“Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.”
Footnote 702: (return) Cf. Aristot. Eth. iii. 8, and Casaub. on Pers.
Sat. i. 4. “Ne mihi Polydamas, et Troiades Labeonem Prætulerint.”
Footnote 703: (return) Αντην.
Footnote 704: (return) This is perhaps the easiest way of expressing
γερούσιον öορκον. It means an oath to be solemnly kept, an oath to
which the elders might with propriety pledge themselves.
Thus he pondered, remaining; but near him came Achilles, like unto the
helmet-shaking warrior, Mars, brandishing upon his right shoulder the
dreadful Pelian ash; but the brass shone around, like unto the
splendour either of a blazing fire, or of the rising sun. Then, as
tremor seized Hector, he perceived him, nor could he remain there any
longer, but he left the gates behind him, and fled affrighted; but the
son of Peleus rushed on, trusting to his swift feet. As a falcon in the
mountains, the swiftest of birds, easily dashes after a timid pigeon;
she, indeed, flies away obliquely; but he, close at hand, shrilly
screaming, frequently assails, and his spirit orders him to seize her:
thus, eager, he flew right on; but Hector fled in terror under the wall
of the Trojans, and moved his fleet limbs. Then they rushed by the
prospect-ground and the wind-waving fig-tree, always under the wall
along the public way, and reached the two fair-flowing springs, where
the two springs of the eddying Scamander rise. The one, indeed, flows
with tepid water, and a steam arises from it around, as of burning
fire; whilst the other flows forth in the summer time, like unto hail,
or cold snow, or ice from water. There, at them, are the wide, handsome
stone basins, where the wives and fair daughters of the Trojans used to
wash their splendid garments formerly in time of peace, before the sons
of the Greeks arrived. In this direction they ran past [the one]
flying, but the other pursuing from behind. A brave man, indeed, fled
before, but a much braver swiftly pursued him; since they did not seek
to obtain a victim or a bull’s hide, such as are the rewards of men for
speed, but they ran for the life of horse-breaking Hector. And as when
prize-winning 705 solid-hoofed steeds ran very swiftly round the
course, and a great reward is proposed, either a tripod, or a woman [in
honour] of a deceased hero; so they thrice made the circuit of the city
of Priam with their swift feet: and all the gods beheld. Then to them
the father of men and gods commenced an address:
Footnote 705: (return) _I.e._ race horses.
“Alas! certainly I behold with mine eyes a beloved hero pursued round
the wall; and my heart is grieved on account of Hector, who has
sacrificed many thighs of oxen to me, upon the tops of many-valed Ida,
and at other times again in the highest [places of] the city; but now,
indeed, noble Achilles pursues him, on swift feet, around the city of
Priam. But come, deliberate, O ye gods, and consider, whether we shall
preserve him from death, or shall subdue him now, being brave [at the
hands of] Achilles, the son of Peleus.”
But him the blue-eyed goddess Minerva then addressed:
“O father, hurler of the white thunder, [collector] of dark clouds,
what a word hast thou spoken! Dost thou wish to liberate from sad death
a man, being mortal, long ago destined to fate? Do it: but all we, the
other gods, will not assent to thee.”
Her, then, the cloud-compelling Jupiter, answering, addressed: “Take
courage, Tritonia, beloved child: I by no means speak with serious
mind, but I wish to be mild to thee. Do as is the inclination, nor
delay at all.”
Thus speaking, he incited Minerva, already prepared; and, springing
forth, she descended down from the heights of Olympus.
