THE BURNING OF PATROCLUS
While the Trojans mourned for Hector in the city, the Greeks went
back to the camp. All the others were scattered, each to his own
ship, but Achilles spake to the Myrmidons, saying, "Loose not your
horses from the yoke, but let us do honour to Patroclus, driving our
chariots round the dead, and making lamentation the while."
Then the Myrmidons did as he had bidden them; thrice round the dead
they drave their chariots, and made lamentation; and Achilles led the
mourning. Also he laid the body of Hector in the dust beside the
dead. After that he made a funeral feast for his people. He himself
was brought by the chiefs, much against his will, to King Agamemnon,
who had made a great feast for the leaders of the Greeks. But when
the heralds heated water in a caldron, and would have had him wash
off the blood, he refused, saying; "Nay; water shall not come nigh me
till I have laid Patroclus on the fire, and heaped a mound over him.
Now let us eat our meal, though it be in sorrow; to-morrow we will
pay due honour to the dead."
So they ate and drank; and when they had had enough, the others lay
down to sleep, each in his own tent, but Achilles lay groaning
heavily amidst the Myrmidons in an open place by the sea.
The next day they made a great pile of wood, and laid the dead man
thereon. Nine dogs had the Prince, and Achilles slew two of them on
the pile, and four horses he slew, and also the twelve youths of Troy
whom he had taken at the river. Then he set fire to the pile,
saying: "Hear, Patroclus; twelve of the sons of Troy doth the fire
devour with thee; but Hector will I give to the dogs."
And when the burning was well-nigh ended, Achilles spake, saying:
"Quench ye the fire that yet remains with wine, and gather the bones
of Patroclus together where they lie apart in the midst of the pile,
and put them in an urn of gold against the day of my death. And make
over them a tomb not over large; but when I am dead also, then shall
ye that are left make it higher, as is meet."
And when all these things were ended, Achilles, willing to do all
honour to the dead man, would have games, wherein the chiefs should
contend one with the other. So, having called the people together,
he brought forth out of his ships many things that should be for
prizes,--caldrons, kettles of bronze, and horses and mules, and fair
women-slaves, and iron.
First, he would have a contest of chariots and horses, for which he
set forth prizes: for the first, a woman-slave, skilled in all the
works of the loom, and with her a kettle of bronze; and for the
second, a mare of six years old; and for the third, a kettle of
bronze, fair and new; and for the fourth, two talents of gold; and
for the fifth, a double cup. Then he stood up in the midst, and
spake: "Ye men of Greece, behold these prizes, which I have set in
the midst for a race of chariots. Now know ye that if we were doing
honour to another than Patroclus, I myself should carry the first
prize to my tent, for there are not in the camp horses such as mine;
and, indeed, they are not of mortal breed, but Poseidon gave them to
Peleus, my father. But from this race I stand apart, and they also;
for he that drave them is dead, whom they loved; therefore they stand
grieving sore, and their manes droop to the ground." Then stood up
five chiefs; first of all, Eumelus, and next to him Diomed, having
horses of Troy, which he took from Æneas; and third, Menelaus,
driving his horse Whitefoot, and a mare, Flash-of-Fire. Fourth came
Antilochus, son of Nestor, and after him Meriones.
Eu-me'-lus.
After this they drew lots for their places. And the first lot fell
to Antilochus, and after him came Eumelus, and Menelaus, and
Meriones, and Diomed, in this order. Then Achilles marked the
course, making old Phœnix the judge. After this the race began,
and the men lifted their whips and smote their horses, and shouted
also. And the dust rose up beneath the horses' breasts, and their
manes were blown by the wind, and the chariots were seen now low upon
the earth and now high in the air. But when they were come near to
the end of the course at the turning-point, it might be seen which
steeds were the better. For the horses of Eumelus were foremost, and
next to these the horses of King Diomed, very close, so that they
seemed about to step upon the chariot that was before them, and the
back and broad shoulders of Eumelus were hot with their breath. And
Diomed would now have passed him, or been equal in the race, but
Apollo grudged him the victory,--for the god loved him not,--and
struck the whip out of his hand. Very wroth was Diomed, and his eyes
were filled with tears, that his horses should thus lack control.
