Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 17

Page 23

Thus he spoke; but they with great exertion lifted up the body in their arms from the ground: but the Trojan army shouted in their rear when they saw the Greeks raising up the dead body, and rushed on like dogs, which spring upon a wounded boar, before the youthful hunters. One while indeed they run, eager to tear him asunder, but again, when he turns upon them, relying on his strength, then they retreat, and fly in different directions hither and thither: so the Trojans sometimes steadily pursued in a body, striking with their swords and two-edged spears; but when again the Ajaces, turning round upon them, stood, then was their colour changed, nor dared any one, rushing forward, to combat for the corpse.

Thus they with alacrity bore the body from the fight towards the hollow ships; but the fierce battle was extended to them like a flame, which assailing, [and] being suddenly excited, sets fire to a city of men, and the houses diminish in the mighty blaze; whilst the force of the wind roars through it: so a horrid tumult of steeds and warlike heroes followed them departing. But as mules, exerting vast strength,[567] drag from a mountain along a rugged path either a beam or a large piece of timber for ship-building, but the spirit within them, as they hasten, is wearied equally with fatigue and perspiration; so they with alacrity bore away the body, whilst the Ajaces behind them checked [the enemy]; as a barrier of wood, stretched straight across a plain, restrains water; which checks the furious courses even of rapid rivers, and immediately turning them, directs the streams of all into the plain; nor can they at all burst through it, though flowing with violence. So the Ajaces in the rear always repulsed the attack of the Trojans, who, however, followed along with them; but two amongst them in particular, Aeneas, son of Anchises, and illustrious Hector. And as a cloud of starlings or jackdaws, shrilly chattering,[568] flies away when they perceive a hawk advancing, which brings death to small birds; so then from Aeneas and Hector departed the sons of the Greeks, loudly clamouring, and were forgetful of the fight. And much beautiful armour of the flying Greeks fell both in and about the trench; but there was no cessation from the battle.

[Footnote 567: Literally, "girding themselves with strength."]

[Footnote 568: Or, "shouting in presage of their doom," as Heyne and Kennedy would take it, a meaning borne out by [Greek: proidosin]. Cf. Longus. Past. ii. 12: [Greek: oi kometai tarachthentes, epipedosin autois osei psares, e kolo oi].]

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