The Iliad (Penguin Classics) Read online

  Right through the morning, while the blessed light of day grew stronger, volley and counter-volley found their mark and men kept falling. But about the time that a woodman prepares a mid-morning meal in a mountain dell and, his arms weary from felling the tall trees, feels he has done enough and yields (90) to the thought of delicious food, at that time the Greeks, calling to their companions across the ranks, summoned up their courage and broke the enemy lines.

  Agamemnon kills six Trojans

  Agamemnon was first to charge in and killed the Trojan Bienor, shepherd of the people, and after him his comrade and charioteer Oïleus. Oïleus had leapt down from his chariot to oppose him. But as he moved in to the attack, Agamemnon stabbed him in the forehead with his sharp spear. The heavy bronze helmet failed to stop the spear, and it pierced both the metal and the bone and spattered all the inside of the helmet with his brains. So he ended Oïleus’ assault.

  Agamemnon, after stripping off their tunics, left the dead men (100) there, chests gleaming, and went on to kill Isus and Antiphus, two sons of Priam, one a bastard and the other legitimate, both in the one chariot. The bastard Isus was driving it; excellent Antiphus was beside him. This pair had been caught before by Achilles as they shepherded their flocks on the spurs of Ida. He had tied them up with willow-shoots, but afterwards accepted ransom and released them. And now they met wide-ruling Agamemnon. He hit Isus with his spear above the nipple on his chest; he struck Antiphus beside the ear with his sword and (110) hurled him out of the chariot. Then with all speed he stripped the splendid armour from the pair, recognizing them as he did so: he had seen them before by his own swift ships when swift-footed Achilles had brought them in from Mount Ida.

  As a lion easily crunches up the little fawns of a speedy doe, breaking into her lair and seizing them in his powerful jaws and robbing them of their tender life; even if the doe is close at hand, she cannot help them: she is terrified herself and off she flies, crashing through the forest undergrowth and sweating in her (120) haste to save herself from the powerful beast’s attack – so the Trojans could not save these two from destruction, but were themselves in flight from the Greeks.

  Agamemnon next attacked Peisander and resolute Hippo-lochus, sons of warlike Antimachus. He, hoping for splendid bribes of gold from Paris, had dissuaded the Trojans from returning Helen to Menelaus. But now it was his two sons that were captured by lord Agamemnon. They were in one chariot and were trying to control their swift horses. But the horses were in confusion, since the gleaming reins had slipped from the (130) charioteers’ hands. Agamemnon sprang at them like a lion, and without even dismounting they appealed to him:

  ‘Son of Atreus, take us alive and you will get a ransom that will be well worth it. Antimachus our father is rich. He has plenty of treasure in his house, bronze and gold and wrought iron. He would offer you an immense ransom if he heard we had been taken back to the Greek ships alive.’

  So, tearfully, they addressed Agamemnon with pitiful words. But there was no pity in the voice that answered them:

  ‘If you two are sons of warlike Antimachus, he is the man who once argued in the Trojan assembly that Menelaus, who (140) had come there on an embassy with godlike Odysseus, should be killed on the spot and not allowed to return to Greece. You shall now pay for your father’s disgraceful insult.’

  He spoke and hitting Peisander in the chest with his spear knocked him out of the chariot and pushed him to the ground, flat on his back. Hippolochus leapt down from the chariot, but Agamemnon killed him on the ground. He slashed off his arms and head with his sword and sent the trunk rolling like a log through the crowd.

  Agamemnon now left the two there and charged in where the fighting was at its most confused, backed by the rest of the (150) Greek men-at-arms. Foot-soldiers and charioteers forced their opposite numbers to run and slaughtered them with their spears, while from the ground the dust rose, kicked up by the horses’ thundering hooves. And all the while lord Agamemnon, shouting to the Greeks, followed up and killed.

  As a raging fire attacks a thickly wooded forest; a billowing wind blows the flames back and forth, and uprooted bushes fall headlong before the fire’s onslaught – so the routed Trojans were mown down by Agamemnon’s onslaught. Many a pair of (160) horses tossed their heads and rattled their empty chariots down the lines of battle, missing their charioteers who lay sprawled on the ground, far more enticing to the vultures than to their wives.

