said he, “Will to the ships and will exploit them.
Neither again did Hector let the Trojans sleep; But first hold up your sceptre and swear that you for he too called the princes and councillors of the will give me the chariot, bedight with bronze, and Trojans that he might set his counsel before them.
the horses that now carry the noble son of Peleus. I
“Is there one,” said he, “who for a great reward will will make you a good scout, and will not fail you. I do me the service of which I will tell you? He shall will go through the host from one end to the other 148
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till I come to the ship of Agamemnon, where I take the dead; let him get a little past us, we can then it the princes of the Achæans are now consulting spring upon him and take him. If, however, he is whether they shall fight or fly.” too quick for us, go after him with your spear and When he had done speaking Hector held up his hem him in towards the ships away from the Trojan sceptre, and swore him his oath saying, “May Jove camp, to prevent his getting back to the town.” the thundering husband of Juno bear witness that With this they turned out of their way and lay no other Trojan but yourself shall mount those down among the corpses. Dolon suspected nothing steeds, and that you shall have your will with them and soon passed them, but when he had got about for ever.”
as far as the distance by which a mule-plowed furThe oath he swore was bootless, but it made row exceeds one that has been ploughed by oxen Dolon more keen on going. He hung his bow over (for mules can plow fallow land quicker than oxen) his shoulder, and as an overall he wore the skin of a they ran after him, and when he heard their foot-grey wolf, while on his head he set a cap of ferret steps he stood still, for he made sure they were skin. Then he took a pointed javelin, and left the friends from the Trojan camp come by Hector’s or-camp for the ships, but he was not to return with ders to bid him return; when, however, they were any news for Hector. When he had left the horses only a spear’s cast, or less away form him, he saw and the troops behind him, he made all speed on that they were enemies as fast as his legs could take his way, but Ulysses perceived his coming and said him. The others gave chase at once, and as a couple to Diomed, “Diomed, here is some one from the of well-trained hounds press forward after a doe or camp; I am not sure whether he is a spy, or whether hare that runs screaming in front of them, even so it is some thief who would plunder the bodies of did the son of Tydeus and Ulysses pursue Dolon 149
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and cut him off from his own people. But when he death be in your mind; but tell me, and tell me had fled so far towards the ships that he would soon true, why are you thus going about alone in the have fallen in with the outposts, Minerva infused dead of night away from your camp and towards fresh strength into the son of Tydeus for fear some the ships, while other men are sleeping? Is it to plun-other of the Achæans might have the glory of being der the bodies of the slain, or did Hector send you first to hit him, and he might himself be only sec-to spy out what was going on at the ships? Or did ond; he therefore sprang forward with his spear and you come here of your own mere notion?” said, “Stand, or I shall throw my spear, and in that Dolon answered, his limbs trembling beneath him: case I shall soon make an end of you.”
“Hector, with his vain flattering promises, lured me He threw as he spoke, but missed his aim on pur-from my better judgement. He said he would give pose. The dart flew over the man’s right shoulder, me the horses of the noble son of Peleus and his and then stuck in the ground. He stood stock still, bronze-bedizened chariot; he bade me go through trembling and in great fear; his teeth chattered, and the darkness of the flying night, get close to the he turned pale with fear. The two came breathless enemy, and find out whether the ships are still up to him and seized his hands, whereon he began guarded as heretofore, or whether, now that we have to weep and said, “Take me alive; I will ransom beaten them, the Achæans design to fly, and through myself; we have great store of gold, bronze, and sheer exhaustion are neglecting to keep their wrought iron, and from this my father will satisfy watches.”
you with a very large ransom, should he hear of my Ulysses smiled at him and answered, “You had being alive at the ships of the Achæans.” indeed set your heart upon a great reward, but the
“Fear not,” replied Ulysses, “let no thought of horses of the descendant of Æacus are hardly to be 150
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kept in hand or driven by any other mortal man Ulysses then said, “Now tell me; are they sleep-than Achilles himself, whose mother was an immor-ing among the Trojan troops, or do they lie apart?
