“Through the long walls the stony showers were heard,
The blaze of flames, the flash of arms appeared.”—Pope.
But the Lapithæ began the battle and contest. Then the son of
Pirithous, brave Polypœtes, smote Damasus with his spear, through his
brazen-cheeked helmet; nor did the brazen casque withstand, but the
brazen blade burst quite through the bone, and all the brain within was
shattered. Thus he subdued him, rushing on, and afterwards he slew
Pylon and Ormenus. And Leonteus, a branch of Mars, wounded Hippomachus,
the son of Antimachus, with his spear, striking him at the belt. Next,
drawing his sharp sword from the sheath, he, rushing through the crowd,
smote Antiphates first, hand to hand, and he was dashed on his back to
the ground; then Menon and Iämenus, and Orestes, all one over another
he brought to the fertile earth.
Whilst they were stripping off their glittering armour, those youths,
meantime, who were most numerous and most brave, and who were most
eager to break down the wall, and burn the ships with fire, followed
Polydamas and Hector, and they anxiously deliberated, standing at the
trench. For an augury had appeared on the left to them while eager to
cross, a high-flying eagle dividing the people, 400 bearing in his
talons a monstrous blood-stained serpent, alive, still panting; nor was
it yet forgetful of fighting; for, while holding it, writhing
backwards, it wounded him upon the breast near the neck; but he let it
drop from him to the ground, afflicted with anguish, and threw it into
the midst of the crowd, and, flapping his wings, he fled away with the
breeze of the wind. And the Trojans shuddered as they beheld the
spotted serpent lying in the midst, a prodigy of ægis-bearing Jove.
Then Polydamas, standing near, addressed gallant Hector:
“Hector, somehow or other thou art ever chiding me in the assemblies,
although proposing good counsels; because it is by no means becoming
for a man, being a citizen, to harangue contrary to thee, either in
council or at any time in war; but ever to increase thy authority. Yet
will I again speak as appears to me to be best. Let us not go about to
fight with the Greeks for their ships; for thus do I think it will end,
as sure as this augury has come to the Trojans desiring to cross, the
high-flying eagle upon the left dividing the army, bearing in its
talons a huge blood-stained serpent, [still] living; but presently it
dropped it, before it reached its dear home, nor succeeded in carrying
it to give it to its young: so we, if even we shall with great force
break through the gates and wall of the Greeks, and the Greeks shall
give way,—not in order shall we return by the same way from the ships:
for we shall leave many Trojans, whom the Greeks, fighting for the
ships, will subdue with the brass. Thus indeed would the diviner, who
truly kens omens in his mind, interpret, and the people would obey
him.”
Footnote 400: (return) Either flying between the ranks of the Trojans,
or between the two opposing armies. Compare Cicero’s translation, de
Divin. i. 47, and Virg. Æn. xi. 751, sqq. (with Macrob. Sat. v. 13),
and xii. 247, sqq. The event of the Trojan war proved that Polydamas
was right in his interpretation.
But him sternly regarding, crest-tossing Hector thus addressed: “O
Polydamas, thou dost not say things agreeable to me: besides, thou
knowest how to devise other counsel better than this. If, however, thou
really speakest this with seriousness, then truly have the gods
destroyed thy judgment from thee, who advisest me to be forgetful of
the counsels of lofty-thundering Jove, which he hath himself undertaken
for me, and confirmed. And thou exhortest me to obey the wing-expanding
birds; which I very little regard, nor do I care for them, whether they
fly to the right towards the Morn and the Sun, or to the left towards
the darkening west; but let us obey the will of mighty Jove, who rules
over all mortals and immortals. There is one augury, the best, to fight
for our country. 401 Why dost thou dread the war and conflict? For
although all the rest of us should perish round the ships of the
Greeks, there is no fear that thou wilt perish, for thy heart is not
persevering in the fight, nor warlike. But if thou darest to abstain
from the combat, or dissuading, dost avert another from the battle,
immediately stricken by my spear, shalt thou lose thy life.”
Thus then having spoken, he led the way, but they followed him with an
immense clamour. Then thunder-delighting Jove raised a storm of wind
from the Idæan mountains, which bore the dust directly towards the
ships; moreover, he weakened the courage of the Greeks, but bestowed
glory upon the Trojans and Hector: so that, relying upon his prodigies,
and [their own] strength, they endeavoured to break through the mighty
wall of the Greeks. They tore down the niched battlements of the
towers, and demolished the breast-works, 402 and with levers they
upheaved the projecting buttresses, which the Greeks had planted first
in the earth, as supporters of the towers. These then they tore down,
and hoped to break through the wall of the Greeks.
