He ended, and his sovereign’s awful voice
Tydides reverencing, nought replied;
But thus the son of glorious Capaneus.
Atrides, conscious of the truth, speak truth.480
We with our sires compared, superior praise
Claim justly.[15] We, confiding in the aid
Of Jove, and in propitious signs from heaven,
Led to the city consecrate to Mars
Our little host, inferior far to theirs,485
And took seven-gated Thebes, under whose walls
Our fathers by their own imprudence fell.
Their glory, then, match never more with ours.
He spake, whom with a frowning brow the brave
Tydides answer’d. Sthenelus, my friend!490
I give thee counsel. Mark it. Hold thy peace.
If Agamemnon, who hath charge of all,
Excite his well-appointed host to war,
He hath no blame from me. For should the Greeks
(Her people vanquished) win imperial Troy,495
The glory shall be his; or, if his host
O’erpower’d in battle perish, his the shame.
Come, therefore; be it ours to rouse at once
To action all the fury of our might.
He said, and from his chariot to the plain500
Leap’d ardent; rang the armor on the breast
Of the advancing Chief; the boldest heart
Had felt emotion, startled at the sound.
As when the waves by Zephyrus up-heaved
Crowd fast toward some sounding shore, at first,505
On the broad bosom of the deep their heads
They curl on high, then breaking on the land
Thunder, and o’er the rocks that breast the flood
Borne turgid, scatter far the showery spray;
So moved the Greeks successive, rank by rank,510
And phalanx after phalanx, every Chief
His loud command proclaiming, while the rest,
As voice in all those thousands none had been
Heard mute; and, in resplendent armor clad,
With martial order terrible advanced.515
Not so the Trojans came. As sheep, the flock
Of some rich man, by thousands in his court
Penn’d close at milking time, incessant bleat,
Loud answering all their bleating lambs without,
Such din from Ilium’s wide-spread host arose.520
Nor was their shout, nor was their accent one,
But mingled languages were heard of men
From various climes. These Mars to battle roused,
Those Pallas azure-eyed; nor Terror thence
Nor Flight was absent, nor insatiate Strife,525
Sister and mate of homicidal Mars,
Who small at first, but swift to grow, from earth
Her towering crest lifts gradual to the skies.
She, foe alike to both, the brands dispersed
Of burning hate between them, and the woes530
Enhanced of battle wheresoe’er she pass’d.
And now the battle join’d. Shield clash’d with shield[16]
And spear with spear, conflicting corselets rang,
Boss’d bucklers met, and tumult wild arose.
Then, many a yell was heard, and many a shout535
Loud intermix’d, the slayer o’er the maim’d
Exulting, and the field was drench’d with blood.
As when two winter torrents rolling down
The mountains, shoot their floods through gulleys huge
Into one gulf below, station’d remote540
The shepherd in the uplands hears the roar;
Such was the thunder of the mingling hosts.
And first, Antilochus a Trojan Chief
Slew Echepolus, from Thalysias sprung,
Contending valiant in the van of Troy.545
Him smiting on his crested casque, he drove
The brazen lance into his front, and pierced
The bones within; night overspread his eyes,
And in fierce battle, like a tower, he fell.
Him fallen by both feet Calchodon’s son550
Seized, royal Elephenor, leader brave
Of the Abantes, and in haste to strip
His armor, drew him from the fight aside.
But short was that attempt. Him so employ’d
Dauntless Agenor mark’d, and as he stoop’d,555
In his unshielded flank a pointed spear
Implanted deep; he languid sunk and died.
So Elephenor fell, for whom arose
Sharp conflict; Greeks and Trojans mutual flew
Like wolves to battle, and man grappled man.560
Then Telamonian Ajax, in his prime
Of youthful vigor Simöisius slew,[17]
Son of Anthemion. Him on Simoïs’ banks
His mother bore, when with her parents once
She came from Ida down to view the flocks,565
And thence they named him; but his parents’
He lived not to requite, in early youth
Slain by the spear of Ajax famed in arms.
For him advancing Ajax at the pap
Wounded; right through his shoulder driven the point570
Stood forth behind; he fell, and press’d the dust.
So in some spacious marsh the poplar falls
Smooth-skinn’d, with boughs unladen save aloft;
Some chariot-builder with his axe the trunk
Severs, that he may warp it to a wheel575
Of shapely form; meantime exposed it lies
To parching airs beside the running stream;
Such Simöisius seemed, Anthemion’s son,
Whom noble Ajax slew. But soon at him
Antiphus, son of Priam, bright in arms,580
Hurl’d through the multitude his pointed spear.
He erred from Ajax, but he pierced the groin
Of Leucus, valiant warrior of the band
Led by Ulysses. He the body dragg’d
Apart, but fell beside it, and let fall,585
Breathless himself, the burthen from his hand.
Then burn’d Ulysses’ wrath for Leucus slain,
And through the foremost combatants, array’d
In dazzling arms, he rush’d. Full near he stood,
And, looking keen around him, hurl’d a lance.590
Back fell the Trojans from before the face
Dispersed of great Ulysses. Not in vain
His weapon flew, but on the field outstretch’d
A spurious son of Priam, from the shores
Call’d of Abydus famed for fleetest mares,595
Democoon; him, for Leucus’ sake enraged,
Ulysses through both temples with his spear
Transpierced. The night of death hung on his eyes,
And sounding on his batter’d arms he fell.
Then Hector and the van of Troy retired;600
Loud shout the Grecians; these draw off the dead,
Those onward march amain, and from the heights
Of Pergamus Apollo looking down
In anger, to the Trojans called aloud.
Turn, turn, ye Trojans! face your Grecian foes.605
They, like yourselves, are vulnerable flesh,
Not adamant or steel. Your direst dread
Achilles, son of Thetis radiant-hair’d,
Fights not, but sullen in his fleet abides.[18]
Such from the citadel was heard the voice610
Of dread Apollo. But Minerva ranged
Meantime, Tritonian progeny of Jove,
The Grecians, rousing whom she saw remiss.
Then Amarynceus’ son, Diores, felt
The force of fate, bruised by a rugged rock615
At his right heel, which Pirus, Thracian Chief,
The son of Imbrasus of Ænos, threw.
Bones and both tendons in its fall the mass
Enormous crush’d. He, stretch’d in dust supine,
With palms outspread toward his warrior friends620
Lay gasping life away. But he who gave
The fatal blow, Pirus, advancing, urged
Into his navel a keen lance, and shed
His bowels forth; then, darkness veil’d his eyes.
Nor Pirus long survived; him through the breast625
Above the pap, Ætolian Thoas pierced,
And in his lungs set fast the quivering spear.
Then Thoas swift approach’d, pluck’d from the wound
His stormy spear, and with his falchion bright
Gashing his middle belly, stretch’d him dead.630
Yet stripp’d he not the slain, whom with long spears
His Thracians hairy-scalp’d[19] so round about
Encompassed, that though bold and large of limb
Were Thoas, from before them him they thrust
Staggering and reeling in his forced retreat.635
They therefore in the dust, the Epean Chief
Diores, and the Thracian, Pirus lay
Stretch’d side by side, with numerous slain around.