the iliad(伊利亚特)-第56章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


slumber；　and　Juno　has　beguiled　him　into　going　to　bed　with　her。〃
　　Sleep　now　departed　and　went　his　ways　to　and　fro　among　mankind；
leaving　Neptune　more　eager　than　ever　to　help　the　Danaans。　He　darted
forward　among　the　first　ranks　and　shouted　saying；　〃Argives；　shall　we
let　Hector　son　of　Priam　have　the　triumph　of　taking　our　ships　and
covering　himself　with　glory？　This　is　what　he　says　that　he　shall　now
do；　seeing　that　Achilles　is　still　in　dudgeon　at　his　ship；　We　shall　get
on　very　well　without　him　if　we　keep　each　other　in　heart　and　stand　by
one　another。　Now；　therefore；　let　us　all　do　as　I　say。　Let　us　each
take　the　best　and　largest　shield　we　can　lay　hold　of；　put　on　our
helmets；　and　sally　forth　with　our　longest　spears　in　our　hands；　will
lead　you　on；　and　Hector　son　of　Priam；　rage　as　he　may；　will　not　dare　to
hold　out　against　us。　If　any　good　staunch　soldier　has　only　a　small
shield；　let　him　hand　it　over　to　a　worse　man；　and　take　a　larger　one　for
himself。〃
　　Thus　did　he　speak；　and　they　did　even　as　he　had　said。　The　son　of
Tydeus；　Ulysses；　and　Agamemnon；　wounded　though　they　were；　set　the
others　in　array；　and　went　about　everywhere　effecting　the　exchanges
of　armour；　the　most　valiant　took　the　best　armour；　and　gave　the　worse
to　the　worse　man。　When　they　had　donned　their　bronze　armour　they
marched　on　with　Neptune　at　their　head。　In　his　strong　hand　he　grasped
his　terrible　sword；　keen　of　edge　and　flashing　like　lightning；　woe　to
him　who　comes　across　it　in　the　day　of　battle；　all　men　quake　for　fear
and　keep　away　from　it。
　　Hector　on　the　other　side　set　the　Trojans　in　array。　Thereon　Neptune
and　Hector　waged　fierce　war　on　one　another…　Hector　on　the　Trojan　and
Neptune　on　the　Argive　side。　Mighty　was　the　uproar　as　the　two　forces
met；　the　sea　came　rolling　in　towards　the　ships　and　tents　of　the
Achaeans；　but　waves　do　not　thunder　on　the　shore　more　loudly　when
driven　before　the　blast　of　Boreas；　nor　do　the　flames　of　a　forest
fire　roar　more　fiercely　when　it　is　well　alight　upon　the　mountains；　nor
does　the　wind　bellow　with　ruder　music　as　it　tears　on　through　the
tops　of　when　it　is　blowing　its　hardest；　than　the　terrible　shout
which　the　Trojans　and　Achaeans　raised　as　they　sprang　upon　one　another。
　　Hector　first　aimed　his　spear　at　Ajax；　who　was　turned　full　towards
him；　nor　did　he　miss　his　aim。　The　spear　struck　him　where　two　bands
passed　over　his　chest…　the　band　of　his　shield　and　that　of　his
silver…studded　sword…　and　these　protected　his　body。　Hector　was　angry
that　his　spear　should　have　been　hurled　in　vain；　and　withdrew　under
cover　of　his　men。　As　he　was　thus　retreating；　Ajax　son　of　Telamon
struck　him　with　a　stone；　of　which　there　were　many　lying　about　under
the　men's　feet　as　they　fought…　brought　there　to　give　support　to　the
ships'　sides　as　they　lay　on　the　shore。　Ajax　caught　up　one　of　them
and　struck　Hector　above　the　rim　of　his　shield　close　to　his　neck；　the
blow　made　him　spin　round　like　a　top　and　reel　in　all　directions。　As
an　oak　falls　headlong　when　uprooted　by　the　lightning　flash　of　father
Jove；　and　there　is　a　terrible　smell　of　brimstone…　no　man　can　help
being　dismayed　if　he　is　standing　near　it；　for　a　thunderbolt　is　a
very　awful　thing…　even　so　did　Hector　fall　to　earth　and　bite　the
dust。　His　spear　fell　from　his　hand；　but　his　shield　and　helmet　were
made　fast　about　his　body；　and　his　bronze　armour　rang　about　him。
　　The　sons　of　the　Achaeans　came　running　with　a　loud　cry　towards　him；
hoping　to　drag　him　away；　and　they　showered　their　darts　on　the　Trojans；
but　none　of　them　could　wound　him　before　he　was　surrounded　and
covered　by　the　princes　Polydamas；　Aeneas；　Agenor；　Sarpedon　captain
of　the　Lycians；　and　noble　Glaucus：　of　the　others；　too；　there　was　not
one　who　was　unmindful　of　him；　and　they　held　their　round　shields　over
him　to　cover　him。　His　comrades　then　lifted　him　off　the　ground　and　bore
him　away　from　the　battle　to　the　place　where　his　horses　stood　waiting
for　him　at　the　rear　of　the　fight　with　their　driver　and　the　chariot；
these　then　took　him　towards　the　city　groaning　and　in　great　pain。
When　they　reached　the　ford　of　the　air　stream　of　Xanthus；　begotten　of
