the iliad(伊利亚特)-第34章

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are　to　be　had　for　harrying；　and　a　man　buy　both　tripods　and　horses　if
he　wants　them；　but　when　his　life　has　once　left　him　it　can　neither　be
bought　nor　harried　back　again。
　　〃My　mother　Thetis　tells　me　that　there　are　two　ways　in　which　I　may
meet　my　end。　If　I　stay　here　and　fight；　I　shall　not　return　alive　but　my
name　will　live　for　ever：　whereas　if　I　go　home　my　name　will　die；　but　it
will　be　long　ere　death　shall　take　me。　To　the　rest　of　you；　then；　I　say；
'Go　home；　for　you　will　not　take　Ilius。'　Jove　has　held　his　hand　over
her　to　protect　her；　and　her　people　have　taken　heart。　Go；　therefore；　as
in　duty　bound；　and　tell　the　princes　of　the　Achaeans　the　message　that　I
have　sent　them；　tell　them　to　find　some　other　plan　for　the　saving　of
their　ships　and　people；　for　so　long　as　my　displeasure　lasts　the　one
that　they　have　now　hit　upon　may　not　be。　As　for　Phoenix；　let　him
sleep　here　that　he　may　sail　with　me　in　the　morning　if　he　so　will。
But　I　will　not　take　him　by　force。〃
　　They　all　held　their　peace；　dismayed　at　the　sternness　with　which　he
had　denied　them；　till　presently　the　old　knight　Phoenix　in　his　great
fear　for　the　ships　of　the　Achaeans；　burst　into　tears　and　said；
〃Noble　Achilles；　if　you　are　now　minded　to　return；　and　in　the
fierceness　of　your　anger　will　do　nothing　to　save　the　ships　from
burning；　how；　my　son；　can　I　remain　here　without　you？　Your　father
Peleus　bade　me　go　with　you　when　he　sent　you　as　a　mere　lad　from
Phthia　to　Agamemnon。　You　knew　nothing　neither　of　war　nor　of　the　arts
whereby　men　make　their　mark　in　council；　and　he　sent　me　with　you　to
train　you　in　all　excellence　of　speech　and　action。　Therefore；　my　son；　I
will　not　stay　here　without　you…　no；　not　though　heaven　itself　vouchsafe
to　strip　my　years　from　off　me；　and　make　me　young　as　I　was　when　I　first
left　Hellas　the　land　of　fair　women。　I　was　then　flying　the　anger　of
father　Amyntor；　son　of　Ormenus；　who　was　furious　with　me　in　the
matter　of　his　concubine；　of　whom　he　was　enamoured　to　the　wronging　of
his　wife　my　mother。　My　mother；　therefore；　prayed　me　without　ceasing　to
lie　with　the　woman　myself；　that　so　she　hate　my　father；　and　in　the
course　of　time　I　yielded。　But　my　father　soon　came　to　know；　and
cursed　me　bitterly；　calling　the　dread　Erinyes　to　witness。　He　prayed
that　no　son　of　mine　might　ever　sit　upon　knees…　and　the　gods；　Jove　of
the　world　below　and　awful　Proserpine；　fulfilled　his　curse。　I　took
counsel　to　kill　him；　but　some　god　stayed　my　rashness　and　bade　me　think
on　men's　evil　tongues　and　how　I　should　be　branded　as　the　murderer　of
my　father：　nevertheless　I　could　not　bear　to　stay　in　my　father's
house　with　him　so　bitter　a　against　me。　My　cousins　and　clansmen　came
about　me；　and　pressed　me　sorely　to　remain；　many　a　sheep　and　many　an　ox
did　they　slaughter；　and　many　a　fat　hog　did　they　set　down　to　roast
before　the　fire；　many　a　jar；　too；　did　they　broach　of　my　father's　wine。
Nine　whole　nights　did　they　set　a　guard　over　me　taking　it　in　turns　to
watch；　and　they　kept　a　fire　always　burning；　both　in　the　cloister　of
the　outer　court　and　in　the　inner　court　at　the　doors　of　the　room
wherein　I　lay；　but　when　the　darkness　of　the　tenth　night　came；　I
broke　through　the　closed　doors　of　my　room；　and　climbed　the　wall　of　the
outer　court　after　passing　quickly　and　unperceived　through　the　men　on
guard　and　the　women　servants。　I　then　fled　through　Hellas　till　I　came
to　fertile　Phthia；　mother　of　sheep；　and　to　King　Peleus；　who　made　me
welcome　and　treated　me　as　a　father　treats　an　only　son　who　will　be　heir
to　all　his　wealth。　He　made　me　rich　and　set　me　over　much　people；
establishing　me　on　the　borders　of　Phthia　where　I　was　chief　ruler
over　the　Dolopians。
　　〃It　was　I；　Achilles；　who　had　the　making　of　you；　I　loved　you　with　all
my　heart：　for　you　would　eat　neither　at　home　nor　when　you　had　gone
out　elsewhere；　till　I　had　first　set　you　upon　my　knees；　cut　up　the
dainty　morsel　that　you　were　to　eat；　and　held　the　wine…cup　to　your
lips。　Many　a　time　have　you　slobbered　your　wine　in　baby　helplessness
over　my　shirt；　I　had　infinite　trouble　with　you；　but　I　knew　that　heaven
