The Iliad of Homer Part 49

Thus she spoke, weeping, and the females also mourned.

[Footnote 718: ?f??a??? pa?? ? ?f?t????e? ??????, ????? ? ?f?

?? ?ove?? pe??e?s?.]

[Footnote 719: Playing on the signification of the name,--"king of the city." This piece of twaddle has not been omitted by Plato in his ridiculous Cratylus.]

BOOK THE TWENTY-THIRD.

ARGUMENT.

Achilles, admonished in a dream by the ghost of his friend, celebrates the funeral of Patroclus.

Thus they indeed were mourning through the city; but the Greeks, as soon as they reached the ships and the h.e.l.lespont, were separated each to his own ship. But Achilles did not permit the Myrmidons to be dispersed, but he spoke amongst his warlike companions [thus]:

"Ye swift-horsed Myrmidons, comrades dear to me, let us not yet loose the solid-hoofed steeds from under our chariots, but with the very horses and chariots, going near, let us bewail Patroclus; for this is the honour of the dead. But when we have indulged[720] sad lamentation, unyoking our steeds, we will all sup here."

Thus he spoke; but they mourned in a body; and Achilles led the way.

Thrice they drove their fair-maned steeds around the body,[721]

grieving; and among them Thetis kindled a longing for lamentation.

Moistened were the sands, and moistened were the arms of the men with tears; for so brave a master of the flight they longed. But among them the son of Peleus led the abundant lamentation, laying his man-slaughtering hands upon the breast of his companion:

[Footnote 720: Excellently paraphrased by Gaza: ?pe?d?? d? t??

??e????? ?????? ?p??a?s?e?. Ernesti well observes that teta?p?es?a implies "delight mingled with satiety."]

[Footnote 721: This was a frequent rite at funerals. Cf. Apollon.

Rh. i. 1059; Virg. aen. xi. 188, sqq.; Heliodor. Ethiop. iii. p.

136: ?pe?d? t? ??a t?? ?e?pt????? pe??est????sat? ? p?p?, ?a?

t??t?? ?? ?f??? t?? ?pp?? pe????asa?, ??????a? ?? a? ???a??e?, ???a?a? d? ?? ??d?e?. Among the Romans this rite was called _decursio_. Cf. Liv. xxv. 17: Tacit. Ann. ii. 7; Sueton. Claud. -- i. According to Plutarch, Alexander the Great performed the same honours at the tomb of Achilles, that Achilles had bestowed upon the manes of his friend Patroclus. See also Bernart on Stat.

Theb. vi. 217.]

"Hail! O Patroclus, even in the dwellings of Hades; for now shall I accomplish all those things which formerly I promised, that having dragged Hector hither, I would give him to the dogs to be devoured raw; and that before thy pile I would cut the necks of twelve ill.u.s.trious sons of the Trojans, enraged on account of thee slain."

He spoke, and meditated unworthy deeds against n.o.ble Hector, having stretched him p.r.o.ne in the dust before the bier of Mentiades; but they each stripped off his brazen, glittering armour, and unyoked their high-sounding steeds. They sat also in crowds at the ship of swift-footed aeacides; but he afforded to them an agreeable funeral feast.[722] Many white bulls[723] were stretched around by the axe, having their throats cut, and many sheep and bleating goats. Many white-tusked swine also, abounding in fat, were extended for roasting in the flame of Vulcan; and on every side around the dead body flowed abundant blood. But the chiefs of the Greeks led the king, the swift-footed son of Peleus, to n.o.ble Agamemnon, hardly persuading him enraged at heart on account of his companion. But when advancing they reached the tent of Agamemnon, he straightway ordered the clear-voiced heralds to place a large tripod on the fire, if he could persuade the son of Peleus to wash away the b.l.o.o.d.y gore. But he sternly refused, and besides swore an oath:[724]

[Footnote 722: ??f?? t? ????e??? pe??de?p??? ?p? t? t??

?at???????? t??.--Hesych.]

[Footnote 723: On these funeral sacrifices, see Comm. on aen. xi.

l. c.; and Lomeier de l.u.s.trationibus, -- x.x.xi.]

[Footnote 724: b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 436, after insisting strongly on the _personification_ of ?????, observes on this pa.s.sage: "I see no reason why we should not suppose that in the poet's mind Jupiter was put in opposition to ?????, exactly in the same sense as ????? is actually found in opposition to ?e?? in Pindar, Pyth.

iv. 297. ???te??? ????? ?? ??t?? ?st? ?e?? ? ?e???????

?f?t?????. Further, the expressions ??a? ?????, ???te??? ?????

suit much better the idea of the witness or pledge of the oath, than they do the oath itself."]

"No, by Jove, who is both the supreme and the best of G.o.ds, it is not lawful that ablutions should come near my head, before I place Patroclus on the pile, and have thrown up a mound, and shorn my hair; for not to such a degree will sorrow a second time invade my heart, whilst I am among the living. But nevertheless let us now yield to the loathsome banquet. But on the morrow, O king of men, Agamemnon, give orders to bring wood, and dispose it so as is proper that a dead body enjoying it, should descend beneath the obscure darkness; so that the indefatigable fire may consume him very quickly from our eyes, and the people may return to their occupations."