Immortal　Jove；　they　took　him　from　off　his　chariot　and　laid　him　down　on
the　ground；　they　poured　water　over　him；　and　as　they　did　so　he　breathed
again　and　opened　his　eyes。　Then　kneeling　on　his　knees　he　vomited
blood；　but　soon　fell　back　on　to　the　ground；　and　his　eyes　were　again
closed　in　darkness　for　he　was　still　sturined　by　the　blow。
　　When　the　Argives　saw　Hector　leaving　the　field；　they　took　heart　and
set　upon　the　Trojans　yet　more　furiously。　Ajax　fleet　son　of　Oileus
began　by　springing　on　Satnius　son　of　Enops　and　wounding　him　with　his
spear：　a　fair　naiad　nymph　had　borne　him　to　Enops　as　he　was　herding
cattle　by　the　banks　of　the　river　Satnioeis。　The　son　of　Oileus　came
up　to　him　and　struck　him　in　the　flank　so　that　he　fell；　and　a　fierce
fight　between　Trojans　and　Danaans　raged　round　his　body。　Polydamas
son　of　Panthous　drew　near　to　avenge　him；　and　wounded　Prothoenor　son　of
Areilycus　on　the　right　shoulder；　the　terrible　spear　went　right　through
his　shoulder；　and　he　clutched　the　earth　as　he　fell　in　the　dust。
Polydamas　vaunted　loudly　over　him　saying；　〃Again　I　take　it　that　the
spear　has　not　sped　in　vain　from　the　strong　hand　of　the　son　of
Panthous；　an　Argive　has　caught　it　in　his　body；　and　it　will　serve　him
for　a　staff　as　he　goes　down　into　the　house　of　Hades。〃
　　The　Argives　were　maddened　by　this　boasting。　Ajax　son　of　Telamon
was　more　angry　than　any；　for　the　man　had　fallen　close　be；　him；　so　he
aimed　at　Polydamas　as　he　was　retreating；　but　Polydamas　saved　himself
by　swerving　aside　and　the　spear　struck　Archelochus　son　of　Antenor；　for
heaven　counselled　his　destruction；　it　struck　him　where　the　head
springs　from　the　neck　at　the　top　joint　of　the　spine；　and　severed
both　the　tendons　at　the　back　of　the　head。　His　head；　mouth；　and
nostrils　reached　the　ground　long　before　his　legs　and　knees　could　do
so；　and　Ajax　shouted　to　Polydamas　saying；　〃Think；　Polydamas；　and
tell　me　truly　whether　this　man　is　not　as　well　worth　killing　as
Prothoenor　was：　he　seems　rich；　and　of　rich　family；　a　brother；　it　may
be；　or　son　of　the　knight　Antenor；　for　he　is　very　like　him。〃
　　But　he　knew　well　who　it　was；　and　the　Trojans　were　greatly　angered。
Acamas　then　bestrode　his　brother's　body　and　wounded　Promachus　the
Boeotian　with　his　spear；　for　he　was　trying　to　drag　his　brother's
body　away。　Acamas　vaunted　loudly　over　him　saying；　〃Argive　archers；
braggarts　that　you　are；　toil　and　suffering　shall　not　be　for　us　only；
but　some　of　you　too　shall　fall　here　as　well　as　ourselves。　See　how
Promachus　now　sleeps；　vanquished　by　my　spear；　payment　for　my　brother's
blood　has　not　long　delayed；　a　man；　therefore；　may　well　be　thankful
if　he　leaves　a　kinsman　in　his　house　behind　him　to　avenge　his　fall。〃
　　His　taunts　infuriated　the　Argives；　and　Peneleos　was　more　enraged
than　any　of　them。　He　sprang　towards　Acamas；　but　Acamas　did　not　stand
his　ground；　and　he　killed　Ilioneus　son　of　the　rich　flock…master
Phorbas；　whom　Mercury　had　favoured　and　endowed　with　greater　wealth
than　any　other　of　the　Trojans。　Ilioneus　was　his　only　son；　and　Peneleos
now　wounded　him　in　the　eye　under　his　eyebrows；　tearing　the　eye…ball
from　its　socket：　the　spear　went　right　through　the　eye　into　the　nape　of
the　neck；　and　he　fell；　stretching　out　both　hands　before　him。
Peneleos　then　drew　his　sword　and　smote　him　on　the　neck；　so　that　both
head　and　helmet　came　tumbling　down　to　the　ground　with　the　spear
still　sticking　in　the　eye；　he　then　held　up　the　head；　as　though　it
had　been　a　poppy…head；　and　showed　it　to　the　Trojans；　vaunting　over
them　as　he　did　so。　〃Trojans；〃　he　cried；　〃bid　the　father　and　mother
of　noble　Ilioneus　make　moan　for　him　in　their　house；　for　the　wife
also　of　Promachus　son　of　Alegenor　will　never　be　gladdened　by　the
coming　of　her　dear　husband…　when　we　Argives　return　with　our　ships　from
Troy。〃
　　As　he　spoke　fear　fell　upon　them；　and　every　man　looked　round　about　to
see　whither　he　might　fly　for　safety。
　　Tell　me　now；　O　Muses　that　dwell　on　Olympus；　who　was　the　first　of　the
Argives　to　bear　away　blood…stained　spoils　after　Neptune　lord　of　the
earthquake　had　turned　the　fortune　of　war。　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　was
first　to　wound　Hyrtius　son　of　Gyrtius；　captai