Speaker 1: Book twenty one. Now, when they came to the ford
Speaker 1: of the full flowing river Xanthus, begotten of immortal Jove,
Speaker 1: Achilles cut their forces in two. One half he chased
Speaker 1: over the plain towards the city by the same way
Speaker 1: that the Achaeans had taken when flying panic stricken on
Speaker 1: the preceding day, with Hector in full triumph. This way
Speaker 1: did they fly. Pell Mell and Juno sent down a
Speaker 1: thick mist in front of them to stay them. The
Speaker 1: other half were hemmed in by the deep silver eddying stream,
Speaker 1: and fell into it with a great uproar. The waters resounded,
Speaker 1: and the banks rang again, as they swam hither and thither,
Speaker 1: with loud cries amid the whirling eddies, as locusts flying
Speaker 1: to a river before the blast of a grass fire.
Speaker 1: The flame comes on and on till at last it
Speaker 1: overtakes them, and they huddle into the water. Even so
Speaker 1: was the eddying stream of Xanthus filled with the uproar
Speaker 1: of men and horses, all struggling in confusion before Achilles. Forthwith.
Speaker 1: The hero left his spear upon the bank, leaning it
Speaker 1: against a tamarisk bush, and plunged into the river like
Speaker 1: a god armed with his sword. Only fell was his purpose.
Speaker 1: As he hewed the Trojans down on every side. Their
Speaker 1: dying groans rose hideous as the sword smote them, and
Speaker 1: the river ran red with blood, as when fish fly
Speaker 1: scared before a huge dolphin, and fill every nook and
Speaker 1: corner of some fair haven, for he is sure to
Speaker 1: eat all he can catch. Even so did the Trojans
Speaker 1: cower under the banks of the mighty river. And when
Speaker 1: Achilles' arms grew weary with killing them, he drew twelve
Speaker 1: youths alive out of the water to sacrifice in revenge
Speaker 1: for Petroclus, son of Menoetius. He drew them out like
Speaker 1: dazed fawns, bound their hands behind them with the girdles
Speaker 1: of their own shirts, and gave them over to his
Speaker 1: men to take back to the ships. Then he sprang
Speaker 1: into the river, thirsting for still further blood. There he
Speaker 1: found like Caaon, son of Priam, seed of Dardanus. As
Speaker 1: he was escaping out of the water. He it was
Speaker 1: whom he had once taken prisoner when he was in
Speaker 1: his father's vineyard, having set upon him by night as
Speaker 1: he was cutting young shoots from a wild fig tree
Speaker 1: to make the wicker sides of a chariot. Achilles then
Speaker 1: caught him, to his sorrow unawares, and sent him by
Speaker 1: sea to Lemnos, where the son of Jason bought him.
Speaker 1: But a guest friend, Etian of Imbros, freed him with
Speaker 1: a great sum and sent him to Arisbi. Whence he
Speaker 1: had escaped and returned to his father's house. He had
Speaker 1: spent eleven days happily with his friends after he had
Speaker 1: come from Lemnos. But on the twelfth heaven again delivered
Speaker 1: him into the hands of Achilles, who was to send
Speaker 1: him to the house of Hades, sorely against his will.
Speaker 1: He was unarmed when Achilles caught sight of him, and
Speaker 1: had neither helmet nor shield, nor yet had he any spear,
Speaker 1: for he had thrown all his armor from him on
Speaker 1: to the bank, and was sweating with his struggles to
Speaker 1: get out of the river, so that his strength was
Speaker 1: now failing him. Then Achilles said to himself, in his surprise,
Speaker 1: what marvel do I see here? If this man can
Speaker 1: come back alive after having been sold over into Lemnos,
Speaker 1: I shall have the Trojans also, whom I have slain,
Speaker 1: rising from the world below. Could not even the waters
Speaker 1: of the Gray Sea imprison him as they do many another.
Speaker 1: Whether he will or no, this time, let him taste
Speaker 1: my spear, that I may know for certain whether Mother Earth,
Speaker 1: who can keep even a strong man down, will be
Speaker 1: able to hold him, or whether thence too he will return.
Speaker 1: Thus did he pause and ponder. But Lychaeon came up
Speaker 1: to him, dazed and trying hard to embrace his knees,
Speaker 1: for he would fain live not die. Achilles thrust at
Speaker 1: him with his spear, meaning to kill him, But Lychaon
Speaker 1: ran crouching up to him and caught his knees, whereby
Speaker 1: the spear passed over his back and stuck in the ground.
Speaker 1: Hungering though it was for blood. With one hand he
Speaker 1: caught Achilles's knees as he besought him, and with the
Speaker 1: other he clutched the spear and would not let it go.
Speaker 1: Then he said, Achilles, have mercy upon me and spare me,
Speaker 1: for I am your suppliant. It was in your tents
Speaker 1: that I first broke bread, on the day when you
Speaker 1: took me prisoner in the vineyard, after which you sold
Speaker 1: away to Lemnos, far from my father and my friends,
Speaker 1: and I brought you the price of a hundred oxen.
