Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
“O friends, whoever of the Greeks is excelling, or moderate, or
inferior (since all men are not alike in war), now is there work for
all; and ye yourselves, I ween, know this. Let not any one be turned
back towards the ships, hearing the threatener [Hector], but advance
onwards, and exhort each other, if perchance Olympic Jove, the darter
of lightning, may grant that, having repulsed the conflict, we may
pursue the enemy to the city.”
Thus they, shouting in front, cheered on the attack of the Greeks. But
of them—as when frequent flakes of snow fall upon a winter’s day, when
provident Jove has begun to snow, displaying his weapons in the sight
of men, and, having lulled the winds, pours it down incessantly, till
he covers the tops and highest peaks of the lofty mountains, and the
lotus plains and rich husbandry of men: and likewise it is poured out
upon the havens and shores of the hoary sea; but the approaching wave
restrains its progress, whilst all other things are covered beneath it,
when the shower of Jove comes down heavily; so flew the frequent stones
from those hurling on both sides, some indeed towards the Trojans, and
others from the Trojans towards the Greeks. And along the whole wall a
tumult arose.
Yet never would the Trojans and illustrious Hector have burst open the
gates of the wall, and the long bolt, had not provident Jove urged on
his son, Sarpedon, against the Greeks, like a lion against
crooked-horned oxen. But he immediately held before him his shield,
equal on all sides, beautiful, brazen, plated; which the brazier indeed
had plated over, and underneath had sewed together thick bulls’ hides,
with successive golden wires round its orb. He then, holding this
before him, advanced, brandishing two spears, like a lion reared in the
mountains, which hath been long in want of flesh, and whose valiant
mind impels him to go even to the well-fenced fold, about to make an
attempt upon the sheep. And although he there find the shepherds
keeping watch about their flocks with dogs and spears, still he cannot
bear to be driven away, without having made trial of the fold, but,
springing in, he either carries [one] off, or is himself wounded among
the first by a javelin from a quick hand. Thus then did his mind impel
godlike Sarpedon to attack the wall, and to burst through the barriers;
and instantly he addressed Glaucus, son of Hippolochus:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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