Speaker 1: Book twenty three. Thus did they make their moan throughout
Speaker 1: the city, while the Achaeans, when they reached the Hellespont,
Speaker 1: went back, every man to his own ship. But Achilles
Speaker 1: would not let the Myrmidons go, and spoke to his
Speaker 1: brave comrades, saying, Myrmidons, famed horsemen and my own trusted friends.
Speaker 1: Not yet forsooth let us unyoke, but with horse and chariot,
Speaker 1: draw near to the body and mourn Patroclus in due
Speaker 1: honor to the dead. When we have had full comfort
Speaker 1: of lamentation, we will unyoke our horses and take supper
Speaker 1: all of us. Here. On this they all joined in
Speaker 1: a cry of wailing, and Achilles led them in their
Speaker 1: lament Thrice did they drive their chariots, all sorrowing round
Speaker 1: the body, and Thetis stirred within them a still deeper yearning.
Speaker 1: The sands of the seashore and the men's armor were
Speaker 1: wet with their weeping. So great a minace of fear
Speaker 1: was he whom they had lost. Chief in all their
Speaker 1: mourning was the son of Pelias. He laid his bloodstained
Speaker 1: hand on the breast of his friend, Farewell, he cried
Speaker 1: Patroclus even in the house of Hades. I will now
Speaker 1: do all that I erewhile promised you. I will drag
Speaker 1: Hector hither and let dogs devour him. Roar, twelve noble
Speaker 1: sons of Trojans, will I also slay before your pyre
Speaker 1: to avenge you. As he spoke, he treated the body
Speaker 1: of noble Hector with contumely laying it at full length
Speaker 1: in the dust beside the bier of Patroclus. The others
Speaker 1: then put off every man his armor, took the horses
Speaker 1: from their chariots, and seated themselves in great multitude by
Speaker 1: the ship of the fleet descendant of Iarchus, who thereon
Speaker 1: feasted them with an abundant funeral banquet. Many a goodly ox,
Speaker 1: with many a sheep and bleating goat did they butcher
Speaker 1: and cut up many a tusked bore. Moreover, fat and
Speaker 1: well fed, did they singe and set to roast in
Speaker 1: the flames of vulcan and rivulets of blood flowed all
Speaker 1: round the place where the body was lying. Then the
Speaker 1: princes of the Achaeans took the son of Pelias to Agamemnon,
Speaker 1: but hardly could they persuade him to come with them.
Speaker 1: So wroth was he for the death of his comrade.
Speaker 1: As soon as they reached Agamemnon's tent, they told the
Speaker 1: serving men to set a large tripod over the fire,
Speaker 1: in case they might persuade the son of Pelias to
Speaker 1: wash the clotted gore from this body. But he denied
Speaker 1: them sternly and swore it with a solemn oath, saying, nay,
Speaker 1: by King Jove, first and mightiest of all gods, it
Speaker 1: is not meet that water should touch my body till
Speaker 1: I have laid Patroclus on the flames have built him
Speaker 1: a barrow and shaved my head. For so long as
Speaker 1: I live, no such second sorrow shall ever draw nigh me. Now. Therefore,
Speaker 1: let us do all that this sad festival demands. But
Speaker 1: at break of day, King Agamemnon, bid your men bring
Speaker 1: wood and provide all else that the dead may duly
Speaker 1: take into the realm of darkness. The fire shall thus
Speaker 1: burn him out of our sight the sooner, and the
Speaker 1: people shall turn again to their own labors. Thus did
Speaker 1: he speak, and they did even as he had said.
Speaker 1: They made haste to prepare the meal. They ate, and
Speaker 1: every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied.
Speaker 1: As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink.
Speaker 1: The others went to their rest, each in his own tent.
Speaker 1: But the son of Pelias lay grieving among his mrmidons
Speaker 1: by the shore of the Sounding Sea, in an open
Speaker 1: place where the waves came surging in one after another.
Speaker 1: Here a very deep slumber took hold upon him and
Speaker 1: eased the burden of his sorrows, for his limbs were
Speaker 1: weary with chasing hector round windy Ilius. Presently, the sad
Speaker 1: spirit of Patroclus drew near him, like what he had
Speaker 1: been in stature, voice and the light of his beaming eyes,
Speaker 1: Clad too, as he had been clad in life, the
Speaker 1: spirit hovered over his head and said, you sleep, Achilles,
Speaker 1: and have forgotten me. You loved me living, but now
Speaker 1: that I am dead, you think for me no further.
Speaker 1: Bury me with all speed that I may pass the
Speaker 1: gates of Hades. The ghosts, vain shadows of men that
Speaker 1: can labor no more drive me away from them. They
Speaker 1: will not yet suffer me to join those that are
Speaker 1: beyond the river, and I wander all desolate by the
Speaker 1: wide gates of the house of Hades. Give me now
Speaker 1: your hand. I pray you, for when you have once
Speaker 1: given me my dues of fire, never shall I again
Speaker 1: come forth out of the house of Hades. Never more
Speaker 1: shall we sit apart and take sweet counsel among the living.
Speaker 1: The cruel fate, which was my birthright, has yawned its
Speaker 1: wide jaws around me. Nay, you two, Achilles, peer of gods,
Speaker 1: are doomed to die beneath the wall of the noble Trojans.
Speaker 1: One prayer more will I make you, if you will
Speaker 1: grant it? Let not my bones be laid apart from yours, Achilles,
Speaker 1: but with them, even as we were brought up together
Speaker 1: in your own home. What time Menoetius brought me to
Speaker 1: you as a child from Opoas, because by a sad
Speaker 1: spite I had killed the son of Amphidamus, not of
Speaker 1: set purpose, but in childish quarrel over the dice. The
Speaker 1: knight Pelleas took me into his house, entreated me kindly,
Speaker 1: and named me to be your squire. Therefore, let our
Speaker 1: bones lie in but a single urn, the two handled
Speaker 1: golden vase given to you by your mother. And Achilles answered, why,
Speaker 1: true heart, are you come hither to lay these charges
Speaker 1: upon me? Will of my own self, do all as
Speaker 1: you have bidden me, draw closer to me, let us
Speaker 1: once more throw our arms around one another, and find
Speaker 1: sad comfort in the sharing of our sorrows. He opened
Speaker 1: his arms towards him as he spoke, and would have
Speaker 1: clasped him in them, But there was nothing, and the
Speaker 1: spirit vanished as a vapor, gibbering and whining into the earth.
Speaker 1: Achilles sprang to his feet, smote his two hands, and
Speaker 1: made lamentation, saying of a truth, even in the house
Speaker 1: of Hades, there are ghosts and phantoms that have no
Speaker 1: life in them. All night long, the sad spirit of
Speaker 1: Patroclus has hovered overhead, making piteous moan, telling me what
Speaker 1: I am to do for him, and looking wondrously like himself.
Speaker 1: Thus did he speak, and his words set them all
Speaker 1: weeping and mourning about the poor, dumb dead till rosy
Speaker 1: fingered morn appeared. Then King Agamemnon sent men and mules
Speaker 1: from all parts of the camp to bring wood, and
Speaker 1: Mariones squire to I Dominaeus was in charge over them.
