομένη περ·
385  ἐν δʼ ἄλλοισι θεοῖσιν ἔρις πέσε βεβριθυῖα
386  ἀργαλέη, δίχα δέ σφιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸς ἄητο·
387  σὺν δʼ ἔπεσον μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ, βράχε δʼ εὐρεῖα χθών,
388  ἀμφὶ δὲ σάλπιγξεν μέγας οὐρανός. ἄϊε δὲ Ζεὺς
389  ἥμενος Οὐλύμπῳ· ἐγέλασσε δέ οἱ φίλον ἦτορ
390  γηθοσύνῃ, ὅθʼ ὁρᾶτο θεοὺς ἔριδι ξυνιόντας.
391  ἔνθʼ οἵ γʼ οὐκέτι δηρὸν ἀφέστασαν· ἦρχε γὰρ Ἄρης
392  ῥινοτόρος, καὶ πρῶτος Ἀθηναίῃ ἐπόρουσε
393  χάλκεον ἔγχος ἔχων, καὶ ὀνείδειον φάτο μῦθον·
394  τίπτʼ αὖτʼ ὦ κυνάμυια θεοὺς ἔριδι ξυνελαύνεις
395  θάρσος ἄητον ἔχουσα, μέγας δέ σε θυμὸς ἀνῆκεν;
396  ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε Τυδεΐδην Διομήδεʼ ἀνῆκας
397  οὐτάμεναι, αὐτὴ δὲ πανόψιον ἔγχος ἑλοῦσα
398  ἰθὺς ἐμεῦ ὦσας, διὰ δὲ χρόα καλὸν ἔδαψας;
399  τώ σʼ αὖ νῦν ὀΐω ἀποτισέμεν ὅσσα ἔοργας.
400  ὣς εἰπὼν οὔτησε κατʼ αἰγίδα θυσσανόεσσαν
401  σμερδαλέην, ἣν οὐδὲ Διὸς δάμνησι κεραυνός·
402  τῇ μιν Ἄρης οὔτησε μιαιφόνος ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ.
403  ἣ δʼ ἀναχασσαμένη λίθον εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ
404  κείμενον ἐν πεδίῳ μέλανα τρηχύν τε μέγαν τε,
405  τόν ῥʼ ἄνδρες πρότεροι θέσαν ἔμμεναι οὖρον ἀρούρης·
406  τῷ βάλε θοῦρον Ἄρηα κατʼ αὐχένα, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα.
407  ἑπτὰ δʼ ἐπέσχε πέλεθρα πεσών, ἐκόνισε δὲ χαίτας,
408  τεύχεά τʼ ἀμφαράβησε· γέλασσε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη,
409  καί οἱ ἐπευχομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
410  νηπύτιʼ οὐδέ νύ πώ περ ἐπεφράσω ὅσσον ἀρείων
411  εὔχομʼ ἐγὼν ἔμεναι, ὅτι μοι μένος ἰσοφαρίζεις.
412  οὕτω κεν τῆς μητρὸς ἐρινύας ἐξαποτίνοις,
413  ἥ τοι χωομένη κακὰ μήδεται οὕνεκʼ Ἀχαιοὺς
414  κάλλιπες, αὐτὰρ Τρωσὶν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ἀμύνεις.
415  ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα πάλιν τρέπεν ὄσσε φαεινώ·
416  τὸν δʼ ἄγε χειρὸς ἑλοῦσα Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη
417  πυκνὰ μάλα στενάχοντα· μόγις δʼ ἐσαγείρετο θυμόν.
418  τὴν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
419  αὐτίκʼ Ἀθηναίην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
420  ὢ πόποι αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος Ἀτρυτώνη
421  καὶ δʼ αὖθʼ ἡ κυνάμυια ἄγει βροτολοιγὸν Ἄρηα
422  δηΐου ἐκ πολέμοιο κατὰ κλόνον· ἀλλὰ μέτελθε.
423  ὣς φάτʼ, Ἀθηναίη δὲ μετέσσυτο, χαῖρε δὲ θυμῷ,
424  καί ῥʼ ἐπιεισαμένη πρὸς στήθεα χειρὶ παχείῃ
425  ἤλασε· τῆς δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ.
426  τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἄμφω κεῖντο ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ,
427  ἣ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπευχομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευε·
428  τοιοῦτοι νῦν πάντες ὅσοι Τρώεσσιν ἀρωγοὶ
429  εἶεν, ὅτʼ Ἀργείοισι μαχοίατο θωρηκτῇσιν,
430  ὧδέ τε θαρσαλέοι καὶ τλήμονες, ὡς Ἀφροδίτη
431  ἦλθεν Ἄρῃ ἐπίκουρος ἐμῷ μένει ἀντιόωσα·
432  τώ κεν δὴ πάλαι ἄμμες ἐπαυσάμεθα πτολέμοιο
433  Ἰλίου ἐκπέρσαντες ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον.
434  ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη.
435  αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα προσέφη κρείων ἐνοσίχθων·
436  Φοῖβε τί ἢ δὴ νῶϊ διέσταμεν; οὐδὲ ἔοικεν
437  ἀρξάντων ἑτέρων· τὸ μὲν αἴσχιον αἴ κʼ ἀμαχητὶ
438  ἴομεν Οὔλυμπον δὲ Διὸς ποτὶ χαλκοβατὲς δῶ.
439  ἄρχε· σὺ γὰρ γενεῆφι νεώτερος· οὐ γὰρ ἔμοιγε
440  καλόν, ἐπεὶ πρότερος γενόμην καὶ πλείονα οἶδα.
441  νηπύτιʼ ὡς ἄνοον κραδίην ἔχες· οὐδέ νυ τῶν περ
442  μέμνηαι ὅσα δὴ πάθομεν κακὰ Ἴλιον ἀμφὶ
