He said, and prompt to gratify his friend,
Forth ran Patroclus through the camp of Greece.740
Now when Neleian Nestor to his tent
Had brought Machaon, they alighted both,
And the old hero’s friend Eurymedon
Released the coursers. On the beach awhile
Their tunics sweat-imbued in the cool air745
They ventilated, facing full the breeze,
Then on soft couches in the tent reposed.
Meantime, their beverage Hecamede mix’d,
The old King’s bright-hair’d captive, whom he brought
From Tenedos, what time Achilles sack’d750
The city, daughter of the noble Chief
Arsinoüs, and selected from the rest
For Nestor, as the honorable meed
Of counsels always eminently wise.
She, first, before them placed a table bright,755
With feet cœrulean; thirst-provoking sauce
She brought them also in a brazen tray,
Garlic[20] and honey new, and sacred meal.
Beside them, next, she placed a noble cup
Of labor exquisite, which from his home760
The ancient King had brought with golden studs
Embellish’d; it presented to the grasp
Four ears; two golden turtles, perch’d on each,
Seem’d feeding, and two turtles[21] form’d the base.
That cup once fill’d, all others must have toil’d765
To move it from the board, but it was light
In Nestor’s hand; he lifted it with ease.[22]
The graceful virgin in that cup a draught
Mix’d for them, Pramnian wine and savory cheese
Of goat’s milk, grated with a brazen rasp,770
Then sprinkled all with meal. The draught prepared,
She gave it to their hand; they, drinking, slaked
Their fiery thirst, and with each other sat
Conversing friendly, when the godlike youth
By brave Achilles sent, stood at the door.775
Him seeing, Nestor from his splendid couch
Arose, and by the hand leading him in,
Entreated him to sit, but that request
Patroclus, on his part refusing, said,
Oh venerable King! no seat is here780
For me, nor may thy courtesy prevail.
He is irascible, and to be fear’d
Who bade me ask what Chieftain thou hast brought
From battle, wounded; but untold I learn;
I see Machaon, and shall now report785
As I have seen; oh ancient King revered!
Thou know’st Achilles fiery, and propense
Blame to impute even where blame is none.
To whom the brave Gerenian thus replied.
Why feels Achilles for the wounded Greeks790
Such deep concern? He little knows the height
To which our sorrows swell. Our noblest lie
By spear or arrow wounded in the fleet.
Diomede, warlike son of Tydeus, bleeds,
Gall’d by a shaft; Ulysses, glorious Chief,795
And Agamemnon[23] suffer by the spear;
Eurypylus is shot into the thigh,
And here lies still another newly brought
By me from fight, pierced also by a shaft.
What then? How strong soe’er to give them aid,800
Achilles feels no pity of the Greeks.
Waits he till every vessel on the shore
Fired, in despite of the whole Argive host,
Be sunk in its own ashes, and ourselves
All perish, heaps on heaps? For in my limbs805
No longer lives the agility of my youth.
Oh, for the vigor of those days again,
When Elis, for her cattle which we took,
Strove with us and Itymoneus I slew,
Brave offspring of Hypirochus; he dwelt810
In Elis, and while I the pledges drove,
Stood for his herd, but fell among the first
By a spear hurl’d from my victorious arm.
Then fled the rustic multitude, and we
Drove off abundant booty from the plain,815
Herds fifty of fat beeves, large flocks of goats
As many, with as many sheep and swine,
And full thrice fifty mares of brightest hue,
All breeders, many with their foals beneath.
All these, by night returning safe, we drove820
Into Neleian Pylus, and the heart
Rejoiced of Neleus, in a son so young
A warrior, yet enrich’d with such a prize.
At early dawn the heralds summon’d loud
The citizens, to prove their just demands825
On fruitful Elis, and the assembled Chiefs
Division made (for numerous were the debts
Which the Epeans, in the weak estate
Of the unpeopled Pylus, had incurr’d;
For Hercules, few years before, had sack’d[24]830
Our city, and our mightiest slain. Ourselves
The gallant sons of Neleus, were in all
Twelve youths, of whom myself alone survived;
The rest all perish’d; whence, presumptuous grown,
The brazen-mail’d Epeans wrong’d us oft).835
A herd of beeves my father for himself
Selected, and a numerous flock beside,
Three hundred sheep, with shepherds for them all.
