to him is Idomeneus. Often has Menelaus had him as his guest in the old
days, when he came from Crete. As for the other chiefs, I see and could
name them all. But I miss my own dear brothers, Castor, tamer of horses,
and Pollux, the mighty boxer. Either they came not from Sparta, or having
come, shun the meeting of men for shame of me” (she knew not that they
were sleeping their last sleep far away in their dear fatherland).
And when they had ended talking, the heralds came and told King Priam
that the armies called for him. So he went, and Antenor with him. And he
on the one side, for the Trojans, and King Agamemnon for the Greeks, made
a covenant with sacrifice that Paris and Menelaus should fight together,
and that the fair Helen, with all her treasures, should go with him who
should win. Hector and Ulysses marked out a space for the fight, and
Hector shook two pebbles in a helmet, looking away as he shook them, that
he whose pebble leapt forth the first should be the first to throw his
spear. And it so befell that the lot of Paris leapt forth first. The
two warriors armed themselves and came forth into the space, and stood
over against each other, brandishing their spears, with hate in their
eyes. Then Paris threw his spear. It struck the shield of Menelaus, but
pierced it not, for the spear point was bent back. Then Menelaus prayed
to Jupiter, “Grant, Father Jupiter, that I may avenge myself on Paris,
who has done me this wrong; so shall men in after time fear to do wrong
to their host.” So speaking, he cast his long-shafted spear. It struck
the shield of Paris and pierced it through, and passed through the
corslet, and through the tunic close to the loin; but Paris shrank aside
and the spear wounded him not. Then Menelaus drew his silver-studded
sword and struck a mighty blow on the top of the helmet of Paris, but the
sword broke in four pieces in his hand. Then he cried in his wrath, “O
Jupiter, most mischief-loving of the gods, my spear I cast in vain, and
now my sword is broken.” Then he rushed forward and seized Paris by the
helmet, and dragged him towards the host of the Greeks. And truly he had
taken him, but Venus loosed the strap that was beneath his chin, and the
helmet came off in his hand. And Menelaus whirled it among the Greeks and
charged with another spear in his hand. But Venus snatched Paris away,
covering him with a mist, and put him down in his chamber in Troy. Then
Menelaus looked for him everywhere, but no one could tell him where he
might be. No son of Troy would have hidden him out of kindness, for all
hated him as death.
Then King Agamemnon said, “Now, ye sons of Troy, it is for you to give
back the fair Helen and her wealth, and to pay me besides so much as may
be fitting for all my cost and trouble.”
But it was not the will of the gods that the sons of Troy should do
this thing. So Minerva took upon herself the shape of Laodocus, son of
Antenor, and went to Pandarus, son of Lycaon, where he stood among his
men. Then the false Laodocus said, “Pandarus, darest thou aim an arrow at
Menelaus? Truly the Trojans would love thee well, and Paris best of all,
if they could see Menelaus slain by an arrow from thy bow. Aim then, but
first pray to Apollo, and vow that thou wilt offer a hundred beasts when
thou returnest to thy city, Zeleia.” Now Pandarus had a bow made of the
horns of a wild goat which he had slain; sixteen palms long they were,
and a cunning workman had made them smooth, and put a tip of gold whereon
to fasten the bow-string. And Pandarus strung his bow, his comrades
hiding him with their shields. Then he took an arrow from his quiver, and
laid it on the bow-string, and drew the string to his breast, till the
arrow-head touched the bow, and let fly. Right well aimed was the dart,
but it was not the will of heaven that it should slay Menelaus. It struck
him, indeed, and passed through the belt and through the corslet and
through the girdle, and pierced the skin.
Sore dismayed was King Agamemnon to see the blood; sore dismayed also was
the brave Menelaus, till he spied the barb of the arrow, and knew that
the wound was not deep. But Agamemnon cried—
“It was in an evil hour for thee, my brother, that I made a covenant
with these false sons of Troy. Right well, indeed, I know that oath and
sacrifice are not in vain, but will have vengeance at the last. Troy
shall fall; but woe is me if thou shouldst die, Menelaus. For the Greeks
will straight go back to their fatherland, and the fair Helen will be
left a boast to the sons of Troy, and I shall have great shame when one
of them shall say, as he leaps on the tomb of the brave Menelaus, ‘Surely
the great Agamemnon has avenged himself well; for he brought an army
hither, but now is gone back to his home, but left Menelaus here.’ May
the earth swallow me up before that day!”
“Nay,” said Menelaus, “fear not, for the arrow has but grazed the skin.”
