Thus did they fight about the ship of
Protesilaus. Then Patroclus drew near to Achilles
with tears welling from his eyes, as from
some spring whose crystal stream falls over the
ledges of a high precipice. When Achilles
saw him thus weeping he was sorry for him
and said, "Why, Patroclus, do you stand
there weeping like some silly child that comes
running to her mother, and begs to be
taken up and carried- she catches hold of her
mother's dress to stay her though she is
in a hurry, and looks tearfully up until her
mother carries her- even such tears,
Patroclus, are you now shedding. Have you
anything to say to the Myrmidons or to
myself? or have you had news from Phthia
which you alone know? They tell me
Menoetius son of Actor is still alive, as also Peleus
son of Aeacus, among the Myrmidons- men
whose loss we two should bitterly deplore;
or are you grieving about the Argives and
the way in which they are being killed at the
ships, throu their own high-handed doings?
Do not hide anything from me but tell me
that both of us may know about it."
Then, O knight Patroclus, with a deep sigh
you answered, "Achilles, son of Peleus,
foremost champion of the Achaeans, do not
be angry, but I weep for the disaster that
has now befallen the Argives. All those
who have been their champions so far are lying
at the ships, wounded by sword or spear.
Brave Diomed son of Tydeus has been hit
with a spear, while famed Ulysses and
Agamemnon have received sword-wounds;
Eurypylus again has been struck with an
arrow in the thigh; skilled apothecaries are
attending to these heroes, and healing
them of their wounds; are you still, O Achilles, so
inexorable? May it never be my lot to
nurse such a passion as you have done, to the
baning of your own good name. Who in
future story will speak well of you unless you
now save the Argives from ruin? You know
no pity; knight Peleus was not your father
nor Thetis your mother, but the grey sea
bore you and the sheer cliffs begot you, so
cruel and remorseless are you. If however
you are kept back through knowledge of
some oracle, or if your mother Thetis has
told you something from the mouth of Jove, at
least send me and the Myrmidons with me,
if I may bring deliverance to the Danaans.
Let me moreover wear your armour; the
Trojans may thus mistake me for you and quit
the field, so that the hard-pressed sons
of the Achaeans may have breathing time- which
while they are fighting may hardly be. We
who are fresh might soon drive tired men
back from our ships and tents to their own
city."
He knew not what he was asking, nor that
he was suing for his own destruction.
Achilles was deeply moved and answered,
"What, noble Patroclus, are you saying? I
know no prophesyings which I am heeding,
nor has my mother told me anything from
the mouth of Jove, but I am cut to the
very heart that one of my own rank should dare
to rob me because he is more powerful than
I am. This, after all that I have gone
through, is more than I can endure. The
girl whom the sons of the Achaeans chose for
me, whom I won as the fruit of my spear on
having sacked a city- her has King
Agamemnon taken from me as though I were
some common vagrant. Still, let bygones
be bygones: no man may keep his anger for
ever; I said I would not relent till battle and
the cry of war had reached my own ships;
nevertheless, now gird my armour about
your shoulders, and lead the Myrmidons to
battle, for the dark cloud of Trojans has
burst furiously over our fleet; the
Argives are driven back on to the beach, cooped
within a narrow space, and the whole
people of Troy has taken heart to sally out against
them, because they see not the visor of my
helmet gleaming near them. Had they seen
this, there would not have been a creek
nor grip that had not been filled with their dead
as they fled back again. And so it would
have been, if only King Agamemnon had dealt
fairly by me. As it is the Trojans have
beset our host. Diomed son of Tydeus no longer
wields his spear to defend the Danaans,
neither have I heard the voice of the son of
Atreus coming from his hated head, whereas
that of murderous Hector rings in my cars
as he gives orders to the Trojans, who
triumph over the Achaeans and fill the whole
plain with their cry of battle. But even
so, Patroclus, fall upon them and save the fleet,
lest the Trojans fire it and prevent us
from being able to return. Do, however, as I now
bid you, that you may win me great honour
from all the Danaans, and that they may
restore the girl to me again and give me
rich gifts into the bargain. When you have
driven the Trojans from the ships, come
back again. Though Juno's thundering husband
should put triumph within your reach, do
not fight the Trojans further in my absence, or
you will rob me of glory that should be
mine. And do not for of battle go on killing
the Trojans nor lead the Achaeans on to
Ilius, lest one of the ever-living gods from
Olympus attack you- for Phoebus Apollo
loves them well: return when you have freed
the ships from peril, and let others wage
war upon the plain. Would, by father Jove,
Minerva, and Apollo, that not a single man
of all the Trojans might be left alive, nor yet
of the Argives, but that we two might be
alone left to tear aside the mantle that veils the
brow of Troy."
Thus did they converse. But Ajax could no
longer hold his ground for the shower of
darts that rained upon him; the will of
Jove and the javelins of the Trojans were too
much for him; the helmet that gleamed
about his temples rang with the continuous clatter
of the missiles that kept pouring on to it
and on to the cheek-pieces that protected his
face. Moreover his left shoulder was tired
with having held his shield so long, yet for all
this, let fly at him as they would, they
could not make him give ground. He could hardly
draw his breath, the sweat rained from
every pore of his body, he had not a moment's
respite, and on all sides he was beset by
danger upon danger.