Speaker 1: I have paid three times as much to gain my freedom.
Speaker 1: It is but twelve days that I have come to
Speaker 1: Ilius after much suffering, and now cruel fate has again
Speaker 1: thrown me into your hands. Surely, Father Jove must hate
Speaker 1: me that he has given me over to you a
Speaker 1: second time short of life. Indeed, did my mother Laotho
Speaker 1: bear me, daughter of aged Altes, of Altes, who reigns
Speaker 1: over the warlike Lelegae and holds steep Pedasus on the
Speaker 1: river Satniois. Priam married his daughter along with many other women,
Speaker 1: and two sons were born of her, both of whom
Speaker 1: you will have slain. Your spear slew noble Polydorus as
Speaker 1: he was fighting in the front ranks. And now evil
Speaker 1: will hear befall me, for I fear that I shall
Speaker 1: not escape you, since Heaven has delivered me over to you. Furthermore,
Speaker 1: I say, and lay my saying to your heart. Spare me,
Speaker 1: for I am not of the same womb as hector
Speaker 1: who slew your brave and noble comrade with such words
Speaker 1: did the princely son of Priam beseech Achilles. But Achilles
Speaker 1: answered him sternly, idiot said, he talk not to me
Speaker 1: of ransom. Until Patroclus fell. I preferred to give the
Speaker 1: Trojans quarter and sold beyond the sea many of those
Speaker 1: whom I had taken alive. But now not a man
Speaker 1: shall live of those whom Heaven delivers into my hands
Speaker 1: before the city of Ilius, and of all Trojans, it
Speaker 1: shall fare hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore, my friend,
Speaker 1: you too shall die. Why should you whine in this way?
Speaker 1: But Troclus fell, and he was a better man than
Speaker 1: you are. I too, see you not how I am
Speaker 1: great and goodly. I am son to a noble father,
Speaker 1: and have a goddess for my mother. But the hands
Speaker 1: of doom and death overshadow me all as surely the
Speaker 1: day will come, either at dawn or dark, or at
Speaker 1: the noontide, when one shall take my life, also in battle,
Speaker 1: either with his spear or with an arrow sped from
Speaker 1: his bow. Thus did he speak, and Lycaean's heart sank
Speaker 1: within him. He loosed his hold of the spear and
Speaker 1: held out both hands before him, But Achilles drew his
Speaker 1: keen blade and him by the collar bone on his neck.
Speaker 1: He plunged his two edged sword into him to the
Speaker 1: very hilt, whereon he lay at full length on the ground,
Speaker 1: with the dark blood welling from him, till the earth
Speaker 1: was soaked. Then Achilles caught him by the foot and
Speaker 1: flung him into the river to go downstream, vaunting over
Speaker 1: him the while and saying, lie there among the fishes,
Speaker 1: who will lick the blood from your wound and gloat
Speaker 1: over it. Your mother shall not lay you on any
Speaker 1: beer to mourn you, But the eddies of Scamander shall
Speaker 1: bear you into the broad bosom of the sea. There
Speaker 1: shall the fishes feed on the fat of lye Chaon
Speaker 1: as they dart under the dark ripple of the waters.
Speaker 1: So perish all of you till we reach the citadel
Speaker 1: of strong Ilius, you in flight, and I following after
Speaker 1: to destroy you. The river, with its broad silver stream
Speaker 1: shall serve you in no stead for all the bulls
Speaker 1: you offered him, and all the horses that you flung
Speaker 1: living into his waters. Nonetheless, miserably shall you perish till
Speaker 1: there is not a man of you but has paid
Speaker 1: in full for the death of Patroclus, and the havoc
Speaker 1: you wrought among the Achaeans, whom you have slain while
Speaker 1: I held aloof from battle, so spoke Achilles. But the
Speaker 1: river grew more and more angry, and pondered within himself
Speaker 1: how he should stay the hand of Achilles and save
Speaker 1: the Trojans from disaster. Meanwhile, the son of Pelias, spear
Speaker 1: in hand, sprang upon Astoropaeus, son of Pelagon, to kill him.
Speaker 1: He was son to the broad river Axius and periboea
Speaker 1: eldest daughter of Asisaminus. For the river had lain with her.
Speaker 1: Astoropaeus stood up out of the water to face him
Speaker 1: with a spear in either hand, and xanthus filled him
Speaker 1: with courage, being angry for the death of the youths
Speaker 1: whom Achilles was slaying ruthlessly within his waters. When they
Speaker 1: were close up with one another, Achilles was first to speak,
Speaker 1: who and whence are you? Said he who dare to
Speaker 1: face me? Woe to the parents whose son stands up
Speaker 1: against me? And the son of Pelagon, answered, great son
Speaker 1: of Pelias, why should you ask my lineage? I am
Speaker 1: from the fertile land of far Paeonia, captain of the Paonians,
Speaker 1: and it is now eleven days that I am at Ilius.
