Πυρσοι τε φλεγεθουσιν επητριμοι, ύψοσε δ' αυγη
Γιγνεται αισσουσα, περικτιονεσσιν ιδέσθαι,
Αικεν πως συν νηυσιν αρεως αλκτηρες ίκωνται,
Ως απ' Αχιλληος κεφαλης σελας αιθερ ̓ ἱκανε.
Στη δ' επι ταφρον ιων απο τείχεος· ουδ' ες Αχαιους Μισγετο μητρος γαρ πυκινην ωπιζετ' εφετμην. Ενθα στας ηυσ', απατερθε δε Παλλας Αθηνη Φθεγξατ' αταρ Τρώεσσιν εν ασπετον ώρσε κυδοιμον. Ὡς δ' ὁτ αρίζηλη φωνη, ὁτετ' ιαχε σαλπιγξ Αστυ περιπλομενων δηιων ὑπο θυμοραιστεων, Ως τοτ' αρίζηλη φωνη γενετ' Αιακιδαο. Οι δ ̓ ὡς ουν αιον οπα χαλκεον Αιακίδαο, Πασιν ορίνθη θυμος" αταρ καλλιτριχες ἱπποι Αψ οχέα τροπεον οσσοντο γαρ αλγεα θυμώ. 'Ηνιοχοι δ' εκπληγεν, επει ιδον ακάματον πυρ Δεινον ὑπερ κεφαλης μεγαθύμου Πηλείωνος Δαιομενον· το δ' εδαιε θεα γλαυκώπις Αθηνη. Τρις μεν ύπερ ταφρου μεγαλ' ιαχε διος Αχιλλευς, Τρις δ' εκυκηθησαν Τρωες κλειτοι τ' επικουροι. Ενθα δε και τοτ' ολοντο δυωδεκα φωτες αριστοι Αμφι σφοις οχεεσσι και εγχεσιν.
Iliad, Lib. xviii. v. 203.
But up Achilles rose, the lov'd of heaven;
And Pallas on his mighty shoulders cast
The shield of Jove; and round about his head
She put the glory of a golden mist,
From which there burnt a fiery-flaming light.
And as, when smoke goes heaven-ward from a town,
In some far island which its foes besiege,
Who all day long with dreadful martialness
Have pour'd from their own town; soon as the sun
Has set, thick lifted fires are visible,
Which, rushing upward, make a light in the sky,
And let the neighbours know, who may perhaps
Bring help across the sea; so from the head
Of great Achilles went up an effulgence.
Upon the trench he stood, without the wall,
But mix'd not with the Greeks, for he rever'd
His mother's word;
and so,
thus standing there,
He shouted; and Minerva, to his shout,
Added a dreadful cry; and there arose
Among the Trojans an unspeakable tumult.
And as the clear voice of a trumpet, blown
Against a town by spirit-withering foes,
So sprang the clear voice of Eacides.
And when they heard the brazen cry, their hearts
All leap'd within them; and the proud-maned horses
Ran with the chariots round, for they foresaw
Calamity; and the charioteers were smitten,
When they beheld the ever-active fire
Upon the dreadful head of the great-minded one
Burning; for bright-eyed Pallas made it burn.
Thrice o'er the trench divine Achilles shouted ;
And thrice the Trojans and their great allies
Roll'd back; and twelve of all their noblest men
Then perish'd, crush'd by their own arms and chariots.
Of course there is no further question about the body of Patroclus. It is drawn out of the press, and received by the awful hero with tears.
The other passage is where Priam, kneeling before Achilles, and imploring him to give up the dead body of Hector, reminds him of his own father; who, whatever (says the poor old king) may be his troubles with his enemies, has the blessing of knowing that his son is still alive, and may daily hope to see him return. Achilles, in accordance
with the strength and noble honesty of the passions in those times, weeps aloud himself at this appeal, feeling, says Homer, “ desire” for his father in his very "limbs." He joins in grief with the venerable sufferer, and can no longer withstand the look of "his grey head and his grey chin." Observe the exquisite introduction of this last word. It paints the touching fact of the chin's being imploringly thrown upward by the kneeling old man, and the very motion of his beard as he speaks.
Ως αρα φονήσας απέβη προς μακρον Ολυμπον
Ερμειας· Πριαμος δ' εξ ίππων αλτο χαμάζε,
Ιδαιον δε κατ' αυθι λιπεν· ὁ δε μιμνεν ερυκων
Ἱππους ἡμιονους τε γερων δ' ιθυς κιεν οικου,
Τη ῥ' Αχιλευς ίζεσκε, Διι φίλος εν δε μιν αυτον
Ευρ' έταροι δ' απάνευθε καθειατο· τω δε δυ' οιω
Ηρως Αυτομέδων τε, και Αλκιμος οζος Αρηος,
Ποιπνυον παρεοντε• νεον δ' απεληγεν εδώδης
Εσθων και πινων, ετι και παρεκειτο τραπεζα.
Τους δ' ελαθ' εισελθων Πριαμος μεγας, αγχι δ' αρα στας,
Χερσιν Αχιλληος λαβε γούνατα, και κυσε χειρας
Δεινας, ανδροφονους, ἁι δι πολεας κτανον υιας.