And now, tell me, O Muses that hold your
mansions on Olympus, how fire was thrown
upon the ships of the Achaeans. Hector
came close up and let drive with his great
sword at the ashen spear of Ajax. He cut
it clean in two just behind where the point
was fastened on to the shaft of the spear.
Ajax, therefore, had now nothing but a
headless spear, while the bronze point
flew some way off and came ringing down on to
the ground. Ajax knew the hand of heaven
in this, and was dismayed at seeing that Jove
had now left him utterly defenceless and
was willing victory for the Trojans. Therefore
he drew back, and the Trojans flung fire
upon the ship which was at once wrapped in
flame.
The fire was now flaring about the ship's
stern, whereon Achilles smote his two thighs
and said to Patroclus, "Up, noble knight,
for I see the glare of hostile fire at our fleet;
up, lest they destroy our ships, and there
be no way by which we may retreat. Gird on
your armour at once while I call our
people together."
As he spoke Patroclus put on his armour.
First he greaved his legs with greaves of good
make, and fitted with ancle-clasps of
silver; after this he donned the cuirass of the son of
Aeacus, richly inlaid and studded. He hung
his silver-studded sword of bronze about his
shoulders, and then his mighty shield. On
his comely head he set his helmet, well
wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that
nodded menacingly above it. He grasped two
redoubtable spears that suited his hands,
but he did not take the spear of noble Achilles,
so stout and strong, for none other of the
Achaeans could wield it, though Achilles
could do so easily. This was the ashen
spear from Mount Pelion, which Chiron had cut
upon a mountain top and had given to
Peleus, wherewith to deal out death among
heroes. He bade Automedon yoke his horses
with all speed, for he was the man whom
he held in honour next after Achilles, and
on whose support in battle he could rely most
firmly. Automedon therefore yoked the
fleet horses Xanthus and Balius, steeds that
could fly like the wind: these were they
whom the harpy Podarge bore to the west wind,
as she was grazing in a meadow by the
waters of the river Oceanus. In the side traces
he set the noble horse Pedasus, whom
Achilles had brought away with him when he
sacked the city of Eetion, and who, mortal
steed though he was, could take his place
along with those that were immortal.
Meanwhile Achilles went about everywhere
among the tents, and bade his Myrmidons
put on their armour. Even as fierce
ravening wolves that are feasting upon a homed stag
which they have killed upon the mountains,
and their jaws are red with blood- they go in
a pack to lap water from the clear spring
with their long thin tongues; and they reek of
blood and slaughter; they know not what
fear is, for it is hunger drives them- even so
did the leaders and counsellors of the
Myrmidons gather round the good squire of the
fleet descendant of Aeacus, and among them
stood Achilles himself cheering on both
men and horses.
Fifty ships had noble Achilles brought to
Troy, and in each there was a crew of fifty
oarsmen. Over these he set five captains
whom he could trust, while he was himself
commander over them all. Menesthius of the
gleaming corslet, son to the river
Spercheius that streams from heaven, was
captain of the first company. Fair Polydora
daughter of Peleus bore him to
ever-flowing Spercheius- a woman mated with a god-
but he was called son of Borus son of
Perieres, with whom his mother was living as his
wedded wife, and who gave great wealth to
gain her. The second company was led by
noble Eudorus, son to an unwedded woman.
Polymele, daughter of Phylas the graceful
dancer, bore him; the mighty slayer of
Argos was enamoured of her as he saw her
among the singing women at a dance held in
honour of Diana the rushing huntress of the
golden arrows; he therefore- Mercury,
giver of all good- went with her into an upper
chamber, and lay with her in secret,
whereon she bore him a noble son Eudorus,
singularly fleet of foot and in fight
valiant. When Ilithuia goddess of the pains of
child-birth brought him to the light of
day, and he saw the face of the sun, mighty
Echecles son of Actor took the mother to
wife, and gave great wealth to gain her, but
her father Phylas brought the child up,
and took care of him, doting as fondly upon him
as though he were his own son. The third
company was led by Pisander son of
Maemalus, the finest spearman among all
the Myrmidons next to Achilles' own comrade
Patroclus. The old knight Phoenix was
captain of the fourth company, and Alcimedon,
noble son of Laerceus of the fifth.
When Achilles had chosen his men and had
stationed them all with their captains, he
charged them straitly saying, "Myrmidons,
remember your threats against the Trojans
while you were at the ships in the time of
my anger, and you were all complaining of me.
'Cruel son of Peleus,' you would say,
'your mother must have suckled you on gall, so
ruthless are you. You keep us here at the
ships against our will; if you are so relentless it
were better we went home over the sea.'
Often have you gathered and thus chided with
me. The hour is now come for those high
feats of arms that you have so long been
pining for, therefore keep high hearts
each one of you to do battle with the Trojans."
With these words he put heart and soul
into them all, and they serried their companies
yet more closely when they heard the of
their king. As the stones which a builder sets in
the wall of some high house which is to
give shelter from the winds- even so closely
were the helmets and bossed shields set
against one another. Shield pressed on shield,
helm on helm, and man on man; so close
were they that the horse-hair plumes on the
gleaming ridges of their helmets touched
each other as they bent their heads.
In front of them all two men put on their
armour- Patroclus and Automedon- two men,
with but one mind to lead the Myrmidons.
