ngthened their battalions and fought desperately about the body of sarpedon shouting fiercely the while mighty was the den of their armor as they came together and joe shed a thick darkness over the fight to increase the toil of the battle over the body of his son at first the trojans made some headway against the achaeans for one of the best men among the mermidans was killed a piadjus son of noble ajaxes who had airwild been king in a good city of buddhium but presently having killed a valiant kinsmen of his own he took refuge with pilius and thetus who sent him to ileus the land of noble steeds to fight the trojans under achilles hector now struck him on the head with a stone just as he had caught hold of the body and his brains inside his helmet were all battered in so that he fell face foremost upon the body of sarpedon and there died patroclus was enraged by the death of his comrade and sped through the front ranks as swiftly as a hawk that swoops down on a flock of daus or starlings even so swiftly oh noble knight patroclus did you make straight for the lyceans and trojans to avenge your comrade forthwith he struck then ileus the son of a themonys on the neck with a stone and broke the tendons that joined it to the head and spine on this hector and the front rank of his men gave ground as far as a man can throw a javelin when competing for some prize or even in battle so far did the trojans now retreat before the achaeans glaicus captain of the lyceans was the first to rally them by killing bathakles son of calsan who lived in helas and was the richest man among the mermidans glaicus turned around suddenly just as bathakles who was pursuing him was about to lay hold of him and drove his spear right into the middle of his chest whereon he fell heavily to the ground and the fall of so good a man filled the achaeans with dismay while the trojans were exultant and came up in a body around the corpse nevertheless the achaeans mindful of their prowess bore straight down upon them marionese then killed a helmed warrior of the trojans leogenus son of oneter who was the priest of jove of mount ida and was honored by the people as though he were a god marionese struck him under the jaw and ear so that life went out of him and the darkness of death laid hold upon him enius then aimed a spear at marionese hoping to hit him under the shield as he was advancing but marionese saw it coming and stooped forward to avoid it whereon the spear flew past him and the point stuck in the ground while the butt end went on quivering till mars robbed it of its force the spear therefore sped from enius's hand in vain and fell quivering to the ground enius was angry and said marionese you are a good dancer but if i had hit you my spear would soon have made an end of you and marionese answered enius for all your bravery you will not be able to make an end of every one who comes against you you are only immortal like myself and if i were to hit you in the middle of your shield with my spear however strong and self-confident you may be i should soon vanquish you and you would yield your life to hades of the noble steeds on this the son of manesius rebuked him and said marionese hero though you may be you should not speak thus taunting speeches my good friend will not make the trojans draw away from the dead body some of them must go underground first blows for battle and words for counsel fight therefore and say nothing he led the way as he spoke and the hero went forward with him as the sound of woodcutters in some forest glade upon the mountains and the thud of their axes is heard afar even such a den now rose from earth clash of bronze armor and of good oxide shields as men smote each other with their swords and spears pointed at both ends a man had need of good eyesight now to know sarpedon so covered was he from head to foot with spears and blood and dust men swarmed about the body as flies that buzz around the full milk pales and spring when they were brimming with milk even so did they gather around sarpedon nor did joe turn his keen eyes away for one moment from the fight but kept looking at it all the time for he was settling how best to kill patroclus and considering whether hector should be allowed to end him now in the fight around the body of sarpedon and strip him of his armor or whether he should let him give yet further trouble to the trojans in the end he deemed it best that the brave squire of akili's son of pilius should drive hector and the trojans back towards the city and take the lives of many first therefore he made hector turn faint hearted whereon he mounted his chariot and fled bidding the other trojans fly also for he saw that the scales of joe if it turned against him neither would the brave lyceans stand firm they were dismayed when they saw their king lying struck to the heart amid a heap of corpses for when the son of saturn made the fight wax hot many had fallen above him the akilians therefore stripped the gleaming armor from his shoulders and the brave son of munisha gave it to his men to take to the ships then joe lord of the storm cloud said to apollo dear febus go i pray you and take sarpedon out of range of the weapons cleanse the black blood from off him and then bear him a long way off where you may wash him in the river anoint him with ambrosia and clothe him in immortal raiment this done commit him to the arms of the two fleet messengers death and sleep who will carry him straightway to the rich land of lycea where his brothers and kinsmen will enter him and will raise both mound and pillar to his memory in due honor to the dead thus he spoke apollo obeyed his father saying and came down from the heights of ida into the thick of the fight forthwith he took sarpedon out of range of the weapons and then bore him a long way off where he washed him in the river anointed him with ambrosia and clothes him in immortal raiment this done he committed him to the arms of the two fleet messengers death and sleep who presently set him down in the rich land of lycea meanwhile patroclus with many a shout to his horses and to a tomadon pursue the trojans and lyceans in the pride and foolishness of his heart had he but obeyed the bidding of the son apelius he would have escaped death and have been scatheless but the councils of joe pass man's understanding he will put even a brave man to flight and snatch victory from his grasp or again he will set him on to fight as he now did when he put a high spirit into the heart of patroclus who then first and who last was slain by you a potroclus when the gods had now called you to meet your doom first adreistus a tonois a keekless paramus the son of migas epistor and melanippus after these he killed elisys muleus and pylardes these he slew but the rest saved themselves by flight the sons of the achaeans would now have taken Troy by the hands of patroclus for his spear flew in all directions had not feebus apollo taken to stand upon the wall to defeat his purpose and to aid the trojans thrice did patroclus charge at an angle of the high wall and thrice did apollo beat him back striking his shield with his own immortal hands when patroclus was coming on like a god for yet a fourth time apollo shouted to him with an awful voice and said draw back noble patroclus it is not your lot to sack the city of the trojan chieftains nor yet will it be that of achilles who is a far better man than you are on hearing this patroclus withdrew to some distance and avoided the anger of apollo meanwhile hector was waiting with his horses inside the ski and gates in doubt whether to drive out again and go on fighting or to call the army inside the gates as he was thus doubting feebus apollo drew near him in the likeness of a young and lusty warrior asias who was hector's uncle being owned brother to hecuba and son of dimus who lived in frija by the waters of the river san gerius in his likeness jove's son apollo now spoke to hector saying hector why have you left off fighting it is ill done of you if i were as much better a man than you as i am worse you should soon rue your slackness drive straight towards patroclus if so be that apollo may grant you a triumph over him and you may rule him with this the god went back into the hurly burly and hector bade cibrionis drive again into the fight apollo passed in among them and struck panic into the archives while he gave triumph to hector and the trojans hector let the other denians alone and killed no man but drove straight at patroclus patroclus then sprang from his chariot to the ground with a spear in his left hand and in his right a jagged stone as large as his hand could hold he stood still and threw it nor did it go far without hitting someone the cast was not in vain for the stone struck cibrionis hector's charioteer a bastard son of priam as he held the reins in his hands the stone hit him on the forehead and drove his browse into his head for the bone was smashed and his eyes fell to the ground at his feet he dropped dead from his chariot as though he were diving and there was no more life left in him over him did you then vaunt oh night patroclus saying bless my heart how active he is and how well he dives if he had been at sea this fellow would have dived from the ship's side and brought up as many oysters as the whole crew could stomach even in rough water for he has dived beautifully off his chariot onto the ground it seems then that there are divers also among the trojans as he spoke he flung himself on cibrionis with the spring as it were of a lion that while attacking a stockyard is himself struck in the chest and his courage is his own bane even so furiously oh patroclus did you then spring upon cibrionis hector spring also from his chariot to the ground the pair then fought over the body of cibrionis as two lions fight fiercely on some high mountain over the body of a stag that they have killed even so did these two mighty warriors patroclus son of munitius and brave hector hack and hew at one another over the corpse of cibrionis hector would not let him go when he had it once got him by the head while patroclus kept fast hold of his feet and a fierce fight raged between the other denayans and trojans as the east and south wind buffet one another when they beat upon some dense forest on the mountains there is beach and ash and spreading Cornell the top of the trees roar as they beat on one another and one can hear the bows cracking and breaking even so did the trojans and akeans spring upon one another and lay about each other and neither side would give way many appointed spear fell to the ground and many a winged arrow sped from its bowstring about the body of cibrionis many a great stone more over beat on many a shield as they fought around his body that there he lay in the whirling clouds of dust all huge and hugely heedless of his driving now so long as the sun was still high in mid heaven the weapons of either side were alike deadly and the people fell but when he went down towards the time when men loose their oxen the akeans proved to be beyond all forecast stronger so that they drew cibrionis out of range of the darts and tumult of the trojans and stripped the armor from his shoulders then patroclus spraying like mars with fierce intent and a terrific shout upon the trojans and thrice that he killed nine men but as he was coming on like a god for a time then oh patroclus was the hour of your end approaching for febus fought you and fell earnest patroclus did not see him as he moved about in the crush for he was enshrouded in thick darkness and the god struck him from behind on his back and on his broad shoulders with the flat of his hand so that his eyes turned dizzy febus apollo beat the helmet from off his head and it rolled rattling off under the horse's feet where its horsehair plumes were all begrimed with dust and blood never indeed had that helmet fared so before for it had served to protect the head and comely forehead of the godlike hero achilles now however zeus delivered it over to be worn by hector nevertheless the end of hector also was near the bronze shod spear so great and so strong was broken in the hand of patroclus while his shield that covered him from head to foot fell to the ground as did also the band that held it and apollo undid the fastenings of his corset on this his mind became clouded his limbs failed him and he stood as one dazed where on euphorbis son of pantheos a dardanian the best spearman of his time as also the finest horseman and flitus runner came behind him and struck him in the back with a spear midway between the shoulders this man as soon as ever he had come up with his chariot had dismounted twenty men so proficient was he in all the arts of war he it was oh night patroclus that first drove a weapon into you but he did not quite overpower you euphorbis then ran back into the crowd after drawing his ashen spear out of the wound he would not stand firm and wait for patroclus unarmed though he now was to attack him but patroclus unnerved alike by the blow the god had given him and by the spear wound drew back under cover of his men in fear for his life hector on this seeing him to be wounded and giving ground forced his way through the ranks and when close up with him struck him in the lower part of the belly with a spear driving the bronze point right through it so that he fell heavily to the ground to the great of the achians as when a lion has fought some fierce wild boar and worsted him the two fight furiously upon the mountain over some little fountain at which they would both drink and the lion has beaten the boar till he can hardly breathe even so did hector son of priam take the life of the brave son of manishas who had killed so many striking him from close at hand and vaunting over him the while patroclus said he you deemed that you should sack our city rob our trojan women of their freedom and carry them off in your ships to your own country fool hector and his fleet horses were ever straining their utmost to defend them i am foremost of all the trojan warriors to stave the day of bondage from off them as for you vultures shall devour you here poor wretch achilles with all his bravery availed you nothing and yet i weaned when you left him he charged you straightly saying come not back to the ships night patroclus to you have rent the bloodstain shirt of murderous hector about his body thus i weaned did he charge you and your fools hard answered him yay within you then as the life ebbed out of you you answered oh night hector vaunt as you will for joe the son of saturn and apollo have vouchsafed you victory it is they who have vanquished me so easily and they who have stripped the armor from my shoulders had 20 such men as you attacked me all of them would have fallen before my spear fate and the son of lido have overpowered me and among mortal men you forbes you are yourself third only in the killing of me i say further and lay my saying to your heart you too shall live but for a little season death and the day of your doom are close upon you and they will lay you low by the hand of achilles son of eacus when he had thus spoken his eyes were closed in death his soul left his body and flitted down to the house of hades mourning his sad fate and bidding farewell to the youth and vigor of its manhood dead though he was hector still spoke to him saying patroclus why should you thus foretell my doom who knows but achilles son of lovely fetus may be smitten by my spear and die before me as he spoke he drew the bronze spear from the wound planting his foot upon the body which he thrust off and let lie on its back he then went spear in hand after atomodon squire of the fleet descendant of eacus for he longed to lay him low but the immortal steeds which the gods had given as a rich gift appeal use bore him swiftly from the field end of