The Iliad (Wisehouse Classics Edition). Homer

commands.

      Where Titan hides his hoary head in snow,

      And where Hyperia’s silver fountains flow.

      Thy troops, Argissa, Polypoetes leads,

      And Eleon, shelter’d by Olympus’ shades,

      Gyrtone’s warriors; and where Orthe lies,

      And Oloosson’s chalky cliffs arise.

      Sprung from Pirithous of immortal race,

      The fruit of fair Hippodame’s embrace,

      (That day, when hurl’d from Pelion’s cloudy head,

      To distant dens the shaggy Centaurs fled)

      With Polypoetes join’d in equal sway

      Leonteus leads, and forty ships obey.

      In twenty sail the bold Perrhaebians came

      From Cyphus, Guneus was their leader’s name.

      With these the Enians join’d, and those who freeze

      Where cold Dodona lifts her holy trees;

      Or where the pleasing Titaresius glides,

      And into Peneus rolls his easy tides;

      Yet o’er the silvery surface pure they flow,

      The sacred stream unmix’d with streams below,

      Sacred and awful! from the dark abodes

      Styx pours them forth, the dreadful oath of gods!

      Last, under Prothous the Magnesians stood,

      (Prothous the swift, of old Tenthredon’s blood;)

      Who dwell where Pelion, crown’d with piny boughs,

      Obscures the glade, and nods his shaggy brows;

      Or where through flowery Tempe Peneus stray’d:

      (The region stretch’d beneath his mighty shade:)

      In forty sable barks they stemm’d the main;

      Such were the chiefs, and such the Grecian train.

      Say next, O Muse! of all Achaia breeds,

      Who bravest fought, or rein’d the noblest steeds?

      Eumelus’ mares were foremost in the chase,

      As eagles fleet, and of Pheretian race;

      Bred where Pieria’s fruitful fountains flow,

      And train’d by him who bears the silver bow.

      Fierce in the fight their nostrils breathed a flame,

      Their height, their colour, and their age the same;

      O’er fields of death they whirl the rapid car,

      And break the ranks, and thunder through the war.

      Ajax in arms the first renown acquired,

      While stern Achilles in his wrath retired:

      (His was the strength that mortal might exceeds,

      And his the unrivall’d race of heavenly steeds:)

      But Thetis’ son now shines in arms no more;

      His troops, neglected on the sandy shore.

      In empty air their sportive javelins throw,

      Or whirl the disk, or bend an idle bow:

      Unstain’d with blood his cover’d chariots stand;

      The immortal coursers graze along the strand;

      But the brave chiefs the inglorious life deplored,

      And, wandering o’er the camp, required their lord.

      Now, like a deluge, covering all around,

      The shining armies sweep along the ground;

      Swift as a flood of fire, when storms arise,

      Floats the wild field, and blazes to the skies.

      Earth groan’d beneath them; as when angry Jove

      Hurls down the forky lightning from above,

      On Arime when he the thunder throws,

      And fires Typhoeus with redoubled blows,

      Where Typhon, press’d beneath the burning load,

      Still feels the fury of the avenging god.

      But various Iris, Jove’s commands to bear,

      Speeds on the wings of winds through liquid air;

      In Priam’s porch the Trojan chiefs she found,

      The old consulting, and the youths around.

      Polites’ shape, the monarch’s son, she chose,

      Who from AEsetes’ tomb observed the foes, ³⁰

      High on the mound; from whence in prospect lay

      The fields, the tents, the navy, and the bay.

      In this dissembled form, she hastes to bring

      The unwelcome message to the Phrygian king.

      “Cease to consult, the time for action calls;

      War, horrid war, approaches to your walls!

      Assembled armies oft have I beheld;

      But ne’er till now such numbers charged a field:

      Thick as autumnal leaves or driving sand,

      The moving squadrons blacken all the strand.

      Thou, godlike Hector! all thy force employ,

      Assemble all the united bands of Troy;

      In just array let every leader call

      The foreign troops: this day demands them all!”

      The voice divine the mighty chief alarms;

      The council breaks, the warriors rush to arms.

      The gates unfolding pour forth all their train,

      Nations on nations fill the dusky plain,

      Men, steeds, and chariots, shake the trembling ground:

      The tumult thickens, and the skies resound.

      Amidst the plain, in sight of Ilion, stands

      A rising mount, the work of human hands;

      (This for Myrinne’s tomb the immortals know,

      Though call’d Bateia in the world below;)

      Beneath their chiefs in martial order here,

      The auxiliar troops and Trojan hosts appear.

      The godlike Hector, high above the rest,

      Shakes his huge spear, and nods his plumy crest:

      In throngs around his native bands repair,

      And groves of lances glitter in the air.

      Divine AEneas brings the Dardan race,

      Anchises’ son, by Venus’ stolen embrace,

      Born in the shades of Ida’s secret grove;

      (A mortal mixing with the queen of love;)

      Archilochus and Acamas divide

      The warrior’s toils, and combat by his side.

      Who fair Zeleia’s wealthy valleys till, ³¹

      Fast by the foot of Ida’s sacred hill,

      Or drink, AEsepus, of thy sable flood,

      Were