and was best of her men in fighting next to Asteropaios.
As this man fell, warlike Asteropaios pitied him
and he in turn drove forward eager to fight with the Danaäns,
but was not able to do it, for they, standing about Patroklos,
355 fenced him behind their shields on all sides, and held their spears out-thrust.
For Aias ranged their whole extent with his numerous orders,
and would not let any man give back from the body, nor let one
go out and fight by himself far in front of the other Achaians,
but made them stand hard and fast about him and fight at close quarters.
360 Such were the orders of gigantic Aias. The ground ran
with red blood, the dead men dropped one after another
from the ranks alike of Trojans and their mighty companions
and Danaäns also, since these fought not without bloodletting,
but far fewer of them went down, since they ever remembered
365 always to stand massed and beat sudden death from each other.
So they fought on in the likeness of fire, nor would you have thought
the sun was still secure in his place in the sky, nor the moon, since
the mist was closed over all that part of the fight where the bravest
stood about Patroklos, the fallen son of Menoitios.
370 Now elsewhere the rest of the Trojans and strong-greaved Achaians
fought naturally in the bright air, with the sun’s sharp glitter
everywhere about them, no cloud was showing anywhere
on earth nor on the mountains. They fought their battle by intervals
standing each well off at a distance, avoiding the painful
375 shots from the other side; but they in the middle were suffering
distress in the mist and the fighting, with the cruel bronze wearing them.
These men were the bravest, but there were two men of glory,
Thrasymedes and Antilochos, who had not yet heard
how Patroklos the blameless had been killed, but still thought
380 he was alive and fighting in the first shock with the Trojans.
But these two, watching against death or flight in their company,
fought their separate battle, since such was their order from Nestor
as he was urging them forth from the black ships into the fighting.
So for these daylong the hard bitterness of the wearing
385 battle rose. With the ever-relentless sweat and the weariness
knees, legs, and feet that supported from underneath each fighter,
their hands and eyes also were running wet as they fought on
over the brave henchman of swift-footed Aiakides.
As when a man gives the hide of a great ox, a bullock,
390 drenched first deep in fat, to all his people to stretch out;
the people take it from him and stand in a circle about it
and pull, and presently the moisture goes and the fat sinks
in, with so many pulling, and the bull’s hide is stretched out level;
so the men of both sides in a cramped space tugged at the body
395 in both directions; and the hearts of the Trojans were hopeful
to drag him away to Ilion, those of the Achaians
to get him back to the hollow ships. And about him a savage
struggle arose. Not Ares who rallies men, not Athene,
watching this fight could have scorned it, not even in some strong anger,
400 such was the wicked work of battle for men and for horses
Zeus strained tight above Patroklos that day. But the brilliant
Achilleus did not yet know at all that Patroklos had fallen.
Since now the men were fighting far away from the fast ships
under the Trojan wall, and Achilleus had no expectation
405 that Patroklos was dead, but thought he was alive and close under
the gates, and would come back. He had not thought that Patroklos
would storm the city without himself, nor with himself either;
for often he had word from his mother, not known to mortals;
she was ever telling him what was the will of great Zeus; but this time
410 his mother did not tell Achilleus of all the evil
that had been done, nor how his dearest companion had perished.
So they about the body gripping their headed spears kept
inexorably close together, and slaughtered on both sides.
And such would be the saying of some bronze-armored Achaian:
415 “Friends, there is no glory for us if we go back again
to our hollow ships, but here and now let the black earth open
gaping for all; this would soon be far better for us
if we give up this man to the Trojans, breakers of horses,
to take away to their own city and win glory from him.”
420 And such in turn would be the cry of some high-hearted Trojan:
“O friends, though it be destined for all of us to be killed here
over this man, still none of us must give ground from the fighting.”
Thus a man would speak, and stir the spirit in each one
of his fellowship. So they fought on, and the iron tumult
425 went up into the brazen sky through the barren bright air.
But the horses of Aiakides standing apart from the battle
wept, as they had done since they heard how their charioteer
had fallen in the dust at the hands of murderous Hektor.
In truth Automedon, the powerful son of Diores,
430 hit them over and over again with the stroke of the flying
lash, or talked to them, sometimes entreating them, sometimes threatening.
They were unwilling to go back to the wide passage of Helle
and the ships, or back into the fighting after the Achaians,
but still as stands a grave monument which is set over
435 the mounded tomb of a dead man or lady, they stood there
holding motionless in its place the fair-wrought chariot,
leaning their heads along the ground, and warm tears were running
earthward from underneath the lids of the mourning horses
who longed for their charioteer, while their bright manes were made dirty
440 as they streamed down either side of the yoke from under the yoke pad.