Speaker 1: I am of the blood of the river Axius, of Axius,
Speaker 1: that is, the fairest of all rivers that run. He
Speaker 1: begot the famed warrior Pelagon, whose son men call me
Speaker 1: let Us, now fight Achilles. Thus did he defy him,
Speaker 1: and Achilles raised his spear of pelianash. Asta Apaeus failed
Speaker 1: with both his spears, for he could use both hands alike.
Speaker 1: With the one spear, he struck Achilles' shield, but did
Speaker 1: not pierce it, for the layer of gold, gift of
Speaker 1: the god, stayed the point. With the other spear, he
Speaker 1: grazed the elbow of achilles right arm, drawing dark blood,
Speaker 1: But the spear itself went by him and fixed itself
Speaker 1: in the ground, foiled of its bloody banquet. Then Achilles,
Speaker 1: fain to kill him, hurled his spear at Astoropaeus, but
Speaker 1: failed to hit him, and struck the steep bank of
Speaker 1: the river, driving the spear half its length into the earth.
Speaker 1: The son of Pelias then drew his sword and sprang
Speaker 1: furiously upon him. Astoropaeus vainly tried to draw achilles spear
Speaker 1: out of the bank by main force. Thrice did he
Speaker 1: tug at it, trying with all his might to draw
Speaker 1: it out, and thrice he had to leave off trying.
Speaker 1: The fourth time he tried to bend and break it,
Speaker 1: but ere he could do so, Achilles smote him with
Speaker 1: his sword and killed him. He struck him in the
Speaker 1: belly near the navel, so that all his bowels came
Speaker 1: gushing out onto the ground, and the darkness of death
Speaker 1: came over him as he gasping. Then Achilles set his
Speaker 1: foot on his chest and spoiled him of his armor,
Speaker 1: vaunting over him and saying, lie there, begotten of a river.
Speaker 1: Though you be, it is hard for you to strive
Speaker 1: with the offspring of Saturn's sun. You declare yourself sprung
Speaker 1: from the blood of a broad river. But I am
Speaker 1: of the seed of mighty Jove. My father is Pelias,
Speaker 1: son of Aeacus, ruler over the many Myrmidons, And Aachus
Speaker 1: was the son of Jove. Therefore, as Jove is mightier
Speaker 1: than any river that flows into the sea, so are
Speaker 1: his children stronger than those of any river. Whatsoever. Moreover,
Speaker 1: you have a great river hard by, if he can
Speaker 1: be of any use to you. But there is no
Speaker 1: fighting against Jove, the son of Saturn, with whom not
Speaker 1: even King Acolus can compare nor the mighty stream of
Speaker 1: deep flowing Oceanus, from whom all rivers and seas, with
Speaker 1: all springs and deep wells proceed. Even Oceanus fears the
Speaker 1: lightnings of Great Jove and his thunder that comes crashing
Speaker 1: out of Heaven. With this he drew his bronze spear
Speaker 1: out of the bank. And now that he had killed Asteropius,
Speaker 1: he let him lie where he was on the sand,
Speaker 1: with the dark water flowing over him, and the eels
Speaker 1: and fishes busy nibbling and gnawing the fat that was
Speaker 1: about his kidneys. Then he went in chase of the Paeonians,
Speaker 1: who were flying along the bank of the river in
Speaker 1: panic when they saw their leader slain by the hands
Speaker 1: of the son of Pelias. Therein he slew Thersilicus, mydon Astipilus, Menesus, Thrasius, Oeneus,
Speaker 1: and Ophelestes, And he would have slain yet others had not.
Speaker 1: The river, in anger, taken human form and spoken to
Speaker 1: him from out the deep waters, saying, Achilles, if you
Speaker 1: excel all in strength, so do you also in wickedness,
Speaker 1: For the gods are ever with you to protect you.
Speaker 1: If then the son of sam And has vouchsafed it
Speaker 1: to you to destroy all the Trojans at any rate,
Speaker 1: Drive them out of my stream, and do your grim
Speaker 1: work on land. My fair waters are now filled with corpses.
Speaker 1: Nor can I find any channel by which I may
Speaker 1: pour myself into the sea. For I am choked with dead,
Speaker 1: and yet you go on mercilessly slaying. I am in despair. Therefore, O,
Speaker 1: captain of your host, trouble me no further, Achilles answered,
Speaker 1: so be its commander. Jove descended, But I will never
Speaker 1: cease dealing out death among the Trojans till I have
Speaker 1: pent them up in their city and made trial of
Speaker 1: Hector face to face, that I may learn whether he
Speaker 1: is to vanquish me or I him. As he spoke,
Speaker 1: he set upon the Trojans with a fury like that
Speaker 1: of the gods. But the river said to Apollo, surely,
Speaker 1: son of Jove, Lord of the silver Bow, you are
Speaker 1: not obeying the commands of Jove, who charged you straightly
Speaker 1: that you should stand by the Trojans and defend them
Speaker 1: till twilight fades and darkness is over in the earth. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: Achilles sprang from the bank into mid stream, where on
Speaker 1: the river raised a high wave and attacked him. He
Speaker 1: swelled his stream into a torrent and swept away the
Speaker 1: many dead whom Achilles had slain and left within his waters.
