The opening sections of Book IV are notable for the way in which they display the amoral and cynical behaviour of the gods. Firstly, there is the chilling agreement between Zeus and his wife Hera, in which the former accepts the eventual destruction of Troy as the price to pay for keeping the peace between him and his consort, while she in return agrees to the sacrifice of a number of Greek cities if that should ever be pleasing to Zeus. Then comes the stealthy plot by which Athene, Hera's ally against Troy, induces Pandarus to break the truce between Trojans and the Greeks by firing an arrow at Menelaus, and wounding him. This is the perfidious act which it is generally agreed justifies the condemnation of Troy - indeed in Book VI even Hector tells Andromache that it must be so - yet, as we read, this only happens because of a piece of shameless manipulation by the gods themselves. One wonders, indeed, what implications this divine behaviour would have had for what Homer's audience imagined was the nature of the gods in which they believed.
Lines 223-421, i.e. the central passages of the Book, constitute Agamemnon's "Epipolesis" or Review, in which he meets the main generals under his command and reviews the contingents which they are leading. Like the scene known as the "Teichoskopia" in Book III, and indeed the "Catalogue of Ships" in Book II, the review by Agamemnon of his army would have made better sense if it had occurred at the beginning of the war, rather than after nine years of fighting. However, its position here in Book IV is understandable because there is an opportunity for it at this point, and because it culminates in a scene involving Diomedes, whose domination of the battlefield is a feature of Books V and VI.
The final passages of Book IV involve episodes of close hand-to-hand fighting, and the associated pathos, which set the scene for what so much of the "Iliad" comprises.
The text for this translation is taken from "Homer: Iliad I-XII", edited by M.M. Willcock, Bristol Classical Press (1978).
The text for this translation is taken from "Homer: Iliad I-XII", edited by M.M. Willcock, Bristol Classical Press (1978).
Ll. 1-67. Hera prolongs the war.
Meanwhile, the gods were gathered beside Zeus in their seats on the golden floor of the council-chamber, and the princess Hebe (went) among them pouring nectar; and they toasted one another in their golden goblets, as they gazed upon the city of the Trojans; at once, the son of Cronos (i.e. Zeus) tried to provoke Hera with his mocking words, addressing her (as follows) in a sly manner: "Menelaus has two of the goddesses (as) helpers, both Hera of Argos and Athene of Alalcomenae (i.e. a small town in Boeotia which had a sanctuary dedicated to her). But they are truly happy sitting (there) looking on from a distance; while, on the other hand, laughter-loving Aphrodite continues to stand beside the other one (i.e. Paris) and shields him from his fate; and now she saves (him) when he thinks he is going to die. But surely victory (belongs) to Menelaus, dear to Ares; then, let us consider how this business will turn out: whether we should let loose harsh war and the dread din of battle once more, or whether we should cast (a pact of) friendship between both sides. And, if this might somehow be good and pleasing to all, then the city of king Priam might (still) be lived in, and Menelaus can take Argive Helen back again."
So he spoke, and Athene and Hera muttered (at his words): so they sat (there) side by side, and plotted the downfall of the Trojans. Athene, it is true, was silent, nor did she say anything, despite her anger at her father Zeus, but a fierce fury took hold of her; however, Hera's breast could not contain her anger, but she addressed (him thus): "Most dread son of Cronos, what kind of words are these that you have said! Are you really willing to render null and void (all) the toil and sweat, which I have expended in my labour, while the (two) horses (of my chariot) have grown weary as I assemble a host (to bring) disaster upon Priam and his sons? Do (as you wish)! but all the rest of us gods do not agree with you."
Greatly vexed, cloud-gathering Zeus answered her (thus): "My dear (wife), what great crimes are Priam and Priam's sons committing against you, such that you desire (so) unceasingly to sack the well-built citadel of Ilium? If you could go in through its gates and great walls and consume the raw (flesh of) of Priam, and Priam's sons, and all the other Trojans, then you might (I suppose) assuage your wrath. Do as you wish! (But do) not (let) this quarrel between you and me about the future become a great (source of) dispute between the two of us. But I tell you something else, and do you keep (this) in your mind: whenever I, in my turn, may long to destroy some city, where the men may happen to be dear to you, do not (try to) thwart me at all, but let me (have my way). For now I yield to you of my own free will, though with a reluctant mind; for of all the cities of earthly men that are inhabited beneath the sun and the sparkling heavens, sacred Ilium, and Priam, and the people of Priam of the fine ashen spear were the (most) revered within my heart. For (there) my altar has never lacked its share of the feast, and of the libation (of wine), and of the savour of burnt sacrifice; for we received these (as) gifts of honour.
And then, the ox-eyed queenly Hera answered him (thus): "In truth, there are three cities most dear to me: Argos, Sparta, and wide-paved Mycenae; sack these, whenever you may feel a hatred (for them) in your heart; let me tell you, I shall not stand before (i.e. shield) them, nor shall I grudge (their destruction). For, even if I should resent (it) and try to refuse their sack, my resentment would not achieve (anything), since you are undoubtedly by far the stronger. But my efforts must not be rendered ineffective; for I too am divine, and my stock is the same as yours, and Cronos, crooked of counsel, begot me as the most senior (of his daughters), both in age and on account of being called your wife, and you being king among all the immortals. But yet, let us bow to one another in this (matter), both I to you, and you to me; then all the other immortal gods will follow after (us); and do you quickly command Athene to go to the grim battle-lines of the Trojans and the Achaeans, and try (to ensure) that, contrary to their oaths, the Trojans may begin to attack the most glorious Achaeans before (they are attacked themselves)."
Ll. 68-126. Athene stirs Pandarus into action.
So she spoke, and the father of men and gods did not disregard (her wishes); straightway he addressed Athene with these winged words: "Go swiftly to the soldiers, among the Trojans and the Achaeans, and try (to ensure) that, contrary to their oaths, the Trojans may begin to attack the most glorious Achaeans before (they are attacked themselves)."
Thus speaking, he urged on Athene, who had been desiring (this) earlier (herself), and she went darting down from the peaks of Olympus. (She was) just like the gleaming star that the son of Cronos, crooked of counsel (i.e. Zeus), sends to sailors or to the broad encampment of a host; and from it many sparks are sent forth (i.e. it was a shooting star). In that likeness, Pallas Athene shot to earth, and leapt down into their midst; and she brought amazement to those who saw (her), both the horse-taming Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans; and so one (man) looked at another (man) nearby, and said: "Surely there will be harsh war and the dread din of battle once more, or (else) Zeus, who has been made the dispenser of war between men, is setting (a pact of) friendship between both sides."
So said some (warrior in the ranks) of the Achaeans and the Trojans. But she (i.e. Athene) went down into the throng of the Trojans, resembling a man, the mighty spearman, Laodocus, the son of Antenor, while she searched for the godlike Pandarus, (to see) if she could find (him) somewhere. She found the son of Lycaon (i.e. Pandarus), as he stood (there), (looking) noble and strong; and around him (were) the strong ranks of shield-bearing warriors, who had followed him from the streams of the Aesepus (i.e. a river rising in the foothills of Mount Ida). Then, standing close by, she addressed (him) with these winged words: "May you obey me now in some matter, I pray (you), (O) warlike son of Lycaon! Should you bring yourself to fire a swift(-flying) arrow at Menelaus, you would gain gratitude and renown among all the Trojans, and prince Alexander (i.e. Paris) most of all. From him, before all others, you would be loaded with splendid gifts, if he were to see Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, brought down by your shaft and laid on the grievous (funeral) pyre. But, come (now), shoot at glorious Menelaus, and vow to the renowned archer, Lycian-born Apollo, to make a splendid sacrifice of firstling lambs, as soon as you return home to the city of sacred Zeleia (i.e. a city in the north-west of the Troad).
So spoke Athene and swayed his foolish mind; at once he (i.e. Pandarus) unstrapped his well-polished bow (made from the horn) of a leaping wild goat that he himself had once shot under the chest, as it sprang down from a rock, - he had shot (it) in the breast as he was lying in wait in a hide; and it tumbled backwards on to the rock (below). The horns growing from its head (were) sixteen palms in length (i.e. about 1.25 m.). And these a craftsman skilled in polishing horn had prepared and joined together, and, after carefully polishing all (of it), he put a golden tip on (it). Now, he bent (the bow) back, (then) he strung (it), and laid it carefully on the ground; and his noble companions held their shields in front of (him), lest the warrior sons of the Achaeans should spring upon (him) before Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, was smitten. Then, he removed the lid from his quiver and took out an arrow, (which was) unused, well-feathered, and the carrier of black pain; he swiftly fitted a keen arrow to his bow-string, and vowed to the renowned archer, Lycian-born Apollo, to make a splendid sacrifice of firstling lambs, as soon as he had returned to the city of sacred Zeleia. Then, he pulled the notched arrow-butt and the string of ox-gut together and drew (them) back; he pulled the string back to his breast, and the iron(-point) back to the bow. Then, when he had bent the great bow into a circle, the bow twanged and the string sang out loudly, and the sharp-pointed arrow sprung forward, eager to fly on into the mass (of men).
Ll. 127-197. Menelaus is wounded.
But the blessed gods did not forget you, Menelaus, and first (among them was) Zeus' daughter, (the one) who takes the spoil (i.e. Athene), who stood before you and warded off the piercing arrow. And, at the very last moment, she deflected (it) from your flesh, as when a mother brushes a fly away from her child, when he is lying in sweet sleep, and she directed (it) instead (to the place) where the golden buckles of your belt came together and where the two layers of your corselet overlapped. But the keen arrow burst into the fastenings of his belt; then it drove on through his embossed belt and forced its way through his elaborately-worked corselet and the metal skirt, which he saw (as) a guard for his flesh (and) a barrier to spears; and it went right through that too. And the arrow grazed the surface of the man's flesh; and, at once, dark blood began to trickle from his wound.
As when a woman of Maeonia or Caria stains (a piece of) ivory scarlet (so as) to become a cheek-piece for a horse, and it lies (there) in her chamber and many charioteers pray to possess it, but it is laid in store to delight a king, both (to provide) decoration for a horse and glory for the driver; so, Menelaus, your sturdy thighs, and your legs, and the fine ankles beneath (them) were stained with blood.
Then, Agamemnon, king of men, shuddered when he saw the dark blood trickling down from the wound; and Menelaus, dear to Ares, himself shuddered likewise; but, when he saw that the arrow-head and its cord were (still) outside (his body), his spirits gathered back again into his breast. But, deeply groaning, lord Agamemnon spoke (thus) among those around (them), while holding Menelaus by the hand, and his companions groaned (as they listened to him): "My dear brother, (it was) your death then (that I arranged), (when) I concluded that truce, and sent you out alone on behalf of the Achaeans to fight the Trojans; and, when the Trojans shot you, they trampled on their trusty oaths. But an oath cannot be, by any means, in vain, (when it involves) the blood of lambs, unmixed drink offerings and the right (hands) (i.e. hand-clasps), in which we had put our trust.
For, if the Olympian (i.e. Zeus) does not exact immediate (punishment), yet he will exact (it) in full, though belatedly, and they will pay a high price, that is their heads and (those) of their wives and children. For this I know full well in my heart and in my mind: the day will come when sacred Ilium shall sometime be destroyed, and Priam, and the people of Priam with his fine ashen spear (as well), and Zeus, who sits on high and dwells in the heavens, shall himself shake his dark aegis over all of them. But I should suffer a terrible pain for you, O Menelaus, if you were to die and fill the measure of your life. And I should return to parched Argos in deepest shame; for the Achaeans would, at once, be mindful of their native land; and we would leave behind Argive Helen to Priam and the Trojans as a cause for boasting, and the earth should cause your bones to rot as you lie in Troy, with our task unfulfilled. And some overbearing Trojan, jumping on the tomb of the glorious Menelaus, will speak thus: 'Would that Agamemnon always completes his angry (missions) like this, when he brought his army of Achaeans here with no result, and now he has returned home with empty ships, leaving behind the noble Menelaus.' That (is what) someone will say; then may the earth gape wide open for me!"
Then, the fair-haired Menelaus spoke these encouraging (words) to him: "Take courage, and do not alarm the host of the Achaeans in any way at all; the sharp arrow is not stuck in a fatal (spot), but, in front of (it), my glittering belt, and, beneath (it), my loin-cloth and my metal skirt, which the coppersmiths made, have rescued me."
Then, lord Agamemnon addressed him (thus) in reply: "Would that it may be so, O my dear Menelaus; but our physician will look at the wound, and will treat (it) with medicines, which should put a stop to the dark pains."
He spoke, and (then) addressed his sacred herald, Talthybius (thus): "Talthybius, summon here as quickly as possible Machaon, the mortal son of Asclepius, the peerless physician, so that he may look at Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, who some skilled archer among the Trojans or Lycians has shot at and hit, to his renown and our sorrow."
Ll. 198-249. Machaon tends to Menelaus' wound, and Agamemnon rouses the generals.
So he spoke, and, having heard (his words), the herald did not disobey him, but went his way among the bronze-clad Achaeans, eagerly looking for the hero Machaon; and he saw him standing (there), and around him (were) the strong ranks of the shield-bearing host that had accompanied him from cattle-rich Tricca (i.e. a town in the region that was later to be called Thessaly). Then, standing close (to him), he spoke these winged words: "Come, rouse yourself, son of Asclepius, lord Agamemnon is calling (you) to tend the warlike Menelaus, leader of the Achaeans, whom some skilled archer among the Trojans and Lycians shot at and hit, to his renown and our sorrow."
So he spoke, and stirred the heart in his breast; and they went their way through the mass (of men) across the broad encampment of the Achaeans. But, when they came (to the place) where fair-haired Menelaus had fallen, and all those who (were) chieftains had gathered around him in a circle, then the godlike mortal (i.e. Machaon) came to stand in their midst, and at once extracted the shaft from his clasped belt; and the sharp barbs broke off as he drew (them) back out. Then, he unfastened his gleaming belt and, beneath (it), his loin-cloth and the metal skirt, which the coppersmiths had made (for him). Then, when he saw the wound where the keen arrow had pierced (him), he sucked the blood from (it), and skilfully sprinkled on (it) those soothing medicines which the kindly-minded Cheiron (i.e. the wisest of the Centaurs who lived on Mount Pelion and was renowned for his skill in medicine, inter alia) had once given to his father.
As they were attending to Menelaus, good at the war-cry, so the ranks of the shield-bearing Trojans advanced upon (them); and they (i.e. the Greeks) put on their armour again and were reminded of the joy of battle.
(Ll. 223-421. The 'Epipolesis' or Review of Agamemnon.)
Then, you would not have seen godlike Agamemnon sleeping or cowering (in fear) or wishing to avoid the fight, but very eager for the battle where men win glory. For he let go his horses and his chariot trimmed with bronze; and his comrade, Eurymedon, son of Ptolemy, son of Peiraeus, held his (steeds) aside snorting; (but) he commanded him repeatedly to hold (them) in readiness (for the time) when weariness might overcome his limbs, as he went though the crowd (of men) inspecting (them). Nevertheless, while on foot, he ranged through the ranks of men; and whomsoever of the Danaans on their swift horses he might see eager (for battle), he stood at their side and encouraged (them) with these words: "Argives, do not give up your impetuous courage; for, in the case of liars, father Zeus will be no helper, but, with regard to those who first turned to violence contrary to their oaths, vultures will assuredly consume their tender flesh, while we shall carry off their dear wives and infant children in our ships, once we have seized their citadel."
But anyone whom he saw hanging back from the hateful fight, them he fiercely rebuked with these angry words: "(You) wretched Argives, do you not now feel ashamed and worthy of reproof? Why, pray, do you stand thus dazed, like fawns, that, when they have become exhausted (by) running across a wide plain, stand still, and there is no courage in their hearts; so you stand (there) dazed and do not fight. Are you waiting for the Trojans to come in close, where our fine-sterned ships have been drawn up on the shore of the grey sea, to see if the son of Cronos (i.e. Zeus) will hold out his hand to protect you?"
Ll. 250-325. Agamemnon meets Idomeneus, the Aiantes, and Nestor.
So he went through the ranks of his men, reviewing (them); and, going through the throng of warriors, he came to the Cretans. They were arming themselves (for battle) under the warrior Idomeneus; Idomeneus, like a (wild) boar in his fighting spirit, (was) amongst those in the front rank, and Meriones urged on (those) who were at the rear of the battle-line. Agamemnon, king of men, rejoiced at the sight of them, and at once addressed Idomeneus with these soothing words: "(O) Idomeneus, I regard you (most highly) beyond all the other Danaans with swift horses, both in war and in any other action, and in the feast, when the chiefs of the Argives mix the sparkling wine of the elders in the bowl. For, if all the other long-haired Achaeans drink (only) their allotted portion, your cup is always kept full, just like mine, to drink whenever one's heart desires. But rouse yourself to battle, and (be) such a man as you have previously professed to be."
Then, Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, addressed him (thus) face to face: "Son of Atreus, I am your fully loyal companion, as I promised and pledged at the beginning (of the war); but may you urge on the rest of the long-haired Achaeans so we can join battle at once, since the Trojans have broken their oaths to (us); and death and woes shall be (their lot) hereafter, as they were the first to turn to violence contrary to their oaths."
So he spoke, and the son of Atreus passed on glad at heart, and, as he went on his way among the throng of warriors, he came upon the Aiantes (i.e. both Ajax the Greater, son of Telamon, from Salamis, and Ajax the Lesser, son of Oïleus, from Locris); and they were arming for battle and a mass of foot-soldiers was accompanying (them). Just as when from some vantage-point a goatherd sees a cloud coming across the sea, (driven) by the roaring blast of the West Wind; and, being in the distance, it appears to him black as pitch as it comes across the sea, and it brings a great storm (with it), and he shudders at the sight (of it), and drives his (flock of) sheep into (the shelter of) a cavern; such (were) the dark densely-packed battalions of vigorous (young) men, beloved of Zeus, moving to destructive war in company with the Aiantes, and bristling with shields and spears. And then lord Agamemnon rejoiced at the sight of them, and he called them by name and addressed these winged words (to them): "To you Aiantes I give no orders of any kind - for it would not be right to urge (you) on; for you are pressing your people hard to fight with all their strength. (O) father Zeus, and Athene, and Apollo, if only such courage (as yours) were in all our hearts! In that case, the city of King Priam would soon topple, and be captured and sacked at our hands."
So speaking, he left them there, and went among others; then he came upon Nestor, the clear-voiced speaker of the men of Pylos, (while he was) marshalling his companions and urging (them) to fight under the mighty Pelagon, and Alastor, and Chromius, and lord Haemon, and Bias, shepherd of the host; he stationed the charioteers in front with their horses and chariots, and the foot-soldiers behind, both numerous and brave, to be a bulwark in battle; but the cowards he drove into their midst, so that (every) man would have to fight, even if he did not wish (to do so). He gave his commands to the charioteers first; he ordered them to check their horses and not to rush wildly in among the mass (of the enemy). "And do not let anyone of you strive to engage the Trojans alone ahead of the others, relying on your skill in chariot-driving and your manhood, but do not hang back (either); for you will be much weakened (if you do). Any man who can reach an enemy chariot from his own chariot, let him thrust with his spear, since that used to be much the better (way). For (those) who first sacked cities and their battlements (acted) thus, as they had this purpose and resolve in their hearts."
Thus the old man, knowing well the (ways of) war long ago, urged (them) on; and lord Agamemnon was delighted when he saw him, and, when he spoke to him, he addressed (him) with these winged words: "O old man, would that, just as that spirit is in your breast, so would your knees match (it), and that your strength would remain steadfast (in you)! But shared old age oppresses you; would that some other warrior could assume (your old age), and that you could take your place among younger (men)!"
Then, Nestor, the Gerenian charioteer, answered him (thus): "Let me tell you, son of Atreus, I myself would also dearly wish to be (a man) such as (I was) when I slew the godlike Ereuthalion (i.e. an Arcadian warrior slain by Nestor at Pheia). But the gods do not grant men everything at the same time; if I was a young (man) then, now in turn old age is pressing hard upon me. But even so, I shall be among the charioteers, and I shall exhort (them) with advice and words (of encouragement); for this is the prize of old men. But let younger (men) hurl their spears, (those) who were born much later than me, and (who are) confident in their strength."
Ll. 326-421. Agamemnon meets Menestheus, Odysseus and Diomedes.
So he (i.e. Nestor) spoke, and the son of Atreus went his way glad at heart. He came upon Menestheus, the horse-driving son of Peteos, who was standing (there); and around (him) (were) the Athenians, masters of the war-cry, and nearby was standing Odysseus, (the man) of many wiles, and, beside and around (him) stood the ranks of the Cephallenians, a far from feeble (force); for their contingents had not yet heard the cry to battle, for the battalions of horse-taming Trojans and of Achaeans had only just been stirred into movement; and they stood about waiting for when some other column of Achaeans should advance and rush headlong at the Trojans and begin the fighting. When he saw (this), Agamemnon, king of men, scolded them, and, when he spoke (to them), he addressed them with these winged words: "O son of Peteos, a king dear to Zeus, and you who excels in cunning tricks in your desire for gain (i.e. Odysseus), why on earth are you cowering (here) away from (the action), and waiting for others? You two ought to be standing among the front (ranks) and sharing in the heat of battle; for you are the first to be called to my feast, whenever we Achaeans are preparing such a feast for the elders. Then (it is) pleasant (for you) to eat roasted meat and to drink cups of honey-sweet wine for as long as you wish; but now you would happily look on, even if ten battalions of Achaeans were fighting in front of you in their remorseless bronze (armour)."
Looking askance at him, the wily Odysseus replied (thus): "What sort of word has slipped out of your mouth (lit. has escaped the fence of your teeth), son of Atreus? How can you say that we shirk the fighting, whenever we Achaeans swamp the horse-taming Trojans with the keen (passions of) war? You will see, if you wish, and if you care to do so, Telemachus' dear father intermingled with the foremost fighters of the horse-taming Trojans; so what you are saying is rubbish!"
However, when he saw his anger, lord Agamemnon answered him with a smile; and he took back his words: "(O) high-born son of Laertes, resourceful Odysseus, I have no great quarrel with you, nor do I give you any orders; for I know for a fact that the heart in your breast is full of good intentions (towards me) - for you think the (things) that I (think) myself. But come, if anything harsh has been said just now, I will set such (words) to rights later, and may the gods turn them all into wind."
So saying, he left them there, and went among others. Then, he came upon Tydeus' son, the high-spirited Diomedes, standing among his horses and by his strongly-built chariot; and beside him there stood Sthenelus, son of Capaneus. Then, when he saw him (i.e. Diomedes), lord Agamemnon rebuked (him), and when he spoke (to him) he addressed him with these winged words: "For shame, son of the warlike and horse-taming Tydeus, why are you skulking (there), and why are you eyeing up the gaps between the battle-lines? It was not pleasing to Tydeus to cower in this way, but (rather) to engage his enemies far ahead of his comrades. So say (all those) who saw him at work; for I myself never met (him) or saw (him); but they say that he was superior to all (of them). For he (once) came to Mycenae in peaceful circumstances, (as) a guest, together with the noble Polyneices (i.e. the son of Oedipus), to raise an army; at that time they lay encamped outside the sacred walls of Thebes, and they earnestly begged (the Mycenaeans) to provide them with fine helpers; they were willing to provide (these) and were agreeing to what they had requested, but (then) Zeus dissuaded (them by) displaying inauspicious omens. Now, when they had departed, and had gone some distance on their way, they came to the Asopus (i.e. a river south of Thebes), with its deep-growing rushes and its grassy banks, where the Achaeans sent Tydeus to (Thebes) with a message. (There) he went, and found a host of Cadmeians (i.e. Thebans) feasting in the palace of Eteocles. There, stranger though he was, he felt no fear, though he was alone among a throng of Cadmeians, but he challenged (them) to contend for prizes, and won all (the events) with ease; such was the help Athene (gave) him. But the horse-goading Cadmeians were angry, and so, as he was journeying back, they set a mass ambush (for him) involving fifty young men; and they had two leaders, Maeon, Haemon's son, (a man) resembling the immortals, and Polyphontes, son of the steadfast Autophonus. But Tydeus sent these (men) to a shameful fate: he slew (them) all, and let one only return home; he let Maeon go, in obedience to signs from the gods. Such (a man) was Aetolian Tydeus; but he begot a son, (who was) his inferior in battle, but better at talking (i.e. Diomedes)."
