The Iliad and the Odyssey (Classics of World Literature) (40 page)

Of land that toucheth in the field; their measures in their hands,

They mete their parts out curiously, and either stiffly stands,

That so far is his right in law, both hugely set on fire

About a passing little ground: so greedily aspire

Both these foes to their several ends; and all exhaust their most

About the very battlements (for yet no more was lost).

With sword and fire they vex’d for them their targets hugely round

With ox-hides lin’d, and bucklers light, and many a ghastly wound

The stern steel gave for that one prize; whereof though some receiv’d

Their portions on their naked backs, yet others were bereav’d

Of brave lives, face-turn’d, through their shields: tow’rs, bulwarks everywhere

Were freckled with the blood of men; nor yet the Greeks did bear

Base back-turn’d faces, nor their foes would therefore be out-fac’d.

But as a spinster poor and just ye sometimes see strait-lac’d

About the weighing of her web, who (careful) having charge

For which she would provide some means, is loth to be too large

In giving, or in taking weight; but ever with her hand

Is doing with the weights and wool, till both in just poise stand:

So ev’nly stood it with these foes, till Jove to Hector gave

The turning of the scales; who first against the rampire drave,

And spake so loud that all might hear: ‘O stand not at the pale,

Brave Trojan friends, but mend your hands: up, and break through the wall,

And make a bonfire of their fleet.’ All heard, and all in heaps

Got scaling-ladders, and aloft. In mean space, Hector leaps

Upon the port, from whose out-part he tore a massy stone;

Thick downwards, upward edg’d it was – it was so huge an one

That two vast yeomen of most strength (such as these times beget)

Could not from earth lift to a cart: yet he did brandish it

Alone (Saturnius made it light), and swinging it as nought,

He came before the planky gates, that all for strength were wrought,

And kept the port: two-fold they were, and with two rafters barr’d,

High, and strong lock’d: he rais’d the stone, bent to the hurl so hard,

And made it with so main a strength that all the gates did crack,

The rafters left them, and the folds one from another brake;

The hinges piecemeal flew, and through the fervent little rock

Thunder’d a passage; with his weight th’ inwall his breast did knock,

And in rush’d Hector, fierce and grim as any stormy night;

His brass arms round about his breast reflected terrible light.

Each arm held up, held each a dart: his presence call’d up all

The dreadful spirits his being held, that to the threaten’d wall

None but the gods might check his way: his eyes were furnaces;

And thus he look’d back, call’d in all: all fir’d their courages,

And in they flow’d: the Grecians fled, their fleet now and their freight

Ask’d all their rescue: Greece went down; Tumult was at his height.

The end of the twelfth book

Book 13

The Argument

Neptune (in pity of the Greeks’ hard plight),

Like Calchas, both th’ Ajaces doth excite,

And others to repel the charging foe.

Idomeneus bravely doth bestow

His kingly forces, and doth sacrifice

Othryoneus to the Destinies,

With divers others. Fair Deiphobus,

And his prophetic brother Hellenus,

Are wounded. But the great Priamides

(Gathering his forces) heartens their address

Against the enemy; and then the field

A mighty death on either side doth yield.

Another Argument

The Greeks, with Troy’s bold power dismay’d,

Are cheer’d by Neptune’s secret aid.

Book 13

Jove helping Hector
,
and his host, thus close to th’ Achive fleet,

He let them then their own strengths try, and season there their sweet

With ceaseless toils and grievances. For now he turn’d his face,

Look’d down, and view’d the far-off land of well-rode men in Thrace,

Of the renown’d milk-nourish’d men, the Hippemolgians,

Long-liv’d, most just and innocent, and close-fought Mysians.

Nor turn’d he any more to Troy his ever-shining eyes,

Because he thought not any one of all the deities

(When his care left th’ indifferent field) would aid on either side.