443  μοῦνοι νῶϊ θεῶν, ὅτʼ ἀγήνορι Λαομέδοντι
444  πὰρ Διὸς ἐλθόντες θητεύσαμεν εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν
445  μισθῷ ἔπι ῥητῷ· ὃ δὲ σημαίνων ἐπέτελλεν.
446  ἤτοι ἐγὼ Τρώεσσι πόλιν πέρι τεῖχος ἔδειμα
447  εὐρύ τε καὶ μάλα καλόν, ἵνʼ ἄρρηκτος πόλις εἴη·
448  Φοῖβε σὺ δʼ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς βουκολέεσκες
449  Ἴδης ἐν κνημοῖσι πολυπτύχου ὑληέσσης.
450  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μισθοῖο τέλος πολυγηθέες ὧραι
451  ἐξέφερον, τότε νῶϊ βιήσατο μισθὸν ἅπαντα
452  Λαομέδων ἔκπαγλος, ἀπειλήσας δʼ ἀπέπεμπε.
453  σὺν μὲν ὅ γʼ ἠπείλησε πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὕπερθε
454  δήσειν, καὶ περάαν νήσων ἔπι τηλεδαπάων·
455  στεῦτο δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἀπολεψέμεν οὔατα χαλκῷ.
456  νῶϊ δὲ ἄψορροι κίομεν κεκοτηότι θυμῷ
457  μισθοῦ χωόμενοι, τὸν ὑποστὰς οὐκ ἐτέλεσσε.
458  τοῦ δὴ νῦν λαοῖσι φέρεις χάριν, οὐδὲ μεθʼ ἡμέων
459  πειρᾷ ὥς κε Τρῶες ὑπερφίαλοι ἀπόλωνται
460  πρόχνυ κακῶς σὺν παισὶ καὶ αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισι
461  τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·
462  ἐννοσίγαιʼ οὐκ ἄν με σαόφρονα μυθήσαιο
463  ἔμμεναι, εἰ δὴ σοί γε βροτῶν ἕνεκα πτολεμίξω
464  δειλῶν, οἳ φύλλοισιν ἐοικότες ἄλλοτε μέν τε
465  ζαφλεγέες τελέθουσιν ἀρούρης καρπὸν ἔδοντες,
466  ἄλλοτε δὲ φθινύθουσιν ἀκήριοι. ἀλλὰ τάχιστα
467  παυώμεσθα μάχης· οἳ δʼ αὐτοὶ δηριαάσθων.
468  ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας πάλιν ἐτράπετʼ· αἴδετο γάρ ῥα
469  πατροκασιγνήτοιο μιγήμεναι ἐν παλάμῃσι.
470  τὸν δὲ κασιγνήτη μάλα νείκεσε πότνια θηρῶν
471  Ἄρτεμις ἀγροτέρη, καὶ ὀνείδειον φάτο μῦθον·
472  φεύγεις δὴ ἑκάεργε, Ποσειδάωνι δὲ νίκην
473  πᾶσαν ἐπέτρεψας, μέλεον δέ οἱ εὖχος ἔδωκας·
474  νηπύτιε τί νυ τόξον ἔχεις ἀνεμώλιον αὔτως;
475  μή σευ νῦν ἔτι πατρὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀκούσω
476  εὐχομένου, ὡς τὸ πρὶν ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,
477  ἄντα Ποσειδάωνος ἐναντίβιον πολεμίζειν.
478  ὣς φάτο, τὴν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,
479  ἀλλὰ χολωσαμένη Διὸς αἰδοίη παράκοιτις
480  νείκεσεν ἰοχέαιραν ὀνειδείοις ἐπέεσσι·
481  πῶς δὲ σὺ νῦν μέμονας κύον ἀδεὲς ἀντίʼ ἐμεῖο
482  στήσεσθαι; χαλεπή τοι ἐγὼ μένος ἀντιφέρεσθαι
483  τοξοφόρῳ περ ἐούσῃ, ἐπεὶ σὲ λέοντα γυναιξὶ
484  Ζεὺς θῆκεν, καὶ ἔδωκε κατακτάμεν ἥν κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα.
485  ἤτοι βέλτερόν ἐστι κατʼ οὔρεα θῆρας ἐναίρειν
486  ἀγροτέρας τʼ ἐλάφους ἢ κρείσσοσιν ἶφι μάχεσθαι.
487  εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις πολέμοιο δαήμεναι, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῇς
488  ὅσσον φερτέρη εἴμʼ, ὅτι μοι μένος ἀντιφερίζεις.
489  ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμφοτέρας ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔμαρπτε
490  σκαιῇ, δεξιτερῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων αἴνυτο τόξα,
491  αὐτοῖσιν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔθεινε παρʼ οὔατα μειδιόωσα
492  ἐντροπαλιζομένην· ταχέες δʼ ἔκπιπτον ὀϊστοί.
493  δακρυόεσσα δʼ ὕπαιθα θεὰ φύγεν ὥς τε πέλεια,
494  ἥ ῥά θʼ ὑπʼ ἴρηκος κοίλην εἰσέπτατο πέτρην
495  χηραμόν· οὐδʼ ἄρα τῇ γε ἁλώμεναι αἴσιμον ἦεν·
496  ὣς ἣ δακρυόεσσα φύγεν, λίπε δʼ αὐτόθι τόξα.
497  Λητὼ δὲ προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης·
498  Λητοῖ ἐγὼ δέ τοι οὔ τι μαχήσομαι· ἀργαλέον δὲ
499  πληκτίζεσθʼ ἀλόχοισι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο·
500  ἀλλὰ μάλα πρόφρασσα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν
501  εὔχεσθαι ἐμὲ νικῆσαι κρατερῆφι βίηφιν.
502  ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Λητὼ δὲ συναίνυτο καμπύλα τόξα
503  πεπτεῶτʼ ἄλλυδις ἄλλα μετὰ στροφάλιγγι κονίης.
504  ἣ μὲν τόξα λαβοῦσα πάλιν κίε θυγατέρος ἧς·
505  ἣ δʼ ἄρʼ Ὄλυμπον ἵκανε Διὸς ποτὶ χαλκοβατὲς δῶ,
506  δακρυόεσσα δὲ πατρὸς ἐφέζετο γούνασι κούρη,
507  ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀμβρόσιος ἑανὸς τρέμε· τὴν δὲ προτὶ οἷ
508  εἷλε πατὴρ Κρονίδης, καὶ ἀνείρετο ἡδὺ γελάσσας·
509  τίς νύ σε τοιάδʼ ἔρεξε φίλον τέκος Οὐρανιώνων
510  μαψιδίως, ὡς εἴ τι κακὸν ῥέζουσαν ἐνωπῇ;
511  τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἐϋστέφανος κελαδεινή·
512  σή μʼ ἄλοχος στυφέλιξε πάτερ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
513  ἐξ ἧς ἀθανάτοισιν ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ἐφῆπται.
514  ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·
515  αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος ἐδύσετο Ἴλιον ἱρήν·
516  μέμβλετο γάρ οἱ τεῖχος ἐϋδμήτοιο πόληος
517  μὴ Δαναοὶ πέρσειαν ὑπὲρ μόρον ἤματι κείνῳ.
518  οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἴσαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,
519  οἳ μὲν χωόμενοι, οἳ δὲ μέγα κυδιόωντες·
520  κὰδ δʼ ἷζον παρὰ πατρὶ κελαινεφεῖ· αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
521  Τρῶας ὁμῶς αὐτούς τʼ ὄλεκεν καὶ μώνυχας ἵππους.
522  ὡς δʼ ὅτε καπνὸς ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἵκηται
523  ἄστεος αἰθομένοιο, θεῶν δέ ἑ μῆνις ἀνῆκε,
524  πᾶσι δʼ ἔθηκε πόνον, πολλοῖσι δὲ κήδεʼ ἐφῆκεν,
525  ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς Τρώεσσι πόνον καὶ κήδεʼ ἔθηκεν.
526  ἑστήκει δʼ ὃ γέρων Πρίαμος θείου ἐπὶ πύργου,
527  ἐς δʼ ἐνόησʼ Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον· αὐτὰρ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ
528  Τρῶες ἄφαρ κλονέοντο πεφυζότες, οὐδέ τις ἀλκὴ
529  γίγνεθʼ· ὃ δʼ οἰμώξας ἀπὸ πύργου βαῖνε χαμᾶζε
530  ὀτρύνων παρὰ τεῖχος ἀγακλειτοὺς πυλαωρούς·
531  πεπταμένας ἐν χερσὶ πύλας ἔχετʼ εἰς ὅ κε λαοὶ
532  ἔλθωσι προτὶ ἄστυ πεφυζότες· ἦ γὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
533  ἐγγὺς ὅδε κλονέων· νῦν οἴω λοίγιʼ ἔσεσθαι.
534  αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ ἐς τεῖχος ἀναπνεύσωσιν ἀλέντες,
535  αὖτις ἐπανθέμεναι σανίδας πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας·
536  δείδια γὰρ μὴ οὖλος ἀνὴρ ἐς τεῖχος ἅληται.
537  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄνεσάν τε πύλας καὶ ἀπῶσαν ὀχῆας·
538  αἳ δὲ πετασθεῖσαι τεῦξαν φάος· αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων
539  ἀντίος ἐξέθορε Τρώων ἵνα λοιγὸν ἀλάλκοι.
540  οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς πόλιος καὶ τείχεος ὑψηλοῖο
541  δίψῃ καρχαλέοι κεκονιμένοι ἐκ πεδίοιο
542  φεῦγον· ὃ δὲ σφεδανὸν ἔφεπʼ ἔγχεϊ, λύσσα δέ οἱ κῆρ
543  αἰὲν ἔχε κρατερή, μενέαινε δὲ κῦδος ἀρέσθαι.
544  ἔνθά κεν ὑψίπυλον Τροίην ἕλον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν,
545  εἰ μὴ Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος Ἀγήνορα δῖον ἀνῆκε
546  φῶτʼ Ἀντήνορος υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε.
547  ἐν μέν οἱ κραδίῃ θάρσος βάλε, πὰρ δέ οἱ αὐτὸς
548  ἔστη, ὅπως θανάτοιο βαρείας χεῖρας ἀλάλκοι
549  φηγῷ κεκλιμένος· κεκάλυπτο δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ.
550  αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ὡς ἐνόησεν Ἀχιλλῆα πτολίπορθον
551  ἔστη, πολλὰ δέ οἱ κραδίη πόρφυρε μένοντι·
552  ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·
553  ὤ μοι ἐγών· εἰ μέν κεν ὑπὸ κρατεροῦ Ἀχιλῆος