Speaker 1: These he cast out onto the land, bellowing like a
Speaker 1: bull the while, but the living he saved alive, hiding
Speaker 1: them in his mighty eddies. The great and terrible wave
Speaker 1: gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and beating on his shield,
Speaker 1: so that he could not keep his feet. He caught
Speaker 1: hold of a great elm tree, but it came up
Speaker 1: by the roots and tore away the bank, damning the
Speaker 1: stream with its thick branches and bridging it all across.
Speaker 1: Whereby Achilles struggled out of the stream and fled full
Speaker 1: speed over the plain, for he was afraid. But the
Speaker 1: mighty God ceased not in his pursuit, and sprang upon
Speaker 1: him with a dark crested wave. To stay his hands
Speaker 1: and save the Trojans from destruction, the son of Pelias
Speaker 1: darted away a spear's throw from him, swift as the
Speaker 1: swoop of a black hunter eagle, which is the strongest
Speaker 1: and fleetest of all birds. Even so did he spring forward,
Speaker 1: and the armor rang loudly about his breast, He fled
Speaker 1: on in front, but the river, with a loud roar,
Speaker 1: came tearing after. As one who would water his garden
Speaker 1: leads a stream from some fountain over his plants and
Speaker 1: all his ground. Spade in hand, he clears away the
Speaker 1: dams to free the channels, and the little stones run
Speaker 1: rolling round and round with the water as it goes
Speaker 1: merrily down the bank, faster than the man can follow.
Speaker 1: Even so did the river keep catching up with Achilles,
Speaker 1: albeit he was a fleet runner, for the gods are
Speaker 1: stronger than men. As often as he would strive to
Speaker 1: stand his ground and see whether or no all the
Speaker 1: gods in heaven were in league against him, so often
Speaker 1: would the mighty way come beating down upon his shoulders,
Speaker 1: and be would have to keep flying on and on
Speaker 1: in great dismay, for the angry flood was tiring him
Speaker 1: out as it flowed past him and ate the ground
Speaker 1: from under his feet. Then the son of Pelias lifted
Speaker 1: up his voice to Heaven, saying, Father Jove, is there
Speaker 1: none of the gods who will take pity upon me
Speaker 1: and save me from the river. I do not care
Speaker 1: what may happen to me afterwards. I blame none of
Speaker 1: the other dwellers on Olympus so severely as I do
Speaker 1: my dear mother, who has beguiled and tricked me. She
Speaker 1: told me I was to fall under the walls of
Speaker 1: Troy by the flying arrows of Apollo. Would that Hector,
Speaker 1: the best man among the Trojans, might there slay me.
Speaker 1: Then should I fall a hero by the hand of
Speaker 1: a hero, whereas now it seems that I shall come
Speaker 1: to a most pitiable end, trapped in this river, as
Speaker 1: though I were some swineherd's boy who gets carried down
Speaker 1: a torrent while trying to cross it during a storm.
Speaker 1: As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and Minerva
Speaker 1: came up to him in the likeness of two men,
Speaker 1: and took him by the hand to reassure him. Neptune spoke,
Speaker 1: first son of Pelias, said, he be not so exceeding fearful.
Speaker 1: We are two gods come with Jove's sanction to assist you. Aye,
Speaker 1: and Pallas Minerva, it is not your fate to perish
Speaker 1: in this river. He will abate presently, as you will see. Moreover,
Speaker 1: we strongly advise you, if you will be guided by us,
Speaker 1: not to stay your hand from fighting till you have
Speaker 1: pent the Trojan host within the famed walls of Ilius,
Speaker 1: as many of them as may escape. Then kill Hector
Speaker 1: and go back to the ships, for we will vouchsafe
Speaker 1: you a triumph over him. When they had so said,
Speaker 1: they went back to the other immortals. But Achilles strove
Speaker 1: onward over the plain, encouraged by the charge the gods
Speaker 1: had laid upon him. All was now covered with the
Speaker 1: flood of waters, and much goodly armor of the youths
Speaker 1: that had been slain was rifting about, as also many corpses.
Speaker 1: But he forced his way against the stream, speeding right onwards.