Yet did not the Greeks retire as yet from the way; but fencing up the
embrazures with their ox-hide shields, they wounded from behind them
the enemy coming up under the wall. And both the Ajaces ranged in every
direction upon the towers, cheering on, rousing the valour of the
Greeks. One [they addressed] 403 with soothing, another they rebuked
with harsh expressions, whomsoever they beheld totally neglectful of
battle:
Footnote 401: (return) Cf. Aristot. Rhet. ii. 22; Cicero Ep. ad Attic,
ii. 3. See, also, Duport, Gnom. Horn. p. 73.
Footnote 402: (return) Observe the zeugma, and compare Il. Ω. 8, Γ.
327; Od. Ξ. 291; and the most elaborate and accurate note on this
construction of D’Orville on Charit. iv. 4, p. 440, sqq. ed. Lips.,
with Burm. and Schwabe on Phædr. iv. 17, 31; Duker on Flor. iii. 21,
26.
Footnote 403: (return) Id.
“O friends, whoever of the Greeks is excelling, or moderate, or
inferior (since all men are not alike in war), now is there work for
all; and ye yourselves, I ween, know this. Let not any one be turned
back towards the ships, hearing the threatener [Hector], but advance
onwards, and exhort each other, if perchance Olympic Jove, the darter
of lightning, may grant that, having repulsed the conflict, we may
pursue the enemy to the city.”
Thus they, shouting in front, cheered on the attack of the Greeks. But
of them—as when frequent flakes of snow fall upon a winter’s day, when
provident Jove has begun to snow, displaying his weapons in the sight
of men, and, having lulled the winds, pours it down incessantly, till
he covers the tops and highest peaks of the lofty mountains, and the
lotus plains and rich husbandry of men: and likewise it is poured out
upon the havens and shores of the hoary sea; but the approaching wave
restrains its progress, whilst all other things are covered beneath it,
when the shower of Jove comes down heavily; so flew the frequent stones
from those hurling on both sides, some indeed towards the Trojans, and
others from the Trojans towards the Greeks. And along the whole wall a
tumult arose.
Yet never would the Trojans and illustrious Hector have burst open the
gates of the wall, and the long bolt, had not provident Jove urged on
his son, Sarpedon, against the Greeks, like a lion against
crooked-horned oxen. But he immediately held before him his shield,
equal on all sides, beautiful, brazen, plated; which the brazier indeed
had plated over, and underneath had sewed together thick bulls’ hides,
with successive golden wires round its orb. He then, holding this
before him, advanced, brandishing two spears, like a lion reared in the
mountains, which hath been long in want of flesh, and whose valiant
mind impels him to go even to the well-fenced fold, about to make an
attempt upon the sheep. And although he there find the shepherds
keeping watch about their flocks with dogs and spears, still he cannot
bear to be driven away, without having made trial of the fold, but,
springing in, he either carries [one] off, or is himself wounded among
the first by a javelin from a quick hand. Thus then did his mind impel
godlike Sarpedon to attack the wall, and to burst through the barriers;
and instantly he addressed Glaucus, son of Hippolochus:
“Glaucus, 404 why are we especially honoured in Lycia, both with the
[first] seat in banquet, and with full goblets, and why do all look to
us as to gods? Why do we also possess a great and beautiful enclosure
of the vine-bearing and corn-bearing land on the banks of Xanthus? Now,
therefore, it behoves us, advancing among the foremost Lycians, to
stand firm, and to bear the brunt of the raging fight; so that some one
of the closely-armed Lycians may say, ‘By no means inglorious do our
kings govern Lycia, and eat the fat sheep, and [drink] 405 the choice
sweet wine; but their valour likewise is excelling, because they fight
among the foremost Lycians.’ O dear friend, if indeed, by escaping from
this war, we were destined to be ever free from old age, and immortal,
neither would I combat myself in the van, nor send thee into the
glorious battle. But now—for of a truth ten thousand Fates of death
press upon us, which it is not possible for a mortal to escape or
avoid—let us on: either we shall give glory to some one, or some one to
us.”
Thus he spake, nor did Glaucus turn aside or disobey, but both advanced
straight forward, leading a numerous band of Lycians. But Menestheus,
the son of Peteus, beholding them, shuddered, for they were advancing
towards his company, bearing destruction. He looked round along the
line of the Greeks, if he might see any of the leaders who could ward
off the fight from his companions, and perceived the two Ajaces,
insatiable of war, standing, and Teucer, lately come from his tent,
near at hand. Yet was it not possible for him to be heard when
shouting, so great was the din; and the crash of stricken shields, and
of horse-hair crested helmets, and of the gates, reached to heaven. For
they had assailed all, 406 and they, standing beside them, endeavoured
to enter, bursting them open by force. But immediately he despatched
the herald Thoötes to Ajax: