The story of the Iliad

by Alfred John Church; Homer

Then King Agamemnon said, "Thou speakest well." And he went through the host, bidding the men bear themselves bravely; and all the while Poseidon put courage and strength into their hearts; and, on the other hand, Hera lulled Zeus to sleep on the heights of Olympus, so that now the battle went against the men of Troy.

And Ajax took a great stone—now were there many such which they had as props for the ships—and smote Hector above the rim of his shield, on the neck. As an oak falls, stricken by the thunder of Zeus, so he fell, and the Greeks rushed with a great cry to drag him to them, but could not, for all the bravest of the sons of Troy held their shields before him. Then they carried him to the river, and poured water upon him. And after a while he sat up, and then again his spirit left him, for the blow had been very grievous. But when the Greeks saw that Hector had been carried out of the battle, they pressed on the more, slaying the men of Troy, and driving them back even out of the camp and across the trench. But when they came to their chariots, where they had left them on the other side of the trench, there they stood trembling and pale with fear, as men that flee in the day of battle.

And now Zeus woke from his sleep, and he looked upon the earth; and he saw how the Greeks were driving the men of Troy before them, and Hector lay upon the plain, and vomited blood, and his friends knelt about him. Senseless he lay, for it was no puny hand that had dealt the blow. Very wroth was Zeus to see such a sight, and he said to Hera: "What is this that thou hast done, sending Hector from the battle? Rememberest thou not how I hung thee amid the clouds with a band of gold about thy hands and an anvil of gold on either foot? Make an end of thy deceits, or verily nothing shall protect thee from my wrath." to

Then Hera answered: "It is Poseidon that afflicts the Trojans, and bears up the Greeks."

Then said Zeus: "Call hither Iris and Apollo the Archer; let Iris go to Poseidon, and bid him cease from the battle, and let Apollo strengthen Hector, that he may go back to the battle; so shall my will be accomplished, fulfilling the oath that I sware to Thetis of the sea that I would do honour to her son."

Then Iris went to Poseidon, and gave him the message of Zeus. Very wroth was the god, and said: "Thinketh he then to control me by force who am his equal in honour? Three brethren are we, and the Fates gave the sea to me for my dominion, and to Hades the realm of darkness, and to Zeus the heaven; but the earth is for all. I walk not by the will of Zeus; let him remain in his own possessions, and meddle not."

But Iris answered: "Shaker of the earth, shall I bear back so rough an answer to Zeus? Surely thou knowest the might of the elder born?"

Then Poseidon said, "Iris, thou speakest well; this time will I yield, but know that if he shall scorn me and the other gods and let Troy stand untaken, and give not victory to the Greeks, there shall be endless feud between him and me."

Meanwhile Apollo went, at the bidding of Zeus, to Hector. He found him sitting up, for the will of Zeus had revived him. Then spake Apollo: "Hector, why sittest thou apart from thy fellows? Hath trouble come upon thee?"

Hector made reply in a feeble voice: "Who art thou among the gods that speakest to me? Knowest thou not that Ajax smote me with a mighty stone and stayed me from the battle? Verily I thought that I had gone down this day to the dwellings of the dead."