Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Thus then did some one of the Greeks and Trojans say; but she like a
hero entered the host of the Trojans, the brave warrior Laodocus, son
of Antenor, seeking godlike Pandarus, if anywhere she might find him.
She found the blameless and valiant son of Lycaon standing, and around
him the brave ranks of shielded warriors, who had followed him from the
streams of Æsepus; and standing near, she thus to him spoke winged
words:
“Wouldst thou now hearken to me in anything, O warlike son of Lycaon?
Thou wouldst venture then to aim a swift arrow at Menelaus. Doubtless
thou wouldst bear away both thanks and glory from all the Trojans, but
of all, chiefly from the prince Alexander, from whom, indeed, first of
all, thou wouldst receive splendid gifts, if he should see martial
Menelaus, the son of Atreus, subdued by this weapon, ascending the sad
pile. But come, aim an arrow at renowned Menelaus; and vow to
Lycian-born 173 Apollo, the renowned archer, that thou wilt sacrifice a
splendid hecatomb of firstling lambs, having returned home to the city
of sacred Zeleia.”
Footnote 173: (return) This is probably the true interpretation, and
is given by the Scholiast, Hesychius, and others. But Heraclides,
Alleg. § 6, says that Apollo is so called επειδη του κατα την ορθριον
ωραν λυκαυγους εστιν αιτιοι, η οτι λυκαζαντα γεννα, τουτεστι τον
ενιαυτον. Cf. Macrob. Sat. i. 17; Serv. on Æn. iv. 377.
Thus spoke Minerva, and she persuaded his mind for him, unthinking one.
Straightway he uncased his well-polished bow, made from [the horn of] a
wild, bounding goat, which he indeed surprising once on a time in
ambush, as it was coming out of a cavern, struck, aiming at it beneath
the breast; but it fell supine on the rock. Its horns had grown sixteen
palms from its head; and these the horn-polishing artist, having duly
prepared, fitted together, and when he had well smoothed all, added a
golden tip. And having bent the bow, he aptly lowered it, having
inclined it against the ground; but his excellent companions held their
shields before him, lest the martial sons of the Greeks should rise
against him, before warlike Menelaus, the chief of the Greeks, was
wounded. Then he drew off the cover of his quiver, and took out an
arrow, fresh, winged, a cause of gloomy ills. Forthwith he fitted the
bitter arrow to the string, and vowed to Lycian-born Apollo, the
renowned archer, that he would sacrifice a splendid hecatomb of
firstling lambs, having returned home to the city of sacred Zeleia.
Having seized them, he drew together the notch [of the arrow] and the
ox-hide string; the string, indeed, he brought near to his breast, and
the barb to the bow. But after he had bent the great bow into a circle,
the bow twanged, the bowstring rang loudly, and the sharp-pointed shaft
bounded forth, impatient to wing its flight through the host.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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