Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
“Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
By angels many and strong, who interposed
Defence, while others bore him on their shields
Back to his chariot, where it stood retired
From off the files of war; there they him laid,
Gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame.”
But when now they came to the ford of the rapid-flowing current of
eddying Xanthus, whom immortal Jove begat, there they removed him from
his car to the ground, and poured water over him; but he breathed
again, and looked up with his eyes; and, sitting upon his knees,
disgorged black blood. Again he fell back upon the ground, and dark
night overshadowed his eyes; for the blow still subdued his spirits.
But when the Greeks saw Hector going apart, they pressed the more on
the Trojans, and were mindful of contest. Then swift Oïlean Ajax before
others, leaping forward with his fir-tree spear, wounded Satnius, son
of Enops, whom a Naiad, the fairest nymph, bore to Enops, when keeping
his flocks by the banks of Satnio. Him the spear-renowned son of
Oïleus, drawing near, wounded in the flank; but he fell supine, and
round him the Trojans and Greeks engaged in a valiant battle. But to
him spear-brandishing Polydamas, son of Panthous, came as an avenger,
and smote Prothoënor, son of Areïlochus, upon the right shoulder. The
tough spear passed on through his shoulder, but falling in the dust, he
grasped the earth with his hand. And Polydamas boasted mightily over
him, shouting aloud:
“I do not think, indeed, that the weapon hath fled vainly from the
sturdy hand of the magnanimous son of Panthous, but some one of the
Greeks has received it in his body; and I think that he, leaning upon
it, will descend to the mansion of Pluto.”
Thus he spoke, but grief arose among the Greeks at his boasting, and
particularly agitated the mind of warlike Ajax, the son of Telamon, for
he had fallen very near him; and he immediately hurled with his shining
spear at him departing. Polydamas himself indeed avoided black fate,
springing off obliquely; but Archilochus, son of Antenor, received [the
blow], for to him the gods had doomed destruction. Him then he struck
upon the last vertebra, in the joining of the head and neck, and he
disjoined both tendons; but the head, the mouth, and the nostrils of
him falling, met the ground much sooner than his legs and knees. Then
Ajax in turn cried out to blameless Polydamas:
“Reflect, O Polydamas, and tell me the truth; is not this man worthy to
be slain in exchange of Prothoënor? He appears not to me indeed a
coward, nor [sprung] from cowards, but [to be] the brother or the son
of horse-breaking Antenor, for he seems most like him as to his race.”
Thus he spoke, well knowing [him], but grief possessed the minds of the
Trojans. Then Acamas, stalking round his brother, wounded with his
spear Promachus, the Bœotian; whilst he was dragging him off by the
feet. But over him Acamas greatly boasted, calling out aloud:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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