THE BATTLE AT THE SHIPS
And when Zeus had brought the Trojans near to the ships, he turned
away his eyes, and looked upon them no more, for he deemed that none
of the immortal gods would come to help either Trojan or Greek. But
Poseidon was watching the battle from the wooded height of
Samothrace, whence he could see Ida and Troy and the ships. And he
pitied the Greeks, when he saw how they fled before Hector, and
purposed in his heart to help them. So he left the height of
Samothrace, and came with four strides to his palace in the depths of
the sea. There he harnessed the horses to his chariot, and rode,
passing over the waves, and the great beasts of the sea gambolled
about him as he went, knowing their king.
Po-sei'-don. Sa-mo-thrace'.
His horses he stabled in a cavern of the sea, and loosed them from
the car, and gave them immortal food to eat, and put shackles of gold
about their feet.
And all the while the men of Troy came on, following Hector, like a
storm or a great flame, for they thought to take the ships and to
slay the Greeks beside them.
But Poseidon came to the camp of the Greeks, taking upon him the
shape of Calchas the herald. First he spake to either Ajax, saying:
"Hold fast, ye men of might, so that ye save the people. For the
rest of the wall I fear not, but only for the place where Hector
rages."
Cal'-chas.
And as he spake, he smote each with his staff, and filled them with
courage, and gave strength to hands and feet. Then he passed from
them even as a hawk that riseth from a cliff, chasing a bird.
And the Lesser Ajax knew him, and spake to his comrade, saying: "This
is some god that bids us fight for the ships; he was not Calchas, for
I marked the goings of his legs and his feet as he went. The gods
are easily discerned. And verily my heart within me is eager for the
fight."
The Greater Ajax answered him, "Even so do my own hands yearn about
the spear, and my heart is on fire, and my feet carry me away, and I
am eager to fight with Hector, even I alone, for all his fury."
Then Poseidon went to the other chiefs, going up and down the ranks,
and urged them to stand fast against their enemies. But not the less
did the men of Troy press on, Hector leading the way.
And so loud was the cry of battle that it roused old Nestor where he
sat in his tent, tending the wounded Machaon. So he went forth from
the tent, seeking King Agamemnon. And as he went, the King met him,
and with him were Diomed and Ulysses, who also had been wounded that
day. So they held counsel together. And Agamemnon--for it troubled
him sore that the people were slain--would that they should draw down
the ships into the sea, and should flee homewards, as soon as the
darkness should cover them and the Trojans should cease from the
battle.
But Ulysses would have none of such counsel, saying: "Now surely, son
of Atreus, thou art not worthy to rule over us, who have been men of
war from our youth. Wilt thou leave this city, for the taking of
which we have suffered so much? That may not be; let not any one of
the Greeks hear thee say such words. And what is this, that thou
wouldst have us launch our ships now, whilst the hosts are fighting?
Surely, so doing, we should perish together, for the Greeks would not
fight any more, seeing that the ships were being launched, and the
men of Troy would slay us altogether."
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."
But Apollo said: "Be of good cheer, for Zeus hath sent me, who am
Apollo of the Golden Sword, to stand by thee and to succour thee.
Come now, and bid thy people advance toward the ships, and I will go
before thee, and make the way easy for thy horses."
So Hector rose up in his might, and entered into the battle. And as
men that chase a stag or a wild goat, and lo! a lion crosseth their
path, so were the Greeks afraid when they saw Hector, the son of
Priam. And one spake, saying:--
"Surely this is a great marvel that I see with mine eyes. For we
thought that Hector had been slain by the hand of Ajax, son of
Telamon, and now, behold! he is come back to the battle. Many Greeks
have fallen before him, and many, methinks, will fall, for of a truth
some god has raised him up and helps him. But come, let all the
bravest stand together. So, mighty though he be, he shall fear to
enter our array."
And all the bravest gathered together and stood in the front, but the
multitude made for the ships. But Hector came on, and Apollo before
him, and many of the Greeks fell slain before the sons of Troy. Thus
the battle turned again, and came near to the trench; and now Apollo
made it easy for the men of Troy to pass, so that they left not their
chariots, as before, upon the brink, but drave them across.
And still the men of Troy came on, and still the Greeks gave way. So
they came again, these pushing forward and these yielding ground, to
the ships. And Hector caught hold of one of them, and the battle
raged about it; for the men of Troy and the Greeks were gathered
round, and none fought with arrows or javelins from afar, but man to
man, with battle-axe and sword and great spears pointed at either
end. And many a fair weapon lay shattered on the ground, and the
earth flowed with blood as with a river. But still Hector held the
stem of the ship with his hand, and called to the men of Troy that
they should bring fire, for Zeus had given them the victory that day.
Then even Ajax himself gave way, so did the spears of the Trojans
press him; for now he stood no longer upon the stern deck, but on the
rowers' bench, thrusting thence with his spear at any one who sought
to set fire to the ship. And ever he cried to the Greeks with a
terrible voice:--
"O ye Greeks! now must ye bear yourselves like men. For have ye any
helpers behind? or have ye any walls to shelter you? We are here in
the plain of Troy, and the sea is close behind us, and we are far
from our country. Wherefore all our hope is in valour, and not in
shrinking back from the battle."
And still he thrust with his spear, if any of the men of Troy, at
Hector's bidding, sought to bring fire against the ships. Full
twelve he wounded where he stood.