Then Achilles went inside his tent and
opened the lid of the strong chest which
silver-footed Thetis had given him to take on
board ship, and which she had filled with
shirts, cloaks to keep out the cold, and good
thick rugs. In this chest he had a cup of
rare workmanship, from which no man but
himself might drink, nor would he make
offering from it to any other god save only to
father Jove. He took the cup from the
chest and cleansed it with sulphur; this done he
rinsed it clean water, and after he had
washed his hands he drew wine. Then he stood in
the middle of the court and prayed,
looking towards heaven, and making his
drink-offering of wine; nor was he unseen
of Jove whose joy is in thunder. "King Jove,"
he cried, "lord of Dodona, god of the
Pelasgi, who dwellest afar, you who hold wintry
Dodona in your sway, where your prophets
the Selli dwell around you with their feet
unwashed and their couches made upon the
ground- if you heard me when I prayed to
you aforetime, and did me honour while you
sent disaster on the Achaeans, vouchsafe
me now the fulfilment of yet this further
prayer. I shall stay here where my ships are
lying, but I shall send my comrade into
battle at the head of many Myrmidons. Grant, O
all-seeing Jove, that victory may go with
him; put your courage into his heart that Hector
may learn whether my squire is man enough
to fight alone, or whether his might is only
then so indomitable when I myself enter
the turmoil of war. Afterwards when he has
chased the fight and the cry of battle
from the ships, grant that he may return unharmed,
with his armour and his comrades, fighters
in close combat."
Thus did he pray, and all-counselling Jove
heard his prayer. Part of it he did indeed
vouchsafe him- but not the whole. He
granted that Patroclus should thrust back war and
battle from the ships, but refused to let
him come safely out of the fight.
When he had made his drink-offering and
had thus prayed, Achilles went inside his tent
and put back the cup into his chest.
Then he again came out, for he still loved
to look upon the fierce fight that raged
between the Trojans and Achaeans.
Meanwhile the armed band that was about
Patroclus marched on till they sprang high in
hope upon the Trojans. They came swarming
out like wasps whose nests are by the
roadside, and whom silly children love to
tease, whereon any one who happens to be
passing may get stung- or again, if a
wayfarer going along the road vexes them by
accident, every wasp will come flying out
in a fury to defend his little ones- even with
such rage and courage did the Myrmidons
swarm from their ships, and their cry of
battle rose heavenwards. Patroclus called
out to his men at the top of his voice,
"Myrmidons, followers of Achilles son of
Peleus, be men my friends, fight with might
and with main, that we may win glory for
the son of Peleus, who is far the foremost man
at the ships of the Argives- he, and his
close fighting followers. The son of Atreus King
Agamemnon will thus learn his folly in
showing no respect to the bravest of the
Achaeans."
With these words he put heart and soul
into them all, and they fell in a body upon the
Trojans. The ships rang again with the cry
which the Achaeans raised, and when the
Trojans saw the brave son of Menoetius and
his squire all gleaming in their armour, they
were daunted and their battalions were
thrown into confusion, for they thought the fleet
son of Peleus must now have put aside his
anger, and have been reconciled to
Agamemnon; every one, therefore, looked
round about to see whither he might fly for
safety.
Patroclus first aimed a spear into the
middle of the press where men were packed most
closely, by the stern of the ship of
Protesilaus. He hit Pyraechmes who had led his
Paeonian horsemen from the Amydon and the
broad waters of the river Axius; the
spear struck him on the right shoulder,
and with a groan he fell backwards in the dust;
on this his men were thrown into
confusion, for by killing their leader, who was the finest
soldier among them, Patroclus struck panic
into them all. He thus drove them from the
ship and quenched the fire that was then
blazing- leaving the half-burnt ship to lie where
it was. The Trojans were now driven back
with a shout that rent the skies, while the
Danaans poured after them from their
ships, shouting also without ceasing. As when
Jove, gatherer of the thunder-cloud,
spreads a dense canopy on the top of some lofty
mountain, and all the peaks, the jutting
headlands, and forest glades show out in the
great light that flashes from the bursting
heavens, even so when the Danaans had now
driven back the fire from their ships,
they took breath for a little while; but the fury of
the fight was not yet over, for the
Trojans were not driven back in utter rout, but still
gave battle, and were ousted from their
ground only by sheer fighting.
The fight then became more scattered, and
the chieftains killed one another when and
how they could. The valiant son of
Menoetius first drove his spear into the thigh of
Areilycus just as he was turning round;
the point went clean through, and broke the
bone so that he fell forward. Meanwhile
Menelaus struck Thoas in the chest, where it
was exposed near the rim of his shield,
and he fell dead. The son of Phyleus saw
Amphiclus about to attack him, and ere he
could do so took aim at the upper part of his
thigh, where the muscles are thicker than
in any other part; the spear tore through all the
sinews of the leg, and his eyes were
closed in darkness. Of the sons of Nestor one,
Antilochus, speared Atymnius, driving the
point of the spear through his throat, and
down he fell. Maris then sprang on
Antilochus in hand-to-hand fight to avenge his
brother, and bestrode the body spear in
hand; but valiant Thrasymedes was too quick
for him, and in a moment had struck him in
the shoulder ere he could deal his blow; his
aim was true, and the spear severed all
the muscles at the root of his arm, and tore them
right down to the bone, so he fell heavily
to the ground and his eyes were closed in
darkness. Thus did these two noble
comrades of Sarpedon go down to Erebus slain by
the two sons of Nestor; they were the
warrior sons of Amisodorus, who had reared the
invincible Chimaera, to the bane of many.
