The Iliad by Homer

Then great Hector of the glancing helm said to him:

“Aias,

seeing God gave thee stature and might and wisdom,

and with the spear thou art excellent above all the Achaians,

let us now cease from combat and battle for the day;

but hereafter will we fight until God judge between as,

giving to one of us the victory:

But come,

let us give each the other famous gifts,

that men may thus say,

Achaians alike and Trojans:

‘These,

having fought for sake of heart-consuming strife,

parted again reconciled in friendship.’”

So said he,

and gave him his silver-studded sword,

with scabbard and well-cut baldrick;

and Aias gave his belt bright with purple.

So they parted,

and one went to the Achaian host,

and one betook him to the throng of Trojans.

And these rejoiced to behold him come to them alive and sound,

escaped from the fury of Aias and his hands unapproachable;

and they brought him to the city saved beyond their hope.

And Aias on their side the well-greaved Achaians brought to noble Agamemnon,

exulting in his victory.

So when these were come unto the huts of Atreides,

then did Agamemnon king of men slay them an ox,

a male of five years old,

for the most mighty son of Kronos.

This they flayed and made ready,

and divided it all,

and minced it cunningly,

and pierced it through with spits,

and roasted it carefully,

and drew all off again.

Then as soon as they had rest from the task and had made ready the meal,

they began the feast,

nor was their soul aught stinted of the equal banquet.

And the hero son of Atreus,

wide-ruling Agamemnon,

gave to Aias slices of the chine’s full length for his honour.

And when they had put from them the desire of meat and drink,

then first the old man began to weave the web of counsel,

even Nestor whose rede [counsel] of old time was proved most excellent.

He made harangue among them and said:

“Son of Atreus and ye other princes of the Achaians,

seeing that many flowing-haired Achaians are dead,

and keen Ares hath spilt their dusky blood about fair-flowing Skamandros,

and their souls have gone down to the house of Hades;

therefore it behoveth thee to make the battle of the Achaians cease with daybreak;

and we will assemble to wheel hither the corpses with oxen and mules;

so let us burn them;

and let us heap one barrow about the pyre,

rearing it from the plain for all alike;

and thereto build with speed high towers,

a bulwark for our ships and for ourselves.

In the midst thereof let us make gates well compact,

that through them may be a way for chariot-driving.

And without let us dig a deep foss hard by,

to be about it and to hinder horses and footmen,

lest the battle of the lordly Trojans be heavy on us hereafter.”

So spake he and all the chiefs gave assent.

But meanwhile there was in the high town of Ilios an assembly of the Trojans,

fierce,

confused,

beside Priam’s gate.

To them discreet Antenor began to make harangue:

“Hearken to me,

Trojans and Dardanians and allies,

that I may tell you that my soul within my breast commandeth me.

Lo,

go to now,

let us give Helen of Argos and the wealth with her for the sons of Atreus to take away.

Now fight we in guilt against the oaths of faith;

therefore is there no profit for us that I hope to see fulfilled,

unless we do thus.”

So spake he and sate him down;

and there stood up among them noble Alexandros,

lord of Helen beautiful-haired;

he made him answer and spake winged words:

“Antenor,

these words from thee are no longer to my pleasure;

yet thou hast it in thee to devise other sayings more excellent than this.

But if indeed thou sayest this in earnest,

then verily the gods themselves have destroyed thy wit.

But I will speak forth amid the horse-taming Trojans,

and declare outright;

my wife will I not give back;

but the wealth I brought from Argos to our home,

all that I have a mind to give,

and add more of mine own substance.”

So spake he and sate him down,

and there stood up among them Priam of the seed of Dardanos,

the peer of gods in counsel;

he made harangue to them,

and said:

“Hearken to me,

Trojans and Dardanians and allies,

that I may tell you that my soul within my breast commandeth me.

Now eat your supper throughout the city as of old,

and take thought to keep watch,

and be wakeful every man.

And at dawn let Idaios fare to the hollow ships to tell to Atreus’ sons Agamemnon and Menelaos the saying of Alexandros,

for whose sake strife is come about:

and likewise to ask them this wise word,

whether they are minded to refrain from noisy war till we have burned our dead;

afterwards will we fight again,

till heaven part us and give one or other victory.”

So spake he,

and they hearkened diligently to him and obeyed:

and at dawn Idaios fared to the hollow ships.

He found the Danaans in assembly,

the men of Ares’ company,

beside the stern of Agamemnol’s ship;

and so the loud-voiced herald stood in their midst and said unto them:

“Atreides and ye other princes of the Achaians,

Priam and all the noble Trojans bade me tell you-if perchance it might find favour and acceptance with you-the saying of Alexandros,

for whose sake strife hath come about.

The wealth that Alexandros brought in his hollow ships to Troy-would he had perished first!-all that he hath a mind to give,

and to add more thereto of his substance.

But the wedded wife of glorious Menelaos he saith he will not give;

yet verily the Trojans bid him do it.

Moreover they bade me ask this thing of you;

whether ye are minded to refrain from noisy war until we have burned our dead;

afterwards will we fight again,

till heaven part us and give one or other victory.”

So said he and they all kept silence and were still.

But at the last spake Diomedes of the loud war-cry in their midst:

“Let no man now accept Alexandros’ substance,

neither Helel’s self;

known is it,

even to him that hath no wit at all,

how that the issues of destruction hang already over the Trojans.”

So spake he,

and all the sons of the Achaians shouted,

applauding the saying of horse-taming Diomedes.

And then lord Agamemnon spake to Idaios:

“Idaios,

thyself thou hearest the saying of the Achaians,

how they answer thee;

and the like seemeth good to me.

But as concerning the dead,

I grudge you not to burn them;

for dead corpses is there no stinting;

when they once are dead,

of the swift propitiation of fire.

And for the oaths let Zeus be witness,

the loud-thundering lord of Hera.”

So saying he lifted up his sceptre in the sight of all the gods,

and Idaios departed back to holy Ilios.

Now Trojans and Dardanians sate in assembly,

gathered all together to wait till Idaios should come;

and he came and stood in their midst and declared his message.

Then they made them ready very swiftly for either task,

some to bring the dead,

and some to seek for wood.

And on their part the Argives hasted from their well-decked ships,

some to bring the dead and some to seek for wood.

Now the sun was newly beating on the fields as he climbed heaven from the deep stream of gently-flowing Ocean,

when both sides met together.

Then was it a hard matter to know each man again;

but they washed them with water clean of clotted gore,

and with shedding of hot tears lifted them upon the wains.

But great Priam bade them not wail aloud;

so in silence heaped they the corpses on the pyre,

stricken at heart;

and when they had burned them with fire departed to holy Ilios.

And in like manner on their side the well-greaved Achaians heaped the corpses on the pyre,

stricken at heart,

and when they had burned them with fire departed to the hollow ships.

And when day was not yet,

but still twilight of night,

then was the chosen folk of the Achaians gathered together around the pyre,

and made one barrow about it,

rearing it from the plain for all alike;

and thereto built they a wall and lofty towers,

a bulwark for their ships and for themselves.

In the midst thereof made they gates well-compacted,

that through them might be a way for chariot-driving.

And without they dug a deep foss beside it,

broad and great,

and planted a palisade therein.

Thus toiled the flowing-haired Achaians:

and the gods sate by Zeus, the lord of lightning,

and marvelled at the great work of the mail-clad Achaians.

And Poseidon shaker of earth spake first to them:

“O father Zeus,

is there any man throughout the boundless earth that will any more declare to the immortals his mind and counsel?

Seest thou not how the flowing-haired Achaians have now again built them a wall before their ships,

and drawn a foss around it,

but gave not excellent hecatombs to the gods?

Verily the fame thereof shall reach as far as the dawn spreadeth,

and men will forget the wall that I and Phoebus Apollo built with travail for the hero Laomedon.”

And Zeus the cloud-gatherer said to him,

sore troubled:

“Out on it,

far-swaying Shaker of earth,

for this thing thou sayest.

Well might some other god fear this device,

one that were far feebler than thou in the might of his hands:

but thine shall be the fame as far as the dawn spreadeth.

Go to now,

hereafter when the flowing-haired Achaians be departed upon their ships to their dear native land,

then burst thou this wall asunder and scatter it all into the sea,

and cover the great sea-beach over with sand again,

that the great wall of the Achaians be brought to naught.”

