Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Footnote 415: (return) Τὸ γεγονὸς ἀμάρτημα: Schol. For the
metaphorical use of άκεσταί, cf. Soph. Ant. 1026. Ὅστις ἐς κακὸν εσὼν
ἀκεῖται μηδ’ ἀκίνητος πέλει So εὐιατότερος διὰ τὸ μεταπεισθῆναι ἄν,
Aristot. Eth. vii. 2.
Thus then Neptune, exhorting, aroused the Greeks. But round the two
Ajaces firm phalanxes stood, which not even Mars, coming amongst them,
would have found fault with, nor Minerva, the confounder of armies; for
the bravest selected awaited the Trojans and noble Hector; knitting
spear with spear, shield with shield, 416 one upon another, 417 so that
shield pressed upon shield, helmet upon helmet, and man upon man. And
the horse-haired helmets of them, nodding, touched each other with
their splendid ridges, 418 so closely stood they to one another; and
spears in the act of being hurled, were brandishing from their daring
hands, whilst they wished [to go] straight [against the enemy], and
were eager to fight. But the combined Trojans first made the attack,
and impetuous Hector first rushed against them: as a
destructively-rolling stone from a rock, which a wintry torrent drives
down the brow, having burst with a mighty shower the stays of the
rugged rock, and bounding along, it rolls, and the forest resounds
beneath it: but straightway it runs on uninterruptedly until it reach
the plain, but then it rolls no longer, though impelled; so Hector for
a while threatened that he would easily come as far as the sea, to the
tents and ships of the Greeks, slaughtering. But when now he met the
firm phalanxes, he stopped, being come into close contact; and the sons
of the Greeks, opposing, repulsed him from them, striking him with
their swords and two-edged spears; but retiring, he was compelled to
withdraw; and he cried out shouting audibly to the Trojans:
“Ye Trojans and Lycians, and close-fighting Dardanians, stand firm. Not
long will the Greeks withstand me, although they have drawn themselves
up in very dense array. 419 But, I conceive, they will retire from my
spear, if in truth the most powerful of the gods, the high-thundering
husband of Juno, hath urged me on.”
Footnote 416: (return) See the learned remarks of Duport, p. 76, sq.
To quote parallel passages would be endless.
Footnote 417: (return) Literally, “from the roots.” So
οίχεται—προθελυμνα, Tryphiodor. 388. Cf. Alberti on Hesych. t. ii. p.
1029; Apoll. Lex. p. 676.
Footnote 418: (return) See Buttm. Lexil. p. 523. The φάλος formed a
socket for the plume.
Footnote 419: (return) Lit. “tower-wise,” forming a solid square.
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