But this security in Jove the great Sea-Rector spied,

Who sat aloft on th’ utmost top of shady Samothrace,

And view’d the fight. His chosen seat stood in so brave a place

That Priam’s city, th’ Achive ships, all Ida did appear

To his full view; who from the sea was therefore seated there.

He took much ruth to see the Greeks by Troy sustain such ill,

And (mightily incens’d with Jove) stoop’d straight from that steep hill,

That shook as he flew off, so hard his parting press’d the height.

The woods, and all the great hills near, trembled beneath the weight

Of his immortal moving feet: three steps he only took,

Before he far-off Aegas reach’d; but with the fourth, it shook

With his dread entry. In the depth of those seas he did hold

His bright and glorious palace, built of never-rusting gold;

And there arriv’d, he put in coach his brazen-footed steeds,

All golden maned, and pac’d with wings; and all in golden weeds

He cloth’d himself. The golden scourge (most elegantly done)

He took, and mounted to his seat: and then the god begun

To drive his chariot through the waves. From whirlpits every way

The whales exulted under him, and knew their king: the sea

For joy did open, and his horse so swift and lightly flew,

The under-axletree of brass no drop of water drew:

And thus these deathless coursers brought their king to th’ Achive ships.

’Twixt th’ Imber cliffs and Tenedos a certain cavern creeps

Into the deep sea’s gulfy breast, and there th’ Earth-shaker stay’d

His forward steeds, took them from coach, and heavenly fodder laid

In reach before them. Their brass hoofs he girt with gyves of gold,

Not to be broken, nor dissolv’d, to make them firmly hold

A fit attendance on their king; who went to th’ Achive host,

Which, like to tempests or wild flames, the clust’ring Trojans tost,

Insatiably valorous, in Hector’s like command,

High sounding and resounding shouts: for hope cheer’d every hand,

To make the Greek fleet now their prize, and all the Greeks destroy.

But Neptune, circler of the earth, with fresh heart did employ

The Grecian hands. In strength of voice and body he did take

Calchas’ resemblance, and (of all) th’ Ajaces first bespake,

Who of themselves were free enough: ‘Ajaces! You alone

Sustain the common good of Greece, in ever putting on

The memory of fortitude, and flying shameful flight.

Elsewhere, the desp’rate hands of Troy could give me no affright,

The brave Greeks have withstood their worst: but this our mighty wall

Being thus transcended by their pow’r, grave fear doth much appal

My careful spirits, lest we feel some fatal mischief here,

Where Hector, raging like a flame, doth in his charge appear,

And boasts himself the best god’s son. Be you conceited so,

And fire so, more than human spirits, that god may seem to do

In your deeds: and, with such thoughts cheer’d, others to such exhort,

And such resistance; these great minds will in as great a sort

Strengthen your bodies, and force check to all great Hector’s charge,

Though ne’er so spirit-like, and though Jove still (past himself) enlarge

His sacred actions.’ Thus he touch’d with his fork’d sceptre’s point

The breasts of both; fill’d both their spirits, and made up every joint

With pow’r responsive: when hawk-like, swift, and set sharp to fly,

That fiercely stooping from a rock, inaccessible and high,

Cuts through a field, and sets a fowl (not being of her kind)

Hard, and gets ground still: Neptune so left these two, either’s mind

Beyond themselves rais’d. Of both which, Oïleus first discern’d

The masking deity, and said: ‘Ajax! Some god hath warn’d

Our pow’rs to fight, and save our fleet. He put on him the hue

Of th’ augur Calchas: by his pace, in leaving us, I knew,

Without all question, ’twas a god: the gods are easily known,

And in my tender breast I feel a greater spirit blown

To execute affairs of fight; I find my hands so free

To all high motion, and my feet seem feather’d under me.’

This Telamonius thus receiv’d: ‘So too, my thoughts, my hands

Burn with desire to toss my lance; each foot beneath me stands

Bare on bright fire to use his speed; my heart is rais’d so high,

That to encounter Hector’s self I long insatiately.’