As he watched the mourning horses the son of Kronos pitied them,
and stirred his head and spoke to his own spirit: “Poor wretches,
why then did we ever give you to the lord Peleus,
a mortal man, and you yourselves are immortal and ageless?
445 Only so that among unhappy men you also might be grieved?
Since among all creatures that breathe on earth and crawl on it
there is not anywhere a thing more dismal than man is.
At least the son of Priam, Hektor, shall not mount behind you
in the carefully wrought chariot. I will not let him. Is it not
450 enough for him that he has the armor and glories in wearing it?
But now I will put vigor into your knees and your spirits
so that you bring back Automedon out of the fighting
safe to the hollow ships; since I shall still give the Trojans
the glory of killing, until they win to the strong-benched vessels,
455 until the sun goes down and the blessed darkness comes over.”
So spoke Zeus, and breathed great vigor into the horses,
and they shaking the dust from their manes to the ground lightly
carried the running chariot among the Achaians and Trojans.
Automedon fought from them, though grieving for his companion.
460 He would dash in, like a vulture among geese, with his horses,
and lightly get away out of
the Trojans’ confusion
and lightly charge in again in pursuit of a great multitude,
and yet could kill no men when he swept in in chase of them.
He had no way while he was alone in a separate chariot
465 to lunge with the spear and still keep in hand his fast-running horses.
But at last there was one of his companions who laid eyes upon him:
Alkimedon, the son of Laërkes, descended from Haimon.
He stood behind the chariot and called to Automedon:
“Automedon, what god put this unprofitable purpose
470 into your heart, and has taken away the better wits, so that
you are trying to fight the Trojans in the first shock of encounter
by yourself, since your companion has been killed, and Hektor
glories in wearing Aiakides’ armor on his own shoulders?”
In turn Automedon answered him, the son of Diores:
475 “Alkimedon, which other of the Achaians could handle
the management and the strength of immortal horses as you can,
were it not Patroklos, the equal of the immortals in counsel,
while he lived? Now death and fate have closed in upon him.
Therefore take over from me the whip and the glittering guide reins
480 while I dismount from behind the horses, so I may do battle.”
He spoke, and Alkimedon vaulted up to the charging chariot
and quickly gathered up the reins and the lash in his hands, while
Automedon sprang down. But glorious Hektor saw them
and immediately spoke to Aineias, who stood close beside him:
485 “Aineias, lord of the counsels of the bronze-armored Trojans,
I see before us the horses of swift-footed Aiakides
who appear now in the fighting with weak charioteers. Therefore
I could be hopeful of their capture, if you were willing
in heart to go with me. If we two went forth against them
490 they would not dare to stand their ground and do battle against us.”
He spoke, and the strong son of Anchises did not disobey him.
The two went strongly forward, hooding their shoulders in well-tanned
and stubborn hides of oxen with deep bronze beaten upon them.
Along with these went Chromios and godlike Aretos
495 both together, and the spirit within each had high hopes
of killing the men and driving away the strong-necked horses;
poor fools, who were not going to come back from Automedon
without the shedding of blood; and he with a prayer to Zeus father
was filled about the darkening heart with war-strength and courage,
500 and spoke now to Alkimedon his trusted companion:
“Alkimedon, no longer check the horses back from me
but keep them breathing right against my back. I have no thought
that I can stand up to the strength of Hektor the son of Priam.
Sooner, I think, he will kill us and mount behind the mane-floating
505 horses of Achilleus, and scatter the ranks of the Argive
fighting men; or else himself go down in the first rush.”
He spoke, and called to the two Aiantes and Menelaos:
“Aiantes, lords of the Argives, and Menelaos, we call you
to leave the dead man in the care of those who are fittest
510 to stand bestriding him and fend off the ranks of the Trojans
while you beat back the day without pity from us who are living.
For Hektor and Aineias, the greatest men of the Trojans,
are leaning the weight of their charge this way through the sorrowful battle.
Yet all these are things that are lying upon the gods’ knees.
515 I myself will cast; and Zeus will look after the issue.”
So he spoke, and balanced the spear far-shadowed, and threw it,
and struck the shield of Aretos on its perfect circle,
nor could the shield hold off the spear, but the bronze smashed clean through
and was driven on through the belt to the deep of the belly.
520 As when a strong-grown man with sharp axe in his hands chops
at an ox, ranger of the fields, behind the horns, cutting
all the way through the sinew, and the ox springing forward topples,
so Aretos sprang forward, then toppled back, and sharp-driven
into the depth of his belly the quivering spear unstrung him.
525 Then Hektor made a cast with the shining spear at Automedon,
but he, keeping his eyes straight on him, avoided the bronze spear.
