Meantime Leonteus, branch of Mars, his spear
Hurl’d at Hippomachus, whom through his belt 235
He pierced; then drawing forth his falchion keen,
Through all the multitude he flew to smite
Antiphates, and with a downright stroke
Fell’d him. Iämenus and Menon next
He slew, with brave Orestes, whom he heap’d, 240
All three together, on the fertile glebe.
While them the Lapithæ of their bright arms
Despoil’d, Polydamas and Hector stood
(With all the bravest youths and most resolved
To burst the barrier and to fire the fleet) 245
Beside the foss, pondering the event.
For, while they press’d to pass, they spied a bird
Sublime in air, an eagle. Right between
Both hosts he soar’d (the Trojan on his left)
A serpent bearing in his pounces clutch’d 250
Enormous, dripping blood, but lively still
And mindful of revenge; for from beneath
300 The eagle’s breast, updarting fierce his head,
Fast by the throat he struck him; anguish-sick
The eagle cast him down into the space 255
Between the hosts, and, clanging loud his plumes
As the wind bore him, floated far away.
Shudder’d the Trojans viewing at their feet
The spotted serpent ominous, and thus
Polydamas to dauntless Hector spake. 260
Ofttimes in council, Hector, thou art wont
To censure me, although advising well;
Nor ought the private citizen, I confess,
Either in council or in war to indulge
Loquacity, but ever to employ 265
All his exertions in support of thine.
Yet hear my best opinion once again.
Proceed we not in our attempt against
The Grecian fleet. For if in truth the sign
Respect the host of Troy ardent to pass, 270
Then, as the eagle soar’d both hosts between,
With Ilium’s on his left, and clutch’d a snake
Enormous, dripping blood, but still alive,
Which yet he dropp’d suddenly, ere he reach’d
His eyry, or could give it to his young, 275
So we, although with mighty force we burst
Both gates and barrier, and although the Greeks
Should all retire, shall never yet the way
Tread honorably back by which we came.
No. Many a Trojan shall we leave behind 280
Slain by the Grecians in their fleet’s defence.
An augur skill’d in omens would expound
This omen thus, and faith would win from all.
To whom, dark-louring, Hector thus replied.
Polydamas! I like not thy advice; 285
Thou couldst have framed far better; but if this
Be thy deliberate judgment, then the Gods
Make thy deliberate judgment nothing worth,
Who bidd’st me disregard the Thunderer’s firm
301 Assurance to myself announced, and make 290
The wild inhabitants of air my guides,
Which I alike despise, speed they their course
With right-hand flight toward the ruddy East,
Or leftward down into the shades of eve.
Consider we the will of Jove alone, 295
Sovereign of heaven and earth. Omens abound,
But the best omen is our country’s cause.
Wherefore should fiery war thy soul alarm?
For were we slaughter’d, one and all, around
The fleet of Greece, thou need’st not fear to die, 300
Whose courage never will thy flight retard.
But if thou shrink thyself, or by smooth speech
Seduce one other from a soldier’s part,
Pierced by this spear incontinent thou diest.
So saying he led them, who with deafening roar 305
Follow’d him. Then, from the Idæan hills
Jove hurl’d a storm which wafted right the dust
Into the fleet; the spirits too he quell’d
Of the Achaians, and the glory gave
To Hector and his host; they, trusting firm 310
In signs from Jove, and in their proper force,
Assay’d the barrier; from the towers they tore
The galleries, cast the battlements to ground,
And the projecting buttresses adjoin’d
To strengthen the vast work, with bars upheaved. 315
All these, with expectation fierce to break
The rampart, down they drew; nor yet the Greeks
Gave back, but fencing close with shields the wall,
Smote from behind them many a foe beneath.
Meantime from tower to tower the Ajaces moved 320
302 Exhorting all; with mildness some, and some
With harsh rebuke, whom they observed through fear
Declining base the labors of the fight,
Friends! Argives! warriors of whatever rank!
Ye who excel, and ye of humbler note! 325
And ye the last and least! (for such there are,
All have not magnanimity alike)
Now have we work for all, as all perceive.
Turn not, retreat not to your ships, appall’d
By sounding menaces, but press the foe; 330
Exhort each other, and e’en now perchance
Olympian Jove, by whom the lightnings burn,
Shall grant us to repulse them, and to chase
The routed Trojans to their gates again.
So they vociferating to the Greeks, 335
Stirr’d them to battle. As the feathery snows
Fall frequent, on some wintry day, when Jove
Hath risen to shed them on the race of man,
And show his arrowy stores; he lulls the winds,
Then shakes them down continual, covering thick 340
Mountain tops, promontories, flowery meads,
And cultured valleys rich; the ports and shores
Receive it also of the hoary deep,
But there the waves bound it, while all beside
Lies whelm’d beneath Jove’s fast-descending shower, 345
So thick, from side to side, by Trojans hurl’d
Against the Greeks, and by the Greeks return’d
The stony vollies flew; resounding loud
Through all its length the battered rampart roar’d.