Ajax son of Oileus sprang on Cleobulus and
took him alive as he was entangled in the
crush; but he killed him then and there by a
sword-blow on the neck. The sword reeked
with his blood, while dark death and the
strong hand of fate gripped him and closed
his eyes.
Peneleos and Lycon now met in close fight,
for they had missed each other with their
spears. They had both thrown without
effect, so now they drew their swords. Lycon
struck the plumed crest of Peneleos'
helmet but his sword broke at the hilt, while
Peneleos smote Lycon on the neck under the
ear. The blade sank so deep that the head
was held on by nothing but the skin, and
there was no more life left in him. Meriones
gave chase to Acamas on foot and caught
him up just as he was about to mount his
chariot; he drove a spear through his
right shoulder so that he fell headlong from the car,
and his eyes were closed in darkness.
Idomeneus speared Erymas in the mouth; the
bronze point of the spear went clean
through it beneath the brain, crashing in among the
white bones and smashing them up. His
teeth were all of them knocked out and the
blood came gushing in a stream from both
his eyes; it also came gurgling up from his
mouth and nostrils, and the darkness of
death enfolded him round about.
Thus did these chieftains of the Danaans
each of them kill his man. As ravening wolves
seize on kids or lambs, fastening on them
when they are alone on the hillsides and have
strayed from the main flock through the
carelessness of the shepherd- and when the
wolves see this they pounce upon them at
once because they cannot defend
themselves- even so did the Danaans now
fall on the Trojans, who fled with ill-omened
cries in their panic and had no more fight
left in them.
Meanwhile great Ajax kept on trying to
drive a spear into Hector, but Hector was so
skilful that he held his broad shoulders
well under cover of his ox-hide shield, ever on
the look-out for the whizzing of the
arrows and the heavy thud of the spears. He well
knew that the fortunes of the day had
changed, but still stood his ground and tried to
protect his comrades.
As when a cloud goes up into heaven from
Olympus, rising out of a clear sky when
Jove is brewing a gale- even with such
panic stricken rout did the Trojans now fly, and
there was no order in their going.
Hector's fleet horses bore him and his armour out of
the fight, and he left the Trojan host
penned in by the deep trench against their will.
Many a yoke of horses snapped the pole of
their chariots in the trench and left their
master's car behind them. Patroclus gave
chase, calling impetuously on the Danaans and
full of fury against the Trojans, who,
being now no longer in a body, filled all the ways
with their cries of panic and rout; the
air was darkened with the clouds of dust they
raised, and the horses strained every
nerve in their flight from the tents and ships
towards the city.
Patroclus kept on heading his horses
wherever he saw most men flying in confusion,
cheering on his men the while. Chariots
were being smashed in all directions, and many
a man came tumbling down from his own car
to fall beneath the wheels of that of
Patroclus, whose immortal steeds, given by
the gods to Peleus, sprang over the trench
at a bound as they sped onward. He was
intent on trying to get near Hector, for he had
set his heart on spearing him, but
Hector's horses were now hurrying him away. As the
whole dark earth bows before some tempest
on an autumn day when Jove rains his
hardest to punish men for giving crooked
judgement in their courts, and arriving justice
therefrom without heed to the decrees of
heaven- all the rivers run full and the torrents
tear many a new channel as they roar
headlong from the mountains to the dark sea, and
it fares ill with the works of men- even
such was the stress and strain of the Trojan
horses in their flight.
Patroclus now cut off the battalions that
were nearest to him and drove them back to
the ships. They were doing their best to
reach the city, but he would not Yet them, and
bore down on them between the river and
the ships and wall. Many a fallen comrade
did he then avenge. First he hit Pronous
with a spear on the chest where it was exposed
near the rim of his shield, and he fell
heavily to the ground. Next he sprang on Thestor
son of Enops, who was sitting all huddled
up in his chariot, for he had lost his head and
the reins had been torn out of his hands.
Patroclus went up to him and drove a spear
into his right jaw; he thus hooked him by
the teeth and the spear pulled him over the rim
of his car, as one who sits at the end of
some jutting rock and draws a strong fish out of
the sea with a hook and a line- even so
with his spear did he pull Thestor all gaping
from his chariot; he then threw him down
on his face and he died while falling. On this,
as Erylaus was on to attack him, he struck
him full on the head with a stone, and his
brains were all battered inside his
helmet, whereon he fell headlong to the ground and
the pangs of death took hold upon him.
Then he laid low, one after the other, Erymas,
Amphoterus, Epaltes, Tlepolemus, Echius
son of Damastor, Pyris, lpheus, Euippus and
Polymelus son of Argeas.
Now when Sarpedon saw his comrades, men
who wore ungirdled tunics, being
overcome by Patroclus son of Menoetius, he
rebuked the Lycians saying. "Shame on
you, where are you flying to? Show your
mettle; I will myself meet this man in fight and
learn who it is that is so masterful; he
has done us much hurt, and has stretched many a
brave man upon the ground."