book 16 of the iliad book 27 of the iliad this is a liber box recording all liber box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberbox.org the iliad by homework translated by samuel butler book 17 recording by ml cohen the light around the body of patroclus brave menelaus son of atrius now came to know that patroclus had fallen and made his way through the front ranks clad in full armor to be stride him as the cow stands lowing over her first calf even so did yellow haired menelaus bestride patroclus he held his round shield and his spear in front of him resolute to kill any who should dare face him but the son of pantheos also had noted the body and came up to menelaus saying menelaus son of atrius draw back leave the body and let the bloodstain spoils be i was first of the trojans and their brave allies to drive my spear into patroclus let me therefore have my full glory among the trojans or i will take aim and kill you to this menelaus answered in great anger my father joe boasting is an ill thing the part is not more bold nor the lion nor savage wild boar which is fiercest and most stauntless of all creatures then are the proud sons of pantheos yet hyperinor did not see out the days of his youth when he made light of mean what stood me being the meanest soldier among the dainines his own feet never bore him back to gladden his wife and parents even so shall i make an end of you too if you would stand me get you back into the crowd and do not face me or it shall be the worst for you even a fool may be wise after the event euphorbis would not listen and said now indeed menelaus shall you pay for the death of my brother oh mohoom you vaunted and whose wife you widowed in her bridal chamber while you bought grief unspeakable on his parents i shall comfort these poor people if i bring your head and armor and place them in the hands of pantheos and noble fronthus the time has come when the matter shall be fought out and settled for me or against me as he spoke he struck menelaus full on the shield but the spear did not go through for the shield turned his point menelaus then took aim praying to the father joves he did so euphorbis was drawing back and menelaus struck him about the roots of his throat leaving his whole weight on the spear so as to drive it home the point when clean through his neck and his armor rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground his hair which was like that of the graces and his locks so definitely bound in bands of silver and gold were all be traveled with blood as one who has grown a fine young alvatry in a clear space where there is abundance of water the plant is full of promise and though the wind speed upon it from every quarter puts forth its white blossoms till the blast of some fierce hurricanes sweep down upon it and level it with the ground even so did menelaus strip the fair euthuphorbis of his armor after he had slain him or as some fierce line upon the mountains in the pride of his strength fastens on the finest effer and a herd as it's feeding first he breaks her neck with a strong jaws and then gorges on her blood and entrails dogs and shepherd raise a hue and cry against him but they stand aloof and will not come close to him for they are pale with fear even so no one had the courage to face valiant meleus the son of atreus would have then carried off the armor of the son of panthos would ease had not fiebus apollobon angry and in the guise of menti's chief of the psychons incited hector to attack him hector said he you are now going after the horses of the noble son of atreus but you will not take them they cannot be kept in hand and driven by mortal man save owned by achilles who was son to an immortal mother meanwhile menelaus son of atreus had bestridden the body of patrocalist and killed the noblest of the trojans euphorbis son of pantheus so that he can fight no more the god then went back into the toilet turmoil but the soul of hector was darkened with a cloud of grief he looked along the ranks and saw euphorbis lying on the ground with the blood still flowing from his wound and menelaus stripping him of his armor on this he made his way to the front like a flame of fire clad in his gleaming armor and crying with a loud voice when the son of atreus heard him he said to himself in his dismay alas what shall i do i may not let the trojans take the armor patrocalist would fall in fighting on my behalf less some dainan who sees me should cry shame upon me still if for my honor's sake i fight hector and the trojans single-handed they will prove too many for me for hector is bringing them up in force why however should i thus hesitate when a man fights in despite of heaven with one whom a god be friends he will soon ruin let no dainan think ill of me if i give place to hector for the hand of heaven is with him yet if i could find ajax the two of us would fight hector in heaven too if we might only save the body of patrocalist for achilles son of this of many evils would be the least while he was thus in two minds the trojans came up to him with hector at their head he therefore drew back and left the body turning about like some bearded line who was being chased by dogs and men from the stockyard with spears and you and cry whereupon he is daunted and slinks sulkly off even so did men allay a son of atreus turn and leave the body of patrocalist when among the body of his men he looked around for mighty ajax son of telemon and presently saw him on the extreme left of the fight cheering on his men and exhorting them to keep on fighting for thiebus apollo had spread a great panic among them he ran up to him and said ajax my good friend come with me at once to dead patrocalist if so be that we may take the body to achilles as for his armor hector already has it these words stirred the heart of ajax and he made his way among the front ranks men allay is going with him hector had stripped patrocalist of his armor and was dragging him away to cut off his head and take the body to fling before the dogs of trey but ajax came up with a shield like a wall before him on which hector with jew under shelter of his men and sprang on to his chariot giving the armor over to the trojans to take to the city as a great trophy for himself ajax therefore covered the body of patrocalist with his broad shield and bestowed him as a line stands over his welps if hunters have come upon him in a forest when he is with its little ones in the pride and fierceness of his strength he draws his knit brows down so they cover his eyes even so did ajax bestride the body of patrocalist and by his tides of menelaus son of atrias nursing great sorrow in his heart then glaucus son of the apollicus looked fiercely at hector and rebuked him sternly hector said he you make a brave show but in fight you're sadly wanting a runaway like yourself has no claim to so great a reputation think how you may now save your town and citadel by the hands of your own people born in ileus for you will get no lyceans to fight for you seeing what thanks they have had for their incessant hardships are you likely sure to do anything to help a man of less note after leaving sarpedon who was at once your guest in comrade in arms to be the spoil and pray of the danons so long as he lived he did good service both to your city and yourself yet you had no stomach to save his body from the dogs if the lyceans will listen to me they will go home and leave troy to its fate if the trojans had any of that daring fearless spirit which lays hold of men who were fighting for the country and harassing those who would attack it we should soon bear off patroclus into ileus could we get this dead man away and bring him to the city of priam the our guides would readily give up the armor of sarpedon and we should get his body to boot for he whose squire has now been killed is the foremost man at the ships of the aions he and his close fighting followers nevertheless you dare not make a stand against ajax nor face him eye to eye with the battle all around you for he is a braver man than you are hector scowled at him and answered glaucus you should know better i have held you so far as a man of more understanding than any and all i see you but now i despise you for saying that i am afraid of ajax i feared neither battle nor gin of chariots but joe's will is stronger than ours joe vitt one time makes even a strong man draw back and snatch his victory from his grasp while at another he will set him on to fight come hither then my friend stand by me and see indeed whether i shall play the coward the whole day through as you say or whether i shall not stay some even of the boldest danons from fighting around the body of patroclus as he spoke he called loudly on the trojans saying trojans lyceans and dardanians fighters in close combat we made my friends and fight might and main while i put on the goodly arm of achilles which i took when i killed patroclus with this hector left the fight and ran full speed after his men who are taking the arm of achilles to troi but had not yet got far standing for a while apart from the woeful fight he changed his armor his own he sent to the strong city of ileus and to the trojans while he put on the immortal armor of the son of pilius which the gods had given to pilius who in his age gave it to his son but the son did not grow old in his father's armor when joe lord of the storm cloud saw hector standing aloof and arming himself in the armor of the son of pilius he wagged his head in muttertume's self ah poor wretch you arm in the armor of a hero before whom many another trembles and you wreck nothing of the doom that is already close upon you you have killed his comrades so brave and strong but it was not well that you should strip the armor from his head and shoulders i do indeed endow you with a great might now but as against this you shall not return from battle to lay the armor of the son of pilius before andromache the son of satyr and bowled his pretentious brows and hector fitted the army to his body while terrible mars entered into him and filled his whole body with might and valor with a shout he strode in among the allies and his armor flashed about him so he seemed to all of them like the great son of pilius himself he went about among them and cheered them on mesleys glaucus meadon thyriscales ariapius disinorned hippithus frosty's chromius and inamis the auger all these did he exhort saying hear me allies from other cities who are here in your thousands it was not in order to have a crowd about me that i called you hither each from his several city but that with heart and soul you might defend the wives and little ones of the trojans from the fiercichans for this do i oppress my people with your food and the presence that make you rich therefore turn and charge at the foe to stand or fall as is the game of war whoever shall bring protoculus dead though he be into the hands of the trojans and shall make ajax give way before him i will give him one half the spoils while i keep the other he will thus share like honor with myself when he had thus spoken they charged full weight upon the danons with their spears held out before them and the hopes of each ran hide that he should force ajax son of telemont to yield up the body fools that they were for he was about to take the lives of many then ajax said to menelaus my good friend menelaus you and i shall hardly come out the fist fight alive i am less concerned for the body of protoculus who will shortly become meat for the dogs and vultures of troi than for the safety of my own head and yours hector has wrapped us round in a storm of battle from every quarter and our destruction seems now certain called on upon the princes of the danons if there is any who can hear us menelaus did as he said and shouted to the danons for health at the top of his voice my friends he cried princes and counselors of the archives all you were with agamemnon and menelaus drink at the public cost and give orders each to his own people as joe vouchsates him tower and glory the fight is so thick about me that i cannot distinguish you severly come on therefore every man unbidden and think it's shame that protoculus should become meat and morsel for trojan hounds fleet ajax son of oiles heard him and was first to force his way through the fight and run to help him next came ideminius and marionis his esquire peer of murderous mars as for the others they came into the fight after theirs who of his own self could name them the trojans would hector at their head charged in a body as a great wave that comes thundering in at the mouth of some heaven-born river and the rocks that jet into the searing with a roar of breakers that beat and buffet them even with such a roar did the trojans come on but the akeans in singleness of hearts did firm about the son of minotius and fenced him in with their bronze shields joe moreover hid the brightness of their helmets in a thick cloud for he had borne no grudge against the son of minotius while he was still alive and squire to the descendant of akes therefore he was loath to let him fall prey to the dogs of his foes the trojans and urged his comrades on to defend him at first the trojans drove the akeans back and they withdrew from the dead man daunted the trojans did not succeed in killing anyone nevertheless they drew the body away but the akeans did not lose it long for ajax foremost of all the daenans after the son of peliaisa like can stature and prowess quickly rally them and made towards the front like a wild boar upon the mountain when he stands at bay in the forest glades and routes to hounds and lusty use that have attacked him even so did ajax son of telemon passing easily among the phalanxes of the trojans disperse those who had bestridden the trochalus and who were most spent on winning glory by dragging him off to the city at this moment hypothesis brave son of pegasi and lethias in his zeal for hector and the trojans was dragging the body off by the foot through the press of the fight having bound a strap around the sinners near the ankle but a mischief soon befell him from which none of those could save him who would gladly done so for the son of telemon sprang forward and smoked him on his brown cheeked helmet the plume headpiece broke about the point of the weapon struck it once by the spear and by the strong hand of ajax so that the bloody brain came oozing out through the crest socket his strength then failed him and he let the trochalus foot drop from his hand as he fell full length dead upon the body thus he died far from the fertile land of larissa and never repaid his parents the cost of bringing him up for his life was cut short early by the spear of mighty ajax hector then took aim at ajax with a spear but he saw it's coming and just managed to avoid it the spear passed on and struck psidias son of noble ifthias captain of the foshans who dwelt in fame panopias and reigned over much people it struck him under the middle of the collar bone the bronze point went right through him coming out the bottom of his shoulder blade and his armor rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground ajax in his turn struck noble forces son of phenops in the middle of his belly as he was bestriding hippothus and broke the plate of his gyrus whereupon the spear tore out his entrails and he clutched to ground in a palm as he fell to the earth hector and those who were in the front rank then gave ground while the argives raised a loud cry of triumph and drew off the bodies of four-season hippothus which they stripped presently of their armor the trojans would now have been worsted by the brave acaians and driven back to illies through their own cowardice while the argives so great was their courage and endurance would have achieved a triumph even against the will of joe