BOOK SIXTEEN A Ship Fired, a Tide Turned LINES 1-12 That was the way the fighting went for one seagoing ship. Meanwhile Patr6klos approached Akhilleus his commander, streaming warm tea.rs- like a ,haded mountain spring that makes a rockledge nm with dusky water. Akhilleus watched him come, and felt a pang for him. Then the great p1ince and runner said: "Patr6klos, why all the weeping? Lil<e a small girlchild who runs beside her mother and cries and cries fo be taken up, and catches at her gown, 10 .and will not let her go, looking up in tears until she has her wish: that's how you seem, Patr6klos, winking out your glimmering tears. Have you something to tell the Myrmidons 372 BOOK SIXTEEN A Ship F-ired, a Tide Turned LINES 12-75 373 or me? Some message you alone have heard We fresh troops with one battlecry might,.easily from Phthfa? But they say that Aktor's son, push their tired men back on the town, Menoitios, is living still, and Peleus, away from ships and huts." the son of Aiakos, lives on amid his Myrmidons. If one of these So he petitioned, were dead, we should be grieved. 2.0 witless as a child that what he begged for Or is this weeping Was his own death, hard death and doom. over the Argives, seeing how they perish Akhilleus at the long ships by their own bloody fault! out of his deep anger made reply: Speak out now, don't conceal it, let us share it." ''Ha,rd words, dear prince. There is no oracle 1know of that I must respect, no word And groaning, Patr6l<los, you replied: from Zeus reported by my gentle mother. 60 "Akhilleus, prince and greatest of Akhaians, Only this bitterness eats at my heart be forbeaiing. They are badly hurt. when one man would deprive and shame his equal, All who were the best fighters are now lying taking back his prize by abuse of power. among the ships with spear or arrow wounds. The girl whom tl1e Akhaians chose for me Diomedes, Tydeus' rugged son, was shot; I won by my own spear. A town with walls Odysseus and Agamemnon, the great spearman, 30 I stormed and sacked for her. Then Agamemnon have spear wounds; Eurypylos stole her back, out of my hands, a:s though took an arrow shot deep in his thigh. I were some vagabond held cheap. Surgeons with medicines are attending them All that to ease their wounds. we can let pass as being over and done with; But you are a hard case, J could not rage forever. And yet, by heaven, I swore Akhilleus! God forbid this rage you nurse I would not rest from anger till tl1e cries should master me. You and your fearsome pride! and clangor of battle reached my very ships! What good will come of it to anyone, later, But you, now, you can strap my famous gear unless you keep disaster from the Argives? on your own shoulders, and then take command Have you no pity? of Myrmidons on edge and ripe for combat, Peleus, master of horse, was not your father, 40 now that like a dai·k stopncloud the Trojans Thetis was not your mother! Cold grey sea have poured round the first ships, and Argive troops and sea-cliffs bore you, making a mind so harsh. have almost no room for maneuver left, If in your heart you fear some oracle, with notl1ing to their rear but sea. The whole some word of Zeus, told by your gentle mother, townful of Trojans joins in, sure of winning, 80 then send me out at least, and send me quicl<ly, because they cannot see my helmet's brow give me a company of Myrmidons, aR.ash in range of them. They'd fill the gullies and I may be a beacon to Dana.ans! with dead men soon, in flight up through the plain, Lend me your gear to strap over my shoulders; if Agairn§mnon were on good terms witl1 me. Trojans then may take me for yourself As things are, they've outflanked the camp. A mercy and break off battle, giving our worn-out men so for tl1em that in the hands of Diomedes a chance to breathe. Respites are brief in war. no great spear goes berserk, warding death 374 BOOK SIXTEEN A Ship Fired, a Tide Turned LINES 75-1.40 375 from the Danaans! Not yet have I heard shake it, putting all their weight in throws. the voice of Agamemnon, either, shouting .In painful gasps his breath caii1e, sweat ran down out of his hateful skull. The shout of Hektor, go in rivers off his body everywhere; 130 the killer, calling Trojans, makes a roar no rest for him, but trouble upon trouble. like