So he spoke, and mighty Diomedes said nothing to him at all, respecting (as he did) this rebuke from the king he reverenced. But the son of the renowned Capaneus exchanged (these words) with him: "Son of Atreus, do not speak untruths, since you know how to tell the truth. We profess to be much better (men) than our fathers; we even captured the seat of seven-gated Thebes, though we brought a lesser host against a stronger wall, as we put our trust in signs from the gods and the aid of Zeus. But they were destroyed by their own presumptuous folly. So never place our fathers in equal honour with us."
But, looking askance (at him), mighty Diomedes addressed him (thus): "Stay quiet, my friend, and heed my words. I do not resent Agamemnon, shepherd of the host, for urging the well-greaved Achaeans into battle; for the glory will go to him, if the Achaeans cut down the Trojans and capture sacred Ilium, but great sorrow (will be) his, if the Achaeans are defeated. But come now, let us turn our thoughts to (feats of) impetuous bravery."
So he spoke and jumped to the ground from his chariot with all his armour; and the bronze rang dreadfully on the king's chest (i.e. Diomedes was king of Argos) as he roused himself; fear would have seized the heart even of a stout-hearted (man).
Ll. 422-456. The Greeks and Trojans come together in battle.
Just as, when the swell of the sea, driven by the West Wind, beats upon the much resounding shore, with one (wave) after another, and, at first, out on the deep it rears its way to a crest, and then it breaks on dry land with loud roaring, and, as it comes around the headlands, it is brought to an arched head; so then the battalions of the Danaans marched unceasingly to war; and each of the leaders gave commands to his (men); and the rest went in silence, nor would you have thought that those men who were following (them) in such numbers had any voice in their chests, (as they were) silent through fear of their commanders; and round each (one of them), (as) they marched, shone the beaten armour in which they were clad. But (with regard to) the Trojans, just as the countless ewes of an exceedingly rich man stand in his farmyard ready to give their white milk and bleating incessantly as they hear the voices of their lambs, so a clamour arose throughout the broad (ranks of) the Trojan army; for there was no common voice or single language (shared) by all, but there was a mixture of tongues and their men were summoned from many (different) lands. Ares urged on the (Trojans), and bright-eyed Athene the (Greeks), and Terror, and Panic, and Strife were pressing forward insatiably, (Strife being) the sister and comrade of man-killing Ares, and, at first, she rears up her head just a little, but later she fixes her head in the heavens, while she walks upon the earth (beneath); then she also cast strife into their midst alike, as she sped through the mass (of their ranks), increasing the sighs of men.
Now, when they had met together and had come into one place, then they dashed together their oxhide shields, and their spears and the force of men with bronze-breastplates (were matched against each other); then, embossed shields clashed with one another, and a great din arose. Then were mingled together the lamentations over men who had been killed and the boasts of men who were killing, and the earth ran with blood. Just as when (two) winter-coursing streams, flowing down the mountains from their great springs to the place where their valleys meet, join their mighty waters together within a deep gorge, and far away in the mountains a shepherd hears their thunder; such was the noise and labour of their (armies') meeting.
Ll. 457-544. The thick of battle.
Antilochus (i.e. the son of Nestor) was the first to kill a Trojan man in armour, Echepolus, son of Thalysius, a noble (man) among those in the front line; he first struck him on the horn of his helmet, thick with horse-hair (as it was), and the bronze point of his spear lodged in the space between his eyes and drove into the bone; darkness covered his eyes, and he fell as a tower (falls) amid the press of battle. When he fell, lord Elephenor, the son of Chalcodon, and commander of the great-hearted Abantes (i.e. the people of Euboea), took hold of him by the feet and began to drag (him) out of range of the missiles (falling around him), striving eagerly to strip off his armour as soon as (he could); but his effort only lasted for a short time. For great-hearted Agenor (i.e. the son of Antenor, a Trojan elder and one of Priam's closest counsellors) saw him dragging the body away, and stabbed (him) with his bronze-headed spear in the side which had been left exposed by his shield as he stooped, and (thus) loosened (all) his limbs. So, his spirit left him, and grievous (was) the struggle of Trojans and Achaeans (that) took place over his (body). They sprang at one another like wolves, and man tumbled man (in the fray). Then, Telamonian Ajax smote Anthemion's son, the sturdy youth Simoeisius, whom his mother once bore beside the banks of the Simoeis as she was coming down from (Mount) Ida, seeing that she had gone (there) with her parents to watch over their flocks. For that reason they called him Simoeisius, but he could not repay his parents for their care of him as a child, and his short-lived life was terminated by the spear of the great-hearted Ajax. For, as he came out into the front (line), he struck him in the chest by his right nipple; and the bronze spear went right through his shoulder; then he fell to the ground in the dust, like a black poplar-tree which grows up straight on the bank of a great marsh, but branches have sprung forth on its top; then, some wheelwright cuts it down with red-hot iron, in order to craft the wheel-rims for a chariot of the finest make; and it lies (there), drying out, by the banks of the river.
In such a manner did the high-born Ajax slay Anthemion's son, Simoeisius; then, Priam's son Antiphus, with his gleaming breast-plate, cast his keen spear at him (i.e. Ajax) through the mass (of men). Him he missed, but he did strike Leucus, Odysseus' noble comrade, in the groin, as he was dragging the corpse to one side; he crashed down on top of it, and the body fell from his grasp. Then, Odysseus was enraged in his heart at his slaying, and, wearing his gleaming bronze helmet, he strode through the front ranks, and, going up very close (to the foe), and, after looking all around him, he hurled his shining spear; and the Trojans shrank back from the warrior as he threw his spear; and he did not cast his missile in vain, but it struck Democoon, the bastard son of Priam, who had come from his swift-footed mares at Abydos. Angry about his comrade, Odysseus smote him with his spear in the temple; and the bronze spear-point passed right through to the other side of his forehead; and darkness covered his eyes, and he fell with a crash and his armour clattered around him. Then, their front ranks and glorious Hector fell back; and the Argives cried aloud, and dragged away the dead bodies, and pressed on further forward; then, Apollo, looking down from Pergama (i.e. the citadel of Troy), was filled with indignation, he and shouted out these (words) of exhortation to the Trojans: "Rouse yourselves, (you) horse-taming Trojans, and do not give ground in battle to the Argives, since their flesh (is) neither stone nor iron so as to stop the bronze from tearing (it) when they are hit; indeed not, nor is Achilles, son of fair-haired Thetis, in the fight, but he nurses his bitter anger beside his ships."
So spake the dread god from their citadel; yet, Zeus' daughter, the most honoured Tritogeneia (i.e. Athene, whose birth was associated with the Tritonian lake in Libya) urged on the Achaeans, as she hurtled through their ranks, wherever she saw (them) slacking.
Then, fate shackled Diores, the son of Amarynceus; for he was struck by a large jagged stone on his right shin near the ankle; now Peirous, son of Imbrasus, the leader of the Thracian contingent, (and) who had come from Aenus, had thrown (it). The relentless stone utterly crushed both tendons and the bone; and he collapsed on his back in the dust, while stretching out both his hands to his companions and gasping his life away; then Peirous, the very one who had thrown the stone, ran up and stabbed (him) in the navel with a spear; and all his guts spilled out on to the ground, and darkness covered his eyes.
