Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 16

Page 15

And as beneath a whirlwind the whole dark earth is oppressed on an autumnal day, when Jove pours forth his most violent stream; when, forsooth, enraged he gives vent to his wrath against men, who by violence decree perverse judgments in the assembly, and drive out justice, not regarding the vengeance of the gods; and all their rivers are flooded as they flow, and the torrents sever asunder many mountains, and flowing headlong into the dark sea, roar mightily, and the husbandry-works[525] of men are diminished; so loudly moaned the Trojan mares running along. But Patroclus, when he had cut off the first phalanxes, drove them back again towards the ships, and did not permit them, desiring it, to ascend towards the city; but, pressing on, he slew them between the ships, and the river, and the lofty wall, and he exacted revenge for many. Then indeed he smote with his shining spear Pronous first, bared as to his breast beside the shield, and relaxed his limbs: and falling, he gave a crash. But next, attacking Thestor, son of Enops (who indeed sat huddled in his well-polished chariot, for he was panic-struck in his mind, and the reins had then dropped from his hands), he standing near, smote him with his spear on the right cheek, and drove it through his teeth. Then catching the spear, he dragged him over the rim [of the chariot]; as when a man, sitting upon a jutting rock, [draws] with a line and shining brass[526] a large fish entirely out of the sea; so he dragged from his chariot with his shining spear, him gaping. Then he hurled him upon his mouth, and life left him as he fell. Then next he struck with a stone on the middle of the head, Eryalus, rushing against him, and it was totally split asunder into two parts in his strong helmet. He therefore fell prone upon the earth, and fatal death was diffused around him. Afterwards Erymas, and Amphoterus, Epaltes, and Tlepolemus, son of Damastor, Echius and Pyris, Icheus, Euippus, and Polymelus, son of Argeus, all one over the other he heaped upon the fertile earth.

[Footnote 525: For this agricultural use of [Greek: erga] cf. Oppian, Cyn. ii. 151: [Greek: Pante d' erga boon]. Nicander, Ther. 473: [Greek: erga nomeon]. Virg. Georg. i. 325: "Et pluvia ingenti sata laeta, boumque labores diluit."]

[Footnote 526: I.e. the hook. So "aere, the brass cutwater," Virg. Aen. i. 35.]

Previous / First / Next Page of this Rhapsody

HOMER'S ILIAD COMPLETE

Rhapsody 16

Homer Bilingual Anthology Studies Homer in Print

Learned Freeware