Speaker 1: They went out with woodman's axes and strong ropes in
Speaker 1: their hands, and before them went the mules uphill and
Speaker 1: down dale did they go by straight ways and crooked,
Speaker 1: And when they reached the heights of many fountained ida,
Speaker 1: they laid their axes to the roots of many a
Speaker 1: tall branching oak that came thundering down as they felled it.
Speaker 1: They split the trees and bound them behind the mules,
Speaker 1: which then wended their way as they best could through
Speaker 1: the thick brushwood onto the plain. All who had been
Speaker 1: cutting wood bore logs for so Merionis squire to a
Speaker 1: Dominaeus had bidden them, and they threw them down in
Speaker 1: a line upon the sea shore, at the place where
Speaker 1: Achilles would make a mighty monument for Petroclus and for himself.
Speaker 1: When they had thrown down their great logs of wood
Speaker 1: over the whole ground, they stayed, all of them where
Speaker 1: they were. But Achilles ordered his brave mrmidons to gird
Speaker 1: on their armor and to yoke each man his horses.
Speaker 1: They therefore rose, girded on their armor, and mounted each
Speaker 1: his chariot. They and their charioteers with them. The chariots
Speaker 1: went before, and they that were on foot followed as
Speaker 1: a cloud in their tens of thousand. After in the
Speaker 1: midst of them, his comrades bore Patroclus and covered him
Speaker 1: with the locks of their hair, which they cut off
Speaker 1: and threw upon his body. Last came Achilles, with his
Speaker 1: head bowed for sorrow. So noble a comrade was he
Speaker 1: taking to the house of Hades. When they came to
Speaker 1: the place of which Achilles had told them, they laid
Speaker 1: the body down and built up the wood. Achilles then
Speaker 1: bethought him of another matter. He went a space away
Speaker 1: from the pyre and cut off the yellow lock which
Speaker 1: he had let grow for the river Sperchius. He looked
Speaker 1: all sorrowfully out upon the dark sea, and said, Sperchaeus
Speaker 1: in vain, did my father Pelias vow to you that
Speaker 1: when I returned home to my loved native land, I
Speaker 1: should cut off this lock and offer you a holy
Speaker 1: hecatomb fifty she goats. Was I to sacrifice to you
Speaker 1: there at your springs, where is your grove and your
Speaker 1: altar fragrant with burnt offerings? Thus did my father vow.
Speaker 1: But you have not fulfilled his prayer. Now. Therefore, that
Speaker 1: I shall see my home no more, I give this
Speaker 1: lock as a keepsake to the hero Patroclus. As he spoke,
Speaker 1: he placed the lock in the hands of his dear comrade,
Speaker 1: and all who stood by were filled with yearning and lamentation.
Speaker 1: The son would have gone down upon their mourning, had
Speaker 1: not Achilles presently said to Agamemnon, son of Atreus, for
Speaker 1: it is to you that the people will give ear.
Speaker 1: There is a time to mourn, and a time to
Speaker 1: cease from mourning. Bid the people now leave the pyre
Speaker 1: and set about getting their dinners. We to whom the
Speaker 1: dead is dearest, will see to what is wanted here,
Speaker 1: and let the other princes also stay by me. When
Speaker 1: King Agamemnon heard this, he dismissed the people to their ships.
Speaker 1: But those who were about the dead heaped up wood
Speaker 1: and built a pyre a hundred feet this way and that.
Speaker 1: Then they laid the dead, all sorrowfully, upon the top
Speaker 1: of it. They flayed and dressed many fat sheep and
Speaker 1: oxen before the pyre, and Achilles took fat from all
Speaker 1: of them, and wrapped the body therein from head to foot,
Speaker 1: heaping the flayed carcasses all round it. Against the bier,
Speaker 1: he leaned two handled jars of honey and unguents. Four
Speaker 1: proud horses. Did he then cast upon the pyre, groaning
Speaker 1: the While he did so, the dead hero had had
Speaker 1: house dogs. Two of them did Achilles slay and threw
Speaker 1: upon the pyre. He also put twelve brave sons of
Speaker 1: noble Trojans to the sword and laid them with the rest.
Speaker 1: For he was full of bitterness and fury. Then he
Speaker 1: committed all to the resistless and devouring might of the fire.
Speaker 1: He groaned aloud and called on his dead comrade by name, Farewell,
Speaker 1: he cried, Patroclus, even in the house of Hades, I
Speaker 1: am now doing all that I have promised you. Twelve
Speaker 1: brave sons of noble Trojans, shall the flames consume along
Speaker 1: with yourself. But dogs, not fire, shall devour the flesh
Speaker 1: of Hector, son of Priam. Thus did he vaunt. But
Speaker 1: the dogs came not about the body of Hector, for
Speaker 1: Jove's daughter Venus kept them off him night and day,
Speaker 1: and anointed him with ambrosial oil of roses, that his
Speaker 1: flesh might not be torn. When Achilles was dragging him
Speaker 1: about Phoebus Apollo moreover sent a dark cloud from heaven
Speaker 1: to earth, which gave shade to the whole place where
Speaker 1: Hector lay. That the heat of the sun might not
Speaker 1: parch his body. Now the pyre about dead Patroclus would
Speaker 1: not kindle. Achilles, therefore bethought him of another matter. He
Speaker 1: went apart and prayed to the two winds, Boreus and Zephyrus,
Speaker 1: vowing them goodly offerings. He made them many drink offerings
Speaker 1: from the golden cup, and besought them to come and
Speaker 1: help him, that the wood might make haste to kindle
Speaker 1: and the dead bodies be consumed. Fleet Iris heard him
Speaker 1: praying and started off to fetch the winds. They were
Speaker 1: holding high feast in the house of boisterous Zephyrus when
Speaker 1: Iris came running up to the stone threshold of the
Speaker 1: house and stood there. But as soon as they set
Speaker 1: eyes on her, they all came towards her, and each
Speaker 1: of them called her to him. But Iris would not
Speaker 1: sit down. I cannot stay, she said, I must go
Speaker 1: back to the streams of Oceanus and the land of
Speaker 1: the Ethiopians, who are offering hecatombs to the immortals, and
Speaker 1: I would have my share. But Achilles praised that Boreus
Speaker 1: and shrill Zephyrus will come to him, and he vows
Speaker 1: them goodly offerings. He would have you blow upon the
Speaker 1: pyre of Patroclus, for whom all the Achaeans are lamenting.
Speaker 1: With this, she left them, and the two winds rose
Speaker 1: with a cry that rent the air and swept the
Speaker 1: clouds before them. They blew on and on until they
Speaker 1: came to the sea, and the waves rose high beneath them.
Speaker 1: But when they reached Troy, they fell upon the pyre,
Speaker 1: till the mighty flames roared under the blast that they blew.
