Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
“O Pandarus, where are thy bow and thy winged shafts, and thy renown,
with which no man here at least contends with thee, nor does any person
in Lycia boast to be braver than thou? But come, having raised thy
hands to Jove, aim an arrow against this man, (whoever he be, who is
thus prevailing, and who has already wrought many ills against the
Trojans, since he has relaxed the knees of many and of brave), unless
he be some god, wrathful against the Trojans, angry on account of
sacrifices [not offered]: and unless the severe wrath of a deity be
upon us.”
Him the illustrious son of Lycaon answered in turn: “Æneas, counsellor
of the brazen-mailed Trojans, I assimilate him in all respects to the
warlike son of Tydeus, recognizing him by his shield and oblong helmet,
and looking on his steeds: but I do not know certainly whether he be a
god. But if this man, whom I speak of, be the warlike son of Tydeus, he
does not perform these frantic deeds without divine aid, but some one
of the immortals stands near, wrapped round as to his shoulders 204 in
a cloud, who has turned into another course the swift shaft just about
to hit him. For but just now I aimed an arrow at him, and struck him on
the right shoulder, entirely through the cavity of his corslet; and I
thought I should hurl him down to Pluto; yet did I not altogether
subdue him; some god, of a truth, is wrathful. And steeds and chariots
are not present, which I might ascend: but somewhere in the palaces of
Lycaon [are] eleven chariots, beautiful, newly-built, lately made:
coverings are spread around them: and beside each of them stand steeds
yoked in pairs, eating white barley and wheat. Of a truth the aged
warrior Lycaon gave me, on setting out, very many commands in his
well-built palaces: he ordered me, having ascended my steeds and my
chariot, to command the Trojans in the fierce conflicts; but I heeded
him not (and truly it would have been much better), sparing my steeds,
lest they, accustomed to feed largely, should want food, to my cost, 205
the men being shut up [in the city]. Thus I left them; but I have come
on foot to Troy, relying on my bow and arrows, but these were not
destined to profit me. For lately I aimed [a shaft] at two chiefs, at
the son of Tydeus and the son of Atreus; and having struck, I drew
blood manifestly from both; but I roused them the more. Therefore, with
evil fate I took down my curved bow from the peg, on that day when I
led the Trojans to pleasant Ilium, doing a favour to divine Hector. But
if I shall return, and shall with these eyes behold my country, and my
wife, and my lofty-roofed great palace, immediately may some hostile
man cut off my head, if I do not put this bow into the shining fire,
having broken it with my hands; for it attends on me to no purpose.”
Footnote 204: (return) Cf. Hor. Od. i. 2, 31: “Nube candentes humeros
amictus.”
Footnote 205: (return) Observe the force of μοι.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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