The Iliad of Homer by Homer (read e book txt) 📖

remote Anthedon: fifty ships of these went to Troy, and in each embarked a hundred and twenty Bœotian youths.

Those who inhabited Aspledon, and Minyean Orchomenus, these Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, the sons of Mars, led, whom Astyoche bore to powerful Mars in the house of Actor, son of Azis: a modest virgin, when she ascended the upper part of her father's house; but the god secretly embraced her. Of these thirty hollow ships went in order.

Moreover, Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of magnanimous Iphitus, the son of Naubolus, led the Phoceans, who possessed Cyparissus, and rocky Python, and divine Crissa, and Daulis, and Panopea; and those who dwelt round Anemoria and Hyampolis, and near the sacred river Cephissus, and those who possessed Lilæa, at the sources of Cephissus: with these forty dark ships followed. They indeed, 121 going round, arranged the lines of the Phoceans; and they were drawn up in array near the Bœotians, and towards the left wing.

Footnote 121:(return) Schedius and Epistrophus.

Swift-footed Ajax, the son of Oileus, was leader of the Locrians; less in stature than, and not so tall as Ajax, the son of Telamon, but much less. He was small indeed, wearing a linen corslet, but in [the use of] the spear he surpassed all the Hellenes and Achæans, who inhabited Cynus, Opus, Calliarus, Bessa, Scarpha, and pleasant Augeia, and Tarpha, and Thronium, around the streams of Boagrius. But with him forty dark ships of the Locrians followed, who dwell beyond sacred Eubœa.

The Abantes, breathing strength, who possessed Eubœa, and Chalcis, and Eretria, and grape-clustered Histiæa, and maritime Cerinthus, and the towering city of Dium, and those who inhabited Carystus and Styra: the leader of these was Elephenor, of the line of Mars, the son of Chalcodon, the magnanimous prince of the Abantes. With him the swift Abantes followed, with flowing locks behind, warriors skilled with protended spears of ash, to break the corslets on the breasts of their enemies. With him forty dark ships followed.

Those besides who possessed Athens, the well-built city, the state of magnanimous Erechtheus, whom Minerva, the daughter of Jove, formerly nursed (but him the bounteous earth brought forth), and settled at Athens in her own rich temple: there the sons of the Athenians, in revolving years, appease her with [sacrifices of] bulls and lambs 122--them Menestheus, son of Peteus, commanded. "No man upon the earth was equal to him in marshalling steeds and shielded warriors in battle; Nestor alone vied with him, for he was elder. With him fifty dark ships followed."

But Ajax 123 led twelve ships from Salamis, and leading arranged them where the phalanxes of the Athenians were drawn up.

Footnote 122:(return) Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 75, observes, "Athene is locally identified with the soil and people of Athens, even in the Iliad: Erechtheus, the Athenian, is born of the earth, but Athene brings him up, nourishes him, and lodges him in her own temple, where the Athenians annually worship him with sacrifice and solemnities. It was altogether impossible to make Erechtheus son of Athene,--the type of the goddess forbade it; but the Athenian myth-creators, though they found this barrier impassable, strove to approach to it as near as they could." Compare also p. 262, where he considers Erechtheus "as a divine or heroic, certainly a superhuman person, and as identified with the primitive germination of Attic man." Footnote 123:(return) : The son of Telamon.

Those who possessed Argos, and well-fortified Tiryns, Hermione, and which encircle the Asine deep bay, Trœzene, and Eionæ, and vine-planted Epidaurus, and those who possessed Ægina, and Mases, Achæan youths. Their leader then was Diomede, brave in war, and Sthenelus, the dear son of much-renowned Capaneus; and with these went Euryalus the third, god-like man, the son of king Mecisteus, Talaus' son; and all these Diomede brave in war commanded. With these eighty dark ships followed.

Those who possessed Mycenæ, the well-built city, and wealthy Corinth, 124 and well-built Cleonæ, and those who inhabited Ornia, and pleasant Aræthyrea, and Sicyon, where Adrastus first reigned: and those who possessed Hyperesia, and lofty Gonoessa, and Pellene, and those who [inhabited] Ægium, and all along the sea-coast, 125 and about spacious Helice. Of these, king Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, commanded a hundred ships: and with him by far the most and bravest troops followed; and he had clothed himself in dazzling brass, exulting in his glory, that he shone conspicuous amongst all heroes; for he was the most eminent, and led by far the most numerous troops. 126

Footnote 124:(return) An anachronism, as Corinth, before its capture by the Dorians, was called Ephyra (as in II. vi. 152). "Neque est, quod miremur ab Homero nominari Corinthum, nam ex persona poetæ et hanc urbem, et quasdam Ionum colonias iis nominibus appellat, quibus vocabantur ætate ejus, multo post Ilium captum conditæ."--Vell. Paterc. i. 3. Footnote 125:(return) I. e. the later Achaia.--Arnold. Footnote 126:(return) On the superior power of Agamemnon, see Grote, vol. i. p. 211 and compare II. ix. 69.

But those who possessed great Lacedæmon, full of clefts, and Pharis and Sparta, and dove-abounding Messa, and Brysiæ, and pleasant Augeiæ; and those who possessed Amyclæ, and Helos, a maritime city; and those who possessed Laas, and dwelt round Œtylus. Of these his brother Menelaus, brave in battle, commanded sixty ships, but they were armed apart [from Agamemnon's forces]. Amidst them he himself went, confiding in his valour, inciting them to war; but especially he desired in his soul to avenge the remorse of Helen and her groans.