tal. But tell me, and tell me true, where did you Explain this that I may understand it.” leave Hector when you started? Where lies his
“I will tell you truly all,” replied Dolon. “To the armour and his horses? How, too, are the watches seaward lie the Carians, the Pæonian bowmen, the and sleeping-ground of the Trojans ordered? What Leleges, the Cauconians, and the noble Pelasgi. The are their plans? Will they stay here by the ships Lysians and proud Mysians, with the Phrygians and and away from the city, or now that they have wor-Meonians, have their place on the side towards sted the Achæans, will they retire within their Thymbra; but why ask about an this? If you want walls?”
to find your way into the host of the Trojans, there And Dolon answered, “I will tell you truly all. Hec-are the Thracians, who have lately come here and tor and the other councillors are now holding con-lie apart from the others at the far end of the camp; ference by the monument of great Ilus, away from and they have Rhesus son of Eioneus for their king.
the general tumult; as for the guards about which His horses are the finest and strongest that I have you ask me, there is no chosen watch to keep guard ever seen, they are whiter than snow and fleeter over the host. The Trojans have their watchfires, for than any wind that blows. His chariot is bedight they are bound to have them; they, therefore, are with silver and gold, and he has brought his mar-awake and keep each other to their duty as senti-vellous golden armour, of the rarest workmanship—
nels; but the allies who have come from other places too splendid for any mortal man to carry, and meet are asleep and leave it to the Trojans to keep guard, only for the gods. Now, therefore, take me to the for their wives and children are not here.” ships or bind me securely here, until you come back 151
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and have proved my words whether they be false or the horses and sleeping-ground of the Thracians.” true.”
With these words he took the spoils and set them Diomed looked sternly at him and answered, upon a tamarisk tree, and they marked the place by
“Think not, Dolon, for all the good information pulling up reeds and gathering boughs of tamarisk you have given us, that you shall escape now you that they might not miss it as they came back are in our hands, for if we ransom you or let you go, through the’ flying hours of darkness. The two then you will come some second time to the ships of the went onwards amid the fallen armour and the blood, Achæans either as a spy or as an open enemy, but if and came presently to the company of Thracian I kill you and an end of you, you will give no more soldiers, who were sleeping, tired out with their day’s trouble.”
toil; their goodly armour was lying on the ground On this Dolon would have caught him by the beside them all orderly in three rows, and each man beard to beseech him further, but Diomed struck had his yoke of horses beside him. Rhesus was sleep-him in the middle of his neck with his sword and ing in the middle, and hard by him his horses were cut through both sinews so that his head fell rolling made fast to the topmost rim of his chariot. Ulysses in the dust while he was yet speaking. They took from some way off saw him and said, “This, Diomed, the ferret-skin cap from his head, and also the wolf-is the man, and these are the horses about which skin, the bow, and his long spear. Ulysses hung them Dolon whom we killed told us. Do your very ut-up aloft in honour of Minerva the goddess of plun-most; dally not about your armour, but loose the der, and prayed saying, “Accept these, goddess, for horses at once—or else kill the men yourself, while we give them to you in preference to all the gods in I see to the horses.”
Olympus: therefore speed us still further towards Thereon Minerva put courage into the heart of 152
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Diomed, and he smote them right and left. They other daring deed he might accomplish. He was made a hideous groaning as they were being hacked doubting whether to take the chariot in which the about, and the earth was red with their blood. As a king’s armour was lying, and draw it out by the lion springs furiously upon a flock of sheep or goats pole, or to lift the armour out and carry it off; or when he finds without their shepherd, so did the whether again, he should not kill some more son of Tydeus set upon the Thracian soldiers till he Thracians. While he was thus hesitating Minerva had killed twelve. As he killed them Ulysses came came up to him and said, “Get back, Diomed, to and drew them aside by their feet one by one, that the ships or you may be driven thither, should some the horses might go forward freely without being other god rouse the Trojans.” frightened as they passed over the dead bodies, for Diomed knew that it was the goddess, and at once they were not yet used to them. When the son of sprang upon the horses. Ulysses beat them with his Tydeus came to the king, he killed him too (which bow and they flew onward to the ships of the made thirteen), as he was breathing hard, for by Achæans.
the counsel of Minerva an evil dream, the seed of But Apollo kept no blind look-out when he saw Oeneus, hovered that night over his head. Mean-Minerva with the son of Tydeus. He was angry with while Ulysses untied the horses, made them fast her, and coming to the host of the Trojans he roused one to another and drove them off, striking them Hippocoon, a counsellor of the Thracians and a with his bow, for he had forgotten to take the whip noble kinsman of Rhesus. He started up out of his from the chariot. Then he whistled as a sign to sleep and saw that the horses were no longer in their Diomed.
place, and that the men were gasping in their death-But Diomed stayed where he was, thinking what agony; on this he groaned aloud, and called upon 153
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his friend by name. Then the whole Trojan camp them. Nestor knight of Gerene was first to ques-was in an uproar as the people kept hurrying to-tion them. “Tell me,” said he, “renowned Ulysses, gether, and they marvelled at the deeds of the he-how did you two come by these horses? Did you roes who had now got away towards the ships.
steal in among the Trojan forces, or did some god When they reached the place where they had killed meet you and give them to you? They are like sun-Hector’s scout, Ulysses stayed his horses, and the son beams. I am well conversant with the Trojans, for of Tydeus, leaping to the ground, placed the blood-old warrior though I am I never hold back by the stained spoils in the hands of Ulysses and remounted: ships, but I never yet saw or heard of such horses as then he lashed the horses onwards, and they flew for-these are. Surely some god must have met you and ward nothing loth towards the ships as though of their given them to you, for you are both of dear to Jove, own free will. Nestor was first to hear the tramp of and to Jove’s daughter Minerva.” their feet. “My friends,” said he, “princes and coun-And Ulysses answered, “Nestor son of Neleus, sellors of the Argives, shall I guess right or wrong?—
honour to the Achæan name, heaven, if it so will, but I must say what I think: there is a sound in my can give us even better horses than these, for the ears as of the tramp of horses. I hope it may Diomed gods are far mightier than we are. These horses, how-and Ulysses driving in horses from the Trojans, but I ever, about which you ask me, are freshly come from much fear that the bravest of the Argives may have Thrace. Diomed killed their king with the twelve come to some harm at their hands.” bravest of his companions. Hard by the ships we He had hardly done speaking when the two men took a thirteenth man—a scout whom Hector and came in and dismounted, whereon the others shook the other Trojans had sent as a spy upon our ships.” hands right gladly with them and congratulated He laughed as he spoke and drove the horses over 154
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the ditch, while the other Achæans followed him immortals, Jove sent fierce Discord with the ensign gladly. When they reached the strongly built quar-of war in her hands to the ships of the Achæans.
ters of the son of Tydeus, they tied the horses with She took her stand by the huge black hull of Ulysses’
thongs of leather to the manger, where the steeds ship which was middlemost of all, so that her voice of Diomed stood eating their sweet corn, but Ulysses might carry farthest on either side, on the one hand hung the blood-stained spoils of Dolon at the stern towards the tents of Ajax son of Telamon, and on of his ship, that they might prepare a sacred offer-the other towards those of Achilles—for these two ing to Minerva. As for themselves, they went into heroes, well-assured of their own strength, had val-the sea and washed the sweat from their bodies, orously drawn up their ships at the two ends of the and from their necks and thighs. When the sea-line. There she took her stand, and raised a cry both water had taken all the sweat from off them, and loud and shrill that filled the Achæans with cour-had refreshed them, they went into the baths and age, giving them heart to fight resolutely and with washed themselves. After they had so done and had all their might, so that they had rather stay there anointed themselves with oil, they sat down to table, and do battle than go home in their ships.
and drawing from a full mixing-bowl, made a drink-The son of Atreus shouted aloud and bade the offering of wine to Minerva.
Argives gird themselves for battle while he put on his armour. First he girded his goodly greaves about BOOK XI
his legs, making them fast with ankle clasps of silver; and about his chest he set the breastplate which AND NOW AS DAWN ROSE from her couch beside Cinyras had once given him as a guest-gift. It had Tithonus, harbinger of light alike to mortals and been noised abroad as far as Cyprus that the 155
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Achæans were about to sail for Troy, and therefore before and behind, and four plumes of horse-hair he gave it to the king. It had ten courses of dark that nodded menacingly above it; then he grasped cyanus, twelve of gold, and ten of tin. There were two redoubtable bronze-shod spears, and the gleam serpents of cyanus that reared themselves up to-of his armour shot from him as a flame into the wards the neck, three upon either side, like the rain-firmament, while Juno and Minerva thundered in bows which the son of Saturn has set in heaven as honour of the king of rich Mycene.
