“Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
By angels many and strong, who interposed
Defence, while others bore him on their shields
Back to his chariot, where it stood retired
From off the files of war; there they him laid,
Gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame.”
But when now they came to the ford of the rapid-flowing current of
eddying Xanthus, whom immortal Jove begat, there they removed him from
his car to the ground, and poured water over him; but he breathed
again, and looked up with his eyes; and, sitting upon his knees,
disgorged black blood. Again he fell back upon the ground, and dark
night overshadowed his eyes; for the blow still subdued his spirits.
But when the Greeks saw Hector going apart, they pressed the more on
the Trojans, and were mindful of contest. Then swift Oïlean Ajax before
others, leaping forward with his fir-tree spear, wounded Satnius, son
of Enops, whom a Naiad, the fairest nymph, bore to Enops, when keeping
his flocks by the banks of Satnio. Him the spear-renowned son of
Oïleus, drawing near, wounded in the flank; but he fell supine, and
round him the Trojans and Greeks engaged in a valiant battle. But to
him spear-brandishing Polydamas, son of Panthous, came as an avenger,
and smote Prothoënor, son of Areïlochus, upon the right shoulder. The
tough spear passed on through his shoulder, but falling in the dust, he
grasped the earth with his hand. And Polydamas boasted mightily over
him, shouting aloud:
“I do not think, indeed, that the weapon hath fled vainly from the
sturdy hand of the magnanimous son of Panthous, but some one of the
Greeks has received it in his body; and I think that he, leaning upon
it, will descend to the mansion of Pluto.”
Thus he spoke, but grief arose among the Greeks at his boasting, and
particularly agitated the mind of warlike Ajax, the son of Telamon, for
he had fallen very near him; and he immediately hurled with his shining
spear at him departing. Polydamas himself indeed avoided black fate,
springing off obliquely; but Archilochus, son of Antenor, received [the
blow], for to him the gods had doomed destruction. Him then he struck
upon the last vertebra, in the joining of the head and neck, and he
disjoined both tendons; but the head, the mouth, and the nostrils of
him falling, met the ground much sooner than his legs and knees. Then
Ajax in turn cried out to blameless Polydamas:
“Reflect, O Polydamas, and tell me the truth; is not this man worthy to
be slain in exchange of Prothoënor? He appears not to me indeed a
coward, nor [sprung] from cowards, but [to be] the brother or the son
of horse-breaking Antenor, for he seems most like him as to his race.”
Thus he spoke, well knowing [him], but grief possessed the minds of the
Trojans. Then Acamas, stalking round his brother, wounded with his
spear Promachus, the Bœotian; whilst he was dragging him off by the
feet. But over him Acamas greatly boasted, calling out aloud:
“Ye Argive archers, 482 insatiable in threats, assuredly not to us
alone will toil and sorrow accrue, but thus thou also wilt at some time
be slain. Consider how your Promachus sleeps, subdued by my spear, that
a requital for my brother might not be long unpaid. Therefore should a
man wish a brother to be left in his family, as an avenger of his
death.”
Footnote 482: (return) See note on iv. 242.
Thus he spoke; but grief arose among the Greeks as he boasted, and he
particularly agitated the mind of warlike Peneleus. Accordingly he
rushed upon Acamas, who awaited not the charge of king Peneleus; but he
wounded Ilioneus, son of Phorbas, rich in flocks, whom Mercury loved
most of all the Trojans, and had presented with possessions; and to
whom his mother bore Ilioneus alone. Him then he wounded below the
brow, in the socket of the eye, and he forced out the pupil: but the
spear went forward through the eye, and through the back of the head;
and he sat down, stretching out both his hands. But Peneleus, drawing
his sharp sword, smote him upon the middle of the neck, and lopped off
his head with its helmet to the ground, and the strong spear still
remained in his eye. But he (Peneleus), holding it up like a poppy,
shouted to the Trojans, and boasting spoke thus:
“Tell for me, ye Trojans, the beloved father and mother of illustrious
Ilioneus, that they may lament him in their halls; for neither shall
the wife of Promachus, the son of Alegenor, present herself with joy to
her dear husband coming [back], when we, sons of the Greeks, return
from Troy with our ships.”
Thus he spoke; but pale fear seized upon them all, and each gazed
about, [seeking] where he might escape utter destruction.
Tell me now, ye muses, possessing Olympian dwellings, which of the
Greeks now first bore away gore-stained spoils of men, when the
illustrious Earth-shaker turned the [tide of] battle.
Telamonian Ajax then first wounded Hyrtius, son of Gyrtias, leader of
the undaunted Mysians; and Antilochus spoiled Phalces and Mermerus;
Meriones slew Morys and Hippotion; and Teucer slew Prothous and
Periphœtes. But the son of Atreus next wounded upon the flank
Hyperenor, the shepherd of the people, and the spear, cutting its way,
drank his entrails; and his soul, expelled, fled in haste through the
inflicted wound, and darkness veiled his eyes. But Ajax, the swift son
of Oïleus, slew the most; because there was not one equal to him on
foot, to follow the flying men, when Jove had excited flight amongst
them.