Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
“Alas! far-ruling Earth-shaker, dost thou not in thy soul pity the
perishing Greeks? But they bring thee many and grateful gifts to Helice
and Ægæ. Do thou, therefore, will to them the victory. For if we were
willing, as many of us as are assistants to the Greeks, to repulse the
Trojans and restrain far-sounding Jove, then might he grieve sitting
alone there on Ida.”
But her king Neptune, greatly excited, thus addressed: “Juno, petulant
270 in speech, what hast thou said? I would not wish, indeed, that we,
the other gods, should fight with Saturnian Jove, since he is by far
most powerful.”
Footnote 270: (return) Compare the phrase καθάπτεσθαι επεεσσιν.—Od.
ii. 240. Suidas: Απτοεπής’ απτόητος εν τᾤ λέγειν. Apollon. Lex. p. 188:
“Απτωτε, ή απτόητε τοις λόγοις, ή καθαπτομενη δια των λόγων.”
Thus indeed were they holding such converse with each other. But
whatever space before the ships the trench belonging to the tower
enclosed, was filled with horses and shielded men crowded together. 271
But Hector, the son of Priam, equal to swift Mars, had crowded them
thus, when Jupiter awarded him glory. And now would he have burned the
equal ships with blazing fire, had not venerable Juno put it into the
soul of Agamemnon, himself actively engaged, briskly to urge on the
Greeks. He therefore hastened to go along the tents and ships of the
Greeks, holding in his stout hand his great purple robe. But in the
huge black ship of Ulysses he stood, which was in the midst, that he
might shout audibly to either side, as well to the tent of Telamonian
Ajax, as to that of Achilles, for they had drawn up their equal ships
at the extremities of the line, relying on their valour and the
strength of their hands. Then he shouted distinctly, calling upon the
Greeks:
“Shame! ye Greeks, foul subjects of disgrace! gallant in form [alone]!
Where are those boastings gone, when we professed ourselves the
bravest; those which, once in Lemnos, vain braggarts! ye did utter,
eating much flesh of horned oxen, and drinking-goblets crowned with
wine, 272 that each would in battle be equivalent to a hundred and even
two hundred of the Trojans? But now, indeed, we are not equal to Hector
alone, who shortly will burn our ships with flaming fire. Ο father
Jove, hast thou indeed ever yet afflicted with such destruction any one
of mighty kings, and so deprived him of high renown? And yet I say that
I never passed by thy fair altar in my many-benched ship, coming here
with ill luck. 273 But on all I burned the fat of oxen and the thighs,
desiring to sack well-walled Troy. But, Ο Jove, accomplish for me this
vow, at least permit us to escape and get away; nor suffer the Greeks
to be thus subdued by the Trojans.”
Footnote 271: (return) Observe that των belongs to ίππων and ανδρών,
and that όσον εκ νηών από πύργου τάφρος εεργε, means that “the space
between the rampart and the sea was enclosed.” Από does not govern
πυργου, but is compounded with εεργε.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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