THE ILIAD (Completed)

BOOK 12

Thus o'er the wounded chief Eurypylus Watch'd in his tent Menoetius' noble son; But hand to hand the Greeks and Trojans fought; Nor longer might the ditch th' assault repel, Nor the broad wall above, which Greeks had built, To guard their ships, and round it dug the ditch; But to the Gods no hecatombs had paid, That they the ships and all the stores within Might safely keep; against the will of Heav'n The work was done, and thence not long endur'd. While Hector liv'd, and Peleus' son his wrath Retain'd, and Priam's city untaken stood; So long the Grecian wall remain'd entire: But of the Trojans when the best had fall'n, Of Greeks, when some were slain, some yet surviv'd; When the tenth year had seen the fall of Troy, And Greeks, embark'd, had ta'en their homeward way, Then Neptune and Apollo counsel took To sap the wall by aid of all the streams That seaward from the heights of Ida flow; Rhesus, Caresus, and Heptaporus, Granicus, and AEsepus, Rhodius, Scamander's stream divine, and Simois, Where helms and shields lay buried in the sand, And a whole race of warrior demigods: These all Apollo to one channel turn'd; Nine days against the wall the torrent beat; And Jove sent rain continuous, that the wall Might sooner be submerg'd; while Neptune's self, His trident in his hand, led on the stream, Washing away the deep foundations, laid, Laborious, by the Greeks, with logs and stones, Now by fast-flowing Hellespont dispers'd. The wall destroy'd, o'er all the shore he spread A sandy drift; and bade the streams return To where of old their silver waters flow'd. Such were, in future days, to be the works Of Neptune and Apollo; but meanwhile Fierce rag'd the battle round the firm-built wall, And frequent clatter'd on the turrets' beams The hostile missiles: by the scourge of Jove Subdued, the Greeks beside their ships were hemm'd, By Hector scar'd, fell minister of Dread, Who with the whirlwind's force, as ever, fought. As when, by dogs and hunters circled round, A boar, or lion, in his pride of strength, Turns on his foes, while they in close array Stand opposite, and frequent shoot their darts; Nor yet his spirit quails, but firm he stands With suicidal courage; swift he turns, Where best to break the circling ranks; where'er He makes his rush, the circling ranks give way: So Hector, here and there, amid the crowd, Urg'd his companions on to cross the ditch: The fiery steeds shrank back, and, snorting, stood Upon the topmost brink; for the wide ditch Withheld them, easy nor to leap nor cross: For steep arose on either side the banks, And at the top with sharpen'd stakes were crown'd, Thick-set and strong, which there the sons of Greece Had planted, to repel th' invading foes. Scarce might a horse, with well-wheel'd car attach'd, Essay the passage; but on foot they burn'd To make th' attempt; and thus Polydamas, Approaching near, to valiant Hector spoke:

"Hector, and all ye other chiefs of Troy, And brave Allies, in vain we seek to drive Our horses o'er the ditch; 'tis hard to cross; 'Tis crown'd with pointed stakes, and them behind Is built the Grecian wall; there to descend And from our cars in narrow space to fight Were certain ruin. If it be indeed The will of Jove, high-thund'ring, to confound The Greeks in utter rout, and us to aid, I should rejoice that ev'ry Greek forthwith Far from his home should fill a nameless grave; But should they turn, and we again be driv'n Back from the ships, and hurried down the ditch, Such were our loss, that scarce a messenger Would live to bear the tidings to the town Of our destruction by the rallied Greeks. Hear then my counsel; let us all agree With our attendants here upon the bank To leave our horses; and ourselves on foot, All arm'd, press on where Hector leads; the Greeks, If that their doom be nigh, will make no stand."