BOOK VIII.​

How Zeus bethought him of his promise to avenge Achilles’ wrong on Agamemnon;

and therefore bade the gods refrain from war,

and gave victory to the Trojans.

Now Dawn the saffron-robed was spreading over all the earth,

and Zeus whose joy is in the thunder let call an assembly of the gods upon the topmost peak of many-ridged Olympus,

and himself made harangue to them and all the gods gave ear:

“Hearken to me,

all gods and all ye goddesses,

that I may tell you what my heart within my breast commandeth me.

One thing let none essay,

be it goddess or be it god,

to wit,

to thwart my saying;

approve ye it all together,

that with all speed I may accomplish these things.

Whomsoever I shall perceive minded to go,

apart from the gods, to succour Trojans or Danaans,

chastened in no seemly wise shall he return to Olympus,

or I will take and cast him into misty Tartaros,

right far away,

where is the deepest gulf beneath the earth;

there are the gate of iron and threshold of bronze,

as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth:

then shall he know how far I am mightiest of all gods.

Go to now,

ye gods,

make trial that ye all may know.

Fasten ye a rope of gold from heaven,

and all ye gods lay hold thereof and all goddesses;

yet could ye not drag from heaven to earth Zeus,

counsellor supreme, not though ye toiled sore.

But once I likewise were minded to draw with all my heart,

then should I draw you up with very earth and sea withal.

Thereafter would I bind the rope about a pinnacle of Olympus,

and so should all those things be hung in air.

By so much am I beyond gods and beyond men.”

So saying he let harness to his chariot his bronze-shod horses,

fleet of foot,

with flowing manes of gold;

and himself clad him with gold upon his flesh,

and grasped the whip of gold,

well wrought,

and mounted upon his car,

and lashed the horses to start them;

they nothing loth sped on between earth and starry heaven.

So fared he to many-fountained Ida,

mother of wild beasts,

even unto Gargaros,

where is his demesne and fragrant altar.

There did the father of men and gods stay his horses,

and unloose them from the car,

and cast thick mist about them;

and himself sate on the mountain-tops rejoicing in his glory,

to behold the city of the Trojans and ships of the Achaians.

Now the flowing-haired Achaians took meat hastily among the huts and thereafter arrayed themselves.

Likewise the Trojans on their side armed them throughout the town—a smaller host,

yet for all that were they eager to fight in battle,

of forceful need,

for their childrel’s sake and their wives’.

And the gates were opened wide and the host issued forth,

footmen and horsemen;

and mighty din arose.

So when they were met together and come unto one spot,

then clashed they targe and spear and fury of bronze-clad warrior;

the bossed shields pressed each on each,

and mighty din arose.

Then were heard the voice of groaning and the voice of triumph together of the slayers and the slain,

and the earth streamed with blood.

Now while it yet was morn and the divine day waxed,

so long from either side lighted the darts amain and the people fell.

But when the sun bestrode mid-heaven,

then did the Father balance his golden scales,

and put therein two fates of death that layeth men at their length,

one for horse-taming Trojans,

one for mail-clad Achaians;

and he took the scale-yard by the midst and lifted it,

and the Achaians’ day of destiny sank down.

So lay the Achaians’ fates on the bounteous earth,

and the Trojans’ fates were lifted up towards wide heaven.

And the god thundered aloud from Ida,

and sent his blazing flash amid the host of the Achaians;

and they saw and were astonished,

and pale fear gat hold upon all.

Then had Idomeneus no heart to stand,

neither Agamemnon,

neither stood the twain Aiantes,

men of Ares’ company.

Only Nestor of Gerenia stood his ground,

he the Warden of the Achaians;

neither he of purpose,

but his horse was fordone,

which noble Alexandros,

beauteous-haired Helel’s lord,

had smitten with an arrow upon the top of the crest where the foremost hairs of horses grow upon the skull;

and there is the most deadly spot.

So the horse leapt up in anguish and the arrow sank into his brain,

and he brought confusion on the steeds as he writhed upon the dart.

While the old man leapt forth and with his sword began to hew the traces,

came Hector’s fleet horses through the tumult,

bearing a bold charioteer,

even Hecktor.

And now had the old man lost his life,

but that Diomedes of the loud war-cry was swift to mark.

