The Iliad of Homer Part 9

Meanwhile the son of Atreus was wandering through the crowd like to a savage beast, if anywhere he could perceive G.o.dlike Alexander. But none of the Trojans or their ill.u.s.trious allies could then point out Alexander to Mars-beloved Menelaus; for neither through friendship would they have concealed him, if any one did see him; for he was hateful to them all, like sable death. But amongst them spoke Agamemnon, king of heroes:

"Hear me, ye Trojans, Greeks, and allies: the victory indeed appears [to belong to] Mars-beloved Menelaus. Do ye therefore restore Argive Helen and her treasures with her, and pay the fine which is fitting, and which shall be remembered by future men."

Thus spoke the son of Atreus, and the other Greeks approved.

BOOK THE FOURTH

ARGUMENT.

_Paris not being slain, the combat left it doubtful whether Helen should be returned or not; but Juno extorts a promise from Jove of the final destruction of Troy. Minerva then persuades Pandarus to break the truce by aiming an arrow at Menelaus. The wound is, however, cured by Machaon.

The Trojans proceed to the battle, while Agamemnon exhorts the chieftains of the Greeks. The fight then commences, Mars and Apollo encouraging the Trojans, Minerva and the other deities the Greeks._

Now they, the G.o.ds, sitting on the golden floor[163] with Jove, were engaged in consultation, and amidst them venerable Hebe poured out the nectar: but they pledged[164] one another with golden cups, looking towards the city of the Trojans. Forthwith the son of Saturn attempted to irritate Juno, speaking with a covert allusion, with reproachful words:[165]

"Two G.o.ddesses, indeed, are auxiliaries to Menelaus, Argive[166] Juno and Minerva of Alalcomenae:[167] and yet these, forsooth, sitting apart, amuse themselves with looking on; but to the other, on the contrary [Paris], laughter-loving Venus is ever present,[168] and averts fate from him. Even now has she saved him, thinking that he was about to die.

But the victory, indeed, belongs to Mars-beloved Menelaus: let us therefore consult how these things shall be, whether we shall again excite the destructive war, and dreadful battle-din, or promote friendship between both parties. And if, moreover, this shall perchance[169] be grateful and pleasing to all, the city of king Priam, indeed, may be inhabited, but let Menelaus lead back again Argive Helen."

[Footnote 163: "On the golden floor of Jove's abode."--Cowper.]

[Footnote 164: Athenaeus, i. ll, ede?????t?, p??p????te? ea?t???, ta?? de??a??. Cf. xi. 14. Hesych. de?de?t?, ede????t?, d?a f???a?

?spa?et? ?a? ?????.]

[Footnote 165: I am indebted to Arnold for this version.]

[Footnote 166: So called from her temple at Argos. See Pausan.

ii. 17; Apul. Met. vi. p. 458; Servius on aen. i. 28.]

[Footnote 167: She had a temple at Alalcomenae, in Botia. Cf.

Pausan. ix. 33; Steph. Byz. ?. a?a???e????.]

[Footnote 168: On the affinity of ??s?e?? and ??e??, see b.u.t.tm. Lexil. p. 84.]

[Footnote 169: Read a? p?? for a?t??, with Aristarchus, Wolf, Spitzner.]

Thus he spoke: but Minerva and Juno murmured with closed lips, for they were sitting near, and were devising evils for the Trojans. Minerva, indeed, was silent, nor said anything, indignant with her father Jove, for dreadful rage possessed her. But Juno could not retain her fury in her breast, but addressed him:

"Most baleful son of Saturn! what a sentence hast thou uttered! How dost thou wish to render my labour vain, and my sweat fruitless, which I have sweated through with toil? For the steeds are tired to me a.s.sembling the host, evils to Priam and to his sons. Do so: but all we the other G.o.ds do not approve."

But her cloud-compelling Jove, in great wrath, answered: "Strange one!

how now do Priam and the sons of Priam work so many wrongs against thee, that thou desirest implacably to overturn the well-built city of Ilion?

But if thou, entering the gates and the lofty walls, couldst devour alive[170] Priam and the sons of Priam, and the other Trojans, then perhaps thou mightst satiate thy fury. Do as thou wilt, lest this contention be in future a great strife between thee and me. But another thing I tell thee, and do thou lay it up in thy soul: whenever haply I, anxiously desiring, shall wish to destroy some city, where men dear to thee are born, r.e.t.a.r.d not my rage, but suffer me; for I have given thee this of free will, though with unwilling mind. For of those cities of earthly men, which are situated under the sun and the starry heaven, sacred Ilion was most honoured by me in my heart, and Priam and the people of Priam skilled in the ashen spear. For there my altars never lacked a due banquet and libation, and savour; for this honour were we allotted."

[Footnote 170: Literally, "eat raw." Cf. Xenoph. Anab. iv. 8, 14.

???t??? ?? p?? d???e?a, ?a? ???? de? ?atafa?e??.--Clarke.]

Him then the venerable full-eyed Juno answered: "There are three cities, indeed, most dear to me: Argos, and Sparta, and wide-wayed Mycenae;[171]

destroy these whenever they become hateful to thy soul. In behalf of these I neither stand forth, nor do I grudge them to thee: for even were I to grudge them, and not suffer thee to destroy them, by grudging I avail nothing, since thou art much more powerful. And yet it becomes [thee] to render my labour not fruitless; for I am a G.o.ddess, and thence my race, whence thine; and wily Saturn begat me, very venerable on two accounts, both by my parentage, and because I have been called thy spouse. Moreover, thou rulest amongst all the immortals. But truly let us make these concessions to each other: I, on my part, to thee, and thou to me; and the other immortal G.o.ds will follow. Do thou without delay bid Minerva go to the dreadful battle-din of the Trojans and Greeks, and contrive that the Trojans may first begin to injure the most renowned Greeks, contrary to the leagues."

[Footnote 171: "It certainly seems to me, that, in a reference so distinct to the three great Peloponnesian cities which the Dorians invaded and possessed, Homer makes as broad an allusion to the conquests of the Heraclidae, not only as would be consistent with the pride of an Ionic Greek in attesting the triumphs of the national Dorian foe, but as the nature of a theme cast in a distant period, and remarkably removed, in its general conduct, from the historical detail of subsequent events, would warrant to the poet."--Bulwer, Athens, i. 8. The correctness of this view, however, depends upon the true date of Homer's existence.]

Thus she spoke; nor did the father of G.o.ds and men disobey. Instantly he addressed Minerva in winged words:

"Go very quickly to the army, among the Trojans and Greeks, and contrive that the Trojans may first begin to injure the most renowned Greeks, contrary to the league."

Thus having spoken, he urged on Minerva already inclined; she hastening descended the heights of Olympus; such as the star which the son of wily Saturn sends, a sign either to mariners, or to a wide host of nations, and from it many sparks are emitted. Like unto this Pallas Minerva hastened to the earth, and leaped into the midst [of the army]; and astonishment seized the horse-breaking Trojans and the well-greaved Greeks, looking on. And thus would one say, looking at some other near him:

"Doubtless evil war and dreadful battle-din will take place again, or Jove is establishing friendship between both sides, he who has been ordained the arbiter of war amongst men." [172]

[Footnote 172: Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 20, compares the words of Belisarius in Procop. Vandal. i. ?a???ta? e? a????p??, ?a?e?e?

de ? Te?? ?p?? p?te a?t? d??e?, ?a? t? t?? p??e?? d?d?s?

??at??.]

Thus then did some one of the Greeks and Trojans say; but she like a hero entered the host of the Trojans, the brave warrior Laodocus, son of Antenor, seeking G.o.dlike Pandarus, if anywhere she might find him. She found the blameless and valiant son of Lycaon standing, and around him the brave ranks of shielded warriors, who had followed him from the streams of aesepus; and standing near, she thus to him spoke winged words:

"Wouldst thou now hearken to me in anything, O warlike son of Lycaon?

Thou wouldst venture then to aim a swift arrow at Menelaus. Doubtless thou wouldst bear away both thanks and glory from all the Trojans, but of all, chiefly from the prince Alexander, from whom, indeed, first of all, thou wouldst receive splendid gifts, if he should see martial Menelaus, the son of Atreus, subdued by this weapon, ascending the sad pile. But come, aim an arrow at renowned Menelaus; and vow to Lycian-born[173] Apollo, the renowned archer, that thou wilt sacrifice a splendid hecatomb of firstling lambs, having returned home to the city of sacred Zeleia."

[Footnote 173: This is probably the true interpretation, and is given by the Scholiast, Hesychius, and others. But Heraclides, Alleg. -- 6, says that Apollo is so called epe?d? t?? ?ata t??

??????? ??a? ???a????? est?? a?t???, ? ?t? ???a?a?ta ?e??a, t??test? t?? e??a?t??. Cf. Macrob. Sat. i. 17; Serv. on aen. iv.

377.]

Thus spoke Minerva, and she persuaded his mind for him, unthinking one.

Straightway he uncased his well-polished bow, made from [the horn of] a wild, bounding goat, which he indeed surprising once on a time in ambush, as it was coming out of a cavern, struck, aiming at it beneath the breast; but it fell supine on the rock. Its horns had grown sixteen palms from its head; and these the horn-polishing artist, having duly prepared, fitted together, and when he had well smoothed all, added a golden tip. And having bent the bow, he aptly lowered it, having inclined it against the ground; but his excellent companions held their shields before him, lest the martial sons of the Greeks should rise against him, before warlike Menelaus, the chief of the Greeks, was wounded. Then he drew off the cover of his quiver, and took out an arrow, fresh, winged, a cause of gloomy ills. Forthwith he fitted the bitter arrow to the string, and vowed to Lycian-born Apollo, the renowned archer, that he would sacrifice a splendid hecatomb of firstling lambs, having returned home to the city of sacred Zeleia.

Having seized them, he drew together the notch [of the arrow] and the ox-hide string; the string, indeed, he brought near to his breast, and the barb to the bow. But after he had bent the great bow into a circle, the bow tw.a.n.ged, the bowstring rang loudly, and the sharp-pointed shaft bounded forth, impatient to wing its flight through the host.

Nor did the blessed immortal G.o.ds forget thee, O Menelaus;[174] but chiefly the spoil-hunting daughter of Jove, who, standing before thee, averted the deadly weapon. She as much repelled it from thy body, as a mother repels a fly from her infant, when it shall have laid itself down in sweet sleep. But she herself guided it to that part where the golden clasps of the girdle bound it, and the double-formed corslet met.[175]

The bitter arrow fell on his well-fitted belt, and through the deftly-wrought belt was it driven, and it stuck in the variegated corslet and the brazen-plated belt which he wore, the main defence of his body, a guard against weapons, which protect him most; through even this did it pa.s.s onwards, and the arrow grazed the surface of the hero's skin, and straightway black gore flowed from the wound. And as when some Maeonian[176] or Carian woman tinges ivory with purple colour, to be a cheek-trapping for steeds; in her chamber it lies, and many charioteers desire to bear it, but it lies by as an ornament for the king, both as a decoration to the steed, and a glory to the rider: so, Menelaus, were thy well-proportioned thighs, and legs, and fair feet below, stained with gore.

[Footnote 174: It is elegantly observed by Coleridge, p. 160, that "it is princ.i.p.ally owing to our sense of the dramatic probability of the action of the divinities in the Iliad that the heroes do not seem dwarfed by their protectors; on the contrary, the manifest favourite of the G.o.ds stands out in a dilated and more awful shape before our imagination, and seems, by the a.s.sociation, to be lifted up into the demiG.o.d."]

[Footnote 175: "Occurrebat sagittae, obvius erat ei penetranti."--Heyne. But it is better to understand, "where the plates of the cuira.s.s meet and overlay the ??a."--Arnold.]

[Footnote 176: _I.e._ Lydian.]

Then Agamemnon, the king of men, shuddered, as he beheld the black gore flowing from the wound, and Mars-beloved Menelaus himself shuddered. But when he saw the string[177] and the barbs still outside, his courage was once more collected in his breast. But Agamemnon, deeply sighing, and holding Menelaus with his hand, spoke thus amidst them, and all his companions kept groaning with him:

[Footnote 177: With which the iron head was fastened to the shaft.]

"O dear brother, now have I ratified a treaty which will prove thy death, exposing thee alone to fight with the Trojans for the Greeks; since the Trojans have thus wounded thee, and trampled on the faithful league. But by no means shall the league and the blood of the lambs be in vain, and the pure libations, and the right hands in which we confided. For even although Olympian Jove has not immediately brought them to pa.s.s, he will however bring them to pa.s.s at last; and at a great price have they paid the penalty,[178] to wit, with their own heads, and their wives and children. For this I know well in mind and soul. A day will be, when sacred Ilium shall perish, and Priam, and the people of ashen-speared Priam; and when Saturnian Jove, lofty-throned, dwelling in the aether, will himself shake his gloomy aegis over all, wrathful on account of this treachery. These things, indeed, shall not be unaccomplished; but to me there will be grief on thy account, O Menelaus, if thou shalt die and fulfil the fate of life; then, indeed, branded with shame, shall I return to much longed-for Argos. For quickly the Greeks will bethink themselves of their fatherland, and we shall leave Argive Helen a boast to Priam and to the Trojans, and the earth will rot thy bones lying in Troy, near to an unfinished work. And thus will some one of the haughty Trojans exclaim, leaping upon the tomb of glorious Menelaus: 'Would that Agamemnon thus wreaked his vengeance against all, as even now he has led hither an army of the Greeks in vain, and has now returned home into his dear native land, with empty ships, having left behind him brave Menelaus.' Thus will some one hereafter say: then may the wide earth yawn for me."

[Footnote 178: The past tense for the future: implying that the hour of retribution is so certain, that it may be considered already arrived.]

But him fair-haired Menelaus accosted, cheering him: "Have courage, nor in anywise frighten the people of the Achaeans. The sharp arrow has not stuck in a vital part, but before [it reached a vital part], the variegated belt, and the girdle beneath, and the plate which bra.s.s-working men forged, warded it off."