if apollo had not royors denius and the likeness of paraffius son of epthias an attendant who had grown old in the service of anus's aged father and was at all times devoted to him in his likeness then apollo said anus can you not manage even though heaven be against us to save high illies i have known men whose numbers courage and self-reliance have saved their people in spite of joe whereas in this case he would much rather give victory to us than to danes if you would only fight instead of being so terribly afraid anus knew apollo when he looked straight at him and shouted to hector saying hector and all other trojans and allies shame on us if we are beaten by the acaians and driven back to illies through our own cowardice a god has just come up to me and told me that joe of the supreme disposer will be with us therefore let us make for the danes that it may go hard with them ere they bear away dead per crocalus to their ships as he spoke he sprang out far in front of the others who then rallied and again faced the acaians anus spiritedly octurus son of orizbus a valent follow of lycomedes and lycomedes would move with pity as he saw him fall he therefore went close up in spirit apassia and son of epthias shepherd of his people under the liver in a midriff so that he died he had come from fertile peonia it was the best man of all them after aster operas aster apias flew forward to avenge him and attack the danans but this might no longer be in as much as those about patroclus were well covered by their shields and held their spears in front of them for ajax to give them strict orders that no man was either to give ground or to stand out before the others were all were to hold well together about the body and fight hand to hand thus did huge ajax bid them in the earth ran red with blood as the corpses felt thick on one another alike decided the trojans and allies and on that of the danes for these last two fought no bloodless fight though many fewer of them perished through the care they took to defend and stand by one another thus did they fight as it were a flaming fire it seemed as though it had gone hard even with the sun and moon for they were hidden over all that part where the bravest heroes were fighting about the dense settlement alias where the other danans and akayans fought at their ease and full daylight with bright sunshine all around them and there was not a cloud to be seen neither on plain nor mountain these last more would rest for a while and leave off fighting for they were some distance apart and beyond the range of one another's weapons whereas those who were in the thick of the phrase suffered both from battle and darkness all the best of them were being worn out by the great weight of their armor at the two valiant heroes thrasomedes and intelicus had not yet heard of the death of patroclus and believed him still to be alive and leading the van against the trojans they were keeping themselves in reserve against the death or out of their own comrades for so nester had ordered when he sent them from the ships into battle thus through the live long day did they wage fierce war and the sweat of their toil rained ever on their legs under them and on their hands and eyes as they fought over the squire of the fleet son of pilius it was as when a man gives a great oxide all drenched in fat to his men and bids them stretch it whereupon they stand rounded in a ring and tug till the moisture leaves it and the fat soaks in for the many that pull at it and it is well stretched even so did the two sides tug the dead body hither and thither within the compass of but a little space the trojans steadfastly set on dragging it into ileus while the acaans were no less so on taking it to the ships and fierce was the fight between them not marris himself lord of hosts nor yet manurva even in their fullest fury can make light of such a battle such fear for turmoil of men and horses did jove on that day ordained around the body of patroclus meanwhile Achilles did not know that he had fallen for the fight was under the wall of Troy a long way off from the ships he had no idea therefore that patroclus was dead and deemed that he would return alive as soon as he had gone close up to the gates he knew that he was not the sacked city neither with nor without himself for his mother had often told him this when he sat alone with her and she had informed of the councils of great jove now however she had not told him how a great disaster had befallen him of the death of the one who was far dearest to him of all his comrades the others still kept on charging one another around the body with their pointed spears and killing each other then one would say my friends we can never again show our faces at the ships better and greatly better that the earth should open and swallow us here in this place that we should let the Trojans have to try and put bearing off patroclus to their city the Trojans also on their part spoke to one another saying friends though we fall to a man beside this body let none shrink from fighting with such words do they exhort each other they fought and fought and an iron clank rose through the void air to the brazen vault of heaven the horses of the descendant of Asia stood out and fight and wept when they heard that the driver had been laid low by the hand of murderous hector automadan valiant son of diaries lashed them again and again many a time did he speak kindly to them and many a time did he upgrade them but they wouldn't either go back to the ships by the waters of the broad helispont nor yet into battle among the achaeans they stood with their chariot stocked still as a pillar set over a tomb of a dead man or woman and bowed their heads to the ground hot tears fell from their eyes as they mourned the loss of their charioteer and their noble mains drooped all wet from under the yolkstrapped on either side of the yolk the son of Saturn saw them and took pity upon their sorrow he wagged his head and muttered to himself saying poor things why did we give you to king pilius who was immortal while you are yourselves ageless and immortal what is that you might share the sorrows that fall mankind for of all creatures that live and move upon the earth there is none so pity both he is still hector son of pream shall drive neither you nor your chariot i will not have it it is enough that he should have the armor over which he vaunts so vainly furthermore i will give you strength of heart and limb to bear a timidon safely to the ship from battle for i shall let the trojans try him still further and go on killing till they reach the ships whereupon night shall fall and darkness overshadow the land as he spoke he breathed heart and strength into the horses so that they shook the dust from out of their mains and bore their chariot swiftly into the fight that raged between trojans and akeans behind them fought a timidon full of sorrow for his comrade as a vulture amid a flight of geese in and out here and there full speed he dashed amid the throng of the trojans but for all the fury of his pursuit he killed no man for he could not wield his spear and keep his horses in hand when alone in the chariot at last however a comrade al-simidon son of lair see son of amen caught sight of him and came up behind his chariot atomidon said he what god has put this folly into your heart and robbed you of your right mind that you fight the trojans in the front rank single-handed he was your comrade as plain and hector plumes himself on being armed in the armor of the descendant of the akeans atomidon son of diaries answered al-simidon there is no one else who can control and guide the immortal steed so well as you can save only patroclus while he was alive peer of gods and council take the whip and reigns while i go from the car and fight al-simidon sprung onto the chariot and caught up in the whips and reigns while atomidon leaped from off the car when hector saw him he said to aneus who was near him aneus counselor of the malechad trojans i see the steeds of the fleet son of aekus coming into battle with weak hands to drive them i am sure if you think well that we might take them they will not dare face us if we both attack them the valiant son of ancais was of the same mind and the pair went right on with their shoulders covered on the shields of tough dry oxide overlaid with much browns chromius and redis went along with them and their hearts beat high with the hopes they might kill them and capture the horses fools that they were for they were not to return skateless from their meeting with latimidon who prayed to his father joven was forthwith filled with courage and strength abounding he turned to his trusty comrade al-simidon and said al-simidon keep your horses so close up that i may feel their breath upon my back i doubt that we shall not stay hector son of pream till he has killed us and mounted behind the horses he will then either spread panic among the ranks of the akeans or himself be killed among the foremost on this he cried out to the two ajaxes and menelaus ajaxes captain of the argives and menelaus give the dead body over to them that were best able to defend it and come to the rescue of us living for hector and anias are the two breast men among the trojans are pressing us hard in the full tide of war nevertheless the issue lies in the lap of heaven i will therefore hurl my spear and leave no rest to jove he poised and hurled as he spoke whereon the spear struck the round shield of aridus and went right through it for the shield stayed it not so it was driven through his belt into the lower part of his belly as when some sturdy youth axe in hand deals his blow behind the horns of an ox and severs the tendons at the back of it next so that it springs forward and then drops even so did aridus give one bound and then fall in his back the spear quivering in his body till it made an end of him hector then aimed a spear at otimidon but he saw it coming and stooped forward to avoid it so that it flew past him and the point struck in the ground while the butt end went on quivering till mars robbed it of its force they would then have fought hand to hand with swords had not the two age axes forced their way through the crowd when they heard their comrades calling and parted them for all their fury for hector anias and chromius were afraid and drew back leaving a reedus to lie there struck to the heart otimidon pier of fleet mars then stripped him of his armor and vaunted over him saying i have done little to assuage my sorrow for the son of milcius for the man i have killed is not so good as he was as he spoke he took the bloodstained spoils and laid them upon his chariot then he mounted the car with his hands and feet all steeped and gore as a line that has been gorging upon a bowl and now the fierce groanful fight again raged about patroclus from a nerve it came down from heaven and roused his fury by the commander far seeing jove who had changed his mind and sent her to encourage the danons as when joe bends his bright bow in the heaven to token the mankind neither of war or the chill storms that stay men from their labor and plague the flocks even so wrapped in such radiant raiment and the nerve of going among the host and speak man by man to each first she took the form and voice of phoenix and spoke to menelaeus son of atreus who was standing near her menelaeus said she it will be a shame to dishonor to you if the dogs tear the noble comrade of achilles under the walls of troi therefore be staunch and urge your men to be so also menelaeus answered phoenix my good old friend may menelaeus out-save me strength and keep the darts from off me for so else just stand by patroclus and defend him his death has gone to my heart but hector is a raging fire and deals his blow without ceasing for joe was now granting him a time of triumph menelaeus was pleased that his having named herself before any other of the gods therefore she put strength into his knees and shoulders and made him as bold as a fly which though driven off the will yet come again and bite it can so dearly doesn't love man's blood even so bold as this that she make him as he stood over patroclus and threw his spear now there was among the trojans a man named potis son of etion who was both rich and valiant hector held him in the highest honor for he was a comrade and boomed companion the spear of menelaeus struck this man in a girdle just to see it turn in flight and went right through him whereon he fell heavily forward and menelaeus son of atreus drew off his body from the trojans into the ranks of his own people Apollo then went up to hector and spurred him on to fight in the likeness of fain of son of asius who lived in abidos and was the most favorite of all hectored guests in his likeness Apollo said hector who of the acanes will fear you hence forward now that you have quailed before menelaeus who has ever been rated poorly as a soldier yet he now has a corpse away from the trojans single-handed and slain your own true comrade a man brave among the foremost potis son of etion a dark cloud of grief fell upon hector as he heard and he made his way to the front clad in full armor thereon the son of saturn seized his bright tasseled aegis and veiled Ida in a cloud he sent forth his lightning in his thunders and as he shook his aegis he gave victory to the trojans and routed the acanes the panic was begun by penelios the boetian for while keeping his face turned ever towards the foe he had been hit with a spear on the upper part of the shoulder a spear thrown by polydamus had grazed the top of his bone for polydamus had come up to him and struck him from close to the hand then hector in close combat struck letius son of noble acetrion in the hand by the wrist and disabled him from fighting further he looked about him in dismay knowing that never again should he wheeled spear in battle with the trojans while hector was in pursuit of letius eidomenius struck him on the breastplate over his chest near the nipple but the spear broke in the shaft and the trojans cheered aloud hector then aimed at eidomenius son of dukeleon as he was standing on his chariot and very narrowly missed him but the spear hit corianus following charioteer marionis who had come with him from lyctius eidomenius had left the ships on foot and would have afforded a great triumph to the trojans if corianus had not driven quickly up to him he therefore bought life and rescued eidomenius himself fell by the hand of murderous hector for hector hit him on the jaw under the ear the end of the spear drove out his teeth and cut his tongue in two pieces so that he fell from his chariot and let the reins fall to the ground marionis gathered him up from the ground and took him into his own hands then he said to eidomenius lay on till you get back to the ships for you must see that today is no longer ours on this eidomenius lashed the horses to the ships for fear had taken hold upon him a jacks and menelius noted how jovic turned to scale in favor of the trojans and a jacks with a first to speak alas said he even a fool may see that father jove is helping the trojans all their weapons strike home no matter whether it be a brave man or a coward that hurls them jove speeds all alike where ours fall each one of them without effect what then will be best both as regards rescuing the body and our return to the joy of our friends who will be grieving as they look hitherwards for they will make sure that nothing can now check the terrible hands of hector and that he will sling himself upon our ships I wish that someone would go and tell the son of pelius at once for I do not think that he can yet have heard the sad news that the dearest of his friends has fallen but I can see not a man among the acaians descend for they and their chariots are all alike