straight ahead by the flank the spearhead shore through his tunic,
360 yet he bent away to one side and avoided the dark death.
Drawing his sword with the silver nails, the son of Atreus
heaving backward struck at the horn of his helmet; the sword-blade
three times broken and four times broken fell from his hand’s grip.
Groaning, the son of Atreus lifted his eyes to the wide sky:
365 “Father Zeus, no God beside is more baleful than you are.
Here I thought to punish Alexandros for his wickedness;
and now my sword is broken in my hands, and the spear flew vainly
out of my hands on the throw before, and I have not hit him.”
He spoke, and flashing forward laid hold of the horse-haired helmet
370 and spun him about, and dragged him away toward the strong-greaved Achaians,
for the broidered strap under the softness of his throat strangled Paris,
fastened under his chin to hold on the horned helmet.
Now he would have dragged him away and won glory forever
had not Aphrodite daughter of Zeus watched sharply.
375 She broke the chinstrap, made from the hide of a slaughtered bullock,
and the helmet came away empty in the heavy hand of Atreides.
The hero whirled the helmet about and sent it flying
among the strong-greaved Achaians, and his staunch companions retrieved it.
He turned and made again for his man, determined to kill him
380 with the bronze spear. But Aphrodite caught up Paris
easily, since she was divine, and wrapped him in a thick mist
and set him down again in his own perfumed bedchamber.
She then went away to summon Helen, and found her
on the high tower, with a cluster of Trojan women about her.
385 She laid her hand upon the robe immortal, and shook it,
and spoke to her, likening herself to an aged woman,
a wool-dresser who when she was living in Lakedaimon
made beautiful things out of wool, and loved her beyond all others.
Likening herself to this woman Aphrodite spoke to her:
390 “Come with me: Alexandros sends for you to come home to him.
He is in his chamber now, in the bed with its circled pattern,
shining in his raiment and his own beauty; you would not think
that he came from fighting against a man; you would think he was going
rather to a dance, or rested and had been dancing lately.”
395 So she spoke, and troubled the spirit in Helen’s bosom.
She, as she recognized the round, sweet throat of the goddess
and her desirable breasts and her eyes that were full of shining,
she wondered, and spoke a word and called her by name, thus:
“Strange divinity! Why are you still so stubborn to beguile me?
400 Will you carry me further yet somewhere among cities
fairly settled? In Phrygia or in lovely Maionia?
Is there some mortal man there also who is dear to you?
Is it because Menelaos has beaten great Alexandros
and wishes, hateful even as I am, to carry me homeward,
405 is it for this that you stand in your treachery now beside me?
Go yourself and sit beside him, abandon the gods’ way,
turn your feet back never again to the path of Olympos
but stay with him forever, and suffer for him, and look after him
until he makes you his wedded wife, or makes you his slave girl.
410 Not I. I am not going to him. It would be too shameful.
I will not serve his bed, since the Trojan women hereafter
would laugh at me, all, and my heart even now is confused with sorrows.”
Then in anger Aphrodite the shining spoke to her:
“Wretched girl, do not tease me lest in anger I forsake you
415 and grow to hate you as much as now I terribly love you,
lest I encompass you in hard hate, caught between both sides,
Danaäns and Trojans alike, and you wretchedly perish.”
So she spoke, and Helen daughter of Zeus was frightened
and went, shrouding herself about in the luminous spun robe,
420 silent, unseen by the Trojan women, and led by the goddess.
When they had come to Alexandros’ splendidly wrought house,
the rest of them, the handmaidens went speedily to their own work,
but she, shining among women, went to the high-vaulted bedchamber.
Aphrodite the sweetly laughing drew up an armchair,
425 carrying it, she, a goddess, and set it before Alexandros,
and Helen, daughter of Zeus of the aegis, took her place there
turning her eyes away, and spoke to her lord in derision:
“So you came back from fighting. Oh, how I wish you had died there
beaten down by the stronger man, who was once my husband.
430 There was a time before now you boasted that you were better
than warlike Menelaos, in spear and hand and your own strength.
Go forth now and challenge warlike Menelaos
once again to fight you in combat. But no: I advise you
rather to let it be, and fight no longer with fair-haired
435 Menelaos, strength against strength in single combat
recklessly. You might very well go down before his spear.”
Paris then in turn spoke to her thus and answered her:
“Lady, censure my heart no more in bitter reprovals.
This time Menelaos with Athene’s help has beaten me;
440 another time I shall beat him. We have gods on our side also.
Come, then, rather let us go to bed and turn to lovemaking.
Never before as now has passion enmeshed my senses,
not when I took you the first time from Lakedaimon the lovely
and caught you up and carried you away in seafaring vessels,
445 and lay with you in the bed of love on the island Kranaë,
not even then, as now, did I love you and sweet desire seize me.”
