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

what he is doing may have worse horses, but he will keep them
well in hand when he sees the doubling-post; he knows the precise
moment at which to pull the rein, and keeps his eye well on the man in
front of him. I will give you this certain token which cannot escape
your notice. There is a stump of a dead tree--oak or pine as it may
be--some six feet above the ground, and not yet rotted away by rain; it
stands at the fork of the road; it has two white stones set one on each
side, and there is a clear course all round it. It may have been a
monument to some one long since dead, or it may have been used as a
doubling-post in days gone by; now, however, it has been fixed on by
Achilles as the mark round which the chariots shall turn; hug it as
close as you can, but as you stand in your chariot lean over a little
to the left; urge on your right-hand horse with voice and lash, and
give him a loose rein, but let the left-hand horse keep so close in,
that the nave of your wheel shall almost graze the post; but mind the
stone, or you will wound your horses and break your chariot in pieces,
which would be sport for others but confusion for yourself. Therefore,
my dear son, mind well what you are about, for if you can be first to
round the post there is no chance of any one giving you the go-by
later, not even though you had Adrestus's horse Arion behind you--a
horse which is of divine race--or those of Laomedon, which are the
noblest in this country."

When Nestor had made an end of counselling his son he sat down in his
place, and fifth in order Meriones got ready his horses. They then all
mounted their chariots and cast lots. Achilles shook the helmet, and
the lot of Antilochus son of Nestor fell out first; next came that of
King Eumelus, and after his, those of Menelaus son of Atreus and of
Meriones. The last place fell to the lot of Diomed son of Tydeus, who
was the best man of them all. They took their places in line; Achilles
showed them the doubling-post round which they were to turn, some way
off upon the plain; here he stationed his father's follower Phoenix as
umpire, to note the running, and report truly.

At the same instant they all of them lashed their horses, struck them
with the reins, and shouted at them with all their might. They flew
full speed over the plain away from the ships, the dust rose from under
them as it were a cloud or whirlwind, and their manes were all flying
in the wind. At one moment the chariots seemed to touch the ground, and
then again they bounded into the air; the drivers stood erect, and
their hearts beat fast and furious in their lust of victory. Each kept
calling on his horses, and the horses scoured the plain amid the clouds
of dust that they raised.

It was when they were doing the last part of the course on their way
back towards the sea that their pace was strained to the utmost and it
was seen what each could do. The horses of the descendant of Pheres now
took the lead, and close behind them came the Trojan stallions of
Diomed. They seemed as if about to mount Eumelus's chariot, and he
could feel their warm breath on his back and on his broad shoulders,
for their heads were close to him as they flew over the course. Diomed
would have now passed him, or there would have been a dead heat, but
Phoebus Apollo to spite him made him drop his whip. Tears of anger fell
from his eyes as he saw the mares going on faster than ever, while his
own horses lost ground through his having no whip. Minerva saw the
trick which Apollo had played the son of Tydeus, so she brought him his
whip and put spirit into his horses; moreover she went after the son of
Admetus in a rage and broke his yoke for him; the mares went one to one
side of the course, and the other to the other, and the pole was broken
against the ground. Eumelus was thrown from his chariot close to the
wheel; his elbows, mouth, and nostrils were all torn, and his forehead
was bruised above his eyebrows; his eyes filled with tears and he could
find no utterance. But the son of Tydeus turned his horses aside and
shot far ahead, for Minerva put fresh strength into them and covered
Diomed himself with glory.

Menelaus son of Atreus came next behind him, but Antilochus called to
his father's horses. "On with you both," he cried, "and do your very
utmost. I do not bid you try to beat the steeds of the son of Tydeus,
for Minerva has put running into them, and has covered Diomed with
glory; but you must overtake the horses of the son of Atreus and not be
left behind, or Aethe who is so fleet will taunt you. Why, my good
fellows, are you lagging? I tell you, and it shall surely be--Nestor
will keep neither of you, but will put both of you to the sword, if we
win any the worse a prize through your carelessness. Fly after them at
your utmost speed; I will hit on a plan for passing them in a narrow
part of the way, and it shall not fail me."