Speaker 1: Nor could the broad waters stay him, for Minerva had
Speaker 1: endowed him with great strength. Nevertheless, Scamander did not slacken
Speaker 1: in his pursuit, but was still more furious with the
Speaker 1: son of Pelias. He lifted his waters into a high
Speaker 1: crest and cried aloud to Siemoir, saying, dear brother, let
Speaker 1: the two of us unite to save this man, or
Speaker 1: he will sack the mighty city of King Priam, and
Speaker 1: the Trojans will not hold out against him. Help me
Speaker 1: at once fill your streams with water from their sources,
Speaker 1: rouse all your torrents to a fury. Raise your wave
Speaker 1: on high, and let snags and stones come thundering down you,
Speaker 1: that we may make an end of this savage creature,
Speaker 1: who is now lauding it as though he were a god.
Speaker 1: Nothing shall serve him longer, not strength, nor comeliness, nor
Speaker 1: his fine armor, which forsooth shall soon be lying low
Speaker 1: in the deep waters, covered over with mud. I will
Speaker 1: wrap him in sand and pour tons of shingle round him,
Speaker 1: so that the Achaeans shall not know how to gather
Speaker 1: his bones for the silt in which I shall have
Speaker 1: hidden him. And when they celebrate his funeral, they need
Speaker 1: build no barrow on this. He upraised his tumultuous flood
Speaker 1: high against Achilles, seething as it was, with foam and
Speaker 1: blood and the bodies of the dead. The dark waters
Speaker 1: of the river stood upright and would have overwhelmed the
Speaker 1: son of Pelias. But Juno, trembling, lest Achilles should be
Speaker 1: swept away in the mighty Torrent lifted her voice on
Speaker 1: high and called out to Vulcan, her son crook foot.
Speaker 1: She cried, my child, be up and doing for I deem.
Speaker 1: It is with you that Xanthus is fain to fight.
Speaker 1: Help us at once kindle a fierce fire. I will
Speaker 1: then bring up the west and the white south wind
Speaker 1: in a mighty hurricane from the sea, that shall bear
Speaker 1: the flames against the heads and armor of the Trojans,
Speaker 1: and consume them. While you go along the banks of
Speaker 1: xanthus burning his trees and wrapping him round with fire.
Speaker 1: Let him not turn you back, neither by fair words
Speaker 1: nor foul, and slacken not till I shout and tell you.
Speaker 1: Then you may stay your flames on this Vulcan kindled
Speaker 1: a fierce fire, which broke out first upon the plain
Speaker 1: and burned the many dead whom Achilles had killed, and
Speaker 1: whose bodies were lying about in great numbers. By this means,
Speaker 1: the plane was dried and the flood stayed. As the
Speaker 1: north wind blowing on an orchard that has been sodden
Speaker 1: with autumn rain soon dries it, and the heart of
Speaker 1: the owner is glad. Even so, the whole plan was dried,
Speaker 1: and the dead bodies were consumed. Then he turned tongues
Speaker 1: of fire on to the river. He burned the elms,
Speaker 1: the willows, and the tamarisks, the lotus, also with the
Speaker 1: rushes and marshy herbage that grew abundantly by the banks
Speaker 1: of the river. The eels and fishes that go darting
Speaker 1: about everywhere in the water, These too were sorely harassed
Speaker 1: by the flames that Cunning Vulcan had kindled, and the
Speaker 1: river himself was scalded, so that he spoke, saying, Vulcan,
Speaker 1: there is no god can hold his own against you.
Speaker 1: I cannot fight you when you flare out your flames
Speaker 1: in this way. Strive with me no longer. Let Achilles
Speaker 1: drive the Trojans out of city immediately. What have I
Speaker 1: to do with quarreling and helping people? He was boiling
Speaker 1: as he spoke, and all his waters were seething, as
Speaker 1: a cauldron upon a large fire boils when it is
Speaker 1: melting the lard of some fatted hog, and the lard
Speaker 1: keeps bubbling up all over when the dry bundles of
Speaker 1: wood blaze under it. Even so were the goodly waters
Speaker 1: of Xanthus heated with the fire till they were boiling.
Speaker 1: He could flow no longer, but stayed his stream, so
Speaker 1: afflicted was he by the blasts of fire which Cunning
Speaker 1: Vulcan had raised. Then he prayed to Juno and besought her,
Speaker 1: saying Juno, why should your son vex my stream with
Speaker 1: such a special fury. I'm not so much to blame
Speaker 1: as all the others are who have been helping the Trojans.
