The Iliad by Homer (pdf to ebook reader .TXT) 📖

and fled beyond the
sea, for he was menaced by the other sons and grandsons of Hercules.
After a voyage, during which he suffered great hardship, he came to
Rhodes, where the people divided into three communities, according to
their tribes, and were dearly loved by Jove, the lord of gods and men;
wherefore the son of Saturn showered down great riches upon them.

And Nireus brought three ships from Syme--Nireus, who was the
handsomest man that came up under Ilius of all the Danaans after the
son of Peleus--but he was a man of no substance, and had but a small
following.

And those that held Nisyrus, Crapathus, and Casus, with Cos, the city
of Eurypylus, and the Calydnian islands, these were commanded by
Pheidippus and Antiphus, two sons of King Thessalus the son of
Hercules. And with them there came thirty ships.

Those again who held Pelasgic Argos, Alos, Alope, and Trachis; and
those of Phthia and Hellas the land of fair women, who were called
Myrmidons, Hellenes, and Achaeans; these had fifty ships, over which
Achilles was in command. But they now took no part in the war, inasmuch
as there was no one to marshal them; for Achilles stayed by his ships,
furious about the loss of the girl Briseis, whom he had taken from
Lyrnessus at his own great peril, when he had sacked Lyrnessus and
Thebe, and had overthrown Mynes and Epistrophus, sons of king Evenor,
son of Selepus. For her sake Achilles was still grieving, but ere long
he was again to join them.

And those that held Phylace and the flowery meadows of Pyrasus,
sanctuary of Ceres; Iton, the mother of sheep; Antrum upon the sea, and
Pteleum that lies upon the grass lands. Of these brave Protesilaus had
been captain while he was yet alive, but he was now lying under the
earth. He had left a wife behind him in Phylace to tear her cheeks in
sorrow, and his house was only half finished, for he was slain by a
Dardanian warrior while leaping foremost of the Achaeans upon the soil
of Troy. Still, though his people mourned their chieftain, they were
not without a leader, for Podarces, of the race of Mars, marshalled
them; he was son of Iphiclus, rich in sheep, who was the son of
Phylacus, and he was own brother to Protesilaus, only younger,
Protesilaus being at once the elder and the more valiant. So the people
were not without a leader, though they mourned him whom they had lost.
With him there came forty ships.

And those that held Pherae by the Boebean lake, with Boebe, Glaphyrae,
and the populous city of Iolcus, these with their eleven ships were led
by Eumelus, son of Admetus, whom Alcestis bore to him, loveliest of the
daughters of Pelias.

And those that held Methone and Thaumacia, with Meliboea and rugged
Olizon, these were led by the skilful archer Philoctetes, and they had
seven ships, each with fifty oarsmen all of them good archers; but
Philoctetes was lying in great pain in the Island of Lemnos, where the
sons of the Achaeans left him, for he had been bitten by a poisonous
water snake. There he lay sick and sorry, and full soon did the Argives
come to miss him. But his people, though they felt his loss were not
leaderless, for Medon, the bastard son of Oileus by Rhene, set them in
array.

Those, again, of Tricca and the stony region of Ithome, and they that
held Oechalia, the city of Oechalian Eurytus, these were commanded by
the two sons of Aesculapius, skilled in the art of healing, Podalirius
and Machaon. And with them there came thirty ships.

The men, moreover, of Ormenius, and by the fountain of Hypereia, with
those that held Asterius, and the white crests of Titanus, these were
led by Eurypylus, the son of Euaemon, and with them there came forty
ships.

Those that held Argissa and Gyrtone, Orthe, Elone, and the white city
of Oloosson, of these brave Polypoetes was leader. He was son of
Pirithous, who was son of Jove himself, for Hippodameia bore him to
Pirithous on the day when he took his revenge on the shaggy mountain
savages and drove them from Mt. Pelion to the Aithices. But Polypoetes
was not sole in command, for with him was Leonteus, of the race of
Mars, who was son of Coronus, the son of Caeneus. And with these there
came forty ships.

Guneus brought two and twenty ships from Cyphus, and he was followed by
the Enienes and the valiant Peraebi, who dwelt about wintry Dodona, and
held the lands round the lovely river Titaresius, which sends its
waters into the Peneus. They do not mingle with the silver eddies of
the Peneus, but flow on the top of them like oil; for the Titaresius is
a branch of dread Orcus and of the river Styx.

Of the Magnetes, Prothous son of Tenthredon was commander. They were
they that dwelt about the river Peneus and Mt. Pelion. Prothous, fleet
of foot, was their leader, and with him there came forty ships.

Such were the chiefs and princes of the Danaans. Who, then, O Muse, was
the foremost, whether man or horse, among those that followed after the
sons of Atreus?

Of the horses, those of the son of Pheres were by far the finest. They
were driven by Eumelus, and were as fleet as birds. They were of the
same age and colour, and perfectly matched in height. Apollo, of the
silver bow, had bred them in Perea--both of them mares, and terrible as
Mars in battle. Of the men, Ajax, son of Telamon, was much the foremost
so long as Achilles' anger lasted, for Achilles excelled him greatly
and he had also better horses; but Achilles was now holding aloof at
his ships by reason of his quarrel with Agamemnon, and his people
passed their time upon the sea shore, throwing discs or aiming with
spears at a mark, and in archery. Their horses stood each by his own
chariot, champing lotus and wild celery. The chariots were housed under
cover, but their owners, for lack of leadership, wandered hither and
thither about the host and went not forth to fight.