554  φεύγω, τῇ περ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀτυζόμενοι κλονέονται,
555  αἱρήσει με καὶ ὧς, καὶ ἀνάλκιδα δειροτομήσει.
556  εἰ δʼ ἂν ἐγὼ τούτους μὲν ὑποκλονέεσθαι ἐάσω
557  Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ, ποσὶν δʼ ἀπὸ τείχεος ἄλλῃ
558  φεύγω πρὸς πεδίον Ἰλήϊον, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκωμαι
559  Ἴδης τε κνημοὺς κατά τε ῥωπήϊα δύω·
560  ἑσπέριος δʼ ἂν ἔπειτα λοεσσάμενος ποταμοῖο
561  ἱδρῶ ἀποψυχθεὶς προτὶ Ἴλιον ἀπονεοίμην·
562  ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
563  μή μʼ ἀπαειρόμενον πόλιος πεδίον δὲ νοήσῃ
564  καί με μεταΐξας μάρψῃ ταχέεσσι πόδεσσιν.
565  οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτʼ ἔσται θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξαι·
566  λίην γὰρ κρατερὸς περὶ πάντων ἔστʼ ἀνθρώπων.
567  εἰ δέ κέ οἱ προπάροιθε πόλεος κατεναντίον ἔλθω·
568  καὶ γάρ θην τούτῳ τρωτὸς χρὼς ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
569  ἐν δὲ ἴα ψυχή, θνητὸν δέ ἕ φασʼ ἄνθρωποι
570  ἔμμεναι· αὐτάρ οἱ Κρονίδης Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀπάζει.
571  ὣς εἰπὼν Ἀχιλῆα ἀλεὶς μένεν, ἐν δέ οἱ ἦτορ
572  ἄλκιμον ὁρμᾶτο πτολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι.
573  ἠΰτε πάρδαλις εἶσι βαθείης ἐκ ξυλόχοιο
574  ἀνδρὸς θηρητῆρος ἐναντίον, οὐδέ τι θυμῷ
575  ταρβεῖ οὐδὲ φοβεῖται, ἐπεί κεν ὑλαγμὸν ἀκούσῃ·
576  εἴ περ γὰρ φθάμενός μιν ἢ οὐτάσῃ ἠὲ βάλῃσιν,
577  ἀλλά τε καὶ περὶ δουρὶ πεπαρμένη οὐκ ἀπολήγει
578  ἀλκῆς, πρίν γʼ ἠὲ ξυμβλήμεναι ἠὲ δαμῆναι·
579  ὣς Ἀντήνορος υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ δῖος Ἀγήνωρ
580  οὐκ ἔθελεν φεύγειν, πρὶν πειρήσαιτʼ Ἀχιλῆος.
581  ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἄρʼ ἀσπίδα μὲν πρόσθʼ ἔσχετο πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην,
582  ἐγχείῃ δʼ αὐτοῖο τιτύσκετο, καὶ μέγʼ ἀΰτει·
583  ἦ δή που μάλʼ ἔολπας ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ
584  ἤματι τῷδε πόλιν πέρσειν Τρώων ἀγερώχων
585  νηπύτιʼ· ἦ τʼ ἔτι πολλὰ τετεύξεται ἄλγεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ.
586  ἐν γάρ οἱ πολέες τε καὶ ἄλκιμοι ἀνέρες εἰμέν,
587  οἳ καὶ πρόσθε φίλων τοκέων ἀλόχων τε καὶ υἱῶν
588  Ἴλιον εἰρυόμεσθα· σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε πότμον ἐφέψεις
589  ὧδʼ ἔκπαγλος ἐὼν καὶ θαρσαλέος πολεμιστής.
590  ἦ ῥα, καὶ ὀξὺν ἄκοντα βαρείης χειρὸς ἀφῆκε,
591  καί ῥʼ ἔβαλε κνήμην ὑπὸ γούνατος οὐδʼ ἀφάμαρτεν.
592  ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κνημὶς νεοτεύκτου κασσιτέροιο
593  σμερδαλέον κονάβησε· πάλιν δʼ ἀπὸ χαλκὸς ὄρουσε
594  βλημένου, οὐδʼ ἐπέρησε, θεοῦ δʼ ἠρύκακε δῶρα.
595  Πηλεΐδης δʼ ὁρμήσατʼ Ἀγήνορος ἀντιθέοιο
596  δεύτερος· οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἔασεν Ἀπόλλων κῦδος ἀρέσθαι,
597  ἀλλά μιν ἐξήρπαξε, κάλυψε δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ,
598  ἡσύχιον δʼ ἄρα μιν πολέμου ἔκπεμπε νέεσθαι.
599  αὐτὰρ ὃ Πηλεΐωνα δόλῳ ἀποέργαθε λαοῦ·
600  αὐτῷ γὰρ ἑκάεργος Ἀγήνορι πάντα ἐοικὼς
601  ἔστη πρόσθε ποδῶν, ὃ δʼ ἐπέσσυτο ποσσὶ διώκειν·
602  εἷος ὃ τὸν πεδίοιο διώκετο πυροφόροιο
603  τρέψας πὰρ ποταμὸν βαθυδινήεντα Σκάμανδρον
604  τυτθὸν ὑπεκπροθέοντα· δόλῳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔθελγεν Ἀπόλλων
605  ὡς αἰεὶ ἔλποιτο κιχήσεσθαι ποσὶν οἷσι·
606  τόφρʼ ἄλλοι Τρῶες πεφοβημένοι ἦλθον ὁμίλῳ
607  ἀσπάσιοι προτὶ ἄστυ, πόλις δʼ ἔμπλητο ἀλέντων.
608  οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἔτλαν πόλιος καὶ τείχεος ἐκτὸς
609  μεῖναι ἔτʼ ἀλλήλους, καὶ γνώμεναι ὅς τε πεφεύγοι
610  ὅς τʼ ἔθανʼ ἐν πολέμῳ· ἀλλʼ ἐσσυμένως ἐσέχυντο
611  ἐς πόλιν, ὅν τινα τῶν γε πόδες καὶ γοῦνα σαώσαι.