Speaker 1: I will leave off since you so desire it, and
Speaker 1: let Sun leave off also. Furthermore, I swear never again
Speaker 1: will I do anything to save the Trojans from destruction,
Speaker 1: not even when all Troy is burning in the flames
Speaker 1: which the Achaeans will kindle. As soon as Juno heard this,
Speaker 1: she said to her son Vulcan, Sun, Vulcan, hold now
Speaker 1: your flames. We ought not to use such violence against
Speaker 1: a god for the sake of more. When she had
Speaker 1: thus spoken, Vulcan quenched his flames, and the river went
Speaker 1: back once more into his own fair bed. Xanthus was
Speaker 1: now beaten. So these two left off fighting, for Juno
Speaker 1: stayed them, though she was still angry. But a furious
Speaker 1: quarrel broke out among the other gods, for they were
Speaker 1: of divided counsels. They fell on one another with a
Speaker 1: mighty uproar. Earth groaned and the spacious firmament rang out
Speaker 1: as with a blare of trumpets. Jove heard as he
Speaker 1: was sitting on Olympus, and laughed for joy when he
Speaker 1: saw the gods coming to blows among themselves. They were
Speaker 1: not long about beginning, and Mars, piercer of shields, opened
Speaker 1: the battle sword in hand. He sprang at once upon
Speaker 1: Minerva and reviled her. Why, Vixen, said he, have you
Speaker 1: again set the gods by the ears in the pride
Speaker 1: and haughtiness of your heart? Have you forgotten how you
Speaker 1: set Diomed's son of Tideus on to wound me, and
Speaker 1: yourself took visible spear and drove it into me, to
Speaker 1: the hurt of my fair body. You shall now suffer
Speaker 1: for what you then did to me. As he spoke,
Speaker 1: he struck her on the terrible tasseled egis so terrible
Speaker 1: that not even can Jove's lightning pierce it. Here did
Speaker 1: murderous Mars strike her with his great spear. She drew back,
Speaker 1: and with her strong hand seized a stone that was
Speaker 1: lying on the plain, great and rugged and black, which
Speaker 1: men of old had set for the boundary of a field.
Speaker 1: With this she struck Mars on the neck and brought
Speaker 1: him down. Nine rouds did he cover in his fall,
Speaker 1: and his hair was all soiled in the dust, while
Speaker 1: his armor rang rattling round him. But Minerva laughed and
Speaker 1: vaunted over him, saying, idiot, have you not learned how
Speaker 1: far stronger I am than you? But you must still
Speaker 1: match yourself against me. Thus, do your mother's curses now
Speaker 1: roost upon you, for she is angry and would do
Speaker 1: you mischief because you have deser the Achaeans and are
Speaker 1: helping the Trojans. She then turned her two piercing eyes
Speaker 1: elsewhere whereon Jove's daughter. Venus took Mars by the hand
Speaker 1: and led him away, groaning all the time, for it
Speaker 1: was only with great difficulty that he had come to
Speaker 1: himself again. When Queen Juno saw her, she said to Minerva, look,
Speaker 1: daughter of egis bearing Jove, unweariable, that vixen Venus is
Speaker 1: again taking Mars through the crowd out of the battle.
Speaker 1: Go after her at once, Thus she spoke. Minerva sped
Speaker 1: after Venus with a will, and made at her, striking
Speaker 1: her on the bosom with her strong hand, so that
Speaker 1: she fell fainting to the ground, And there they both
Speaker 1: lay stretched at full length. Then Minerva vaunted over her, saying,
Speaker 1: may all who help the Trojans against the Argives prove
Speaker 1: just as redoubtable and stalwart as Venus did when she
Speaker 1: came across me while she was helping Mars. Had this
Speaker 1: been so, we should long since have ended the war
Speaker 1: by sacking the strong city of Ilius. Juno smiled as
Speaker 1: she listened. Meanwhile, King Neptune turned to Apollo, saying, Phoebus,
Speaker 1: why should we keep each other at arm's length? It
Speaker 1: is not well now that the others have begun fighting.
Speaker 1: It will be disgraceful to us if we returned to
Speaker 1: Jove's bronze floored mansion on Olympus without having fought each other. Therefore,
Speaker 1: come on, You are the younger of the two, and
Speaker 1: I ought not to attack you, for I am older
Speaker 1: and have had more experience. Idiot, you have no sense,
Speaker 1: and forget how we two, alone of all the gods,
Speaker 1: fared hardly round about Ilius when we came from Jove's
Speaker 1: house and worked for Lomudon a whole year at a
Speaker 1: stated wage, and he gave us his orders. I built
Speaker 1: the Trojans the wall about their city so wide and
Speaker 1: fair that it might be impregnable, while you, Phoebus, herded
Speaker 1: cattle for him in the day ales of many valied Ida. When, however,
Speaker 1: the glad hours brought round the time of payment, mighty
Speaker 1: Laumudon robbed us of all our hire and sent us
Speaker 1: off with nothing but abuse. He threatened to bind us
Speaker 1: hand and foot and sell us over into some distant island.
Speaker 1: He tried moreover to cut off the ears of both
Speaker 1: of us. So we went away in a rage, furious
Speaker 1: about the payment he had promised us, and yet withheld.