Speaker 1: All night long did they blow hard and beat upon
Speaker 1: the fire. And all night long did Achilles grasp his
Speaker 1: double cup, drawing wine from a mixing bowl of gold,
Speaker 1: and calling upon the spirit of dead Patroclus, as he
Speaker 1: poured it upon the ground, until the earth was drenched.
Speaker 1: As a father mourns when he is burning the bones
Speaker 1: of his bridegroom's son, whose death has wrung the hearts
Speaker 1: of his parents, even so did Achilles morn while burning
Speaker 1: the body of his comrade, pacing round the bier with
Speaker 1: piteous groaning and lamentation. At length, as the morning star
Speaker 1: was beginning to herald the light which Saffron mantled, dawn
Speaker 1: was soon to suffuse over the sea. The flames fell,
Speaker 1: and the fire began to die. The winds then went
Speaker 1: home beyond the Thracian Sea, which roared and boiled as
Speaker 1: they swept over it. The son of Pelias now turned
Speaker 1: away from the pyre and lay down, overcome with toil,
Speaker 1: till he fell into a sweet slumber. Presently, they who
Speaker 1: were about the son of Atreus, drew near in a body,
Speaker 1: and roused him with the noise and tramp of their coming.
Speaker 1: He sat upright, and said, son of Atreus, and all
Speaker 1: other princes of the Achaeans, first pour red wine everywhere
Speaker 1: upon the fire and quench it. Let Us then gather
Speaker 1: the bones of Patroclus, son of Menoetius, singling them out
Speaker 1: with care. They are easily found, for they lie in
Speaker 1: the middle of the pyre, while all else, both men
Speaker 1: and horses, has been thrown in a heap and burned
Speaker 1: at the outer edge. We will lay the bones in
Speaker 1: a golden urn in two layers of fat, against the
Speaker 1: time when I shall myself go down into the House
Speaker 1: of Hades. As for the barrow, labour not to raise
Speaker 1: a great one now, but such as is reasonable afterwards.
Speaker 1: Let those Achaeans who may be left at the ships
Speaker 1: when I am gone, build it both broad and high.
Speaker 1: Thus he spoke, and they obeyed the word of the
Speaker 1: son of Pelias. First they poured red wine upon the
Speaker 1: thick layer of ashes, and quenched the fire with many tears.
Speaker 1: They singled out the whitened bones of their loved comrade
Speaker 1: and laid them within a golden urn in two layers
Speaker 1: of fat. They then covered the urn with a linen
Speaker 1: cloth and took it inside the tent. They marked off
Speaker 1: the circle where the barrow should be, made a foundation
Speaker 1: for it about the pyre, and forthwith heaped up the earth.
Speaker 1: When they had thus raised a mound, they were going away,
Speaker 1: but Achilles stayed the people and made them sit in assembly.
Speaker 1: He brought prizes from the ship's cauldrons, tripods, horses and mules,
Speaker 1: noble oxen, women with fair girdles, and swart iron. The
Speaker 1: first prize he offered was for the chariot races, a
Speaker 1: woman skilled in all useful arts, and a three legged
Speaker 1: cauldron that had ears for handles and would hold twenty
Speaker 1: two measures. This was for the man who came in first.
Speaker 1: For the second, there was a six year old mare,
Speaker 1: unbroken and in foal to a hiass. The third was
Speaker 1: to have a goodly cauldron that had never yet been
Speaker 1: on the fire. It was still bright as when it
Speaker 1: left the maker, and would hold four measures. The fourth
Speaker 1: prize was two talents of gold, and the fifth a
Speaker 1: two handled urn, as yet unsoiled by smoke. Then he
Speaker 1: stood up and spoke among the archives, saying, son of
Speaker 1: Atreus and all other Achaeans, these are the prizes that
Speaker 1: lie waiting the winners of the chariot races. At any
Speaker 1: other time, I should carry off the first prize and
Speaker 1: take it to my own tent. You know how far
Speaker 1: my steeds excel all others, for they are immortal. Neptune
Speaker 1: gave them to my father Pelias, who in his turn
Speaker 1: gave them to myself. But I shall hold aloof I
Speaker 1: and my steeds that have lost their brave and kind driver,
Speaker 1: who many a time has washed them in clear water
Speaker 1: and anointed their manes with oil. See how they stand
Speaker 1: weeping here, with their manes trailing on the ground, in
Speaker 1: the extremity of their sorrow. But do you, others set
Speaker 1: yourselves in order throughout the host, whosoever has confidence in
Speaker 1: his horses and in the strength of his chariot. Thus
Speaker 1: spoke the son of Pelias, and the drivers of chariots
Speaker 1: bestirred themselves. First among them all upros Umulus, king of
Speaker 1: men son of Admetus, a man excellent in horsemanship. Next
Speaker 1: to him rose Mighty Diomed's, son of Tideus. He yoked
Speaker 1: the Trojan horses, which he had taken from Eneus when
Speaker 1: Apollo bore him out of the fight. Next to him,
Speaker 1: yellow haired Menelaeus, son of Atreus, rose and yoked his
Speaker 1: fleet horses, Agamemnon's mare Ethi and his own horse, Podagus.
Speaker 1: The mayor had been given to Agamemnon by Akepelus, son
Speaker 1: of Anchises, that he might not have to follow him
Speaker 1: to Ilius, but might stay at home and take his ease,
Speaker 1: for Jove had endowed him with great wealth, and he
Speaker 1: lived in spacious Sikion. This mayor, all eager for the race,
Speaker 1: did Menelaeus put under the yoke. Fourth in order, Antilochus,
Speaker 1: son to noble Nestor, son of Nelius, made ready his horses.
Speaker 1: These were bred in Pylos, and his father came up
Speaker 1: to him to give him good advice, of which, however,
Speaker 1: he stood in but little need. Antilochus said, Nestor, you
Speaker 1: are young, but Jove and Neptune have loved you well
Speaker 1: and have made you an excellent horseman. I need not
Speaker 1: therefore say much by way of instruction. You are skillful
Speaker 1: at wheeling your horse round the post, but the horses
Speaker 1: themselves are very slow, and it is this that will
Speaker 1: I fear mar your chances. The other drivers know less
Speaker 1: than you do, but their horses are fleeter. Therefore, my
Speaker 1: dear son, see if you cannot hit upon some artifice,
Speaker 1: whereby you may ensure that the prize shall not slip
Speaker 1: through your fingers. The woodman does more by skill than
Speaker 1: by brute force. By skill, the pilot guides his storm
Speaker 1: tossed bark over the sea. And so by skill one
Speaker 1: driver can beat another. If a man go wide in
Speaker 1: rounding this way and that. Whereas a man who knows
Speaker 1: what he is doing may have worse horses, but he
Speaker 1: will keep them well in hand. When he sees the
Speaker 1: doubling post, he knows the precise moment at which to
Speaker 1: pull the rein, and keeps his eye well on the
Speaker 1: man in front of him. I will give you this
Speaker 1: certain token, which cannot escape your notice. There is a
Speaker 1: stump of a dead tree, oak or pine, as it
Speaker 1: may be some six feet above the ground, not yet
Speaker 1: rotted away by rain. It stands at the fork of
Speaker 1: the road. It has two white stones set one on
Speaker 1: each side, and there is a clear course all round it.