Thus marched the host like a consuming fire, and the earth groaned
beneath them when the lord of thunder is angry and lashes the land
about Typhoeus among the Arimi, where they say Typhoeus lies. Even so
did the earth groan beneath them as they sped over the plain.

And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Jove to tell the bad news
among the Trojans. They were gathered in assembly, old and young, at
Priam's gates, and Iris came close up to Priam, speaking with the voice
of Priam's son Polites, who, being fleet of foot, was stationed as
watchman for the Trojans on the tomb of old Aesyetes, to look out for
any sally of the Achaeans. In his likeness Iris spoke, saying, "Old
man, you talk idly, as in time of peace, while war is at hand. I have
been in many a battle, but never yet saw such a host as is now
advancing. They are crossing the plain to attack the city as thick as
leaves or as the sands of the sea. Hector, I charge you above all
others, do as I say. There are many allies dispersed about the city of
Priam from distant places and speaking divers tongues. Therefore, let
each chief give orders to his own people, setting them severally in
array and leading them forth to battle."

Thus she spoke, but Hector knew that it was the goddess, and at once
broke up the assembly. The men flew to arms; all the gates were opened,
and the people thronged through them, horse and foot, with the tramp as
of a great multitude.

Now there is a high mound before the city, rising by itself upon the
plain. Men call it Batieia, but the gods know that it is the tomb of
lithe Myrine. Here the Trojans and their allies divided their forces.

Priam's son, great Hector of the gleaming helmet, commanded the
Trojans, and with him were arrayed by far the greater number and most
valiant of those who were longing for the fray.

The Dardanians were led by brave Aeneas, whom Venus bore to Anchises,
when she, goddess though she was, had lain with him upon the mountain
slopes of Ida. He was not alone, for with him were the two sons of
Antenor, Archilochus and Acamas, both skilled in all the arts of war.

They that dwelt in Telea under the lowest spurs of Mt. Ida, men of
substance, who drink the limpid waters of the Aesepus, and are of
Trojan blood--these were led by Pandarus son of Lycaon, whom Apollo had
taught to use the bow.

They that held Adresteia and the land of Apaesus, with Pityeia, and the
high mountain of Tereia--these were led by Adrestus and Amphius, whose
breastplate was of linen. These were the sons of Merops of Percote, who
excelled in all kinds of divination. He told them not to take part in
the war, but they gave him no heed, for fate lured them to destruction.

They that dwelt about Percote and Practius, with Sestos, Abydos, and
Arisbe--these were led by Asius, son of Hyrtacus, a brave
commander--Asius, the son of Hyrtacus, whom his powerful dark bay
steeds, of the breed that comes from the river Selleis, had brought
from Arisbe.

Hippothous led the tribes of Pelasgian spearsmen, who dwelt in fertile
Larissa--Hippothous, and Pylaeus of the race of Mars, two sons of the
Pelasgian Lethus, son of Teutamus.

Acamas and the warrior Peirous commanded the Thracians and those that
came from beyond the mighty stream of the Hellespont.

Euphemus, son of Troezenus, the son of Ceos, was captain of the
Ciconian spearsmen.

Pyraechmes led the Paeonian archers from distant Amydon, by the broad
waters of the river Axius, the fairest that flow upon the earth.

The Paphlagonians were commanded by stout-hearted Pylaemanes from
Enetae, where the mules run wild in herds. These were they that held
Cytorus and the country round Sesamus, with the cities by the river
Parthenius, Cromna, Aegialus, and lofty Erithini.

Odius and Epistrophus were captains over the Halizoni from distant
Alybe, where there are mines of silver.

Chromis, and Ennomus the augur, led the Mysians, but his skill in
augury availed not to save him from destruction, for he fell by the
hand of the fleet descendant of Aeacus in the river, where he slew
others also of the Trojans.

Phorcys, again, and noble Ascanius led the Phrygians from the far
country of Ascania, and both were eager for the fray.

Mesthles and Antiphus commanded the Meonians, sons of Talaemenes, born
to him of the Gygaean lake. These led the Meonians, who dwelt under Mt.
Tmolus.

Nastes led the Carians, men of a strange speech. These held Miletus and
the wooded mountain of Phthires, with the water of the river Maeander
and the lofty crests of Mt. Mycale. These were commanded by Nastes and
Amphimachus, the brave sons of Nomion. He came into the fight with gold
about him, like a girl; fool that he was, his gold was of no avail to
save him, for he fell in the river by the hand of the fleet descendant
of Aeacus, and Achilles bore away his gold.

Sarpedon and Glaucus led the Lycians from their distant land, by the
eddying waters of the Xanthus.


BOOK III

Alexandria, also called Paris, challenges Menelaus--Helen and
Priam view the Achaeans from the wall--The covenant--Paris
and Menelaus fight,