Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Then the rest of the Trojans and the far-famed allies obeyed the
counsel of blameless Polydamas, but Asios, son of Hyrtakos, leader of
men, willed not to leave his horses there, and his squire the
charioteer, but with them he drew near the swift ships, fond man! for
never was he, avoiding evil Fates, to return, rejoicing in his horses
and chariot, back from the ships to windy Ilios. Nay, ere that the Fate
of ill name overshadowed him, by the spear of Idomeneus, the haughty
son of Deukalion. For Asios went against the left flank of the ships,
whereby the Achaians returned out of the plain with chariots and
horses: there he drave through his horses and his car, nor found he the
doors shut on the gates, and the long bar, but men were holding them
open if perchance they might save any of their comrades fleeing out of
the battle towards the ships. Straight thereby held he his horses with
unswerving aim, and his men followed him, crying shrilly, for they
deemed that the Achaians could no longer hold them off, but that
themselves would fall on the black ships: fools, for in the gates they
found two men of the bravest, the high-hearted sons of the warrior
Lapithae, one the son of Peirithoos, strong Polypoites, and one
Leonteus, peer of Ares the bane of men. These twain stood in front of
the lofty gates, like high-crested oak trees in the hills, that for
ever abide the wind and rain, firm fixed with roots great and long;
even so these twain, trusting to the mightiness of their hands, abode
the coming of great Asios, and fled not. But straight came the Trojans
against the well-builded wall, holding their shields of dry bulls’ hide
on high, with mighty clamour, round the prince Asios, and Iamenos, and
Orestes, and Adamas, son of Asios, and Thoon, and Oinomaos. But the
other twain for a while, being within the wall, urged the well-greaved
Achaians to fight for the ships; but when they saw the Trojans
assailing the wall, while the Danaans cried and turned in flight, then
forth rushed the twain, and fought in front of the gates like wild
boars that in the mountains abide the assailing crew of men and dogs,
and charging on either flank they crush the wood around them, cutting
it at the root, and the clatter of their tusks waxes loud, till one
smite them and take their life away: so clattered the bright bronze on
the breasts of the twain, as they were smitten in close fight, for
right hardily they fought, trusting to the host above them, and to
their own strength.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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