The Iliad of Homer (1873). Homer

the varied corslet, the son of Priam, took aim through the crowd with a sharp spear. From whom, indeed, it erred: but he struck Leucus, the faithful companion of Ulysses, in the groin, as he was drawing the body aside; but he fell near it, and the body dropped from his hand. For him slain, Ulysses was much enraged in mind; and he rushed through the van, armed in shining brass; and advancing very near, he stood, and casting his eyes all around him, hurled with his glittering spear. But the Trojans retired in confusion, as the hero hurled; he did not, however, hurl the spear in vain, but struck Democoon, the spurious son of Priam, who came from Abydos, from [tending] the swift mares. ¹⁹¹ Him Ulysses, enraged for his companion, struck with his spear in the temple, and the brazen point penetrated through the other temple, and darkness veiled his eyes. Falling he made a crash, and his arms resounded upon him. Both the foremost bands and illustrious Hector fell back. The Argives shouted aloud, and dragged the bodies away: then they rushed farther forward; and Apollo was enraged, looking down from Pergamus; and, shouting out, exhorted the Trojans:

Footnote 191: (return) Priam had a stud at Abydos, on the Asiatic coast of the Hellespont.--Scholiast.

      "Arouse ye, ye horse-breaking Trojans, nor yield the battle to the Greeks; since their flesh is not of stone, nor of iron, that when they are struck, it should withstand the flesh-rending brass; neither does Achilles, the son of fair-haired Thetis, fight, but at the ships he nourishes his vexatious spleen."

      Thus spoke the dreadful god from the city. But most glorious Tritonian Pallas, the daughter of Jove, going through the host, roused the Greeks wherever she saw them relaxing.

      Then fate ensnared Diores, son of Amarynceus; for he was struck with a jagged hand-stone, at the ankle, on the right leg; but Pirus, son of Imbrasus, who came from Ænos, the leader of the Thracian warriors, struck him. The reckless stone entirely crushed both tendons and bones; supine in the dust he fell, stretching forth both hands to his dear companions, and breathing forth his soul. But Pirus, he who struck him, ran up, and pierced him in the navel with his spear; and thereupon all his entrails poured forth upon the ground, and darkness veiled his eyes.

But him ¹⁹² Ætolian Thoas struck, rushing on with his spear, in the breast over the pap, and the brass was fastened in his lungs: Thoas came near to him, and drew the mighty spear out of his breast; then he unsheathed his sharp sword, and with it smote him in the midst of the belly, and took away his life. But he did not spoil him of his armour, for his companions stood round him, the hair-tufted Thracians, holding long spears in their hands, who drove him from them, though being mighty, and valiant, and glorious; but he, retreating, was repulsed with force. Thus these two were stretched in the dust near to each other; Pirus, indeed, the leader of the Thracians, and Diores, the leader of the brazen-mailed Epeans; and many others also were slain around.

Then no longer could any man, having come into the field, find fault with the action, who, even as yet neither wounded from distant blows, ¹⁹³ nor pierced close at hand with the sharp brass, might be busied in the midst, and whom spear-brandishing Minerva might lead, taking him by the hand, and might avert from him the violence of the darts; for many of the Trojans and of the Greeks on that day were stretched prone in the dust beside one another.

Footnote 192: (return) Pirus.

Footnote 193: (return) Observe the distinction between ἄϑλητος and ἀκούτατος. See Anthon; Ammonius, p. 29; Valck. Βεϑλῆσθαι μεν ἐστι τὸ ἐκ βολης ετρὼσθαί, καἰ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων οὐτᾶσθαι δὲ, τὸ ἐκ χειρὸς τετρῶσθαι.

BOOK THE FIFTH.

       Table of Contents

      ARGUMENT.

      The exploits of Diomedes, who, irritated by a wound from Pandarus, fights with unremitted fury, and even wounds Venus and Mars, who were aiding the Trojans.

Then, moreover, Pallas Minerva gave strength and daring to Diomede, the son of Tydeus, that he might become conspicuous amongst all the Argives, and might bear off for himself excellent renown. And she kindled from his helmet and his shield an unwearied fire, like unto the summer ¹⁹⁴ star, which shines ¹⁹⁵ very brightly, having been bathed in the ocean. Such a fire she kindled from his head and shoulders, and she urged him into the midst, where the greatest numbers were in commotion.

Footnote 194: (return) I.e. the dog star, Sirius, whose rising marked the beginning of the ὀπώρα, or season extending from the middle of July to the middle of September. It is said to be most brilliant at its time of rising. Cf. Apoll. iii. 956: Ὅς δή τοι καλὸς μὲν ἀρίζηλός τ' ἐσιδέσθαί Ἀντέλλει.

Footnote 195: (return) This use of the subjunctive mood is called the σχῆμα Ἰϑύκειον by Lesbonax, p. 179, ed. Valck.

Now there was amongst the Trojans one Dares, rich, blameless, the priest of Vulcan; and he had two sons, Phegeus and Idæus, well skilled in all kinds of battle: these twain, apart [from their companions], rushed to meet [Diomede]; they on their part, from their two-horse chariot, but he, from the ground, made the attack on foot. When these, therefore, advancing against each other, were now near, Phegeus first hurled forth his long-shadowed spear, and the point of the spear went over the left shoulder of the son of Tydeus, nor did it strike him. But the son of Tydeus next rushed on with his brazen javelin; nor did the weapon fly in vain from his hand, but struck his [Phegeus's] breast between the paps, and forced him from his chariot. Then Idæus leaped down, having left the very beautiful chariot, nor ventured to protect his slain brother. [In vain,] for not even he would have escaped gloomy fate, but Vulcan snatched him away, and saved him, having enveloped him in darkness, that the old man might not be altogether sad. But the son of magnanimous Tydeus having taken the horses, gave them to his companions to lead to the hollow ships. When the magnanimous Trojans beheld the sons of Dares, the one ¹⁹⁶ flying, the other slain at the chariot, the hearts of all were discomfited. But azure-eyed Minerva, seizing him by the hand, thus addressed impetuous Mars: "Mars, Mars, man-slayer, gore-stained, stormer of walls, should we not suffer the Trojans and the Greeks to fight, to which side soever father Jove may give glory; but let us retire, and avoid the wrath of Jove?"

Thus having said, she led impetuous Mars from the battle, and afterwards seated him on grassy ¹⁹⁷ Scamander. Then the Greeks turned the Trojans to flight, and each of the leaders slew his man. First Agamemnon, king of men, hurled from his chariot huge Hodius, chief of the Halizonians. For in the back of him first turned [in flight], between his shoulders he fixed the spear, and drove it through his breast; and falling, he made a crash, and his arms resounded upon him.

But next Idomeneus killed Phæstus, the son of Mæonian Borus, who had come from fertile Tarne. Him, just as he was mounting his chariot, ¹⁹⁸