He sprang from his chariot as he spoke,
and Patroclus, when he saw this, leaped on to
the ground also. The two then rushed at
one another with loud cries like eagle-beaked
crook-taloned vultures that scream and
tear at one another in some high mountain
fastness.
The son of scheming Saturn looked down
upon them in pity and said to Juno who was
his wife and sister, "Alas, that it should
be the lot of Sarpedon whom I love so dearly to
perish by the hand of Patroclus. I am in
two minds whether to catch him up out of the
fight and set him down safe and sound in
the fertile land of Lycia, or to let him now fall
by the hand of the son of Menoetius."
And Juno answered, "Most dread son of
Saturn, what is this that you are saying?
Would you snatch a mortal man, whose doom
has long been fated, out of the jaws of
death? Do as you will, but we shall not
all of us be of your mind. I say further, and lay
my saying to your heart, that if you send
Sarpedon safely to his own home, some other
of the gods will be also wanting to escort
his son out of battle, for there are many sons
of gods fighting round the city of Troy,
and you will make every one jealous. If,
however, you are fond of him and pity him,
let him indeed fall by the hand of Patroclus,
but as soon as the life is gone out of
him, send Death and sweet Sleep to bear him off
the field and take him to the broad lands
of Lycia, where his brothers and his kinsmen
will bury him with mound and pillar, in
due honour to the dead."
The sire of gods and men assented, but he
shed a rain of blood upon the earth in honour
of his son whom Patroclus was about to
kill on the rich plain of Troy far from his home.
When they were now come close to one
another Patroclus struck Thrasydemus, the
brave squire of Sarpedon, in the lower
part of the belly, and killed him. Sarpedon then
aimed a spear at Patroclus and missed him,
but he struck the horse Pedasus in the right
shoulder, and it screamed aloud as it lay,
groaning in the dust until the life went out of it.
The other two horses began to plunge; the
pole of the chariot cracked and they got
entangled in the reins through the fall of
the horse that was yoked along with them; but
Automedon knew what to do; without the
loss of a moment he drew the keen blade
that hung by his sturdy thigh and cut the
third horse adrift; whereon the other two
righted themselves, and pulling hard at
the reins again went together into battle.
Sarpedon now took a second aim at
Patroclus, and again missed him, the point of the
spear passed over his left shoulder
without hitting him. Patroclus then aimed in his turn,
and the spear sped not from his hand in
vain, for he hit Sarpedon just where the midriff
surrounds the ever-beating heart. He fell
like some oak or silver poplar or tall pine to
which woodmen have laid their axes upon
the mountains to make timber for
ship-building- even so did he lie
stretched at full length in front of his chariot and horses,
moaning and clutching at the blood-stained
dust. As when a lion springs with a bound
upon a herd of cattle and fastens on a
great black bull which dies bellowing in its
clutches- even so did the leader of the
Lycian warriors struggle in death as he fell by the
hand of Patroclus. He called on his trusty
comrade and said, "Glaucus, my brother, hero
among heroes, put forth all your strength,
fight with might and main, now if ever quit
yourself like a valiant soldier. First go
about among the Lycian captains and bid them
fight for Sarpedon; then yourself also do
battle to save my armour from being taken.
My name will haunt you henceforth and for
ever if the Achaeans rob me of my armour
now that I have fallen at their ships. Do
your very utmost and call all my people
together."
Death closed his eyes as he spoke.
Patroclus planted his heel on his breast and drew
the spear from his body, whereon his
senses came out along with it, and he drew out
both spear-point and Sarpedon's soul at
the same time. Hard by the Myrmidons held
his snorting steeds, who were wild with
panic at finding themselves deserted by their
lords.
Glaucus was overcome with grief when he
heard what Sarpedon said, for he could not
help him. He had to support his arm with
his other hand, being in great pain through the
wound which Teucer's arrow had given him
when Teucer was defending the wall as he,
Glaucus, was assailing it. Therefore he
prayed to far-darting Apollo saying, "Hear me O
king from your seat, may be in the rich
land of Lycia, or may be in Troy, for in all places
you can hear the prayer of one who is in
distress, as I now am. I have a grievous
wound; my hand is aching with pain, there
is no staunching the blood, and my whole
arm drags by reason of my hurt, so that I
cannot grasp my sword nor go among my
foes and fight them, thou our prince,
Jove's son Sarpedon, is slain. Jove defended not
his son, do you, therefore, O king, heal
me of my wound, ease my pain and grant me
strength both to cheer on the Lycians and
to fight along with them round the body of
him who has fallen."
Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his
prayer. He eased his pain, staunched the black
blood from the wound, and gave him new
strength. Glaucus perceived this, and was
thankful that the mighty god had answered
his prayer; forthwith, therefore, he went
among the Lycian captains, and bade them
come to fight about the body of Sarpedon.
From these he strode on among the Trojans
to Polydamas son of Panthous and
Agenor; he then went in search of Aeneas
and Hector, and when he had found them he
said, "Hector, you have utterly forgotten
your allies, who languish here for your sake far
from friends and home while you do nothing
to support them. Sarpedon leader of the
Lycian warriors has fallen- he who was at
once the right and might of Lycia; Mars has
laid him low by the spear of Patroclus.
