The Iliad of Homer

by Richmond Lattimore

  cried out to Hera in the winged words of strong supplication:

  “Hera, why did your son assault me to trouble my waters

  370 beyond others? It is not so much I who have done anything against you

  as all the rest of the gods who stand by to help the Trojans.

  Now indeed I will leave off, if such is your order,

  but let him leave off too, I will swear you a promise

  not ever to drive the day of evil away from the Trojans,

  375 not even when all the city of Troy is burned in the ravening

  fire, on that day when the warlike sons of the Achaians burn it.”

  Now when the goddess of the white arms, Hera, had heard this

  immediately she spoke to her own dear son, Hephaistos:

  “Hephaistos, hold, my glorious child, since it is not fitting

  380 to batter thus an immortal god for the sake of mortals.”

  So she spoke, and Hephaistos quenched his inhuman fire. Now

  the lovely waters ran their ripples back in the channel.

  But when the strength of Xanthos had been beaten, these two gods

  rested, since Hera, for all she was still angry, restrained them.

  385 But upon the other gods descended the wearisome burden

  of hatred, and the wind of their fury blew from division,

  and they collided with a grand crash, the broad earth echoing

  and the huge sky sounded as with trumpets. Zeus heard it

  from where he sat on Olympos, and was amused in his deep heart

  390 for pleasure, as he watched the gods’ collision in conflict.

  Thereafter they stood not long apart from each other, for Ares

  began it, the shield-stabber, and rose up against Athene

  with the brazen spear in his hand, and spoke a word of revilement:

  “Why once more, you dogfly, have you stirred up trouble among the gods

  395 with the blast of your blown fury, and the pride of your heart driving you?

  Do you not remember how you set on Diomedes, Tydeus’

  son, to spear me, and yourself laying hold of the far-seen pike

  pushed it straight into me and tore my skin in its beauty.

  So now I am minded to pay you back for all you have done me.”

  400 He spoke, and stabbed against the ghastly aegis with fluttering

  straps, which gives way not even before the bolt of Zeus’ lightning.

  There blood-dripping Ares made his stab with the long spear,

  but Athene giving back caught up in her heavy hand a stone

  that lay in the plain, black and rugged and huge, one which men

  405 of a former time had set there as boundary mark of the cornfield.

  With this she hit furious Ares in the neck, and unstrung him.

  He spread over seven acres in his fall, and his hair dragged

  in the dust, and his armor clashed. But Pallas Athene laughing

  stood above him and spoke to him in the winged words of triumph:

  410 “You child; you did not think even this time how much stronger

  I can claim I am than you, when you match your fury against me.

  Therefore you are paying atonement to your mother’s furies

  since she is angry and wishes you ill, because you abandoned

  the Achaians, and have given your aid to the insolent Trojans.”

  415 She spoke, and turned the shining of her eyes away. But taking

  Ares by the hand the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite,

  led him away, groaning always, his strength scarce gathered back into him.

  But now, as the goddess of the white arms, Hera, noticed her

  immediately she spoke to Pallas Athene her winged words:

  420 “For shame now, Atrytone, daughter of Zeus of the aegis.

  Here again is this dogfly leading murderous Ares

  out of the fighting and through the confusion. Quick, go after her!

  “She spoke, and Athene swept in pursuit, heart full of gladness,

  and caught up with her and drove a blow at her breasts with her ponderous

  425 hand, so that her knees went slack and the heart inside her.

  Those two both lay sprawled on the generous earth. But Athene

  stood above them and spoke to them in the winged words of triumph:

  “Now may all who bring their aid to the Trojans be in

  such case as these, when they do battle with the armored Argives,

  430 as daring and as unfortunate, as now Aphrodite

  came companion in arms to Ares, and faced my fury.

  So we should long ago have rested after our fighting

  once having utterly stormed the strong-founded city of Ilion.”

  She spoke, and the goddess of the white arms, Hera, smiled on her.

  435 But now the powerful shaker of the earth spoke to Apollo:

  “Phoibos, why do you and I stand yet apart. It does not suit

  when the others have begun, and it were too shameful if without fighting

  we go back to the brazen house of Zeus on Olympos.

  Begin, you; you are younger born than I; it is not well

  440 for me to, since I am elder born than you, and know more.

  Young fool, what a mindless heart you have. Can you not even

  now remember all the evils we endured here by Ilion,

  you and I alone of the gods, when to proud Laomedon

  we came down from Zeus and for a year were his servants

  445 for a stated hire, and he told us what to do, and to do it?

  Then I built a wall for the Trojans about their city,

  wide, and very splendid, so none could break into their city,

  but you, Phoibos, herded his shambling horn-curved cattle

  along the spurs of Ida with all her folds and her forests.

  450 But when the changing seasons brought on the time for our labor

  to be paid, then headstrong Laomedon violated and made void

  all our hire, and sent us away, and sent threats after us.