For he a claimant was of large arrears
From sacred Elis. Four unrivall’d steeds840
With his own chariot to the games he sent,
That should contend for the appointed prize
A tripod; but Augeias, King of men,
Detain’d the steeds, and sent the charioteer
Defrauded home. My father, therefore, fired845
At such foul outrage both of deeds and words,
Took much, and to the Pylians gave the rest
For satisfaction of the claims of all.
While thus we busied were in these concerns,
And in performance of religious rites850
Throughout the city, came the Epeans arm’d,
Their whole vast multitude both horse and foot
On the third day; came also clad in brass
The two Molions, inexpert as yet
In feats of arms, and of a boyish age.855
There is a city on a mountain’s head,
Fast by the banks of Alpheus, far remote,
The utmost town which sandy Pylus owns,
Named Thryoëssa, and, with ardor fired
To lay it waste, that city they besieged.860
Now when their host had traversed all the plain,
Minerva from Olympus flew by night
And bade us arm; nor were the Pylians slow
To assemble, but impatient for the fight.
Me, then, my father suffer’d not to arm,865
But hid my steeds, for he supposed me raw
As yet, and ignorant how war is waged.
Yet, even thus, unvantaged and on foot,
Superior honors I that day acquired
To theirs who rode, for Pallas led me on870
Herself to victory. There is a stream
Which at Arena falls into the sea,
Named Minuëius; on that river’s bank
The Pylian horsemen waited day’s approach,
And thither all our foot came pouring down.875
The flood divine of Alpheus thence we reach’d
At noon, all arm’d complete; there, hallow’d rites
We held to Jove omnipotent, and slew
A bull to sacred Alpheus, with a bull
To Neptune, and a heifer of the herd880
To Pallas; then, all marshall’d as they were,
From van to rear our legions took repast,
And at the river’s side slept on their arms.
Already the Epean host had round
Begirt the city, bent to lay it waste,885
A task which cost them, first, both blood and toil,
For when the radiant sun on the green earth
Had risen, with prayer to Pallas and to Jove,
We gave them battle. When the Pylian host
And the Epeans thus were close engaged,890
I first a warrior slew, Mulius the brave,
And seized his coursers. He the eldest-born
Of King Augeias’ daughters had espoused
The golden Agamede; not an herb
The spacious earth yields but she knew its powers,895
Him, rushing on me, with my brazen lance
I smote, and in the dust he fell; I leap’d
Into his seat, and drove into the van.
A panic seized the Epeans when they saw
The leader of their horse o’erthrown, a Chief900
Surpassing all in fight. Black as a cloud
With whirlwind fraught, I drove impetuous on,
Took fifty chariots, and at side of each
Lay two slain warriors, with their teeth the soil
Grinding, all vanquish’d by my single arm.905
I had slain also the Molions, sons
Of Actor, but the Sovereign of the deep
Their own authentic Sire, in darkness dense
Involving both, convey’d them safe away.
Then Jove a victory of prime renown910
Gave to the Pylians; for we chased and slew
And gather’d spoil o’er all the champain spread
With scatter’d shields, till we our steeds had driven
To the Buprasian fields laden with corn,
To the Olenian rock, and to a town915
In fair Colona situate, and named
Alesia. There it was that Pallas turn’d
Our people homeward; there I left the last
Of all the slain, and he was slain by me.
Then drove the Achaians from Buprasium home920
Their coursers fleet, and Jove, of Gods above,
Received most praise, Nestor of men below.
Such once was I. But brave Achilles shuts
His virtues close, an unimparted store;
Yet even he shall weep, when all the host,925
His fellow-warriors once, shall be destroy’d.