  Trojans routed; IRIS rallies Hector

  Zeus kept Hector away from the flying missiles, the dust, the slaughter, the blood and the mayhem, and Agamemnon continued his chase, calling out loud to the Greeks. The Trojans swept back over the middle of the plain, past the grave-mound made in olden days for Ilus son of Dardanus and past the wild fig-tree, making for the town. Yelling, Agamemnon stayed hot in pursuit, spattering his invincible hands with gore.

  (170) But when the Trojans reached the Scaean gate and the oak- tree, they came to a halt and waited there for the others. These were still flying in panic over the open plain, like cattle when a lion stampedes a herd at dusk, and sudden death comes to a solitary heifer: it seizes her, breaks her neck with its powerful jaws and then devours her blood and entrails – so lord Agamemnon pursued them, always killing the hindmost, and they fled in panic. Many a charioteer was toppled out of his chariot by him, (180) face-first or on his back, such was his raging onslaught with the spear.

  He had almost reached the town and its steep walls, when the Father of men and gods descended from the skies to take up position on the heights of Mount Ida with its many springs. He had a thunderbolt in his hands and sent off golden-winged Iris with a message:

  ‘Off with you, swift Iris, and give Hector this message from me. As long as he sees Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, storming along the front line and mowing down the Trojan (190) ranks, let him give ground, but tell his men to continue battling it out in the thick of the action with the enemy. But directly Agamemnon is hit by a spear or arrow and takes to his chariot, then I will give Hector strength to kill until he reaches the well-benched ships, the sun sets and blessed darkness intervenes.’

  So he spoke, and swift Iris, quick as the wind, complied. She sped down from the peaks of Mount Ida to sacred Ilium. There she found godlike Hector, son of wise Priam, standing in his finely built chariot with its horses. Swift-footed Iris went up to him and said:

  (200) ’Hector son of Priam, equal in wisdom to Zeus, Father Zeus has sent me down to deliver his word to you. As long as you see Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, storming along the front line and mowing down the Trojan ranks, give ground but tell your men to continue battling it out in the thick of the action with the enemy. But directly Agamemnon is hit by a spear or arrow and takes to his chariot, then he will give you strength to kill until you reach the well-benched ships, the sun sets and blessed darkness intervenes.’

  (210) With these words swift-footed Iris withdrew. Fully armed, Hector immediately leapt from his chariot to the ground and, brandishing a pair of sharp spears, went everywhere among his men, urging them to fight and rousing their spirit for grim battle. As a result the Trojans turned and faced the Greeks, but the Greeks on their side reinforced their ranks. Thus the battle was set, the two armies faced each other, and Agamemnon, eager to lead the fighting from the front, was the first to leap on the enemy.

  Tell me now, you Muses that have your home on Olympus, (220) who was the first of the Trojans or their famous allies to face Agamemnon?

  Agamemnon kills Iphidamas

  It was Iphidamas son of Trojan Antenor, tall and handsome, who had been brought up in the fertile country of Thrace, mother of sheep. His grandfather Cisses, father of his mother fair-cheeked Theano, had raised him from infancy in his own palace and, when Iphidamas reached the stage of youthful ambition, had done his best to keep him at home by offering him his daughter’s hand. But Iphidamas had no sooner married her than he left the bridal chamber in pursuit of glory against the Greeks. He sailed wi
th twelve beaked ships, left them in harbour at Percote and himself (230) reached Ilium on foot. This was the man who now confronted Agamemnon son of Atreus.

  When they had come within range of each other, Agamemnon missed with his spear, and it flew wide. Iphidamas stabbed Agamemnon on the belt under his body-armour and threw the whole weight of his body into it, keeping a firm grip on the spear. But he failed to pierce the glittering belt: when his spear-point met the silver, it bent like a bit of lead. Wide-ruling Agamemnon got his hand on the shaft and, pulling it towards him with the fury of a lion, dragged it out of the man’s grasp. (240) Then with his sword he hit him on the neck and brought him down.

  So there Iphidamas fell, to sleep the unbreakable sleep – a pitiable end, helping his fellow Trojans, far from his wife, the new bride from whom he had had no joy, though he had given so much for her. He had already handed over a hundred head of cattle and promised a thousand more sheep and goats from his countless flocks. And now Agamemnon son of Atreus stripped his body and went off with his splendid armour into the Greek ranks.