For he bent forward, and behind his back the long spearshaft
was driven into the ground so that the butt end was shaken
on the spear. Then and there Ares the huge took the force from it.
530 And now they would have gone for each other with swords at close quarters,
had not the two Aiantes driven strongly between them,
who came on through the battle at the call of their companion,
and in fear before them Hektor and Aineias and godlike
Chromios gave ground back and away once more, leaving
535 Aretos lying there where he was with a wound in his vitals.
Then Automedon, a match for the running god of battles,
stripped the armor, and spoke a word of boasting above him:
“Now I have put a little sorrow from my heart for Patroklos’
death, although the man I killed was not great as he was.”
540 So he spoke, and took up the bloody war spoils and laid them
inside the chariot, and himself mounted it, the blood running
from hands and feet, as on some lion who has eaten a bullock.
Once again over Patroklos was close drawn a strong battle
weary and sorrowful, and Athene from the sky descending
545 waked the bitter fighting, since Zeus of the wide brows sent her
down to stir the Danaäns, for now his purpose had shifted.
As when in the sky Zeus strings for mortals the shimmering
rainbow, to be a portent and sign of war, or of wintry
storm, when heat perishes, such storm as stops mortals’
550 work upon the face of the earth, and afflicts their cattle,
so Athene shrouded in the shimmering cloud about her
merged among the swarming Achaians, and wakened each man.
And first she spoke, stirring him on, to the son of Atreus,
strong Menelaos, since he was the one who was standing close to her.
555 She likened herself in form and weariless voice to Phoinix:
“Menelaos, this will be a thing of shame, a reproach said
of you, if under the wall of the Trojans the dogs in their fury
can mutilate the staunch companion of haughty Achilleus.
But hold strongly on, and stir up all the rest of your people.”
560 Then in turn Menelaos of the great war cry answered her:
“Phoinix, my father, aged and honored, if only Athene
would give me such strength, and hold the volleying missiles off from me!
So for my part I would be willing to stand by Patroklos
and defend him, since in his death he hurt my heart greatly.
565 Yet Hektor holds still the awful strength of a fire, nor falters
in raging with the bronze spear, since Zeus is giving him glory.”
So he spoke, and the goddess gray-eyed Athene was happy
that first among all the divinities his prayer had bespoken her.
She put strength into the man’s shoulders and knees, inspiring
570 in his breast the persistent daring of that mosquito
who though it is driven hard away from a man’s skin, even
so, for the taste of human blood, persists in biting him
.
With such daring she darkened to fullness the heart inside him.
He stood over Patroklos, and made a cast with the shining
575 spear. There was one among the Trojans, Podes, Eëtion’s
son, a rich man and good, whom Hektor prized above others
in the countryside, since he was his friend and ate at his table.
Now fair-haired Menelaos struck this man, at the war belt
as he swept away in flight, and drove the bronze spear clean through it.
580 He fell, thunderously, and Atreus’ son Menelaos
dragged the body away from the Trojans among his companions.
But now Apollo came and stood beside Hektor, and stirred him,
assuming the shape of Phainops, Asios’ son, who among all
guest friends was dearest to Hektor, and lived at home in Abydos.
585 In the likeness of this man far-striking Apollo spoke to him:
“Hektor, what other Achaian now shall be frightened before you?
See,you have shrunk before Menelaos, who in times before this
was a soft spearfighter; and now he has gone taking off single-handed
a body from among the Trojans. He has killed your trusted companion,
590 valiant among the champions, Podes, the son of Eëtion.”
He spoke, and the dark cloud of sorrow closed over Hektor.
He took his way among the champions helmed in the shining
bronze. And now the son of Kronos caught up the betasseled
glaring aegis, and shrouded Ida in mists. He let go
595 a lightning flash and a loud thunderstroke, shaking the mountain,
gave victory to the Trojans, and terrified the Achaians.
First to begin the flight was Peneleos the Boiotian.
For he, turning always toward the attack, was hit in the shoulder’s
end, a slight wound, but the spear of Poulydamas, who had thrown it
600 from a stance very close to him, had grated the bone’s edge.
Then Hektor wounded in the hand by the wrist Leïtos,
the son of great-hearted Alektryon, and halted his warcraft,
and he drew back staring about him since his spirit had hope no longer
of holding a spear steady in his hand to fight with the Trojans.
605 Now as Hektor made a rush for Leïtos, Idomeneus
struck him on the corselet over the chest by the nipple,
but the long shaft was broken behind the head, and the Trojans
shouted. Now Hektor made a cast at Deukalian Idomeneus
as he stood in his chariot, and missed him by only a little,
610 but struck the follower and charioteer of Meriones,
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