Then King Agamemnon bade fetch the physician. So the herald fetched
Machaon, the physician. And Machaon came, and drew forth the arrow, and
when he had wiped away the blood he put healing drugs upon the wound,
which Chiron, the wise healer, had given to his father.
THE DUEL BETWEEN HECTOR AND AJAX
By Alfred J. Church
The Greeks went forward to the battle, as the waves that curl themselves
and then dash upon the shore, throwing high the foam. In order they went
after their chiefs; you had thought them dumb, so silent were they. But
the Trojans were like a flock of ewes which wait to be milked, and bleat
hearing the voice of their lambs, so confused a cry went out from their
army, for there were men of many tongues gathered together. And on either
side the gods urged them on, but chiefly Minerva the Greeks and Mars the
sons of Troy. Then, as two streams in flood meet in some chasm, so the
armies dashed together, shield on shield and spear on spear.
Now when Minerva saw that the Greeks were perishing by the hand of Hector
and his companions, it grieved her sore. So she came down from the
heights of Olympus, if happily she might help them. And Apollo met her
and said, “Art thou come, Minerva, to help the Greeks whom thou lovest?
Well, let us stay the battle for this day; hereafter they shall fight
till the doom of Troy be accomplished.”
But Minerva answered, “How shall we stay it?”
And Apollo said, “We will set on Hector to challenge the bravest of the
Greeks to fight with him, man to man.”
So they two put the matter into the mind of Helenus the seer. Then
Helenus went near to Hector, “Listen to me, for I am thy brother. Cause
the rest of the sons of Troy and of the Greeks to sit down, and do thou
challenge the bravest of the Greeks to fight with thee, man to man. And
be sure thou shalt not fall in the battle, for the will of the immortal
gods is so.”
[Illustration: _Copyright, 1907 by Braun, Clement & Co._
THEN AUTOMEDON YOKED THE HORSES TO THE CHARIOT—page 267
_From the painting by H. Regnault_]
Then Hector greatly rejoiced, and passed to the front of the army,
holding his spear by the middle, and kept back the sons of Troy; and
King Agamemnon did likewise with his own people. Then Hector spake—
“Hear me, sons of Troy, and ye men of Greece. The covenant that we
made one with another hath been broken, for Jupiter would have it so,
purposing evil to both, till either you shall take our high-walled city
or we shall conquer you by your ships. But let one of you who call
yourselves champions of the Greeks come forth and fight with me, man to
man. And let it be so that if he vanquish me he shall spoil me of my arms
but give my body to my people, that they may burn it with fire; and if
I vanquish him, I will spoil him of his arms but give his body to the
Greeks, that they may bury him and raise a great mound above him by the
broad salt river of Hellespont. And so men of after days shall see it,
sailing by, and say, ‘This is the tomb of the bravest of the Greeks, whom
Hector slew.’ So shall my name live forever.”
But all the Greeks kept silence, fearing to meet him in battle, but
shamed to hold back. Then at last Menelaus leapt forward and spake,
“Surely now ye are women and not men. Foul shame it were should there be
no man to stand up against this Hector. Lo! I will fight with him my own
self, for the issues of battle are with the immortal gods.”
So he spake in his rage rashly, courting death, for Hector was much
stronger than he. Then King Agamemnon answered, “Nay, but this is folly,
my brother. Seek not in thy anger to fight with one that is stronger than
thou; for as for this Hector, even Achilles was loth to meet him. Sit
thou down among thy comrades, and the Greeks will find some champion who
shall fight with him.”
And Menelaus hearkened to his brother’s words, and sat down. Then Nestor
rose in the midst and spake—
“Woe is me to-day for Greece! How would the old Peleus grieve to hear
such a tale! Well I remember how he rejoiced when I told him of the house
and lineage of all chieftains of the Greeks, and now he would hear that
they cower before Hector, and are sore afraid when he calls them to the
battle. Surely he would pray this day that he might die! O that I were
such as I was in the old days, when the men of Pylos fought with the
Arcadians! I, who was the youngest of all, stood forth, and Minerva gave
me glory that day, for I slew their leader, though he was the strongest
and tallest among the sons of men. Would that I were such to-day! Right
soon would I meet this mighty Hector.”
Then rose up nine chiefs of fame. First of all, King Agamemnon, lord of
many nations, and next to him Diomed, and Ajax the Greater and Ajax the
Less, and then Idomeneus and Meriones, and Eurypylus, and Thoas, son of
Andræmon, and the wise Ulysses.
Then Nestor said, “Let us cast lots who shall do battle with the mighty
Hector.”
So they threw the lots into the helmet of King Agamemnon, a lot for each.