But recollect, young friend! the sage advice
Which when thou earnest from Phthia to the aid
Of Agamemnon, on that selfsame day
Menœtius gave thee. We were present there,930
Ulysses and myself, both in the house,
And heard it all; for to the house we came
Of Peleus in our journey through the land
Of fertile Greece, gathering her states to war.
We found thy noble sire Menœtius there,935
Thee and Achilles; ancient Peleus stood
To Jove the Thunderer offering in his court
Thighs of an ox, and on the blazing rites
Libation pouring from a cup of gold.
While ye on preparation of the feast940
Attended both, Ulysses and myself
Stood in the vestibule; Achilles flew
Toward us, introduced us by the hand,
And, seating us, such liberal portion gave
To each, as hospitality requires.945
Our thirst, at length, and hunger both sufficed,
I, foremost speaking, ask’d you to the wars,
And ye were eager both, but from your sires
Much admonition, ere ye went, received.
Old Peleus charged Achilles to aspire950
To highest praise, and always to excel.
But thee, thy sire Menœtius thus advised.
“My son! Achilles boasts the nobler birth,
But thou art elder; he in strength excels
Thee far; thou, therefore, with discretion rule955
His inexperience; thy advice impart
With gentleness; instruction wise suggest
Wisely, and thou shalt find him apt to learn.”
So thee thy father taught, but, as it seems,
In vain. Yet even now essay to move960
Warlike Achilles; if the Gods so please,
Who knows but that thy reasons may prevail
To rouse his valiant heart? men rarely scorn
The earnest intercession of a friend.
But if some prophecy alarm his fears,965
And from his Goddess mother he have aught
Received, who may have learnt the same from Jove,
Thee let him send at least, and order forth
With thee the Myrmidons; a dawn of hope
Shall thence, it may be, on our host arise.970
And let him send thee to the battle clad
In his own radiant armor; Troy, deceived
By such resemblance, shall abstain perchance
From conflict, and the weary Greeks enjoy
Short respite; it is all that war allows.975
Fresh as ye are, ye, by your shouts alone,
May easily repulse an army spent
With labor from the camp and from the fleet.
Thus Nestor, and his mind bent to his words.
Back to Æacides through all the camp980
He ran; and when, still running, he arrived
Among Ulysses’ barks, where they had fix’d
The forum, where they minister’d the laws,
And had erected altars to the Gods,
There him Eurypylus, Evæmon’s son,985
Illustrious met, deep-wounded in his thigh,
And halting-back from battle. From his head
The sweat, and from his shoulders ran profuse,
And from his perilous wound the sable blood
Continual stream’d; yet was his mind composed.990
Him seeing, Menœtiades the brave
Compassion felt, and mournful, thus began.
Ah hapless senators and Chiefs of Greece!
Left ye your native country that the dogs
Might fatten on your flesh at distant Troy?995
But tell me, Hero! say, Eurypylus!
Have the Achaians power still to withstand
The enormous force of Hector, or is this
The moment when his spear must pierce us all?
To whom Eurypylus, discreet, replied.1000
Patroclus, dear to Jove! there is no help,
No remedy. We perish at our ships.
The warriors, once most strenuous of the Greeks,
Lie wounded in the fleet by foes whose might
Increases ever. But thyself afford1005
To me some succor; lead me to my ship;
Cut forth the arrow from my thigh; the gore
With warm ablution cleanse, and on the wound
Smooth unguents spread, the same as by report
Achilles taught thee; taught, himself, their use1010
By Chiron, Centaur, justest of his kind
For Podalirius and Machaon both
Are occupied. Machaon, as I judge,
Lies wounded in his tent, needing like aid
Himself, and Podalirius in the field1015
Maintains sharp conflict with the sons of Troy.
To whom Menœtius’ gallant son replied.
Hero! Eurypylus! how shall we act
In this perplexity? what course pursue?
I seek the brave Achilles, to whose ear1020
I bear a message from the ancient chief
Gerenian Nestor, guardian of the Greeks.
Yet will I not, even for such a cause,
My friend! abandon thee in thy distress.