The Illiad - Book 3

The Iliad is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Odyssey, the poem is divided into 24 books and was written in a dactylic hexameter.

Set towards the end of the Trojan War, a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states, the poem depicts significant events in the siege's final weeks. In particular, it depicts a fierce quarrel between King Agamemnon and a celebrated warrior, Achilles. It is a central part of the Epic Cycle. The Iliad is often regarded as the first substantial piece of European literature.

Transcript

The Iliad by Homer.

Book Three.

When the companies were thus arrayed,

Each under its own captain,

The Trojans advanced as a flight of wild fowl or cranes that scream overhead when rain and winter drive them over the flowing waters of Oceanus to bring death and destruction on the Pygmies,

And they wrangle in the air as they fly.

But the Achaeans marched silently in high heart,

And minded to stand by one another.

As when the south wind spreads a curtain of mist upon the mountain tops,

Bad for shepherds but better than night for thieves,

And a man can see no further than he can throw a stone,

Even so rose the dust from under their feet as they made all speed over the plain.

When they were close up with one another,

Alexandrus came forward as champion on the Trojan side.

On his shoulders he bore the skin of a panther,

His bow and his sword,

And he brandished two spears shot with bronze as a challenge to the bravest of the Achaeans,

To meet him in a single fight.

Menelaus saw him thus stride out before the ranks,

And was glad as a hungry lion that lights on the carcass of some goat or horned stag,

And devours it there and then,

Though dogs and youths sat upon him.

Even thus was Menelaus glad when his eyes caught sight of Alexandrus,

For he deemed that now he should be revenged.

He sprang,

Therefore,

From his chariot,

Clad in his suit of armor.

Alexandrus quailed as he saw Menelaus come forward,

And shrank in fear of his life under the cover of his men,

As one who starts back affrighted,

Trembling and pale,

When he comes suddenly upon a serpent in some mountain glade.

Even so did Alexandrus plunge into the throng of Trojan warriors,

Terror-stricken,

At the sight of the son of Atreus.

Then Hector upbraided him.

Paris,

Said he,

Evil-hearted Paris,

Fair to see but woman-mad,

And false of tongue,

Would that you had never been born,

Or that you had died unwed.

Better so than live to be disgraced and looked askance at.

Will not the Achaeans mock at us,

And say that we have sent one to champion us who is fair to see but who was neither wit nor courage?

Did you not,

Such as you were,

Get your following together and sail beyond the seas?

Did you not from your far country carry off a lovely woman wedded among a people of warriors,

To bring sorrow upon your father,

Your city,

And your whole country,

But joy to your enemies,

And hang-dog shamefacedness to yourself?

And now can you not dare fair men allow and learn what manner of man he is whose wife you have stolen?

Where indeed would be your liar and your love-tricks,

Your calmly locks and your fair favor,

When you were lying in the dust before him?

The Trojans are a weak-kneed people,

Or ere this you would have had a shirt of stones for the wrongs you have done them.

And Alexandrus answered,

Hector,

Your rebuke is just.

You are hard as the axe which a shipwright wields at his work,

And cleaves the timber to his liking.

As the axe in his hand,

So keen is the edge of your scorn.

Still,

Taunt me not with the gifts that golden Venus has given me.

They are precious.

Let not a man disdain them,

For the gods give them where they are minded,

And none can have them for the asking.

If you would have me do battle with Menelaus,

Bid the Trojans and Achaeans take their seats,

While he and I fight in their midst for Helen and all her wealth.

Let him who shall be victorious,

And prove to be the better man,

Take the woman and all she has,

To bear them to his home.

But let the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace,

Whereby you Trojans shall stay here in Troy,

While the others go home to Argos,

And the land of the Achaeans.

When Hector heard this he was glad,

And went about among the Trojan ranks holding his spear by the middle to keep them back,

And they all sat down at his bidding.

But the Achaeans still aimed at him with stones and arrows,

Till Agamemnon shouted to them,

Saying,

Hold,

Argives!

Should not,

Sons of the Achaeans.

Hector desires to speak.

They ceased taking aim and were still.

Whereon Hector spoke.

Hear from my mouth,

Said he,

Trojans and Achaeans,

The saying of Alexandros,

Through whom this quarrel has come about.

He bids the Trojans and Achaeans lay their armor upon the ground,

While he and Menelaus fight in the midst of you for Helen and all her wealth.

Let him who shall be victorious,

And prove to be the better man,

Take the woman and all she has,

To bear them to his own home.

But let the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace.