Thus he spoke; but they indeed readily listened to him, and obeyed. Then they, each sedulously preparing supper, feasted; nor did their mind lack aught of an equal feast. But when they had dismissed the desire of food and drink, some departed in order to lie down, each to his tent. But the son of Peleus, on the contrary, amid his many Myrmidons, lay near the sh.o.r.e of the far-sounding sea, heavily moaning, in a clear spot, where the waves plashed against the sh.o.r.e; when sweet[725] sleep, diffused around, took possession of him, relaxing the cares of his mind; for he was very much fatigued as to his fair knees, chasing Hector at wind-swept Ilium. But to him came the spirit of wretched Patroclus, like unto him in all things, as to bulk, and beautiful eyes, and his voice; and like garments also were around his body; and he stood over his head, and addressed him:

"Sleepest thou, O Achilles, and art thou forgetful of me? Thou didst not indeed neglect me when alive, but [now that I am] dead. Bury me, that I may as soon as possible pa.s.s the gates of Hades. The spirits, the images of the deceased,[726] drive me far away, nor by any means permit me to be mingled with them beyond the river; but thus I do wander round the ample-gated dwelling of Hades. But give me thy hand,[727] I beseech thee, for I shall not again return from Hades after thou hast made me a partaker of the fire. For by no means shall we, being alive, sitting apart from our dear companions, deliberate counsels; but the hateful fate which befel me when born, has s.n.a.t.c.hed me away. And to thyself also, O G.o.dlike Achilles, thy fate is to perish beneath the wall of the n.o.ble Trojans. But another thing I bid, and will command, O Achilles, if thou wilt obey, not to lay my bones apart from thine; but as we were nurtured together in thy palaces, when Mentius led me from Opus, a little boy, to thy home, on account of a melancholy homicide, on that day when, imprudent, I slew the son of Amphidamas, not wishing it, enraged about the dice:[728] then Peleus received me in his abode, carefully reared me, and named me thy attendant. So may the same tomb contain our bones, the golden vase which thy venerable mother gave thee."

[Footnote 725: On the epithet ??d???, cf. b.u.t.tm. p. 414, sqq.]

[Footnote 726: b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 372, in a very interesting discussion, regards ?a??te? as an euphemism, "by which the dead, whom we consider as still acting and feeling, and consequently as the objects of our kind offices, of which they are conscious, are represented as still living in another state, but deprived of their earthly powers."]

[Footnote 727: Virg. aen. vi. 370: "Da dextram misero."]

[Footnote 728: See the Quaint remarks of Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, p. 224, ed. Bohn.]

But him swift-footed Achilles, answering, addressed:

"Why, O venerable friend, hast thou come to me, and commandest each of these things to me? Yet will I readily accomplish all these things for thee, and obey as thou commandest. But stand nearer to me, that embracing each other even for a little while, we may indulge in sad lamentation."

Thus then having spoken, he stretched out with his friendly arms, nor caught him;[729] for the spirit went gibbering[730] beneath the earth, like smoke. Then Achilles sprang up astonished, and clapped together his hands, and spoke this doleful speech:

"Alas! there is indeed then, even in the dwellings of Hades, a certain spirit and image, but there is no body[731] in it at all; for all night the spirit of miserable Patroclus stood by me, groaning and lamenting, and enjoined to me each particular, and was wonderfully like unto himself."

[Footnote 729: Cf. Georg. iv. 499; aen. ii. 790, iv. 276; Lucan, iii. 34.]

[Footnote 730: See Odyss. xxiv. sub init, where the same word is applied to the shades of the suitors of Penelope.]

[Footnote 731: By f???e? we may understand the power of using reason and judgment, with Duport, Gnom. p. 128, and Jeremy Taylor, Holy Dying, p. 524, ed. Bohn. But ver. 100 seems to require the interpretation which I have followed; Clarke rendering it "praecordia."]

Thus he spoke; and excited among them all a longing for lamentation; and rosy-fingered Morn appeared to them while weeping around the miserable corpse. But king Agamemnon incited everywhere from the tents both mules and men to bring wood; and for this a brave man was roused, Meriones, the servant of valour-loving Idomeneus. And they went, holding in their hands wood-lopping axes and well-twisted ropes; and before them went the mules. They pa.s.sed over many ascents,[732] descents, and straight ways and crossways. But when they reached the forests of many-rilled Ida, hastening, they cut down the towering oaks with the keen-edged bra.s.s.

These greatly resounding, fell; and the Greeks then splitting them, tied [them] upon the mules, but they pained the ground with their hoofs, eager to reach the plain through the close thickets. But all the wood-cutters carried trunks of trees, for so Meriones, the servant of valour-loving Idomeneus, ordered; and afterwards threw them in order upon the sh.o.r.e, where Achilles designed a mighty tomb for Patroclus, and for himself.

But when they had thrown on all sides immense quant.i.ties of wood, remaining there in a body, they sat down; but Achilles immediately ordered the warlike Myrmidons to gird on the bra.s.s, and to yoke each his horses to his chariot; but they arose, and were arrayed in their armour.

And both the combatants and the charioteers ascended their chariots; the cavalry indeed first, but a cloud of infantry followed after in myriads; and in the midst his companions bore Patroclus. They covered all the dead body over with hair, which, cutting off,[733] they threw upon it; but n.o.ble Achilles held his head behind, grieving, for he was sending a blameless companion to Hades.

[Footnote 732: A most remarkable and beautiful example of the appropriation of sound to sense. Pope has admirably imitated the original by the following translation:--

"O'er hills, o'er dales, o'er crags, o'er rocks, they go."

Cowper less successfully:--

"They measured hill and dale, Right onward now, and now circuitous."

Cf. Milton, P.L. ii. 948:--

"So eagerly the fiend O'er bog, or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare, With head, hands, wings, or feet pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies."]

[Footnote 733: So in Senec. Hippol. 1176, "Placemus umbras, capitis exuvias cape, laceraeque frontis accipe abscissam comam."

The custom is learnedly ill.u.s.trated by Bernart on Stat. Theb. vi.

195, Lomeier de l.u.s.trat. -- xxv.]