But swift Achilles pursued Hector, incessantly pressing upon him. And
as when a dog pursues the fawn of a deer in the mountains, having
roused it from its lair, through both glens and thickets; and, although
panic-stricken, it crouches down beneath a brake; yet tracking it, he
runs continually on until he finds it; so Hector eluded not the
swift-footed son of Peleus. As often as he would rush against the
Dardanian gates, towards under the well-built towers, if perchance they
might aid him with missile weapons from above, so often, previously
anticipating him, he turned him away towards the plain; whilst he
himself always flew on the side of the city. And as in a dream one
cannot pursue a fugitive; neither can the one escape the other, nor the
other pursue: so the one could not overtake the other in his speed, nor
the other escape him. But how, then, could Hector have escaped the
fates of death, if Apollo had not, for the very last time, met him, who
aroused for him his courage and swift knees? But noble Achilles nodded
to the people with his head, nor permitted them to cast their bitter
weapons at Hector, lest some one, wounding him, should obtain the
glory, and he himself come second. But when for the fourth time they
arrived at the fountains, then, indeed, the Sire raised aloft his
golden scales, and placed in them the two fates of death, bearing long
sleep, this of Achilles, but that of horse-breaking Hector. Holding
them by the middle, he poised them, and the fatal day of Hector
inclined and sunk to Hades; but Phœbus Apollo left him.
Then the blue-eyed goddess Minerva approached the son of Peleus, and,
standing near, addressed to him winged words:
“Now, O illustrious Achilles, dear to Jove, I hope that we two shall
bear back great glory to the Greeks at the ships, having slain Hector,
although being insatiate of war. Now, certainly, it is no longer
possible for him to escape us, not even if far-darting Apollo should
toil much, throwing himself at the feet of the ægis-bearing father
Jove. But do thou now stand and revive; but I, approaching with thee,
will persuade him to engage thee face to face.”
Thus spoke Minerva; but he obeyed, and rejoiced in his mind; and stood,
leaning upon his ashen, brass-pointed spear. But she then left him, and
overtook noble Hector, likening herself to Deïphobus, unwearied in her
body and voice; and, standing near, she addressed to him winged words:
“O brother dear, certainly swift Achilles now greatly presses on thee,
pursuing thee with rapid feet round the city of Priam. But come now,
let us stand, and, awaiting, repulse him.”
But her mighty crest-tossing Hector in turn addressed:
“Deïphobus, surely thou wert ever before by far the dearest to me of my
brothers, the sons whom Hecuba and Priam produced. But now I think in
my mind that I honour thee still more, since thou hast dared for my
sake, when thou dost behold [me] with thine eyes, to come out of the
city; while others remain within.”
But him the azure-eyed goddess Minerva in turn addressed:
“My brother dear, my father and venerable mother indeed greatly
supplicated me, by turn embracing my knees and my companions around, to
remain there (so much do all tremble with fear); but my mind within was
harassed with sad grief. But now let us forthwith eagerly engage, nor
let there any longer be a sparing of our spears, that we may know
whether Achilles, having slain us both, shall bear our bloody spoils to
the hollow barks, or be subdued by thy spear.”
Thus having spoken, Minerva also with deception led on. But when they
were near advancing towards each other, him mighty crest-tossing Hector
first addressed:
“No longer, O son of Peleus, will I fly thee as before. Thrice have I
fled round the great city of Priam, nor ever dared to await thee coming
on; but now my mind urges me to stand against thee: certainly I shall
slay, or be slain. But come, let us attest the gods; for they will be
the best witnesses and observers of agreements. For neither will I
cruelly insult thee, if indeed Jove shall give me the victory, and I
take away thy life; but after I shall despoil thy beautiful armour, O
Achilles, I will give back thy body to the Greeks; and so also do
thou.”
But him swift-footed Achilles sternly regarding, addressed:
“Talk not to me of covenants, O most cursed Hector. As there are not
faithful leagues between lions and men, nor yet have wolves and lambs
an according mind, 706 but ever meditate evils against each other; so
it is not possible for thee and me to contract a friendship, nor shall
there at all be leagues between us,—first shall one, falling, satiate
the invincible warrior Mars with his blood. Call to mind all thy
valour; now it is very necessary for thee to be both a spearman and a
daring warrior. Nor is there any longer any escape for thee, for Pallas
Minerva at once subdues thee beneath my spear, and thou shalt now pay
for all the accumulated sorrows of my companions, whom thou hast slain,
raging with the spear.”