Stand by him, my friends, and suffer not the
Myrmidons to strip him of his armour, nor
to treat his body with contumely in revenge
for all the Danaans whom we have speared
at the ships."
As he spoke the Trojans were plunged in
extreme and ungovernable grief; for
Sarpedon, alien though he was, had been
one of the main stays of their city, both as
having much people with him, and himself
the foremost among them all. Led by Hector,
who was infuriated by the fall of
Sarpedon, they made instantly for the Danaans with all
their might, while the undaunted spirit of
Patroclus son of Menoetius cheered on the
Achaeans. First he spoke to the two
Ajaxes, men who needed no bidding. "Ajaxes,"
said he, "may it now please you to show
youselves the men you have always been, or
even better- Sarpedon is fallen- he who
was first to overleap the wall of the Achaeans;
let us take the body and outrage it; let
us strip the armour from his shoulders, and kill his
comrades if they try to rescue his
body."
He spoke to men who of themselves were
full eager; both sides, therefore, the Trojans
and Lycians on the one hand, and the
Myrmidons and Achaeans on the other,
strengthened their battalions, and fought
desperately about the body of Sarpedon,
shouting fiercely the while. Mighty was
the din of their armour as they came together,
and Jove shed a thick darkness over the
fight, to increase the of the battle over the
body of his son.
At first the Trojans made some headway
against the Achaeans, for one of the best men
among the Myrmidons was killed, Epeigeus,
son of noble Agacles who had erewhile
been king in the good city of Budeum; but
presently, having killed a valiant kinsman of
his own, he took refuge with Peleus and
Thetis, who sent him to Ilius the land of noble
steeds to fight the Trojans under
Achilles. Hector now struck him on the head with a
stone just as he had caught hold of the
body, and his brains inside his helmet were all
battered in, so that he fell face foremost
upon the body of Sarpedon, and there died.
Patroclus was enraged by the death of his
comrade, and sped through the front ranks as
swiftly as a hawk that swoops down on a
flock of daws or starlings. Even so swiftly, O
noble knight Patroclus, did you make
straight for the Lycians and Trojans to avenge
your comrade. Forthwith he struck
Sthenelaus the son of Ithaemenes on the neck with a
stone, and broke the tendons that join it
to the head and spine. On this Hector and the
front rank of his men gave ground. As far
as a man can throw a javelin when competing
for some prize, or even in battle- so far
did the Trojans now retreat before the
Achaeans. Glaucus, captain of the Lycians,
was the first to rally them, by killing
Bathycles son of Chalcon who lived in
Hellas and was the richest man among the
Myrmidons. Glaucus turned round suddenly,
just as Bathycles who was pursuing him
was about to lay hold of him, and drove
his spear right into the middle of his chest,
whereon he fell heavily to the ground, and
the fall of so good a man filled the Achaeans
with dismay, while the Trojans were
exultant, and came up in a body round the corpse.
Nevertheless the Achaeans, mindful of
their prowess, bore straight down upon them.
Meriones then killed a helmed warrior of
the Trojans, Laogonus son of Onetor, who
was priest of Jove of Mt. Ida, and was
honoured by the people as though he were a
god. Meriones struck him under the jaw and
ear, so that life went out of him and the
darkness of death laid hold upon him.
Aeneas then aimed a spear at Meriones, hoping
to hit him under the shield as he was
advancing, but Meriones saw it coming and
stooped forward to avoid it, whereon the
spear flew past him and the point stuck in the
ground, while the -end went on quivering
till Mars robbed it of its force. The spear,
therefore, sped from Aeneas's hand in vain
and fell quivering to the ground. Aeneas was
angry and said, "Meriones, you are a good
dancer, but if I had hit you my spear would
soon have made an end of you."
And Meriones answered, "Aeneas, for all
your bravery, you will not be able to make an
end of every one who comes against you.
You are only a mortal like myself, and if I
were to hit you in the middle of your
shield with my spear, however strong and
self-confident you may be, I should soon
vanquish you, and you would yield your life to
Hades of the noble steeds."
On this the son of Menoetius rebuked him
and said, "Meriones, hero though you be,
you should not speak thus; taunting
speeches, my good friend, will not make the
Trojans draw away from the dead body; some
of them must go under ground first;
blows for battle, and words for council;
fight, therefore, and say nothing."
He led the way as he spoke and the hero
went forward with him. As the sound of
woodcutters in some forest glade upon the
mountains- and the thud of their axes is
heard afar- even such a din now rose from
earth-clash of bronze armour and of good
ox-hide shields, as men smote each other
with their swords and spears pointed at both
ends. A man had need of good eyesight now
to know Sarpedon, so covered was he
from head to foot with spears and blood
and dust. Men swarmed about the body, as
flies that buzz round the full milk-pails
in spring when they are brimming with milk- even
so did they gather round Sarpedon; nor did
Jove turn his keen eyes away for one
moment from the fight, but kept looking at
it all the time, for he was settling how best to
kill Patroclus, and considering whether
Hector should be allowed to end him now in the
fight round the body of Sarpedon, and
strip him of his armour, or whether he should let
him give yet further trouble to the
Trojans. In the end, he deemed it best that the brave
squire of Achilles son of Peleus should
drive Hector and the Trojans back towards the
city and take the lives of many. First,
therefore, he made Hector turn fainthearted,
whereon he mounted his chariot and fled,
bidding the other Trojans fly also, for he saw
that the scales of Jove had turned against
him. Neither would the brave Lycians stand
firm; they were dismayed when they saw
their king lying struck to the heart amid a heap
of corpses- for when the son of Saturn
made the fight wax hot many had fallen above
him. The Achaeans, therefore stripped the
gleaming armour from his shoulders and the
brave son of Menoetius gave it to his men
to take to the ships. Then Jove lord of the
storm-cloud said to Apollo, "Dear Phoebus,
go, I pray you, and take Sarpedon out of
range of the weapons; cleanse the black
blood from off him, and then bear him a long
way off where you may wash him in the
river, anoint him with ambrosia, and clothe him
in immortal raiment; this done, commit him
to the arms of the two fleet messengers,
Death, and Sleep, who will carry him
straightway to the rich land of Lycia, where his
brothers and kinsmen will inter him, and
will raise both mound and pillar to his memory,
in due honour to the dead."