And the people prayed, “Grant, ye gods, that the lot of Ajax the Greater
may leap forth, or the lot of Diomed, or the lot of King Agamemnon.” Then
Nestor shook the lots in the helmet, and the one which they most wished
leapt forth. For the herald took it through the ranks and showed it to
the chiefs, but none knew it for his own till he came to where Ajax the
Greater stood among his comrades. But Ajax had marked it with his mark,
and put forth his hand for it, and claimed it, right glad at heart. On
the ground by his feet he threw it, and said—
“Mine is the lot, my friends, and right glad I am, for I think that I
shall prevail over the mighty Hector, but come, let me don my arms; and
pray ye to Jupiter, but silently, lest the Trojans hear, or aloud, if ye
will, for no fear have we. Not by force or craft shall any one vanquish
me, for not such are the men whom Salamis breeds.”
So he armed himself and moved forwards, smiling with grim face. With
mighty strides he came, brandishing his long-shafted spear. The Greeks
were glad to behold him, but the knees of the Trojans were loosened with
fear and great Hector’s heart beat fast; but he trembled not, nor gave
place, seeing that he had himself called him to battle. So Ajax came
near, holding before the great shield, like a wall, which Tychius, best
of craftsmen, had made for him. Seven folds of bull’s hide it had, and an
eighth of bronze. Threateningly he spake—
“Now shalt thou know, Hector, what manner of men there are yet among our
chiefs, though Achilles the lion-hearted is far away, sitting idly in
his tent, in great wrath with King Agamemnon. Do thou, then, begin the
battle.”
“Speak not to me, Jupiter-descended Ajax,” said Hector, “as though I
were a woman or a child knowing nothing of war. Well I know all the arts
of battle, to ply my shield this way and that, to guide my car through
the tumult of steeds, and to stand fighting hand to hand. But I would not
smite so stout a foe by stealth, but openly.”
As he spake he hurled his long-shafted spear, and smote the great shield
on the rim of the eighth fold, that was of bronze. Through six folds it
passed, but in the seventh it was stayed. Then Ajax hurled his spear,
striking Hector’s shield. Through shield it passed and corslet, and cut
the tunic close against the loin; but Hector shrank away and escaped the
doom of death. Then, each with a fresh spear, they rushed together like
lions or wild boars of the wood. First Hector smote the middle of the
shield of Ajax, but pierced it not, for the spear-point was bent back;
then Ajax, with a great bound, drove his spear at Hector’s shield and
pierced it, forcing him back, and grazing his neck so that the blood
welled out. Yet did not Hector cease from the combat. He caught up a
great stone from the ground, and hurled it at the boss of the sevenfold
shield. Loud rang the bronze, but the shield broke not. Then Ajax took
a stone heavier by far, and threw it with all his might. It broke the
shield of Hector, and bore him backwards, so that he fell at length with
his shield above him. But Apollo raised him up. Then did both draw their
swords; but ere they could join in close battle the heralds came and held
their scepters between them, and Idæus, the herald of Troy, spake—
“Fight no more, my sons; Jupiter loves you both; and ye are both mighty
warriors. That we all know right well. But now the night bids you cease,
and it is well to heed its bidding.”
Then said Ajax, “Nay, Idæus, but it is for Hector to speak, for he called
the bravest of the Greeks to battle. And as he wills it, so will I.”
And Hector said, “O Ajax, the gods have given thee stature and strength
and skill, nor is there any better warrior among the Greeks. Let us cease
then from the battle; we may yet meet again, till the gods give the
victory to me or thee. And now let us give gifts the one to the other, so
that Trojans and Greeks may say—Hector and Ajax met in fierce fight and
parted in friendship.”
So Hector gave to Ajax a silver-studded sword with the scabbard and the
sword-belt, and Ajax gave to Hector a buckler splendid with purple.
So they parted. Right glad were the sons of Troy when they saw Hector
returning safe. Glad also were the Greeks, as they led Ajax rejoicing
in his victory to King Agamemnon. Whereupon the king called the chiefs
to banquet together, and bade slay an ox of five years old, and Ajax he
honored most of all. When the feast was ended Nestor said—
“It were well that we should cease awhile from war and burn the dead,
for many, in truth, are fallen. And we will build a great wall and dig
a trench about it, and we will make wide gates that a chariot may pass
through, so that our ships may be safe, if the sons of Troy should press
us hard.”
But the next morning came a herald from Troy to the chiefs as they sat
in council by the ship of King Agamemnon, and said—
“This is the word of Priam and the men of Troy; Paris will give back all
the treasures of the fair Helen, and many more besides; but the fair
Helen herself he will not give. But if this please you not, grant us a
truce, that we may bury our dead.”
