The Iliad Part 9

With these appear the Salaminian bands, Whom the gigantic Telamon commands; In twelve black ships to Troy they steer their course, And with the great Athenians join their force.

Next move to war the generous Argive train, From high Troezene, and Maseta's plain, And fair aegina circled by the main: Whom strong Tyrinthe's lofty walls surround, And Epidaure with viny harvests crown'd: And where fair Asinen and Hermoin show Their cliffs above, and ample bay below.

These by the brave Euryalus were led, Great Sthenelus, and greater Diomed; But chief Tydides bore the sovereign sway: In fourscore barks they plough the watery way.

The proud Mycene arms her martial powers, Cleone, Corinth, with imperial towers,(103) Fair Araethyrea, Ornia's fruitful plain, And aegion, and Adrastus' ancient reign; And those who dwell along the sandy sh.o.r.e, And where Pellene yields her fleecy store, Where Helice and Hyperesia lie, And Gonoessa's spires salute the sky.

Great Agamemnon rules the numerous band, A hundred vessels in long order stand, And crowded nations wait his dread command.

High on the deck the king of men appears, And his refulgent arms in triumph wears; Proud of his host, unrivall'd in his reign, In silent pomp he moves along the main.

His brother follows, and to vengeance warms The hardy Spartans, exercised in arms: Phares and Brysia's valiant troops, and those Whom Lacedaemon's lofty hills inclose; Or Messe's towers for silver doves renown'd, Amyclae, Laas, Augia's happy ground, And those whom OEtylos' low walls contain, And Helos, on the margin of the main: These, o'er the bending ocean, Helen's cause, In sixty ships with Menelaus draws: Eager and loud from man to man he flies, Revenge and fury flaming in his eyes; While vainly fond, in fancy oft he hears The fair one's grief, and sees her falling tears.

In ninety sail, from Pylos' sandy coast, Nestor the sage conducts his chosen host: From Amphigenia's ever-fruitful land, Where aepy high, and little Pteleon stand; Where beauteous Arene her structures shows, And Thryon's walls Alpheus' streams inclose: And Dorion, famed for Thamyris' disgrace, Superior once of all the tuneful race, Till, vain of mortals' empty praise, he strove To match the seed of cloud-compelling Jove!

Too daring bard! whose unsuccessful pride The immortal Muses in their art defied.

The avenging Muses of the light of day Deprived his eyes, and s.n.a.t.c.h'd his voice away; No more his heavenly voice was heard to sing, His hand no more awaked the silver string.

Where under high Cyllene, crown'd with wood, The shaded tomb of old aepytus stood; From Ripe, Stratie, Tegea's bordering towns, The Phenean fields, and Orchomenian downs, Where the fat herds in plenteous pasture rove; And Stymphelus with her surrounding grove; Parrhasia, on her snowy cliffs reclined, And high Enispe shook by wintry wind, And fair Mantinea's ever-pleasing site; In sixty sail the Arcadian bands unite.

Bold Agapenor, glorious at their head, (Ancaeus' son) the mighty squadron led.

Their ships, supplied by Agamemnon's care, Through roaring seas the wondering warriors bear; The first to battle on the appointed plain, But new to all the dangers of the main.

Those, where fair Elis and Buprasium join; Whom Hyrmin, here, and Myrsinus confine, And bounded there, where o'er the valleys rose The Olenian rock; and where Alisium flows; Beneath four chiefs (a numerous army) came: The strength and glory of the Epean name.

In separate squadrons these their train divide, Each leads ten vessels through the yielding tide.

One was Amphimachus, and Thalpius one; (Eurytus' this, and that Teatus' son;) Diores sprung from Amarynceus' line; And great Polyxenus, of force divine.

But those who view fair Elis o'er the seas From the blest islands of the Echinades, In forty vessels under Meges move, Begot by Phyleus, the beloved of Jove: To strong Dulichium from his sire he fled, And thence to Troy his hardy warriors led.

Ulysses follow'd through the watery road, A chief, in wisdom equal to a G.o.d.

With those whom Cephalenia's line inclosed, Or till their fields along the coast opposed; Or where fair Ithaca o'erlooks the floods, Where high Neritos shakes his waving woods, Where aegilipa's rugged sides are seen, Crocylia rocky, and Zacynthus green.

These in twelve galleys with vermilion prores, Beneath his conduct sought the Phrygian sh.o.r.es.

Thoas came next, Andraemon's valiant son, From Pleuron's walls, and chalky Calydon, And rough Pylene, and the Olenian steep, And Chalcis, beaten by the rolling deep.

He led the warriors from the aetolian sh.o.r.e, For now the sons of OEneus were no more!