  Agamemnon is wounded

  When admirable Coön, Antenor’s eldest son, realized what (250) had happened, grief for his fallen brother blinded him, and he came up side-on, unnoticed by godlike Agamemnon, and struck him below the elbow in the middle of the forearm. The glittering spear-point went right on through. Agamemnon lord of men convulsed; but, far from giving up the fight and withdrawing, he charged at Coön, brandishing his weathered spear. Coön had got hold of Iphidamas’ foot and was hurriedly dragging his brother into the crowd, calling on all the best men to help. As he did so, Agamemnon (260) stabbed him with his bronze spear under his bossed shield and brought him down. Then he went up to him and cut his head off over the body of Iphidamas. So at the hands of lord Agamemnon these sons of Antenor fulfilled their destiny and went down to the house of Hades.

  Agamemnon retreats

  As long as the warm blood was still welling up from his injury, Agamemnon continued to harry the enemy ranks with spear, sword and boulders. But when the blood stopped flowing and the wound began to dry, he felt stabbing pains. As sharp pangs seize a woman in child (270) birth, the bitter pangs that are sent by the Eileithyiae, goddesses of labour, who are daughters of Hera and dispense its bitter pains – such were the stabbing pains Agamemnon felt. He leapt into his chariot, told his charioteer to drive to the hollow ships and, in considerable distress, sent his voice ringing out to the whole Greek army:

  ‘Friends, rulers and leaders of the Greeks, keep the furious battle away from our seafaring ships, since Zeus wise in counsel has not allowed me to fight the Trojans all day long.’

  (280) So he spoke, and his charioteer whipped his lovely-maned horses towards the hollow ships. The willing pair flew off, and their chests were flecked with foam, their bellies grey with dust, as they carried off their wounded lord far from the battlefield.

  When Hector saw Agamemnon withdraw, he called out to the Trojans and Lycians in a loud voice:

  ‘Trojans, Lycians and you Dardanians that like your fighting hand to hand, be men, my comrades, and call up that fighting spirit of yours! Their best man is gone and Zeus son of Cronus has given me a great victory. Drive your horses straight at these (290) mighty Greeks and win a greater victory yet!’

  With these words he put fresh heart and courage into every man. As a hunter sets his white-fanged hounds on a savage wild boar or a lion, so Hector son of Priam, equal of the murderous War-god Ares, set the proud Trojans on the Greeks. Fearlessly, he took his own place in the forefront and flung himself into the battle like a squall that sweeps down from the mountains and lashes the blue waters of the sea.

  (300) (Hector kills nine Greeks) And who were the first and last that fell to Hector son of Priam, now that Zeus gave him the victory? Asaeus first, and Autonous and Opites; Dolops son of Cly-tius, Opheltius and Agelaus; Aesymnus, Orus and resolute Hipponous. These were the first Greek leaders he killed. Then he fell on the ranks, as a storm-force north-west wind batters and scatters the clouds blown up by a clear southwesterly: the great rollers start their forward march, and the foam flies high on the roaring blast of the swirling wind – so the enemy fell in multitudes before the onslaught of Hector.

  (310) Irreparable disaster now threatened the Greeks who in their flight would soon have reached the ships and fallen there, had not Odysseus called out to Diomedes son of Tydeus:

  ‘Son of Tydeus, what’s the matter with us? Where’s that fighting spirit of ours gone? Here, my old friend, make a stand with me. We will never live it down if Hector of the flashing helmet captures the ships.’

  Mighty Diomedes replied to him and said:

  ‘Of course I’ll stand with you and take what comes. But it won’t help us for very long. Zeus who marshals the clouds has decided he’d rather see the Trojans win than us.’

  (320) (Diomedes and Odysseus kill seven Trojans) He spoke, flung his spear at Thymbraeus, hit him on the left nipple and knocked him out of his chariot, while Odysseus dealt with Molion his godlike attendant. Leaving these two where they fell – and for them there was no more fighting – the pair dashed into the crowd and ran riot, as a couple of wild boars turn fearlessly and charge the hounds that are chasing them. So they rounded on the Trojans and destroyed them, giving the Greeks a welcome pause for breath in their flight from godlike Hector.

