the iliad(伊利亚特)-第53章

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I　think　will　be　best。　The　fight　has　hemmed　you　in　as　with　a　circle
of　fire；　and　even　now　that　the　Trojans　are　within　the　wall　some　of
them　stand　aloof　in　full　armour；　while　others　are　fighting　scattered
and　outnumbered　near　the　ships。　Draw　back；　therefore；　and　call　your
chieftains　round　you；　that　we　may　advise　together　whether　to　fall
now　upon　the　ships　in　the　hope　that　heaven　may　vouchsafe　us　victory；
or　to　beat　a　retreat　while　we　can　yet　safely　do　so。　I　greatly　fear
that　the　Achaeans　will　pay　us　their　debt　of　yesterday　in　full；　for
there　is　one　abiding　at　their　ships　who　is　never　weary　of　battle；
and　who　will　not　hold　aloof　much　longer。〃
　　Thus　spoke　Polydamas；　and　his　words　pleased　Hector　well。　He　sprang
in　full　armour　from　his　chariot　and　said；　〃Polydamas；　gather　the
chieftains　here；　I　will　go　yonder　into　the　fight；　but　will　return　at
once　when　I　have　given　them　their　orders。〃
　　He　then　sped　onward；　towering　like　a　snowy　mountain；　and　with　a　loud
cry　flew　through　the　ranks　of　the　Trojans　and　their　allies。　When
they　heard　his　voice　they　all　hastened　to　gather　round　Polydamas　the
excellent　son　of　Panthous；　but　Hector　kept　on　among　the　foremost；
looking　everywhere　to　find　Deiphobus　and　prince　Helenus；　Adamas　son　of
Asius；　and　Asius　son　of　Hyrtacus；　living；　indeed；　and　scatheless　he
could　no　longer　find　them；　for　the　two　last　were　lying　by　the　sterns
of　the　Achaean　ships；　slain　by　the　Argives；　while　the　others　had
been　also　stricken　and　wounded　by　them；　but　upon　the　left　wing　of
the　dread　battle　he　found　Alexandrus；　husband　of　lovely　Helen；
cheering　his　men　and　urging　them　on　to　fight。　He　went　up　to　him　and
upbraided　him。　〃Paris；〃　said　he；　〃evil…hearted　Paris；　fair　to　see
but　woman…mad　and　false　of　tongue；　where　are　Deiphobus　and　King
Helenus？　Where　are　Adamas　son　of　Asius；　and　Asius　son　of　Hyrtacus？
Where　too　is　Othryoneus？　Ilius　is　undone　and　will　now　surely　fall！〃
　　Alexandrus　answered；　〃Hector；　why　find　fault　when　there　is　no　one　to
find　fault　with？　I　should　hold　aloof　from　battle　on　any　day　rather
than　this；　for　my　mother　bore　me　with　nothing　of　the　coward　about
me。　From　the　moment　when　you　set　our　men　fighting　about　the　ships　we
have　been　staying　here　and　doing　battle　with　the　Danaans。　Our　comrades
about　whom　you　ask　me　are　dead；　Deiphobus　and　King　Helenus　alone
have　left　the　field；　wounded　both　of　them　in　the　hand；　but　the　son
of　Saturn　saved　them　alive。　Now；　therefore；　lead　on　where　you　would
have　us　go；　and　we　will　follow　with　right　goodwill；　you　shall　not　find
us　fail　you　in　so　far　as　our　strength　holds　out；　but　no　man　can　do
more　than　in　him　lies；　no　matter　how　willing　he　may　be。〃
　　With　these　words　he　satisfied　his　brother；　and　the　two　went
towards　the　part　of　the　battle　where　the　fight　was　thickest；　about
Cebriones；　brave　Polydamas；　Phalces；　Orthaeus；　godlike　Polyphetes；
Palmys；　Ascanius；　and　Morys　son　of　Hippotion；　who　had　come　from
fertile　Ascania　on　the　preceding　day　to　relieve　other　troops。　Then
Jove　urged　them　on　to　fight。　They　flew　forth　like　the　blasts　of　some
fierce　wind　that　strike　earth　in　the　van　of　a　thunderstorm…　they
buffet　the　salt　sea　into　an　uproar；　many　and　mighty　are　the　great
waves　that　come　crashing　in　one　after　the　other　upon　the　shore　with
their　arching　heads　all　crested　with　foam…　even　so　did　rank　behind
rank　of　Trojans　arrayed　in　gleaming　armour　follow　their　leaders
onward。　The　way　was　led　by　Hector　son　of　Priam；　peer　of　murderous
Mars；　with　his　round　shield　before　him…　his　shield　of　ox…hides　covered
with　plates　of　bronze…　and　his　gleaming　helmet　upon　his　temples。　He
kept　stepping　forward　under　cover　of　his　shield　in　every　direction；
making　trial　of　the　ranks　to　see　if　they　would　give　way　be　him；　but　he
could　not　daunt　the　courage　of　the　Achaeans。　Ajax　was　the　first　to
stride　out　and　challenge　him。　〃Sir；〃　he　cried；　〃draw　near；　why　do
you　think　thus　vainly　to　dismay　the　Argives？　We　Achaeans　are　excellent
soldiers；　but　the　scourge　of　Jove　has　fallen　heavily　upon　us。　Your
heart；　forsooth；　is　set　on　destroying　our　ships；　but　we　too　have　bands