Speaker 1: It may have been a monument to someone long since dead,
Speaker 1: or it may have been used as a doubling post
Speaker 1: in days gone by. Now, however, it has been fixed
Speaker 1: on by Achilles as the mark round which the chariots
Speaker 1: shall turn. Hug it as close as you can, But
Speaker 1: as you stand in your chariot, lean over a little
Speaker 1: to the left. Urge on your right hand horse with
Speaker 1: voice and lash, and give him a loose rein. But
Speaker 1: let the left hand horse keep so close in that
Speaker 1: the nave of your wheel shall almost graze the post.
Speaker 1: But mind the stone, or you will wound your horses
Speaker 1: and break your chariot in pieces, which would be sport
Speaker 1: for others, but confusion for yourself. Therefore, my dear son,
Speaker 1: mind well what you are about, For if you can
Speaker 1: be first to round the post, there is no chance
Speaker 1: of anyone giving you the gobi later, not even though
Speaker 1: you had addressed us his horse arian behind you, horse
Speaker 1: which is of divine race, or those of Laomedon which
Speaker 1: are the noblest in this country. When Nestor had made
Speaker 1: an end of counseling his son, he sat down in
Speaker 1: his place, and fifth in order, Mariones got ready his horses.
Speaker 1: They then all mounted their chariots and cast lots. Achilles
Speaker 1: shook the helmet, and the lot of Antilochus, son of Nestor,
Speaker 1: fell out first. Next came that of King Eumelus, and
Speaker 1: after his those of Menelaeus, son of Atreus, and of Meriones.
Speaker 1: The last place fell to the lot of Diomid, son
Speaker 1: of Tydeus, who was the best man of them all.
Speaker 1: They took their places in line. Achilles showed them the
Speaker 1: doubling post round which they were to turn some way
Speaker 1: off upon the plain. Here he stationed his father's follower,
Speaker 1: Phoenix's umpire, to note the running and rep truly. At
Speaker 1: the same instant, they all of them lashed their horses,
Speaker 1: struck them with the reins, and shouted at them with
Speaker 1: all their might. They flew full speed over the plane,
Speaker 1: away from the ships. The dust rose from under them
Speaker 1: as it were a cloud or whirlwind, and their manes
Speaker 1: were all flying in the wind. At one moment, the
Speaker 1: chariot seemed to touch the ground, and then again they
Speaker 1: bounded into the air. The drivers stood erect, and their
Speaker 1: hearts beat fast and furious in their lust of victory.
Speaker 1: Each kept calling on his horses, and the horses scoured
Speaker 1: the plane amid the clouds of dust that they raised.
Speaker 1: It was when they were doing the last part of
Speaker 1: the course, on their way back towards the sea, that
Speaker 1: their pace was strained to the utmost, and it was
Speaker 1: seen what each could do. The horses of the descendant
Speaker 1: of Ferres now took the lead, and close behind them
Speaker 1: came the trojan stallions of Diomedes. They seemed as if
Speaker 1: about to mount Eumulus's chariot, and he could feel the
Speaker 1: warm breath on his back and on his broad shoulders,
Speaker 1: for their heads were close to him as they flew
Speaker 1: over the course. Diomedes would have now passed him, or
Speaker 1: there would have been a dead heat, but Phoebus Apollo,
Speaker 1: to spite him, made him drop his whip. Tears of
Speaker 1: anger fell from his eyes as he saw the mares
Speaker 1: going on faster than ever, while his own horses lost
Speaker 1: ground through his having no whip. Minerva saw the trick
Speaker 1: which Apollo had played, the son of Tydeus, so she
Speaker 1: brought him his whip and put spirit into his horses. Moreover,
Speaker 1: she went after the son of Admetus in a rage,
Speaker 1: and broke his yoke for him. The mares went one
Speaker 1: to one side the course, and the other to the other,
Speaker 1: and the pole was broken against the ground. Eumelus was
Speaker 1: thrown from his chariot close to the wheel. His elbows, mouth,
Speaker 1: and nostrils were all torn, and his forehead was bruised
Speaker 1: above his eyebrows. His eyes filled with tears, and he
Speaker 1: could find no utterance. But the son of Tideus turned
Speaker 1: his horses aside and shot far ahead, for Minerva put
Speaker 1: fresh strength into them and covered Diomedes himself with glory. Menelaeus,
Speaker 1: son of Atreus, came next behind him. But Antilochus called
Speaker 1: to his father's horses. On with you both, he cried,
Speaker 1: and do your very utmost I do not bid you
Speaker 1: try to beat the steeds of the son of Tideus,
Speaker 1: for Minerva has put running into them and has covered
Speaker 1: Diomedes with glory. But you must overtake the horses of
Speaker 1: the son of Atreus and not be left behind, or Ethie,
Speaker 1: who is so fleet, will taunt you Why, my good fellows,
Speaker 1: are you lagging? I tell you, and it shall surely
Speaker 1: be nestor will keep neither of you, but will put
Speaker 1: both of you to the sword if we win any
Speaker 1: the worse a prize through your carelessness. Fly after them
Speaker 1: at your utmost speed. I will hit on a plan
Speaker 1: for passing them in a narrow part of the way,
Speaker 1: and it shall not fail me. They feared the rebuke
Speaker 1: of their master, and for a short space went quicker. Presently,
Speaker 1: Antilochus saw a narrow place where the road had sunk.
Speaker 1: The ground was broken, for the winter's rain had gathered
Speaker 1: and had worn the road so that the whole place
Speaker 1: was deepened. Menelaus was making towards it so as to
Speaker 1: get there first for fear of a fowl, But Antilochus
Speaker 1: turned his horses out of the way and followed him
Speaker 1: a little on one side. The son of Atreus was
Speaker 1: afraid and shouted out, Antilochus, you are driving recklessly. Rain
Speaker 1: in your horses. The road is too narrow here. It
Speaker 1: will be wider soon, and you can pass me. Then
Speaker 1: if you foul my chariot, you may bring both of
Speaker 1: us to a mischief. But Antilochus plied his whip and
Speaker 1: drove faster, as though he had not heard him. They
Speaker 1: went side by side for about as far as a
Speaker 1: young man can hurl a disc from his shoulder when
Speaker 1: he is trying his strength. And then Menelaus's mares drew behind,
Speaker 1: for he left off driving for fear the horses should
Speaker 1: foul one another and upset the chariots. Thus, while pressing
Speaker 1: on in quest of victory, they might both come headlong
Speaker 1: to the ground. Menelaeus then upbraided Antilochus and said, there
Speaker 1: is no greater tricks to living than you are. Go,
Speaker 1: and bad luck go with you. The Achaeans say not, well,
Speaker 1: that you have understanding, and come what may. You shall
Speaker 1: not bear away the prize without sworn protest on my part.