Then Diomed spake, “Nay, we will not take the fair Helen’s self, for a
man may know even though he be a fool, that the doom of Troy is come.”
And King Agamemnon said, “Herald, thou hast heard the word of the Greeks,
but as for the truce, be it as you will.”
So the next day they burnt their dead, and the Greeks made a wall with
gates and dug a trench about it. And when it was finished, even at
sunset, they made ready a meal, and lo! there came ships from Lemnos
bringing wine, and Greeks bought thereof, some with bronze, and some with
iron, and some with shields of ox hide. All night they feasted right
joyously. The sons of Troy also feasted in their city. But the dreadful
thunder rolled through the night, for Jupiter was counselling evil
against them.
THE DEEDS AND DEATH OF PATROCLUS
By Alfred J. Church
Patroclus stood by Achilles, weeping bitterly. Then said Achilles, “What
ails thee, Patroclus, that thou weepest like a girl-child that runs along
by her mother’s side and would be taken up, holding her gown, and looking
at her with tearful eyes till she lift her in her arms? Hast thou heard
evil news from Phthia? Menœtius yet lives, they say, and Peleus. Or art
thou weeping for the Greeks, because they perish for their folly?”
Then said Patroclus, “Be not wroth with me, great Achilles, for indeed
the Greeks are in grievous straits, and all their bravest are wounded,
and still thou cherishest thy wrath. If thou goest not to the battle,
fearing some warning from the gods, let me go, and thy Myrmidons with me.
And let me put thy armor on me; so shall the Greeks have breathing space
from the war.”
So he spake, entreating, nor knew that for his own doom he entreated. And
Achilles made reply—
“It is no warning that I heed, that I keep back from the war. But these
men took from me my prize, which I won with my own hands. But let the
past be past. I said that I would not rise up till the battle should come
nigh to my own ships. But thou mayest put my armor upon thee, and lead my
Myrmidons to the fight. For in truth the men of Troy are gathered as a
dark cloud about the ships, and the Greeks have scarce standing-ground
between them and the sea. For they see not the gleam of my helmet. And
Diomed is not there with his spear; nor do I hear the voice of Agamemnon,
but only the voice of Hector, as he calls the men of Troy to the battle.
Go, therefore, Patroclus, and drive the fire from the ships. And then
come thou back, nor fight any more with the Trojans, lest thou take my
glory from me. And go not near, in the delight of battle, to the walls of
Troy, lest one of the gods meet thee to thy hurt; and, of a truth, the
keen archer Apollo loves them well.”
But as they talked the one to the other, Ajax could hold out no longer.
For swords and javelins came thick upon him, and clattered on his helmet,
and his shoulder was weary with the great shield which he held; and he
breathed heavily and hard, and the great drops of sweat fell upon the
ground. Then at the last Hector came near and smote his spear with a
great sword, so that the head fell off. Then was Ajax sore afraid, and
gave way, and the men of Troy set torches to the ship’s stem, and a great
flame shot up to the sky. And Achilles saw it, and smote his thigh and
spake—
“Haste thee, Patroclus, for I see the fire rising up from the ships. Put
thou on the armor, and I will call my people to the war.”
So Patroclus put on the armor—corslet and shield and helmet—and bound
upon his shoulder the silver-studded sword, and took a mighty spear in
his hand. But the great Pelian spear he took not, for that no man but
Achilles might wield. Then Automedon yoked the horses to the chariot,
Bayard and Piebald, and with them in the side harness, Pedasus; and they
two were deathless steeds, but he was mortal.
Meanwhile Achilles had called the Myrmidons to battle. Fifty ships had he
brought to Troy, and in each there were fifty men.
Five leaders they had, and the bravest of the five was Pisander.
Then Achilles said, “Forget not, ye Myrmidons, the bold words that
ye spake against the men of Troy during the days of my wrath, making
complaint that I kept you from the battle against your will. Now,
therefore, ye have that which you desired.”
So the Myrmidons went to the battle in close array, helmet to helmet
and shield to shield, close as the stones with which a builder builds a
wall. And in front went Patroclus, and Automedon in the chariot beside
him. Then Achilles went to his tent and took a great cup from the chest
which Thetis his mother had given him. Now no man drank of that cup but
he only, nor did he pour out of it libations to any of the gods but only
to Jupiter. This first he cleansed with sulphur, and then with water from
the spring. And after this he washed his hands, and stood in the midst of
the space before his tent, and poured out of it to Jupiter, saying—
“O Jupiter, I send my comrade to this battle; make him strong and bold,
and give him glory, and bring him home safe to the ships and my people
with him.”