The death of Hector.

      Thus the Trojans in the city, scared like fawns, wiped the sweat
      from off them and drank to quench their thirst, leaning against
      the goodly battlements, while the Achaeans with their shields
      laid upon their shoulders drew close up to the walls. But stern
      fate bade Hector stay where he was before Ilius and the Scaean
      gates. Then Phoebus Apollo spoke to the son of Peleus saying,
      “Why, son of Peleus, do you, who are but man, give chase to me
      who am immortal? Have you not yet found out that it is a god whom
      you pursue so furiously? You did not harass the Trojans whom you
      had routed, and now they are within their walls, while you have
      been decoyed hither away from them. Me you cannot kill, for death
      can take no hold upon me.”

      Achilles was greatly angered and said, “You have baulked me,
      Far-Darter, most malicious of all gods, and have drawn me away
      from the wall, where many another man would have bitten the dust
      ere he got within Ilius; you have robbed me of great glory and
      have saved the Trojans at no risk to yourself, for you have
      nothing to fear, but I would indeed have my revenge if it were in
      my power to do so.”

      On this, with fell intent he made towards the city, and as the
      winning horse in a chariot race strains every nerve when he is
      flying over the plain, even so fast and furiously did the limbs
      of Achilles bear him onwards. King Priam was first to note him as
      he scoured the plain, all radiant as the star which men call
      Orion’s Hound, and whose beams blaze forth in time of harvest
      more brilliantly than those of any other that shines by night;
      brightest of them all though he be, he yet bodes ill for mortals,
      for he brings fire and fever in his train—even so did Achilles’
      armour gleam on his breast as he sped onwards. Priam raised a cry
      and beat his head with his hands as he lifted them up and shouted
      out to his dear son, imploring him to return; but Hector still
      stayed before the gates, for his heart was set upon doing battle
      with Achilles. The old man reached out his arms towards him and
      bade him for pity’s sake come within the walls. “Hector,” he
      cried, “my son, stay not to face this man alone and unsupported,
      or you will meet death at the hands of the son of Peleus, for he
      is mightier than you. Monster that he is; would indeed that the
      gods loved him no better than I do, for so, dogs and vultures
      would soon devour him as he lay stretched on earth, and a load of
      grief would be lifted from my heart, for many a brave son has he
      reft from me, either by killing them or selling them away in the
      islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons from
      among the Trojans who have thronged within the city, Lycaon and
      Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore me. Should they
      be still alive and in the hands of the Achaeans, we will ransom
      them with gold and bronze, of which we have store, for the old
      man Altes endowed his daughter richly; but if they are already
      dead and in the house of Hades, sorrow will it be to us two who
      were their parents; albeit the grief of others will be more
      short-lived unless you too perish at the hands of Achilles. Come,
      then, my son, within the city, to be the guardian of Trojan men
      and Trojan women, or you will both lose your own life and afford
      a mighty triumph to the son of Peleus. Have pity also on your
      unhappy father while life yet remains to him—on me, whom the son
      of Saturn will destroy by a terrible doom on the threshold of old
      age, after I have seen my sons slain and my daughters haled away
      as captives, my bridal chambers pillaged, little children dashed
      to earth amid the rage of battle, and my sons’ wives dragged away
      by the cruel hands of the Achaeans; in the end fierce hounds will
      tear me in pieces at my own gates after some one has beaten the
      life out of my body with sword or spear-hounds that I myself
      reared and fed at my own table to guard my gates, but who will
      yet lap my blood and then lie all distraught at my doors. When a
      young man falls by the sword in battle, he may lie where he is
      and there is nothing unseemly; let what will be seen, all is
      honourable in death, but when an old man is slain there is
      nothing in this world more pitiable than that dogs should defile
      his grey hair and beard and all that men hide for shame.”

      The old man tore his grey hair as he spoke, but he moved not the
      heart of Hector. His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she
      bared her bosom and pointed to the breast which had suckled him.
      “Hector,” she cried, weeping bitterly the while, “Hector, my son,
      spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too: if I have ever
      given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son,
      and come within the wall to protect us from this man; stand not
      without to meet him. Should the wretch kill you, neither I nor
      your richly dowered wife shall ever weep, dear offshoot of
      myself, over the bed on which you lie, for dogs will devour you
      at the ships of the Achaeans.”

      Thus did the two with many tears implore their son, but they
      moved not the heart of Hector, and he stood his ground awaiting
      huge Achilles as he drew nearer towards him. As a serpent in its
      den upon the mountains, full fed with deadly poisons, waits for
      the approach of man—he is filled with fury and his eyes glare
      terribly as he goes writhing round his den—even so Hector leaned
      his shield against a tower that jutted out from the wall and
      stood where he was, undaunted.

      “Alas,” said he to himself in the heaviness of his heart, “if I
      go within the gates, Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach
      upon me, for it was he that urged me to lead the Trojans back to
      the city on that awful night when Achilles again came forth
      against us. I would not listen, but it would have been indeed
      better if I had done so. Now that my folly has destroyed the
      host, I dare not look Trojan men and Trojan women in the face,
      lest a worse man should say, ‘Hector has ruined us by his
      self-confidence.’ Surely it would be better for me to return
      after having fought Achilles and slain him, or to die gloriously
      here before the city. What, again, if I were to lay down my
      shield and helmet, lean my spear against the wall and go straight
      up to noble Achilles? What if I were to promise to give up Helen,
      who was the fountainhead of all this war, and all the treasure
      that Alexandrus brought with him in his ships to Troy, aye, and
      to let the Achaeans divide the half of everything that the city
      contains among themselves? I might make the Trojans, by the
      mouths of their princes, take a solemn oath that they would hide
      nothing, but would divide into two shares all that is within the
      city—but why argue with myself in this way? Were I to go up to
      him he would show me no kind of mercy; he would kill me then and
      there as easily as though I were a woman, when I had off my
      armour. There is no parleying with him from some rock or oak tree
      as young men and maidens prattle with one another. Better fight
      him at once, and learn to which of us Jove will vouchsafe
      victory.”

      Thus did he stand and ponder, but Achilles came up to him as it
      were Mars himself, plumed lord of battle. From his right shoulder
      he brandished his terrible spear of Pelian ash, and the bronze
      gleamed around him like flashing fire or the rays of the rising
      sun. Fear fell upon Hector as he beheld him, and he dared not
      stay longer where he was but fled in dismay from before the
      gates, while Achilles darted after him at his utmost speed. As a
      mountain falcon, swiftest of all birds, swoops down upon some
      cowering dove—the dove flies before him but the falcon with a
      shrill scream follows close after, resolved to have her—even so
      did Achilles make straight for Hector with all his might, while
      Hector fled under the Trojan wall as fast as his limbs could take
      him.

      On they flew along the waggon-road that ran hard by under the
      wall, past the look-out station, and past the weather-beaten wild
      fig-tree, till they came to two fair springs which feed the river
      Scamander. One of these two springs is warm, and steam rises from
      it as smoke from a burning fire, but the other even in summer is
      as cold as hail or snow, or the ice that forms on water. Here,
      hard by the springs, are the goodly washing-troughs of stone,
      where in the time of peace before the coming of the Achaeans the
      wives and fair daughters of the Trojans used to wash their
      clothes. Past these did they fly, the one in front and the other
      giving chase behind him: good was the man that fled, but better
      far was he that followed after, and swiftly indeed did they run,
      for the prize was no mere beast for sacrifice or bullock’s hide,
      as it might be for a common foot-race, but they ran for the life
      of Hector. As horses in a chariot race speed round the
      turning-posts when they are running for some great prize—a tripod
      or woman—at the games in honour of some dead hero, so did these
      two run full speed three times round the city of Priam. All the
      gods watched them, and the sire of gods and men was the first to
      speak.

      “Alas,” said he, “my eyes behold a man who is dear to me being
      pursued round the walls of Troy; my heart is full of pity for
      Hector, who has burned the thigh-bones of many a heifer in my
      honour, one while on the crests of many-valleyed Ida, and again
      on the citadel of Troy; and now I see noble Achilles in full
      pursuit of him round the city of Priam. What say you? Consider
      among yourselves and decide whether we shall now save him or let
      him fall, valiant though he be, before Achilles, son of Peleus.”

      Then Minerva said, “Father, wielder of the lightning, lord of
      cloud and storm, what mean you? Would you pluck this mortal whose
      doom has long been decreed out of the jaws of death? Do as you
      will, but we others shall not be of a mind with you.”

      And Jove answered, “My child, Trito-born, take heart. I did not
      speak in full earnest, and I will let you have your way. Do
      without let or hindrance as you are minded.”

      Thus did he urge Minerva who was already eager, and down she
      darted from the topmost summits of Olympus.

      Achilles was still in full pursuit of Hector, as a hound chasing
      a fawn which he has started from its covert on the mountains, and
      hunts through glade and thicket. The fawn may try to elude him by
      crouching under cover of a bush, but he will scent her out and
      follow her up until he gets her—even so there was no escape for
      Hector from the fleet son of Peleus. Whenever he made a set to
      get near the Dardanian gates and under the walls, that his people
      might help him by showering down weapons from above, Achilles
      would gain on him and head him back towards the plain, keeping
      himself always on the city side. As a man in a dream who fails to
      lay hands upon another whom he is pursuing—the one cannot escape
      nor the other overtake—even so neither could Achilles come up
      with Hector, nor Hector break away from Achilles; nevertheless he
      might even yet have escaped death had not the time come when
      Apollo, who thus far had sustained his strength and nerved his
      running, was now no longer to stay by him. Achilles made signs to
      the Achaean host, and shook his head to show that no man was to
      aim a dart at Hector, lest another might win the glory of having
      hit him and he might himself come in second. Then, at last, as
      they were nearing the fountains for the fourth time, the father
      of all balanced his golden scales and placed a doom in each of
      them, one for Achilles and the other for Hector. As he held the
      scales by the middle, the doom of Hector fell down deep into the
      house of Hades—and then Phoebus Apollo left him. Thereon Minerva
      went close up to the son of Peleus and said, “Noble Achilles,
      favoured of heaven, we two shall surely take back to the ships a
      triumph for the Achaeans by slaying Hector, for all his lust of
      battle. Do what Apollo may as he lies grovelling before his
      father, aegis-bearing Jove, Hector cannot escape us longer. Stay
      here and take breath, while I go up to him and persuade him to
      make a stand and fight you.”

      Thus spoke Minerva. Achilles obeyed her gladly, and stood still,
      leaning on his bronze-pointed ashen spear, while Minerva left him
      and went after Hector in the form and with the voice of
      Deiphobus. She came close up to him and said, “Dear brother, I
      see you are hard pressed by Achilles who is chasing you at full
      speed round the city of Priam, let us await his onset and stand
      on our defence.”

      And Hector answered, “Deiphobus, you have always been dearest to
      me of all my brothers, children of Hecuba and Priam, but
      henceforth I shall rate you yet more highly, inasmuch as you have
      ventured outside the wall for my sake when all the others remain
      inside.”

      Then Minerva said, “Dear brother, my father and mother went down
      on their knees and implored me, as did all my comrades, to remain
      inside, so great a fear has fallen upon them all; but I was in an
      agony of grief when I beheld you; now, therefore, let us two make
      a stand and fight, and let there be no keeping our spears in
      reserve, that we may learn whether Achilles shall kill us and
      bear off our spoils to the ships, or whether he shall fall before
      you.”

      Thus did Minerva inveigle him by her cunning, and when the two
      were now close to one another great Hector was first to speak. “I
      will no longer fly you, son of Peleus,” said he, “as I have been
      doing hitherto. Three times have I fled round the mighty city of
      Priam, without daring to withstand you, but now, let me either
      slay or be slain, for I am in the mind to face you. Let us, then,
      give pledges to one another by our gods, who are the fittest
      witnesses and guardians of all covenants; let it be agreed
      between us that if Jove vouchsafes me the longer stay and I take
      your life, I am not to treat your dead body in any unseemly
      fashion, but when I have stripped you of your armour, I am to
      give up your body to the Achaeans. And do you likewise.”

      Achilles glared at him and answered, “Fool, prate not to me about
      covenants. There can be no covenants between men and lions,
      wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other
      out and out all through. Therefore there can be no understanding
      between you and me, nor may there be any covenants between us,
      till one or other shall fall and glut grim Mars with his life’s
      blood. Put forth all your strength; you have need now to prove
      yourself indeed a bold soldier and man of war. You have no more
      chance, and Pallas Minerva will forthwith vanquish you by my
      spear: you shall now pay me in full for the grief you have caused
      me on account of my comrades whom you have killed in battle.”