But, as he sprang away, Aetolian Thoas smote him with his spear in the breast above the nipple, and the bronze (point) stuck in his lung; then, Thoas came right up to him and pulled the mighty spear out of his chest, and drew his sharp sword (and) stabbed him in the middle of his belly, and took away his life. But he could not strip (him) of his armour; for his Thracian companions, sporting their top-knots, surrounded (him), holding their long spears in their hands, and, though he was tall, and strong and noble, they drove him away from them; and he staggered back in retreat. So they lay stretched out beside each other in the dust, leaders in truth, one of the Thracians, the other of the bronze-clad Epeians (i.e. the people of Elis in the North-West of what was later to be called the Peloponnese); and many others were also slain around (them). Then would no man who had taken part in the action any longer make light of (it), any (man) who, still unsmitten and unwounded by the sharp bronze, might career through the midst (of all that slaughter), and Pallas Athene might take (him) by the hand and lead him, and shield (him) from the hail of missiles; for, on that day, a host of Trojans and Achaeans lay face downwards in the dust beside one another.
APPENDIX: SPONDEIAZONS.
In Homer's hexameter poetry, spondees (i.e. two long syllables) in the fifth or penultimate foot are relatively rare. Such lines are known as "spondeiazons". In Book IV of the "Iliad" there are 31 instances of such spondeiazons, and these are to be found in the following lines: 45, 60, 67, 72, 74, 79, 85, 87, 136, 140, 149, 182, 194, 221, 236, 252, 271, 280, 282, 320, 327, 366, 386, 388, 402, 417, 423, 462, 482, 500, 520.
So he spoke, and Athene and Hera muttered (at his words): so they sat (there) side by side, and plotted the downfall of the Trojans. Athene, it is true, was silent, nor did she say anything, despite her anger at her father Zeus, but a fierce fury took hold of her; however, Hera's breast could not contain her anger, but she addressed (him thus): "Most dread son of Cronos, what kind of words are these that you have said! Are you really willing to render null and void (all) the toil and sweat, which I have expended in my labour, while the (two) horses (of my chariot) have grown weary as I assemble a host (to bring) disaster upon Priam and his sons? Do (as you wish)! but all the rest of us gods do not agree with you."
Greatly vexed, cloud-gathering Zeus answered her (thus): "My dear (wife), what great crimes are Priam and Priam's sons committing against you, such that you desire (so) unceasingly to sack the well-built citadel of Ilium? If you could go in through its gates and great walls and consume the raw (flesh of) of Priam, and Priam's sons, and all the other Trojans, then you might (I suppose) assuage your wrath. Do as you wish! (But do) not (let) this quarrel between you and me about the future become a great (source of) dispute between the two of us. But I tell you something else, and do you keep (this) in your mind: whenever I, in my turn, may long to destroy some city, where the men may happen to be dear to you, do not (try to) thwart me at all, but let me (have my way). For now I yield to you of my own free will, though with a reluctant mind; for of all the cities of earthly men that are inhabited beneath the sun and the sparkling heavens, sacred Ilium, and Priam, and the people of Priam of the fine ashen spear were the (most) revered within my heart. For (there) my altar has never lacked its share of the feast, and of the libation (of wine), and of the savour of burnt sacrifice; for we received these (as) gifts of honour.
And then, the ox-eyed queenly Hera answered him (thus): "In truth, there are three cities most dear to me: Argos, Sparta, and wide-paved Mycenae; sack these, whenever you may feel a hatred (for them) in your heart; let me tell you, I shall not stand before (i.e. shield) them, nor shall I grudge (their destruction). For, even if I should resent (it) and try to refuse their sack, my resentment would not achieve (anything), since you are undoubtedly by far the stronger. But my efforts must not be rendered ineffective; for I too am divine, and my stock is the same as yours, and Cronos, crooked of counsel, begot me as the most senior (of his daughters), both in age and on account of being called your wife, and you being king among all the immortals. But yet, let us bow to one another in this (matter), both I to you, and you to me; then all the other immortal gods will follow after (us); and do you quickly command Athene to go to the grim battle-lines of the Trojans and the Achaeans, and try (to ensure) that, contrary to their oaths, the Trojans may begin to attack the most glorious Achaeans before (they are attacked themselves)."
Ll. 68-126. Athene stirs Pandarus into action.
So she spoke, and the father of men and gods did not disregard (her wishes); straightway he addressed Athene with these winged words: "Go swiftly to the soldiers, among the Trojans and the Achaeans, and try (to ensure) that, contrary to their oaths, the Trojans may begin to attack the most glorious Achaeans before (they are attacked themselves)."
Thus speaking, he urged on Athene, who had been desiring (this) earlier (herself), and she went darting down from the peaks of Olympus. (She was) just like the gleaming star that the son of Cronos, crooked of counsel (i.e. Zeus), sends to sailors or to the broad encampment of a host; and from it many sparks are sent forth (i.e. it was a shooting star). In that likeness, Pallas Athene shot to earth, and leapt down into their midst; and she brought amazement to those who saw (her), both the horse-taming Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans; and so one (man) looked at another (man) nearby, and said: "Surely there will be harsh war and the dread din of battle once more, or (else) Zeus, who has been made the dispenser of war between men, is setting (a pact of) friendship between both sides."
So said some (warrior in the ranks) of the Achaeans and the Trojans. But she (i.e. Athene) went down into the throng of the Trojans, resembling a man, the mighty spearman, Laodocus, the son of Antenor, while she searched for the godlike Pandarus, (to see) if she could find (him) somewhere. She found the son of Lycaon (i.e. Pandarus), as he stood (there), (looking) noble and strong; and around him (were) the strong ranks of shield-bearing warriors, who had followed him from the streams of the Aesepus (i.e. a river rising in the foothills of Mount Ida). Then, standing close by, she addressed (him) with these winged words: "May you obey me now in some matter, I pray (you), (O) warlike son of Lycaon! Should you bring yourself to fire a swift(-flying) arrow at Menelaus, you would gain gratitude and renown among all the Trojans, and prince Alexander (i.e. Paris) most of all. From him, before all others, you would be loaded with splendid gifts, if he were to see Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, brought down by your shaft and laid on the grievous (funeral) pyre. But, come (now), shoot at glorious Menelaus, and vow to the renowned archer, Lycian-born Apollo, to make a splendid sacrifice of firstling lambs, as soon as you return home to the city of sacred Zeleia (i.e. a city in the north-west of the Troad).
So spoke Athene and swayed his foolish mind; at once he (i.e. Pandarus) unstrapped his well-polished bow (made from the horn) of a leaping wild goat that he himself had once shot under the chest, as it sprang down from a rock, - he had shot (it) in the breast as he was lying in wait in a hide; and it tumbled backwards on to the rock (below). The horns growing from its head (were) sixteen palms in length (i.e. about 1.25 m.). And these a craftsman skilled in polishing horn had prepared and joined together, and, after carefully polishing all (of it), he put a golden tip on (it). Now, he bent (the bow) back, (then) he strung (it), and laid it carefully on the ground; and his noble companions held their shields in front of (him), lest the warrior sons of the Achaeans should spring upon (him) before Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, was smitten. Then, he removed the lid from his quiver and took out an arrow, (which was) unused, well-feathered, and the carrier of black pain; he swiftly fitted a keen arrow to his bow-string, and vowed to the renowned archer, Lycian-born Apollo, to make a splendid sacrifice of firstling lambs, as soon as he had returned to the city of sacred Zeleia. Then, he pulled the notched arrow-butt and the string of ox-gut together and drew (them) back; he pulled the string back to his breast, and the iron(-point) back to the bow. Then, when he had bent the great bow into a circle, the bow twanged and the string sang out loudly, and the sharp-pointed arrow sprung forward, eager to fly on into the mass (of men).
Ll. 127-197. Menelaus is wounded.
But the blessed gods did not forget you, Menelaus, and first (among them was) Zeus' daughter, (the one) who takes the spoil (i.e. Athene), who stood before you and warded off the piercing arrow. And, at the very last moment, she deflected (it) from your flesh, as when a mother brushes a fly away from her child, when he is lying in sweet sleep, and she directed (it) instead (to the place) where the golden buckles of your belt came together and where the two layers of your corselet overlapped. But the keen arrow burst into the fastenings of his belt; then it drove on through his embossed belt and forced its way through his elaborately-worked corselet and the metal skirt, which he saw (as) a guard for his flesh (and) a barrier to spears; and it went right through that too. And the arrow grazed the surface of the man's flesh; and, at once, dark blood began to trickle from his wound.