Speaker 1: In spite of all this, you are now showing favor
Speaker 1: to his people, and will not join us in compassing
Speaker 1: the utter ruin of the proud Trojans with their wives
Speaker 1: and children. And King Apollo answered, Lord of the earthquake,
Speaker 1: you would have no respect for me if I were
Speaker 1: to fight you about a pack of miserable mortals who
Speaker 1: come out like leaves in summer and eat the fruit
Speaker 1: of the field, and presently fall lifeless to the ground.
Speaker 1: Let us stay this fighting at once, and let them
Speaker 1: settle it among themselves. He turned away as he spoke,
Speaker 1: for he would lay no hand on the brother of
Speaker 1: his own father. But his sister, the huntress Diana, patroness
Speaker 1: of wild beasts, was very angry with him, and said,
Speaker 1: so you would fly far data and hand victory over
Speaker 1: to Neptune with a cheap vaunt to boot baby, Why
Speaker 1: keep your bow thus idle? Never let me again hear
Speaker 1: you bragging in my father's house, as you have often
Speaker 1: done in the presence of the immortals, that you would
Speaker 1: stand up and fight with Neptune. Apollo made her no answer,
Speaker 1: but Jove's august queen was angry and upbraided her bitterly.
Speaker 1: Bold vixen, she cried, how dare you cross me? Thus?
Speaker 1: For all your bow, you will find it hard to
Speaker 1: hold your own against me. Jove made you as a
Speaker 1: lion among women, and lets you kill them whenever you choose,
Speaker 1: you will, And it better to chase wild beasts and
Speaker 1: dear upon the mountains than to fight those who are
Speaker 1: stronger than you are. If you would try war, do so,
Speaker 1: and find out, by pitting yourself against me, how far
Speaker 1: stronger I am than you are. She caught both Diana's
Speaker 1: wrists with her left hand as she spoke, and with
Speaker 1: her right she took the bow from her shoulders and
Speaker 1: laughed as she beat her with it about the ears.
Speaker 1: While Diana wriggled and writhed under her blows. Her swift
Speaker 1: arrows were shed upon the ground, and she fled, weeping
Speaker 1: from under Juno's hand, as a dove that flies before
Speaker 1: a falcon to the cleft of some hollow rock when
Speaker 1: it is her good fortune to escape. Even so did
Speaker 1: she fly weeping away, leaving her bow and arrows behind her.
Speaker 1: Then the slayer of Argus, guide and guardian said to Leto, Leto,
Speaker 1: I shall not fight you. It is ill to come
Speaker 1: to blows with any of Jove's wives. Therefore, boast as
Speaker 1: you will among the immortals that you worsted me in
Speaker 1: fair fight. Leto then gathered up Diana's bow and arrows
Speaker 1: that had fallen about amid the whirling day, and when
Speaker 1: she had got them, she made all haste after her daughter.
Speaker 1: Diana had now reached Jove's bronze floored mansion on Olympus,
Speaker 1: and sat herself down with many tears, on the knees
Speaker 1: of her father, while her ambrosial raiment was quivering all
Speaker 1: about her. The son of Saturn drew her towards him, and,
Speaker 1: laughing pleasantly, the while began to question her, saying, which
Speaker 1: of the heavenly beings, my dear child has been treating
Speaker 1: you in this cruel manner, as though you had been
Speaker 1: misconducting yourself in the face of everybody. And the fair
Speaker 1: crowned goddess of the Chase answered, it was your wife, Juno, father,
Speaker 1: who has been beating me. It is always her doing
Speaker 1: when there is any quarreling among the immortals. Thus did
Speaker 1: they converse, And meanwhile Phoebus Apollo entered the strong city
Speaker 1: of Ilius, for he was uneasy lest the wall should
Speaker 1: not hold out, and the Danaans should take the city
Speaker 1: then and there before its hour had come. But the
Speaker 1: rest of the ever living gods went back, some angry
Speaker 1: and some triumphant, to Olympus, where they took their seats
Speaker 1: beside Jove, lord of the storm Cloud, while Achilles still
Speaker 1: kept on dealing out death alike on the Trojans and
Speaker 1: on their a's. When the smoke from some burning city
Speaker 1: ascends to heaven, when the anger of the gods has
Speaker 1: kindled it, there is then toil for all, and sorrow
Speaker 1: for not a few. Even so did Achilles bring toil
Speaker 1: and sorrow on the Trojans. Old King Priam stood on
Speaker 1: a high tower of the wall, looking down on huge Achilles,
Speaker 1: as the Trojans fled panic stricken before him, and there
Speaker 1: was none to help them. Presently, he came down from
Speaker 1: off the tower, and with many a groan, went along
Speaker 1: the wall to give orders to the brave warders of
Speaker 1: the gate. Keep the gates, said he wide open till
Speaker 1: the people come flying into the city, for Achilles is
Speaker 1: hard by and is driving them en route before him.
