I
By high permission of all-ruling Jove the gods were now free to take
part in the war, and they all with one accord came down from Olympus to
mingle with the fray. Only Zeus remained behind, as supreme arbiter of
the final issue. All the rest took sides with the Greeks or Trojans,
and five rival pairs confronted each other in the field--Poseidon found
a match in Apollo, the great ally of the Trojans--Hera, who loved the
Greeks like a mother, was confronted by the archer-goddess
Artemis--against Athene stood Ares, whose fickle mind now inclined to
the Trojans--Hermes, who favoured the Greeks, was met on the other side
by Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo--and lastly Hephæstus and
Scamander, the opposing powers of fire and water, took the field, the
former for the Greeks, the latter for the Trojans.
All nature was in uproar as these tremendous allies entered the scene
of conflict. Earth shook, and the mountains reeled to their
foundations, and the towers of Troy and the Grecian ships reeled as in
an earthquake. Then trembling came upon Hades, the monarch of the
dead, and leaping from his throne he cried aloud in fear, lest the
earth, rent by Poseidon's trident, should disclose to mortal and
immortal eyes the dank and dreary mansions of the dead, which even the
gods abhor.
Far in front of the Grecian line was seen the glittering form of
Achilles, who scanned the Trojan ranks like a lion who seeks his prey,
having but one thought, but one aim--to meet Hector, and slay him. But
Hector's hour was not yet come, for Apollo stood near to shield him
from his great enemy, and delay the fatal stroke which sooner or later
must lay him low. And first the god put it into the heart of Æneas to
defy Achilles to battle, and gave him unwonted courage and strength,
that he might not flinch in that fearful encounter. Then Æneas heard a
voice which whispered within him, and seemed to say: "Art thou not the
son of Aphrodite, who is the daughter of supreme Jove? Why fearest
thou then this upstart child of Thetis, of far meaner lineage than
thine? Go face him, and let him learn that neither are the Trojans
forsaken of heaven."
So between the advancing lines they met, both sons of gods, but far
different in their fate. At first Achilles had not observed his
approach, but stalked, heedless of all lesser foes, before the
embattled host of Troy, like a lion bent on ravage, against whom a
whole township is gathered, with purpose to slay him and at first he
goes on his way, disdaining the menaces of that rabble rout--but then,
being pricked by the point of a random spear, he gathers himself,
foaming and gnashing his teeth, for the spring, and his mighty spirit
groans within him, and he lashes his flanks on both sides with his
tail, goading himself to battle--then glaring and roaring he launches
his vast weight at the foe, resolved to kill or be killed--so sprang
Achilles against Æneas, in wrath at his presumption.
"What wouldst thou of me, Æneas?" he cried, in disdainful mood. "Have
the Trojans promised thee a fair estate, if thou take my life? Or
hopest thou, perchance, to sit in the seat of Priam, if thou accomplish
this great deed? I thought thou hadst had enough of me and my spear.
Hast thou forgotten when I chased thee through the glades of Ida,
having caught thee alone among the grazing herds? Then didst thou
never turn thy head to look back, until thou hadst reached the shelter
of a fenced city. And I sacked the city, and led captive the women;
but thou didst escape me again, through the special mercy of Zeus. Go
back, vain man, and join the press of thy comrades or thou shalt not
escape me now.
"Who art thou?" answered Æneas, undaunted, "that thinkest to affright
me with boastful words, as if I were a witless boy? Know, proud man,
that I am of higher descent than thine, for in my veins flows the royal
blood of Dardanus, mingled with the blood of gods. Go to, let us
wrangle no more like women in the market-place, but decide the quarrel
with our spears."
As he spoke, he cast his spear, which struck with strong impact against
the shield of Achilles; and he, when he felt the shock, held the shield
away from his body, fearing that the point would pass through and reach
his flesh. But immortal armour is not easy to be pierced by mortal
weapons, and the spear dropped harmless to the earth. Then Achilles
flung in his turn, and the spear tore its way through the upper rim of
Æneas' shield: and he, stooping low, heard the rush of the mighty
lance, as it flew over his head, and buried itself in the ground behind
him. Having thus both missed their cast, they prepared to renew the
struggle hand to hand. Achilles drew his sword, and rushed to the
encounter with a fierce cry: while Æneas lifted a heavy stone, and
stood ready to hurl it as his antagonist drew near.
But that combat, which must have ended fatally for the Trojan, was not
destined to be fought out to its end. "Behold," said Poseidon, who was
watching the unequal duel, to Hera, who sat near him, "my spirit is
troubled because of Æneas, whom his own rashness, and the evil counsels
of Apollo, are leading to his doom. But this must not be: he is
reserved for a better fate, which shall be accomplished after the
towers of Troy have been levelled with the dust. In him shall the line
of Dardanus be preserved, and from him shall be born a mighty race, to
found a new empire on the ruins of the old."[1]
[1] These lines contain the germ of the _Æneid_.
"Do as thou wilt," answered Hera. "As for me, I have sworn a great
oath that I will never save a Trojan from perishing, no, not in the
last fatal hour when Troy shall be consumed with fire."
When Poseidon heard that, he went and stood between the fighting
champions; and on the eyes of Achilles he shed a thick darkness, that
he might not see what was done. Then he drew the spear from the shield
of Æneas, and threw it at Achilles' feet; and catching up the Trojan
prince in his hand he bore him aloft over the heads of the Greeks and
Trojans, until he reached the utmost verge of the battlefield. There
he set him down, and, becoming visible in all his divine majesty,
addressed him in these solemn words of warning: "Æneas, what put this
mad thought into thy heart, to fight against Achilles, who is both
stronger than thou and dearer to the gods? Tempt not thy fate again,
but when thou meetest him avoid his spear; and after he is slain, then
mayest thou boldly encounter the bravest of the Greeks, for no other
hath power to do thee hurt."