Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Footnote 272: (return) Cf. Buttm. Lexil. p. 292, sqq. who has,
however, been long since anticipated by Paschal. de Coron. i. 4.
Footnote 273: (return) Schol. Έρρων, επί φθορ παοαγενόμενος. See
Alberti on Hesych, s. v. t. i. p. 1445. So, also, Apollon. p. 364: Έπΐ
φθορᾴ πορενόμενος.
Thus he said: and the Sire 274 pitied him weeping, and granted to him
that the army should be safe, and not perish. And forthwith he sent an
eagle, the most perfect 275 of birds, holding a fawn in his talons, the
offspring of a swift deer: and near the very beauteous altar of Jove he
cast down the fawn, where the Greeks were sacrificing to Panomphæan 276
Jove.
When, therefore, they saw that the bird had come from Jove, they rushed
the more against the Trojans, and were mindful of battle. Then none of
the Greeks, numerous as they were, could have boasted that he had
driven his swift steeds before Diomede, and urged them beyond the
ditch, and fought against [the enemy]; for far the first he slew a
helmeted Trojan hero, Agelaus, son of Phradmon. He, indeed, was turning
his horses for flight; but as he was turning, Diomede fixed his spear
in his back, between his shoulders, and drove it through his breast. He
fell from his chariot, and his arms rattled upon him. After him the
sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus; after them the Ajaces, clad in
impetuous valour; after them, Idomeneus and Meriones, the armour-bearer
of Idomeneus, equal to man-slaughtering Mars; and after them Eurypylus,
the illustrious son of Evæmon. Teucer came the ninth, stretching his
bent 277 bow, and stood under the shield of Telamonian Ajax. Then Ajax,
indeed, kept moving the shield aside, and the hero looking around, when
shooting, he had hit any one in the crowd, the one 278 falling there,
lost his life. But he 279 retiring like a child to his mother,
sheltered himself beneath Ajax, and he covered him with his splendid
shield. Then what Trojan first did blameless Teucer slay? Orsilochus
first, and Ormenus, and Ophelestes, and Dætor, and Chromius, and
godlike Lycophontes, and Amopaon, son of Polyæmon, and Melanippus—all,
one after the other, he stretched upon the bounteous earth. But
Agamemnon, king of men, rejoiced at seeing him destroying the phalanxes
of the Trojans with his stout bow. And advancing near him he stood, and
thus addressed him:
Footnote 274: (return) See my note on Æsch. Prom. p. 3, n. 3, ed.
Bohn.
Footnote 275: (return) _I. e_. with reference to augury. Hesych. p.
1360, explains it by επιτελεστικώτατον (see Alberti). The eagle is said
to have foretold Jove’s own sovereignty, and hence to have been placed
among the constellations. Cf. Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 16; Eratosthen.
Catast. 30; Serv. on Æn. ix. 564.
Footnote 276: (return) So called, as being the author of all augury.
Footnote 277: (return) _I. e_. prepared for action.
Footnote 278: (return) _I. e_. the wounded man.
Footnote 279: (return) Teucer.
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