The Junior Classics, Volume 3: Tales from Greece and Rome
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 3: Tales from Greece and Rome
Children's literature; Mythology, Classical -- Juvenile literature
And Jupiter said, “This is a piteous sight that I behold. My heart is
grieved for Hector—Hector, who has ever worshipped me with sacrifice,
sometimes on the heights of Ida, and sometimes in the citadel of Troy;
and now the great Achilles is pursuing him round the city of Priam. Come,
ye gods, let us take counsel together. Shall we save him from death, or
let him fall beneath the hand of Achilles?”
Then Minerva said, “What is this that thou sayest, great sire?—to rescue
a man whom fate has appointed to die? Do it, if it be thy will; but we,
the other gods, approve it not.”
Jupiter answered her, “My heart is unwilling; yet I would do thee
pleasure. Be it as thou wilt.”
Then Minerva came down in haste from the top of Olympus, and still Hector
fled and Achilles pursued, just as a dog pursues a fawn upon the hills.
And ever Hector made for the gates, to get shelter beneath the towers,
if haply those that stood upon them might defend him with their spears;
and ever Achilles would get before him, and drive him towards the plain.
So they ran, one making for the city, and the other driving him to the
plain. Just as in a dream, when one seems to fly and another seems to
pursue, and the one cannot escape and the other cannot overtake, so these
two ran together. But as for Hector, Apollo even yet helped him, and gave
him strength and nimble knees, else could he not have held out against
Achilles, who was swiftest of foot among the sons of men.
Now Achilles had beckoned to the Greeks that no man should throw his
spear at Hector, lest, perchance, he should be robbed of his glory. And
when the two came in their running for the fourth time to the springs of
Scamander, Jupiter held out the great balance of doom, and in one scale
he put the fate of Achilles, and in the other the fate of Hector; and lo!
the scale of Hector sank down to the realms of death, and Apollo left him.
Then Minerva lighted down from the air close to Achilles and said, “This,
great Achilles, is our day of glory, for we shall slay Hector, mighty
warrior though he be. For it is his doom to die and Apollo shall not save
him. But stand thou still and take breath, and I will give this man heart
to meet thee in battle.”
So Achilles stood, leaning upon his spear. And Minerva took the shape of
Deïphobus, and came near to Hector and said—
“Achilles presses thee hard, my brother, pursuing thee thus round the
city of Priam. Come, let us make a stand and encounter him.”
Then Hector answered him, “Deïphobus, I always loved thee best of all my
brothers; but now I love thee yet more, for that thou alone, while all
others remained within, hast ventured forth to stand by my side.”
But the false Deïphobus said, “Much did father and mother and all my
comrades beseech me to remain. But my heart was sore troubled for thee,
and I could not stay. Let us stand and fight this man, not stinting our
spears, and see whether he shall carry our spoil to the ships or we
shall slay him here.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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