Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
So long as morning was, and the sacred day still waxed, so long did the
shafts of both hosts strike, and the folk fell, but about the hour when
a woodman maketh ready his meal, in the dells of a mountain, when he
hath tired his hands with felling tall trees, and weariness cometh on
his soul, and desire of sweet food taketh his heart, even then the
Danaans by their valour brake the battalions, and called on their
comrades through the lines. And in rushed Agamemnon first of all, and
slew a man, even Bienor, shepherd of the hosts, first himself, and next
his comrade Oïleus, the charioteer. He verily leaped from the chariot
and stood and faced Agamemnon, but the king smote the brow of him with
the sharp spear as he came eagerly on, and his vizor heavy with bronze
held not off the spear, but through vizor and bone it sped, and the
brain within was all scattered, and so was Oïleus overcome despite his
eagerness.
And them did Agamemnon king of men leave in that place, with their
breasts gleaming, when he had stripped them of their corslets, and he
went on to destroy Isos and Antiphos, two sons of Priam, one born in
wedlock, the other a bastard, and both were in one chariot: the bastard
held the reins, but renowned Antiphos was fighting by him. These twain
did Achilles on the spurs of Ida once bind with fresh withes, taking
them as they herded the sheep, and he ransomed them for a price. But
now Agamemnon, son of Atreus, of the wide domain, smote Isos on the
breast, above the nipple, with his spear, but Antiphos he struck hard
by the ear, with the sword, and dashed him from the chariot. Then made
he haste, and stripped from them their goodly harness, well knowing who
they were, for he had seen them before beside the fleet ships when
swift-footed Achilles led them from Ida. And as a lion easily crusheth
the young fawns of a swift hind, when that he hath seized them in his
strong teeth, and hath come to their lair, and taketh their tender life
away,—and the hind, even if she chance to be near at hand, cannot help
them, for on herself too cometh dread terror, and swiftly she speedeth
through the thick coppice and the woodland, hasting and sweating before
the onslaught of the mighty beast,—even so not one of the Trojans did
avail to save them from their bane, but themselves were fleeing in fear
before the Argives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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