Terribly shouted he,

summoning Odysseus:

“Heaven-born son of Laertes,

Odysseus of many wiles,

whither fleest thou with thy back turned,

like a coward in the throng?

Beware lest as thou fleest one plant a spear between thy shoulders.

Nay,

stand thy ground,

till we thrust back from the old man his furious foe.”

So spake he,

but much-enduring noble Odysseus heard him not,

but hastened by to the hollow ships of the Achaians.

Yet Tydeides,

though but one,

mingled amid the fighters in the forefront,

and took his stand before the steeds of the old man,

Neleus’ son,

and spake to him winged words,

and said:

“Old man,

of a truth young warriors beset thee hard;

and thy force is abated,

and old age is sore upon thee,

and thy squire is but a weakling,

and thy steeds are slow.

Come then,

mount upon my car,

that thou mayest see of what sort are the steeds of Tros,

well skilled for following or fleeing hither or thither very fleetly across the plain,

even those that erst I took from Aineias inspirer of fear.

Thine let our squires tend,

and these let us guide straight against the horse-taming Trojans,

that even Hector may know whether my spear also rageth in my hands.”

So said he,

and knightly Nestor of Gerenia disregarded not.

Then the two squires tended Nestor’s horses,

even Sthenelos the valiant and kindly Eurymedon:

and the other twain both mounted upon Diomedes’ car.

And Nestor took into his hands the shining reins,

and lashed the horses;

and soon they drew nigh Hector.

Then Tydeus’ son hurled at him as he charged straight upon them:

him missed he,

but his squire that drave his chariot,

Eniopeus,

high-hearted Thebaios’ son,

even him as he held the reins,

he smote upon the breast beside the nipple.

So he fell from out the car,

and his fleet-footed horses swerved aside;

and there his soul and spirit were unstrung.

Then sore grief encompassed Hector’s soul for sake of his charioteer.

Yet left he him there lying,

though he sorrowed for his comrade,

and drave in quest of a bold charioteer;

and his horses lacked not long a master,

for anon he found Iphitos’ son,

bold Archeptolemos,

and him he made mount behind his fleet horses,

and gave the reins into his hands.

Then had destruction come and deeds beyond remedy been wrought,

and so had they been penned in Ilios like lambs,

had not the father of gods and men been swift to mark.

So he thundered terribly and darted his white lightning and hurled it before Diomedes’ steeds to earth;

and there arose a terrible flame of sulphur burning,

and the two horses were affrighted and cowered beneath the car.

And the shining reins dropped from Nestor’s hands,

and he was afraid at heart and spake to Diomedes:

“Come now Tydeides,

turn back thy whole-hooved horses to flight:

seest thou not that victory from Zeus attendeth not on thee?

Now doth Kronos’ son vouchsafe glory to this Hector,

for the day;

hereafter shall he grant it us likewise,

if he will.

A man may not at all ward off the will of Zeus,

not though one be very valiant;

he verily is mightier far.”

Then Diomedes of the loud war-cry answered him:

“Yea verily,

old man,

all this thou sayest is according unto right.

But this is the sore grief that entereth my heart and soul:

Hector some day shall say as he maketh harangue amid the Trojans:

‘Tydeides betook him to the ships in flight before my face.’

So shall he boast—in that day let the wide earth yawn for me.”

So spake he and turned the whole-hooved horses to flight,

back through the tumult;

and the Trojans and Hector with wondrous uproar poured upon them their dolorous darts.

And over him shouted loudly great Hector of the glancing helm:

“Tydeides,

the fleet-horsed Danaans were wont to honour thee with the highest place,

and meats,

and cups brimful,

but now will they disdain thee;

thou art after all no better than a woman.

Begone,

poor puppet;

not for my flinching shalt thou climb on our towers,

neither carry our wives away upon thy ships;

ere that will I deal thee thy fate.”

So said he,

and Tydeides was of divided mind,

whether to wheel his horses and fight him face to face.

Thrice doubted he in heart and soul,

and thrice from Ida’s mountains thundered Zeus the lord of counsel,

and gave to the Trojans a sign,

the turning of the course of battle.

And Hector with loud shout called to the Trojans:

“Trojans and Lykians and Dardanians that love close fight,

be men,

my friends,

and bethink you of impetuous valour.