The glories of the mighty race were fled!

OEneus himself, and Meleager dead!

To Thoas' care now trust the martial train, His forty vessels follow through the main.

Next, eighty barks the Cretan king commands, Of Gnossus, Lyctus, and Gortyna's bands; And those who dwell where Rhytion's domes arise, Or white Lycastus glitters to the skies, Or where by Phaestus silver Jardan runs; Crete's hundred cities pour forth all her sons.

These march'd, Idomeneus, beneath thy care, And Merion, dreadful as the G.o.d of war.

Tlepolemus, the sun of Hercules, Led nine swift vessels through the foamy seas, From Rhodes, with everlasting sunshine bright, Jalyssus, Lindus, and Camirus white.

His captive mother fierce Alcides bore From Ephyr's walls and Selle's winding sh.o.r.e, Where mighty towns in ruins spread the plain, And saw their blooming warriors early slain.

The hero, when to manly years he grew, Alcides' uncle, old Licymnius, slew; For this, constrain'd to quit his native place, And shun the vengeance of the Herculean race, A fleet he built, and with a numerous train Of willing exiles wander'd o'er the main; Where, many seas and many sufferings past, On happy Rhodes the chief arrived at last: There in three tribes divides his native band, And rules them peaceful in a foreign land; Increased and prosper'd in their new abodes By mighty Jove, the sire of men and G.o.ds; With joy they saw the growing empire rise, And showers of wealth descending from the skies.

Three ships with Nireus sought the Trojan sh.o.r.e, Nireus, whom Aglae to Charopus bore, Nireus, in faultless shape and blooming grace, The loveliest youth of all the Grecian race;(104) Pelides only match'd his early charms; But few his troops, and small his strength in arms.

Next thirty galleys cleave the liquid plain, Of those Calydnae's sea-girt isles contain; With them the youth of Nisyrus repair, Casus the strong, and c.r.a.pathus the fair; Cos, where Eurypylus possess'd the sway, Till great Alcides made the realms obey: These Antiphus and bold Phidippus bring, Sprung from the G.o.d by Thessalus the king.

Now, Muse, recount Pelasgic Argos' powers, From Alos, Alope, and Trechin's towers: From Phthia's s.p.a.cious vales; and h.e.l.la, bless'd With female beauty far beyond the rest.

Full fifty ships beneath Achilles' care, The Achaians, Myrmidons, h.e.l.lenians bear; Thessalians all, though various in their name; The same their nation, and their chief the same.

But now inglorious, stretch'd along the sh.o.r.e, They hear the brazen voice of war no more; No more the foe they face in dire array: Close in his fleet the angry leader lay; Since fair Briseis from his arms was torn, The n.o.blest spoil from sack'd Lyrnessus borne, Then, when the chief the Theban walls o'erthrew, And the bold sons of great Evenus slew.

There mourn'd Achilles, plunged in depth of care, But soon to rise in slaughter, blood, and war.

To these the youth of Phylace succeed, Itona, famous for her fleecy breed, And gra.s.sy Pteleon deck'd with cheerful greens, The bowers of Ceres, and the sylvan scenes.

Sweet Pyrrhasus, with blooming flowerets crown'd, And Antron's watery dens, and cavern'd ground.

These own'd, as chief, Protesilas the brave, Who now lay silent in the gloomy grave: The first who boldly touch'd the Trojan sh.o.r.e, And dyed a Phrygian lance with Grecian gore; There lies, far distant from his native plain; Unfinish'd his proud palaces remain, And his sad consort beats her breast in vain.

His troops in forty ships Podarces led, Iphiclus' son, and brother to the dead; Nor he unworthy to command the host; Yet still they mourn'd their ancient leader lost.

The men who Glaphyra's fair soil partake, Where hills incircle Boebe's lowly lake, Where Phaere hears the neighbouring waters fall, Or proud Iolcus lifts her airy wall, In ten black ships embark'd for Ilion's sh.o.r.e, With bold Eumelus, whom Alceste bore: All Pelias' race Alceste far outshined, The grace and glory of the beauteous kind,

The troops Methone or Thaumacia yields, Olizon's rocks, or Meliboea's fields, With Philoctetes sail'd whose matchless art From the tough bow directs the feather'd dart.

Seven were his ships; each vessel fifty row, Skill'd in his science of the dart and bow.

But he lay raging on the Lemnian ground, A poisonous hydra gave the burning wound; There groan'd the chief in agonizing pain, Whom Greece at length shall wish, nor wish in vain.

His forces Medon led from Lemnos' sh.o.r.e, Oileus' son, whom beauteous Rhena bore.