Thus he spoke,

And they all held their peace,

Till Menelaus of the loud battle-cry addressed them.

And now,

He said,

Hear me too,

For it is I who am the most aggrieved.

I deem that the parting of Achaeans and Trojans is at hand,

As well as it may be,

Seeing how much have suffered for my quarrel with Alexandros,

And the wrong he did me.

Let him who shall die,

Die,

And let the others fight no more.

Bring then two lambs,

A white ram and a black ewe,

For earth and sun,

And we will bring a third for Jove.

Moreover,

You shall bid Priam come,

That he may swear to the covenant himself,

For his sons are high-handed and ill to trust,

And the oaths of Jove must not be transgressed or taken in vain.

Young men's minds are light as air,

But when an old man comes he looks before and after,

Deeming that which shall be fairest upon both sides.

The Trojans and Achaeans were glad when they heard this,

For they thought that they should now have rest.

They backed their chariots towards the ranks,

Got out of them,

And put off their armor,

Laying it down upon the ground,

And the hosts were near to one another with little space between them.

Hector sent two messengers to the city to bring the lambs and to bid Priam come,

While Agamemnon told Telphebeus to fetch the other lamb from the ships,

And he did as Agamemnon had said.

Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-in-law,

Wife of the son of Antenor,

For Helikeon,

Son of Antenor,

Had married Laodice,

The fairest of Priam's daughters.

She found her in her room,

Working at a great web of purple linen,

On which she was embroidering the battles between the Trojans and the Achaeans,

That Mars had made them fight for her sake.

Iris then came close up to her and said,

Come hither,

Child,

And see the strange doings of the Trojans and the Achaeans,

Till now they have been wearing upon the plain,

Mad with lust of battle,

But now they have left off fighting,

And are leaning upon their shields,

Sitting still with their spears planted beside them.

Alexandros and Menelao are going to fight about yourself,

And you are to the wife of him who is the victor.

Thus spoke the goddess,

And Helen's heart yearned after her former husband,

Her city,

And her parents.

She threw a white mantle over her head,

And hurried from her room,

Weeping as she went,

Not alone,

But attended by two of her handmaids,

A3,

Daughter of Pythias,

And Clyman.

And straightway they were at the Scion Gates.

The two sages,

Eucalygon and Antonor,

Elders of the people,

Were seated by the Scion Gates,

With Priam,

Penthouse,

Thaimotes,

Lampus,

Clytius,

And Hecaton,

Of the race of Mars.

Those were too old to fight,

But they were fluent orators,

And sat on the tower like chickleys,

And that chirrup delicately,

From the boughs of some high tree in a wood.

When they saw Helen coming toward the tower,

They said softly to one another.

Small wonder that Trojans and Achaeans should endure so much and for so long,

For the sake of a woman so marvelously and divinely lovely.

Still,

Fair though she be,

Let them take her and go,

Or she will breed sorrow for us and for our children after us.

But Priam bade her draw nigh.

My child,

Said he,

Take your seat in front of me,

That you may see your former husband,

Your kinsmen,

And your friends.

I lay no blame upon you.

It is the gods,

Not you,

Who are to blame.

It is they that have brought about this terrible war with the Achaeans.

Tell me,

Then,

Who is yonder,

Huge hero,

So great and goodly?

I have seen men taller by a head,

But none so comely and so royal.

Surely he must be a king.

Sir,

Answered Helen,

Father of my husband,

Dear and reverend in my eyes,

Would that I had chosen death rather than to have come here with your son.

Far from my bridal chamber,

My friends,

My darling daughter,

And all the companies of my girlhood.

But it was not to be,

And my lot is one of tears and sorrow.

As for your question,

The hero of whom you ask is Agamemnon,

Son of Atreus,

A good king and a brave soldier,

Brother-in-law as surely as that he lives,

To my abhorrent and miserable self.

The old man marveled at him and said,

Happy son of Atreus,

Child of good fortune.

I see that the Achaeans are subject to you in great multitudes.

When I was in Phrygia,

I saw much horsemen,

The people of Atreus and Migdon,

Who were camping upon the banks of the river Cengarius.

I was their ally,

And with them,

When the Amazons,

Peers of men,

Came up against them,

But even they were not so many as the Achaeans.

The old man next looked upon Ulysses.

Tell me,

He said,

Who is that other,

Shorter by a head than Agamemnon,

But broader across the chest and shoulders?

His armor is laid upon the ground,

And he stalks in front of the ranks as if it were some great woolly ram ordering his use.