I perceive that of good will Kronion vouchsafest me victory and great glory,

and to the Danaans destruction.

Fools,

that devised these walls weak and of none account;

they shall not withhold our fury,

and lightly shall our steeds overleap the delved foss.

But when I be once come amid the hollow ships,

then be thought taken of consuming fire,

that with fire I may burn the ships and slay the men.”

So spake he and shouted to his steeds,

and said:

“Xanthos,

and thou Podargos,

and Aithon and goodly Lampos,

now pay me back your tending,

even the abundance that Andromache,

great-hearted Eetiol’s daughter,

set before you of honey-hearted wheat,

and mingled wine to drink at the heart’s bidding.

Pursue ye now and haste,

that we may seize Nestor’s shield,

the fame whereof now reacheth unto heaven,

how that it is of gold throughout,

armrods and all;

and may seize moreover from horse-taming Diomedes’ shoulders his richly dight breastplate that Hephaistos wrought cunningly.

Could we but take these,

then might I hope this very night to make the Achaians to embark on their fleet ships.”

And now had he burned the trim ships with blazing fire,

but that queen Hera put it in Agamemnol’s heart himself to bestir him and swiftly arouse the Achaians.

So he went his way along the huts and ships of the Achaians,

holding a great cloak of purple in his stalwart hand,

and stood by Odysseus’ black ship of mighty burden,

that was in the midst,

so that a voice could be heard to either end.

Then shouted he in a piercing voice, and called to the Danaans aloud:

“Fie upon you,

Argives,

ye sorry things of shame,

so brave in semblance!

Whither are gone our boastings when we said that we were bravest,

the boasts ye uttered vaingloriously when in Lemnos,

as ye ate your fill of flesh of tall-horned oxen and drank goblets crowned with wine,

and said that every man should stand in war to face fivescore yea tenscore Trojans?

yet now can we not match one,

even this Hector that anon will burn our ships with flame of fire.

O Father Zeus,

didst ever thou blind with such a blindness any mighty king,

and rob him of great glory?

Nay,

Zeus,

this hope fulfil thou me;

suffer that we ourselves at least flee and escape,

neither suffer that the Achaians be thus vanquished of the Trojans.”

So spake he,

and the Father had pity on him as he wept,

and vouchsafed him that his folk should be saved and perish not.

Forthwith sent he an eagle—surest sign among winged fowl—holding in his claws a fawn,

the young of a fleet hind;

beside the beautiful altar of Zeus he let fall the fawn,

where the Achaians did sacrifice unto Zeus lord of all oracles.

So when they saw that the bird was come from Zeus,

they sprang the more upon the Trojans and bethought them of the joy of battle.

Now could no man of the Danaans,

for all they were very many,

boast that he before Tydeus’ son had guided his fleet horses forth,

and driven them across the trench and fought man to man;

first by far was Tydeides to slay a warrior of the Trojans in full array,

even Agelaos son of Phradmon.

Now he had turned his steeds to flee;

but as he wheeled the other plunged the spear into his back between his shoulders,

and drave it through his breast.

So fell he from his chariot,

and his armour clanged upon him.

And after him came Atreus’ sons,

even Agamemnon and Menelaos,

and after them the Aiantes clothed upon with impetuous valour,

and after them Idomeneus and Idomeneus’ brother in arms Meriones,

peer of Enyalios slayer of men,

and after them Eurypylos,

Euaimol’s glorious son.

And ninth came Teukros,

stretching his back-bent bow,

and took his stand beneath the shield of Aias son of Telamon.

And so Aias would stealthily withdraw the shield,

and Teukros would spy his chance;

and when he had shot and smitten one in the throng,

then fell such an one and gave up the ghost,

and Teukros would return,

and as a child beneath his mother,

so gat he him to Aias;

who hid him with the shining shield.

And Agamemnon king of men rejoiced to behold him making havoc with his stalwart bow of the battalions of the Trojans,

and he came and stood by his side and spake to him,

saying:

“Teukros,

dear heart,

thou son of Telamon,

prince of the host,

shoot on in this wise,

if perchance thou mayest be found the salvation of the Danaans and glory of thy father Telamon.”

And noble Teukros made answer and said to him:

“Most noble son of Atreus,

why urgest thou me that myself am eager?

