Through six bull-hides the furious weapon drove, Whirl'd the long lance against the sevenfold shield. He said, and rising, high above the field Sprung from such fathers, who such numbers sway,Ĭan you stand trembling, and desert the day?" The flower of Greece, the examples of our host, Not Hector's self should want an equal foe.īut, warriors, you that youthful vigour boast, Prone fell the giant o'er a length of ground. I fought the chief: my arms Minerva crown'd: Till I, the youngest of the host, appear'd,Īnd, youngest, met whom all our army fear'd. Nor could the strongest hands his fury stay:Īll saw, and fear'd, his huge tempestuous sway
WALL OF SHAME COMBAT ARMS TRIAL
Had given the vanquish'd, now the victor bore:īut when old age had dimm'd Lycurgus' eyes,įurious with this he crush'd our levell'd bands,Īnd dared the trial of the strongest hands Supine he fell: those arms which Mars before Nor aught the warrior's thundering mace avail'd. Whose guileful javelin from the thicket flew,ĭeep in a winding way his breast assailed, No lance he shook, nor bent the twanging bow,īut broke, with this, the battle of the foe. Great Areithous, known from shore to shore There Ereuthalion braved us in the field, I led my troops to Phea's trembling wall,Īnd with the Arcadian spears my prowess tried, When fierce in war, where Jardan's waters fall, Years might again roll back, my youth renew,Īnd give this arm the spring which once it knew Oh! would to all the immortal powers above, Lament inglorious Greece, and beg to die! Gods! should he see our warriors trembling stand,Īnd trembling all before one hostile hand Participate their fame, and pleased inquireĮach name, each action, and each hero's sire! Of every chief who fought this glorious war, Once with what joy the generous prince would hear What tears shall down thy silvery beard be roll'd, Their sons degenerate, and their race a scorn! Thus to the kings he spoke: "What grief, what shameĪttend on Greece, and all the Grecian name! Grave Nestor, then, in graceful act arose He from whose lips divine persuasion flows, The stone shall tell your vanquish'd hero's name.Īnd distant ages learn the victor's fame." Thus shall he say, 'A valiant Greek lies there, Wash'd by broad Hellespont's resounding seas, Greece on the shore shall raise a monument The breathless carcase to your navy sent, Shall stretch your daring champion in the dust Here if I fall, by chance of battle slain,īe his my spoil, and his these arms remain īy Trojan hands and Trojan flames be burn'd. 'Tis Hector speaks, and calls the gods to hear:įrom all your troops select the boldest knight,Īnd him, the boldest, Hector dares to fight. You then, O princes of the Greeks! appear Till Ilion falls, or till yon navy burns. War with a fiercer tide once more returns, O'erwhelms the nations with new toils and woes
Great Jove, averse our warfare to compose, What my soul prompts, and what some god commands. "Hear, all ye Trojan, all ye Grecian bands, So that somewhat about three days is employed in this book. The three and twentieth day ends with the duel of Hector and Ajax, the next day the truce is agreed another is taken up in the funeral rites of the slain and one more in building the fortification before the ships. Both armies pass the night in feasting but Jupiter disheartens the Trojans with thunder, and other signs of his wrath. Neptune testifies his jealousy at this work, but is pacified by a promise from Jupiter. When the funerals are performed, the Greeks, pursuant to the advice of Nestor, erect a fortification to protect their fleet and camp, flanked with towers, and defended by a ditch and palisades. Priam sends a herald to make this offer, and to demand a truce for burning the dead, the last of which only is agreed to by Agamemnon. The Trojans calling a council, Antenor purposes the delivery of Helen to the Greeks, to which Paris will not consent, but offers to restore them her riches. These heroes, after several attacks, are parted by the night. Nine of the princes accepting the challenge, the lot is cast and falls upon Ajax. They agree to put off the general engagement for that day, and incite Hector to challenge the Greeks to a single combat. Apollo, seeing her descend from Olympus, joins her near the Scaean gate. The battle renewing with double ardour upon the return of Hector, Minerva is under apprehensions for the Greeks.