by Homer
Then not sleep, nor 'mazed with fear, nor shifting off the blows,
You could behold the king of men, but in full speed he goes
To set a glorious fight on foot; and he examples this
With toiling, like the worst, on foot; who therefore did dismiss
His brass-armed chariot, and his steeds with Ptolemeus' son,
Son of Piraides, their guide, the good Eurymedon;
“Yet," said the king, " attend with them, lest weariness should seize
My limbs surcharged with ordering troops so thick and vast as these."
Eurymedon then reined his horse, that trotted neighing by;
The king a footman, and so scours the squadrons orderly.
Those of his swiftly-mounted Greeks that in their arms were fit,
Those he put on with cheerful words and bad them not remit
The least spark of their forward spirits, because the Trojans durst
Take these abhorred advantages, but let them do their worst;
For they might be assured that Jove would patronise no lies,
And that who with the breach of truce would hurt their enemies
With vultures should be torn themselves; that they should raze their town,
Their wives, and children at their breast, led vassals to their own.
But such as he beheld hang off from that increasing fight,
Such would he bitterly rebuke, and with disgrace excite :
“Base Argives, blush ye not to stand as made for butts to darts
Why are ye thus discomfited like hinds that have no hearts,
Who, wearied with a long-run field, are instantly embossed,
Stand still, and in their beastly breasts is all their courage lost?
And so stand you struck with amaze, nor dare to strike a stroke.
Would ye the foe should nearer yet your dastard spleens provoke,
Even where on Neptune's foamy shore our navies lie in sight,
To see if Jove will hold your hands and teach ye how to fight?"
Thus he, commanding, ranged the host, and, passing many a band,
He came to the Cretensian troops, where all did armed stand
About the martial Idomen; who bravely stood before
In vanguard of his troops, and matched for strength a savage boar,
Meriones, his charioteer, the rearguard bringing on.
Which seen to Atreus' son, to him it was a sight alone,
And Idomen's confirmed mind with these kind words he seeks:
“O Idomen! I ever loved thyself past all the Greeks,
In war, or any work of peace, at table everywhere;
For when the best of Greece besides mix ever at our cheer
My good old ardent wine with small, and our inferior mates
Drink even that mix'd wine measured too, thou drink'st without those rates,
Our old wine neat, and evermore thy bowl stands full like mine,
To drink still when and what thou wilt. Then rouse that heart of thine,
And, whatsoever heretofore thou hast assumed to be,
This day be greater." To the king in this sort answered he :
"Atrides, what I ever seemed, the same at every part
This day shall show me at the full, and I will fit thy heart.
But thou shouldst rather cheer the rest, and tell them they in right
Of all good war must offer blows, and should begin the fight
(Since Troy first brake the holy truce), and not endure these braves,
To take wrong first, and then be dared to the revenge it craves;
Assuring them that Troy in fate must have the worst at last,
Since first, and 'gainst a trace, they hurt, where they should have embraced."
This comfort and advice did fit Atrides' heart indeed,
Who still through new-raised swarms of men held his laborious speed,
And came where both th' Ajaces stood; whom like the last he found
Armed, casqued, and ready for the fight. Behind them, hid the ground
A cloud of foot, that seemed to smoke. And as a goatherd spies,
On some hill's top, out of the sea, a rainy vapour rise,
Driven by the breath of Zephyrus, which, though far off he rest,
Comes on as black as pitch, and brings a tempest in his breast,
Whereat he, frighted, drives his herds apace into a den;
So dark'ning earth with darts and shields showed these with all their men.
This sight with like joy fired the king, who thus let forth the flame
In crying out to both the dukes : " O you of equal name,
I must not cheer, nay, I disclaim all my command of you,
Yourselves command with such free minds and make your soldiers show,
As you nor I led, but themselves. O would our father Jove,
Minerva, and the God of Light, would all our bodies move
With such brave spirits as breathe in you, then Priam's lofty town
Should soon be taken by our hands, for ever overthrown!"
Then held he on to other troops, and Nestor next beheld,
The subtle Pylian orator, range up and down the field,
Embattelling his men at arms, and stirring all to blows,
Points every legion out his chief, and every chief he shows
The forms and discipline of war, yet his commanders were
All Expert, and renowned men. Great Pelagon was there,
Alastor, manly Chromius, and Haernon worth a throne,
And Bias that could armies lead. With these he first put on
His horse troops with their chariots; his foot (of which he choosed
Many, the best and ablest men, and which he ever used
As rampire to his general power) he in the rear disposed.
The slothful, and the least in spirit, he in the midst inclosed
That such as wanted noble wills base need might force to stand.
His horse troops, that the vanguard had, he strictly did command
To ride their horses temperately, to keep their ranks, and shun
Confusion, lest their horsemanship and courage made them run
(Too much presumed on) much too far, and, charging so alone,
Engage themselves in th' enemy's strength, where many fight with one.