Thus spoke Polydamas; his counsel pleas'd; And Hector sprang, in arms, from off his car; Nor long, the noble Hector when they saw, Delay'd the other chiefs; then gave command Each to his own attendant, by the ditch To keep the chariots all in due array; Then parting, form'd in order of attack, In five divisions, with their sev'ral chiefs. Round Hector throng'd, and bold Polydamas, The best and bravest; they who long'd the most To storm the wall, and fight beside the ships. With them Cebriones; for Hector left, To guard the horses, one of lesser note. The nest division was by Paris led, Agenor, and Alcathous; the third By Helenus, and brave Deiphobus, Two sons of Priam; Asius was the third, Asius, the son of Hyrtacus; who brought His tow'ring fiery steeds from Selles' stream, Hard by Arisba; stout AEneas led The fourth, Anchises' son, Archilochus With him, and Acamas, Antenor's sons; Both skill'd alike in ev'ry point of war. Of the far-fam'd Allies, Sarpedon held The chief command; and for his comrades chose Asteropaeus, and the warlike might Of Glaucus; these o'er all the rest he held Pre-eminent in valour, save himself, Who o'er them all superior stood confess'd. These, interlac'd their shields of tough bull's-hide, With eager step advanc'd, and deem'd the Greeks Would, unresisting, fall before their ships. The other Trojans and renown'd Allies The words of wise Polydamas obey'd: But Asius, son of Hyrtacus, refus'd His horses and his charioteer to leave, With them advancing to assail the ships. Blind fool, unconscious! from before those ships, Escap'd from death, with horses and with car Triumphant, to the breezy heights of Troy He never shall return; ill-omen'd fate O'ershadowing, dooms him by the spear to fall Of brave Idomeneus, Deucalion's son. He tow'rd the left inclin'd, what way the Greeks With horse and chariot from the plain return'd. That way he drove his horses; and the gates Unguarded found by bolt or massive bar. Their warders held them open'd wide, to save Perchance some comrade, flying from the plain. Thither he bent his course; with clamours loud Follow'd his troops; nor deem'd they that the Greeks Would hold their ground, but fall amid their ships. Little they knew; before the gates they found Two men, two warriors of the prime, two sons Illustrious of the spear-skill'd Lapithae: Stout Polypoetes one, Pirithous' son, With whom Leonteus, bold as blood-stain'd Mars: So stood these two before the lofty gates, As on the mountain side two tow'ring oaks, Which many a day have borne the wind and storm, Firm rifted by their strong continuous roots: So in their arms and vigour confident Those two great Asius' charge, undaunted, met. On th' other side, with, shouts and wild uproar, Their bull's-hide shields uplifted high, advanc'd Against the well-built wall, Asius the King, Iamenus, Orestes, Acamas The son of Asius, and OEnomaus, And Thoon; those within to save the ships Calling meanwhile on all the well-greav'd Greeks; But when they saw the wall by Trojans scal'd, And heard the cry of Greeks in panic fear, Sprang forth those two, before the gates to fight. As when two boars, upon the mountain side, Await th' approaching din of men and dogs, Then sideways rushing, snap the wood around, Ripp'd from the roots; loud clash their clatt'ring tusks, Till to the huntsman's spear they yield their lives; So clatter'd on those champions' brass-clad breasts The hostile weapons; stubbornly they fought, Relying on their strength, and friends above: For from the well-built tow'rs huge stones were hurl'd By those who for themselves, their tents and ships, Maintain'd defensive warfare; thick they fell, As wintry snow-flakes, which the boist'rous wind, Driving the shadowy clouds, spreads fast and close O'er all the surface of the fertile earth: So thick, from Grecian and from Trojan hands, The weapons flew; on helm and bossy shield With grating sound the pond'rous masses rang. Then deeply groaning, as he smote his thigh Thus spoke dismay'd the son of Hyrtacus: "O Father Jove, how hast thou lov'd our hopes To falsify, who deem'd not that the Greeks Would stand our onset, and resistless arms! But they, as yellow-banded wasps, or bees, That by some rocky pass have built their nests, Abandon not their cavern'd home, but wait Th' attack, and boldly for their offspring fight; So from the gates these two, though two alone, Retire not, till they be or ta'en or slain."