True, oh my son! is all which thou hast spoken.
These limbs, these hands, young friend! (their vigor lost)780
No longer, darted from the shoulder, spring
At once to battle. Ah that I could grow
Young yet again, could feel again such force
Athletic, as when in Buprasium erst
The Epeans with sepulchral pomp entomb’d785
King Amarynceus, where his sons ordain’d
Funereal games in honor of their sire!
Epean none or even Pylian there
Could cope with me, or yet Ætolian bold.
Boxing, I vanquish’d Clytomedes, son790
Of Enops; wrestling, the Pleuronian Chief
Ancæus; in the foot-race Iphiclus,
Though a fleet runner; and I over-pitch’d
Phyleus and Polydorus at the spear.
The sons of Actor[16] in the chariot-race795
Alone surpass’d me, being two for one,
And jealous both lest I should also win
That prize, for to the victor charioteer
They had assign’d the noblest prize of all.
They were twin-brothers, and one ruled the steeds,800
The steeds one ruled,[17] the other lash’d them on.
Such once was I; but now, these sports I leave
To younger; me submission most befits
To withering age, who then outshone the best.
But go. The funeral of thy friend with games805
Proceed to celebrate; I accept thy gift
With pleasure; and my heart is also glad
That thou art mindful evermore of one
Who loves thee, and such honor in the sight
Yield’st me of all the Greeks, as is my due.810
May the Gods bless thee for it more and more!
He spake, and Peleus’ son, when he had heard
At large his commendation from the lips
Of Nestor, through the assembled Greeks return’d.
He next proposed, not lightly to be won,815
The boxer’s prize. He tether’d down a mule,
Untamed and hard to tame, but strong to toil,
And in her prime of vigor, in the midst;
A goblet to the vanquish’d he assign’d,
Then stood erect and to the Greeks exclaim’d.820
Atridæ! and ye Argives brazen-greaved!
I call for two bold combatants expert
To wage fierce strife for these, with lifted fists
Smiting each other. He, who by the aid
Of Phœbus shall o’ertome, and whom the Greeks825
Shall all pronounce victorious, leads the mule
Hence to his tent; the vanquish’d takes the cup.
He spake, and at his word a Greek arose
Big, bold, and skillful in the boxer’s art,
Epeüs, son of Panopeus; his hand830
He on the mule imposed, and thus he said.
Approach the man ambitious of the cup!
For no Achaian here shall with his fist
Me foiling, win the mule. I boast myself
To all superior. May it not suffice835
That I to no pre-eminence pretend
In battle? To attain to foremost praise
Alike in every art is not for one.
But this I promise, and will well perform—
My blows shall lay him open, split him, crush840
His bones to splinters, and let all his friends,
Attendant on him, wait to bear him hence,
Vanquish’d by my superior force in fight.
He ended, and his speech found no reply.
One godlike Chief alone, Euryalus,845
Son of the King Mecisteus, who, himself,
Sprang from Talaion, opposite arose.
He, on the death of Oedipus, at Thebes
Contending in the games held at his tomb,
Had overcome the whole Cadmean race.850
Him Diomede spear-famed for fight prepared,
Giving him all encouragement, for much
He wish’d him victory. First then he threw[18]
His cincture to him; next, he gave him thongs[19]
Cut from the hide of a wild buffalo.855
Both girt around, into the midst they moved.
Then, lifting high their brawny arms, and fists
Mingling with fists, to furious fight they fell;
Dire was the crash of jaws, and the sweat stream’d
From every limb. Epeüs fierce advanced,860
And while Euryalus with cautious eye
Watch’d his advantage, pash’d him on the cheek
He stood no longer, but, his shapely limbs,
Unequal to his weight, sinking, he fell.
As by the rising north-wind driven ashore865
A huge fish flounces on the weedy beach,
Which soon the sable flood covers again,
So, beaten down, he bounded. But Epeüs,
Heroic chief, upraised him by his hand,
And his own comrades from the circus forth870
Led him, step dragging after step, the blood
Ejecting grumous, and at every pace
Rolling his head languid from side to side.
They placed him all unconscious on his seat
In his own band, then fetch’d his prize, the cup.875
Still other prizes, then, Achilles placed
In view of all, the sturdy wrestler’s meed.
A large hearth-tripod, valued by the Greeks
At twice six beeves, should pay the victor’s toil;
But for the vanquish’d, in the midst he set880
A damsel in variety expert
Of arts domestic, valued at four beeves.
He rose erect, and to the Greeks he cried.
Arise ye, now, who shall this prize dispute.
So spake the son of Peleus; then arose885
Huge Telamonian Ajax, and upstood
Ulysses also, in all wiles adept.
Both girt around, into the midst they moved.
With vigorous gripe each lock’d the other fast,
Like rafters, standing, of some mansion built890
By a prime artist proof against all winds.
Their backs, tugg’d vehemently, creak’d,[20] the sweat
Trickled, and on their flanks and shoulders, red
The whelks arose; they bearing still in mind
The tripod, ceased not struggling for the prize.895
Nor could Ulysses from his station move
And cast down Ajax, nor could Ajax him
Unsettle, fixt so firm Ulysses stood.
But when, long time expectant, all the Greeks
Grew weary, then, huge Ajax him bespake.900
Laertes’ noble son, for wiles renown’d!
Lift, or be lifted, and let Jove decide.
He said, and heaved Ulysses. Then, his wiles
Forgat not he, but on the ham behind
Chopp’d him; the limbs of Ajax at the stroke905
Disabled sank; he fell supine, and bore
Ulysses close adhering to his chest
Down with him. Wonder riveted all eyes.
Then brave Ulysses from the ground awhile
Him lifted in his turn, but ere he stood,910
Inserting his own knee the knees between[21]
Of Ajax, threw him. To the earth they fell
Both, and with dust defiled lay side by side.
And now, arising to a third essay,
They should have wrestled yet again, had not915
Achilles, interfering, them restrain’d.