So he prayed, and Father Jupiter heard him, and part he granted and part
denied.
But now Patroclus with the Myrmidons had come to where the battle was
raging about the ship of Protesilaus, and when the men of Troy beheld
him, they thought that Achilles had forgotten his wrath, and was come
forth to the war. And first Patroclus slew Pyræchmes, who was the chief
of the Pæonians who live on the banks of the broad Axius. Then the men
of Troy turned to flee, and many chiefs of fame fell by the spears of
the Greeks. So the battle rolled back to the trench, and in the trench
many chariots of the Trojans were broken, but the horses of Achilles went
across it at a stride, so nimble were they and strong. And the heart of
Patroclus was set to slay Hector; but he could not overtake him, so swift
were his horses. Then did Patroclus turn his chariot and keep back those
that fled, that they should not go to the city, and rushed hither and
thither, still slaying as he went.
Then did Patroclus forget the word which Achilles had spoken to him, that
he should not go near to Troy, for he pursued the men of the city even to
the wall. Thrice he mounted on the angle of the wall, and thrice Apollo
himself drove him back, pushing his shining shield. But the fourth time
the god said, “Go thou back, Patroclus. It is not for thee to take the
city of Troy; no, nor for Achilles, who is far better than thou art.”
So Patroclus went back, fearing the wrath of the archer-god. Then Apollo
stirred up the spirit of Hector, that he should go against Patroclus.
Therefore he went, with his brother Cebriones for driver of his chariot.
But when they came near, Patroclus cast a great stone which he had in his
hand, and smote Cebriones on the forehead, crushing it in, so that he
fell headlong from the chariot. And Patroclus mocked him, saying—
“How nimble is this man! how lightly he dives! What spoil he would take
of oysters, diving from a ship, even in a stormy sea! Who would have
thought that there were such skilful divers in Troy!”
Then again the battle waxed hot about the body of Cebriones, and this
too, at the last, the Greeks drew unto themselves, and spoiled it of
the arms. And this being accomplished, Patroclus rushed against the men
of Troy. Thrice he rushed, and each time he slew nine chiefs of fame.
But the fourth time Apollo stood behind him and struck him on the head
and shoulders, so that his eyes were darkened. And the helmet fell from
off his head, so that the horsehair plumes were soiled with dust. Never
before had it touched the ground, for it was the helmet of Achilles. And
also the god brake the spear in his hand, and struck the shield from his
arms, and loosed his corslet. All amazed he stood, and then Euphorbus,
son of Panthoüs, smote him on the back with his spear, but slew him not.
Then Patroclus sought to flee to the ranks of his comrades. But Hector
saw him, and thrust at him with his spear, smiting him in the groin, so
that he fell. And when the Greeks saw him fall, they sent up a terrible
cry. Then Hector stood over him and cried—
“Didst thou think to spoil our city, Patroclus, and to carry away our
wives and daughters in the ships? But lo! I have slain thee, and the
fowls of the air shall eat thy flesh; nor shall the great Achilles help
thee at all—Achilles, who bade thee, I trow, strip the tunic from my
breast, and thou thoughtest in thy folly to do it.”
But Patroclus answered, “Thou boasteth much, Hector. Yet _thou_ didst not
slay me, but Apollo, who took from me my arms, for had twenty such as
thou met me, I had slain them all. And mark thou this: death and fate are
close to thee by the hand of the great Achilles.”
And Hector answered (but Patroclus was dead already), “Why dost thou
prophesy death to me? May be the great Achilles himself shall fall by my
hand.” Then he drew his spear from the wound, and went after Automedon,
to slay him, but the swift horses of Achilles carried him away.
Fierce was the fight about the body of Patroclus, and many heroes fell,
both on this side and on that, and first of them all Euphorbus, who,
indeed, had wounded him. For as he came near to strip the dead man of his
arms, Menelaus slew him with his spear. He slew him, but took not his
arms, for Hector came through the battle; nor did Menelaus dare to abide
his coming, but went back into the ranks of his own people. Then did
Hector strip off the arms of Patroclus, the arms which the great Achilles
had given him to wear. He laid hold of the body, and would have dragged
it into the host of the Trojans, but Ajax Telamon came forth, and put
his broad shield before it, as a lion stands before its cubs when the
hunters meet it in the woods, drawing down over its eyes its shaggy brows.
And all the while the battle raged about the dead Patroclus. At last Ajax
said to Menelaus (now these two had borne themselves more bravely in the
fight than all others), “See if thou canst find Antilochus, Nestor’s son,
that he may carry the tidings to Achilles, how that Patroclus is dead.”