hidden in darkness oh father jove lift this cloud from over the sons of the acaians make heaven serene and let us see if you will that we perish let us fall at any rate by daylight father jove heard him and had compassion upon his tears forth whisked he chased away the cloud of darkness so that the sun shone out and all the fighting was revealed a jacks then said to minelaus look minelaus and if until like a son of nester beast to living sentiment wants to tell Achilles that by far the dearest to him of all his comrades has fallen minelaus heeded his words and went his way as a line from a stockyard the line is tired of attacking the men and hounds who keep watch the whole night through and will not let him feast on the fat of their herd in his lust of meat he makes straight at them but in vain for darts from strong hands to sail them and burning brands which taunt him for all his hunger so in the morning he slink sulkly away even so did minelaus sorely against his will lead patroclus in great fear lest the acclaimed should be driven back and route and let him fall into the hands of the foe he charged marionis into two ajaxes straightly saying ajaxes and marionis leaders of the argots now indeed remember how good patroclus was he was ever courteous while alive bear it in mind now that he is dead with this minelaus left them looking round as keenly as an eagle who cite this as keener than of any other bird however high he may be in the heavens not a hare that runs can escape him by crouching under the bushes thicket for he will swoop down upon it and make an end of it even so oh minelaus did your keen eyes range round the mighty host of your followers to see if you could find the son of nester still alive presently minelaus saw him in the extreme left of the battle cheering on his men and exhorting them to fight boldly minelaus went up to him and said and pilikus come here and listen to sad news which I would indeed war untrue you must see with your own eyes that heaven is heaping calamity upon the danians and giving victory to the trojans patroclus has fallen who was the bravest of the achaeans and sorely will the danians miss him run instantly to the ships and pilikiles that he may come to rescue the body and bear it to the ships as for the armor hector already has it and pilikus was struck with horror for a long time he was speechless his eyes filled with tears and he could find no utterance but he did as minelaus had said and set off running as soon as he had given his armor to a comrade laioticus who was wheeling his oars round close behind him thus then did he run weeping from the field to carry the bad news to Achilles son of pilius nor were you on minelaus minded to succor his hurried comrades when on pilikus had left the pilians and greatly did they miss him but he sent them noble thrasamides and himself went back to patroclus he came running up to the two ajaxons and said i have sent then pilikus to the ship to telechillies but rage against hector as he may he cannot come for he cannot fight without armor what then will be our best plan both his regards rescuing the dead and our own escape from death among the bundle cry of the trojans ajax answered minelaus you have said well do you then a maryoni stoop down raise the body and bear it out of the fray while we too behind you keep off hector and the trojans one in heart as a name and long used to fighting side by side with one another on this menelaus and maryonis took the dead man in their arms and lifted him high aloft with a great effort the trojan host raised a hue and cried behind them when they saw the akeans bearing the body away and flew after them like hounds attacking a wounded beer at the lieu of a band of young unspent for while the hounds fly at him as though they would tear him the pieces but now again he turns on them in a fury scarring and scattering them in all directions even so did the trojans for a while charged in a body striking with sword and spears pointed at both ends but when the two ajaxes faced them and stood at bay they would turn pale and no man dared press on to fight further about the dead in this wise did the two heroes strain every nerve to bear the body to the ships out of the fight the battle raged round them like fierce flames that when once kindled spread like wildfire over a city and the houses fall in the glare of its burning even such was the war and tramp of men and horses that pursued them as they bore petroclists from the field or as mules that put forth all their strength to draw some beam of a great piece of ships timber down a rough mountain track and they pant and sweat as they go even so did menelaus and pant and sweat as they bore in the body of petroclists behind them the two ajaxes held stoutly out as some wooded mountain spur that stretches across a plane will turn water and check the flow even of a great river nor is there any stream strong enough to break through it even so did the two ajaxes face the Trojans and stern the tide of their fighting though they kept pouring on towards them and foremost among them all was a neist son of nine caisses with valiant hector as a flock of Dawes or starlings fall to screaming and chattering when they see a falcon foe to all small birds come soaring near them even so did the Achean youth raise a battle of cries as they fled before a neist and hector unmindful of their former prowess in the route of the danians much goodly armor fell round about the trench and the fighting there was no end end of book 17 recording by ml cohen www.mojoemoo411.com Cleveland, Ohio November 2007 book 18 of the Iliad this is a labor fox recording all labor fox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit www.liberfox.org recording by Anosimum the Iliad by Homer translated by Samuel Butler book 18 the grief of Achilles over Patroclus the visit of Thetis to Vulcan and the armor that he made for Achilles thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire meanwhile the fleet runner Antillicus who had been sent as messenger reached Achilles and found him sitting by his tall ships and boating that which was indeed too surely true alas said he to himself in the heaviness of his heart why are the Achaeans again scouring the plane and flocking towards the ships heaven grant the gods be not now bringing that sorrow upon me of which my mother Thetis spoke saying that while I was yet alive the bravest of the mermidans should fall before the Trojans and see the light of the sun no longer I fear the brave son of Manetius has fallen through his own daring and yet I bait him return to the ships as soon as he had driven back those that were bringing fire against him and not joined battle with Hector as it was this pondering the son of Nestor came up to him and told his sad tale weeping bitterly the while alas he cried son of Noble Palaeus I bring you bad tidings would indeed that they were untrue Patroclus has fallen and a fight is raging about his naked body for Hector holds his armor a dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened he filled both hands with dust from off the ground and poured it over his head disfiguring his comely face and letting the refuse settle over his shirt so fair and new he flung himself down all huge and hugely at full length and tore his hair with his hands the bondswomen whom Achilles and Patroclus have taken captive screamed aloud for grief beating their breasts and with their limbs failing them for sorrow Antillicus bent over him the while weeping and holding both his hands as he lay groaning for he feared that he might plunge a knife into his own throat then Achilles gave a loud cry and his mother heard him as she was sitting in a death stone to see by the old man her father whereon she screamed and all the goddesses daughters of Nereus that dwelled at the bottom of the sea came gathering round her there were Glauci Thalia and Chimadoki Nisaya Speo Soe and Dark-Eyed Haley Chimazoe Actia and Lymnorea Maliti Aera Amphithoe and Agave Dotto and Proto Carusa and Dinamini Examini Amphinomy and Callianera Doris Canopy and the famous Cyninth Galatia Nemerthus Apsiodes and Callianasa there were also Clemini Aionira and Aionasa Mira Orathea and Amathia of the lovely locks with other Nirites who dwell in the depths of the sea the crystal cave was filled with their multitude and they all beat their breasts while Thetis let them in their lament Listen, Crychee sisters daughters of Nereus that you may hear the burden of my sorrows alas woe is me woe and that I've borne the most glorious of offspring I bore him fair and strong hero among heroes and he shot up as a sapling I tendered him as a plant in a goodly garden and sent him with his ships to Ilius to fight the Trojans but never shall I welcome him back to the house of Pelius so long as he lives to look upon the light of the sun he is in heaviness and though I go to him I cannot help him nevertheless I will go that I may see my dearest son and learn what sorrow has befallen him though he is still holding a loop from battle she left the cave as she spoke while the others followed weeping after and the waves opened the path before them when they reached the rich plain of Troi they came up out of the sea in a long line onto the sands at the place where the ships of the Mermidans were drawn up in close order around the tents of Achilles his mother went up to him as he lay groaning she laid her hand upon his head and spoke pitchlessly saying my son why are you this weeping what sorrow has now befallen you tell me hide it not from me surely Jovis granted you the prayer you made him when you lifted up your hands and besought him that the Achaeans might all of them be pent up at their ships and ruined bitterly in that you were no longer with them Achilles groaned and answered mother Olympian Jov has indeed vouchsaved me the fulfillment of my prayer but what puts it to me seeing that my dear comrade Patrickus has fallen he whom I valued more than all others and loved as dearly as my own life I have lost him I and Hector when he had killed him stripped the wondrous armor so glorious to behold which the gods gave to Pellius when they laid you in the couch of a mortal man would bet you were still dwelling among the immortal synims and that Pellius had taken to himself some mortal bride for now you shall have grief infinite by reason of the death of that son whom you can never welcome home nay I will not live nor go about among mankind unless Hector fall by my spear and thus pay me for having slain Patrickus son of Menicius Thete is wept and answered then my son is your end near at hand for your own death await you full soon after that of Hector then said Achilles in his great grief I would die here and now in that I could not save my comrade he has fallen far from home and in his hour of need my hand was not there to help him what is there for me return to my own land I shall not and I have brought no saving neither to Patrickus nor to my other comrades of whom so many have been slain by mighty Hector I stay here by my ships a bootless burden upon the earth I who in fight have no peer among the Achaeans though in council there are better than I therefore perish strife both from among gods and men and anger wherein even a righteous man will harden his heart which rises up in the soul of a man like smoke and the taste thereof is sweeter than drops of honey even so has Achaemenon angered me and yet so be it for it is over I will force my soul into subjection as I need must I will go I will pursue Hector who has slain him whom I loved so dearly and will then abide my doom when it may please Jov and the other gods to send it even Hercules the best beloved of Jov even he could not escape the hand of death but fate and Juno's fierce anger laid him low as I too shall lie when I am dead if a like doom awaits me till then I will win fame and will be Trojan and Dardanian women ring tears from the tender cheeks with both their hands in the grievousness of their great sorrow thus shall they know that he who has held aloof so long will hold aloof no longer hold me not back therefore in the love you bear me for you shall not move me then Silverfooted Thedas answered my son what you have said is true it is well to save your comrades from destruction but your armor is in the hands of the Trojans Hector bears it in triumph upon his own shoulders full well I know that his bond shall not be lasting for his end is close at hand go not however into depressive battle till you see me return hither tomorrow at break of day I shall be here and will bring you goodly armor from King Vulcan on this she left her brave son and as she turned away she set to the sea nymphs her sisters dive into the bosom of the sea and go to the house of the old sea god my father tell him everything as for me I will go to the cunning workman Vulcan on high Olympus and ask him to provide my son with a suit of splendid armor when she had so said they dived forthwith beneath the waves while Silverfooted Thedas went away that she might bring the armor for her son thus then let her feet bear the goddess to Olympus and meanwhile the Achaeans were flying with loud cries before murderous Hector till they reached the ships and the helispond and they could not draw the body of Mars' servant Patroclus out of reach of the weapons that were showered upon him for Hector, son of Priam, with his host and horseman had again called up to him like the flame of a fiery furnace Thrice did brave Hector seize him by the feet striving with might and main to draw him away and calling loudly on the Trojans and Thrice did the two Aegexes clothed in valor as with a garment beat him off from off the body but all undaunted he would now charge into the sick of the fight and now again he would stand still and cry aloud but he would give no ground as upland shepherds that cannot chase some famished lion from a carcass even so could not the two Aegexes scare Hector, son of Priam, from the body of Patroclus and now he would even have dragged it off and have one imperishable glory had not Iris, fleet as the wind winged her way as messenger from Olympus to the son of Pilius and bid in him arm she came secretly without knowledge of Joven of the other gods Fortuno sent her and when she had got close to him she said up son of Pilius mightiest of all mine pint rescue Patroclus about whom this fearful fight is now raging by the ships men are killing one another the Danans in defense of the dead body while the Trojans are trying to hail it away and take it to win the Ilius Hector is the most furious of them all he is for cutting the head from the body and fixing it on the stakes of the wall up then and bite here no longer shrink from the thought that Patroclus may become meat for the dogs of Troi shame on you should his body suffer any kind of outrage and Achilles said Iris which of the gods was it that sent you to me Iris answered it was Juno the royal spouse of Joven but the son of Saturn does not know of my coming nor yet does any other of the immortals who dwell on the snowy summits of Olympus then fleet Achilles answered her saying how can I go up into the battle they have my armor my mother forbade me to arm till I should see her come for she promised to bring me goodly armor from Vulcan I know no man whose arms I can put on save only the shield of Ajax son of Telemann and he surely must be fighting in the front rank and wielding a spear about the body of that Patroclus Iris said we know that your armor has been taken but go as you are go to the deep trench and show yourself before the Trojans that they may fear you and seize fighting thus will the fainting sons of the Achaeans gain some brief breathing time which in battle may hardly be Iris left him when she had so spoken but Achilles, dear to Jove, arose and Minerva flung her tassled aegis round his