While these thus talk’d, as overjoy’d with study for the fight

(Which god had stirr’d up in their spirits), the same god did excite

The Greeks that were behind at fleet, refreshing their free hearts

And joints, being ev’n dissolv’d with toil; and (seeing the desp’rate parts

Play’d by the Trojans, past their wall) grief struck them, and their eyes

Sweat tears from under their sad lids, their instant destinies

Never supposing they could ’scape. But Neptune stepping in,

With ease stirr’d up the able troops, and did at first begin

With Teucer and Peneleus, th’ heroë Leïtus,

Deïpirus, Meriones, and young Antilochus,

All expert in the deeds of arms: ‘O youths of Greece,’ said he,

‘What change is this? In your brave fight I only look’d to see

Our fleet’s whole safety; and if you neglect the harmful field,

Now shines the day when Greece to Troy must all her honours yield.

O grie
f
! So great a miracle, and horrible to sight,

As now I see, I never thought could have profan’d the light:

The Trojans brave us at our ships, that have been heretofore

Like faint and fearful deer in woods, distracted evermore

With every sound, and yet ’scape not, but prove the torn-up fare

Of lynces, wolves and leopards, as never born to war:

Nor durst these Trojans at first siege, in any least degree

Expect your strength, or stand one shock of Grecian chivalry.

Yet now, far from their walls they dare fight at our fleet maintain,

All by our general’s cowardice, that doth infect his men;

Who (still at odds with him) for that will needs themselves neglect,

And suffer slaughter in their ships. Suppose there was defect

(Beyond all question) in our king, to wrong Aeacides,

And he, for his particular wreak, from all assistance cease,

We must not cease t’ assist ourselves. Forgive our general then,

And quickly too: apt to forgive are all good-minded men.

Yet you (quite void of their good minds) give good, in you quite lost,

For ill in others, though ye be the worthiest of your host.

As old as I am, I would scorn to fight with one that flies,

Or leaves the fight as you do now. The general slothful lies,

And you (though slothful too) maintain with him a fight of spleen.

Out, out, I hate ye from my heart, ye rotten-minded men:

In this ye add an ill that’s worse than all your sloth’s dislikes.

But as I know to all your hearts my reprehension strikes,

So thither let just shame strike too; for while you stand still here

A mighty fight swarms at your fleet, great Hector rageth there,

Hath burst the long bar and the gates.’ Thus Neptune rous’d these men,

And round about th’ Ajaces did their phalanxes maintain

Their station firm; whom Mars himself (had he amongst them gone)

Could not disparage, nor Jove’s Maid, that sets men fiercer on:

For now the best were chosen out, and they receiv’d th’ advance

Of Hector and his men so full, that lance was lin’d with lance,

Shields thicken’d with opposed shields, targets to targets nail’d:

Helms stuck to helms, and man to man grew, they so close assail’d:

Plum’d casks were hang’d in either’s plumes, all join’d so close their stands;

Their lances stood, thrust out so thick by such all-daring hands.

All bent their firm breasts to the point, and made sad fight their joy.

Of both, Troy all in heaps struck first, and Hector first of Troy.

And as a round piece of a rock, which with a winter’s flood

Is from his top torn, when a show’r, pour’d from a bursten cloud,

Hath broke the natural bond it held within the rough steep rock,

And jumping, it flies down the woods, resounding every shock,

And on, uncheck’d, it headlong leaps, till in a plain it stay;

And then (though never so impell’d) it stirs not any way:

So Hector hereto throated threats, to go to sea in blood,

And reach the Grecian ships and tents, without being once withstood.

But when he fell into the strengths the Grecians did maintain,

And that they fought upon the square, he stood as fetter’d then.

And so the adverse sons of Greece laid on with swords and darts

(Whose both ends hurt), that they repell’d his worst, and he converts

His threats, by all means, to retreats; yet made as he retir’d

Only t’ encourage those behind; and thus those men inspir’d:

‘Trojans! Dardanians! Lycians! All warlike friends, stand close;

The Greeks can never bear me long, though tow’r-like they oppose.