a sign to mortal men. About his shoulders he threw Every man now left his horses in charge of his his sword, studded with bosses of gold; and the scab-charioteer to hold them in readiness by the trench, bard was of silver with a chain of gold wherewith to while he went into battle on foot clad in full armour, hang it. He took moreover the richly-dight shield and a mighty uproar rose on high into the dawning.
that covered his body when he was in battle—fair The chiefs were armed and at the trench before the to see, with ten circles of bronze running all round horses got there, but these came up presently. The see, wit it. On the body of the shield there were son of Saturn sent a portent of evil sound about twenty bosses of white tin, with another of dark their host, and the dew fell red with blood, for he cyanus in the middle: this last was made to show a was about to send many a brave man hurrying down Gorgon’s head, fierce and grim, with Rout and Panic to Hades.
on either side. The band for the arm to go through The Trojans, on the other side upon the rising was of silver, on which there was a writhing snake slope of the plain, were gathered round great Hec-of cyanus with three heads that sprang from a single tor, noble Polydamas, Æneas who was honoured by neck, and went in and out among one another. On the Trojans like an immortal, and the three sons of his head Agamemnon set a helmet, with a peak Antenor, Polybus, Agenor, and young Acamas beau-156
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teous as a god. Hector’s round shield showed in the ships of the Achæans, the gleam of bronze, and alike front rank, and as some baneful star that shines for upon the slayers and on the slain.
a moment through a rent in the clouds and is again Now so long as the day waxed and it was still hidden beneath them; even so was Hector now seen morning, their darts rained thick on one another in the front ranks and now again in the hindermost, and the people perished, but as the hour drew nigh and his bronze armour gleamed like the lightning when a woodman working in some mountain forest of ægis-bearing Jove.
will get his midday meal—for he has felled till his And now as a band of reapers mow swathes of hands are weary; he is tired out, and must now have wheat or barley upon a rich man’s land, and the food—then the Danaans with a cry that rang sheaves fall thick before them, even so did the Tro-through all their ranks, broke the battalions of the jans and Achæans fall upon one another; they were enemy. Agamemnon led them on, and slew first in no mood for yielding but fought like wolves, and Bienor, a leader of his people, and afterwards his neither side got the better of the other. Discord was comrade and charioteer Oileus, who sprang from glad as she beheld them, for she was the only god his chariot and was coming full towards him; but that went among them; the others were not there, Agamemnon struck him on the forehead with his but stayed quietly each in his own home among spear; his bronze visor was of no avail against the the dells and valleys of Olympus. All of them blamed weapon, which pierced both bronze and bone, so the son of Saturn for wanting to Live victory to the that his brains were battered in and he was killed in Trojans, but father Jove heeded them not: he held full fight.
aloof from all, and sat apart in his all-glorious maj-Agamemnon stripped their shirts from off them esty, looking down upon the city of the Trojans, the and left them with their breasts all bare to lie where 157
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they had fallen. He then went on to kill Isus and ster—so, no man of the Trojans could help Isus and Antiphus two sons of Priam, the one a bastard, the Antiphus, for they were themselves flying panic other born in wedlock; they were in the same before the Argives.
chariot—the bastard driving, while noble Antiphus Then King Agamemnon took the two sons of fought beside him. Achilles had once taken both of Antimachus, Pisander and brave Hippolochus. It them prisoners in the glades of Ida, and had bound was Antimachus who had been foremost in prevent-them with fresh withes as they were shepherding, ing Helen’s being restored to Menelaus, for he was but he had taken a ransom for them; now, however, largely bribed by Alexandrus; and now Agamemnon Agamemnon son of Atreus smote Isus in the chest took his two sons, both in the same chariot, trying above the nipple with his spear, while he struck to bring their horses to a stand—for they had lost Antiphus hard by the ear and threw him from his hold of the reins and the horses were mad with fear.