Those who inhabited Pylos and pleasant Arene, and Thryos, by the fords of Alphœus, and well-built Æpy, and Cyparesseis and Amphigenia, and Pteleum, and Helos, and Dorium: and there it was the Muses, meeting the Thracian Thamyris, as he was coming from Œchalia, from Œchalian Eurytus, caused him to cease his song; for he averred, boasting, that he could obtain the victory, 127 even though the Muses themselves, the daughters of ægis-bearing Jove, should sing. But they, enraged, made him blind, and moreover deprived him of his power of singing, and caused him to forget the minstrel-art. These the Gerenian horseman Nestor commanded: and with him ninety hollow ships proceeded in order.

Those who possessed Arcadia, under the breezy 128 mountain of Cyllene, near the tomb of Æpytus, where are close-fighting heroes; those who inhabited Pheneus, and sheep-abounding Orchomenus, and Ripe and Stratie, and wind-swept Enispe, and who possessed Tegea and pleasant Mantinea; and those who held Stymphalus, and dwelt in Parrhasie; of these king Agapenor, the son of Ancæus, commanded sixty ships; but aboard each ship went many Arcadian heroes skilled in war. But the son of Atreus, Agamemnon himself, the king of heroes, gave them the well-benched ships, to pass over the dark sea; since they had no care of naval works.

Footnote 127:(return) Respecting the connection of this story with the early poetic contests, see Müller, Gk. Lit. iv. 2, whose interesting remarks are, unfortunately, too long for a note. Footnote 128:(return) i. e. lofty.

Those who inhabited Buprasium and noble Elis, as much as Hyrmine, and distant Myrsinus, and the Olenian rock, and Alisium, contain within; of these the leaders were four; but ten swift ships followed each hero, and many Epeans went aboard them. Amphimachus and Thalpius, sons, the one of Cteatus, the other of Eurytus, Actor's son, commanded some: brave Diores, son of Amarynceus, commanded others: and god-like Polyxenus, son of Agasthenes, the son of king Augeas, commanded the fourth division.

Those from Dulichium, and the Echinades, sacred islands, which lie beyond the sea, facing Elis. 129 Over these presided Meges, son of Phyleus, equal to Mars, whom the knight Phyleus, beloved by Jove, begat, who, enraged against his father, once on a time removed to Dulichium. With him forty dark ships followed.

Moreover Ulysses led the magnanimous Cephallenians, those who possessed Ithaca and leaf-quivering Neritos, and who dwelt in Crocylea and rugged Ægilips, and those who possessed Zacynthus, and those who inhabited Samos, and those who possessed the continent, and dwelt in the places lying opposite; these Ulysses commanded, equal to Jove in council. With him followed twelve red-sided ships.

Thoas, son of Andræmon, led the Ætolians, those who inhabited Pleuron, and Olenus, and Pylene, and maritime Chalcis, and rocky Calydon. For the sons of magnanimous Œneus were no more, nor was he himself surviving; moreover, fair-haired Meleager was dead. 130 To him [Thoas,] therefore, was intrusted the chief command, to rule the Ætolians, and with him forty dark ships followed.

Footnote 129:(return) "This description of the Echinades has something equivocal in it, which is cleared up, if we suppose it addressed to the inhabitants of the Asiatic side of the Archipelago. But if, with Pope, we understand the words 'beyond the sea' to relate to Elis, I think we adopt an unnatural construction to come at a forced meaning; for the old Greek historians tell us, that those islands are so close upon the coast of Elis, that in their time many of them had been joined to it by means of the Achelous."--Wood on Homer, p. 8, sq. Footnote 130:(return) Grote, Hist, of Greece, vol. i. p. 197, after referring to the Homeric legend respecting Meleager in II. xi. 525, sqq., remarks that "though his death is here indicated only indirectly, there seems little doubt that Homer must have conceived the death of the hero as brought about by the maternal curse: the unrelenting Erinnys executed to the letter the invocations of Althæa, though she herself must have been willing to retract them."

Spear-renowned Idomeneus commanded the Cretans, those who possessed Gnossus and well-walled Gortyna and Lyctos, and Miletus, and white Lycastus and Phæstus, and Rhytium, well-inhabited cities; and others who inhabited the hundred-towned Crete. These spear-famed Idomeneus commanded, and Meriones, equal to man-slaying Mars: with these followed eighty dark ships.

But Tlepolemus, the brave and great descendant of Hercules, led from Rhodes nine ships of the haughty Rhodians, those who inhabited Rhodes, arranged in three bands, Lindus, and Ialyssus, and white Camirus. These spear-famed Tlepolemus led, he whom Astyochea brought forth to the might of Hercules, 131 whom [Astyochea] he [Hercules] carried out of Ephyre, from the river Selleis, after having laid waste many cities of nobly-descended youths. Now Tlepolemus, after he had been trained up in the well-built palaces, straightway slew the beloved uncle of his father, Licymnius, now grown old, a branch of Mars; and instantly he built a fleet; and having collected many troops, he departed, 132 flying over the ocean; for him the sons and grandsons of the might of Hercules had threatened. And he indeed came wandering to Rhodes, suffering woes. And they, divided into three parts, dwelt in tribes, and were beloved of Jove, who rules over gods and men: and on them the son of Saturn poured down immense wealth.

Footnote 131:(return) As in the Odyssey, I prefer preserving the quaint simplicity of these antiquated periphrases. Footnote 132:(return) Grote, History of Greece, vol. i. p. 33, has collected the Homeric instances of exile "for private or involuntary homicide," observing, however, from the Schol. on Il. xi. 690, "that Homer never once describes any of them to have either received or required purification for the crime."

Nireus moreover led three equal ships from Syme, Nireus son of Aglaea, and king Charopus, Nireus, the fairest of men that came to Ilium, of all the other Greeks, next