  For he threatened to hobble our feet and to bind our arms,

  to carry us away for slaves in the far-lying islands.

  455 He was even going to strip with bronze the ears from both of us.

  Then you and I took our way back with hearts full of anger

  and wrath for our hire which he promised us and would not accomplish it.

  Yet to his people you give now your grace, and you will not

  try with us to bring destruction on the insolent Trojans

  460 evil and complete, with their honored wives and their children.”

  In turn the lord who strikes from afar, Apollo, answered him:

  “Shaker of the earth, you would have me be as one without prudence

  if I am to fight even you for the sake of insignificant

  mortals, who are as leaves are, and now flourish and grow warm

  465 with life, and feed on what the ground gives, but then again

  fade away and are dead. Therefore let us with all speed

  give up this quarrel and let the mortals fight their own battles.”

  He spoke so and turned away, for he was too modest

  to close and fight in strength of hand with his father’s brother.

  470 But his sister, Artemis of the wild, the lady of wild beasts,

  scolded him bitterly and spoke a word of revilement:

  “You run from him, striker from afar. You have yielded Poseidon

  the victory entire. He can brag, where nothing has happened.

  Fool, then why do you wear that bow, which is wind and nothing.

  475 Let me not hear you in the halls of my father boasting

  ever again, as you did before among the immortals,

  that you could match your strength in combat against Poseidon.”

  So she spoke, but Apollo who strikes from afar said nothing

  t
o her; but the august consort of Zeus, full of anger,

  480 scolded the lady of showering arrows in words of revilement:

  “How have you had the daring, you shameless hussy, to stand up

  and face me? It will be hard for you to match your strength with mine

  even if you wear a bow, since Zeus has made you a lion

  among women, and given you leave to kill any at your pleasure.

  485 Better for you to hunt down the ravening beasts in the mountains

  and deer of the wilds, than try to fight in strength with your betters.

  But if you would learn what fighting is, come on. You will find out

  how much stronger I am when you try to match strength against me.”

  She spoke, and caught both of her arms at the wrists in her left hand

  490 and with her right hand stripped away the bow from her shoulders,

  then with her own bow, smiling, boxed her ears as Artemis

  tried to twist away, and the flying arrows were scattered.

  She got under and free and fled in tears, as a pigeon

  in flight from a hawk wings her way into some rock-hollow

  495 and a cave, since it was not destiny for the hawk to catch her.

  So she left her archery on the ground, and fled weeping.

  Meanwhile the Guide, Argeïphontes, addressed him to Leto:

  “Leto, I will not fight with you; since it is a hard thing

  to come to blows with the brides of Zeus who gathers the clouds. No,

  500 sooner you may freely speak among the immortal

  gods, and claim that you were stronger than I, and beat me.”

  So he spoke, but Leto picked up the curved bow and the arrows

  which had fallen in the turn of the dust one way and another.

  When she had taken up the bow she went back to her daughter.

  505 But the maiden came to the bronze-founded house on Olympos

  of Zeus, and took her place kneeling at the knees of her father

  and the ambrosial veil trembled about her. Her father

  Kronides caught her against him, and laughed softly, and questioned her:

  “Who now of the Uranian gods, dear child, has done such

  510 things to you, rashly, as if you were caught doing something wicked?”

  Artemis sweet-garlanded lady of clamors answered him:

  “It was your wife, Hera of the white arms, who hit me,

  father, since hatred and fighting have fastened upon the immortals.”

  Now as these two were talking thus to each other, meanwhile

  515 Phoibos Apollo went into the sacred city of Ilion,

  since he was concerned for the wall of the strong-founded city

  lest the Danaäns storm it on that day, before they were fated.

  The rest of the gods who live forever went back to Olympos,

  some in anger and others glorying greatly, and sat down

  520 at the side of their father the dark-misted. Meanwhile Achilleus

  was destroying alike the Trojans themselves and their single-foot horses;

  and as when smoke ascending goes up into the wide sky

  from a burning city, with the anger of the gods let loose upon it

  which inflicted labor upon them all, and sorrow on many,

  525 so Achilleus inflicted labor and sorrow upon the Trojans.

  The aged Priam had taken his place on the god-built bastion,

  and looked out and saw gigantic Achilleus, where before him

  the Trojans fled in the speed of their confusion, no war strength

  left them. He groaned and descended to the ground from the bastion

  530 and beside the wall set in motion the glorious guards of the gateway;

  “Hold the gates wide open in your hands, so that our people

  in their flight can get inside the city, for here is Achilleus

  close by, stampeding them, and I think there will be disaster.

  But once they are crowded inside the city and get wind again,

  535 shut once more the door-leaves closely fitted together.

  I am afraid this ruinous man may spring into our stronghold.”

