The Iliad

by Homer

Fall back and call the finest fighters here, and then we must discuss our course of action— whether we should attack their splendid galleys, and hope some god will grant success to us, 980 or go back home while we are still uninjured.

“Pathetic Paris! Womanizer! Cheat! You are the very best at looking pretty! 770 Where are Deiphobus and Helenus and Adamas, the son of Asius, and Asius the son of Hyrtacus? And where is Othryoneus? Tall Troy is totally destroyed from top to bottom! Now certainly your death is guaranteed!”

With these words, Hector led his people forward. They followed with a terrifying roar, and all the troops who marched behind him shouted. And on the other side, the Greeks responded with roars and shouts. They had not lost their courage. They stood their ground against the Trojan champions, advancing, and the noise from both the armies rose up towards the shining rays of Zeus.

Your strategy will ruin us, commander.”

Therefore, I tell you now, forget your anger about your son. There have been and will be 140 others whose strength and skill are more than his, and it is difficult to save all humans, no matter what their lineage or birth.”

“Great father Zeus, remember long ago, 500 in Greece, amid the fertile fields of wheat, if any one of us made prayers to you, and burned fat thighs of cattle or of sheep, and asked you for a safe return from war, and you agreed, and promised with your nod, remember those things now, Olympian, and save us from the day of devastation, and do not let the Trojans beat the Greeks as they are doing now!”

Who knows? My words may stir his angry heart 540 perhaps, if some divinity is with us. Persuasion from a friend can be effective.”

As tight as when 410 a skillful carpenter who knows his craft, thanks to the inspiration of Athena, 550 pulls taut a cord to cut the timber straight to build a ship—so evenly the rope of battle stretched between the warring sides.

The aid of Zeus 490 can easily be recognized by humans. 650 We see to whom he grants the greatest glory, and whom he brings down low and will not save. So now, the god is weakening the Greeks and helping us. Now all of you together keep fighting by the ships. If you are wounded by flying arrows or a thrusting sword and meet your death and destiny—so be it! Die! You will suffer no disgrace in dying to save your fatherland. In future times, your wife and children will be safe, your household 660 and land will be undamaged—if the Greeks sail home to their own country.”

“My friends, be men, and place inside your hearts respect and reverence for one another, no matter how intense the fighting gets. Those who respect and care for one another are usually not killed. They may survive. But those who run away receive no glory, 750 and no assistance on the battlefield.”

And yet the fighters’ attitudes were different. The Greeks expected death. They did not think 700 they could survive this terrible disaster, 920 while every Trojan in his heart believed that they would burn the ships and kill the Greeks. And with these thoughts, they faced and fought each other.

And Ajax impaled them with his massive spear, and slaughtered twelve Trojans in close combat by the fleet.

But agony afflicts a person’s mind whenever somebody with greater power 70 wants to deprive an equal of his trophy. That is the pain, the horror I endure, because my heart has suffered from this anguish.

and there his brothers, family, and neighbors can mourn him with a funeral mound and gravestone. This is the prize of honor due the dead.”

just so, Sarpedon, leader of Lycian warriors with shields, 490 defeated by Patroclus, struggled hard against his death, and told the friend he loved, “Sweet Glaucus, best of warriors, you must, now more than ever, be a brave, strong fighter. Now you must go in search of evil war, if you are quick and keen. Rush round and gather the Lycian leaders, urge them all to fight for me, Sarpedon. Fight for me yourself, 630 with your bronze spear, or it will cause you shame forever, if the Greeks despoil my armor 500 now I have fallen near their ships in battle. Be strong, be brave, and urge the others on!”

fighting. Constantly 810 he kept his gaze upon them and considered how to arrange the slaughter of Patroclus. Should glorious Hector kill him then and there in the fierce battle for godlike Sarpedon, 650 and strip the arms and armor from his body? Or should more people suffer, toil, and grieve? After consideration, he decided that fine Patroclus, comrade of Achilles, should drive the Trojans, led by bronze-armed Hector, back to the city and take many lives.

But the plans of Zeus are always stronger than the plans of men.

would have died beneath my spear. But cruel destiny, and Leto’s son, Apollo, killed me, and my human killer, 850 Euphorbus. You were third to slaughter me.

The battle cost the Greeks some loss of blood, although far fewer died because they always 470 kept close to one another in the throng and saved each other’s lives.

If only conflict were eliminated from gods and human beings! I wish anger did not exist.

If I am doomed to die like him, so be it. I will lie dead, but let me win great glory.

At dawn tomorrow, when the sun comes up, I will bring you a beautiful set of armor, forged by the god Hephaestus.”

He may achieve great victory, or I will. Ares is with us all, and kills the killer.”

And Agamemnon, son of Atreus, you must treat people better in the future. A lord who picks a fight need not be blamed, if he can make amends.”

Then swift-footed Lord Achilles would have killed even more Paeonians, but then the swirling river, in a fury, spoke to him, taking on a human form, and from his eddying depths called out, 280 “Achilles, you are more powerful than other men, more capable of doing dreadful harm.

“So die! And I will welcome my own death whenever Zeus and other deathless gods decide to end my life.”

Let it be later that I lose my life: Sarpedon’s courage is demonstrated by the fact that he prays not to avoid death entirely, but to avoid an unheroic death in which his corpse would be desecrated—a motif comparable to the famous moment in which Telamonian Ajax prays not for life, but to fight and die in the light (17.831).