Nor yet had Hector and his host prevail’d 350
To burst the gates, and break the massy bar,
Had not all-seeing Jove Sarpedon moved
His son, against the Greeks, furious as falls
The lion on some horned herd of beeves.
At once his polish’d buckler he advanced 355
With leafy brass o’erlaid; for with smooth brass
The forger of that shield its oval disk
Had plated, and with thickest hides throughout
303 Had lined it, stitch’d with circling wires of gold.
That shield he bore before him; firmly grasp’d 360
He shook two spears, and with determined strides
March’d forward. As the lion mountain-bred,
After long fast, by impulse of his heart
Undaunted urged, seeks resolute the flock
Even in the shelter of their guarded home; 365
He finds, perchance, the shepherds arm’d with spears,
And all their dogs awake, yet can not leave
Untried the fence, but either leaps it light,
And entering tears the prey, or in the attempt
Pierced by some dexterous peasant, bleeds himself; 370
So high his courage to the assault impell’d
Godlike Sarpedon, and him fired with hope
To break the barrier; when to Glaucus thus,
> Son of Hippolochus, his speech he turn’d.
Why, Glaucus, is the seat of honor ours, 375
Why drink we brimming cups, and feast in state?
Why gaze they all on us as we were Gods
In Lycia, and why share we pleasant fields
And spacious vineyards, where the Xanthus winds?
Distinguished thus in Lycia, we are call’d 380
To firmness here, and to encounter bold
The burning battle, that our fair report
Among the Lycians may be blazon’d thus —
No dastards are the potentates who rule
The bright-arm’d Lycians; on the fatted flock 385
They banquet, and they drink the richest wines;
But they are also valiant, and the fight
Wage dauntless in the vanward of us all.
Oh Glaucus, if escaping safe the death
That threats us here, we also could escape 390
Old age, and to ourselves secure a life
Immortal, I would neither in the van
Myself expose, nor would encourage thee
To tempt the perils of the glorious field.
But since a thousand messengers of fate 395
Pursue us close, and man is born to die —
304 E’en let us on; the prize of glory yield,
If yield we must, or wrest it from the foe.
He said, nor cold refusal in return
Received from Glaucus, but toward the wall 400
Their numerous Lycian host both led direct.
Menestheus, son of Peteos, saw appall’d
Their dread approach, for to his tower they bent;
Their threatening march. An eager look he cast,
On the embodied Greeks, seeking some Chief 405
Whose aid might turn the battle from his van:
He saw, where never sated with exploits
Of war, each Ajax fought, near whom his eye
Kenn’d Teucer also, newly from his tent;
But vain his efforts were with loudest call 410
To reach their ears, such was the deafening din
Upsent to heaven, of shields and crested helms,
And of the batter’d gates; for at each gate
They thundering’ stood, and urged alike at each
Their fierce attempt by force to burst the bars. 415
To Ajax therefore he at once dispatch’d
A herald, and Thöotes thus enjoin’d.
My noble friend, Thöotes! with all speed
Call either Ajax; bid them hither both;
Far better so; for havoc is at hand. 420
The Lycian leaders, ever in assault
Tempestuous, bend their force against this tower
My station. But if also there they find
Laborious conflict pressing them severe,
At least let Telamonian Ajax come, 425
And Teucer with his death-dispensing bow.
He spake, nor was Thöotes slow to hear;
Beside the rampart of the mail-clad Greeks
Rapid he flew, and, at their side arrived,
To either Ajax, eager, thus began. 430
Ye leaders of the well-appointed Greeks,
The son of noble Peteos calls; he begs
With instant suit, that ye would share his toils,
However short your stay; the aid of both
305 Will serve him best, for havoc threatens there 435
The Lycian leaders, ever in assault
Tempestuous, bend their force toward the tower
His station. But if also here ye find
Laborious conflict pressing you severe,
At least let Telamonian Ajax come, 440
And Teucer with his death-dispensing bow.
He spake, nor his request the towering son
Of Telamon denied, but quick his speech
To Ajax Oïliades address’d.
Ajax! abiding here, exhort ye both 445
(Heroic Lycomedes and thyself)
The Greeks to battle. Thither I depart
To aid our friends, which service once perform’d
Duly, I will incontinent return.
So saying, the Telamonian Chief withdrew 450
With whom went Teucer, son of the same sire,
Pandion also, bearing Teucer’s bow.
Arriving at the turret given in charge
To the bold Chief Menestheus, and the wall
Entering, they found their friends all sharply tried. 455
Black as a storm the senators renown’d
And leaders of the Lycian host assail’d
Buttress and tower, while opposite the Greeks
Withstood them, and the battle-shout began.