They feared the rebuke of their master, and for a short space went
quicker. Presently Antilochus saw a narrow place where the road had
sunk. The ground was broken, for the winter's rain had gathered and had
worn the road so that the whole place was deepened. Menelaus was making
towards it so as to get there first, for fear of a foul, but Antilochus
turned his horses out of the way, and followed him a little on one
side. The son of Atreus was afraid and shouted out, "Antilochus, you
are driving recklessly; rein in your horses; the road is too narrow
here, it will be wider soon, and you can pass me then; if you foul my
chariot you may bring both of us to a mischief."

But Antilochus plied his whip, and drove faster, as though he had not
heard him. They went side by side for about as far as a young man can
hurl a disc from his shoulder when he is trying his strength, and then
Menelaus's mares drew behind, for he left off driving for fear the
horses should foul one another and upset the chariots; thus, while
pressing on in quest of victory, they might both come headlong to the
ground. Menelaus then upbraided Antilochus and said, "There is no
greater trickster living than you are; go, and bad luck go with you;
the Achaeans say not well that you have understanding, and come what
may you shall not bear away the prize without sworn protest on my part."

Then he called on his horses and said to them, "Keep your pace, and
slacken not; the limbs of the other horses will weary sooner than
yours, for they are neither of them young."

The horses feared the rebuke of their master, and went faster, so that
they were soon nearly up with the others.

Meanwhile the Achaeans from their seats were watching how the horses
went, as they scoured the plain amid clouds of their own dust.
Idomeneus captain of the Cretans was first to make out the running, for
he was not in the thick of the crowd, but stood on the most commanding
part of the ground. The driver was a long way off, but Idomeneus could
hear him shouting, and could see the foremost horse quite plainly--a
chestnut with a round white star, like the moon, on its forehead. He
stood up and said among the Argives, "My friends, princes and
counsellors of the Argives, can you see the running as well as I can?
There seems to be another pair in front now, and another driver; those
that led off at the start must have been disabled out on the plain. I
saw them at first making their way round the doubling-post, but now,
though I search the plain of Troy, I cannot find them. Perhaps the
reins fell from the driver's hand so that he lost command of his horses
at the doubling-post, and could not turn it. I suppose he must have
been thrown out there, and broken his chariot, while his mares have
left the course and gone off wildly in a panic. Come up and see for
yourselves, I cannot make out for certain, but the driver seems an
Aetolian by descent, ruler over the Argives, brave Diomed the son of
Tydeus."

Ajax the son of Oileus took him up rudely and said, "Idomeneus, why
should you be in such a hurry to tell us all about it, when the mares
are still so far out upon the plain? You are none of the youngest, nor
your eyes none of the sharpest, but you are always laying down the law.
You have no right to do so, for there are better men here than you are.
Eumelus's horses are in front now, as they always have been, and he is
on the chariot holding the reins."

The captain of the Cretans was angry, and answered, "Ajax you are an
excellent railer, but you have no judgement, and are wanting in much
else as well, for you have a vile temper. I will wager you a tripod or
cauldron, and Agamemnon son of Atreus shall decide whose horses are
first. You will then know to your cost."

Ajax son of Oileus was for making him an angry answer, and there would
have been yet further brawling between them, had not Achilles risen in
his place and said, "Cease your railing, Ajax and Idomeneus; it is not
seemly; you would be scandalised if you saw any one else do the like:
sit down and keep your eyes on the horses; they are speeding towards
the winning-post and will be here directly. You will then both of you
know whose horses are first, and whose come after."

As he was speaking, the son of Tydeus came driving in, plying his whip
lustily from his shoulder, and his horses stepping high as they flew
over the course. The sand and grit rained thick on the driver, and the
chariot inlaid with gold and tin ran close behind his fleet horses.
There was little trace of wheel-marks in the fine dust, and the horses
came flying in at their utmost speed. Diomed stayed them in the middle
of the crowd, and the sweat from their manes and chests fell in streams
on to the ground. Forthwith he sprang from his goodly chariot, and
leaned his whip against his horses' yoke; brave Sthenelus now lost no
time, but at once brought on the prize, and gave the woman and the
ear-handled cauldron to his comrades to take away. Then he unyoked the
horses.

Next after him came in Antilochus of the race of Neleus, who had passed
Menelaus by a trick and not by the fleetness of his horses; but even so
Menelaus came in as close behind him as the wheel is to the horse that
draws both the chariot and its master. The end hairs of a horse's tail
touch the tyre of the wheel, and there is never much space between
wheel and horse when the chariot is going; Menelaus was no further than
this behind Antilochus, though at first he had