And Helen answered,

He is Ulysses,

A man of great craft,

Son of Lurtes.

He was born in rugged Ithaca,

And excels in all manner of stratagems and subtle cunning.

Upon this Antenor said,

Madam,

You have spoken truly.

Ulysses once came here as envoy about yourself,

And Menelaus with him.

I received them in my own house,

And therefore know both of them by sight and conversation.

When they stood up in presence of the assembled Trojans,

Menelaus was the broader shouldered,

But when both were seated,

Ulysses had more royal presence.

After a time they delivered their message,

And the speech of Menelaus ran trippingly on the tongue.

He did not say much,

For he was a man of few words,

But he spoke very clearly and to the point,

Though he was the younger man of the two.

Ulysses,

On the other hand,

When he rose to speak,

Was at first silent,

And kept his eyes fixed upon the ground.

There was no play nor graceful movement of his scepter.

He kept it straight and stiff,

Like a man unpracticed in oratory.

One might have taken him for a mere churl or simpleton,

But when he raised his voice,

And when the words came driving from his deep chest like winter snow before the wind,

Then there was none to touch him,

And no man thought further of what he looked like.

Priam then caught sight of Ajax and asked,

Who is that great and goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the rest of the Argives?

That,

Answered Helen,

Is huge Ajax,

Bulwark of the Achaeans,

And on the other side of him,

Among the Cretans,

Stands Eidomeneus,

Looking like a god,

And with the captains of the Cretans round him.

Often did Menelaus receive him as a guest in our house when he came visiting us from Crete.

I see,

Moreover,

Many other Achaeans whose names I could tell you,

But there are two whom I can nowhere find—Castor,

Breaker of horses,

And Pollux,

The mighty boxer.

They are children of my mother,

And own brothers to myself.

Either they have not left Lacedaemon,

Or else,

Though they have brought their ships,

They will not show themselves in battle for the shame and disgrace that I have brought upon them.

" She knew not that both of these heroes were already lying under the earth in their own land of Lacedaemon.

Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the holy oath offerings through the city.

Two lambs and a goat's skin of wine,

The gift of earth.

An idiot brought them mixing bowls and a cup of gold.

He went up to Priam and said,

Son of Laomedon,

The prince of the Trojans and Achaeans,

Bid you come down onto the plain and swear to a solemn covenant.

Alexandrus and Menelaus are to fight for Helen in single combat,

That she and all her wealth may go with him who is the victor.

We are to swear to a solemn covenant of peace,

Whereby we others shall dwell here in Troy,

While the Achaeans return to Argos and the land of the Achaeans.

The old man trembled as he heard,

But bade his followers yoke the horses,

And they made all haste to do so.

He mounted the chariot,

Gathered the reins in his hand,

And Antenor took his seat behind him.

They then drove through the Scaean gates on the plain.

When they reached the ranks of the Trojans and Achaeans,

They left the chariot,

And with measured pace advanced into the space between the hosts.

Agamemnon and Ulysses both rose to meet them.

The attendants brought on the oath offerings and mixed the wine in the mixing-bowls.

They poured water over the hands of the chieftains,

And the son of Atreus drew the dagger that hung by his sword and cut wool from the lambs' heads.

This is the man servants gave about among the Trojan and Achaean princes.

And the son of Atreus lifted up his hands in prayer.

Father Jove,

He cried,

The rulest in Ida,

Most glorious in power,

And thou,

O son,

That seest and givest ear to all things,

Earth and rivers,

And ye who in the realms below chastise the soul of him that has broken his oath,

Witness these rites and guard them,

That they may not vane.

If Alexandros kills Menelaus,

Let him keep Helen and all her wealth,

While we sail home with our ships.

But if Menelaus kills Alexandros,

Let the Trojans give back Helen and all that she has,

Let them moreover pay such fine to the Achaeans,

As shall be agreed upon,

In testimony among those that shall be born hereafter.

Indeed if Priam and his sons refuse such fire when Alexandros has fallen,

Then I will stay here and fight on till I have got satisfaction.

As he spoke,

He drew his knife across the throats of the victims,

And laid them down gasping and dying upon the ground,

For the knife had left them of their strength.

Then they poured wine from the mixing-bowl into the cups,

And prayed to the everlasting gods,

Saying,

Trojans and Achaeans among one another,

Jove,

Most great and glorious,

And ye other everlasting gods,

Grant that the brains of them who shall first sin against their oaths,

Of them and their children,

May be shed upon the ground even as this wine,

And let their wives become the slaves of strangers.

Thus they prayed,

But not as yet would Jove grant them their prayer.