Thus he spoke. Apollo obeyed his father's
saying, and came down from the heights of
Ida into the thick of the fight; forthwith
he took Sarpedon out of range of the weapons,
and then bore him a long way off, where he
washed him in the river, anointed him with
ambrosia and clothed him in immortal
raiment; this done, he committed him to the arms
of the two fleet messengers, Death, and
Sleep, who presently set him down in the rich
land of Lycia.
Meanwhile Patroclus, with many a shout to
his horses and to Automedon, pursued the
Trojans and Lycians in the pride and
foolishness of his heart. Had he but obeyed the
bidding of the son of Peleus, he would
have, escaped death and have been scatheless;
but the counsels of Jove pass man's
understanding; he will put even a brave man to flight
and snatch victory from his grasp, or
again he will set him on to fight, as he now did
when he put a high spirit into the heart
of Patroclus.
Who then first, and who last, was slain by
you, O Patroclus, when the gods had now
called you to meet your doom? First
Adrestus, Autonous, Echeclus, Perimus the son of
Megas, Epistor and Melanippus; after these
he killed Elasus, Mulius, and Pylartes.
These he slew, but the rest saved
themselves by flight.
The sons of the Achaeans would now have
taken Troy by the hands of Patroclus, for
his spear flew in all directions, had not
Phoebus Apollo taken his stand upon the wall to
defeat his purpose and to aid the Trojans.
Thrice did Patroclus charge at an angle of the
high wall, and thrice did Apollo beat him
back, striking his shield with his own immortal
hands. When Patroclus was coming on like a
god for yet a fourth time, Apollo shouted
to him with an awful voice and said, "Draw
back, noble Patroclus, it is not your lot to
sack the city of the Trojan chieftains,
nor yet will it be that of Achilles who is a far better
man than you are." On hearing this,
Patroclus withdrew to some distance and avoided
the anger of Apollo.
Meanwhile Hector was waiting with his
horses inside the Scaean gates, in doubt
whether to drive out again and go on
fighting, or to call the army inside the gates. As he
was thus doubting Phoebus Apollo drew near
him in the likeness of a young and lusty
warrior Asius, who was Hector's uncle,
being own brother to Hecuba, and son of
Dymas who lived in Phrygia by the waters
of the river Sangarius; in his likeness Jove's
son Apollo now spoke to Hector saying,
"Hector, why have you left off fighting? It is ill
done of you. If I were as much better a
man than you, as I am worse, you should soon
rue your slackness. Drive straight towards
Patroclus, if so be that Apollo may grant you
a triumph over him, and you may rull
him."
With this the god went back into the
hurly-burly, and Hector bade Cebriones drive
again into the fight. Apollo passed in
among them, and struck panic into the Argives,
while he gave triumph to Hector and the
Trojans. Hector let the other Danaans alone
and killed no man, but drove straight at
Patroclus. Patroclus then sprang from his
chariot to the ground, with a spear in his
left hand, and in his right a jagged stone as
large as his hand could hold. He stood
still and threw it, nor did it go far without hitting
some one; the cast was not in vain, for
the stone struck Cebriones, Hector's charioteer,
a son of Priam, as he held the reins in
his hands. The stone hit him on the
forehead and drove his brows into his head
for the bone was smashed, and his eyes fell
to the ground at his feet. He dropped dead
from his chariot as though he were diving,
and there was no more life left in him.
Over him did you then vaunt, O knight Patroclus,
saying, "Bless my heart, how active he is,
and how well he dives. If we had been at sea
this fellow would have dived from the
ship's side and brought up as many oysters as the
whole crew could stomach, even in rough
water, for he has dived beautifully off his
chariot on to the ground. It seems, then,
that there are divers also among the Trojans."