As when a woman of Maeonia or Caria stains (a piece of) ivory scarlet (so as) to become a cheek-piece for a horse, and it lies (there) in her chamber and many charioteers pray to possess it, but it is laid in store to delight a king, both (to provide) decoration for a horse and glory for the driver; so, Menelaus, your sturdy thighs, and your legs, and the fine ankles beneath (them) were stained with blood.
Then, Agamemnon, king of men, shuddered when he saw the dark blood trickling down from the wound; and Menelaus, dear to Ares, himself shuddered likewise; but, when he saw that the arrow-head and its cord were (still) outside (his body), his spirits gathered back again into his breast. But, deeply groaning, lord Agamemnon spoke (thus) among those around (them), while holding Menelaus by the hand, and his companions groaned (as they listened to him): "My dear brother, (it was) your death then (that I arranged), (when) I concluded that truce, and sent you out alone on behalf of the Achaeans to fight the Trojans; and, when the Trojans shot you, they trampled on their trusty oaths. But an oath cannot be, by any means, in vain, (when it involves) the blood of lambs, unmixed drink offerings and the right (hands) (i.e. hand-clasps), in which we had put our trust.
For, if the Olympian (i.e. Zeus) does not exact immediate (punishment), yet he will exact (it) in full, though belatedly, and they will pay a high price, that is their heads and (those) of their wives and children. For this I know full well in my heart and in my mind: the day will come when sacred Ilium shall sometime be destroyed, and Priam, and the people of Priam with his fine ashen spear (as well), and Zeus, who sits on high and dwells in the heavens, shall himself shake his dark aegis over all of them. But I should suffer a terrible pain for you, O Menelaus, if you were to die and fill the measure of your life. And I should return to parched Argos in deepest shame; for the Achaeans would, at once, be mindful of their native land; and we would leave behind Argive Helen to Priam and the Trojans as a cause for boasting, and the earth should cause your bones to rot as you lie in Troy, with our task unfulfilled. And some overbearing Trojan, jumping on the tomb of the glorious Menelaus, will speak thus: 'Would that Agamemnon always completes his angry (missions) like this, when he brought his army of Achaeans here with no result, and now he has returned home with empty ships, leaving behind the noble Menelaus.' That (is what) someone will say; then may the earth gape wide open for me!"
Then, the fair-haired Menelaus spoke these encouraging (words) to him: "Take courage, and do not alarm the host of the Achaeans in any way at all; the sharp arrow is not stuck in a fatal (spot), but, in front of (it), my glittering belt, and, beneath (it), my loin-cloth and my metal skirt, which the coppersmiths made, have rescued me."
Then, lord Agamemnon addressed him (thus) in reply: "Would that it may be so, O my dear Menelaus; but our physician will look at the wound, and will treat (it) with medicines, which should put a stop to the dark pains."
He spoke, and (then) addressed his sacred herald, Talthybius (thus): "Talthybius, summon here as quickly as possible Machaon, the mortal son of Asclepius, the peerless physician, so that he may look at Menelaus, the warlike son of Atreus, who some skilled archer among the Trojans or Lycians has shot at and hit, to his renown and our sorrow."
Ll. 198-249. Machaon tends to Menelaus' wound, and Agamemnon rouses the generals.
So he spoke, and, having heard (his words), the herald did not disobey him, but went his way among the bronze-clad Achaeans, eagerly looking for the hero Machaon; and he saw him standing (there), and around him (were) the strong ranks of the shield-bearing host that had accompanied him from cattle-rich Tricca (i.e. a town in the region that was later to be called Thessaly). Then, standing close (to him), he spoke these winged words: "Come, rouse yourself, son of Asclepius, lord Agamemnon is calling (you) to tend the warlike Menelaus, leader of the Achaeans, whom some skilled archer among the Trojans and Lycians shot at and hit, to his renown and our sorrow."
So he spoke, and stirred the heart in his breast; and they went their way through the mass (of men) across the broad encampment of the Achaeans. But, when they came (to the place) where fair-haired Menelaus had fallen, and all those who (were) chieftains had gathered around him in a circle, then the godlike mortal (i.e. Machaon) came to stand in their midst, and at once extracted the shaft from his clasped belt; and the sharp barbs broke off as he drew (them) back out. Then, he unfastened his gleaming belt and, beneath (it), his loin-cloth and the metal skirt, which the coppersmiths had made (for him). Then, when he saw the wound where the keen arrow had pierced (him), he sucked the blood from (it), and skilfully sprinkled on (it) those soothing medicines which the kindly-minded Cheiron (i.e. the wisest of the Centaurs who lived on Mount Pelion and was renowned for his skill in medicine, inter alia) had once given to his father.
As they were attending to Menelaus, good at the war-cry, so the ranks of the shield-bearing Trojans advanced upon (them); and they (i.e. the Greeks) put on their armour again and were reminded of the joy of battle.
(Ll. 223-421. The 'Epipolesis' or Review of Agamemnon.)
Then, you would not have seen godlike Agamemnon sleeping or cowering (in fear) or wishing to avoid the fight, but very eager for the battle where men win glory. For he let go his horses and his chariot trimmed with bronze; and his comrade, Eurymedon, son of Ptolemy, son of Peiraeus, held his (steeds) aside snorting; (but) he commanded him repeatedly to hold (them) in readiness (for the time) when weariness might overcome his limbs, as he went though the crowd (of men) inspecting (them). Nevertheless, while on foot, he ranged through the ranks of men; and whomsoever of the Danaans on their swift horses he might see eager (for battle), he stood at their side and encouraged (them) with these words: "Argives, do not give up your impetuous courage; for, in the case of liars, father Zeus will be no helper, but, with regard to those who first turned to violence contrary to their oaths, vultures will assuredly consume their tender flesh, while we shall carry off their dear wives and infant children in our ships, once we have seized their citadel."
But anyone whom he saw hanging back from the hateful fight, them he fiercely rebuked with these angry words: "(You) wretched Argives, do you not now feel ashamed and worthy of reproof? Why, pray, do you stand thus dazed, like fawns, that, when they have become exhausted (by) running across a wide plain, stand still, and there is no courage in their hearts; so you stand (there) dazed and do not fight. Are you waiting for the Trojans to come in close, where our fine-sterned ships have been drawn up on the shore of the grey sea, to see if the son of Cronos (i.e. Zeus) will hold out his hand to protect you?"
Ll. 250-325. Agamemnon meets Idomeneus, the Aiantes, and Nestor.
So he went through the ranks of his men, reviewing (them); and, going through the throng of warriors, he came to the Cretans. They were arming themselves (for battle) under the warrior Idomeneus; Idomeneus, like a (wild) boar in his fighting spirit, (was) amongst those in the front rank, and Meriones urged on (those) who were at the rear of the battle-line. Agamemnon, king of men, rejoiced at the sight of them, and at once addressed Idomeneus with these soothing words: "(O) Idomeneus, I regard you (most highly) beyond all the other Danaans with swift horses, both in war and in any other action, and in the feast, when the chiefs of the Argives mix the sparkling wine of the elders in the bowl. For, if all the other long-haired Achaeans drink (only) their allotted portion, your cup is always kept full, just like mine, to drink whenever one's heart desires. But rouse yourself to battle, and (be) such a man as you have previously professed to be."
Then, Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, addressed him (thus) face to face: "Son of Atreus, I am your fully loyal companion, as I promised and pledged at the beginning (of the war); but may you urge on the rest of the long-haired Achaeans so we can join battle at once, since the Trojans have broken their oaths to (us); and death and woes shall be (their lot) hereafter, as they were the first to turn to violence contrary to their oaths."
