The Iliads of Homer. Homer

Earth under-groan'd their high-rais'd feet, as when offended Jove,

       In Arime, Typhœius with rattling thunder drove

       Beneath the earth; in Arime, men say, the grave is still,

       Where thunder tomb'd Typhœius, and is a monstrous hill;

       And as that thunder made earth groan, so groan'd it as they past,

       They trod with such hard-set-down steps, and so exceeding fast.

       To Troy the rainbow-girded Dame right heavy news relates

       From Jove, as all to council drew in Priam's palace-gates,

       Resembling Priam's son in voice, Polites, swift of feet;

       In trust whereof, as sentinel, to see when from the fleet

       The Grecians sallied, he was set upon the lofty brow

       Of aged Æsyetes' tomb; and this did Iris show:

       "O Priam, thou art always pleas'd with indiscreet advice,

       And fram'st thy life to times of peace, when such a war doth rise

       As threats inevitable spoil. I never did behold

       Such and so mighty troops of men, who trample on the mould

       In number like Autumnus' leaves, or like the marine sand,

       All ready round about the walls to use a ruining hand.

       Hector, I therefore charge thee most, this charge to undertake.

       A multitude remain in Troy, will fight for Priam's sake,

       Of other lands and languages; let ev'ry leader then

       Bring forth well-arm'd into the field his sev'ral bands of men."

       Strong Hector knew a Deity gave charge to this assay,

       Dismiss'd the council straight; like waves, clusters to arms do

       sway;

       The ports are all wide open set; out rush'd the troops in swarms,

       Both horse and foot; the city run with sudden-cried alarms.

       A column stands without the town, that high his head doth raise,

       A little distant, in a plain trod down with divers ways,

       Which men do Batieia call, but the Immortals name

       Myrine's famous sepulchre, the wondrous active dame.

       Here were th' auxiliary bands, that came in Troy's defence,

       Distinguish'd under sev'ral guides of special excellence.

       The duke of all the Trojan pow'r great helm-deck'd Hector was,

       Which stood of many mighty men well-skill'd in darts of brass.

       Æneas of commixéd seed (a Goddess with a man,

       Anchises with the Queen of love) the troops Dardanian

       Led to the field; his lovely sire in Ida's lower shade

       Begat him of sweet Cyprides; he solely was not made

       Chief leader of the Dardan pow'rs, Antenor's valiant sons,

       Archilochus and Acamas, were joind companions.

       Who in Zelia dwelt beneath the sacred foot of Ide,

       That drank of black Æsepus' stream, and wealth made full of pride,

       The Aphnii, Lycaon's son, whom Phœbus gave his bow,

       Prince Pandarus did lead to field. Who Adrestinus owe,

       Apesus' city, Pityæ, and mount Tereiës,

       Adrestus and stout Amphius led; who did their sire displease,

       (Merops Percosius, that excell'd all Troy in heav'nly skill

       Of futures-searching prophecy) for, much against his will,

       His sons were agents in those arms; whom since they disobey'd,

       The fates, in letting slip their threads, their hasty valours

       stay'd.

       Who in Percotes, Practius, Arisba, did abide,

       Who Sestus and Abydus bred, Hyrtacides did guide;

       Prince Asius Hyrtacides, that, through great Selees' force,

       Brought from Arisba to that fight the great and fiery horse.

       Pylæus, and Hippothous, the stout Pelasgians led,

       Of them Larissa's fruitful soil before bad nourishéd;

       These were Pelasgian Pithus' sons, son of Teutamidas.

       The Thracian guides were Pirous, and valiant Acamas,

       Of all that the impetuous flood of Hellespont enclos'd.

       Euphemus, the Ciconian troops, in his command dispos'd,

       Who from Trœzenius-Ceades right nobly did descend.

       Pyræchmes did the Pæons rule, that crookéd bows do bend;

       From Axius, out of Amydon, he had them in command,

       From Axius, whose most beauteous stream still overflows the land.

       Pylæmen with the well-arm'd heart, the Paphlagonians led,

       From Enes, where the race of mules fit for the plough is bred.

       The men that broad Cytorus' bounds, and Sesamus, enfold,

       About Parthenius' lofty flood, in houses much extoll'd,

       From Cromna and Ægialus, the men that arms did bear,

       And Erythinus situate high, Pylæmen's soldiers were.

       Epistrophus and Dius did the Halizonians guide,

       Far-fetch'd from Alybe, where first the silver mines were tried.

       Chromis, and augur Ennomus, the Mysians did command,

       Who could not with his auguries the strength of death withstand,

       But suffer'd it beneath the stroke of great Æacides,

       In Xanthus; where he made more souls dive to the Stygian seas.

       Phorcys, and fair Ascanius, the Phrygians brought to war,

       Well train'd for battle, and were come out of Ascania far.

       With Methles, and with Antiphus, (Pylæmen's sons) did fight

       The men of Meïon, whom the fen Gygæa brought to light,

       And those Meionians that beneath the mountain Tmolus sprung.

       The rude unletter'd Caribæ, that barbarous were of tongue,

       Did under Nastes' colours march, and young Amphimachus,

       (Nomion's famous sons) to whom, the mountain Phthirorus

       That with the famous wood is crown'd, Miletus, Mycales

       That hath so many lofty marks for men that love the seas,

       The crooked arms Mæander bow'd with his so snaky flood,

       Resign'd for conduct the choice youth of all their martial brood.

       The fool Amphimachus, to field, brought gold to be his wrack,

       Proud-girl-like that doth ever bear her dow'r upon her back;

       Which wise Achilles mark'd, slew him, and took his gold in strife,

       At Xanthus' flood; so little Death did fear his golden life.

       Sarpedon led the Lycians, and Glaucus unreprov'd,

       From Lycia, and the gulfy flood of Xanthus far remov'd.

      THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

      THE THIRD BOOK OF HOMER'S ILIADS

      THE ARGUMENT

      Paris, betwixt the hosts, to single fight,

       Of all the Greeks, dares the most hardy knight.