Verily with such strength as is in me forbear I not,

but ever since we drave them towards Ilios I watch with my bow to slay the foemen.

Eight long-barbed arrows have I now sped,

and all are buried in the flesh of young men swift in battle;

only this mad dog can I not smite.”

He said,

and shot another arrow from the string right against Hector;

and his heart was fain to smite him.

Yet missed he once again,

for Apollo turned the dart away;

but Archeptolemos,

Hector’s bold charioteer,

he smote on the breast beside the nipple as he hasted into battle:

so he fell from his car and his fleet-footed horses swerved aside;

and there his soul and spirit were unstrung.

Then sore grief encompassed Hector’s soul for his charioteer’s sake;

yet left he him,

though he sorrowed for his comrade,

and bade Kebriones his own brother,

being hard by,

take the chariot reins;

and he heard and disregarded not.

And himself he leapt to earth from the resplendent car,

with a terrible shout;

and in his hand he caught a stone,

and made right at Teukros,

and his heart bade him smite him.

Now Teukros had plucked forth from his quiver a keen arrow,

and laid it on the string;

but even as he drew it back,

Hector of the glancing helm smote him with the jagged stone,

as he aimed eagerly against him,

even beside his shoulder,

where the collar-bone fenceth off neck and breast,

and where is the most deadly spot;

and he brake the bowstring,

and his hand from the wrist grew numb,

and he stayed fallen upon his knee,

and his bow dropped from his hand.

But Aias disregarded not his brother’s fall,

but ran and strode across him and hid him with his shield.

Then two trusty comrades bent down to him,

even Mekisteus son of Echios and goodly Alastor,

and bare him,

groaning sorely,

to the hollow ships.

And once again the Olympian aroused the spirit of the Trojans.

So they drove the Achaians straight toward the deep foss,

and amid the foremost went Hector exulting in his strength.

And even as when a hound behind wild boar or lion,

with swift feet pursuing snatcheth at him,

at flank or buttock,

and watcheth for him as he wheeleth,

so Hector pressed hard on the flowing-haired Achaians,

slaying ever the hindmost,

and they fled on.

But when they were passed in flight through palisade and foss,

and many were fallen beneath the Trojans’ hands,

then halted they and tarried beside the ships,

calling one upon another,

and lifting up their hands to all the gods prayed each one instantly.

But Hector wheeled round his beauteous-maned steeds this way and that,

and his eyes were as the eyes of Gorgon or Ares bane of mortals.

Now at the sight of them the white-armed goddess Hera had compassion,

and anon spake winged words to Athene:

“Out on it,

thou child of aegis-bearing Zeus,

shall not we twain any more take thought for the Danaans that perish,

if only for this last time?

Now will they fill up the measure of evil destiny and perish by one mal’s onslaught;

seeing that he is furious now beyond endurance,

this Hector son of Priam,

and verily hath wrought many a deed of ill.”

And the bright-eyed goddess Athene made answer to her,

“Yea in good sooth,

may this fellow yield up strength and life,

and perish at the Argives’ hands in his native land;

only mine own sire is furious,

with no good intent,

headstrong,

ever sinful,

the foiler of my purposes.

But now make thou ready our whole-hooved horses,

while I enter into the palace of aegis-bearing Zeus and gird me in my armour for battle,

that I may see if Priam’s son,

Hector of the glancing helm,

shall be glad at the appearing of us twain amid the highways of the battle.

Surely shall many a Trojan likewise glut dogs and birds with fat and flesh,

fallen dead at the ships of the Achaians.”

So said she,

and the white-armed goddess Hera disregarded not.

But when father Zeus beheld from Ida,

he was sore wroth,

and sped Iris golden-winged to bear a message:

“Go thy way,

fleet Iris,

turn them back,

neither suffer them to face me;

for in no happy wise shall we join in combat.

For thus will I declare,

and even so shall the fulfilment be;

I will maim their fleet horses in the chariot,

and them will I hurl out from the car,

and will break in pieces the chariot;

neither within the courses of ten years shall they heal them of the wounds the thunderbolt shall tear;

that the bright-eyed one may know the end when she striveth against her father.

But with Hera have I not so great indignation nor wrath:

seeing it ever is her wont to thwart me,

whate’er I have decreed.”