Speaker 1: Then he called on his horses and said to them,
Speaker 1: keep your pace and slacken not. The limbs of the
Speaker 1: other horses will weary sooner than yours, for they are
Speaker 1: neither of them young. The horses feared the rebuke of
Speaker 1: their master and went faster, so that they were soon
Speaker 1: nearly up with the others. Meanwhile, the Achaeans, from their
Speaker 1: seats were watching how the horses went as they scoured
Speaker 1: the plane amid clouds of their own dust I Doomineus,
Speaker 1: captain of the Cretans, was first to make out the running,
Speaker 1: for he was not in the thick of the crowd,
Speaker 1: but stood on the most commanding part of the ground.
Speaker 1: The driver was a long way off, but I Dominius
Speaker 1: could hear him shouting, and could see the foremost horse
Speaker 1: quite plainly, a chestnut with a round white star like
Speaker 1: the moon on its forehead. He stood up and said,
Speaker 1: among the archives, my friends, princes and counselors of the archives,
Speaker 1: can you see the running as well as I can?
Speaker 1: There seems to be another pair in front now, and
Speaker 1: another driver. Those that led off at the start must
Speaker 1: have been disabled out on the plane. I saw them
Speaker 1: at first making their way round the doubling post, But
Speaker 1: now though I searched the plain of Troy, I cannot
Speaker 1: find them. Perhaps the reins fell from the driver's hand,
Speaker 1: so that he lost command of his horses at the
Speaker 1: doubling post and could not turn it. I suppose he
Speaker 1: must have been thrown out there and broken his chariot,
Speaker 1: while his mares have left the course and gone off
Speaker 1: wildly in a panic. Come up and see for yourselves.
Speaker 1: I cannot make out for certain, but the driver seems
Speaker 1: an Aetolian by descent, ruler over the argives brave diomed
Speaker 1: the son of Tideus. Ajax, the son of Oilius, took
Speaker 1: him up rudely and said, I, Dominius, why should you
Speaker 1: be in such a hurry to tell us all about
Speaker 1: it when the mares are still so far out upon
Speaker 1: the plain. You are none of the youngest, nor your
Speaker 1: eyes none of the sharpest, but you are always laying
Speaker 1: down the law. You have no right to do so,
Speaker 1: for there are better men here than you are. Umulus,
Speaker 1: his horses are in front now as they always have been,
Speaker 1: and he is on the chariot holding the reins. The
Speaker 1: captain of the Cretans was angry and answered, Ajax, you
Speaker 1: are an excellent railer, but you have no judgment, and
Speaker 1: are wanting in much else as well, for you have
Speaker 1: a vile temper. I will wager you a tripod or cauldron,
Speaker 1: and Agamemnon's son of Atreus, shall decide whose horses are first.
Speaker 1: You will then know to your cost. Ajax, son of Eulius,
Speaker 1: was for making him an angry answer, and there would
Speaker 1: have been yet further brawling between them, had not Achilles
Speaker 1: risen in his place and said, cease your railing, Ajax,
Speaker 1: and he domineus, it is not You would be scandalized
Speaker 1: if you saw anyone else do the like. Sit down
Speaker 1: and keep your eyes on the horses. They are speeding
Speaker 1: towards the winning post, and will be here directly. You will,
Speaker 1: then both of you know whose horses are first and
Speaker 1: whose come after. As he was speaking, the son of
Speaker 1: Tideus came driving in, plying his whip lustily from his shoulder,
Speaker 1: and his horses stepping high as they flew over the course.
Speaker 1: The sand and grit aianed thick on the driver, and
Speaker 1: the chariot, inlaid with gold and tin, ran close behind
Speaker 1: his fleet horses. There was little trace of wheel marks
Speaker 1: in the fine dust, and the horses came flying in
Speaker 1: at their utmost speed. Diomed stayed them in the middle
Speaker 1: of the crowd, and the sweat from their manes and
Speaker 1: chests fell in streams onto the ground. Forthwith, he sprang
Speaker 1: from his goodly chariot and leaned his whip against his
Speaker 1: horse's yoke. Brave Sthenelus now lost no time, but at
Speaker 1: once brought on the prize and gave the woman and
Speaker 1: the ear handled cauldron to his comrades to take away.
Speaker 1: Then he unyoked the horses. Next after him came in Antilochus,
Speaker 1: of the race of Nelius, who had passed Menelaus by
Speaker 1: a trick, and not by the fleetness of his horses.
Speaker 1: But even so Menelaeus came in as close behind him
Speaker 1: as the wheel is to the horse that draws both
Speaker 1: the chariot and its master. The end hairs of a
Speaker 1: horse's tail touched the tire of the wheel, and there
Speaker 1: is never much space between wheel and horse when the
Speaker 1: chariot is going. Menelaeus was no further than this behind Antilochus.
Speaker 1: Though at first he had been a full disc's throw
Speaker 1: behind him, he had soon caught him up again, for
Speaker 1: Agamemnon's mare Ethie kept pulling stronger and stronger, so that
Speaker 1: if the course had been longer, he would have passed him,
Speaker 1: and there would not even have been a dead heat.
Speaker 1: Idomineus's brave squire Merionis, was about a spear's cast behind Menelaeus.
Speaker 1: His horses were slowest of all, and he was the
Speaker 1: worst driver. Last of them all came the son of Admetus,
Speaker 1: dragging his chariot and driving his horses on in front.
Speaker 1: When Achilles saw him, he was sorry and stood up
Speaker 1: among the argives, saying, the best man is coming in last.
Speaker 1: Let us give him a prize, for it is reasonable.
Speaker 1: He shall have the second, but the first must go
Speaker 1: to the son of Tideous. Thus did he speak, and
Speaker 1: the others all of them applauded his saying and were
Speaker 1: for doing as he had said. But Nestor's son Antilochus
Speaker 1: stood up and claimed his rights from the son of Pelias.
Speaker 1: Achilles said, he, I shall take it much amiss. If
Speaker 1: you do this thing, you would rob me of my prize,
Speaker 1: because you think Eumulus's chariot and horses were thrown out,
Speaker 1: and himself too, good man that he is, he should
Speaker 1: have prayed duly to the immortals. He would not have
Speaker 1: come in fast if he had done so. If you
Speaker 1: are sorry for him, and so choose, you have much
Speaker 1: gold in your tents, with bronze, sheep, cattle and horses.
Speaker 1: Take something from this store if you would have the
Speaker 1: Achaeans speak well of you and give him a better
Speaker 1: prize even than that which you have now offered. But
Speaker 1: I will not give up the mare, and he that
Speaker 1: will fight me for her, let him come on kill.
Speaker 1: Smiled as he heard this, and was pleased with Antilochus,
Speaker 1: who was one of his dearest comrades. So he said, Antilochus,
Speaker 1: if you would have me find Eumulus another prize, I
Speaker 1: will give him the bronze breastplate with a rim of
Speaker 1: tin running all round it, which I took from Asteropius.
Speaker 1: It will be worth much money to him. He bade
Speaker 1: his comrade Automodon bring the breastplate from his tent, and
Speaker 1: he did so. Achilles then gave it over to Eumulus,
Speaker 1: who received it gladly. But Menelaeus got up in a rage.
