Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
But as when, at the mouths 555 of a river flowing from Jove, the great
wave roars against the stream, while around the lofty shores resound,
the wave being ejected [upon the beach], with so loud a clamour did the
Trojans advance: but the Greeks stood round the son of Menœtius, having
one spirit, protected by their brazen shields; whilst over their
shining helmets the son of Saturn poured a thick haze; for he did not
formerly hate the son of Menœtius when, being alive, he was the
attendant of Achilles, therefore he was loth that he should become a
prey to the Trojan dogs of the enemy; and so he excited his companions
to defend him. The Trojans, however, first dislodged the dark-eyed
Greeks, and they, leaving the dead body, retreated; nor did the
magnanimous Trojans slay any of them with their spears, although
desirous, but drew off the body. But the Greeks were about to be absent
from him a very short while, for very quickly did Ajax rally them, who,
next to the renowned son of Peleus, excelled the other Greeks in beauty
and in deeds. And he broke through the front ranks, resembling a wild
boar in strength, which amongst the mountains easily disperses the dogs
and blooming youths through the woods, turning to bay; so the son of
illustrious Telamon, noble Ajax, having made the attack, easily routed
the phalanxes of the Trojans who had surrounded Patroclus, and mostly
expected to drag him to their city, and bear away glory. Meanwhile
Hippothous, the illustrious son of Pelasgian Lethus, was dragging him
by the foot through the violent conflict, having bound him with a strap
at the ancle round the tendons, gratifying Hector and the Trojans. But
soon came evil upon him, which no one, even of those desiring it,
averted from him. Him the son of Telamon, rushing through the crowd,
smote in close fight through the brazen-cheeked helmet. The
horse-haired helmet was cleft by the point of the weapon, stricken by
the great spear and strong hand; and the brain, bloody, gushed out of
the wound at the cone of the helmet; 556 and his strength was there
relaxed. Then he let fall from his hands the foot of magnanimous
Patroclus, to lie upon the earth, and near him he himself fell, prone
upon the dead body, far away from fertile Larissa: nor did he repay the
debt of nourishment to his beloved parents, for his life was short,
subdued by the spear of magnanimous Ajax. But Hector again aimed at
Ajax with his shining spear; he, however, seeing it opposite, avoided
the brazen spear by a little; but he struck Schedius, the magnanimous
son of Iphitus, by far the bravest of the Phoceans, who inhabited
dwellings in renowned Panopëus, ruling over many men. Him he smote
under the middle of the clavicle, and the brazen point of the weapon
went quite through, near the extremity of the shoulder. Falling, he
made a crash, and his arms rang upon him. Then Ajax again smote warlike
Phorcys, the son of Phænops, in the middle of the belly, while
defending Hippothous.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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