Speaking, he led the way to the bed; and his wife went with him.
So these two were laid in the carven bed. But Atreides
ranged like a wild beast up and down the host, to discover
450 whether he could find anywhere godlike Alexandros.
Yet could none of the Trojans nor any renowned companion
show Alexandros then to warlike Menelaos.
These would not have hidden him for love, if any had seen him,
since he was hated among them all as dark death is hated.
455 Now among them spoke forth the lord of men Agamemnon:
“Listen to me, O Trojans, Dardanians and companions:
clearly the victory is with warlike Menelaos.
Do you therefore give back, with all her possessions, Helen
of Argos, and pay a price that shall be befitting,
460 which among people yet to come shall be as a standard.”
So spoke Atreus’ son, and the other Achaians applauded him.
BOOK FOUR
Now the gods at the side of Zeus were sitting in council
over the golden floor, and among them the goddess Hebe
poured them nectar as wine, while they in the golden drinking-cups
drank to each other, gazing down on the city of the Trojans.
5 Presently the son of Kronos was minded to anger
Hera, if he could, with words offensive, speaking to cross her:
“Two among the goddesses stand by Menelaos,
Hera of Argos, and Athene who stands by her people.
Yet see, here they are sitting apart, looking on at the fighting,
10 and take their pleasure. Meanwhile laughing Aphrodite forever
st
ands by her man and drives the spirits of death away from him.
Even now she has rescued him when he thought he would perish.
So, the victory now is with warlike Menelaos.
Let us consider then how these things shall be accomplished,
15 whether again to stir up grim warfare and the terrible
fighting, or cast down love and make them friends with each other.
If somehow this way could be sweet and pleasing to all of us,
the city of lord Priam might still be a place men dwell in,
and Menelaos could take away with him Helen of Argos.”
20 So he spoke; and Athene and Hera muttered, since they were
sitting close to each other, devising evil for the Trojans.
Still Athene stayed silent and said nothing, but only
sulked at Zeus her father, and savage anger took hold of her.
But the heart of Hera could not contain her anger, and she spoke forth:
25 “Majesty, son of Kronos, what sort of thing have you spoken?
How can you wish to make wasted and fruitless all this endeavor,
the sweat that I have sweated in toil, and my horses worn out
gathering my people, and bringing evil to Priam and his children.
Do it then; but not all the rest of us gods will approve you.”
30 Deeply troubled, Zeus who gathers the clouds answered her:
“Dear lady, what can be all the great evils done to you
by Priam and the sons of Priam, that you are thus furious
forever to bring down the strong-founded city of Ilion?
If you could walk through the gates and through the towering ramparts
35 and eat Priam and the children of Priam raw, and the other
Trojans, then, then only might you glut at last your anger.
Do as you please then. Never let this quarrel hereafter
be between you and me a bitterness for both of us.
And put away in your thoughts this other thing that I tell you:
40 whenever I in turn am eager to lay waste some city,
as I please, one in which are dwelling men who are dear to you,
you shall not stand in the way of my anger, but let me do it,
since I was willing to grant you this with my heart unwilling.
For of all the cities beneath the sun and the starry heaven
45 dwelt in by men who live upon earth, there has never been one
honored nearer to my heart than sacred Ilion
and Priam, and the people of Priam of the strong ash spear.
Never yet has my altar gone without fair sacrifice,
the libation and the savor, since this is our portion of honor.”
50 Then the goddess the ox-eyed lady Hera answered:
“Of all cities there are three that are dearest to my own heart:
Argos and Sparta and Mykenai of the wide ways. All these,
whenever they become hateful to your heart, sack utterly.
I will not stand up for these against you, nor yet begrudge you.
55 Yet if even so I bear malice and would not have you destroy them,
in malice I will accomplish nothing, since you are far stronger.
Yet my labor also should not be let go unaccomplished;
I am likewise a god, and my race is even what yours is,
and I am first of the daughters of devious-devising Kronos,
60 both ways, since I am eldest born and am called your consort,
yours, and you in turn are lord over all the immortals.
Come then, in this thing let us both give way to each other,
I to you, you to me, and so the rest of the immortal
gods will follow. Now in speed give orders to Athene
65 to visit horrible war again on Achaians and Trojans,
and try to make it so that the Trojans are first off enders
to do injury against the oaths to the far-famed Achaians.”
She spoke, nor did the father of gods and men disobey her,
but immediately he spoke in winged words to Athene:
70 “Go now swiftly to the host of the Achaians and Trojans
and try to make it so that the Trojans are first off enders
to do injury against the oaths to the far-famed Achaians.”
Speaking so he stirred up Athene, who was eager before this,
and she went in a flash of speed down the pinnacles of Olympos.