But Athene saw the thing and had pity on him, and gave him back the
whip, and put strength into his horses. Also she went near to
Eumelus, and brake the yoke of his chariot, so that the pole smote
upon the ground, and the man himself was thrown down, having his
elbows and mouth and nostrils sorely bruised, and a wound on his
forehead over the eyebrows. Then did Diomed take the first place
with his chariot, and next to him came Menelaus. But Antilochus
cried to his horses, saying: "Now speed ye as best ye can. I bid you
not strive with the horses of King Diomed, for Athene giveth them
swiftness and strength; but the horses of Menelaus ye can overtake.
It were a shame to you that Flame-of-Fire, being a mare, should
surpass you."
And the horses feared the fury of the Prince, and leapt forward. Now
Antilochus had spied a narrow place in the way, where it had been
broken by the floods in the winter; and as Menelaus drove his chariot
thereby, Antilochus, turning a little out of the way, sought to pass
at the same time. Now there was not space sufficient for two
chariots, and Menelaus feared, and cried: "Why drivest thou so madly,
Antilochus? Stay awhile, and thou canst pass me if thou wilt, where
the way is broader; but now thou wilt hurt thy chariot and mine."
But Antilochus drave the more furiously, making as though he heard
not. And for the space of a quoit's throw the chariots were abreast,
but then Menelaus held back, fearing lest they should clash together.
But he cried to Antilochus: "Was there ever man so evil-minded as
thou? Yet shalt thou not win this prize unless thou shalt forswear
thyself that thou hast dealt fairly." And to his horses cried:
"Speed ye! Stand not still; ye shall overtake them, for they will
grow weary before you."
In the meantime the Greeks sat waiting till the chariots should come
back.
Then came in Diomed first of all, and leapt from the chariot; and
next to him Antilochus, having surpassed Menelaus by craft and not by
speed; nor, indeed, was Menelaus far behind, being as near to him as
a chariot is near to the horse which draweth it, so swift was the
mare Flame-of-Fire, for at the first he had been a whole quoit's
throw behind. But Meriones was vanquished by the flight of a spear,
for his horses were the slowest, and he himself less skilled to
drive. Last of all came Eumelus, drawing his chariot, and driving
his horses before him. And Achilles pitied him and said: "The most
skilful cometh last. Surely he shall have the second prize."
And the Greeks gave consent; but Antilochus cried aloud: "Wilt thou
take away this prize from me because his chariot was broken? Had he
prayed to the gods, this had not happened. But if thou pitiest him,
give him somewhat of thine own. As for this prize, no man taketh it
from me but by arms."
And Achilles laughed and said: "'Tis well said, Antilochus. I will
give him of mine own, even a breastplate which Asteropæus wore."
Then stood up Menelaus, in great wrath, and said: "What is this that
thou hast done, Antilochus? For thou hast shamed me and my horses,
putting thine own in front, which are, of a truth, much worse than
they. Judge, therefore, between us, ye chiefs of the Greeks. And
thou, Antilochus, stand before thy chariot and thy horses, as the
custom is, holding in one hand thy whip, and laying the other hand on
thine horses, and swear by Poseidon that thou didst not hinder my
chariot by fraud."
To him Antilochus made reply: "Bear with me, Menelaus, for I am
younger than thou, and thou knowest how young men go astray, for
their judgment is hasty and their wit small. And as for the mare, I
give it thee, and aught else that thou desirest, rather than that I
should be at strife with thee or sin against the gods."
And the soul of Menelaus was glad, as the corn is glad when the dew
falleth upon it; and he said: "This is well said, son of Nestor. And
now--for thy father and thy brother have borne much for my sake--I
give thee this mare."
