BOOK THE NINETEENTH.

ARGUMENT.

Thetis, having brought Achilles his new armour, and promised to preserve the body of Patroclus from corruption, he is reconciled to Agamemnon, and being miraculously invigorated by Minerva, goes forth to battle, regardless of the prediction of his fate by his horse Xanthus.

“My son, let us suffer him now to lie, grieved although we be, since first he has been laid low by the counsel of the gods: but do thou receive these distinguished arms from Vulcan, very beautiful, such as no man has ever worn upon his shoulders.”

Having thus spoken, the goddess placed the armour before Achilles; and they, all curiously wrought, clashed aloud. Then tremor seized all the Myrmidons, nor did any one dare to look directly at them, but they fled in fear. But when Achilles saw them, the more rage entered him; and his eyes shone terribly beneath his eyelids, like a flame; and he was delighted, holding in his hands the splendid gifts of the god. But after he had delighted his mind, beholding these artificial works, he immediately addressed to his mother winged words:

“Mother mine, the god hath indeed given arms, such as are fit to be works of immortals, nor that a mortal man could make. Truly now will I arm myself; but I very much fear lest, in the meantime, the flies, having entered the gallant son of Menœtius, by his spear-inflicted wounds, create maggots, and pollute the corse, (for life in it is destroyed,) and all the parts of the body grow putrid.”

But him the silver-footed goddess Thetis then answered:

“My child, let not these things be a care to thy mind. I will endeavour to drive away from him the fierce swarms, the flies which devour heroes slain in battle. For although he lie an entire year, his body shall always be uncorrupted, or even better. But do thou, having summoned the Grecian heroes to an assembly, having renounced thy wrath towards Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people, arm thyself quickly for war, and put on thy might.”

But noble Achilles went along the shore of the sea, shouting fearfully, and aroused the Grecian heroes; so that even those who used formerly to remain in the assemblage of the ships, both those who were pilots, and who held the rudders of the ships, and the pursers [who] were at the ships, dispensers of food, even these then indeed went to the assembly, because Achilles appeared, for he had long abstained from the grievous battle. And two servants of Mars, the warlike son of Tydeus, and noble Ulysses, went limping, leaning upon a spear; for they still had painful wounds; and advancing, they sat in the front seats. But last came the king of men, Agamemnon, having a wound; for him also, in the sharp battle, Coon, son of Antenor, had wounded with his brazen spear. Then when all the Greeks were assembled, swift-footed Achilles, rising up amongst them, said:

Thus he spoke; but the well-greaved Greeks rejoiced, the magnanimous son of Peleus renouncing his wrath. But them, the king of men, Agamemnon, also addressed out of the same place, from his seat, nor advancing into the midst:

But him the august Juno addressed, devising guile: “Thou shalt lie, nor shalt thou insure accomplishment to thy speech. But come, swear a firm oath to me, O Olympian! that he shall indeed be ruler over all his neighbours, who shall this day fall between the feet of a woman, among those men, who are of the blood of thy family.”

“Father Jove, hurler of the red lightning, I will put a certain matter in thy mind. A noble man is now born, who shall rule the Argives, Eurystheus, the son of Perseus, thy offspring; nor is it unbecoming that he should govern the Argives.”

“Thus she spoke; but sharp grief smote him in his deep mind; and immediately he seized Até by her head of shining curls, enraged in his mind, and swore a powerful oath, that Até, who injures all, should never again return to Olympus and the starry heaven.

But him the king of men, Agamemnon, in return addressed:

“I rejoice, O son of Laërtes, having heard thy speech, for with propriety hast thou gone through and enumerated all things. These things I am willing to swear, and my mind orders me, in presence of a god, nor will I perjure myself. But let Achilles remain here, at least for a little while, though hastening to battle, and do all ye others remain assembled, until they bring the gifts from my tent, and we strike faithful leagues. To thyself, however, [O Ulysses], I give this charge, and order thee, selecting the principal youths of all the Greeks, to bear from my ship the gifts, as many as we yesterday promised that we should give to Achilles, and to lead [hither] the women. But let Talthybius also quickly prepare for me through the wide army of the Greeks, a boar to sacrifice to Jove and the sun.”

Him answering, swift-footed Achilles then addressed:

“Most glorious son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, at some other time ought they rather to attend to these things, when any cessation of battle hereafter be, and so much ardour be not in my bosom: but at present those lie mangled, whom Hector, son of Priam, subdued, when Jove gave him the glory: but ye urge [them] to food! Now indeed I should excite the sons of the Greeks to fight, fasting, but with the setting sun, to prepare a large supper, after we have revenged our disgrace. Before that neither drink nor food shall pass down my throat, my companion being slain, who lies in my tent, torn with the sharp brass, turned towards the vestibule, whilst his comrades mourn around these things are not a care to my mind, but slaughter and bloodshed, and the dreadful groans of heroes.”

