Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
He spake, and reached forth with his hands, but clasped him not; for
like a vapour the spirit was gone beneath the earth with a faint
shriek. And Achilles sprang up marvelling, and smote his hands
together, and spake a word of woe: “Ay me, there remaineth then even in
the house of Hades a spirit and phantom of the dead, albeit the life be
not anywise therein: for all night long hath the spirit of hapless
Patroklos stood over me, wailing and making moan, and charged me
everything that I should do, and wondrous like his living self it
seemed.”
Thus said he, and stirred in all of them yearning to make lament; and
rosy-fingered Morn shone forth on them while they still made moan
around the piteous corpse. Then lord Agamemnon sped mules and men from
all the huts to fetch wood; and a man of valour watched thereover, even
Meriones, squire of kindly Idomeneus. And they went forth with
wood-cutting axes in their hands and well-woven ropes, and before them
went the mules, and uphill and downhill and sideways and across they
went. But when they came to the spurs of many-fountained Ida,
straightway they set them lustily to hew high-foliaged oaks with the
long-edged bronze, and with loud noise fell the trees. Then splitting
them asunder the Achaians bound them behind the mules, and they tore up
the earth with their feet as they made for the plain through the thick
underwood. And all the wood-cutters bare logs; for thus bade Meriones,
squire of kindly Idomeneus. And on the Shore they threw them down in
line, where Achilles purposed a mighty tomb for Patroklos and for
himself.
Then when they had laid down all about great piles of wood, they sate
them down all together and abode. Then straightway Achilles bade the
warlike Myrmidons gird on their arms and each yoke the horses to his
chariot; and they arose and put their armour on, and mounted their
chariots, both fighting men and charioteers. In front were the men in
chariots, and a cloud of footmen followed after, numberless; and in the
midst his comrades bare Patroklos. And they heaped all the corpse with
their hair that they cut off and threw thereon; and behind did goodly
Achilles bear the head, sorrowing; for a noble comrade was he speeding
forth unto the realm of Hades.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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