Footnote 706: (return) See Duport, p. 127; and cf. Hor. Epod. iv. 1.
He spoke, and brandishing it, sent forth his long-shadowed spear, and
illustrious Hector, seeing it opposite, avoided it; for, looking before
him, he sunk down, and the brazen spear passed over him, and was fixed
in the earth. But Pallas Minerva plucked it out, and gave it back to
Achilles, and escaped the notice of Hector, the shepherd of the people.
Then Hector addressed the illustrious son of Peleus:
“Thou hast erred, O godlike Achilles, nor art thou yet acquainted with
my fate from Jove; certainly thou didst say so, but thou art a prater,
and very subtle in words, in order that, dreading thee, I may be
forgetful of my strength and courage. But not in my back, whilst
flying, shalt thou thrust thy spear, but shalt drive it through my
breast, rushing right on, if God grants this to thee. But now in turn
avoid my brazen spear! would that thou mightst now receive it all in
thy body. Then truly would the war become lighter to the Trojans, thou
being slain; for thou art the greatest bane to them.”
He spoke, and, brandishing, sent forth his long-shadowed spear, and
struck the centre of Pelides’ shield, nor missed; but the spear was
repelled far away from the shield. But Hector was enraged because his
swift weapon had fled in vain from his hand; and stood dejected, for he
had not another ashen spear. Then he called upon the white-shielded
Deïphobus, greatly shouting, [and] he asked him for a long spear; but
he was not near him; and Hector perceived in his mind, and said:
“Alas! without doubt, now the gods have summoned me to death. For I
indeed thought the hero Deïphobus was by my side; but he is within the
wall, and Minerva has deceived me. But now is evil death near me, nor
far away, neither is there escape. Certainly this long since was more
agreeable to Jove and to the far-darting son of Jove, who formerly,
propitious, preserved me; but now, on the contrary, Fate overtakes me.
Nevertheless I will not perish cowardly and ingloriously at least, but
having done some great deed to be heard of even by posterity.”
Thus having spoken, he drew his sharp sword, which hung below his
loins, both huge and strong, and, with collected might, rushed forward,
like a lofty-soaring eagle, which swoops to the plain through the
gloomy clouds, about to snatch either a tender lamb, or a timid hare;
thus Hector rushed forward, brandishing his sharp sword. Achilles also
rushed on, and filled his soul with fierce rage. He sheltered his
breast in front with his shield, beautiful, curiously wrought and
nodded with his shining helmet, four-coned; but the beautiful golden
tufts, which Vulcan had diffused in great abundance round the cone,
were shaken. As the star Hesperus, which is placed the brightest star
in heaven, 707 proceeds amongst other stars in the unseasonable time of
night, so it shone from the well-sharpened spear which Achilles,
designing mischief to noble Hector, brandished in his right hand,
eyeing his fair person, where it would best yield. But the beautiful
brazen armour, of which he had despoiled great Patroclus, having slain
him, covered the rest of his body so much; yet did there appear [a
part] where the collar-bones separate the neck from the shoulders, and
where the destruction of life is most speedy. There noble Achilles,
eager, drove into him with the spear, and the point went out quite
through his tender neck. However the ash, heavy with brass, did not cut
away the windpipe, so that, answering in words, he could address him.
But he fell in the dust, and noble Achilles vaunted over him:
“Hector, thou didst once suppose, when spoiling Patroclus, that thou be
safe, nor dreaded me, being absent. Fool! for I apart, a much braver
avenger of him, was left behind at the hollow ships, I who have relaxed
thy knees. The dogs, indeed, and birds shall dishonourably tear thee,
but the Greeks shall perform his funeral rites.”
But him crest-tossing Hector, growing languid, then addressed:
“I supplicate thee by thy soul, thy knees, thy parents, suffer not the
dogs to tear me at the ships of the Greeks; but do thou indeed receive
brass in abundance, and gold, which my father and venerable mother will
give thee; and send my body home, that the Trojans and wives of the
Trojans may make me, dead, partaker of a funeral pyre.” 708