Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 16

Page 24

To him, thus reflecting, it appeared better that the brave servant of Achilles, the son of Peleus, should repulse the Trojans and brazen-armed Hector, towards the city, and take away the life of many. Into Hector, therefore, first [of all], he sent unwarlike flight, and ascending his chariot, he turned himself to flight, and advised the other Trojans to fly, for he recognized the sacred scales of Jove.[540] Then not even the brave Lycians remained, but were all turned in flight, when they beheld their king wounded to the heart, lying in the heap of dead; for many had fallen over him, whilst the son of Saturn stretched on the violent strife. But after they had taken from the shoulders of Sarpedon the brazen and glittering armour, the gallant son of Menoetius gave them to his companions to carry to the hollow ships; and then cloud-compelling Jove addressed Apollo:

"Come now, dear Phoebus, going, cleanse Sarpedon, [withdrawn] from among the heap of weapons, of sable gore, and afterwards bearing him far away, lave him in the stream of the river, and anoint him with ambrosia, and put around him immortal garments, then give him in charge to the twin-brothers. Sleep and Death, swift conductors, to be borne away, who will quickly place him in the rich state of wide Lycia. There will his brethren and kindred perform his obsequies with a tomb and a pillar,[541] for this is the honour of the dead."

[Footnote 540: I.e. He perceived that the fortune of the battle was changed by the will of Jove.]

[Footnote 541: I.e. A cippus, or column reared upon the tomb. See Pollux, viii. 14, and the Scriptores Rei Agrim. p. 88, ed. Goes.]

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