Speaker 1: Furiously angry with Antilochus. An attendant placed his staff in
Speaker 1: his hands and bade the archives keep silence. The hero
Speaker 1: then addressed them. Antilochus said, he, what is this from you,
Speaker 1: who have been so far blameless? You have made me
Speaker 1: cut a poor figure and balked my horses by flinging
Speaker 1: your own in front of them, though yours are much
Speaker 1: worse than mine are. Therefore, O princes and counselors of
Speaker 1: the argives, judge between us and show no favor lest
Speaker 1: one of the Achaeans, say, Menelaeus has got the mare
Speaker 1: through lying and corruption. His horses were far inferior to Antilochus's,
Speaker 1: but he has greater weight and influence. Nay, I will
Speaker 1: determine the matter myself, and no man will blame me,
Speaker 1: for I shall do what is just. Come here, Antilochus,
Speaker 1: and stand as our custom is, whip in hand before
Speaker 1: your chariot and horses, Lay your hand on your steeds,
Speaker 1: and swear by earth encircling Neptune, that you did not
Speaker 1: purposely and guilefully get in the way of my horses.
Speaker 1: And Antilochus answered, forgive me. I am much younger king, Menelaeus,
Speaker 1: than you are. You stand higher than I do, and
Speaker 1: are the better man of the two. You know how
Speaker 1: easily young men are betrayed into indiscretion. Their tempers are
Speaker 1: more hasty, and they have less judgment. Make due allowances, therefore,
Speaker 1: and bear with me. I will, of my own accord,
Speaker 1: give up the mare that I have won, And if
Speaker 1: you claim any further chattel from my own possessions, I
Speaker 1: would rather yield it to you at once than fall
Speaker 1: from your good graces. Henceforth, and do wrong in the
Speaker 1: sight of heaven. The son of Nestor then took the
Speaker 1: mare and gave her over to Menelaeus, whose anger was
Speaker 1: thus appeased, as when dew falls upon a field of
Speaker 1: ripening corn, and the lands are bristling with the harvest.
Speaker 1: Even so, o, Menelaeus, was your heart made glad within you.
Speaker 1: He turned to Antilochus and said, now, Antilochus, angry though
Speaker 1: I have been, I can give way to you of
Speaker 1: my own free will. You have never been headstrong nor
Speaker 1: ill disposed hitherto, but this time your youth has got
Speaker 1: the better of your judgment. Be careful how you outwit
Speaker 1: your betters. In future. No one else could have brought
Speaker 1: me round so easily, but your good farm, your brother,
Speaker 1: and yourself. Have all of you had infinite trouble on
Speaker 1: my behalf. I therefore yield to your entreaty, and will
Speaker 1: give up the mayor to you mine, though it indeed be.
Speaker 1: The people will thus see that I am neither harsh
Speaker 1: nor vindictive. With this, he gave the mayor over to
Speaker 1: Antilochus's comrade Noemon, and then took the cauldron. Mariones, who
Speaker 1: had come in fourth, carried off the two talents of
Speaker 1: gold and the fifth prize, the two handled urn being unawarded,
Speaker 1: Achilles gave it to Nestor, going up to him among
Speaker 1: the assembled archives, and saying, take this, my good old friend,
Speaker 1: as an heirloom and memorial of the funeral of Patroclus,
Speaker 1: for you shall see him no more among the archives.
Speaker 1: I give you this prize, though you cannot win one.
Speaker 1: You can now neither wrestle nor fight, and cannot enter
Speaker 1: for the javelin match nor foot races, for the hand
Speaker 1: of age has been laid heavily upon you. So saying,
Speaker 1: he gave the urn over to Nestor, who received it gladly,
Speaker 1: and answered, my son, all that you have said is true.
Speaker 1: There is no strength now in my legs and feet,
Speaker 1: nor can I hit out with my hands from either shoulder.
Speaker 1: Would that I were still young and strong as when
Speaker 1: the Apaeans were burying King Amarinsius in Beprasium, and his
Speaker 1: sons offered prizes in his honor. There was then none
Speaker 1: that could vie with me, neither of the Apaeans, nor
Speaker 1: the Pillions themselves, nor the Aetolians in boxing. I overcame Clytomides,
Speaker 1: son of Enops, and in wrestling, and Chius of Pleuron,
Speaker 1: who had come forward against me Iphyclus, was a good runner,
Speaker 1: but I beat him, and through Father with my spear,
Speaker 1: than either Phyleus or Polydorus. In chariot racing alone did
Speaker 1: the two sons of Actor surpass me by crowding their
Speaker 1: horses in front of me, for they were angry at
Speaker 1: the way victory had gone, and at the greater part
Speaker 1: of the prizes remaining in the place in which they
Speaker 1: had been offered. They were twins, and the one kept
Speaker 1: on holding the reins and holding the reins, while the
Speaker 1: other plied the whip. Such was I then, But now
Speaker 1: I must leave these matters to the younger men. I
Speaker 1: must bow before the weight of years. But in those
Speaker 1: days I was eminent among heroes. And now, Sir, go
Speaker 1: on with the funeral contests in honor of your comrade.
Speaker 1: Gladly do I accept this urn, and my heart rejoices
Speaker 1: that you do not forget me, but are ever mindful
Speaker 1: of my good will towards you, and of the respect
Speaker 1: due to me from the Achaeans, for all which may
Speaker 1: the grace of Heaven be vouchsafed you in great abundance
Speaker 1: thereon the son of Pelias, when he had listened to
Speaker 1: all the thanks of Nestor, went about among the concourse
Speaker 1: of the Achaeans, and presently offered prizes for skill in
Speaker 1: the painful art of boxing. He brought out a strong
Speaker 1: mule and made it fast in the middle of the crowd,
Speaker 1: a she mule never yet broken, but six years old,
Speaker 1: when it is hardest of all to break them. This
Speaker 1: was for the victor and for the vanquished. He offered
Speaker 1: a double cup. Then he stood up and said, among
Speaker 1: the argives, son of Atreus, and all other Achaeans, I
Speaker 1: invite our two champion boxers to lay about them lustily
Speaker 1: and compete for these prizes. He to whom Apollo vouchsafes
Speaker 1: the greater endurance, and whom the Achaeans acknowledge as victor,
Speaker 1: shall take the mule back with him to his own tent,
Speaker 1: while he that is vanquished shall have the double cup.
Speaker 1: As he spoke, there stood up a champion, both brave
Speaker 1: and great stature, a skillful boxer, Epeus, son of Panopeus.
Speaker 1: He laid his hand on the mule and said, let
Speaker 1: the man who is to have the cup come hither,
Speaker 1: for none but myself will take the mule. I am
Speaker 1: the best boxer of all here press, and none can
Speaker 1: beat me. Is it not enough that I should fall
Speaker 1: short of you in actual fighting? Still, no man can
Speaker 1: be good at everything. I tell you plainly, and it
Speaker 1: shall come true. If any man will box with me,
Speaker 1: I will bruise his body and break his bones. Therefore,
Speaker 1: let his friends stay here in a body, and be
Speaker 1: at hand to take him away when I have done
Speaker 1: with him. They all held their peace, and no man
Speaker 1: rose save Euryalus, son of Mechistius, who was son of Talus.