So he spoke, and the son of Atreus passed on glad at heart, and, as he went on his way among the throng of warriors, he came upon the Aiantes (i.e. both Ajax the Greater, son of Telamon, from Salamis, and Ajax the Lesser, son of Oïleus, from Locris); and they were arming for battle and a mass of foot-soldiers was accompanying (them). Just as when from some vantage-point a goatherd sees a cloud coming across the sea, (driven) by the roaring blast of the West Wind; and, being in the distance, it appears to him black as pitch as it comes across the sea, and it brings a great storm (with it), and he shudders at the sight (of it), and drives his (flock of) sheep into (the shelter of) a cavern; such (were) the dark densely-packed battalions of vigorous (young) men, beloved of Zeus, moving to destructive war in company with the Aiantes, and bristling with shields and spears. And then lord Agamemnon rejoiced at the sight of them, and he called them by name and addressed these winged words (to them): "To you Aiantes I give no orders of any kind - for it would not be right to urge (you) on; for you are pressing your people hard to fight with all their strength. (O) father Zeus, and Athene, and Apollo, if only such courage (as yours) were in all our hearts! In that case, the city of King Priam would soon topple, and be captured and sacked at our hands."
So speaking, he left them there, and went among others; then he came upon Nestor, the clear-voiced speaker of the men of Pylos, (while he was) marshalling his companions and urging (them) to fight under the mighty Pelagon, and Alastor, and Chromius, and lord Haemon, and Bias, shepherd of the host; he stationed the charioteers in front with their horses and chariots, and the foot-soldiers behind, both numerous and brave, to be a bulwark in battle; but the cowards he drove into their midst, so that (every) man would have to fight, even if he did not wish (to do so). He gave his commands to the charioteers first; he ordered them to check their horses and not to rush wildly in among the mass (of the enemy). "And do not let anyone of you strive to engage the Trojans alone ahead of the others, relying on your skill in chariot-driving and your manhood, but do not hang back (either); for you will be much weakened (if you do). Any man who can reach an enemy chariot from his own chariot, let him thrust with his spear, since that used to be much the better (way). For (those) who first sacked cities and their battlements (acted) thus, as they had this purpose and resolve in their hearts."
Thus the old man, knowing well the (ways of) war long ago, urged (them) on; and lord Agamemnon was delighted when he saw him, and, when he spoke to him, he addressed (him) with these winged words: "O old man, would that, just as that spirit is in your breast, so would your knees match (it), and that your strength would remain steadfast (in you)! But shared old age oppresses you; would that some other warrior could assume (your old age), and that you could take your place among younger (men)!"
Then, Nestor, the Gerenian charioteer, answered him (thus): "Let me tell you, son of Atreus, I myself would also dearly wish to be (a man) such as (I was) when I slew the godlike Ereuthalion (i.e. an Arcadian warrior slain by Nestor at Pheia). But the gods do not grant men everything at the same time; if I was a young (man) then, now in turn old age is pressing hard upon me. But even so, I shall be among the charioteers, and I shall exhort (them) with advice and words (of encouragement); for this is the prize of old men. But let younger (men) hurl their spears, (those) who were born much later than me, and (who are) confident in their strength."
Ll. 326-421. Agamemnon meets Menestheus, Odysseus and Diomedes.
So he (i.e. Nestor) spoke, and the son of Atreus went his way glad at heart. He came upon Menestheus, the horse-driving son of Peteos, who was standing (there); and around (him) (were) the Athenians, masters of the war-cry, and nearby was standing Odysseus, (the man) of many wiles, and, beside and around (him) stood the ranks of the Cephallenians, a far from feeble (force); for their contingents had not yet heard the cry to battle, for the battalions of horse-taming Trojans and of Achaeans had only just been stirred into movement; and they stood about waiting for when some other column of Achaeans should advance and rush headlong at the Trojans and begin the fighting. When he saw (this), Agamemnon, king of men, scolded them, and, when he spoke (to them), he addressed them with these winged words: "O son of Peteos, a king dear to Zeus, and you who excels in cunning tricks in your desire for gain (i.e. Odysseus), why on earth are you cowering (here) away from (the action), and waiting for others? You two ought to be standing among the front (ranks) and sharing in the heat of battle; for you are the first to be called to my feast, whenever we Achaeans are preparing such a feast for the elders. Then (it is) pleasant (for you) to eat roasted meat and to drink cups of honey-sweet wine for as long as you wish; but now you would happily look on, even if ten battalions of Achaeans were fighting in front of you in their remorseless bronze (armour)."
Looking askance at him, the wily Odysseus replied (thus): "What sort of word has slipped out of your mouth (lit. has escaped the fence of your teeth), son of Atreus? How can you say that we shirk the fighting, whenever we Achaeans swamp the horse-taming Trojans with the keen (passions of) war? You will see, if you wish, and if you care to do so, Telemachus' dear father intermingled with the foremost fighters of the horse-taming Trojans; so what you are saying is rubbish!"
However, when he saw his anger, lord Agamemnon answered him with a smile; and he took back his words: "(O) high-born son of Laertes, resourceful Odysseus, I have no great quarrel with you, nor do I give you any orders; for I know for a fact that the heart in your breast is full of good intentions (towards me) - for you think the (things) that I (think) myself. But come, if anything harsh has been said just now, I will set such (words) to rights later, and may the gods turn them all into wind."
So saying, he left them there, and went among others. Then, he came upon Tydeus' son, the high-spirited Diomedes, standing among his horses and by his strongly-built chariot; and beside him there stood Sthenelus, son of Capaneus. Then, when he saw him (i.e. Diomedes), lord Agamemnon rebuked (him), and when he spoke (to him) he addressed him with these winged words: "For shame, son of the warlike and horse-taming Tydeus, why are you skulking (there), and why are you eyeing up the gaps between the battle-lines? It was not pleasing to Tydeus to cower in this way, but (rather) to engage his enemies far ahead of his comrades. So say (all those) who saw him at work; for I myself never met (him) or saw (him); but they say that he was superior to all (of them). For he (once) came to Mycenae in peaceful circumstances, (as) a guest, together with the noble Polyneices (i.e. the son of Oedipus), to raise an army; at that time they lay encamped outside the sacred walls of Thebes, and they earnestly begged (the Mycenaeans) to provide them with fine helpers; they were willing to provide (these) and were agreeing to what they had requested, but (then) Zeus dissuaded (them by) displaying inauspicious omens. Now, when they had departed, and had gone some distance on their way, they came to the Asopus (i.e. a river south of Thebes), with its deep-growing rushes and its grassy banks, where the Achaeans sent Tydeus to (Thebes) with a message. (There) he went, and found a host of Cadmeians (i.e. Thebans) feasting in the palace of Eteocles. There, stranger though he was, he felt no fear, though he was alone among a throng of Cadmeians, but he challenged (them) to contend for prizes, and won all (the events) with ease; such was the help Athene (gave) him. But the horse-goading Cadmeians were angry, and so, as he was journeying back, they set a mass ambush (for him) involving fifty young men; and they had two leaders, Maeon, Haemon's son, (a man) resembling the immortals, and Polyphontes, son of the steadfast Autophonus. But Tydeus sent these (men) to a shameful fate: he slew (them) all, and let one only return home; he let Maeon go, in obedience to signs from the gods. Such (a man) was Aetolian Tydeus; but he begot a son, (who was) his inferior in battle, but better at talking (i.e. Diomedes)."
So he spoke, and mighty Diomedes said nothing to him at all, respecting (as he did) this rebuke from the king he reverenced. But the son of the renowned Capaneus exchanged (these words) with him: "Son of Atreus, do not speak untruths, since you know how to tell the truth. We profess to be much better (men) than our fathers; we even captured the seat of seven-gated Thebes, though we brought a lesser host against a stronger wall, as we put our trust in signs from the gods and the aid of Zeus. But they were destroyed by their own presumptuous folly. So never place our fathers in equal honour with us."
But, looking askance (at him), mighty Diomedes addressed him (thus): "Stay quiet, my friend, and heed my words. I do not resent Agamemnon, shepherd of the host, for urging the well-greaved Achaeans into battle; for the glory will go to him, if the Achaeans cut down the Trojans and capture sacred Ilium, but great sorrow (will be) his, if the Achaeans are defeated. But come now, let us turn our thoughts to (feats of) impetuous bravery."