that　can　keep　you　at　bay；　and　your　own　fair　town　shall　be　sooner　taken
and　sacked　by　ourselves。　The　time　is　near　when　you　shall　pray　Jove　and
all　the　gods　in　your　flight；　that　your　steeds　may　be　swifter　than
hawks　as　they　raise　the　dust　on　the　plain　and　bear　you　back　to　your
city。〃
　　As　he　was　thus　speaking　a　bird　flew　by　upon　his　right　hand；　and
the　host　of　the　Achaeans　shouted；　for　they　took　heart　at　the　omen。　But
Hector　answered；　〃Ajax；　braggart　and　false　of　tongue；　would　that　I
were　as　sure　of　being　son　for　evermore　to　aegis…bearing　Jove；　with
Queen　Juno　for　my　mother；　and　of　being　held　in　like　honour　with
Minerva　and　Apollo；　as　I　am　that　this　day　is　big　with　the
destruction　of　the　Achaeans；　and　you　shall　fall　among　them　if　you　dare
abide　my　spear；　it　shall　rend　your　fair　body　and　bid　you　glut　our
hounds　and　birds　of　prey　with　your　fat　and　your　flesh；　as　you　fall
by　the　ships　of　the　Achaeans。〃
　　With　these　words　he　led　the　way　and　the　others　followed　after　with　a
cry　that　rent　the　air；　while　the　host　shouted　behind　them。　The　Argives
on　their　part　raised　a　shout　likewise；　nor　did　they　forget　their
prowess；　but　stood　firm　against　the　onslaught　of　the　Trojan
chieftains；　and　the　cry　from　both　the　hosts　rose　up　to　heaven　and　to
the　brightness　of　Jove's　presence。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　XIV

　　NESTOR　was　sitting　over　his　wine；　but　the　cry　of　battle　did　not
escape　him；　and　he　said　to　the　son　of　Aesculapius；　〃What；　noble
Machaon；　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？　The　shouts　of　men　fighting　by　our
ships　grow　stronger　and　stronger；　stay　here；　therefore；　and　sit　over
your　wine；　while　fair　Hecamede　heats　you　a　bath　and　washes　the　clotted
blood　from　off　you。　I　will　go　at　once　to　the　look…out　station　and
see　what　it　is　all　about。〃
　　As　he　spoke　he　took　up　the　shield　of　his　son　Thrasymedes　that　was
lying　in　his　tent；　all　gleaming　with　bronze；　for　Thrasymedes　had　taken
his　father's　shield；　he　grasped　his　redoubtable　bronze…shod　spear；　and
as　soon　as　he　was　outside　saw　the　disastrous　rout　of　the　Achaeans　who；
now　that　their　wall　was　overthrown；　were　flying　pell…mell　before　the
Trojans。　As　when　there　is　a　heavy　swell　upon　the　sea；　but　the　waves
are　dumb…　they　keep　their　eyes　on　the　watch　for　the　quarter　whence　the
fierce　winds　may　spring　upon　them；　but　they　stay　where　they　are　and
set　neither　this　way　nor　that；　till　some　particular　wind　sweeps　down
from　heaven　to　determine　them…　even　so　did　the　old　man　ponder
whether　to　make　for　the　crowd　of　Danaans；　or　go　in　search　of
Agamemnon。　In　the　end　he　deemed　it　best　to　go　to　the　son　of　Atreus；
but　meanwhile　the　hosts　were　fighting　and　killing　one　another；　and　the
hard　bronze　rattled　on　their　bodies；　as　they　thrust　at　one　another
with　their　swords　and　spears。
　　The　wounded　kings；　the　son　of　Tydeus；　Ulysses；　and　Agamemnon　son
of　Atreus；　fell　in　Nestor　as　they　were　coming　up　from　their　ships…　for
theirs　were　drawn　up　some　way　from　where　the　fighting　was　going　on；
being　on　the　shore　itself　inasmuch　as　they　had　been　beached　first；
while　the　wall　had　been　built　behind　the　hindermost。　The　stretch　of
the　shore；　wide　though　it　was；　did　not　afford　room　for　all　the
ships；　and　the　host　was　cramped　for　space；　therefore　they　had　placed
the　ships　in　rows　one　behind　the　other；　and　had　filled　the　whole
opening　of　the　bay　between　the　two　points　that　formed　it。　The　kings；
leaning　on　their　spears；　were　coming　out　to　survey　the　fight；　being　in
great　anxiety；　and　when　old　Nestor　met　them　they　were　filled　with
dismay。　Then　King　Agamemnon　said　to　him；　〃Nestor　son　of　Neleus；　honour
to　the　Achaean　name；　why　have　you　left　the　battle　to　come　hither？　I
fear　that　what　dread　Hector　said　will　come　true；　when　he　vaunted　among
the　Trojans　saying　that　he　would　not　return　to　Ilius　till　he　had　fired
our　ships　and　killed　us；　this　is　what　he　said；　and　now　it　is　all
coming　true。　Alas！　others　of　the　Achaeans；　like　Achilles；　are　in　anger
with　me　that　they　refuse　to　fight　by　the　sterns　of　our　ships。〃
　　Then　Nestor　knight　of　Gerene　answered；　〃It　is　indeed　as　you　say；
it　is　all　coming　true　at　this　moment；　and　even　Jove　who　thunders
from　on　high　cannot