had　vouchsafed　me　no　offspring　of　my　own；　and　I　made　a　son　of　you；
Achilles；　that　in　my　hour　of　need　you　might　protect　me。　Now；
therefore；　I　say　battle　with　your　pride　and　beat　it；　cherish　not
your　anger　for　ever；　the　might　and　majesty　of　heaven　are　more　than
ours；　but　even　heaven　may　be　appeased；　and　if　a　man　has　sinned　he
prays　the　gods；　and　reconciles　them　to　himself　by　his　piteous　cries
and　by　frankincense；　with　drink…offerings　and　the　savour　of　burnt
sacrifice。　For　prayers　are　as　daughters　to　great　Jove；　halt；　wrinkled；
with　eyes　askance；　they　follow　in　the　footsteps　of　sin；　who；　being
fierce　and　fleet　of　foot；　leaves　them　far　behind　him；　and　ever　baneful
to　mankind　outstrips　them　even　to　the　ends　of　the　world；　but
nevertheless　the　prayers　come　hobbling　and　healing　after。　If　a　man　has
pity　upon　these　daughters　of　Jove　when　they　draw　near　him；　they　will
bless　him　and　hear　him　too　when　he　is　praying；　but　if　he　deny　them　and
will　not　listen　to　them；　they　go　to　Jove　the　son　of　Saturn　and　pray
that　he　may　presently　fall　into　sin…　to　his　ruing　bitterly
hereafter。　Therefore；　Achilles；　give　these　daughters　of　Jove　due
reverence；　and　bow　before　them　as　all　good　men　will　bow。　Were　not
the　son　of　Atreus　offering　you　gifts　and　promising　others　later…　if　he
were　still　furious　and　implacable…　I　am　not　he　that　would　bid　you
throw　off　your　anger　and　help　the　Achaeans；　no　matter　how　great
their　need；　but　he　is　giving　much　now；　and　more　hereafter；　he　has　sent
his　captains　to　urge　his　suit；　and　has　chosen　those　who　of　all　the
Argives　are　most　acceptable　to　you；　make　not　then　their　words　and
their　coming　to　be　of　none　effect。　Your　anger　has　been　righteous　so
far。　We　have　heard　in　song　how　heroes　of　old　time　quarrelled　when　they
were　roused　to　fury；　but　still　they　could　be　won　by　gifts；　and　fair
words　could　soothe　them。
　　〃I　have　an　old　story　in　my　mind…　a　very　old　one…　but　you　are　all
friends　and　I　will　tell　it。　The　Curetes　and　the　Aetolians　were
fighting　and　killing　one　another　round　Calydon…　the　Aetolians
defending　the　city　and　the　Curetes　trying　to　destroy　it。　For　Diana
of　the　golden　throne　was　angry　and　did　them　hurt　because　Oeneus　had
not　offered　her　his　harvest　first…fruits。　The　other　gods　had　all
been　feasted　with　hecatombs；　but　to　the　daughter　of　great　Jove　alone
he　had　made　no　sacrifice。　He　had　forgotten　her；　or　somehow　or　other　it
had　escaped　him；　and　this　was　a　grievous　sin。　Thereon　the　archer
goddess　in　her　displeasure　sent　a　prodigious　creature　against　him…　a
savage　wild　boar　with　great　white　tusks　that　did　much　harm　to　his
orchard　lands；　uprooting　apple…trees　in　full　bloom　and　throwing　them
to　the　ground。　But　Meleager　son　of　Oeneus　got　huntsmen　and　hounds　from
many　cities　and　killed　it…　for　it　was　so　monstrous　that　not　a　few　were
needed；　and　many　a　man　did　it　stretch　upon　his　funeral　pyre。　On　this
the　goddess　set　the　Curetes　and　the　Aetolians　fighting　furiously　about
the　head　and　skin　of　the　boar。
　　〃So　long　as　Meleager　was　in　the　field　things　went　badly　with　the
Curetes；　and　for　all　their　numbers　they　could　not　hold　their　ground
under　the　city　walls；　but　in　the　course　of　time　Meleager　was　angered
as　even　a　wise　man　will　sometimes　be。　He　was　incensed　with　his
mother　Althaea；　and　therefore　stayed　at　home　with　his　wedded　wife　fair
Cleopatra；　who　was　daughter　of　Marpessa　daughter　of　Euenus；　and　of
Ides　the　man　then　living。　He　it　was　who　took　his　bow　and　faced　King
Apollo　himself　for　fair　Marpessa's　sake；　her　father　and　mother　then
named　her　Alcyone；　because　her　mother　had　mourned　with　the　plaintive
strains　of　the　halcyon…bird　when　Phoebus　Apollo　had　carried　her　off。
Meleager；　then；　stayed　at　home　with　Cleopatra；　nursing　the　anger　which
he　felt　by　reason　of　his　mother's　curses。　His　mother；　grieving　for　the
death　of　her　brother；　prayed　the　gods；　and　beat　the　earth　with　her
hands；　calling　upon　Hades　and　on　awful　Proserpine；　she　went　down
upon　her　knees　and　her　bosom　was　wet　with　tears　as　she　prayed　that
they　would　kill　her　son…　and　Erinys　that　walks　in　darkness　and　knows
no　ruth　heard　her　from　Erebus。
　　〃Then　was　heard　the　din　of　battle　about　the　gates　of　Calydon；　and
the　dull　thump