strong shoulders she crowned his head with a halo of golden cloud from which he kindled a glow of gleaming fire as the smoke that goes up into heaven from some city that is being beleaguered on an island far out at sea all day long do men sally from the city and fight their hardest and at the going down of the sun the line of beacon fires blazes forth flaring high for those that dwell near them to behold if so be that they may come with their ships and succor them even so did the light flare from the head of Achilles as he stood by the trench going beyond the wall but he did not join the Achaeans for he heeded the charge which his mother laid upon him there did he stand and shout aloud Minerva also raised her voice from afar and spread terror unspeakable among the Trojans ringing as the note of a trumpet that sounds alarm when the foe is at the gates of a city even so Brazen was the voice of the son of Iacos and when the Trojans heard its clarion tones they were dismayed the horses turned back with their chariots for they bowed at mischief and the drivers were all struck by the steady flame which the grey-eyed goddess had kindled above the head of the great son of Pellis Thrice did Achilles raise his loud cry as he stood by the trench and Thrice were the Trojans and their brave allies thrown into confusion whereon twelve of their noblest champions fell beneath the wheels of their chariots and perished by their own spears the Achaeans to their great joy then drew Patrickus out of reach of the weapons and laid him on a litter his comrades stood mourning round him and among them fleet Achilles who wept bitterly as he saw his true comrade lying dead upon his beer he had sent him out with horses and chariots into battle but his return he was not too welcome then Juno sent the busy son Loth though he was into the waters of Oceanus so he set and the Achaeans had rest from the tug and turmoil of war now the Trojans when they had come out of the fight unyoke their horses and gathered in assembly before preparing their supper they kept their feet nor would any dare to sit down for fear had fallen upon them all because Achilles had shown himself after having held aloof so long from battle Polydermus, son of Pantheris, was first to speak a man of judgment who alone among them could look both before and after he was comrade to Hector and they had been born upon the same night with all sincerity and goodwill therefore he addressed them thus look to it well my friends I would urge you to go back now to your city and not wait here by the ship till morning for we are far from our walls so long as this man was at enmity with Agamemnon the Achaeans were easier to deal with and I would have gladly camp by the ships in the hope of taking them but now I go in great fear of the fleet son of Palaeus he is so daring that he will never bite here on the plane where on the Trojans and Achaeans fight with equal Vela but he will try to storm our city and carry off our women do then as I say and let us retreat for this is what will happen the darkness of night will for a time stay the son of Palaeus but if he find us here in the morning when he sell his fourth in full armor we shall have knowledge of him in good earnest glad indeed will he be who can escape and get back to Ilius and many a Trojan will become meat for dogs and vultures may I never live to hear it if we do as I say little though we may like it we shall have strengthened council during the night and the great gates with the doors that close them will protect the city at dawn we can arm and take our stand on the walls he will then ru it if he sell his from the ships to fight us he will go back when he's given his horses their fill of being driven all with us under our walls and will be in no mind to try and force his way into the city neither will he ever second dog shall the varum ear he do so Hector looked fiercely at him and answered Pallidamus your words are not to my liking in that you bid us go back and be pent within the city have you not had enough of being cooped up behind walls in the old days the city of Priam was famous the whole world over for its wealth of gold and bronze but our treasures are wasted out of our houses and much goods have been sold away to Frigia and Fer Meonia for the hand of Jove has been laid heavily upon us now therefore that the son of scheming Sethan has vouched save me to win glory here and to hem the Achaeans in at their ships pray no more in this false wise among the people you will have no man with you it shall not be do all of you as I now say take your suppers in your companies throughout the host and keep your watches and be wakeful every man of you if any Trojan is uneasy about his possessions let him gather them and give them out among the people better let these rather than the Achaeans have them at daybreak we will arm and fight about the ships rounded that Achilles has again come forward to defend them let it be as he will but it shall go hard with him I shall not shun him but will fight him to fall or conquer the god of war deals out like measure to all and the slayer may yet be slain thus spoke Hector and the Trojans fools that they were shouted in applause for Palas Minerva had robbed them of their understanding they gave ear to Hector with his evil counsel but the wise words of politimus no man would heed they took their supper throughout the host and meanwhile through the whole night the Achaeans mourned Patrickus and the son of Palais let them in their lament he laid his murderous hands upon the breast of his comrade groaning again and again as a bearded lion when a man who was chasing deer has robbed him of his young in some dense forest when the lion comes back he is furious and searches Dingle and Dell to track the hunter if he can find him for his mad would rage even so with many assided Achilles speak among the mermenans saying alas vain were the words with which I cheered the hero Menicius in his own house I said that I would bring his brave son back again to Appius after he had sacked Ilius and taken a share of the spoils but Jo does not give all men their heart's desire the same soil shall be reddened here at Troy by the blood of his both for I too shall never be welcomed home by the old night Pellius nor by my mother Thyrus but even in this place shall the earth cover me nevertheless oh Patrickus now that I am left behind you I will not bury you till I have brought hither the head and armor of mighty Hector who is slain you twelve noble sons of Trojans while I behead before your beer to avenge you till I have done so you shall lie as you are by the ships and fair women of Troy and darkness whom we have taken with spear and strength of arm when we sacked men's goodly cities shall weep over you both night and day then Achilles told his men to set a large tripod upon the fire that they might wash the clotted gore from off Patrickus thereon they set a tripod full of bathwater onto a clear fire they threw sticks onto it to make it blaze and the water became hot as the flame played about the belly of the tripod when the water in the cauldron was boiling they washed the body anointed it with oil and closed its wounds with ointment that had been kept nine years then they laid it on a beer and covered it with a little cloth from head to foot and over this they laid a fair white robe thus all night long did the murmidants gather around Achilles to mourn Patrickus then Jov said to Juno his sister wife so Queen Juno you have gained your end and have roused fleet Achilles one would think that the Achaeans were of your own flesh and blood and Juno answered dread son of Saturn why should you say this thing may not a man though we be only mortal and knows less than we do do what he can for another person and shall not I for most of all goddesses both by descent and as wife to you who reign in heaven devise evil for the Trojans if I'm angry with them and thus did they converse meanwhile Theodos came to the house of Vulcan imperishable star bespangled fairest of the abodes in heaven a house of bronze wrought by the lame gods own hands she found him busy with his bellows sweating and hard at work for he was making 20 tripods that were to stand by the wall of his house and he set wheels of gold and done them all that they might go of their own selves the assemblies of the gods and come back again marvels indeed to see they were finished all but the ears of cunning workmanship which yet remained to be fixed to them easy was now fixing and it was hammering at the rivets while he was this at work silver-footed Theodos came to the house carousel of graceful headdress wife to the far famed lame god came towards her soon she saw her and took her hand on her own saying why have you come to her house Theodos honored and ever welcome for you do not visit us often come inside and let me set refreshment before you the goddess led the way as she spoke and made Theodos sit on a ritly decorated seat inlaid with silver there was a footstool also under her feet then she called Vulcan and said Vulcan come here Theodos wants you and the far famed lame god answered then it is indeed an august and honored goddess who has come here she it was that took care of me when I was suffering from the heavy fall which I had through my cruel mother's anger for she would have got rid of me because I was lame it would have gone hardly with me had not your enemy daughter of the ever encircling waters of oceanus and Cetus taken me to their bosom nine years that I stay with them and many beautiful works and bronze roaches spiral armlets cups and chains that I make for them in their cave with the roaring waters of oceanus foaming as they rushed ever past it and no one knew neither of gods nor man save only Cetus and your enemy who took care of me if then Cetus has come to my house I must make her jewelry quittle for having saved me entertain her therefore with all hospitality while I put by my bellows and all my tools on this the mighty monster hobbled off from his anvil his thin legs plying lustily under him he set the bellows away from the fire and gathered his tools into a silver chest then he took a sponge and washed his face and hands his shaggy chest and brawny neck he done this shirt grassed his strong staff and limped towards the door there were golden handmaids also who worked for him and were like real young women with sense and reason voice also and strength and all the learning of the immortals these visit themselves as the king bait them while he drew near to Cetus seated her upon a goodly seat and took her hand in his own saying why have you come to our house Cetus honored and ever welcome or you do not visit as often say what you want and I will do it for you at once if I can and if it can be done at all Cetus wept and answered Vulcan is there another goddess in Olympus whom the son of Saturn has been pleased to try with so much affliction as he has me me alone of the marine goddesses that he makes subject to a mortal husband Helios son of Iacus and sorely against my will did I submit to the embraces of one who was but mortal and who now stays at home worn out with age neither is this all heaven vouch saved me a son hero among heroes and he shot up as a sapling I tended him as a plant in a goodly garden and sent him with his ships to Ilius to fight the Trojans but never shall I welcome him back to the house of Palaeus so long as he lives to look upon the light of the sun he is in heaviness and though I go to him I cannot help him king Agamemnon has made him give up the maiden whom the sons of the Achaeans had awarded him and he wastes with sorrow for her sake then the Trojans hemmed the Achaeans in at their ships sterns and would not let them conforce the elders therefore of the archives besought Achilles and offered him great treasure whereon he refused to bring deliverance to them himself but put his own armor on Patroclus and sent him into the fight with much people after him all day long they fought by the skin gates and would have taken the city there and then had not Apollo vouch saved glory to Hector and slain the valiant son of Manitius after he done the Trojans much evil therefore I am suppliant at your knees if happily you may be pleased to provide my son whose end is near at hand with helmet and shield what goodly grieves fitted with ankle clasps and with a breastplate for he lost his own when his true comrade fell at the hands of the Trojans and he now lies stretched on earth in the bitterness of his soul and Vulcan answered take heart and be no more disquieted about this matter would that I could hide him from death's sight when his hour has come so surely as I can find him armor that shall amaze the eyes of all who beholded when he had so said he left her and went to his bellows turning them towards the fire and bidding them to their office 20 bellows blew upon the melting pots and they blew blasts of every kind some fears to help him when he had need of them and others less strong as Vulcan wielded in the course of his work he threw tough copper into the fire and tinned with silver and gold he set his great anvil on its block and with one hand grasped his mighty hammer while he took the tongs in the other first he shaped the shield so great and strong adorning it all over and binding it round with a gleaming circuit in three layers and the Baldrick was made of silver he made the shield in five thicknesses and with many a wonder that is cunning hand and richard he wrought the earth the heavens and the sea the moon also at her full and the untiring sun with all the signs that glorify the face of heaven the planets the hyads huge orient and the bear which men also called the wane and which turns round ever in one place facing orient and alone never dips into the stream of oceanus he wrought also two cities fair to sea and busy with the home of men in the one were weddings and wedding feasts and they were going about the city with brides whom they were escorting by torchlight from their chambers loud rose the cry of hymen and the youths danced the music of flute and lyre while the women stood each at her house door to see them meanwhile the people were gathered in assembly for there was a quarrel and two men were wrangling about the blood money for a man who had been killed the one saying before the people that he had paid damages in full and the other that he had not been paid each was trying to make his own case good and the people took sides each man was backing the side that he had taken but the heralds kept them back and the eldest sat on their seats of stone in a solemn circle holding the staves which the heralds had put into their hands then they rose and each in his turn gave judgment and there were two talons laid down to be given to him whose judgment should be deemed the fairest about the other city they lay encamped two hosts in gleaming armor and they were divided whether to second or to spare it and accept the half of what it contained but the man of the city would not yet consent and armed themselves for a surprise their wives and little children kept guard upon the walls and with them were the men who were past fighting through age but the others sided forth with mars and palestinava at their head both of them rod in gold and clad in golden raiment grayed and fair with their armor as befitting gods while they that followed were smaller when they reached the place where they would lay their ambush it wasn't a riverbed to which livestock of all kinds would come from far and near to water here then they they concealed clad in full armor some way off them there were two scouts who were on the lookout for the coming of sheep or cattle which presently came followed by two shepherds who were playing on their pipes and have not so much as a thought of danger when those who were in ambush saw this they