  He spoke, and they spread open the gates and shoved back the door bars

  and the gates opening let in daylight. Meanwhile Apollo

  sprang out to meet them, so that he could fend off destruction

  540 from the Trojans, who, straight for the city and the lift of the rampart

  dusty from the plain and throats rugged with thirst, fled

  away, and Achilleus followed fiercely with the spear, strong madness

  forever holding his heart and violent after his glory.

  There the sons of the Achaians might have taken gate-towering Ilion

  545 had not Phoibos Apollo sent on them brilliant Agenor,

  a man who was the son of Antenor, blameless and powerful.

  He drove courage into his heart, and stood there beside him

  in person, so as to beat the dragging death spirits from him,

  and leaned there on an oak tree with close mist huddled about him.

  550 When Agenor was aware of Achilleus, sacker of cities,

  he stood fast, but the heart was a storm in him as he waited,

  and deeply disturbed he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

  “Ah me! If I run away before the strength of Achilleus

  in the way that others are stampeded in terror before him,

  555 he will catch me even so and cut my throat like a coward’s.

  But if I leave these men to be driven in flight by Achilleus,

  Peleus’ son, and run on my feet in another direction

  away from the wall to the plain of Ilion, until I come to

  the spurs of Ida, and take cover there within the undergrowth,

  560 then in the evening, when I have bathed in the river, and washed off

  the sweat, I could make my way back again to Ilion.

  Yet still, why does the heart within me debate on these things?

  This way, he might see me as I started to the plain from the city,

  and go in pursuit, and in the speed of his feet overtake me.

  565 Then there will be no way to escape death and the death spirits.

  He is too strong, his strength is beyond all others’. But then if

  I go out in front of the city and stand fast against him,

  I think even his body might be torn by the sharp bronze.

  There is only one life in him, and people say he is mortal.

  570 It is only that Zeus, the son of Kronos, is granting him glory.”

  He spoke, and gathered himself to await Achilleus, and in him

  the fighting heart was urgent for the encounter of battle.

  But as a leopard emerges out of her timbered cover

  to face the man who is hunting her, and takes no terror

  575 in her heart nor thought of flight when she hears them baying against her;

  and even though one be too quick for her with spear thrust or spear thrown

  stuck with the shaft though she be she will not give up her fighting

  fury, till she has closed with one of them or is overthrown;

  so the son of proud Antenor, brilliant Agenor,

  580 was unwilling to run away until he had tested Achilleus,

  but held the perfect circle of his shield in front of him,

  and with the spear aimed at him and cried out in a great voice:

  “You must have hoped within your heart, O shining Achilleus,

  on this day to storm the city of the proud Trojans.

  585 You fool! There is much hard suffering to be done for its winning,

  since there are many of us inside, and men who are fighters,

  who will stand before our beloved parents, our wives and our children,

  to defend Ilion; but in this place you will find your destiny,

  for all you are s
o headlong and so bold a warrior.”

  590 He spoke, and from his heavy hand let fly with the sharp spear

  and struck him in the leg below the knee, nor entirely

  missed him, and taking the spear the greave of new-wrought tin clattered

  horribly, and back from the struck greave the bronze rebounded

  without getting through, but the gift of the god defended Achilleus.

  595 After him Peleus’ son made his spring at godlike Agenor,

  but Apollo would no further grant him the winning of glory

  but caught Agenor away closing him in a dense mist

  and sent him to make his way quietly out of the battle.

  Then by deception he kept Peleion away from the people.

  600 The striker from afar likened himself in all ways to Agenor

  and stood there before his feet, and Achilleus sprang in chase of him

  in the speed of his feet; for the time he chased him across the wheat-bearing

  plain, turning him toward the deep whirls of the river Skamandros

  as he ran a little in front; with the trick Apollo beguiled him

  605 so that he hoped ever by running to catch up with him;

  all this time the rest of the Trojans fled in a body

  gladly into the town, and the city was filled with their swarming.

  They dared no longer outside the wall and outside the city

  to wait for each other and find out which one had got away

  610 and who had died in the battle, so hastily were they streaming

  into the city, each man as his knees and feet could rescue him.

  BOOK TWENTY-TWO

  So along the city the Trojans, who had run like fawns, dried

  the sweat off from their bodies and drank and slaked their thirst, leaning

  along the magnificent battlements. Meanwhile the Achaians

  sloping their shields across their shoulders came close to the rampart.

  5 But his deadly fate held Hektor shackled, so that he stood fast

  in front of Ilion and the Skaian gates. Now Phoibos

  Apollo spoke aloud to Peleion: “Why, son of Peleus,

  do you keep after me in the speed of your feet, being mortal

  while I am an immortal god? Even yet you have not

  10 seen that I am a god, but strain after me in your fury.

  Now hard fighting with the Trojans whom you stampeded means nothing

  to you. They are crowded in the city, but you bent away here.

  You will never kill me. I am not one who is fated.”

  Deeply vexed Achilleus of the swift feet spoke to him: