Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
But Aurora was rising from her couch, from beside glorious Tithonus,
that she might bear light to immortals and to mortals, when Jove sent
forth fell Discord to the swift ships of the Greeks, bearing in her
hands the portent of war. And she stood upon the huge 359 black ship of
Ulysses, which was in the centre, to shout to both sides, as well to
the tents of Telamonian Ajax, as to those of Achilles; who had both
drawn up their equal ships at the very extremities, relying on their
valour and strength of hands. There standing, the goddess shouted both
loudly and terribly, in Orthian strain, 360 to the Greeks, and
implanted mighty strength in the heart of each, to war and fight
incessantly. And immediately war became more sweet to them, than to
return in the hollow ships to their dear fatherland. Then the son of
Atreus shouted aloud, and ordered the Greeks to be girded; and arrayed
himself, putting on his shining armour. First he put upon his legs his
beautiful greaves, fitted with silver clasps; next he placed around his
breast a corslet which Cinyras once gave him, to be a pledge of
hospitality. For a great rumour was heard at Cyprus, that the Greeks
were about to sail to Troy in ships: wherefore he gave him this,
gratifying the king. Ten bars indeed [of the corslet] were of dark
cyanus 361, twelve of gold, and twenty of tin; and three serpents of
cyanus stretched towards the neck on each side, like unto rainbows,
which the son of Saturn hath fixed in a cloud 362, a sign to
articulate-speaking men. Then around his shoulders he hung his sword,
on which glittered golden studs; and a silver scabbard enclosed it,
fitted with golden rings. Next he took up his shield, mortal-covering
363, variously wrought, strong, beautiful, around which were ten brazen
orbs. Upon it were twenty white bosses of tin, and in the midst was
[one] of dark cyanus. On it a grim-visaged Gorgon was placed as an
ornament, looking horribly, and around [were] Terror and Flight. The
belt was of silver, but round it a snake of cyanus was twisted, and
there were three heads entwined, springing from one neck. Upon his head
also he placed his helmet, adorned with studs on all sides, having four
bosses, crested with horse-hair, and dreadfully nodded the tuft from
above. He then took two strong spears, tipped with brass, sharp; and
the brass of them glittered afar, even to heaven: and Minerva and Juno
thundered above, honouring the king of Mycenæ, rich in gold.
Then indeed each gave orders to his own charioteer to hold there his
horses in good order by the fosse; whilst they themselves on foot 364,
arrayed with their armour, rushed forth; and an inextinguishable
clamour arose before morning. And they 365 were marshalled in the
foreground with the cavalry at the trench; the cavalry followed at a
little interval; but the son of Saturn aroused a dreadful tumult, and
sent down dew-drops, moist with blood, from the air above, because he
was about to hurl many brave souls on to Hades.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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