cut off the flocks and herds and killed the shepherds meanwhile the procedures when they heard much noise among the cattle as they sat in council sprang to their horses and made with all speed towards them when they reached them they sat battle in a raid by the banks of the river and the hosts aimed their bronze shot spears at one another with them was strife and riot and fell fate who was dragging three men after her one with a fresh wound and the other unwounded while the third was dead and she was dragging him along by his heel and the robe was bedravelled in man's blood they went in and out with one another and thought as though they were living people hailing away one another's dead he brought also a fair fellow field large and thrice plowed already many men were working at the plow within it turning their oxen to and fro furrow after furrow each time that they turned on reaching the headland a man would come up to them and give them a cup of wine and they would go back to their furrows looking forward to the time when they should again reach the headland the part that they plowed was dark behind them so that the field though it was of gold still looked as it were being plowed very curious to behold he brought also a field of harvest corn and the reapers were reaping with sharp sickles in their hands swath after swath fell to the ground in a straight line behind them and the binders bound them in bands of twisted straw there were three binders and behind them there were boys who gathered the cut corn and armfuls and kept on bringing them to be bound among them all the owner of the lands took by in silence and was glad the servants were getting a meal ready under an oak for they had sacrificed a great ox and were busy cutting them up while the women were making a porridge of much white barley for the laborer's dinner he brought also a vignette golden and fair to see and the vines were loaded with grapes the bunches overhead were black but the vines were trained on poles of silver he ran a ditch of dark metal all around it and fenced it with a fence of tin there was only one path to it and by this the vintages went when they would gather the vintage youths and maidens all blith and full of glee carried the luscious fruit and plated baskets and with them there went a boy who made sweet music with his lair and sang the lino song with his clear boyish voice he brought also a herd of horned cattle he made the cows of golden tin and they loat as they came full speed out of the yards to go and feed among the waving reeds that grow by the banks of the river along with the cattle there went four shepherds all of them in gold and at nine fleet dogs went with them two terrible lions had fastened on a bellowing bull that was with the full most cows and bellow as he might they hailed him while the dogs and men gave chase the lions tore through the bull's thick hide and were gorging on his blood and bowels but the herdsmen were afraid to do anything and only hounded on their dogs the dogs there knocked fast on the lions but stood by barking and keeping out of harm's way the god wrought also a pasture in a fair mountain dell and a large flock of sheep with a homestead and huts and sheltered sheepfolds furthermore he brought a green like that which Daedalus once made in crosses for lovely Ariadne he ran their danced youths and maidens whom all would woo with their hands on one another's wrists the maidens were roads of light linen and the youths well-woven shirts that were slightly oiled the girls were crowned with garlands while the young men had daggers of gold that hung by silver boldrics sometimes they would dance deftly in a ring with merry twinkling feet as it were a potter sitting as woke and making trial of his wheel to see whether it will run and sometimes they would go all in line with one another and much people was guarded joyously about the green there was a bard also to sing to them and play his lyre while two tumblers went about performing in the midst of them when the man struck up with his tune all around the outermost rim of the shield he set the mighty stream of the river oceanus then when he had fashioned the shield so great and strong he made a breastplate also that shone brighter than fire he made a helmet close fitting to the brow and richly worked with a golden plume overhanging it and he made grieves also of beaten tin lastly when the famed lame god had made all the armor he took it and set it before the mother of Achilles whereon she darted like a falcon from the snowy summons of Olympus and bore away the gleaming armor from the house of falcon end of book 18 book 19 of the Iliad this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Gesine the Iliad by Homer translated by Samuel Butler book 19 Achilles is reconciled with Agamemnon puts on the armor which valken had made him and goes out to fight now when dawn in robe of saffron was hasting from the streams of oceanus to bring light to mortals and immortals Cetus reached the ships with the armor that the god had given her she found her son fallen about the body of patroclus and weeping bitterly many also of his followers were weeping around him but when the goddess came among them she clasped his hand in her own saying my son grieve as we may we must let this man lie for it is by heaven's will that he has fallen now therefore except from valken this rich and goodly armor which no man has ever yet borne upon his shoulders as she spoke she set the armor before Achilles and it rang out bravely as she did so the murmurans were struck with awe at none dared look full at it for they were afraid but Achilles was roused to still greater fury and his eyes gleamed with a fierce light for he was glad when he handled the splendid present which the god had made him then as soon as he had satisfied himself with looking at it he said to his mother mother the god has given me armor meet handiwork for an immortal and such as no one living could have fashioned i will now arm but i much fear that flies will settle upon the son of menowicious and breed worms about his wounds so that his body now he is dead will be disfigured and the flesh will rot silver footed cetus answered my son be not disquieted about this matter i will find means to protect him from the swarms of noisome flies that pray on the bodies of men who have been killed in battle he may lie for a whole year and his flesh shall still be sounder's ever or even sounder call therefore the achian heroes in assembly unsay your anger against agamemnon armored once and fight with might and main as she spoke she put strength and courage into his heart and she then dropped ambrosia and red nectar into the ruins of patroclus that his body might suffer no change then achilles went out upon the seashore and with a loud cry called on the achian heroes on this even those who as yet had stayed away always at the ships the pilots and helmsmen and even the stewards who were about the ships and served out rations all came to the place of assembly because achilles had shown himself after having held aloft so long from the fighting two sons of mars helices and the son of today's came limping for their wounds still pained them nevertheless they came and took their seats in the front row of the assembly last of all came agamemnon king of men he too wounded for kooned son of antonore had struck him with a spear in battle when the achians were got together achilles rose and said son of atreus surely it would have been better like for both you and me when we too weren't such high anger about briseus sure it would have been better had diana's arrows slain her at the ships on the day when i took her after having sacked leonesses for so many in achian the less would have bitten dust before the foe in the days of my anger it has been well for hector and the trojans but the achians will long indeed remember our quarrel now however let it be for it is over if we have been angry necessities schooled our anger i put it from me i dare not nest it forever therefore with the achians armed forthwith that i may go out against the trojans and learn whether they will be in a mind to sleep by the ships or no glad i wean will he be to rest his knees who may fly my spear when i wield it thus did he speak and the achians rejoiced in that he had put away his anger then agamemnon spoke rising in his place and not going into the middle of the assembly the nane heroes said he servants of mars it is well to listen when a man stands up to speak and it is not seemly to interrupt him or it will go hard even with a practised speaker who can either hear or speak in an uproar even the finest orator will be disconcerted by it i would expound to the sound of paleos and do you other achians heed me and mark me well often have the achians spoken to me of this matter and upgraded me but it was not i that did it drove and fate and erinis that walks and darkness struck me mad when we were assembled on the day that i took from achilles the mead that had been awarded to him what could i do all things are in the hand of heaven and folly eldest of joe's daughters shuts men's eyes to their destruction she walks delicately not on the solid earth but hovers over the heads of men to make them stumble or to ensnare them time was when she fooled joe himself who they say is greatest whether of gods or men for juno woman that she was beguiled him on the day when alchmina was to bring forth mighty hockleys in the fair city of thebes he told it out among the gods saying hear me all gods and goddesses that i may speak even as i am minded this day shallan illisuya helper of women who are in labor bring a man child into the world who shall be lord overall that dwell about him who are of my blood and lineage then said juno all crafty and full of guile you will play false and will not hold to your word swear me o olympian swear me a great oath that he who shall this day fall between the feet of a woman shall be lord overall that dwell about him who are of your blood and lineage thus she spoke and joe suspected her not but swore the great oath to his much ruin thereafter for juno darted down from the high summit of olympus and went in haste to acian argos where she knew that the noble wife of stenolus son of perseus then was she being with child and in her seventh month juno brought the child to birth though there was a month still wanting but she stayed the offspring of alchmina and kept back the illisuya then she went to tell joe the son of satan and said father joe lord of the lightning i have a word for your ear there was a fine child born this day here is theus son to stenolus the son of perseus he is of julinage it is well therefore that he should reign over the argos on this joe was stung to the very quick and in his rage he caught folly by the hair and swore a great oath that never should she again invade starry heaven and olympus for she was the bane of all then he whirled around with the twist of his hand and flung her down from heaven so that she fell onto the fields of mortal men and he was ever angry with her when he saw his son groaning under the cruel labours that urus seos laid upon him even so did i grieve when mighty hector was killing the argives at their ships and all the time i kept thinking of folly who had so bane me i was blind and joe robbed me of my reason i will now make atonement and would add much treasure by way of amends go therefore into battle you and your people with you i will give you all that ulysses offered you yesterday in your tents or if it's so please you wait though you would vain fight at once and my squire shall bring the gifts from my ship that you may see whether what i give you is enough and achilles answered son of atreus king of men agamemnon you can give such gifts as you think proper or you can withhold them it is in your own hands let us now set battle in array it is not well to tarry talking about trifles for there is a deed which is as yet to do achilles shall again be seen fighting among the foremost and laying low the ranks of the trojans bear this in mind each one of you when he is fighting then ulysses said achilles godlike and brave sent not the achaeans thus against ileus to fight the trojans fasting for the battle will be no brief one when it is once begun and heaven has filled both sides with fury with them first to take food both bread and wine by the ships for in this there is strength and stay no man can do battle the live long day to the going down of the sun if he is without food however much he may want to fight his strength will fail him before he knows it hunker and thirst will find him out and his limbs will grow weary under him but a man can fight all day if he is full fed with meat and wine his heart beats high and his strength will stay till he has routed all his foes therefore sends people away and bid them prepare their meal King Agamemnon will bring out the gifts in presence of the assembly that all may see them and you may be satisfied moreover let him swear an oath before the archives that he has never gone up into the couch of briseus nor been with her after the manner of men and women and do you too show yourself of a gracious mind let Agamemnon entertain you in his tents with a feast of reconciliation that so you may have had your dues in full as for you son of Atreus treat people more righteously in future it is no disgrace even to a king that he should make amends if he was wrong in the first instance and King Agamemnon answered son of laertes your words please me well for throughout you have spoken wisely i will swear as you will have me do i do so of my own free will neither shall i take the name of heaven in vain let then Achilles wait so he would faint fight at once and do your others wait also till the gifts come from my tent and we ratify the oath with sacrifice thus then do i charge you take some noble younger Keyens with you and bring from my tents the gifts that i promised yesterday to Achilles and bring the women also further more let tell Sibius find me a bore from those that are with the host and make it ready for sacrifice to Jove and to the sun then said Achilles son of Atreus king of men Agamemnon see to these matters at some other season when there is breathing time and when i am calmer would you have men eat while the bodies of those whom Hector son of Priam slew are still lying mangled upon the plane let the sons of the Achaeans say i fight fasting and without food till we have avenged them afterwards at the going down of the sun let them eat their fill as for me Petroclus is lying dead in my tent all hacked and hewn with his feet to the door and his comrades are mourning around him therefore i can take sort of nothing save only slaughter and blood and the rattle in the throat of the dying Ulysses answered Achilles son of Palaeus mightiest of all the Achaeans in battle you are better than i and that more than a little but in council i am much before you for i am older and of greater knowledge therefore be patient under my words fighting is a thing of which men soon surfeit and when Jove who is wars steered weighs the upshot it may well prove that the straw which our sickles have reaped is far heavier than the grain it may not be that the Achaeans should mourn the dead with their bellies day by day men fall sick and three fold continually when should we have respite from our sorrow let us mourn our dead for a day and bury them out of sight and mind but let those of us who are left eat and drink that we may arm and fight our foes more fiercely in that hour let no man hold back waiting for a second summons such summons shall bode ill for him who is found lagging behind at our ships let us rather sally as one man and lose the fury of war upon the Trojans when he had thus spoken he took with him the sons of Nestor with megas son of Phileus so