Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Nay, but ye will yet refrain you
from battle, for as eager as ye be. O father Zeus, verily they say that
thou dost excel in wisdom all others, both gods and men, and all these
things are from thee. How wondrously art thou favouring men of
violence, even the Trojans, whose might is ever iniquitous, nor can
they have their fill of the din of equal war. Of all things there is
satiety, yea, even of love and sleep, and of sweet song, and dance
delectable, whereof a man would sooner have his fill than of war, but
the Trojans are insatiable of battle.”
Thus noble Menelaos spake, and stripped the bloody arms from the body,
and gave them to his comrades, and instantly himself went forth again,
and mingled in the forefront of the battle. Then Harpalion, the son of
king Pylaimenes, leaped out against him, Harpalion that followed his
dear father to Troy, to the war, nor ever came again to his own
country. He then smote the middle of the shield of Atreus’ son with his
spear, in close fight, yet availed not to drive the bronze clean
through, but fell back into the host of his comrades, avoiding Fate,
glancing round every way, lest one should wound his flesh with the
bronze. But Meriones shot at him as he retreated with a bronze-shod
arrow, and smote him in the right buttock, and the arrow went right
through the bladder and came out under the bone. And sitting down, even
there, in the arms of his dear comrades, he breathed away his soul,
lying stretched like a worm on the earth, and out flowed the black
blood, and wetted the ground. And the Paphlagonians great of heart,
tended him busily, and set him in a chariot, and drove him to sacred
Ilios sorrowing, and with them went his father, shedding tears, and
there was no atonement for his dead son.
Now Paris was very wroth at heart by reason of his slaying, for he had
been his host among the many Paphlagonions, wherefore, in wrath for his
sake, he let fly a bronze-shod arrow. Now there was a certain Euchenor,
the son of Polyidos the seer, a rich man and a good, whose dwelling was
in Corinth. And well he knew his own ruinous fate, when he went on
ship-board, for often would the old man, the good Polyidos, tell him,
that he must either perish of a sore disease in his halls, or go with
the ships of the Achaians, and be overcome by the Trojans. Wherefore he
avoided at once the heavy war-fine of the Achaians, and the hateful
disease, that so he might not know any anguish. This man did Paris
smite beneath the jaw and under the ear, and swiftly his spirit
departed from his limbs, and, lo, dread darkness overshadowed him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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