chariot. Forthwith he stripped their goodly armour The son of Atreus sprang upon them like a lion, from off them and recognized them, for he had al-and the pair besought him from their chariot. “Take ready seen them at ships when Achilles brought us alive,” they cried, “son of Atreus, and you shall them in from Ida. As a lion fastens on the fawns of receive a great ransom for us. Our father Antimachus a hind and crushes them in his great jaws, robbing has great store of gold, bronze, and wrought iron, them of their tender life while he on his way back and from this he will satisfy you with a very large to his lair—the hind can do nothing for them even ransom should he hear of our being alive at the though she be close by, for she is in an agony of ships of the Achæans.”
fear, and flies through the thick forest, sweating, With such piteous words and tears did they be-and at her utmost speed before the mighty mon-seech the king, but they heard no pitiful answer in 158
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return. “If,” said Agamemnon, “you are sons of gusts whirl fire in all directions till the thickets shrivel Antimachus, who once at a council of Trojans pro-and are consumed before the blast of the flame—
posed that Menelaus and Ulysses, who had come even so fell the heads of the flying Trojans before to you as envoys, should be killed and not suffered Agamemnon son of Atreus, and many a noble to return, you shall now pay for the foul iniquity of pair of steeds drew an empty chariot along the high-your father.”
ways of war, for lack of drivers who were lying on the As he spoke he felled Pisander from his chariot to plain, more useful now to vultures than to their wives.
the earth, smiting him on the chest with his spear, so Jove drew Hector away from the darts and dust, that he lay face uppermost upon the ground.
with the carnage and din of battle; but the son of Hippolochus fled, but him too did Agamemnon Atreus sped onwards, calling out lustily to the smite; he cut off his hands and his head—which he Danaans. They flew on by the tomb of old Ilus, son sent rolling in among the crowd as though it were a of Dardanus, in the middle of the plain, and past ball. There he let them both lie, and wherever the the place of the wild fig-tree making always for the ranks were thickest thither he flew, while the other city—the son of Atreus still shouting, and with Achæans followed. Foot soldiers drove the foot sol-hands all bedrabbled in gore; but when they had diers of the foe in rout before them, and slew them; reached the Scæan gates and the oak tree, there horsemen did the like by horsemen, and the thun-they halted and waited for the others to come up.
dering tramp of the horses raised a cloud of dust Meanwhile the Trojans kept on flying over the frim off the plain. King Agamemnon followed after, middle of the plain like a herd cows maddened with ever slaying them and cheering on the Achæans. As fright when a lion has attacked them in the dead of when some mighty forest is all ablaze—the eddying night—he springs on one of them, seizes her neck 159
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in the grip of his strong teeth and then laps up her Iris hearkened and obeyed. Down she went to blood and gorges himself upon her entrails—even strong Ilius from the crests of Ida, and found Hec-so did King Agamemnon son of Atreus pursue the tor son of Priam standing by his chariot and horses.
foe, ever slaughtering the hindmost as they fled pell-Then she said, “Hector son of Priam, peer of gods mell before him. Many a man was flung headlong in counsel, father Jove has sent me to bear you this from his chariot by the hand of the son of Atreus, message—so long as you see Agamemnon heading for he wielded his spear with fury.
his men and making havoc of the Trojan ranks, you But when he was just about to reach the high are to keep aloof and bid the others bear the brunt wall and the city, the father of gods and men came of the battle, but when Agamemnon is wounded down from heaven and took his seat, thunderbolt either by spear or arrow, and takes to his chariot, in hand, upon the crest of many-fountained Ida.
then will Jove vouchsafe you strength to slay till He then told Iris of the golden wings to carry a you reach the ships, and till night falls at the going message for him. “Go,” said he, “fleet Iris, and speak down of the sun.”
thus to Hector—say that so long as he sees When she had thus spoken Iris left him, and Hec-Agamemnon heading his men and making havoc of tor sprang full armed from his chariot to the ground, the Trojan ranks, he is to keep aloof and bid the brandishing his spear as he went about everywhere others bear the brunt of the battle, but when among the host, cheering his men on to fight, and Agamemnon is wounded either by spear or arrow, stirring the dread strife of battle. The Trojans then and takes to his chariot, then will I vouchsafe him wheeled round, and again met the Achæans, while strength to slay till he reach the ships and night the Argives on their part strengthened their battal-falls at the going down of the sun.” ions. The battle was now in array and they stood face 160
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to face with one another, Agamemnon ever pressing nor nearly so, for the point of the spear struck forward in his eagerness to be ahead of all others.