This lance, be sure, will be their spoil: if ev’n the best of gods,

High-thund’ring Juno’s husband, stirs my spirit with true abodes.’

With this all strengths and minds he mov’d; but young Deiphobus,

Old Priam’s son, amongst them all was chiefly virtuous.

He bore before him his round shield, tripp’d lightly through the prease,

At all parts cover’d with his shield: and him Meriones

Charg’d with a glitt’ring dart, that took his bull-hide orby shield,

Yet pierc’d it not, but in the top itself did piecemeal yield.

Deiphobus thrust forth his targe, and fear’d the broken ends

Of strong Meriones his lance, who now turn’d to his friends;

The great heroë scorning much by such a chance to part

With lance and conquest, forth he went to fetch another dart,

Left at his tent. The rest fought on, the clamour heighten’d there

Was most unmeasur’d. Teucer first did flesh the massacre,

And slew a goodly man at arms, the soldier Imbrius,

The son of Mentor, rich in horse; he dwelt at Pedasus

Before the sons of Greece sieg’d Troy; from whence he married

Medesicasté, one that sprung of Priam’s bastard-bed.

But when the Greek ships (double-oar’d) arriv’d at Ilion,

To Ilion he return’d, and prov’d beyond comparison

Amongst the Trojans; he was lodg’d with Priam, who held dear

His natural sons no more than him: yet him, beneath the ear,

The son of Telamon attain’d, and drew his lance. He fell:

As when an ash on some hill’s top (itself topp’d wondrous well)

The steel hews down, and he presents his young leaves to the spoil:

So fell he, and his fair arms groan’d, which Teucer long’d to spoil,

And in he ran, and Hector in, who sent a shining lance

At Teucer, who (beholding it) slipp’d by, and gave it chance

On Actor’s son, Amphimachus, whose breast it struck; and in

Flew Hector, at his sounding fall, with full intent to win

The tempting helmet from his head; but Ajax with a dart

Reach’d Hector at his rushing in, yet touch’d not any part

About his body; it was hid quite through with horrid brass.

The boss yet of his targe it took, whose firm stuff stay’d the pass,

And he turn’d safe from both the trunks: both which the Grecians bore

From off the field; Amphimachus, Menestheus did restore,

And Stichius, to th’ Achaian strength: th’ Ajaces (that were pleas’d

Still most with most hot services) on Trojan Imbrius seiz’d.

And, as from sharply-bitten hounds a brace of lions force

A new-slain goat, and through the woods bear in their jaws the corse

Aloft, lift up into the air: so up into the skies

Bore both th’ Ajaces Imbrius, and made his arms their prize.

Yet, not content, Oïleades, enrag’d to see there dead

His much-belov’d Amphimachus, he hew’d off Imbrius’ head,

Which (swinging round) bowl-like he toss’d amongst the Trojan prease,

And full at Hector’s feet it fell. Amphimachus’ decease

(Being nephew to the god of waves) much vex’d the deity’s mind,

And to the ships and tents he march’d, yet more to make inclin’d

The Grecians to the Trojan bane. In hasting to which end,

Idomeneus met with him, returning from a friend,

Whose ham late hurt, his men brought off, and having giv’n command

To his physicians for his cure (much fir’d to put his hand

To Troy’s repulse), he left his tent. Him (like Andremon’s son,

Prince Thoas, that in Pleuron rul’d, and lofty Calidon,

Th’ Aetolian pow’rs, and like a god was of his subjects lov’d)

Neptune encounter’d: and but this his forward spirit mov’d:.

‘Idomeneus, prince of Crete! O whither now are fled

Those threats in thee, with which the rest the Trojans menaced?’

‘O Thoas,’ he replied, ‘no one of all our host stands now

In any question of reproof, as I am let to know –