The Iliads of Homer: Translated according to the GreekHomer
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The Iliads of Homer: Translated according to the Greek
Homer
Achilles (Mythological character) -- Poetry; Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War -- Poetry
As that small part he seiz’d outweigh’d all th’ under limbs, and strook
His heels up, so that head and face the earth’s possessions took,
When all the low parts sprung in air; and thus did Ajax quit
Panthœdes’ brave: “Now, Panthus’ son, let thy prophetic wit
Consider, and disclose a truth, if this man do not weigh
Ev’n with Prothenor. I conceive, no one of you will say
That either he was base himself, or sprung of any base;
Antenor’s brother, or his son, he should be by his face;
One of his race, past question, his likeness shows he is,”
This spake he, knowing it well enough. The Trojans storm’d at this,
And then slew Acamas, to save his brother yet engag’d,
Bœotius, dragging him to spoil; and thus the Greeks enrag’d:
“O Greeks, ev’n born to bear our darts, yet ever breathing threats,
Not always under tears and toils ye see our fortune sweats,
But sometimes you drop under death. See now your quick among
Our dead, intranc’d with my weak lance, to prove I have ere long
Reveng’d my brother. ’Tis the wish of ev’ry honest man
His brother, slain in Mars’s field, may rest wreak’d in his fane.”
This stirr’d fresh envy in the Greeks, but urg’d Peneleus most,
Who hurl’d his lance at Acamas; he ’scap’d; nor yet it lost
The force he gave it, for it found the flock-rich Phorbas’ son,
Ilionëus, whose dear sire, past all in Ilion,
Was lov’d of Hermes, and enrich’d, and to him only bore
His mother this now slaughter’d man. The dart did undergore
His eye-lid, by his eye’s dear roots, and out the apple fell,
The eye pierc’d through. Nor could the nerve that stays the neck repell
His strong-wing’d lance, but neck and all gave way, and down he
dropp’d.
Peneleus then unsheath’d his sword, and from the shoulders chopp’d
His luckless head; which down he threw, the helm still sticking on,
And still the lance fix’d in his eye; which not to see alone
Contented him, but up again he snatch’d, and show’d it all,
With this stern brave: “Ilians, relate brave Ilionëus’ fall
To his kind parents, that their roofs their tears may overrun;
For so the house of Promachus, and Alegenor’s son,
Must with his wife’s eyes overflow, she never seeing more
Her dear lord, though we tell his death, when to our native shore
We bring from ruin’d Troy our fleet, and men so long forgone.”
This said, and seen, pale fear possess’d all those of Ilion,
And ev’ry man cast round his eye to see where death was not,
That he might fly him. Let not then his grac’d hand be forgot,
O Muses, you that dwell in heav’n, that first imbru’d the field
With Trojan spoil, when Neptune thus had made their irons yield.
First Ajax Telamonius the Mysian captain slew,
Great Hyrtius Gyrtiades. Antilochus o’erthrew
Phalces and Mermer, to their spoil. Meriones gave end
To Morys and Hyppotion. Teucer to fate did send
Prothoon and Periphetes. Atrides’ jav’lin chac’d
Duke Hyperenor, wounding him in that part that is plac’d
Betwixt the short ribs and the bones, that to the triple gut
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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