And he himself took the kettle of bronze, and the fourth prize
Meriones had; but the double cup Achilles gave to old Nestor, saying:
"Take this to be a memorial of the burial of Patroclus, whom thou
wilt not see any more. For I know that old age hinders thee, that
thou canst not contend in wrestling or boxing with the rest."
After this Achilles set forth two prizes for boxers: for the
conqueror a mule, and for him that should be vanquished a cup with
two mouths. Then stood up Epeius and spake: "Who desireth to take
this cup? for the mule no man but I shall have. In battle I am
weak--for what man can do all things?--but whosoever shall stand
against me to-day, verily, I will tear his flesh and break his bones,
so that his friends had best be at hand to carry him away."
E-pei'-us.
Then there rose up against him Euryalus. King Diomed stood by him,
wishing much that he might prevail, and brought him his girdle that
he might gird himself, and gave him the great gloves of bull's hide.
Then the two stood together in the midst. Many blows did they deal
to each other, so that the noise was dreadful to hear, and the sweat
ran down from them. But after awhile Epeius sprang forward and smote
Euryalus on the jaw, even through his guard, and Euryalus could not
stand against him; but even as a fish is dashed by the north wind
against the shore, so was he dashed to the earth. But Epeius raised
him up, and his companions led him away, sorely wounded and amazed.
Eu-ry'-a-lus.
After this Achilles would have a match of wrestling, saying that the
conqueror should have a great kettle of bronze, of twelve oxen's
worth, and the vanquished a woman-slave, skilful at the loom, worth
four oxen. Then stood up Ajax the Greater and Ulysses, and took hold
of one another with their hands, and strove together for the mastery.
But after a while, when neither could prevail, and the people were
weary with looking, Ajax spake, saying: "Come, Ulysses; thou shalt
lift me from the ground if thou canst, and I thee. So shall we
finish this matter." Then Ajax laid hold of Ulysses to lift him; and
this he had done, but Ulysses used craft, as was his wont, and put
forth his leg and smote Ajax on the sinew behind the knee, so that he
fell, and Ulysses also above him. Then Ulysses would have lifted
Ajax from the ground; a little space he moved him, but lifted him
not, and his knee yielded beneath him, and they fell to the ground,
both of them. But when they would have striven the third time,
Achilles hindered them, saying: "Hold! it is enough. Ye are
conquerors both, and your prizes shall be equal."
Next to this was a trial of racers on foot, in which three contended,
Ajax the Less, and Ulysses, and Antilochus. In a short space Ajax
the Less was foremost, with Ulysses close upon him, close as is the
shuttle to the breast of a woman who stands at the loom and weaves.
Hard behind him he ran, treading in his steps before the dust could
rise from them. And when they were now drawing to the end of the
course Ulysses prayed to Athene that she should help him, and Athene
heard him, and made his knees and feet right nimble, and even at the
very end she caused that Ajax slipped in the filth where certain oxen
had been slain, so that his mouth and nostrils were filled with it.
So Ulysses gained the mixing-bowl; but Ajax stood and spat the filth
from his mouth, and laid his hand on the head of the ox, and cried,
"Surely the goddess caused my feet to slip, for she ever standeth by
Ulysses, and helpeth him as a mother helpeth a child."
So he spake, and all men laughed to hear him; and last of all came
Antilochus, taking the third prize. And he said: "Ye know well, my
friends, that the immortal gods ever help the aged. As for Ajax, he
is but a little older than I, but Ulysses is of another generation.
Yet is his verily a green old age; hardly may any of the Greeks
strive with him, but only Achilles himself."
So the Games of Patroclus were ended; and the people were scattered
to the ships, and sat down to eat and drink; and afterwards they
slept. But Achilles slept not, for he remembered his dear Patroclus,
and all that the two had done and endured together, journeying over
sea and land, and standing against the enemy in the day of battle.