But him much-scheming Ulysses answering, addressed:

“Now first let Jove be witness, the most supreme and best of gods, and Earth, and Sun, and ye Furies, who beneath the earth chastise men, whoever may swear a falsehood; never have I laid hands upon the maid Briseïs, needing her for the sake of the couch, or any other purpose; but inviolate has she remained in my tents. But if any of these things be false, may the gods inflict on me those very many distresses which they inflict when men sin in swearing.”

He said, and cut the throat of the boar with the ruthless brass; which Talthybius, whirling round, cast into the mighty water of the hoary sea, as food for fishes. But Achilles, rising, said among the war-loving Greeks:

“O father Jove, certainly thou givest great calamities to men; for never could Atrides have so thoroughly aroused the indignation in my bosom, nor foolish, led away the girl, I being unwilling, but Jove for some intent wished death should happen to many Greeks. But now go to the repast, that we may join battle.”

Thus she spoke, weeping; and the women lamented for Patroclus, as a pretext, but [really] each for her own ills. And around him (Achilles) were collected the elders of the Greeks, entreating him to take refreshment; but he, moaning, refused:

“I entreat [you], if any of my beloved companions would be obedient to me, bid me not satiate my heart with food or drink, since heavy grief hath invaded me; but I will wait entirely till the setting sun, and will endure.”

“Surely once, thou too, O unhappy one! dearest of my companions, wouldst thyself have set before me a plentiful feast, within my tent, speedily and diligently, when the Greeks hastened to make tearful war upon the horse-breaking Trojans. But now thou liest mangled; but my heart is without drink and food, though they are within, from regret for thee; for I could not suffer anything worse, not even if I were to hear of my father being dead, who now perhaps sheds the tender tear in Phthia from the want of such a son; while I, in a foreign people, wage war against the Trojans, for the sake of detested Helen: or him, my beloved son, who is nurtured for me at Scyros, if indeed he still lives, godlike Neoptolemus. For formerly the mind within my bosom hoped that I alone should perish here in Troy, far from steed-nourishing Argos, and that thou shouldst return to Phthia, that thou mightst lead back my son in thy black ship from Scyros, and mightst show him everything, my property, my servants, and my great, lofty-domed abode. For now I suppose that Peleus is either totally deceased, or that he, barely alive, suffers pain from hateful old age, and that he is continually expecting bad news respecting me, when he shall hear of my being dead.”

Thus he spoke, weeping; and the elders also groaned, remembering, each of them, the things which they had left in their dwellings. But the son of Saturn felt compassion, seeing them weeping, and immediately to Minerva addressed winged words:

“O daughter mine, thou entirely now desertest thy valiant hero. Is Achilles then no longer at all a care to thee in thy mind? He himself is sitting before his lofty-beaked ships, bewailing his dear companion; while the others have gone to a banquet; but he is unrefreshed and unfed. Go, therefore, instil into his breast nectar and delightful ambrosia, that hunger may come not upon him.”

So saying, he urged on Minerva, who was before eager. But she, like unto a broad-winged, shrill-voiced harpy, leaped down from the heavens through the air. The Greeks, however, were then arming themselves throughout the camp, when she instilled into the bosom of Achilles nectar and delightful ambrosia, that unpleasant hunger might not come upon his limbs. Then she went to the solid mansion of her powerful sire, and they, apart, poured forth from the swift ships.

“Xanthus, and Balius, illustrious offspring of Podarges, resolve now in a different manner to bring back your charioteer in safety to the body of the Greeks, after we are satiated with battle, nor leave him there dead, like Patroclus.”

But from beneath the yoke, Xanthus, his swift-footed steed, addressed him, and immediately hung down his head, and his whole mane, drooping from the ring which was near the yoke, reached the ground. But the white-armed goddess Juno gave him the power of speech:

“Now, at least, we will bear thee safe, O impetuous Achilles: but the fatal day draws nigh to thee; nor are we to blame, but a mighty deity and violent destiny. For not by our laziness, or sloth, have the Trojans stripped the armour from the shoulders of Patroclus; but the bravest of the gods, whom fair-haired Latona brought forth, slew him among the front ranks, and gave glory to Hector. And [though] we can run even with the blast of Zephyrus, which they say is the most fleet, yet to thyself it is fated that thou shouldst be violently subdued by a god and a man.”

Of him, having thus spoken, the Furies restrained the voice: but him swift-footed Achilles, greatly indignant, addressed:

“O Xanthus, why dost thou predict my death to me? For it is not at all necessary for thee. Well do I myself know that it is my fate to perish here, far away from my dear father and mother. Nevertheless I will not cease before the Trojans are abundantly satiated with war.”

He spoke, and shouting amongst the front ranks, directed on his solid-hoofed steeds.