  A chariot and two leaders of the people then fell to them. They were the two sons of Merops of Percote, the ablest prophet (330) of his day. He had forbidden his sons to go off to the killing fields, but these two, led on by the demons of death, had not listened to him. And now the great spearman Diomedes took their life and stripped them of their glorious arms, while Odysseus killed and stripped Hippodamus and Hypeirochus.

  Then Zeus, looking down from Mount Ida, intensified the battle on both sides, and for a time the slaughter became mutual. Diomedes stabbed Agastrophus the warrior son of Paeëon on the hip-joint with his spear. This man had been unable to escape, (340) as his chariot was nowhere near: utterly deluded, Agastrophus had left his charioteer holding the horses some way off, while he had charged into the front line on foot. This cost him his life.

  But Hector, looking sharply across the ranks, launched himself at Diomedes and Odysseus with a great shout, which brought the Trojan ranks after him. When Diomedes, master of the battle-cry, saw him, he was shaken. He turned at once to Odysseus, who was close at hand, and said:

  ‘Trouble’s looming. Here comes imperious Hector. Come on, let’s make a stand and drive him off.’

  (350) He spoke, balanced his long-shadowed spear and hurled it. (Diomedes drives off Hector) He had aimed at Hector’s head and did not miss, striking him on the crest of the helmet. But the bronze spear rebounded from the bronze and never reached his fine flesh: it was stopped by the triple layers of the vizored helmet which Phoebus Apollo had given him. Hector promptly retreated without looking back and disappeared into the crowd. Sinking to his knees, he supported himself with one great hand on the ground, and then the world went black as night. Meanwhile Diomedes was following up his spear-throw across the front lines to the spot where it had fallen. (360) So Hector had time to come to, leap once more into his chariot and drive off into the crowd. He had escaped dark death. But mighty Diomedes, rushing up with his spear, said:

  ‘You dog, once more you’ve saved your skin – but only just. Phoebus Apollo took care of you again: you must pray to him as the spears thud around you. But we shall meet once more and then I’ll finish you off, if I too can find some god somewhere to help me. For the moment I’ll attack anyone else I can find.’

  He spoke and proceeded to strip his earlier victim Agas-trophus.

  (370) (Paris wounds Diomedes) Now Paris, husband of lovely-haired Helen, aimed his bow at Diomedes shepherd of the people, leaning for cover against the column on the grave-mound which men had made for an earlier Trojan leader, Ilus son of Dardanus. As Diomedes was engaged in removing the ornate body-armour from mighty Aga
strophus’ chest, the shield from his shoulder and his heavy helmet from his head, Paris drew the bow and shot. The arrow did not leave his hand for nothing. Hitting Diomedes on the flat of his right foot, it went right through and stuck in the earth. Paris, with a happy laugh, leapt out from his cover and spoke in triumph over Diomedes:

  (380) ’Got you! I didn’t shoot for nothing. I only wish I’d hit you in the belly and killed you. Then the Trojans, who tremble at you like bleating goats at a lion, would have had some respite from their trouble.’

  Unperturbed, mighty Diomedes answered him:

  ‘Typical archer – loud mouth, all hairstyle and bedroom eyes! If you faced me man to man with real weapons, you would find your bow and arrows a poor defence. As it is, you’re boasting about scratching my foot. I might as well have been hit by a (390) woman or naughty little boy, for all I care. A shot from a cowardly nonentity never hurt anyone. But my weapons show their edge rather differently. One touch from them and a man is dead. His wife lacerates her cheeks and his children have no father. The earth turns red with his blood, and there he rots, with more vultures than girls clustering round him.’

  Diomedes retreats

  So he spoke, and the great spearman Odysseus came up and covered him. Diomedes sat down under his protection and drew the sharp arrow from his foot. Pain stabbed through him, and in considerable distress he (400) got into his chariot and told his charioteer to drive back to the hollow ships.

  Left to himself without a single Greek to support him, since they were all in flight, the great spearman Odysseus was perturbed and reflected on the situation:

  ‘Damn. What am I to do now? It would be pure cowardice to run for it, frightened by the odds against me; but even more unpleasant to be trapped alone, now that Zeus has put all the rest of the Greeks to flight. But why talk to myself like this? I know cowards run from the battlefield; but the brave warrior (410) must stand unflinching, to kill or be killed.’