Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
So in the huts the strong son of Menoitios was tending the wounded
Eurypylos, but still they fought confusedly, the Argives and Trojans.
Nor were the fosse of the Danaans and their wide wall above, long to
protect them, the wall they had builded for defence of the ships, and
the fosse they had drawn round about; for neither had they given goodly
hecatombs to the gods, that it might guard with its bounds their swift
ships, and rich spoil. Nay, maugre the deathless gods was it builded,
wherefore it abode steadfast for no long time. While Hector yet lived,
and yet Achilles kept his wrath, and unsacked was the city of Priam the
king, so long the great wall of the Achaians likewise abode steadfast.
But when all the bravest of the Trojans died, and many of the
Argives,—some were taken, and some were left,—and the city of Priam was
sacked in the tenth year, and the Argives had gone back in their ships
to their own dear country, then verily did Poseidon and Apollo take
counsel to wash away the wall, bringing in the might of the rivers, of
all that flow from the hills of Ida to the sea. Rhesos there was, and
Heptaporos, and Karesos, and Rhodios, Grenikos, and Aisepos, and goodly
Skamandros, and Simoeis, whereby many shields and helms fell in the
dust, and the generation of men half divine; the mouths of all these
waters did Phoebus Apollo turn together, and for nine days he drave
their stream against the wall; and still Zeus rained unceasingly, that
the quicker he might mingle the wall with the salt sea. And the Shaker
of the earth, with his trident in his hands, was himself the leader,
and sent forth into the waves all the foundations of beams and stones
that the Achaians had laid with toil, and made all smooth by the strong
current of the Hellespont, and covered again the great beach with sand,
when he had swept away the wall, and turned the rivers back to flow in
their channel, where of old they poured down their fair flow of water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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