75 As when the son of devious-devising Kronos casts down
a star, portent to sailors or to widespread armies of peoples
glittering, and thickly the sparks of fire break from it,
in such likeness Pallas Athene swept flashing earthward
and plunged between the two hosts; and amazement seized the beholders,
80 Trojans, breakers of horses, and strong-greaved Achaians.
And thus they would speak to each other, each looking at the man next him:
“Surely again there will be evil war and terrible
fighting, or else now friendship is being set between both sides
by Zeus, who is appointed lord of the wars of mortals.”
85 Thus would murmur any man, Achaian or Trojan.
She in the likeness of a man merged among the Trojans assembled,
Laodokos, Antenor’s son, a powerful spearman,
searching for godlike Pandaros, if she might somewhere come on him.
She found the son of Lykaon, a man blameless and powerful,
90 standing still, and about him were the ranks of strong, shield-armored
people, who had followed him from the streams of Aisepos.
Speaking in winged words she stood beside him and spoke to him:
“Wise son of Lykaon, would you now let me persuade you?
So you might dare send a flying arrow against Menelaos
95 and win you glory and gratitude in the sight of all Trojans,
particularly beyond all else with prince Alexandros.
Beyond all beside you would carry away glorious gifts from him,
were he to see warlike Menelaos, the son of Atreus,
struck down by your arrow, and laid on the sorrowful corpse-fire.
100 Come then, let go an arrow against haughty Menelaos,
but make your prayer to Apollo the light-born, the glorious archer,
that you will accomplish a grand sacrifice of lambs first born
when you come home again to the city of sacred Zeleia.”
So spoke Athene, and persuaded the fool’s heart in him.
105 Straightway he unwrapped his bow, of the polished horn from
a running wild goat he himself had shot in the chest once,
lying in wait for the goat in a covert as it stepped down
from the rock, and hit it in the chest so it sprawled on the boulders.
The horns that grew from the goat’s head were sixteen palms’ length.
110 A bowyer working on the horn then bound them together,
smoothing them to a fair surface, and put on a golden string hook.
Pandaros strung his bow and put it in position, bracing it
against the ground, and his brave friends held their shields in front of him
for fear the warlike sons of the Achaians might rise up and rush him
115 before he had struck warlike Menelaos, the son of Atreus.
He stripped away the lid of the quiver, and took out an arrow
feathered, and never shot before, transmitter of dark pain.
Swiftly he arranged the bitter arrow along the bowstring,
and made his prayer to Apollo the light-born, the glorious archer,
120 that he would accomplish a grand sacrifice of lambs first born
when he came home again to the city of sacred Zeleia.
He drew, holding at once the grooves and the ox-hide bowstring
and brought the string against his nipple, iron to the bows
tave.
But when he had pulled the great weapon till it made a circle,
125 the bow groaned, and the string sang high, and the arrow, sharp-pointed,
leapt away, furious, to fly through the throng before it.
Still the blessed gods immortal did not forget you,
Menelaos, and first among them Zeus’ daughter, the spoiler,
who standing in front of you fended aside the tearing arrow.
130 She brushed it away from his skin as lightly as when a mother
brushes a fly away from her child who is lying in sweet sleep,
steering herself the arrow’s course straight to where the golden
belt buckles joined and the halves of his corselet were fitted together.
The bitter arrow was driven against the joining of the war belt
135 and passed clean through the war belt elaborately woven;
into the elaborately wrought corselet the shaft was driven
and the guard which he wore to protect his skin and keep the spears off,
which guarded him best, yet the arrow plunged even through this also
and with the very tip of its point it grazed the man’s skin
140 and straightway from the cut there gushed a cloud of dark blood.
As when some Maionian woman or Karian with purple
colors ivory, to make it a cheek piece for horses;
it lies away in an inner room, and many a rider
longs to have it, but it is laid up to be a king’s treasure,
145 two things, to be the beauty of the horse, the pride of the horseman:
so, Menelaos, your shapely thighs were stained with the color
of blood, and your legs also and the ankles beneath them.
Agamemnon the lord of men was taken with shuddering
fear as he saw how from the cut the dark blood trickled downward,
150 and Menelaos the warlike himself shuddered in terror;
but when he saw the binding strings and the hooked barbs outside
the wound, his spirit was gathered again back into him. Agamemnon
the powerful spoke to them, groaning heavily, and by the hand held
Menelaos, while their companions were mourning beside them:
155 “Dear brother, it was your death I sealed in the oaths of friendship,
setting you alone before the Achaians to fight with the Trojans.
So, the Trojans have struck you down and trampled on the oaths sworn.
Still the oaths and the blood of the lambs shall not be called vain,
the unmixed wine poured and the right hands we trusted.
160 If the Olympian at once has not finished this matter,
The Iliad of Homer Page 17
