Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
But at the hour when the Morning star goeth forth to herald light upon
the earth, the star that saffron-mantled Dawn cometh after, and
spreadeth over the salt sea, then grew the burning faint, and the flame
died down. And the Winds went back again to betake them home over the
Thracian main, and it roared with a violent swell. Then the son of
Peleus turned away from the burning and lay down wearied, and sweet
sleep leapt on him. But they who were with Atreus’ son gathered all
together, and the noise and clash of their approach aroused him; and he
sate upright and spake a word to them: “Son of Atreus and ye other
chiefs of the Achaians, first quench with gleaming wine all the burning
so far as the fire’s strength hath reached, and then let us gather up
the bones of Patroklos, Menoitios’ son, singling them well, and easy
are they to discern, for he lay in the middle of the pyre, while the
rest apart at the edge burnt-confusedly, horses and men. And his bones
let us put within a golden urn, and double-folded fat, until that I
myself be hidden in Hades. But no huge barrow I bid you toil to raise—a
seemly one, no more: then afterward do ye Achaians build it broad and
high, whosoever of you after I am gone may be left in the benched
ships.”
Thus spake he, and they hearkened to the fleet-footed son of Peleus.
First quenched they with gleaming wine the burning so far as the flame
went, and the ash had settled deep: then with lamentation they gathered
up the white bones of their gentle comrade into a golden urn and
double-folded fat, and placed the urn in the hut and covered it with a
linen veil. And they marked the circle of the barrow, and set the
foundations thereof around the pyre, and straightway heaped thereon a
heap of earth. Then when they had heaped up the barrow they were for
going back. But Achilles stayed the folk in that place, and made them
sit in wide assembly, and from his ships he brought forth prizes,
caldrons and tripods, and horses and mules and strong oxen, and
fair-girdled women, and grey iron.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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