“Who his own chariot leaves to range, let him not freely go,
But straight unhorse him with a lance; for 'tis much better so.
And with this discipline," said he, " this forni, these minds, this trust,
Our ancestors have walls and towns laid level with the dust."
Thus prompt, and long inured to arms, this old man did exhort;
And this Atrides likewise took in wondrous cheerful sort,
And said: " O father, would to heaven, that as thy mind remains
In wonted vigour, so thy knees could undergo our pains!
But age, that all men overcomes, hath made his prise on thee;
Yet still I wish that some young man, grown old in mind, might be
Put in proportion with thy years, and thy mind, young in age,
Be fitly answered with his youth; that still where conflicts rage,
And young men used to thirst for fame, thy brave exampling hand
Might double our young Grecian spirits, and grace our whole command."
The old knight answered : " I myself could wish, O Atreus' son,
I were as young as when I slew brave Ereuthalion,
But Gods at all times give not all their gifts to mortal men.
If then I had the strength of youth, I missed the counsels then
That years now give me; and now years want that main strength of youth;
Yet still my mind retains her strength (as you now said the sooth)
And would be where that strength is used, affording counsels sage
To stir youths' minds up; 'tis the grace and office of our age;
Let younger sinews, men spr
ung up whole ages after me,
And such as have strength use it, and as strong in honour be."
The king all this while comforted, arrived next where he found
Well-rode Menestheus (Peteus' son) stand still, environed round
With his well-trained Athenian troops; and next to him he spied
The wise Ulysses, deedless too, and all his bands beside
Of strong Cephalians; for as yet th' alarm had not been heard
In all their quarters, Greece and Troy were then so newly stirred,
And then first moved, as they conceived; and they so looked about
To see both hosts give proof of that they yet had cause to doubt.
Atrides seeing them stand so still, and spend their eyes at gaze,
Began to chide : " And why," said he, " dissolved thus in amaze,
Thou son of Peteus, Jove-nursed king, and thou in wicked sleight
A cunning soldier, stand ye off? Expect ye that the fight
Should be by other men begun? 'Tis fit the foremost band
Should show you there; you first should front who first lifts up his hand.
First you can hear when I invite the princes to a feast,
When first, most friendly, and at will, ye eat and drink the best,
Yet in the fight, most willingly, ten troops ye can behold
Take place before ye." Ithacus at this his brows did fold,
And said : " How hath thy violent tongue broke through thy set of teeth
To say that we axe slack in fight, and to the field of death
Look others should enforce our way, when we were busied then,
Even when thou spakest, against the foe to cheer and lead our men?
But thy eyes shall be witnesses, if it content thy will,
And that (as thou pretend'st) these cares do so affect thee still,
The father of Telemachus (whom I esteem so dear
And to whom, as a legacy; I'll leave my deeds done here)
Even with the foremost hand of Troy hath his encounter dared,
And therefore are thy speeches vain, and had been better spared."
He, smiling, since he saw him moved, recalled his words, and said :
“Most generous Laertes' son, most wise of all our aid,
I neither do accuse thy worth, more than thyself may hold
Fit, (that inferiors think not much, being slack, to be controlled)
Nor take I on me thy command; for well I know thy mind
Knows how sweet gentle counsels are, and that thou stand'st inclined,
As I myself, for all our good. On then; if now we spake
What hath displeased, another time we full amends will make;
And Gods grant that thy virtue here may prove so free and brave
That my reproofs may still be vain, and thy deservings grave."
Thus parted they; and forth he went, when he did leaning find,
Against his chariot, near his horse, him with the mighty mind,
Great Diomedes, Tydeus' soil, and Sthenelus, the seed
Of Capaneius; whom the king seeing likewise out of deed,
Thus cried he out on Diomed : " O me : In what a fear
The wise great warrior, Tydeus' son, stands gazing everywhere
For others to begin the fight! It was not Tydeus' use
To be so daunted, whom his spirit would evermore produce
Before the foremost of his friends in these affairs of fright,
As they report that have beheld him labour in a fight.
For me, I never knew the man, nor in his presence came,
But excellent, above the rest, he was in general fame;
And one renowned exploit of his, I am assured, is true.
He came to the Mycenian court, without arms and did sue
At godlike Polynices' hands to have some worthy aid
To their designs that 'gainst the walls of sacred Thebes were laid.
He was great Polynices' guest, and nobly entertained,
And of the kind Mycenian state what he requested gained,
In mere consent; but when they should the same in act approve,
By some sinister prodigies, held out to them by Jove,
They were discouraged. Thence he went, and safely,had his pass
Back to Asopus' flood, renowned for bulrushes and grass.