Speaker 1: Are in great peril. As soon as our people are
Speaker 1: inside and in safety, close the strong gates, for I
Speaker 1: fear lest that terrible man should come bounding inside along
Speaker 1: with the others. As he spoke, they drew back the
Speaker 1: bolts and opened the gates. And when these were opened
Speaker 1: there was a haven of refuge for the Trojans. Apollo
Speaker 1: then came full speed out of the city to meet
Speaker 1: them and protect them. Right for the city and the
Speaker 1: high wall parched with thirst and grimy with dust. Still
Speaker 1: they fied on, with Achilles wielding his spear furiously behind them,
Speaker 1: for he was as one possessed and was thirsting after glory.
Speaker 1: Then had the sons of the Achaeans taken the lofty
Speaker 1: gates of Troy, if Apollo had not spurred on Agenore,
Speaker 1: valiant and noble son to antenor he put courage into
Speaker 1: his heart and stood by his side to guard him,
Speaker 1: leaning against a beech tree and shrouded in thick darkness.
Speaker 1: When Agenor saw Achilles, he stood still, and his heart
Speaker 1: was clouded with care alas said he to himself in
Speaker 1: his dismay, If I fly before mighty Achilles and go
Speaker 1: where all the others are being driven en route, he
Speaker 1: will none the less catch me and kill me for
Speaker 1: a coward. How would it be were I to let
Speaker 1: Achilles drive the others before him, and then fly from
Speaker 1: the wall to the plain that is behind Ilius till
Speaker 1: I reach the spurs of Ida and can hide in
Speaker 1: the underwood that is thereon. I could then wash the
Speaker 1: sweat from off me in the river, and in the
Speaker 1: evening return to Ilius. But why commune with myself in
Speaker 1: this way? Like enough, he would see me as I
Speaker 1: am hurrying from the city over the plain, and would
Speaker 1: speed after me till he had caught me. I should
Speaker 1: stand no chance against him, for he is mightiest of
Speaker 1: all mankind. What then, if I go out and meet
Speaker 1: him in front of the city. His flesh, too, I
Speaker 1: take it, can be pierced by pointed bronze. Life is
Speaker 1: the same in one and all, and men say that
Speaker 1: he is but mortal, despite the triumph that Jove's, son
Speaker 1: of Saturn, vouchsafes him so, saying he stood on his
Speaker 1: guard and awaited Achilles, for he was now fain to
Speaker 1: fight him. As a leopardess that bounds from out a
Speaker 1: thick covert to attack a hunter, she knows no fear,
Speaker 1: and is not dismayed by the baying of the hounds,
Speaker 1: even though the man be too quick for her and
Speaker 1: wound her either with thrust or spear. Still, though the
Speaker 1: spear has pierced her, she will not give in till
Speaker 1: she has either caught him in her grip or been
Speaker 1: killed outright. Even so did noble adjun Or, son of Antonor,
Speaker 1: refuse to fly till he had made trial of Achilles,
Speaker 1: and took aim at him with his spear, holding his
Speaker 1: round shield before him, and crying with a loud voice
Speaker 1: of a truth, said he, Noble Achilles, you deem that
Speaker 1: you shall this day sack the city of the proud
Speaker 1: Trojans fool. There will be trouble enough, ye before it,
Speaker 1: for there is many a brave man of us still inside,
Speaker 1: who will stand in front of our dear parents with
Speaker 1: our wives and children to defend Ilius. Here. Therefore, huge
Speaker 1: and mighty warrior, though you be here, shall you cue?
Speaker 1: As he spoke, his strong hand hurled his javelin from him,
Speaker 1: and the spear struck Achilles on the leg beneath the knee.
Speaker 1: The grieve of newly wrought tin rang loudly, but the
Speaker 1: spear recoiled from the body of him whom it had struck,
Speaker 1: and did not pierce it, for the God's gift stayed it. Achilles,
Speaker 1: in his turn, attacked Noble Agenore, but Apollo would not
Speaker 1: vouchsafe him glory, for he snatched Agenore away and hid
Speaker 1: him in a thick mist, sending him out of the
Speaker 1: battle unmolested. Then he craftily drew the son of Pelias
Speaker 1: away from going after the host, for he put on
Speaker 1: the semblance of Agenore and stood in front of Achilles,
Speaker 1: who ran towards him to give him chase, and pursued
Speaker 1: him over the corn lads of the plain, turning him
Speaker 1: towards the deep waters of the rivers. Commander Apollo ran
Speaker 1: but a little way before him and beguiled Achilles by
Speaker 1: making him think all the time that he was on
Speaker 1: the point of overtaking him. Meanwhile, the rabble of routed
Speaker 1: Trojans was thankful to crowd within the city till their
Speaker 1: numbers thronged it. No longer did they dare wait for
Speaker 1: one another outside the city walls to learn who had
Speaker 1: escaped and who were fallen in fight. But all whose
Speaker 1: feet and knees could still carry them poured pell Mell
Speaker 1: into the town.