as marionese like amides son of creyantis and melanopus and went to the tent of Agamemnon son of Atreus the word was not sooner said than the deed was done they brought out the seven tripods which Agamemnon has promised with the 20 metal cauldrons and the 12 horses they also brought the women skilled in useful arts seven in number with preseus which made eight Ulysses weighed out the 10 talents of gold and then led the way back while the younger Keyans brought the rest of the gifts and laid them in the middle of the assembly Agamemnon then rose and talcibius whose voice was like that of a god came to him with a bore the son of Atreus drew the knife which he wore by the scabbard of his mighty sword and began by cutting off some bristles from the bore lifting up his hands in prayer as he did so the other Keyans sat where they were all silent and orderly to hear the king and Agamemnon looked into the vault of heaven and prayed saying I call jove the first and mightiest of all gods to witness I call also earth and sun and the irinias who dwell below and to take vengeance on him who shall swear falsely that I have laid no hand upon the girl brisay's neither to take her to my bed nor otherwise but that she has remained in my tense inviolate if I square falsely may heaven visit me with all the penalties which it meets out to those who purge themselves he cuts the bore's throat as he spoke where on talcibius worlded around his head and flung it into the wide sea to feed the fishes then the killies also rose and said to the our guys father jove of a truth you blind man's eyes and bane them the son of atreus has not else stirred me to so fierce an anger nor so stubbornly taking brisay's from me against my will surely jove must have cancelled the destruction of many an archive go now and take your food that we may begin fighting on this he broke up the assembly and every man went back to his own ship the mermidans attended to the presence and took them away to the ship of achilles they placed them in his tents while the stable men drove the horses in among the others brisay's fair as venus when she saw the mangled body of patroclus flung herself upon it and cried aloud tearing her breast her neck and her lovely face with both her hands beautiful as a goddess she wept and said patroclus dearest friend when i went hence i left you living i return no prince to find you dead thus do fresh sorrows multiply upon me one after the other i saw him to whom my father and mother married me cut down before our city and my three own dear brothers perished with him on the self same day but you patroclus even when achilles slew my husband and sacked the city of noble minis told me that i was not to weep for you said you would make achilles marry me and take me back with him to persia we should have a wedding feast among the mermidans you were always kind to me and i shall never cease to grieve for you she wept as she spoke and the women joined in her lament making as though their tears were for patroclus but in truth each was weeping for her own sorrows the elders of the achilles gathered round achilles and prayed him to take food but he groaned and would not do so i pray you said he if any comrade will hear me bid me neither eat nor drink for i am in great heaviness and will stay fasting even to the going down of the sun on this he sent the other princes away save only for the two sons of atreus and ulysses nestor and eduminaeus and the knight phoenix who stayed behind and tried to comfort him in the bitterness of his sorrow but he would not be comforted till he should have flung himself into the jaws of battle and he fetched sigh on sigh thinking ever of patroclus then he said hapless and dearest comrade you it was who would get a good dinner ready for me at once and without delay when the achaeans were hasting to fight the trojans now therefore though i have meat and drink in my tents yet will i fast for sorrow grief greater than this i could not know not even though i were to hear of the death of my father who is now in psia weeping for the loss of me his son who am here fighting the trojans in a strange land for the accursed sake of helen nor yet though i should hear that my son is no more he who is being brought up in skyros if indeed neoptolomus is still living till now i made sure that i alone was to fall here atroi away from argos while you were to return to psia bring back my son with you in your own ship and show him all my property my bondsman and the greatness of my house for peleus must truly be either dead or what little life remains to him is oppressed alike with the infirmities of age and ever present fear lest you should hear the sad tidings of my death he wept as he spoke and the elders sighed in concert as each thought on what he had left at home behind him the son of satan looked down was pity upon them and said presently to minerva my child you have quite deserted your hero is he then gone so clean out of your recollection there he sits by the ships all desolate for the loss of his dear comrade and though the others are gone to their dinner he will neither eat nor drink go then and drop nectar and ambrosia into his breast that he may know no hunger with these words he urged minerva who was already of the same mind she darted down from heaven into the air like some falcon sailing on his broad wings and screaming meanwhile the achaeans were arming throughout the host and when minerva had dropped nectar and ambrosia into achilles so that no cruel hunger should cause his limbs to fail him she went back to the house of her mighty father sick as the chilled snowflakes shed from the hand of drove and born on the keen blasts of the north wind even so sick did the gleaming helmets the bost shields and the strongly plated breast plates and the ashen spears streamed from the ships the sheen pierced the sky the whole land was radiant with their flashing armor and the sound of the tramp of their treading rose from under their feet in the midst of them all achilles put on his armor he gnashed his teeth his eyes gleamed like fire for his grief was greater than he could bear thus then full of fury against the trojans did he don the gift of the god the armor that valken had made him first he put on the goodly greaves fitted with ankle clasps and next he did on the breastplate about his chest his lung the silver studded sword of bronze about his shoulders and then took up the shield so great and strong that tron afar with the splinters of the moon and the light seen by sailors from out at sea when men have lit a fire in their homestead high up among the mountains but the sailors are carried out to sea by wind and storm far from the haven where they would be even so did the gleam of achilles wondrous shield strike up into the heavens he lifted the redoubtable helmet and set it upon his head from whence it shone like a star and the golden plumes which valken had set sick upon the ridge of the helmet waved all around it then achilles made trial of himself in his armor to see whether it fitted him so that his limbs could play freely under it and it seemed to boy him up as though it had been wings he also drew his father's spear out of the spear stand the spear so great and heavy and strong that none of the achians save only achilles had strength to wield it this was the spear of pelion ash from the topmost ridges of mount pelion which kairon had once given to pilaeus fraught with the death of heroes automadan and alchemists busied themselves with the harnessing of his horses they made the bands fast about them and put the bit in their mouths drawing the rain back towards the chariot automadan whip in hand sprang up behind the horses and after him achilles mounted in full armor resplendent as the sun god hyperion then with a loud voice he chided with his father's horses saying zanzis and baleus famed offspring of padagi this time when we have done fighting be sure and bring your driver safely back to the host of the achians and do not leave him dead on the plane as he did petroclus then fleet zanzis answered under the yoke for white armed juno had endowed him with human speech and he bowed his head till his mane touched the ground as it hung down from under the yoke band dread achilles said he we will indeed save you now but the day of your death is near and the blame will not be ours for it will be heaven and stern fate that will destroy you neither was it through any sloths or slackness on our part that the trojans stripped petroclus of his armor it was the mighty god whom lovely leto bore that slew him as he fought among the foremost and vouchsafed a triumph to hector we took and fly as swiftly as zephyrus who they say is fleet of all winds nevertheless it is your doom to fall by the hand of a man and of a god when he had thus said the orinus stayed his speech and achilles answered him in great sadness saying why is zanzis do you thus foretell my death you need not do so for i well know that i'm to fall here far from my dear father and mother none the more however shall i stake my hand until i have given the trojans their fill of fighting so saying with a loud cry he drove his horses to the front end of book 19 read by gazine in march 2007 book 20 of the iliad this is a leber vox recording all leber vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit leber vox.org the iliad by homer translated by samuel butler book 20 achilles fights anias the gods hold a council and determined to watch the fight from the hill at calicoloni and the barrel of hercules a fight between achilles and anias is interrupted by neptune who saves anias achilles kills many trojans thus then did the keans armed by their ships round you o son of palaeus who were hungering for battle while the trojans over against them armed upon the rise of the plane meanwhile joe from the top of many dildolympus paid themus gathered the gods in council whereon she went about and called them to the house of joe there was not a river absent except oceanus nor single one of the nymphs that haunt fair groves or springs of rivers and meadows of grain grass when they reached the house of cloud compelling joe they took their seats in the arcades of polished marble which vulcan with his consummate skill had made for father joe in such wise therefore did they gather in the house of joe neptune also lord of the earthquake obeyed the call of the goddess and came up out of the sea to join them there sitting in the midst of them he asked what joe's purpose might be why said he wielder of the lightning have you called the gods in council are you considering some batter that concerns the trojans and akeans for the blaze of battle is on the point of being kindled between them and joe answered you know my purpose shaker of earth and wherefore i have called you hither i take thought for them even in their destruction for my own part i shall stay here seated on mount olympus and look on in peace but do you others go about among trojans and akeans and help either side as you may be severally disposed if akeli's fights the trojans without hindrance they will make no stand against him they have ever trembled at the sight of him and now that he is roused to such fury about his comrade he will override fate itself and storm their city the spoke joe and gave the word for war where on the gods took their several sides and went into battle juno palace minerva earth encircling neptune mercury bringer of good luck and excellent and all cunning all these joined the host that came from the ships with them also came vulcan in all his glory limping but yet with his thin legs plying lustily under him mars of gleaming helmet joined the trojans and with him a palo of locks on shorn and the archer goddess diana leto xanthus and laughter loving venus so long as the gods held themselves aloof from mortal warriors the akeans were triumphant for achilles who had long refused to fight was now with them there was not a trojan but his limbs failed him for fear as he beheld this fleet son of paleus all glorious in his armor and looking like mars himself when however the olympians came to take their part among men forthwith upro strong strife rouser of hosts and minerva raised her loud voice now standing by the deep trench that ran outside the wall and now shouting with all her might upon the shore of the sounding sea mars also bellowed out upon the other side dark as some black thunder cloud and called on the trojans at the top of his voice now from the acropolis and now speeding up the side of the river simoas till he came to the hill calicoloni thus did the gods spur on both hosts to fight and rouse fierce contention among themselves the sire of gods and men thundered from heaven above while from beneath neptune shook the vast earth and bade the high hills tremble the spurs and crests of many fountain dyda quaked also the city of the trojans and the ship of the achaeans hades king of the realms below was struck with fear he sprang panic stricken from his throne and cried aloud in terror less neptune lord of the earthquake should crack the ground over his head and lay bare his moldy mansions to the site of mortals and immortals mansions so ghastly grim that even the gods shudder to think of them such was the uproar as the gods came together in battle apollo with his arrows took his stand to face king neptune while minerva took hers against the god of war the archer goddess diana with her golden arrows sister of far darting apollo stood to face juno mercury the lusty bringer of good luck faced leto while the mighty eddying river who men call scamander but god xanthus matched himself against vulcan the gods then were thus ranged against one another but the heart of achilles was set on meeting hector son of pream for it was with his blood that he longed above all things else to glut the stubborn lord of battle meanwhile apollo said aneus on to attack the son of paleus and put courage into his heart speaking with the voice of lycaeon son of pream in his likeness therefore he said to aneus aneus counselor of the trojans where are now the brave words with which you've wanted over your wine before the trojan princes saying that you would fight Achilles son of paleus in single combat aneus answered why do you thus bid me to fight the proud son of paleus when i am in no mind to do so were i to face him now it would not be for the first time his spear has already put me to write from ida when he attacked our cattle and sacked lernesis and pettisus jove indeed saved me in that he vouchsafed me strength to fly else had the fallen by the hands of achilles and menerva who went before him to protect him and urged him to fall upon the ligue and trojans no man may fight achilles for one of the gods is always with him as his guardian angel and even were it not so his weapon flies ever straight and fails not to pierce the flesh of him who was against him if heaven would let me fight him on even terms he should not soon overcome me though he boasts that he is made of bronze then said king apollo son to jove nay hero pray to the everliving gods for men say that you were born of joe's daughter venus whereas achilles is son to a goddess of inferior rank venus is child to jove while thetus is but daughter to the old man of the sea bring therefore your spear to bear upon him and let him not scare you with his taunts and menaces as he spoke he put courage into the heart of the shepherd of his people and he strode in full armor among the ranks of the foremost fighters nor did the son of ancaisis escaped the notice of white armed juno as he went forth into the throng to meet achilles she called the gods about her and said look to it you two neptune in manurva and consider how this shall be feebus apollo has been sending an eus clad in full armor to fight achilles shall we turn him back at once or shall one