First, Ajax, son of Telamon, a friend 460
And fellow-warrior of Sarpedon slew,
Epicles. With a marble fragment huge
That crown’d the battlement’s interior side,
He smote him. No man of our puny race,
Although in prime of youth, had with both hands 465
That weight sustain’d; but he the cumberous mass
Uplifted high, and hurl’d it on his head.
It burst his helmet, and his batter’d skull
Dash’d from all form. He from the lofty tower
Dropp’d downright, with a diver’s plunge, and died. 470
But Teucer wounded Glaucus with a shaft
Son of Hippolochus; he, climbing, bared
306 His arm, which Teucer, marking, from the wall
Transfix’d it, and his onset fierce repress’d;
For with a backward leap Glaucus withdrew 475
Sudden and silent, cautious lest the Greeks
Seeing him wounded should insult his pain.
Grief seized, at sight of his retiring friend,
Sarpedon, who forgat not yet the fight,
But piercing with his lance Alcmaon, son 480
Of Thestor, suddenly reversed the beam,
Which following, Alcmaon to the earth
Fell prone, with clangor of his brazen arms.
Sarpedon, then, strenuous with both hands
Tugg’d, and down fell the battlement entire; 485
The wall, dismantled at the summit, stood
A ruin, and wide chasm was open’d through.
Then Ajax him and Teucer at one time
Struck both; an arrow struck from Teucer’s bow
The belt that cross’d his bosom, by which hung 490
His ample shield; yet lest his son should fall
Among the ships, Jove turn’d the death aside.
But Ajax, springing to his thrust, a spear
Drove through his shield. Sarpedon at the shock
With backward step short interval recoil’d, 495
But not retired, for in his bosom lived
The hope of glory still, and, looking back
On all his godlike Lycians, he exclaim’d,
Oh Lycians! where is your heroic might?
Brave as I boast myself, I feel the task 500
Arduous, through the breach made by myself
To win a passage to the ships, alone.
Follow me all — Most laborers, most dispatch.
So he; at whose sharp reprimand abash’d
The embattled host to closer conflict moved, 505
Obedient to their counsellor and King.
On the other side the Greeks within the wall
Made firm the phalanx, seeing urgent need;
307 Nor could the valiant Lycians through the breach
Admittance to the Grecian fleet obtain, 510
Nor since they first approach’d it, had the Greeks
With all their efforts, thrust the Lycians back.
But as two claimants of one common field,
Each with his rod of measurement in hand,
Dispute the boundaries, litigating warm 515
Their right in some small portion of the soil,
So the
y, divided by the barrier, struck
With hostile rage the bull-hide bucklers round,
And the light targets on each other’s breast.
Then many a wound the ruthless weapons made. 520
Pierced through the unarm’d back, if any turn’d,
He died, and numerous even through the shield.
The battlements from end to end with blood
Of Grecians and of Trojans on both sides
Were sprinkled; yet no violence could move 525
The stubborn Greeks, or turn their powers to flight.
So hung the war in balance, as the scales
Held by some woman scrupulously just,
A spinner; wool and weight she poises nice,
Hard-earning slender pittance for her babes, 530
Such was the poise in which the battle hung
Till Jove himself superior fame, at length,
To Priamëian Hector gave, who sprang
First through the wall. In lofty sounds that reach’d
Their utmost ranks, he call’d on all his host. 535
Now press them, now ye Trojans steed-renown’d
Rush on! break through the Grecian rampart, hurl
At once devouring flames into the fleet.
Such was his exhortation; they his voice
All hearing, with close-order’d ranks direct 540
Bore on the barrier, and up-swarming show’d
On the high battlement their glittering spears.
308 But Hector seized a stone; of ample base
But tapering to a point, before the gate
It stood. No two men, mightiest of a land 545
(Such men as now are mighty) could with ease
Have heaved it from the earth up to a wain;
He swung it easily alone; so light
The son of Saturn made it in his hand.
As in one hand with ease the shepherd bears 550
A ram’s fleece home, nor toils beneath the weight,
So Hector, right toward the planks of those
Majestic folding-gates, close-jointed, firm
And solid, bore the stone. Two bars within
Their corresponding force combined transvere 555
To guard them, and one bolt secured the bars.
He stood fast by them, parting wide his feet
For ‘vantage sake, and smote them in the midst.
He burst both hinges; inward fell the rock
Ponderous, and the portals roar’d; the bars 560
Endured not, and the planks, riven by the force
Of that huge mass, flew scatter’d on all sides.
In leap’d the godlike Hero at the breach,
Gloomy as night in aspect, but in arms
William Cowper- Collected Poetical Works Page 114