breaking surf, and \Vi.th long answering cries they hold the whole plain where they drove the A1d1aians. Now tell me, Muses, dwellers on Olympos, Even so, defend the ships, Patroldos. how fire first fell on the Akhaiai.1 ships! Attack the enemy in force, or they Hektor moved in to slash with his long blade will set the ships ablaze with whirlmg fire at A.fas' ashwood shaft, and near the spearhead and rob Akhaians of their dear return. Jopped it off. Then Telai.116nian A.fas Now carry out the purpose I confide, wielded a pointless shaft, while far away so that you'll \Vin great honor for me, and gl01y the flying bronze head rang upon the ground, among Dana.ans; then they'll send me back 100 and Afas shivered kJ.1owing in his heaii: rny lovely girl, with bright new gifts as well. the work of gods: how Zeus, the lord of thunder, 140 Once you expel the enemy from the ships, cut off his wai·-craft in that fight, and ,villed rejoin me here. If Hera's lord, victory to the Trojans. He gave way the lord of thunder, grants you the day's honor, before their missiles as they rushed il1 throwing covet no further combat far from me untiring fue into the ship. It caught with Trojan soldiers. That way you'd deny me at once, a-gush with flame, and fue lapped recompense of honor. You must not, about the stern. for joy of battle, joy of killing Trojans, Akhilleus smote his thighs carry the fight to Ilion! Some power and said to Patr6ldos: out of Olympos, one of the immortal gods, no '-'Now go into action, might intervene for them. The Lord Apollo prince and horseman! I see roaring fue loves the Trojans. Turn back, then, as soon burst at the ships. Action, or they'll destroy them, as you restore the safety of the ships, leaving no means of getting home. Be quick, 150 and let the rest contend, out on the plain. strap .on my gea1~ while I alert the troops'" Ah, Father Zeus, Athena, and Apollo! If no t one Trojan of them all Patr6klos now put on the fl.ashing bronze. should get away from death, and not one A.rgive Greaves were the first thing, beautifully fitted save ourselves were spared, we two alone fo calf and shin with silver anlde chains; could pull down Troy's old coronet of towers!" (and next he buckled round his 1ibs the cuirass, \blazoned with stars, of swift Aiakides; These were the speeches they exchanged. Now Afas 120 then slung the silver-studded blade of bronze could no longer hold: he was dislodged about his shoulders, and the vast solid shield; by spear-throws, beaten by the mind of Zeus then on his noble head he placed the helm, and Trojan shots. His shining helm rang out its plume of tenor nodding high above, 160 around his temples dangerously with hits and took two burly spears with his own handgrip. as his helmplates were struck and struck again; He did not take the great spear of Akhilleus, he felt his shoulder galled on the left side vveighty, long, and tough. No other Akhaian hugging the ghtte1ing shield-and yet they could not 376 BOOK SIXTEEN A Ship Fired, a Tide Turned _LINES 1.40-206 377 had the strength to \vield it, only Akhilleus. beautiful Polydore, had conceived him It was a Pelian ash, cut on the crest lying with Sperkl1eios,.. unti ring stream, of Pelion, given to Akhilleus' father awoman with a god; but the world thought by Kheir6n to deal death to soldiery. she bore her child to Perieres' son, He then ordered his war-team put in harness Boros, who married her in the eyes of men bv Automedon, whom he most admired and offered countless b1idal gifts. A second after Prince Akhilleus, breaker of men, company was commanded by Eud6ros, for waiting steadfast at his call in battle. whose motlier was unmanied: Polymele, 2 1 0 Automedon voked the fast horses for him­ Phylas' daughter, a beautiful dancer Xanthos anci' Balios, racers of wind. with whom tl1e strong god Hermes fell in love, The stormgust Podarge, who once had grazed seeing her among singing girls who moved green meadowland by the Ocean stream, conceived in measure for the lady of belling hounds, ~~nd bore them to the west ,vind, Zephyros. Artemis of the golden shaft. And Hermes, In the side-traces Pedasos, a thoroughbred, pure Deliverer, ascending soon was added to the team; Al<hilleus took him to an upper room, lay secretly ·with her when he destroyed the city of Eetion.