Yet, once more, their ambassador, the Grecian peers address
Lord Tydeus to Eteocles; to whom being given access,
He found him feasting with a crew of Cadmeans-in his hall;
Amongst whom, though an enemy, and only one to all,
To all yet he his challenge made at every martial feat,
And easily foiled all, since with him Minerva was so great.
The rank-rode Cadmeans, much incensed with their so foul disgrace,
Lodged ambuseadoes for their foe in some well-chosen place
By which he was to make return. Twice five-and-twenty men,
And two of them great captains too, the ambush did contain.
The names of those two men of rule were Mseon, HDemon's son,
And Lycophyontes, Keep-field called, the heir of Autophon,
By all men honoured like the Gods; yet these and all their friends
Were sent to hell by Tydeus' hand, and had untimely ends.
He trusting to the aid of Gods, revealed by augury,
Obeying which one chief he saved, and did his life apply
To be the heavy messenger of all the others' deaths;
And that sad message, with his life, to Mseon he bequeaths.
So brave a knight was Tydeus; of whom a son is sprung,
Inferior far in martial deeds, though higher in his tongue."
All this Tydides silent heard, awed by the reverend king;
Which stung hot Sthenelus with wrath, who thus put forth his sting :
“Atrides, when thou know'st the truth, speak what thy knowledge is,
And do not lie so; for I know, and I will brag in this, ¦
That we are far more able men than both our fathers were.
We took the sevenfold-ported Thebes, when yet we had not there
So great help as our fathers had; and fought beneath a wall,
Sacred to Mars, by help of Jove, and trusting to the fall
Of happy signs from other Gods, by whom we took the town
Untouched; our fathers perishing there by follies of their own;
Aud therefore never more compare our father's' worth with ours."
Tydides frowned at this, and said : " Suppress thine anger's pow'rs,
Good friend, and hear why I refrained. Thou seest I am not moved
Against our general, since he did but what his place behoved,
Admonishing all Greeks to fight; for, if Troy prove our prise,
The honour and the joy is his; if here our ruin lies,
The shame and grief for that as much is his in greatest kinds.
As he then his charge, weigh we ours; which is our dauntless minds."
Thus, from his chariot, amply arm'd, he jumped down to the ground.
The armour of the angry king so horribly did sound,
It might have made his bravest foe let fear take down his braves.
And as when with the west-wind flaws, the sea thrusts up her waves,
One after other, thick and high, upon the groaning shores,
First in herself loud, but opposed with banks and rocks she roars,
And all her back in bristles set, spits every way her foam;
So after Diomed instantly the field was overcome
With thick impressions of the Greeks, and all the noise that grew
(Ordering and cheering up their men) from only leaders flew.
The rest went silently away, you could not hear a voice,
Nor would have thought in all their breasts they had one in their choice,
Their silence uttering their awe of them that them controlled,
Which mad
e each man keep bright his arms, march, fight still where he should.
The Trojans, like a sort of ewes penned in a rich man's fold,
Close at his door, till all be milked, and never baaing hold
Hearing the bleating of the lambs, did all their wide host fill
With shouts and clamours, nor observed one voice, one baaing still,
But showed mixed tongues from many a land of men called to their aid.
Rude Mars had th' ordering of their spirits; of Greeks, the learned Maid.
But Terror followed both the hosts, and Flight, and furious Strife
(The sister, and the mate, of Mars) that spoil of human life :
And never is her rage at rest, at first she is but small,
Yet after, but a little fed, she grows so vast and tall
That, while her feet, move here in eUrth, her forehead is in heaven;
And this was she that made even then both hosts so deadly given.
Through every troop she stalked, and stirred rough sighs up as she went;
But when in one field both the foes her fury did content,
And both came under reach of darts, then darts and shields opposed
To darts and shields; strength answered strength; then swords and targets closed
With swords and targets; both with pikes; and then did tumult rise
Up to her height; then conquerors' boasts mixed, with the conquered's cries;
Earth flowed with blood. And as from hills rain-waters headlong fall,
That all ways eat huge ruts, which, met in one bed, fill a vail
With such a confluence of streams that on the mountain grounds
Far off, in frighted shepherds' ears, the bustling noise rebounds :
So grew their conflicts, and so showed their scuffling to the ear,
With flight and clamour still commixed, and all effects of fear.
And first renowned Antilochus slew (fighting, in the face
Of all Achaia's foremost bands, with an undaunted grace)
Echepolus Thalysiades; he was an armed man;
Whom on his hair-plumed helmet's crest the dart first smote, then ran
Into his forehead, and there stuck; the steel pile making way
Quite through his skull; a hasty night shut up his latest day.
His fall was like a fight-raced tower; like which lying there dispread,
King Elephenor (who was son to Chalcodon, and led
The valiant Abants) covetous that he might first possess
His arms, laid hands upon his feet, and haled him from the press
Of darts and javelins hurled at him. The action of the king
