The Iliad

by Homer

Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing! That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain; [pg 002] Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore, Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore. 41 Since great Achilles and Atrides strove, Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove! 42 Declare, O Muse! in what ill-fated hour 43 Sprung the fierce strife, from what offended power Latona's son a dire contagion spread, 44 And heap'd the camp with mountains of the dead; The king of men his reverent priest defied, 45 And for the king's offence the people died.

For I must speak what wisdom would conceal, And truths, invidious to the great, reveal, Bold is the task, when subjects, grown too wise, Instruct a monarch where his error lies; For though we deem the short-lived fury past, 'Tis sure the mighty will revenge at last."

Thine in each conquest is the wealthy prey, Though mine the sweat and danger of the day.

Haste, launch thy vessels, fly with speed away; Rule thy own realms with arbitrary sway; I heed thee not, but prize at equal rate Thy short-lived friendship, and thy groundless hate. Go, threat thy earth-born Myrmidons:—but here 56 'Tis mine to threaten, prince, and thine to fear.

"O monster! mix'd of insolence and fear, Thou dog in forehead, but in heart a deer! When wert thou known in ambush'd fights to dare, Or nobly face the horrid front of war? 'Tis ours, the chance of fighting fields to try; Thine to look on, and bid the valiant die: So much 'tis safer through the camp to go, And rob a subject, than despoil a foe. Scourge of thy people, violent and base! Sent in Jove's anger on a slavish race; Who, lost to sense of generous freedom past, Are tamed to wrongs;—or this had been thy last.

Go, lest the haughty partner of my sway With jealous eyes thy close access survey; But part in peace, secure thy prayer is sped: Witness the sacred honours of our head, The nod that ratifies the will divine, The faithful, fix'd, irrevocable sign; This seals thy suit, and this fulfils thy vows—" He spoke, and awful bends his sable brows, 70 Shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod, The stamp of fate and sanction of the god: High heaven with trembling the dread signal took, And all Olympus to the centre shook.

But if a clamorous vile plebeian rose, Him with reproof he check'd or tamed with blows. "Be still, thou slave, and to thy betters yield; Unknown alike in council and in field! Ye gods, what dastards would our host command! Swept to the war, the lumber of a land. Be silent, wretch, and think not here allow'd That worst of tyrants, an usurping crowd. To one sole monarch Jove commits the sway; His are the laws, and him let all obey." 86 With words like these the troops Ulysses ruled, The loudest silenced, and the fiercest cool'd.

Thersites only clamour'd in the throng, Loquacious, loud, and turbulent of tongue: Awed by no shame, by no respect controll'd, In scandal busy, in reproaches bold: With witty malice studious to defame, Scorn all his joy, and laughter all his aim:— But chief he gloried with licentious style To lash the great, and monarchs to revile. His figure such as might his soul proclaim; One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame: His mountain shoulders half his breast o'erspread, Thin hairs bestrew'd his long misshapen head. Spleen to mankind his envious heart possess'd, And much he hated all, but most the best: Ulysses or Achilles still his theme; But royal scandal his delight supreme, Long had he lived the scorn of every Greek, Vex'd when he spoke, yet still they heard him speak.

"Peace, factious monster, born to vex the state, With wrangling talents form'd for foul debate: Curb that impetuous tongue, nor rashly vain, And singly mad, asperse the sovereign reign. Have we not known thee, slave! of all our host, The man who acts the least, upbraids the most?

Rise, great Atrides! and with courage sway; We march to war, if thou direct the way. But leave the few that dare resist thy laws, The mean deserters of the Grecian cause, To grudge the conquests mighty Jove prepares, And view with envy our successful wars. On that great day, when first the martial train, Big with the fate of Ilion, plough'd the main, Jove, on the right, a prosperous signal sent, And thunder rolling shook the firmament. Encouraged hence, maintain the glorious strife, Till every soldier grasp a Phrygian wife, [pg 036] Till Helen's woes at full revenged appear, And Troy's proud matrons render tear for tear. Before that day, if any Greek invite His country's troops to base, inglorious flight, Stand forth that Greek! and hoist his sail to fly, And die the dastard first, who dreads to die.

The chiefs surround the destined beast, and take The sacred offering of the salted cake: When thus the king prefers his solemn prayer; "O thou! whose thunder rends the clouded air, Who in the heaven of heavens hast fixed thy throne, Supreme of gods! unbounded, and alone! Hear! and before the burning sun descends, Before the night her gloomy veil extends, Low in the dust be laid yon hostile spires, Be Priam's palace sunk in Grecian fires. In Hector's breast be plunged this shining sword, And slaughter'd heroes groan around their lord!" Thus prayed the chief: his unavailing prayer Great Jove refused, and toss'd in empty air: The God averse, while yet the fumes arose, Prepared new toils, and doubled woes on woes.

This said, once more he view'd the warrior train; "What's he, whose arms lie scatter'd on the plain? Broad is his breast, his shoulders larger spread, Though great Atrides overtops his head. Nor yet appear his care and conduct small; From rank to rank he moves, and orders all. The stately ram thus measures o'er the ground, And, master of the flock, surveys them round." Then Helen thus: "Whom your discerning eyes Have singled out, is Ithacus the wise; A barren island boasts his glorious birth; His fame for wisdom fills the spacious earth."

Erect, the Spartan most engaged our view; Ulysses seated, greater reverence drew. When Atreus' son harangued the listening train, Just was his sense, and his expression plain, His words succinct, yet full, without a fault; He spoke no more than just the thing he ought. But when Ulysses rose, in thought profound, 116 His modest eyes he fix'd upon the ground; As one unskill'd or dumb, he seem'd to stand, [pg 058] Nor raised his head, nor stretch'd his sceptred hand; But, when he speaks, what elocution flows! Soft as the fleeces of descending snows, 117 The copious accents fall, with easy art; Melting they fall, and sink into the heart! Wondering we hear, and fix'd in deep surprise, Our ears refute the censure of our eyes."

The wary Trojan, bending from the blow, Eludes the death, and disappoints his foe: But fierce Atrides waved his sword, and strook Full on his casque: the crested helmet shook; The brittle steel, unfaithful to his hand, Broke short: the fragments glitter'd on the sand. The raging warrior to the spacious skies Raised his upbraiding voice and angry eyes: "Then is it vain in Jove himself to trust? And is it thus the gods assist the just? When crimes provoke us, Heaven success denies; The dart falls harmless, and the falchion flies." Furious he said, and towards the Grecian crew (Seized by the crest) the unhappy warrior drew; Struggling he followed, while the embroider'd thong That tied his helmet, dragg'd the chief along. Then had his ruin crown'd Atrides' joy, But Venus trembled for the prince of Troy: Unseen she came, and burst the golden band; And left an empty helmet in his hand.

For me, to lawless love no longer led, I scorn the coward, and detest his bed; Else should I merit everlasting shame, And keen reproach, from every Phrygian dame: Ill suits it now the joys of love to know, Too deep my anguish, and too wild my woe." Then thus incensed, the Paphian queen replies: "Obey the power from whom thy glories rise: Should Venus leave thee, every charm must fly, Fade from thy cheek, and languish in thy eye. Cease to provoke me, lest I make thee more The world's aversion, than their love before; Now the bright prize for which mankind engage, Than, the sad victim, of the public rage." [pg 064] At this, the fairest of her sex obey'd, And veil'd her blushes in a silken shade; Unseen, and silent, from the train she moves, Led by the goddess of the Smiles and Loves.

Forget we now our state and lofty birth; Not titles here, but works, must prove our worth. To labour is the lot of man below; And when Jove gave us life, he gave us woe."

How can I doubt, while great Ulysses stands To lend his counsels and assist our hands? A chief, whose safety is Minerva's care; So famed, so dreadful, in the works of war: Bless'd in his conduct, I no aid require; Wisdom like his might pass through flames of fire." "It fits thee not, before these chiefs of fame, (Replied the sage,) to praise me, or to blame: Praise from a friend, or censure from a foe, Are lost on hearers that our merits know. But let us haste—Night rolls the hours away, The reddening orient shows the coming day, The stars shine fainter on the ethereal plains, And of night's empire but a third remains."

The heroes pray'd, and Pallas from the skies Accords their vow, succeeds their enterprise. Now, like two lions panting for the prey, With dreadful thoughts they trace the dreary way, Through the black horrors of the ensanguined plain, Through dust, through blood, o'er arms, and hills of slain.

Let me, unhappy, to your fleet be borne, [pg 191] Or leave me here, a captive's fate to mourn, In cruel chains, till your return reveal The truth or falsehood of the news I tell." To this Tydides, with a gloomy frown: "Think not to live, though all the truth be shown: Shall we dismiss thee, in some future strife To risk more bravely thy now forfeit life? Or that again our camps thou may'st explore? No—once a traitor, thou betray'st no more." Sternly he spoke, and as the wretch prepared With humble blandishment to stroke his beard, Like lightning swift the wrathful falchion flew, Divides the neck, and cuts the nerves in two; One instant snatch'd his trembling soul to hell, The head, yet speaking, mutter'd as it fell.

Some god, I deem, conferred the glorious prize, Bless'd as ye are, and favourites of the skies; The care of him who bids the thunder roar, And her, whose fury bathes the world with gore." "Father! not so, (sage Ithacus rejoin'd,) The gifts of heaven are of a nobler kind. Of Thracian lineage are the steeds ye view, Whose hostile king the brave Tydides slew; Sleeping he died, with all his guards around, And twelve beside lay gasping on the ground. These other spoils from conquer'd Dolon came, A wretch, whose swiftness was his only fame; By Hector sent our forces to explore, He now lies headless on the sandy shore."

Now from nocturnal sweat and sanguine stain They cleanse their bodies in the neighb'ring main: Then in the polished bath, refresh'd from toil, Their joints they supple with dissolving oil, In due repast indulge the genial hour, And first to Pallas the libations pour: They sit, rejoicing in her aid divine, And the crown'd goblet foams with floods of wine.

Here Hector rages like the force of fire, Vaunts of his gods, and calls high Jove his sire: If yet some heavenly power your breast excite, Breathe in your hearts, and string your arms to fight, Greece yet may live, her threaten'd fleet maintain: And Hector's force, and Jove's own aid, be vain." Then with his sceptre, that the deep controls, He touch'd the chiefs, and steel'd their manly souls: Strength, not their own, the touch divine imparts, [pg 233] Prompts their light limbs, and swells their daring hearts.

Fix'd at his post was each bold Ajax found, With well-ranged squadrons strongly circled round: So close their order, so disposed their fight, As Pallas' self might view with fix'd delight; Or had the god of war inclined his eyes, The god of war had own'd a just surprise. A chosen phalanx, firm, resolved as fate, Descending Hector and his battle wait. An iron scene gleams dreadful o'er the fields, Armour in armour lock'd, and shields in shields, Spears lean on spears, on targets targets throng, Helms stuck to helms, and man drove man along. The floating plumes unnumber'd wave above, As when an earthquake stirs the nodding grove; And levell'd at the skies with pointing rays, Their brandish'd lances at each motion blaze.