The Iliads of Homer Translated according to the Greek · Homer
ANOTHER ARGUMENT
If ye intend surprise Of any in our Trojan camps, the Thracian quarter lies Utmost of all, and uncommix’d with Trojan regiments, That keep the voluntary watch. New pitch’d are all their tents. King Rhesus, Eioneus’ son, commands them, who hath steeds More white than snow, huge, and well-shap’d, their fi’ry pace exceeds The winds in swiftness; these I saw; his chariot is with gold And pallid silver richly fram’d, and wondrous to behold; His great and golden armour is not fit a man should wear, But for immortal shoulders fram’d. Come then, and quickly bear Your happy pris’ner to your fleet; or leave him here fast bound, Till your well-urg’d and rich return prove my relation sound.” Tydides dreadfully replied: “Think not of passage thus, Though of right acceptable news thou hast advértised us, Our hands are holds more strict than so; and should we set thee free For offer’d ransom, for this ’scape thou still wouldst scouting be About our ships, or do us scathe in plain opposed arms, But, if I take thy life, no way can we repent thy harms.” With this, as Dolon reach’d his hand to use a suppliant’s part, And stroke the beard of Diomed, he strook his neck athwart With his forc’d sword, and both the nerves he did in sunder wound, And suddenly his head, deceiv’d, fell speaking on the ground. His weasel’s helm they took, his bow, his wolf’s skin, and his lance, Which to Minerva Ithacus did zealously advance, With lifted arm into the air; and to her thus he spake: “Goddess, triumph in thine own spoils; to thee we first will make Our invocations, of all pow’rs thron’d on th’ Olympian hill; Now to the Thracians, and their horse, and beds, conduct us still.”
With this, he hung them up aloft upon a tamrick bough As eyeful trophies, and the sprigs that did about it grow He proinéd from the leafy arms, to make it easier view’d When they should hastily retire, and be perhaps pursu’d, Forth went they through black blood and arms, and presently aspir’d The guardless Thracian regiment, fast bound with sleep, and tir’d; Their arms lay by, and triple ranks they, as they slept, did keep, As they should watch and guard their king, who, in a fatal sleep, Lay in the midst; their chariot horse, as they coach-fellows were, Fed by them; and the famous steeds, that did their gen’ral bear, Stood next him, to the hinder part of his rich chariot tied. Ulysses saw them first, and said, “Tydides, I have spied The horse that Dolon, whom we slew, assur’d us we should see. Now use thy strength; now idle arms are most unfit for thee; Prise thou the horse; or kill the guard, and leave the horse to me.” Minerva, with the azure eyes, breath’d strength into her king, Who filled the tent with mixéd death. The souls, he set on wing, Issu’d in groans, and made air swell into her stormy flood. Horror and slaughter had one pow’r, the earth did blush with blood.
As when a hungry lion flies, with purpose to devour, On flocks unkept, and on their lives doth freely use his pow’r; So Tydeus’ son assail’d the foe; twelve souls before him flew; Ulysses waited on his sword, and ever as he slew, He drew them by their strengthless heels out of the horses’ sight. That, when he was to lead them forth, they should not with affright Boggle, nor snore, in treading on the bloody carcasses; For being new come, they were unus’d to such stern sights as these. Through four ranks now did Diomed the king himself attain, Who, snoring in his sweetest sleep, was like his soldiers slain. An ill dream by Minerva sent that night stood by his head, Which was Oenides’ royal, unconquer’d Diomed. Meanwhile Ulysses loos’d his horse, took all their reins in hand, And led them forth; but Tydeus’ son did in contention stand With his great mind to do some deed of more audacity; If he should take the chariot, where his rich arms did lie, And draw it by the beam away, or bear it on his back, Or if, of more dull Thracian lives, he should their bosoms sack.
In this contention with himself, Minerva did suggest And bade him think of his retreat; lest from their tempted rest Some other God should stir the foe, and send him back dismay’d. He knew the voice, took horse, and fled. The Trojan’s heav’nly aid, Apollo with the silver bow, stood no blind sentinel To their secure and drowsy host, but did discover well Minerva following Diomed; and, angry with his act, The mighty host of Ilion he enter’d, and awak’d The cousin-german of the king, a counsellor of Thrace, Hippocoon; who when he rose, and saw the desert place, Where Rhesus’ horse did use to stand, and th’ other dismal harms, Men struggling with the pangs of death, he shriek’d out thick alarms, Call’d “Rhesus! Rhesus!” but in vain; then still, “Arm! Arm!” he cried. The noise and tumult was extreme on every startled side Of Troy’s huge host; from whence in throngs all gather’d, and admir’d Who could perform such harmful facts, and yet be safe retir’d, Now, coming where they slew the scout, Ulysses stay’d the steeds, Tydides lighted, and the spoils, hung on the tamrick reeds, He took and gave to Ithacus, and up he got again. Then flew they joyful to their fleet.
Nestor did first attain The sounds the horse-hoofs strook through air, and said: “My royal peers! Do I but dote, or say I true? Methinks about mine ears The sounds of running horses beat. O would to God they were Our friends thus soon return’d with spoils! But I have hearty fear, Lest this high tumult of the foe doth their distress intend.” He scarce had spoke, when they were come. Both did from horse descend. All, with embraces and sweet words, to heav’n their worth did raise. Then Nestor spake: “Great Ithacus, ev’n heap’d with Grecian praise, How have you made these horse your prise? Pierc’d you the dang’rous host, Where such gems stand? Or did some God your high attempts accost, And honour’d you with this reward? Why, they be like the rays The sun effuseth. I have mix’d with Trojans all my days; And now, I hope you will not say, I always lie aboard, Though an old soldier I confess; yet did all Troy afford Never the like to any sense that ever I possess’d. But some good God, no doubt, hath met, and your high valours bless’d, For He that shadows heav’n with clouds loves both as his delights, And She that supples earth with blood cannot forbear your sights.”
Ulysses answer’d: “Honour’d sire, the willing Gods can give Horse much more worth than these men yield, since in more pow’r they live. These horse are of the Thracian breed; their king, Tydides slew, And twelve of his most trusted guard; and of that meaner crew A scout for thirteenth man we kill’d, whom Hector sent to spy The whole estate of our designs, if bent to fight or fly.” Thus, follow’d with whole troops of friends, they with applauses pass’d The spacious dike, and in the tent of Diomed they plac’d The horse without contention, as his deserving’s meed, Which, with his other horse set up, on yellow wheat did feed. Poor Dolon’s spoils Ulysses had; who shrin’d them on his stern, As trophies vow’d to her that sent the good-aboding hern. Then enter’d they the mere main sea, to cleanse their honour’d sweat From off their feet, their thighs and necks; and, when their vehement heat Was calm’d, and their swoln hearts refresh’d, more curious baths they us’d, Where od’rous and dissolving oils, they through their limbs diffus’d. Then, taking breakfast, a big bowl, fill’d with the purest wine, They offer’d to the Maiden Queen, that hath the azure eyne. [1] These are the lightnings before snow, etc. that Scaliger’s Criticus so unworthily taxeth; citing the place falsely, as in the third book’s annotations, etc.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.