Speaker 1: Mechistius went once to Thebes after the fall of Oedipus
Speaker 1: to attend his funeral, and he beat all the people
Speaker 1: of Cadmus, the son of Tideus, was Euryalus's second, cheering
Speaker 1: him on and hoping heartily that he would win. First,
Speaker 1: he put a waistband round him, and then he gave
Speaker 1: him some well cut thongs of ox hide. The two men,
Speaker 1: being now girt, went into the middle of the ring,
Speaker 1: and immediately fell to heavily. Indeed did they punish one
Speaker 1: another and lay about them with their brawny fists. One
Speaker 1: could hear the horrid crashing of their jaws and they
Speaker 1: sweated from every pore of their skin. Presently, Epeus came
Speaker 1: on and gave Euryalus a blow on the jaw. As
Speaker 1: he was looking round. Uryalus could not keep his legs.
Speaker 1: They gave way under him in a moment, and he
Speaker 1: sprang up with a bound as a fish leaps into
Speaker 1: the air near some shore that is all bestrewn with
Speaker 1: sea rack. When Boreas furs the top of the waves
Speaker 1: and then falls back into deep water. But noble Epeus
Speaker 1: caught hold of him and raised him up. His comrades
Speaker 1: also came round him and led him from the ring,
Speaker 1: unsteady in his gait, his head hanging on one side,
Speaker 1: and spitting great clots of gore. They set him down
Speaker 1: in a swoon, and then went to fetch the double cup.
Speaker 1: The son of Peleas now brought out the prizes for
Speaker 1: the third contest and showed them to the Argives. These
Speaker 1: were for the painful art of wrestling. For the winner,
Speaker 1: there was a great tripod ready for setting upon the fire,
Speaker 1: and the Achaeans valued it among themselves at twelve oxen.
Speaker 1: For the loser, he brought out a woman skilled in
Speaker 1: all manner of arts, and they valued her at four oxen.
Speaker 1: He rose and said, among the argives, stand forward you
Speaker 1: who will essay this contest. Forthwith uprose great Ajax, the
Speaker 1: son of Telemon, and crafty Ulysses, full of wiles rose also.
Speaker 1: The two girded themselves and went into the middle of
Speaker 1: the ring. They gripped each other in their strong hands,
Speaker 1: like the rafters which some master builder frames for the
Speaker 1: roof of a high house to keep the wind out.
Speaker 1: Their backbones cracked as they tugged at one another with
Speaker 1: their mighty arms, and sweat rained from them in torrents.
Speaker 1: Many a bloody wheel sprang up on their sides and shoulders,
Speaker 1: but they care on, striving with might and main for
Speaker 1: victory and to win the tripod. Ulysses could not throw Ajax,
Speaker 1: nor Ajax him. Ulysses was too strong for him. But
Speaker 1: when the Achaeans began to tire of watching them, Ajax
Speaker 1: said to Ulysses, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, you shall
Speaker 1: either lift me or I you, and let Jove settle
Speaker 1: it between us. He lifted him from the ground as
Speaker 1: he spoke, But Ulysses did not forget his cunning. He
Speaker 1: hit Ajax in the hollow at back of his knee,
Speaker 1: so that he could not keep his feet, but fell
Speaker 1: on his back, with Ulysses lying upon his chest, and
Speaker 1: all who saw it marveled. Then Ulysses in turn lifted
Speaker 1: Ajax and stirred him a little from the ground, but
Speaker 1: could not lift him right off it. His knee sank
Speaker 1: under him, and the two fell side by side on
Speaker 1: the ground, and were all begrimed with dust. They now
Speaker 1: sprang towards one another, and were for wrestling yet a
Speaker 1: third time. But Achilles rose and stayed them put not
Speaker 1: each other. Further, said he, to such cruel suffering, the
Speaker 1: victory is with both alike. Take each of you an
Speaker 1: equal prize, and let the other Achaeans now compete. Thus
Speaker 1: did he speak, and they did even as he had said,
Speaker 1: and put on their shirts again, after wiping the dust
Speaker 1: from off their bodies. The son of Pelias then offered
Speaker 1: prizes for speed in running a mixing bowl. Beautifully wrought
Speaker 1: of pure silver. It would hold six measures and far
Speaker 1: exceeded all others in the whole world for beauty. It
Speaker 1: was the work of cunning artifices in Sidon, and had
Speaker 1: been brought into port by Phoenicians from beyond the sea,
Speaker 1: who had made a present of it to Thoas Eueneus,
Speaker 1: son of Jason, had given it to Patroclus in ransom
Speaker 1: of Priam's son ly Chaon, and Achilles now offered it
Speaker 1: as a prize in honor of his co read to
Speaker 1: him who should be the swiftest runner. For the second prize,
Speaker 1: he offered a large ox, well fattened, while for the
Speaker 1: last there was to be half a talent of gold.
Speaker 1: He then rose and said, among the argives, stand forward
Speaker 1: you who will essay this contest forthwith uprose fleet Ajax,
Speaker 1: son of Eulaeus, with cunning Ulysses, and Nestor's son Antilochus,
Speaker 1: the fastest runner among all the youth of his time.
Speaker 1: They stood side by side, and Achilles showed them the goal.
Speaker 1: The course was set out for them from the starting post,
Speaker 1: and the son of Oelias took the lead at once,
Speaker 1: with Ulysses as close behind him as the shuttle is
Speaker 1: to a woman's bosom when she throws the woof across
Speaker 1: the warp and holds it close up to her. Even
Speaker 1: so close behind him was Ulysses, treading in his footprints
Speaker 1: before the dust could settle there, and Ajax could feel
Speaker 1: his breath on the back of his head as he
Speaker 1: ran swiftly on The Achaeans all shouted applause as they
Speaker 1: saw him straining his utmost, and cheered him as he
Speaker 1: shot past them. But when they were now nearing the
Speaker 1: end of the course, Ulysses prayed inwardly to Minerva. Hear me,
Speaker 1: he cried, and help my feet, O, Goddess. Thus did
Speaker 1: he pray, and Pallas Minerva heard his prayer. She made
Speaker 1: his hands and his feet feel light. And when the
Speaker 1: runners were at the point of pouncing upon the prize, Ajax,
Speaker 1: through Minerva's spite, slipped upon some offal that was lying
Speaker 1: there from the cattle which Achilles had slaughtered in honor
Speaker 1: of Patroclus, and his mouth and nostrils were all filled
Speaker 1: with cow dung. Ulysses therefore carried off the mixing bowl,
Speaker 1: for he got before Ajax and came in first. But
Speaker 1: Ajax took the ox and stood with his hand on
Speaker 1: one of its horns, spitting the dung out of his mouth.