Ως δ' όταν ανδρ' ατη πυκινη λαβη, όστ ενι πατρη
Φωτα κατακτείνας, αλλον εξικετο δημον,
Ανδρος ες αφνειον, θαμβος δ' εχει εισορόωντας,
Ως Αχιλευς θαμβησεν, ιδων Πριαμον θεοειδεα·
Θαμβησαν δε και αλλοι, ες αλληλους δε ιδοντο.
Τον και λισσομενος Πριαμος προς μυθον εειπε
Μνησαι πατρος σειο, θεοις επιεικελ' Αχιλλευ,
Τηλικου, ώσπερ εγων, ολοω επι γηραος ουδω.
Και μεν που κεινον περιναιεται αμφις εοντες
Τειρουσ', ουδε τις εστιν, αρην και λοιγον αμύναι,
Αλλ' ήτοι κεινος γε, σεθεν ζωοντος ακούων,
Χαιρει τ' εν θυμω, επι τ' ελπεται ηματα παντα
Οψεσθαι φιλον ύιον απο Τροιηθεν ιοντα
Αυταρ εγω παναποτμος, επει τεκον ύιας αριστους
Τροίη εν ευρείη, των δ' ουτινα φημι λελειφθαι.
Πεντηκοντα μοι ησαν, ότ' ηλυθον υιες Αχαιων
Εννεακαιδεκα μεν μοι της εκ νηδύος ησαν,
Τους δ' αλλους μοι ετικτον ενι μεγαροισι γυναίκες.
Των μεν πολλον θουρος Αρης ὑπο γουνατ' ελυσεν·
Ος δε μοι οιος εην, ειρυτο δε αστυ και αυτους,
Τον συ πρωην κτεινάς, αμυνόμενον περί πάτρης,
Εκτορα· του νυν ἑινεχ ̓ ἱκανω νηας Αχαιών,
Λυσόμενος παρα σειο, φερω δ' απερεισι' αποινα.
Αλλ' αιδειο θεους, Αχιλευ, αυτον τ' ελεησον,
Μνησαμενος σου πατρος" εγω δ' ελεεινότερος περ,
Ετλην δ', δι ουπω τις επιχθόνιος βροτος αλλος,
Ανδρος παιδοφονοιο ποτι στομα χειρ' ορεγεσθαι.
Ως φατο τω δ' αρα πατρος ὑφ ̓ ἱμερον ωρσε γοοιο,
Αψαμενος δ' αρα χειρος, απώσατο ηκα γεροντα.
Τω δε μνησαμενω, ὁ μεν Εκτορος αυδροφόνοιο,
Κλαι' αδινα, προπαροιθε ποδων Αχιληος ελυσθεις
Αυταρ Αχιλλευς κλαιεν ἑον πατερ', αλλοτε δ' αυτε
Πατροκλον των δε στοναχη κατα δωματ' ορώρει.
Αυταρ επει ῥα γοοιο τεταρπετο διος Αχιλλευς,
Και δι απο πραπιδων ηλθ' ἱμερος, ηδ' απο γυιων,
Αυτικο απο θρονου ωρτο, γεροντα δε χειρος ανιστη,
Οικτείρων πολιον τε καρη, πολιον τε γενειον.
Iliad, Lib. xxiv. v. 468.
So saying, Mercury vanished up to heaven:
And Priam then alighted from his chariot,
Leaving Idous with it, who remain'd
Holding the mules and horses; and the old man
Went straight in doors, where the belov'd of Jove
Achilles sat, and found him. In the room
Were others, but apart; and two alone,
The hero Automedon, and Alcimus,
A branch of Mars, stood by him. They had been
At meals, and had not yet remov'd the board.
Great Priam came, without their seeing him,
And kneeling down, he clasp'd Achilles' knees,
And kiss'd those terrible, homicidal hands,
Which had deprived him of so many sons.
And as a man who is press'd heavily
For having slain another, flies away
To foreign lands, and comes into the house
Of some great man, and is beheld with wonder,
So did Achilles wonder to see Priam ;
And the rest wonder'd, looking at each other.
But Priam, praying to him, spoke these words :—
"God-like Achilles, think of thine own father!
To the same age have we both come, the same
Weak pass; and though the neighbouring chiefs may vex Him also, and his borders find no help,
Yet when he hears that thou art still alive,
He gladdens inwardly, and daily hopes
To see his dear son coming back from Troy.
But I, bereav'd old Priam! I had once
Brave sons in Troy, and now I cannot say
That one is left me. Fifty children had I,
When the Greeks came; nineteen were of one womb;
The rest my women bore me in my house.
The knees of many of these fierce Mars has loosen'd;
And he who had no peer, Troy's prop and theirs,
Him hast thou kill'd now, fighting for his country,
Hector; and for his sake am I come here
To ransom him, bringing a countless ransom.
But thou, Achilles, fear the gods, and think
Of thine own father, and have mercy on me:
For I am much more wretched, and have borne
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