of us stand by achilles and endow him with strength so that his heart fail not and he may learn that the chiefs of immortals are on his side while the others who have all along been defending the trojans are but vain helpers let us all come down from olympus and join in the fight that this day he may take no hurt at the hands of the trojans hereafter let him suffer whatever fate may have spun out for him when he was begotten and his mother bore him if achilles be not thus assured by the voice of a god he may come to fia presently when one of us meets him in battle for the gods are terrible if they are seen face to face neptune lord of the earthquake answered her saying juno restrain your fury it is not well i am not in favor of forcing the other gods to fight us but the advantage is too greatly on our own side let us take our places on some hill out of the beaten track and let mortals fight it out amongst themselves if mars or feebus apollo begin fighting or keep achilles in check so that he cannot fight we too will at once raise the cry of battle and in that case they will soon leave the field and go back vanquish to olympus among the other gods with these words the dark haired god led the way to the high earth barrow of hercules built round solid masonry and made by the trojans and palace manurva for him to fly when the sea monster was chasing him from the shore up onto the plane here neptune and those that were with him took their seats wrapped in a thick cloud of darkness but the other god seated themselves in the brow of calcoloni round you will feebus and mars the waster of cities thus did the gods sit apart and form their plans but neither side was willing to begin battle with the other and joe from his seat on high was in command over them all meanwhile the whole plane was alive with men and horses and blazing with the gleam of armor the earth rang again under the tramp of their feet as they rushed towards each other and two champions by far the foremost of them all met between the hosts to fight anus son of ancaisis and noble achilles anus was first to stride forward in the attack his dowdy helmet tossing defiance as he came on he held his strong shield before his breast and brandished his bronze spear the son of paleus from the other side sprang forth to meet him like some fierce lion that the whole countryside has met to hunt and kill at first he bodes no ill but when some daring youth has struck him with a spear he crouched his open mouth his jaws foamed he roars with fury he lashes his tail from side to side about his ribs and loins and glares as he springs straight before him to find out whatever he is to slay or be slain among the foremost of his foes even what such fury did achilles burn to spring upon anus when they were now close up with one another achilles was first to speak anus he said why do you stand thus out before the host to fight me is it that you hope to reign over the trojans in the ceta priam nay though you will kill me priam will not hand his kingdom over to you he is a man of sound judgment and he has sons of his own or have the trojans been allotting you a demesnae of passing richness fair with orchard lawns and corn lands if you should slay me this you shall hardly do i have disconfident you once already have you forgotten how when you were alone i chased you from your herds held a skelter down the slopes of ida you did not turn round to look behind you you took refuge in larnesis but i attacked the city and with the help of manurva and father jove i sacked it and carried its women into captivity though jove and the other gods rescued you you think they will protect you now but they will not do so therefore i say go back into the host and do not face me or you will ruin it even a fool may be wise after the event then anus answered son of palius think not that your words can scare me as though i were a child i too if i will can brag and talk unseemly we know when another's race and parentage has matters of common fame though neither have you ever seen my parents nor are yours men say that you are son to noble palius and that your mother is thetis fair-haired daughter of the sea i have noble and kyces for my father and venus for my mother the parents of one or other of us shall this day mourn a son for it will be more than silly talk that shall part us when this fight is over learn then my lineage if you will and it is known to many in the beginning dardinus was the son of jove and founded dardania for ilius was not yet established on the plane for men to dwell in and her people still abode on the spurs of many fountain dida dardinus had a son king ericthonius who was the wealthiest of all men living he had three thousand mares that fed by the water meadows they and their foals with them borius was enamored of them as they were feeding and covered them in the semblance of a dark main stallion twelve philly foals did they conceive and bear him and these as they sped over the rich plane would go bounding on over the ripe years of corn and not break them or again when they would deport themselves on the broad back of ocean they could gallop on the crest of a breaker ericthonius beget tross king of the trojans and tross had three noble sons illus a saracus and ganymede who was the cumulus of mortal men wherefore the gods carried him off to the jobe's cover for his beauty's sake that he might dwell among the immortals illus beget leomidon and leomidon beget tithonius priam lamthus clidius and heiketeon of the stock of mares but a saracus was father to capes and capes to encaices who was my father while hector his son to priam so i do clear my blood and lineage but as for valor jove gives it or takes it as he will for he is lord of all and now let there be no more of this prating in mid battle as though we were children we could flink taunts without end at one another a hundred or galley would not hold them the tongue can run all withers and talk all wise it can go here and there and as a man says so shall he be gained said what is the use of our bandying hard like women who when they fall foul of one another go out and wrangle in the streets one half true in the other lies as rage inspires them no words of yours shall turn me now that i am feigned to fight therefore let us make trial of one another with our spears as he spoke he drove his spear at the great and terrible shield of achilles which rang out as the point struck it the son of paleus held the shield before him with a strong hand and he was afraid for he deemed aneus's spear would go through it quite easily not reflecting that the god's glorious gifts were little likely to yield before the blows of mortal men and indeed aneus spear did not pierce the shield for the layer of gold gift of the god stayed the point it went through two layers but the god had made the shield in five two of bronze the two innermost ones of tin and one of gold it was in this that the spear was stayed achilles in his turn through and struck the round shield of aneus at the very edge where the bronze was thinnest the spear of paleon ash went clean through and the shield rang under the blow aneus was afraid and crouched backwards holding the shield away from him the spear however flew over his back and struck quivering in the ground after having gone through both circles of the sheltering shield aneus though he had avoided the spear stood still blinded with fear and grief because the weapon had gone so near him then achilles sprang furiously upon him with a cry as of death and with his keen blade drawn and aneus seized a great stone so huge that two men as men now are would be unable to lift it but aneus wielded it quite easily aneus would have then struck achilles as it was springing towards him either on the helmet or on the shield that covered him and achilles would have closed with him and dispatched him with his sword had not neptune lord of the earthquake been quick to mark and said forthwith to the immortals alas i am sorry for great aneus for who will now go down to the house of hades vanquished by the son of paleus fool that he was to give ear to the council of apollo apollo will never save him from destruction why should this man suffer when he is guiltless to no purpose in another's quarrel has he not at all times offered acceptable sacrifice to the gods that dwell in heaven let us then snatch him from death's jaws lest the son of satan be angry should achilles lay him it is fated more over that he should escape and that the race of darkness whom joe loved above all the sons born to him of mortal women shall not perish utterly without seed or sign for now indeed has joe hated the blood of priam while aneus shall reign over the trojans he and his children's children that shall be born hereafter then answered you know earth shaker look to this matter yourself and consider concerning aneus whether you will save him or suffer him brave though he be to fall by the hand of achilles son of paleus for of a truth we too i in palace manorva have sworn full many a time before all the immortals that never would we shield trojans from destruction not even when all Troy is burning in the flames that the achians shall kindle when earth encircling Neptune heard this he went into the battle amid the clash of spears and came to the place where achilles and neus were forthwith he shed a darkness before the eyes of the son of paleus drew the bronze headed ash and spear from the shield of aneus and laid it at the feet of achilles then he lifted aneus on high from off the earth and hurried him away over the heads of many a band of warriors both horse and foot did he soar as the gods hand spent him till he came to the very fringe of the battle where the cauconians were arming themselves for fight Neptune shaker of earth then came near him and said aneus what god has egged you on to this folly in fighting the son of paleus who is both a mightier man of valor and more beloved of heaven than you are give way before him once whoever you meet him lest you go down to the house of hades even though fate would have it otherwise when achilles is dead you may then fight among the foremost undaunted for none other of the achians shall slay you the god left him when he had given him these instructions and at once removed the darkness from before the eyes of achilles who opened them wide indeed and said in great anger alas what marvel am i now beholding here is my spear upon the ground but i see not him who i meant to kill when i hurled it of a truth aneus also must be under heaven's protection although i had thought his boasting was idle let him go hang he will be in no mood to fight me further seeing how narrowly his miss being killed i will now give my orders to the denians and attack some other of the trojans he sprang forward along the line and cheered his men on as he did so let not the trojans he cries keep you at arm's length the key ins but go for them and fight them man for man however valiant i may be i cannot give chase to so many and fight all of them even mars who is an immortal or minerva would shrink from flinging himself into the jaws of such a fight and laying about him nevertheless so far as in me lies i will show no slackness of hand nor foot nor want of endurance nor even for a moment i will utterly break their ranks and woe to the trojan who shall venture within reach of my spear thus did he exhort them meanwhile hector called upon the trojans and declared that he would fight achilles be not afraid proud trojans said he to face the son of paleus i could fight gods myself if the battle were one of words only but there would be more than a match from me if we had to use our spears even so the deed of achilles will fall somewhere short of his word he will do in part and the other part he will clip short i will go up against him though his hands be as fire though his hands be as fire and his strength of iron thus urged the trojans lifted up their spears against the achians and raised the cry of battle as they flung themselves into the midst of their ranks but feebus apollo came up to hector and said hector on no account much you challenge achilles to single combat keep a lookout for him when you are undercover of the others and away from the thick of the fight otherwise he will either hit you with a spear or cut you down at close quarters thus he spoke and hector drew back within the crowd for he was afraid when he heard what the god had said to him achilles then sprang upon the trojans with a terrible cry clothed in valor as with a garment first to kill defidean son of atrentius a leader of much people whom an aiad nymph had born to atrentius waster of cities in the land of heidi under the snowy heights of mount tamales achilles struck him full on the head as he was coming towards him and split it clean in two whereon he fell heavily to the ground and achilles vaunted over him saying be low son of atrentius mighty hero your death is here but your lineas is on the gaegean lake where your father's estate lies by hilas rich in fish and the eddying waters of hermos thus did evaunt but darkness closed the eyes of the other the chariots of the keyans cut him up as their wheels passed over him in the front of battle and after him achilles killed demolian a valiant man of war and son to antonore he struck him on the temple through his bronze cheeked helmet the helmet did not stay the spear but it went right on crushing the bone so that the brain inside was shed in all directions and his lust of fighting was ended then he struck him a damus in the midriff as he was springing down from his chariot in front of him and trying to escape he breathed his last bellowing like a bull bellows when young men are dragging him to offer him in sacrifice to the king of helikey and the heart of the earth shaker is glad even so did he bellow as he lay dying achilles then went in pursuit of palidoris son of priam whom his father had always forbidden to fight because he was the youngest of his sons the one he loved best and the fastest runner he and his follow and showing off the fleetness of his feet was rushing about among front ranks until he lost his life for Achilles struck him in the middle of the back as he was darting past him he struck him just at the golden fastenings of his belt and where the two pieces of the double breastplate overlapped the point of the spear pierced him through and came out by the navel whereon he fell groaning onto his knees in a cloud of darkness overshadowed him as he sank holding his entrails in his hands when hector saw his brother palidoris with his entrails in his hands and sinking down upon the ground a mist came over his eyes and he could not bear to keep longer the distance he therefore poised his spear and darted toward Achilles like a flame of fire when Achilles saw him he bounded forward and vaunted saying this is he that has wounded my heart most deeply and has slain my beloved comrade not for long shall we too quail before one another on the highways of war he looked fiercely on hector and said draw near that you may meet your doom the sooner hector feared him not and answered son of palius think not that your words can scare me as though i were a child i too if i will can brag and talk unseemly i know that you are a mighty warrior might hear by far than i nevertheless the issue lies in the lap of heaven whether i worse man though i be may not slay you with my spear for this too has been found keen air now he hurled his spear as he spoke but menerva breathed upon it and though she breathed but very lightly she turned it back from going towards Achilles so that it returned to hector and lay at his feet in front of him Achilles then sprang furiously on him with a loud cry bent on killing him but apollo caught him up easily as a god can and hit him in a thick darkness thrice did Achilles spring towar