Profane! But Me Have Injured Also, And Defied The Hot Displeasure Of High-Thundering Jove The Hospitable, Who Shall Waste In Time, And Level With The Dust Your Lofty Troy. I Wrong'D Not You, Yet Bore Ye Far Away My Youthful Bride Who Welcomed You, And Stole My Treasures Also, And Ye Now Are Bent To Burn Achaia'S Gallant Fleet With Fire And Slay Her Heroes; But Your Furious Thirst Of Battle Shall Hereafter Meet A Check. Oh, Father Jove! Thee Wisest We Account In Heaven Or Earth, Yet From Thyself Proceed All These Calamities, Who Favor SHow'st To This Flagitious Race The Trojans, Strong In Wickedness Alone, And Whose Delight In War And Bloodshed Never Can Be Cloy'D. All Pleasures Breed Satiety, Sweet Sleep, Soft Dalliance, Music, And The Graceful Dance, Though Sought With Keener Appetite By Most Than Bloody War; But Troy Still Covets Blood. So Spake The Royal Chief, And To His Friends Pisander'S Gory Spoils Consigning, Flew To Mingle In The Foremost Fight Again. Him, Next, Harpalion, Offspring Of The King Pyl'Menes Assail'D; To Troy He Came Following His Sire, But Never Thence Return'D. He, From Small Distance, Smote The Central Boss Of Menelaus' Buckler With His Lance, But Wanting Power To Pierce It, With An Eye Of Cautious Circumspection, Lest Perchance Some Spear Should Reach Him, To His Band Retired. But Him Retiring With A Brazen Shaft Meriones Pursued; Swift Flew The Dart To His Right Buttock, Slipp'D Beneath The Bone, His Bladder Grazed, And Started Through Before. There Ended His Retreat; Sudden He Sank And Like A Worm Lay On The Ground, His Life Exhaling In His Fellow-Warrior'S Arms, And With His Sable Blood Soaking The Plain. Around Him Flock'D His Paphlagonians Bold, And In His Chariot Placed Drove Him To Troy, With Whom His Father Went, Mourning With Tears A Son, Whose Death He Never Saw Avenged. Him Slain With Indignation Paris View'D, For He, With Numerous Paphlagonians More His Guest Had Been; He, Therefore, In The Thirst Of Vengeance, Sent A Brazen Arrow Forth. There Was A Certain Greek, Euchenor, Son Of Polyides The Soothsayer, Rich And Brave In Fight, And Who In Corinth Dwelt He, Knowing Well His Fate, Yet Sail'D To Troy For Polyides Oft, His Reverend Sire, Had Prophecied That He Should Either Die By Some Dire Malady At Home, Or, Slain By Trojan Hands, Amid The Fleet Of Greece. He, Therefore, Shunning The Reproach Alike Of The Achaians, And That Dire Disease, Had Join'D The Grecian Host; Him Paris Pierced The Ear And Jaw Beneath; Life At The Stroke Left Him, And Darkness Overspread His Eyes. So Raged The Battle Like Devouring Fire. But Hector Dear To Jove Not Yet Had Learn'D, Nor Aught Surmised The Havoc Of His Host Made On The Left, Where Victory Crown'D Well-Nigh The Grecians Animated To The Fight By Neptune Seconding Himself Their Arms. He, Where He First Had Started Through The Gate After Dispersion Of The Shielded Greeks Compact, Still Persevered. The Galleys There Of Ajax And Protesila'S Stood Updrawn Above The Hoary Deep; The Wall Was There Of Humblest Structure, And The Steeds And Warriors There Conflicted Furious Most. The Epeans There And I'Onians[12] Robed- Prolix, The Phthians,[13] Locrians, And The Bold Boetians Check'D The Terrible Assault Of Hector, Noble Chief, Ardent As Flame, Yet Not Repulsed Him. Chosen Athenians Form'D The Van, By Peteos' Son, Menestheus, Led, Whose High Command Undaunted Bias Shared, Phidas And Stichius. The Epean Host Under Amphion, Dracius, Meges, Fought. Podarces Brave In Arms The Phthians Ruled, And Medon (Medon Was By Spurious Birth Brother Of Ajax O'Liades, And For His Uncle'S Death, Whom He Had Slain, The Brother Of O'Leus' Wife, Abode In Phylace; But From Iphiclus Sprang Podarces;) These, All Station'D In The Front Of Phthias' Hardy Sons, Together Strove With The Boeotians For The Fleet'S Defence. Ajax The Swift Swerved Never From The Side Of Ajax Son Of Telamon A Step, But As In Some Deep Fallow Two Black Steers Labor Combined, Dragging The Ponderous Plow, The Briny Sweat Around Their Rooted Horns Oozes Profuse; They, Parted As They Toil Along The Furrow, By The Yoke Alone, Cleave To Its Bottom Sheer The Stubborn Glebe, So, Side By Side, They, Persevering Fought.[14] The Son Of Telamon A People Led Numerous And Bold, Who, When His Bulky Limbs Fail'D Overlabor'D, Eased Him Of His Shield. Not So Attended By His Locrians Fought O'Leus' Valiant Son; Pitch'D Battle Them Suited Not, Unprovided With Bright Casques Of Hairy Crest, With Ashen Spears, And Shields Of Ample Orb; For, Trusting In The Bow And Twisted Sling Alone, They Came To Troy, And Broke With Shafts And Volley'D Stones The Ranks. Thus Occupying, Clad In Burnish'D Arms, The Van, These Two With Hector And His Host Conflicted, While The Locrians From Behind Vex'D Them With Shafts, Secure; Nor Could The Men Of Ilium Stand, By Such A Shower Confused. Then, Driven With Dreadful Havoc Thence, The Foe To Wind-Swept Ilium Had Again Retired. Had Not Polydamas, At Hector'S Side Standing, The Dauntless Hero Thus Address'D. Hector! Thou Ne'er Canst Listen To Advice; But Think'St Thou, That If Heaven In Feats Of Arms Give Thee Pre-Eminence, Thou Must Excel Therefore In Council Also All Mankind? No. All-Sufficiency Is Not For Thee. To One, Superior Force In Arms Is Given, Skill To Another In The Graceful Dance, Sweet Song And Powers Of Music To A Third, And To A Fourth Loud-Thundering Jove Imparts Wisdom, Which Profits Many, And Which Saves Whole Cities Oft, Though Reverenced But By Few. Yet Hear; I Speak As Wisest Seems To Me. War, Like A Fiery Circle, All Around Environs Thee; The Trojans, Since They Pass'D The Bulwark, Either Hold Themselves Aloof, Or, Wide-Dispersed Among The Galleys, Cope With Numbers Far Superior To Their Own. Retiring, Therefore, Summon All Our Chiefs To Consultation On The Sum Of All, Whether (Should Heaven So Prosper Us) To Rush Impetuous On The Gallant Barks Of Greece, Or To Retreat Secure; For Much I Dread Lest The Achaians Punctually Refund All Yesterday'S Arrear, Since Yonder Chief[15] Insatiable With Battle Still Abides Within The Fleet, Nor Longer, As I Judge, Will Rest A Mere Spectator Of The Field. So Spake Polydamas, Whose Safe Advice Pleased Hector; From His Chariot Down He Leap'D All Arm'D, And In Wing'D Accents Thus Replied. Polydamas! Here Gather All The Chiefs; I Haste Into The Fight, And My Commands Once Issued There, Incontinent Return. He Ended, And Conspicuous As The Height Of Some Snow-Crested Mountain, Shouting Ranged The Trojans And Confederates Of Troy. They Swift Around Polydamas, Brave Son Of Panthus, At The Voice Of Hector, Ran. Himself With Hasty Strides The Front, Meantime, Of Battle Roam'D, Seeking From Rank To Rank Asius Hyrtacides, With Asius' Son Adamas, And Deiphobus, And The Might Of Helenus, His Royal Brother Bold. Them Neither Altogether Free From Hurt He Found, Nor Living All. Beneath The Sterns Of The Achaian Ships Some Slaughter'D Lay By Grecian Hands; Some Stricken By The Spear Within The Rampart Sat, Some By The Sword. But Leftward Of The Woful Field He Found, Ere Long, Bright Helen'S Paramour His Band Exhorting To The Fight. Hector Approach'D, And Him, In Fierce Displeasure, Thus Bespake. Curst Paris, Specious, Fraudulent And Lewd! Where Is Deiphobus, And Where The Might Of Royal Helenus? Where Adamas Offspring Of Asius, And Where Asius, Son Of Hyrtacus, And Where Othryoneus? Now Lofty Ilium From Her Topmost Height Falls Headlong, Now Is Thy Own Ruin Sure! To Whom The Godlike Paris Thus Replied. Since Hector! Thou Art Pleased With No Just Cause To Censure Me, I May Decline, Perchance, Much More The Battle On Some Future Day, For I Profess Some Courage, Even I. Witness Our Constant Conflict With The Greeks Here, On This Spot, Since First Led On By Thee The Host Of Troy Waged Battle At The Ships. But Those Our Friends Of Whom Thou Hast Inquired Are Slain, Deiphobus Alone Except And Royal Helenus, Who In The Hand Bear Each A Wound Inflicted By The Spear, And Have Retired; But Jove Their Life Preserved. Come Now--Conduct Us Whither Most Thine Heart Prompts Thee, And Thou Shalt Find Us Ardent All To Face Like Danger; What We Can, We Will, The Best And Most Determined Can No More. So Saying, The Hero Soothed His Brother'S Mind. Then Moved They Both Toward The Hottest War Together, Where Polydamas The Brave, Phalces, Cebriones, Orth'Us Fought, Palmys And Polyphoetes, Godlike Chief, And Morys And Ascanius, Gallant Sons Both Of Hippotion. They At Troy Arrived From Fair Ascania The Preceding Morn, In Recompense For Aid[16] By Priam Lent Erewhile To Phrygia, And, By Jove Impell'D, Now Waged The Furious Battle Side By Side. The March Of These At Once, Was As The Sound Of Mighty Winds From Deep-Hung Thunder-Clouds Descending; Clamorous The Blast And Wild With Ocean Mingles; Many A Billow, Then, Upridged Rides Turbulent The Sounding Flood, Foam-Crested Billow After Billow Driven, So Moved The Host Of Troy, Rank After Rank Behind Their Chiefs, All Dazzling Bright In Arms. Before Them Priameian Hector Strode Fierce As Gore-Tainted Mars, And His Broad Shield Advancing Came, Heavy With Hides, And Thick- Plated With Brass; His Helmet On His Brows Refulgent Shook, And In Its Turn He Tried The Force Of Every Phalanx, If Perchance Behind His Broad Shield Pacing He Might Shake Their Steadfast Order; But He Bore Not Down The Spirit Of The Firm Achaian Host. Then Ajax Striding Forth, Him, First, Defied. Approach. Why Temptest Thou The Greeks To Fear? No Babes Are We In Aught That Appertains To Arms, Though Humbled By The Scourge Of Jove. Thou Cherishest The Foolish Hope To Burn Our Fleet With Fire; But Even We Have Hearts Prepared To Guard It, And Your Populous Troy, By Us Dismantled And To Pillage Given, Shall Perish Sooner Far. Know This Thyself Also; The Hour Is Nigh When Thou Shalt Ask In Prayer To Jove And All The Gods Of Heaven, That Speed More Rapid Than The Falcon'S Flight May Wing Thy Coursers, While, Exciting Dense The Dusty Plain, They Whirl Thee Back To Troy. While Thus He Spake, Sublime On The Right-Hand An Eagle Soar'D; Confident In The Sign The Whole Achaian Host With Loud Acclaim Hail'D It. Then Glorious Hector Thus Replied. Brainless And Big, What Means This Boast Of Thine, Earth-Cumberer Ajax? Would I Were The Son As Sure, For Ever, Of Almighty Jove And Juno, And Such Honor Might Receive Henceforth As Pallas And Apollo Share, As Comes This Day With Universal Wo Fraught For The Grecians, Among Whom Thyself Shalt Also Perish If Thou Dare Abide My Massy Spear, Which Shall Thy Pamper'D Flesh Disfigure, And Amid The Barks Of Greece Falling, Thou Shalt The Vultures With Thy Bulk Enormous Satiate, And The Dogs Of Troy. He Spake, And Led His Host; With Clamor Loud They Follow'D Him, And All The Distant Rear Came Shouting On. On The Other Side The Greeks Re-Echoed Shout For Shout, All Undismay'D, And Waiting Firm The Bravest Of Their Foes. Upwent The Double Roar Into The Heights Ethereal, And Among The Beams Of Jove.