, Whom He Thus Bespake. Thou Also, Oh My Father! This Accept, Which In Remembrance Of The Funeral Rites Of My Patroclus, Keep, For Him Thou Seest Among The Greeks No More. Receive A Prize, Thine By Gratuity; For Thou Shalt Wield The Cestus, Wrestle, At The Spear Contend, Or In The Foot-Race (Fallen As Thou Art Into The Wane Of Life) Never Again. He Said, And Placed It In His Hands. He, Glad, Receiving It, In Accents Wing'D Replied. True, Oh My Son! Is All Which Thou Hast Spoken. These Limbs, These Hands, Young Friend! (Their Vigor Lost) No Longer, Darted From The Shoulder, Spring At Once To Battle. Ah That I Could Grow Young Yet Again, Could Feel Again Such Force Athletic, As When In Buprasium Erst The Epeans With Sepulchral Pomp Entomb'D King Amarynceus, Where His Sons Ordain'D Funereal Games In Honor Of Their Sire! Epean None Or Even Pylian There Could Cope With Me, Or Yet ?Tolian Bold. Boxing, I Vanquish'D Clytomedes, Son Of Enops; Wrestling, The Pleuronian Chief Anc?Us; In The Foot-Race Iphiclus, Though A Fleet Runner; And I Over-Pitch'D Phyleus And Polydorus At The Spear. The Sons Of Actor[16] In The Chariot-Race Alone Surpass'D Me, Being Two For One, And Jealous Both Lest I Should Also Win That Prize, For To The Victor Charioteer They Had Assign'D The Noblest Prize Of All. They Were Twin-Brothers, And One Ruled The Steeds, The Steeds One Ruled,[17] The Other Lash'D Them On. Such Once Was I; But Now, These Sports I Leave To Younger; Me Submission Most Befits To Withering Age, Who Then Outshone The Best. But Go. The Funeral Of Thy Friend With Games Proceed To Celebrate; I Accept Thy Gift With Pleasure; And My Heart Is Also Glad That Thou Art Mindful Evermore Of One Who Loves Thee, And Such Honor In The Sight Yield'St Me Of All The Greeks, As Is My Due. May The Gods Bless Thee For It More And More! He Spake, And Peleus' Son, When He Had Heard At Large His Commendation From The Lips Of Nestor, Through The Assembled Greeks Return'D. He Next Proposed, Not Lightly To Be Won, The Boxer'S Prize. He Tether'D Down A Mule, Untamed And Hard To Tame, But Strong To Toil, And In Her Prime Of Vigor, In The Midst; A Goblet To The Vanquish'D He Assign'D, Then Stood Erect And To The Greeks Exclaim'D. Atrid?! And Ye Argives Brazen-Greaved! I Call For Two Bold Combatants Expert To Wage Fierce Strife For These, With Lifted Fists Smiting Each Other. He, Who By The Aid Of Phoebus Shall O'Ertome, And Whom The Greeks Shall All Pronounce Victorious, Leads The Mule Hence To His Tent; The Vanquish'D Takes The Cup. He Spake, And At His Word A Greek Arose Big, Bold, And Skillful In The Boxer'S Art, Epe?S, Son Of Panopeus; His Hand He On The Mule Imposed, And Thus He Said. Approach The Man Ambitious Of The Cup! For No Achaian Here Shall With His Fist Me Foiling, Win The Mule. I Boast Myself To All Superior. May It Not Suffice That I To No Pre-Eminence Pretend In Battle? To Attain To Foremost Praise Alike In Every Art Is Not For One. But This I Promise, And Will Well Perform-- My Blows Shall Lay Him Open, Split Him, Crush His Bones To Splinters, And Let All His Friends, Attendant On Him, Wait To Bear Him Hence, Vanquish'D By My Superior Force In Fight. He Ended, And His Speech Found No Reply. One Godlike Chief Alone, Euryalus, Son Of The King Mecisteus, Who, Himself, Sprang From Talaion, Opposite Arose. He, On The Death Of Oedipus, At Thebes Contending In The Games Held At His Tomb, Had Overcome The Whole Cadmean Race. Him Diomede Spear-Famed For Fight Prepared, Giving Him All Encouragement, For Much He Wish'D Him Victory. First Then He Threw[18] His Cincture To Him; Next, He Gave Him Thongs[19] Cut From The Hide Of A Wild Buffalo. Both Girt Around, Into The Midst They Moved. Then, Lifting High Their Brawny Arms, And Fists Mingling With Fists, To Furious Fight They Fell; Dire Was The Crash Of Jaws, And The Sweat Stream'D From Every Limb. Epe?S Fierce Advanced, And While Euryalus With Cautious Eye Watch'D His Advantage, Pash'D Him On The Cheek He Stood No Longer, But, His Shapely Limbs, Unequal To His Weight, Sinking, He Fell. As By The Rising North-Wind Driven Ashore A Huge Fish Flounces On The Weedy Beach, Which Soon The Sable Flood Covers Again, So, Beaten Down, He Bounded. But Epe?S, Heroic Chief, Upraised Him By His Hand, And His Own Comrades From The Circus Forth Led Him, Step Dragging After Step, The Blood Ejecting Grumous, And At Every Pace Rolling His Head Languid From Side To Side. They Placed Him All Unconscious On His Seat In His Own Band, Then Fetch'D His Prize, The Cup. Still Other Prizes, Then, Achilles Placed In View Of All, The Sturdy Wrestler'S Meed. A Large Hearth-Tripod, Valued By The Greeks At Twice Six Beeves, Should Pay The Victor'S Toil; But For The Vanquish'D, In The Midst He Set A Damsel In Variety Expert Of Arts Domestic, Valued At Four Beeves. He Rose Erect, And To The Greeks He Cried. Arise Ye, Now, Who Shall This Prize Dispute. So Spake The Son Of Peleus; Then Arose Huge Telamonian Ajax, And Upstood Ulysses Also, In All Wiles Adept. Both Girt Around, Into The Midst They Moved. With Vigorous Gripe Each Lock'D The Other Fast, Like Rafters, Standing, Of Some Mansion Built By A Prime Artist Proof Against All Winds. Their Backs, Tugg'D Vehemently, Creak'D,[20] The Sweat Trickled, And On Their Flanks And Shoulders, Red The Whelks Arose; They Bearing Still In Mind The Tripod, Ceased Not Struggling For The Prize. Nor Could Ulysses From His Station Move And Cast Down Ajax, Nor Could Ajax Him Unsettle, Fixt So Firm Ulysses Stood. But When, Long Time Expectant, All The Greeks Grew Weary, Then, Huge Ajax Him Bespake. Laertes' Noble Son, For Wiles Renown'D! Lift, Or Be Lifted, And Let Jove Decide. He Said, And Heaved Ulysses. Then, His Wiles Forgat Not He, But On The Ham Behind Chopp'D Him; The Limbs Of Ajax At The Stroke Disabled Sank; He Fell Supine, And Bore Ulysses Close Adhering To His Chest Down With Him. Wonder Riveted All Eyes. Then Brave Ulysses From The Ground Awhile Him Lifted In His Turn, But Ere He Stood, Inserting His Own Knee The Knees Between[21] Of Ajax, Threw Him. To The Earth They Fell Both, And With Dust Defiled Lay Side By Side. And Now, Arising To A Third Essay, They Should Have Wrestled Yet Again, Had Not Achilles, Interfering, Them Restrain'D. Strive Not Together More; Cease To Exhaust Each Other'S Force; Ye Both Have Earn'D The Prize Depart Alike Requited, And Give Place To Other Grecians Who Shall Next Contend. He Spake; They Glad Complied, And Wiping Off The Dust, Put On Their Tunics. Then Again Achilles Other Prizes Yet Proposed, The Rapid Runner'S Meed. First, He Produced A Silver Goblet Of Six Measures; Earth Own'D Not Its Like For Elegance Of Form. Skilful Sidonian Artists Had Around Embellish'D It,[22] And O'Er The Sable Deep Phoenician Merchants Into Lemnos' Port Had Borne It, And The Boon To Thoas[23] Given; But Jason'S Son, Eune?S, In Exchange For Priam'S Son Lycaon, To The Hand Had Pass'D It Of Patroclus Famed In Arms. Achilles This, In Honor Of His Friend, Set Forth, The Swiftest Runner'S Recompense. The Second Should A Fatted Ox Receive Of Largest Size, And He Assign'D Of Gold A Just Half-Talent To The Worst And Last. He Stood Erect, And To The Greeks He Cried. Now Stand Ye Forth Who Shall This Prize Dispute. He Said, And At His Word Instant Arose Swift Ajax O?Liades; Upsprang The Shrewd Ulysses Next, And After Him Brave Nestor'S Son Antilochus, With Whom None Vied In Speed Of All The Youths Of Greece. They Stood Prepared. Achilles SHow'd The Goal. At Once All Started. O?Liades Led Swift The Course, And Closely At His Heels Ulysses Ran. Near As Some Cinctured Maid Industrious Holds The Distaff To Her Breast, While To And Fro With Practised Finger Neat She Tends The Flax Drawing It To A Thread, So Near Ulysses Follow'D Him, And Press'D His Footsteps, Ere The Dust Fill'D Them Again, Pouring His Breath Into His Neck Behind, And Never Slackening Pace. His Ardent Thirst Of Victory With Universal Shouts All Seconded, And, Eager, Bade Him On. And Now The Contest Shortening To A Close, Ulysses His Request Silent And Brief To Azure-Eyed Minerva Thus Preferr'D. Oh Goddess Hear, Prosper Me In The Race! Such Was His Prayer, With Which Minerva Pleased, Freshen'D His Limbs, And Made Him Light To Run. And Now, When In One Moment They Should Both Have Darted On The Prize, Then Ajax' Foot Sliding, He Fell; For Where The Dung Of Beeves Slain By Achilles For His Friend, Had Spread The Soil, There[24] Pallas Tripp'D Him. Ordure Foul His Mouth, And Ordure Foul His Nostrils Fill'D. Then Brave Ulysses, First Arriving, Seized The Cup, And Ajax Took His Prize, The Ox. He Grasp'D His Horn, And Sputtering As He Stood The Ordure Forth, The Argives Thus Bespake. Ah--Pallas Tripp'D My Footsteps; She Attends Ulysses Ever With A Mother'S Care. Loud Laugh'D The Grecians. Then, The Remnant Prize Antilochus Receiving, Smiled And Said. Ye Need Not, Fellow-Warriors, To Be Taught That Now, As Ever, The Immortal Gods Honor On Seniority Bestow. Ajax Is Elder, Yet Not Much, Than I. But Laertiades Was Born In Times Long Past, A Chief Co?Val With Our Sires, Not Young, But Vigorous; And Of The Greeks, Achilles May Alone With Him Contend. So Saying, The Merit Of Superior Speed To Peleus' Son He Gave, Who Thus Replied. Antilochus! Thy Praise Of Me Shall Prove Nor Vain Nor Unproductive To Thyself, For The Half-Talent Doubled Shall Be Thine. He Spake, And, Doubling It, The Talent Placed Whole In His Hand. He Glad The Gift Received. Achilles, Then Sarpedon'S Arms Produced, Stripp'D From Him By Patroclus, His Long Spear, Helmet And Shield, Which In The Midst He Placed. He Stood Erect, And To The Greeks He Cried. I Call For Two Brave Warriors Arm'D To Prove Each Other'S Skill With Weapons Keen, This Prize Disputing, Next, In Presence Of Us All. Who First Shall Through His Armor Reach The Skin Of His Antagonist, And Shall Draw His Blood, To Him This Silver-Studded Falchion Bright I Give; The Blade Is Thracian, And Of Late Asterop?Us Wore It, Whom I Slew. These Other Arms Shall Be Their Common Meed, And I Will Banquet Both Within My Tent. He Said, Then Telamonian Ajax Huge Arose, And Opposite The Son Arose Of Warlike Tydeus, Diomede The Brave. Apart From All The People Each Put On His Arms, Then Moved Into The Middle Space, Lowering Terrific, And On Fire To Fight. The Host Look'D On Amazed. Approaching Each The Other, Thrice They Sprang To The Assault, And Thrice Struck Hand To Hand. Ajax The Shield Pierced Of His Adversary, But The Flesh Attain'D Not, Baffled By His Mail Within. Then Tydeus' Son, Sheer O'Er The Ample Disk Of Ajax, Thrust A Lance Home To His Neck, And The Achaians For The Life Appall'D Of Ajax, Bade Them, Ceasing, Share The Prize. But The Huge Falchion With Its Sheath And Belt-- Achilles Them On Diomede Bestow'D. The Hero, Next, An Iron Clod Produced Rough From The Forge, And Wont To Task The Might Of King E?Tion; But, When Him He Slew, Pelides, Glorious Chief, With Other Spoils From Thebes Convey'D It In His Fleet To Troy. He Stood Erect, And To The Greeks He Cried. Come Forth Who Also Shall This Prize Dispute! How Far Soe'Er Remote The Winner'S Fields, This Lump Shall Serve His Wants Five Circling Years; His Shepherd Shall Not, Or His Plower, Need In Quest Of Iron Seek The Distant Town, But Hence He Shall Himself Their Wants Supply.[25] Then Polypoetes Brave In Fight Arose, Arose Leonteus Also, Godlike Chief, With Ajax Son Of Telamon. Each Took His Station, And Epe?S Seized The Clod. He Swung, He Cast It, And The Grecians Laugh'D. Leonteus, Branch Of Mars, Quoited It Next. Huge Telamonian Ajax With Strong Arm Dismiss'D It Third, And Overpitch'D Them Both. But When Brave Polypoetes Seized The Mass Far As The Vigorous Herdsman Flings His Staff That Twirling Flies His Numerous Beeves Between,[26] So Far His Cast Outmeasured All Beside, And The Host Shouted. Then The Friends Arose Of Polypoetes Valiant Chief, And Bore His Ponderous Acquisition To The Ships. The Archers' Prize Achilles Next Proposed, Ten Double And Ten Single Axes, Form'D Of Steel Convertible To Arrow-Points. He Fix'D, Far Distant On The Sands, The Mast Of A Brave Bark Cerulean-Prow'D, To Which With Small Cord Fasten'D By The Foot He Tied A Timorous Dove, Their Mark At Which To Aim. [27]Who Strikes The Dove, He Conquers, And Shall Bear These Double Axes All Into His Tent. But Who The Cord Alone, Missing The Bird, Successful Less, He Wins The Single Blades. The Might Of Royal Teucer Then Arose, And, Fellow-Warrior Of The King Of Crete, Valiant Meriones. A Brazen Casque Received The Lots; They Shook Them, And The Lot Fell First To Teucer. He, At Once, A Shaft Sent Smartly Forth, But Vow'D Not To The King[28] A Hecatomb, All Firstlings Of The Flock. He Therefore (For Apollo Greater Praise Denied Him) Miss'D The Dove, But Struck The Cord That Tied Her, At Small Distance From The Knot, And With His Arrow Sever'D It. Upsprang The Bird Into The Air, And To The Ground Depending Fell The Cord. Shouts Rent The Skies. Then, All In Haste, Meriones The Bow Caught From His Hand Holding A Shaft The While Already Aim'D, And To Apollo Vow'D A Hecatomb, All Firstlings Of The Flock. He Eyed The Dove Aloft, Under A Cloud, And, While She Wheel'D Around, Struck Her Beneath The Pinion; Through Her And Beyond Her Pass'D The Arrow, And, Returning, Pierced The Soil Fast By The Foot Of Brave Meriones. She, Perching On The Mast Again, Her Head Reclined, And Hung Her Wide-Unfolded Wing, But, Soon Expiring, Dropp'D And Fell Remote. Amazement Seized The People. To His Tent Meriones The Ten Best Axes Bore, And Teucer The Inferior Ten To His.[29] 90 Then, Last, Achilles In The Circus Placed A Ponderous Spear And Caldron Yet Unfired, Emboss'D With Flowers Around, Its Worth An Ox. Upstood The Spear-Expert; Atrides First, Wide-Ruling Agamemnon, King Of Men, 95 And Next, Brave Fellow-Warrior Of The King Of Crete, Meriones; When Thus His Speech Achilles To The Royal Chief Address'D. Atrides! (For We Know Thy Skill And Force Matchless! That None Can Hurl The Spear As Thou) This Prize Is Thine, Order It To Thy Ship; And If It Please Thee, As I Would It Might, Let Brave Meriones The Spear Receive. He Said; Nor Agamemnon Not Complied, But To Meriones The Brazen Spear Presenting, To Talthybius Gave In Charge The Caldron, Next, His Own Illustrious Prize.