Speaker 1: Then he said to the Argives, alas the goddess has
Speaker 1: spoiled my running, she watches over Ulysses and stands by
Speaker 1: him as though she were his own mother. Thus did
Speaker 1: he speak, and they all of them laughed heartily. Antilochus
Speaker 1: carried off the last prize and smiled as he said
Speaker 1: to the bystanders, you all see, my friends, that now
Speaker 1: too the gods have shown their respect for seniority. Ajax
Speaker 1: is somewhat older than I am, and as for Ulysses,
Speaker 1: he belongs to an earlier generation. But he is hail
Speaker 1: in spite of his years, and no man of the
Speaker 1: Achaeans can run against him, save only Achilles. He said
Speaker 1: this to pay a compliment to the son of Pelias,
Speaker 1: and Achilles answered Antilochus, you shall not have praised me
Speaker 1: to no purpose. I shall give you an additional half
Speaker 1: talent of gold. He then gave the half talent to Antilochus,
Speaker 1: who received it gladly. Then the son of Pelias brought
Speaker 1: out the spear, helmet, and shield that had been born
Speaker 1: by Sarpadon and were taken from him by Patroclus. He
Speaker 1: stood up and said, among the argives, we bid two champions.
Speaker 1: Put on their armor, take their keen blades, and make
Speaker 1: trial of one another in the presence of the multitude.
Speaker 1: Whichever of them can first wound the flesh of the other,
Speaker 1: cut through his armor, and draw blood to him. Will
Speaker 1: I give this goodly Thracian sword inlaid with silver, which
Speaker 1: I took from Astropaeus. But the armor. Let both hold
Speaker 1: in partnership, and I will give each of them a
Speaker 1: hearty meal in my own tent. Forthwith uprose great Ajax,
Speaker 1: the son of telemann As, also mighty Diomed, son of Tedeus.
Speaker 1: When they had put on their armour, each on his
Speaker 1: own side of the ring, they both went into the middle,
Speaker 1: eager to engage, and with fire flashing from their eyes.
Speaker 1: The Achaeans marveled as they beheld them, And when the
Speaker 1: two were now close up with one another, thrice did
Speaker 1: they spring forward, and thrice try to strike each other.
Speaker 1: In close combat, Jacks pierced Diomed's round shield, but did
Speaker 1: not draw blood, for the cuirass beneath the shield protected him. Thereon,
Speaker 1: the son of Tidius, from over his huge shield, kept
Speaker 1: aiming continually at Ajax's neck with the point of his spear,
Speaker 1: and the Achaeans, alarmed for his safety, bade them leave
Speaker 1: off fighting and divide the prize between them. Achilles then
Speaker 1: gave the great sword to the son of Tidius, with
Speaker 1: its scabbard and the leathern belt with which to hang it.
Speaker 1: Achilles next offered the massive iron coit which mighty Echian
Speaker 1: had arewhile been used to hurl until Achilles had slain him,
Speaker 1: and carried it off in his ships, along with other spoils.
Speaker 1: He stood up and said, among the argives, stand forward
Speaker 1: you who would essay this contest. He who wins it
Speaker 1: will have a store of iron that will last him
Speaker 1: five years as they go rolling round. And if his
Speaker 1: fair fields lie far from a town, his shepherd or
Speaker 1: plowman will not have to make a journey to buy iron,
Speaker 1: for he will have a stock of it on his
Speaker 1: own premises. Then uprose the two mighty men, Polypotes and Leonteus,
Speaker 1: with Ajax, son of Telemon, and noble Epeus. They stood up,
Speaker 1: one after the other, and Epeus took the quoit, whirled it,
Speaker 1: and flung it from him, which set all the Achaeans
Speaker 1: laughing after him. Through Leonteus of the race of Mars, Ajax,
Speaker 1: son of Telemon, threw third and sent the quoit beyond
Speaker 1: any mark that had been made yet. But when mighty
Speaker 1: Polypoetes took the quoit. He hurled it as though it
Speaker 1: had been a stockman's stick, which he sends flying about
Speaker 1: among his cattle when he is driving them. So far
Speaker 1: did his throw out distance those of the others. All
Speaker 1: who saw it roared applause, and his comrades carried the
Speaker 1: prize for him and set it on board his ship.
Speaker 1: Achilles next offered a prize of iron for archery, ten
Speaker 1: double edged axes and ten with single eddies. He set
Speaker 1: up a ship's mast some way off upon the sands,
Speaker 1: and with a fine string tied a pigeon to it
Speaker 1: by the foot. This was what they were to aim at. Whoever,
Speaker 1: he said, can hit the pigeon shall have all the
Speaker 1: axes and take them away with him. He who hits
Speaker 1: the string without hitting the bird will have taken a
Speaker 1: worse aim, and shall have the single edged axes. Then
Speaker 1: up rose King Teusa and Marione's, the stalwart squire of
Speaker 1: Idomineus rose also. They cast lots in a bronze helmet,
Speaker 1: and the lot of Tusa fell first. He let fly
Speaker 1: with his arrow forthwith, but he did not promise. Hecatombs
Speaker 1: of firstling lambs to King Apollo, and missed his bird,
Speaker 1: for Apollo foiled his aim, but he hit the string
Speaker 1: with which the bird was tied near its foot. The
Speaker 1: arrow cut the string clean through, so that it hung
Speaker 1: down towards the ground, while the bird flew up into
Speaker 1: the sky, and the Achaeans shouted applause. Merionis, who had
Speaker 1: his arrow ready while Teusa was aiming, snatched the bow
Speaker 1: out of his hand, and at once promised that he
Speaker 1: would sacrifice a hecatomb of firstling lambs to Apollo, lord
Speaker 1: of the Bow. Then, espying the pigeon high up under
Speaker 1: the clouds, he hit her in the middle of the
Speaker 1: wing as she was circling upwards. The arrow went clean
Speaker 1: through the wing and fixed itself in the ground at
Speaker 1: Merionus's feet. But the bird perched on the ship's mast,
Speaker 1: hanging her head, and with all her feathers drooping, the
Speaker 1: life went out of her, and she fell heavily from
Speaker 1: the mast. Mariones therefore took all ten double edged axes,
Speaker 1: while Tusa bore off the single edged ones to his ships.
Speaker 1: Then the son of Pelias brought in a spear and
Speaker 1: a cauldron that had never been on the fire. It
Speaker 1: was worth an ox, and was chased with a pattern
Speaker 1: of flowers, and those that throw the javelin stood up
Speaker 1: to wit the son of Atreus, King of Men, Agamemnon,
Speaker 1: and Meriones, stalwart squire of Idomineus. But Achilles spoke, saying,
Speaker 1: son of a tray, we know how far you excel
Speaker 1: all others, both in power and in throwing the javelin.
Speaker 1: Take the cauldron back with you to your ships. But
Speaker 1: if it so please you, let us give the spear
Speaker 1: to Meriones. This, at least is what I should myself wish.
Speaker 1: King Agamemnon assented, so he gave the bronze spear to
Speaker 1: Meriones and handed the goodly cauldron to Telphibius, his esquire,