Pelides! I will fly thee now no more.
Thrice I have compass’d Priam’s spacious walls290
A fugitive, and have not dared abide
Thy onset, but my heart now bids me stand
Dauntless, and I will slay, or will be slain.
But come. We will attest the Gods; for they
Are fittest both to witness and to guard295
Our covenant. If Jove to me vouchsafe
The hard-earn’d victory, and to take thy life,
I will not with dishonor foul insult
Thy body, but, thine armor stripp’d, will give
Thee to thy friends, as thou shalt me to mine.300
To whom Achilles, lowering dark, replied.
Hector! my bitterest foe! speak not to me
Of covenants! as concord can be none
Lions and men between, nor wolves and lambs
Can be unanimous, but hate perforce305
Each other by a law not to be changed,
So cannot amity subsist between
Thee and myself; nor league make I with thee
Or compact, till thy blood in battle shed
Or mine, shall gratify the fiery Mars.310
Rouse all thy virtue; thou hast utmost need
Of valor now, and of address in arms.
Escape me more thou canst not; Pallas’ hand
By mine subdues thee; now will I avenge
At once the agonies of every Greek315
In thy unsparing fury slain by thee.
He said, and, brandishing the Pelian ash,
Dismiss’d it; but illustrious Hector warn’d,
Crouched low, and, overflying him, it pierced
The soil beyond, whence Pallas plucking it320
Unseen, restored it to Achilles’ hand,
And Hector to his godlike foe replied.
Godlike Achilles! thou hast err’d, nor know’st
At all my doom from Jove, as thou pretend’st,
But seek’st, by subtlety and wind of words,325
All empty sounds, to rob me of my might.
Yet stand I firm. Think not to pierce my back.
Behold my bosom! if the Gods permit,
Meet me advancing, and transpierce me there.
Meantime avoid my glittering spear, but oh330
May’st thou receive it all! since lighter far
To Ilium should the toils of battle prove,
Wert thou once slain, the fiercest of her foes.
He said, and hurling his long spear with aim
Unerring, smote the centre of the shield335
Of Peleus’ son, but his spear glanced away.
He, angry to have sent it forth in vain,
(For he had other none) with eyes downcast
Stood motionless awhile, then with loud voice
Sought from Deiphobus, white-shielded Chief,340
A second; but Deiphobus was gone.
Then Hector understood his doom, and said.
Ah, it is plain; this is mine hour to die.
I thought Deiphobus at hand, but me
Pallas beguiled, and he is still in Troy.345
A bitter death threatens me, it is nigh,
And there is no escape; Jove, and Jove’s son
Apollo, from the first, although awhile
My prompt deliverers, chose this lot for me,
And now it finds me. But I will not fall350
Inglorious; I will act some great exploit
That shall be celebrated ages hence.
So saying, his keen falchion from his side
He drew, well-temper’d, ponderous, and rush’d
At once to combat. As the eagle darts355
Right downward through a sullen cloud to seize
Weak lamb or timorous hare, so brandishing
His splendid falchion, Hector rush’d to fight.
Achilles, opposite, with fellest ire
Full-fraught came on; his shield with various art360
Celestial form’d, o’erspread his ample chest,
And on his radiant casque terrific waved
The bushy gold of his resplendent crest,
By Vulcan spun, and pour’d profuse around.
Bright as, among the stars, the star of all365
Most radiant, Hesperus, at midnight moves,
So, in the right hand of Achilles beam’d
His brandish’d spear, while, meditating wo
To Hector, he explored his noble form,
Seeking where he was vulnerable most.370
But every part, his dazzling armor torn
From brave Patroclus’ body, well secured,
Save where the circling key-bone from the neck
Disjoins the shoulder; there his throat appear’d,
Whence injured life with swiftest flight escapes;375
Achilles, plunging in that part his spear,
Impell’d it through the yielding flesh beyond.
The ashen beam his power of utterance left
Still unimpair’d, but in the dust he fell,
And the exulting conqueror exclaim’d.380
But Hector! thou hadst once far other hopes,
And, stripping slain Patroclus, thought’st thee safe,
Nor caredst for absent me. Fond dream and vain!
I was not distant far; in yonder fleet
He left one able to avenge his death,385
And he hath slain thee. Thee the dogs shall rend
Dishonorably, and the fowls of air,
But all Achaia’s host shall him entomb.
To whom the Trojan Chief languid replied.
By thy own life, by theirs who gave thee birth,390
And by thy knees,[13] oh let not Grecian dogs
Rend and devour me, but in gold accept
And brass a ransom at my father’s hands,
And at my mother’s an illustrious price;
Send home my body, grant me burial rites395
Among the daughters and the sons of Troy.
To whom with aspect stern Achilles thus.
Dog! neither knees nor parents name to me.
I would my fierceness of revenge were such,
That I could carve and eat thee, to whose arms400
Such griefs I owe; so true it is and sure,
That none shall save thy carcase from the dogs.
No, trust me, would thy parents bring me weigh’d
Ten—twenty ransoms, and engage on oath
To add still more; would thy Dardanian Sire405
Priam, redeem thee with thy weight in gold,
Not even at that price would I consent
That she who bare should place thee on thy bier
With lamentation; dogs and ravening fowls
Shall rend thy body while a scrap remains.410