      He poised his spear as he spoke and hurled it. Hector saw it
      coming and avoided it; he watched it and crouched down so that it
      flew over his head and stuck in the ground beyond; Minerva then
      snatched it up and gave it back to Achilles without Hector’s
      seeing her; Hector thereon said to the son of Peleus, “You have
      missed your aim, Achilles, peer of the gods, and Jove has not yet
      revealed to you the hour of my doom, though you made sure that he
      had done so. You were a false-tongued liar when you deemed that I
      should forget my valour and quail before you. You shall not drive
      your spear into the back of a runaway—drive it, should heaven so
      grant you power, drive it into me as I make straight towards you;
      and now for your own part avoid my spear if you can—would that
      you might receive the whole of it into your body; if you were
      once dead the Trojans would find the war an easier matter, for it
      is you who have harmed them most.”

      He poised his spear as he spoke and hurled it. His aim was true
      for he hit the middle of Achilles’ shield, but the spear
      rebounded from it, and did not pierce it. Hector was angry when
      he saw that the weapon had sped from his hand in vain, and stood
      there in dismay for he had no second spear. With a loud cry he
      called Deiphobus and asked him for one, but there was no man;
      then he saw the truth and said to himself, “Alas! the gods have
      lured me on to my destruction. I deemed that the hero Deiphobus
      was by my side, but he is within the wall, and Minerva has
      inveigled me; death is now indeed exceedingly near at hand and
      there is no way out of it—for so Jove and his son Apollo the
      far-darter have willed it, though heretofore they have been ever
      ready to protect me. My doom has come upon me; let me not then
      die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some
      great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.”

      As he spoke he drew the keen blade that hung so great and strong
      by his side, and gathering himself together be sprang on Achilles
      like a soaring eagle which swoops down from the clouds on to some
      lamb or timid hare—even so did Hector brandish his sword and
      spring upon Achilles. Achilles mad with rage darted towards him,
      with his wondrous shield before his breast, and his gleaming
      helmet, made with four layers of metal, nodding fiercely forward.
      The thick tresses of gold with which Vulcan had crested the
      helmet floated round it, and as the evening star that shines
      brighter than all others through the stillness of night, even
      such was the gleam of the spear which Achilles poised in his
      right hand, fraught with the death of noble Hector. He eyed his
      fair flesh over and over to see where he could best wound it, but
      all was protected by the goodly armour of which Hector had
      spoiled Patroclus after he had slain him, save only the throat
      where the collar-bones divide the neck from the shoulders, and
      this is a most deadly place: here then did Achilles strike him as
      he was coming on towards him, and the point of his spear went
      right through the fleshy part of the neck, but it did not sever
      his windpipe so that he could still speak. Hector fell headlong,
      and Achilles vaunted over him saying, “Hector, you deemed that
      you should come off scatheless when you were spoiling Patroclus,
      and recked not of myself who was not with him. Fool that you
      were: for I, his comrade, mightier far than he, was still left
      behind him at the ships, and now I have laid you low. The
      Achaeans shall give him all due funeral rites, while dogs and
      vultures shall work their will upon yourself.”

      Then Hector said, as the life ebbed out of him, “I pray you by
      your life and knees, and by your parents, let not dogs devour me
      at the ships of the Achaeans, but accept the rich treasure of
      gold and bronze which my father and mother will offer you, and
      send my body home, that the Trojans and their wives may give me
      my dues of fire when I am dead.”

      Achilles glared at him and answered, “Dog, talk not to me neither
      of knees nor parents; would that I could be as sure of being able
      to cut your flesh into pieces and eat it raw, for the ill you
      have done me, as I am that nothing shall save you from the
      dogs—it shall not be, though they bring ten or twenty-fold ransom
      and weigh it out for me on the spot, with promise of yet more
      hereafter. Though Priam son of Dardanus should bid them offer me
      your weight in gold, even so your mother shall never lay you out
      and make lament over the son she bore, but dogs and vultures
      shall eat you utterly up.”

      Hector with his dying breath then said, “I know you what you are,
      and was sure that I should not move you, for your heart is hard
      as iron; look to it that I bring not heaven’s anger upon you on
      the day when Paris and Phoebus Apollo, valiant though you be,
      shall slay you at the Scaean gates.”

      When he had thus said the shrouds of death enfolded him, whereon
      his soul went out of him and flew down to the house of Hades,
      lamenting its sad fate that it should enjoy youth and strength no
      longer. But Achilles said, speaking to the dead body, “Die; for
      my part I will accept my fate whensoever Jove and the other gods
      see fit to send it.”

      As he spoke he drew his spear from the body and set it on one
      side; then he stripped the blood-stained armour from Hector’s
      shoulders while the other Achaeans came running up to view his
      wondrous strength and beauty; and no one came near him without
      giving him a fresh wound. Then would one turn to his neighbour
      and say, “It is easier to handle Hector now than when he was
      flinging fire on to our ships”—and as he spoke he would thrust
      his spear into him anew.

      When Achilles had done spoiling Hector of his armour, he stood
      among the Argives and said, “My friends, princes and counsellors
      of the Argives, now that heaven has vouchsafed us to overcome
      this man, who has done us more hurt than all the others together,
      consider whether we should not attack the city in force, and
      discover in what mind the Trojans may be. We should thus learn
      whether they will desert their city now that Hector has fallen,
      or will still hold out even though he is no longer living. But
      why argue with myself in this way, while Patroclus is still lying
      at the ships unburied, and unmourned—he whom I can never forget
      so long as I am alive and my strength fails not? Though men
      forget their dead when once they are within the house of Hades,
      yet not even there will I forget the comrade whom I have lost.
      Now, therefore, Achaean youths, let us raise the song of victory
      and go back to the ships taking this man along with us; for we
      have achieved a mighty triumph and have slain noble Hector to
      whom the Trojans prayed throughout their city as though he were a
      god.”