As he spoke he flung himself on Cebriones
with the spring, as it were, of a lion that
while attacking a stockyard is himself
struck in the chest, and his courage is his own
bane- even so furiously, O Patroclus, did
you then spring upon Cebriones. Hector
sprang also from his chariot to the
ground. The pair then fought over the body of
Cebriones. As two lions fight fiercely on
some high mountain over the body of a stag
that they have killed, even so did these
two mighty warriors, Patroclus son of Menoetius
and brave Hector, hack and hew at one
another over the corpse of Cebriones. Hector
would not let him go when he had once got
him by the head, while Patroclus kept fast
hold of his feet, and a fierce fight raged
between the other Danaans and Trojans. As the
east and south wind buffet one another
when they beat upon some dense forest on the
mountains- there is beech and ash and
spreading cornel; the to of the trees roar as they
beat on one another, and one can hear the
boughs cracking and breaking- even so did
the Trojans and Achaeans spring upon one
another and lay about each other, and
neither side would give way. Many a
pointed spear fell to ground and many a winged
arrow sped from its bow-string about the
body of Cebriones; many a great stone,
moreover, beat on many a shield as they
fought around his body, but there he lay in the
whirling clouds of dust, all huge and
hugely, heedless of his driving now.
So long as the sun was still high in
mid-heaven the weapons of either side were alike
deadly, and the people fell; but when he
went down towards the time when men loose
their oxen, the Achaeans proved to be
beyond all forecast stronger, so that they drew
Cebriones out of range of the darts and
tumult of the Trojans, and stripped the armour
from his shoulders. Then Patroclus sprang
like Mars with fierce intent and a terrific
shout upon the Trojans, and thrice did he
kill nine men; but as he was coming on like a
god for a time, then, O Patroclus, was the
hour of your end approaching, for Phoebus
fought you in fell earnest. Patroclus did
not see him as he moved about in the crush, for
he was enshrouded in thick darkness, and
the god struck him from behind on his back
and his broad shoulders with the flat of
his hand, so that his eyes turned dizzy. Phoebus
Apollo beat the helmet from off his head,
and it rolled rattling off under the horses' feet,
where its horse-hair plumes were all
begrimed with dust and blood. Never indeed had
that helmet fared so before, for it had
served to protect the head and comely forehead
of the godlike hero Achilles. Now,
however, Zeus delivered it over to be worn by
Hector. Nevertheless the end of Hector
also was near. The bronze-shod spear, so
great and so strong, was broken in the
hand of Patroclus, while his shield that covered
him from head to foot fell to the ground
as did also the band that held it, and Apollo
undid the fastenings of his corslet.
On this his mind became clouded; his limbs
failed him, and he stood as one dazed;
whereon Euphorbus son of Panthous a
Dardanian, the best spearman of his time, as
also the finest horseman and fleetest
runner, came behind him and struck him in the
back with a spear, midway between the
shoulders. This man as soon as ever he had
come up with his chariot had dismounted
twenty men, so proficient was he in all the arts
of war- he it was, O knight Patroclus,
that first drove a weapon into you, but he did not
quite overpower you. Euphorbus then ran
back into the crowd, after drawing his ashen
spear out of the wound; he would not stand
firm and wait for Patroclus, unarmed
though he now was, to attack him; but
Patroclus unnerved, alike by the blow the god
had given him and by the spear-wound, drew
back under cover of his men in fear for
his life. Hector on this, seeing him to be
wounded and giving ground, forced his way
through the ranks, and when close up with
him struck him in the lower part of the belly
with a spear, driving the bronze point
right through it, so that he fell heavily to the
ground to the great of the Achaeans. As
when a lion has fought some fierce wild-boar
and worsted him- the two fight furiously
upon the mountains over some little fountain at
which they would both drink, and the lion
has beaten the boar till he can hardly breathe-
even so did Hector son of Priam take the
life of the brave son of Menoetius who had
killed so many, striking him from close at
hand, and vaunting over him the while.
"Patroclus," said he, "you deemed that you
should sack our city, rob our Trojan women
of their freedom, and carry them off in
your ships to your own country. Fool; Hector
and his fleet horses were ever straining
their utmost to defend them. I am foremost of all
the Trojan warriors to stave the day of
from off them; as for you, vultures shall
devour you here. Poor wretch, Achilles
with all his bravery availed you nothing; and yet
I ween when you left him he charged you
straitly saying, 'Come not back to the ships,
knight Patroclus, till you have rent the
bloodstained shirt of murderous Hector about his
body. Thus I ween did he charge you, and
your fool's heart answered him 'yea' within
you."
Then, as the life ebbed out of you, you
answered, O knight Patroclus: "Hector, vaunt as
you will, for Jove the son of Saturn and
Apollo have vouchsafed you victory; it is they
who have vanquished me so easily, and they
who have stripped the armour from my
shoulders; had twenty such men as you
attacked me, all of them would have fallen
before my spear. Fate and the son of Leto
have overpowered me, and among mortal
men Euphorbus; you are yourself third only
in the killing of me. I say further, and lay my
saying to your heart, you too shall live
but for a little season; death and the day of your
doom are close upon you, and they will lay
you low by the hand of Achilles son of
Aeacus."
When he had thus spoken his eyes were
closed in death, his soul left his body and flitted
down to the house of Hades, mourning its
sad fate and bidding farewell to the youth and
vigor of its manhood. Dead though he was,
Hector still spoke to him saying, "Patroclus,
why should you thus foretell my doom? Who
knows but Achilles, son of lovely Thetis,
may be smitten by my spear and die before
me?"
As he spoke he drew the bronze spear from
the wound, planting his foot upon the
body, which he thrust off and let lie on
its back. He then went spear in hand after
Automedon, squire of the fleet descendant
of Aeacus, for he longed to lay him low, but
the immortal steeds which the gods had
given as a rich gift to Peleus bore him swiftly
from the field.