So he spoke and jumped to the ground from his chariot with all his armour; and the bronze rang dreadfully on the king's chest (i.e. Diomedes was king of Argos) as he roused himself; fear would have seized the heart even of a stout-hearted (man).
Ll. 422-456. The Greeks and Trojans come together in battle.
Just as, when the swell of the sea, driven by the West Wind, beats upon the much resounding shore, with one (wave) after another, and, at first, out on the deep it rears its way to a crest, and then it breaks on dry land with loud roaring, and, as it comes around the headlands, it is brought to an arched head; so then the battalions of the Danaans marched unceasingly to war; and each of the leaders gave commands to his (men); and the rest went in silence, nor would you have thought that those men who were following (them) in such numbers had any voice in their chests, (as they were) silent through fear of their commanders; and round each (one of them), (as) they marched, shone the beaten armour in which they were clad. But (with regard to) the Trojans, just as the countless ewes of an exceedingly rich man stand in his farmyard ready to give their white milk and bleating incessantly as they hear the voices of their lambs, so a clamour arose throughout the broad (ranks of) the Trojan army; for there was no common voice or single language (shared) by all, but there was a mixture of tongues and their men were summoned from many (different) lands. Ares urged on the (Trojans), and bright-eyed Athene the (Greeks), and Terror, and Panic, and Strife were pressing forward insatiably, (Strife being) the sister and comrade of man-killing Ares, and, at first, she rears up her head just a little, but later she fixes her head in the heavens, while she walks upon the earth (beneath); then she also cast strife into their midst alike, as she sped through the mass (of their ranks), increasing the sighs of men.
Now, when they had met together and had come into one place, then they dashed together their oxhide shields, and their spears and the force of men with bronze-breastplates (were matched against each other); then, embossed shields clashed with one another, and a great din arose. Then were mingled together the lamentations over men who had been killed and the boasts of men who were killing, and the earth ran with blood. Just as when (two) winter-coursing streams, flowing down the mountains from their great springs to the place where their valleys meet, join their mighty waters together within a deep gorge, and far away in the mountains a shepherd hears their thunder; such was the noise and labour of their (armies') meeting.
Ll. 457-544. The thick of battle.
Antilochus (i.e. the son of Nestor) was the first to kill a Trojan man in armour, Echepolus, son of Thalysius, a noble (man) among those in the front line; he first struck him on the horn of his helmet, thick with horse-hair (as it was), and the bronze point of his spear lodged in the space between his eyes and drove into the bone; darkness covered his eyes, and he fell as a tower (falls) amid the press of battle. When he fell, lord Elephenor, the son of Chalcodon, and commander of the great-hearted Abantes (i.e. the people of Euboea), took hold of him by the feet and began to drag (him) out of range of the missiles (falling around him), striving eagerly to strip off his armour as soon as (he could); but his effort only lasted for a short time. For great-hearted Agenor (i.e. the son of Antenor, a Trojan elder and one of Priam's closest counsellors) saw him dragging the body away, and stabbed (him) with his bronze-headed spear in the side which had been left exposed by his shield as he stooped, and (thus) loosened (all) his limbs. So, his spirit left him, and grievous (was) the struggle of Trojans and Achaeans (that) took place over his (body). They sprang at one another like wolves, and man tumbled man (in the fray). Then, Telamonian Ajax smote Anthemion's son, the sturdy youth Simoeisius, whom his mother once bore beside the banks of the Simoeis as she was coming down from (Mount) Ida, seeing that she had gone (there) with her parents to watch over their flocks. For that reason they called him Simoeisius, but he could not repay his parents for their care of him as a child, and his short-lived life was terminated by the spear of the great-hearted Ajax. For, as he came out into the front (line), he struck him in the chest by his right nipple; and the bronze spear went right through his shoulder; then he fell to the ground in the dust, like a black poplar-tree which grows up straight on the bank of a great marsh, but branches have sprung forth on its top; then, some wheelwright cuts it down with red-hot iron, in order to craft the wheel-rims for a chariot of the finest make; and it lies (there), drying out, by the banks of the river.
In such a manner did the high-born Ajax slay Anthemion's son, Simoeisius; then, Priam's son Antiphus, with his gleaming breast-plate, cast his keen spear at him (i.e. Ajax) through the mass (of men). Him he missed, but he did strike Leucus, Odysseus' noble comrade, in the groin, as he was dragging the corpse to one side; he crashed down on top of it, and the body fell from his grasp. Then, Odysseus was enraged in his heart at his slaying, and, wearing his gleaming bronze helmet, he strode through the front ranks, and, going up very close (to the foe), and, after looking all around him, he hurled his shining spear; and the Trojans shrank back from the warrior as he threw his spear; and he did not cast his missile in vain, but it struck Democoon, the bastard son of Priam, who had come from his swift-footed mares at Abydos. Angry about his comrade, Odysseus smote him with his spear in the temple; and the bronze spear-point passed right through to the other side of his forehead; and darkness covered his eyes, and he fell with a crash and his armour clattered around him. Then, their front ranks and glorious Hector fell back; and the Argives cried aloud, and dragged away the dead bodies, and pressed on further forward; then, Apollo, looking down from Pergama (i.e. the citadel of Troy), was filled with indignation, he and shouted out these (words) of exhortation to the Trojans: "Rouse yourselves, (you) horse-taming Trojans, and do not give ground in battle to the Argives, since their flesh (is) neither stone nor iron so as to stop the bronze from tearing (it) when they are hit; indeed not, nor is Achilles, son of fair-haired Thetis, in the fight, but he nurses his bitter anger beside his ships."
So spake the dread god from their citadel; yet, Zeus' daughter, the most honoured Tritogeneia (i.e. Athene, whose birth was associated with the Tritonian lake in Libya) urged on the Achaeans, as she hurtled through their ranks, wherever she saw (them) slacking.
Then, fate shackled Diores, the son of Amarynceus; for he was struck by a large jagged stone on his right shin near the ankle; now Peirous, son of Imbrasus, the leader of the Thracian contingent, (and) who had come from Aenus, had thrown (it). The relentless stone utterly crushed both tendons and the bone; and he collapsed on his back in the dust, while stretching out both his hands to his companions and gasping his life away; then Peirous, the very one who had thrown the stone, ran up and stabbed (him) in the navel with a spear; and all his guts spilled out on to the ground, and darkness covered his eyes.
But, as he sprang away, Aetolian Thoas smote him with his spear in the breast above the nipple, and the bronze (point) stuck in his lung; then, Thoas came right up to him and pulled the mighty spear out of his chest, and drew his sharp sword (and) stabbed him in the middle of his belly, and took away his life. But he could not strip (him) of his armour; for his Thracian companions, sporting their top-knots, surrounded (him), holding their long spears in their hands, and, though he was tall, and strong and noble, they drove him away from them; and he staggered back in retreat. So they lay stretched out beside each other in the dust, leaders in truth, one of the Thracians, the other of the bronze-clad Epeians (i.e. the people of Elis in the North-West of what was later to be called the Peloponnese); and many others were also slain around (them). Then would no man who had taken part in the action any longer make light of (it), any (man) who, still unsmitten and unwounded by the sharp bronze, might career through the midst (of all that slaughter), and Pallas Athene might take (him) by the hand and lead him, and shield (him) from the hail of missiles; for, on that day, a host of Trojans and Achaeans lay face downwards in the dust beside one another.
APPENDIX: SPONDEIAZONS.
In Homer's hexameter poetry, spondees (i.e. two long syllables) in the fifth or penultimate foot are relatively rare. Such lines are known as "spondeiazons". In Book IV of the "Iliad" there are 31 instances of such spondeiazons, and these are to be found in the following lines: 45, 60, 67, 72, 74, 79, 85, 87, 136, 140, 149, 182, 194, 221, 236, 252, 271, 280, 282, 320, 327, 366, 386, 388, 402, 417, 423, 462, 482, 500, 520.
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