The OEchalian race, in those high towers contain'd Where once Eurytus in proud triumph reign'd, Or where her humbler turrets Tricca rears, Or where Ithome, rough with rocks, appears, In thirty sail the sparkling waves divide, Which Podalirius and Machaon guide.

To these his skill their parent-G.o.d imparts, Divine professors of the healing arts.

The bold Ormenian and Asterian bands In forty barks Eurypylus commands.

Where t.i.tan hides his h.o.a.ry head in snow, And where Hyperia's silver fountains flow.

Thy troops, Argissa, Polypoetes leads, And Eleon, shelter'd by Olympus' shades, Gyrtone's warriors; and where Orthe lies, And Oloosson's chalky cliffs arise.

Sprung from Pirithous of immortal race, The fruit of fair Hippodame's embrace, (That day, when hurl'd from Pelion's cloudy head, To distant dens the s.h.a.ggy Centaurs fled) With Polypoetes join'd in equal sway Leonteus leads, and forty ships obey.

In twenty sail the bold Perrhaebians came From Cyphus, Guneus was their leader's name.

With these the Enians join'd, and those who freeze Where cold Dodona lifts her holy trees; Or where the pleasing t.i.taresius glides, And into Peneus rolls his easy tides; Yet o'er the silvery surface pure they flow, The sacred stream unmix'd with streams below, Sacred and awful! from the dark abodes Styx pours them forth, the dreadful oath of G.o.ds!

Last, under Prothous the Magnesians stood, (Prothous the swift, of old Tenthredon's blood;) Who dwell where Pelion, crown'd with piny boughs, Obscures the glade, and nods his s.h.a.ggy brows; Or where through flowery Tempe Peneus stray'd: (The region stretch'd beneath his mighty shade:) In forty sable barks they stemm'd the main; Such were the chiefs, and such the Grecian train.

Say next, O Muse! of all Achaia breeds, Who bravest fought, or rein'd the n.o.blest steeds?

Eumelus' mares were foremost in the chase, As eagles fleet, and of Pheretian race; Bred where Pieria's fruitful fountains flow, And train'd by him who bears the silver bow.

Fierce in the fight their nostrils breathed a flame, Their height, their colour, and their age the same; O'er fields of death they whirl the rapid car, And break the ranks, and thunder through the war.

Ajax in arms the first renown acquired, While stern Achilles in his wrath retired: (His was the strength that mortal might exceeds, And his the unrivall'd race of heavenly steeds:) But Thetis' son now shines in arms no more; His troops, neglected on the sandy sh.o.r.e.

In empty air their sportive javelins throw, Or whirl the disk, or bend an idle bow: Unstain'd with blood his cover'd chariots stand; The immortal coursers graze along the strand; But the brave chiefs the inglorious life deplored, And, wandering o'er the camp, required their lord.

Now, like a deluge, covering all around, The shining armies sweep along the ground; Swift as a flood of fire, when storms arise, Floats the wild field, and blazes to the skies.

Earth groan'd beneath them; as when angry Jove Hurls down the forky lightning from above, On Arime when he the thunder throws, And fires Typhoeus with redoubled blows, Where Typhon, press'd beneath the burning load, Still feels the fury of the avenging G.o.d.

But various Iris, Jove's commands to bear, Speeds on the wings of winds through liquid air; In Priam's porch the Trojan chiefs she found, The old consulting, and the youths around.

Polites' shape, the monarch's son, she chose, Who from aesetes' tomb observed the foes,(105) High on the mound; from whence in prospect lay The fields, the tents, the navy, and the bay.

In this dissembled form, she hastes to bring The unwelcome message to the Phrygian king.

"Cease to consult, the time for action calls; War, horrid war, approaches to your walls!

a.s.sembled armies oft have I beheld; But ne'er till now such numbers charged a field: Thick as autumnal leaves or driving sand, The moving squadrons blacken all the strand.

Thou, G.o.dlike Hector! all thy force employ, a.s.semble all the united bands of Troy; In just array let every leader call The foreign troops: this day demands them all!"

The voice divine the mighty chief alarms; The council breaks, the warriors rush to arms.

The gates unfolding pour forth all their train, Nations on nations fill the dusky plain, Men, steeds, and chariots, shake the trembling ground: The tumult thickens, and the skies resound.

Amidst the plain, in sight of Ilion, stands A rising mount, the work of human hands; (This for Myrinne's tomb the immortals know, Though call'd Bateia in the world below;) Beneath their chiefs in martial order here, The auxiliar troops and Trojan hosts appear.

The G.o.dlike Hector, high above the rest, Shakes his huge spear, and nods his plumy crest: In throngs around his native bands repair, And groves of lances glitter in the air.