      On this he treated the body of Hector with contumely: he pierced
      the sinews at the back of both his feet from heel to ancle and
      passed thongs of ox-hide through the slits he had made: thus he
      made the body fast to his chariot, letting the head trail upon
      the ground. Then when he had put the goodly armour on the chariot
      and had himself mounted, he lashed his horses on and they flew
      forward nothing loth. The dust rose from Hector as he was being
      dragged along, his dark hair flew all abroad, and his head once
      so comely was laid low on earth, for Jove had now delivered him
      into the hands of his foes to do him outrage in his own land.

      Thus was the head of Hector being dishonoured in the dust. His
      mother tore her hair, and flung her veil from her with a loud cry
      as she looked upon her son. His father made piteous moan, and
      throughout the city the people fell to weeping and wailing. It
      was as though the whole of frowning Ilius was being smirched with
      fire. Hardly could the people hold Priam back in his hot haste to
      rush without the gates of the city. He grovelled in the mire and
      besought them, calling each one of them by his name. “Let be, my
      friends,” he cried, “and for all your sorrow, suffer me to go
      single-handed to the ships of the Achaeans. Let me beseech this
      cruel and terrible man, if maybe he will respect the feeling of
      his fellow-men, and have compassion on my old age. His own father
      is even such another as myself—Peleus, who bred him and reared
      him to be the bane of us Trojans, and of myself more than of all
      others. Many a son of mine has he slain in the flower of his
      youth, and yet, grieve for these as I may, I do so for
      one—Hector—more than for them all, and the bitterness of my
      sorrow will bring me down to the house of Hades. Would that he
      had died in my arms, for so both his ill-starred mother who bore
      him, and myself, should have had the comfort of weeping and
      mourning over him.”

      Thus did he speak with many tears, and all the people of the city
      joined in his lament. Hecuba then raised the cry of wailing among
      the Trojans. “Alas, my son,” she cried, “what have I left to live
      for now that you are no more? Night and day did I glory in you
      throughout the city, for you were a tower of strength to all in
      Troy, and both men and women alike hailed you as a god. So long
      as you lived you were their pride, but now death and destruction
      have fallen upon you.”

      Hector’s wife had as yet heard nothing, for no one had come to
      tell her that her husband had remained without the gates. She was
      at her loom in an inner part of the house, weaving a double
      purple web, and embroidering it with many flowers. She told her
      maids to set a large tripod on the fire, so as to have a warm
      bath ready for Hector when he came out of battle; poor woman, she
      knew not that he was now beyond the reach of baths, and that
      Minerva had laid him low by the hands of Achilles. She heard the
      cry coming as from the wall, and trembled in every limb; the
      shuttle fell from her hands, and again she spoke to her
      waiting-women. “Two of you,” she said, “come with me that I may
      learn what it is that has befallen; I heard the voice of my
      husband’s honoured mother; my own heart beats as though it would
      come into my mouth and my limbs refuse to carry me; some great
      misfortune for Priam’s children must be at hand. May I never live
      to hear it, but I greatly fear that Achilles has cut off the
      retreat of brave Hector and has chased him on to the plain where
      he was single-handed; I fear he may have put an end to the
      reckless daring which possessed my husband, who would never
      remain with the body of his men, but would dash on far in front,
      foremost of them all in valour.”

      Her heart beat fast, and as she spoke she flew from the house
      like a maniac, with her waiting-women following after. When she
      reached the battlements and the crowd of people, she stood
      looking out upon the wall, and saw Hector being borne away in
      front of the city—the horses dragging him without heed or care
      over the ground towards the ships of the Achaeans. Her eyes were
      then shrouded as with the darkness of night and she fell fainting
      backwards. She tore the attiring from her head and flung it from
      her, the frontlet and net with its plaited band, and the veil
      which golden Venus had given her on the day when Hector took her
      with him from the house of Eetion, after having given countless
      gifts of wooing for her sake. Her husband’s sisters and the wives
      of his brothers crowded round her and supported her, for she was
      fain to die in her distraction; when she again presently breathed
      and came to herself, she sobbed and made lament among the Trojans
      saying, “Woe is me, O Hector; woe, indeed, that to share a common
      lot we were born, you at Troy in the house of Priam, and I at
      Thebes under the wooded mountain of Placus in the house of Eetion
      who brought me up when I was a child—ill-starred sire of an
      ill-starred daughter—would that he had never begotten me. You are
      now going into the house of Hades under the secret places of the
      earth, and you leave me a sorrowing widow in your house. The
      child, of whom you and I are the unhappy parents, is as yet a
      mere infant. Now that you are gone, O Hector, you can do nothing
      for him nor he for you. Even though he escape the horrors of this
      woeful war with the Achaeans, yet shall his life henceforth be
      one of labour and sorrow, for others will seize his lands. The
      day that robs a child of his parents severs him from his own
      kind; his head is bowed, his cheeks are wet with tears, and he
      will go about destitute among the friends of his father, plucking
      one by the cloak and another by the shirt. Some one or other of
      these may so far pity him as to hold the cup for a moment towards
      him and let him moisten his lips, but he must not drink enough to
      wet the roof of his mouth; then one whose parents are alive will
      drive him from the table with blows and angry words. ‘Out with
      you,’ he will say, ‘you have no father here,’ and the child will
      go crying back to his widowed mother—he, Astyanax, who erewhile
      would sit upon his father’s knees, and have none but the
      daintiest and choicest morsels set before him. When he had played
      till he was tired and went to sleep, he would lie in a bed, in
      the arms of his nurse, on a soft couch, knowing neither want nor
      care, whereas now that he has lost his father his lot will be
      full of hardship—he, whom the Trojans name Astyanax, because you,
      O Hector, were the only defence of their gates and battlements.
      The wriggling writhing worms will now eat you at the ships, far
      from your parents, when the dogs have glutted themselves upon
      you. You will lie naked, although in your house you have fine and
      goodly raiment made by hands of women. This will I now burn; it
      is of no use to you, for you can never again wear it, and thus
      you will have respect shown you by the Trojans both men and
      women.”

      In such wise did she cry aloud amid her tears, and the women
      joined in her lament.