against the silver and was turned aside as though it Tell me now ye Muses that dwell in the mansions had been lead: King Agamemnon caught it from of Olympus, who, whether of the Trojans or of their his hand, and drew it towards him with the fury of allies, was first to face Agamemnon? It was a lion; he then drew his sword, and killed Iphidamas Iphidamas son of Antenor, a man both brave and by striking him on the neck. So there the poor fel-of great stature, who was brought up in fertile Thrace low lay, sleeping a sleep as it were of bronze, killed the mother of sheep. Cisses, his mother’s father, in the defence of his fellow-citizens, far from his brought him up in his own house when he was a wedded wife, of whom he had had no joy though child—Cisses, father to fair Theano. When he he had given much for her: he had given a hundred-reached manhood, Cisses would have kept him head of cattle down, and had promised later on to there, and was for giving him his daughter in mar-give a thousand sheep and goats mixed, from the riage, but as soon as he had married he set out to countless flocks of which he was possessed.
fight the Achæans with twelve ships that followed Agamemnon son of Atreus then despoiled him, and him: these he had left at Percote and had come on carried off his armour into the host of the Achæans.
by land to Ilius. He it was that naw met Agamemnon When noble Coon, Antenor’s eldest son, saw this, son of Atreus. When they were close up with one sore indeed were his eyes at the sight of his fallen another, the son of Atreus missed his aim, and brother. Unseen by Agamemnon he got beside him, Iphidamas hit him on the girdle below the cuirass spear in hand, and wounded him in the middle of and then flung himself upon him, trusting to his his arm below the elbow, the point of the spear go-strength of arm; the girdle, however, was not pierced, ing right through the arm. Agamemnon was con-161
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vulsed with pain, but still not even for this did he in labour—even so sharp were the pangs of the son leave off struggling and fighting, but grasped his of Atreus. He sprang on to his chariot, and bade his spear that flew as fleet as the wind, and sprang upon charioteer drive to the ships, for he was in great Coon who was trying to drag off the body of his agony. With a loud clear voice he shouted to the brother—his father’s son—by the foot, and was cry-Danaans, “My friends, princes and counsellors of ing for help to all the bravest of his comrades; but the Argives, defend the ships yourselves, for Jove Agamemnon struck him with a bronze-shod spear has not suffered me to fight the whole day through and killed him as he was dragging the dead body against the Trojans.”
through the press of men under cover of his shield: With this the charioteer turned his horses towards he then cut off his head, standing over the body of the ships, and they flew forward nothing loth. Their Iphidamas. Thus did the sons of Antenor meet their chests were white with foam and their bellies with fate at the hands of the son of Atreus, and go down dust, as they drew the wounded king out of the into the house of Hades.
battle.
As long as the blood still welled warm from his When Hector saw Agamemnon quit the field, he wound Agamemnon went about attacking the ranks shouted to the Trojans and Lycians saying, “Tro-of the enemy with spear and sword and with great jans, Lycians, and Dardanian warriors, be men, my handfuls of stone, but when the blood had ceased friends, and acquit yourselves in battle bravely; their to flow and the wound grew dry, the pain became best man has left them, and Jove has vouchsafed great. As the sharp pangs which the Eilithuiæ, god-me a great triumph; charge the foe with your chari-desses of childbirth, daughters of Juno and dispens-ots that. you may win still greater glory.” ers of cruel pain, send upon a woman when she is With these words he put heart and soul into them 162
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all, and as a huntsman hounds his dogs on against Achæans would have fled pell-mell to their ships, a lion or wild boar, even so did Hector, peer of Mars, had not Ulysses cried out to Diomed, “Son of hound the proud Trojans on against the Achæans.
Tydeus, what has happened to us that we thus for-Full of hope he plunged in among the foremost, get our prowess? Come, my good fellow, stand by and fell on the fight like some fierce tempest that my side and help me, we shall be shamed for ever if swoops down upon the sea, and lashes its deep blue Hector takes the ships.”
waters into fury.
And Diomed answered, “Come what may, I will What, then is the full tale of those whom Hector stand firm; but we shall have scant joy of it, for son of Priam killed in the ho