Then Priam,

Descendant of Dardanus,

Spoke,

Saying,

Hear me,

Trojans and Achaeans,

I will now go back to the wind-bitten city of Ilias,

And there not with my own eyes witness this fight between my son and Menelao.

For Jove and the other immortals alone no witch shall fall.

Upon this he laid the two lambs on his chariot and took his seat.

He gathered the reins in his hand,

And Antenor sat beside him.

The two then went back to Ilias.

Hector and Hylisses measured the ground,

And cast lots from a helmet of bronze to see which should take the aim first.

Meanwhile the two hosts lifted up their hands and started praying.

Father Jove,

That rulest from Ida,

Most glorious in power,

Grant that he who first brought about this war between us may die,

And enter the house of Hades,

While we others remain at peace and abide by our oaths.

Great Hector now turned his head aside while he shook his helmet,

And a lot of Paris flew out first.

The others took their several stations each by his horse,

And the place where his arms were lying,

While Alexandros,

Husband of lovely Helen,

Put on his goodly armor.

First he greaved his legs with grease of good make,

And fitted with ankle clasps of silver.

After this he donned the cuirass of his brother Lycan,

And fitted it to his own body.

He hung his silver-studded sword of bronze about his shoulders,

And then his mighty shield.

On his comely head he sat his helmet,

Well wrought with a crest of horse hair that nodded menacingly above it,

And he grasped a redoubtable spear that suited his hands.

In like fashion Menelaus also put on his armor.

When they had thus armed,

Each amid his own people,

They strode fierce of aspect into the open space,

And both Trojans and Achaeans were struck with awe as they beheld them.

They stood near one another on the measured ground,

Brandishing their spears,

And each furious against the other.

Alexandros aimed first,

And struck the round shield of the son of Atreus.

But the spear did not pierce it,

For the shield turned its point.

Menelaus next took aim,

Praying to father Jove as he did so.

King Jove,

He said,

Grant me revenge on Alexandros who has wronged me.

Subdue him under my hand,

That in ages yet to come a man may shrink from doing ill deeds in the house of his host.

He poised his spear as he spoke,

And hurled it at the shield of Alexandros.

Through shield and cuirass it went,

And tore the shirt by his flank.

But Alexandros served aside,

And thus saved his life.

Then the son of Atreus drew his sword,

And drew at the projecting part of his helmet.

But the sword fell shivered in three or four pieces from his hand,

And he cried looking towards heaven.

Father Jove,

Of all gods thou art the most despiteful.

I made sure of my revenge.

But the sword has broken in my hand.

My spear has been hurled in vain,

And I have not killed him.

With this he flew at Alexandros,

Caught him by the horsehair plume of his helmet,

And began dragging him towards the Achaeans.

The strap of the helmet that went under his chin was choking him,

And Menelaus would have dragged him off to his own great glory,

Had not Jove's daughter Venus been quick to mark on to break the strap of oxhide,

So that the empty helmet came away in his hand.

This he flung to his comrades among the Achaeans,

And was again springing upon Alexandros to run him through with a spear.

But Venus snatched him up in a moment,

As a god can do,

Hid him under a cloud of darkness,

And conveyed him to his own bedchamber.

Then she went to call Helen,

And found her on a high tower with the Trojan women crowding round her.

She took the form of an old woman,

Who used to dress wool for her,

When she was still in Lacedaemon,

And of whom she was very fond.

Thus disguised,

She plucked her by a perfumed robe,

And said,

Come hither.

Alexandros says you are not to go to the house.

He is on his bed in his own room,

Radiant with beauty,

And dressed in gorgeous apparel.

No one would think he had just come from fighting,

But rather that he was going to a dance,

Or had done dancing and was sitting down.

With these words she moved the heart of Helen to anger,

When she marked the beautiful neck of the goddess.

Her lovely bosom,

And sparkling eyes,

She marveled at her and said,

Goddess,

Why do you thus beguile me?

Are you going to send me afield still further to some man whom you have taken up in Phrygia,

Or fair Meonia?

Menelaus has just vanquished Alexandros,

And is to take my hateful self back with him.

You are come here to betray me.

Go sit with Alexandros yourself.

Henceforth be goddess no longer.

Never let your feet carry you back to Olympus.

Worry about him,

And look after him till he makes you his wife,

Or,

For the matter of that,

His slave.

But me?

I shall not go.

I can garnish his bed no longer.

I should be a byword among all the women of Troy.

Besides,

I have trouble on my mind.

Venus was very angry and said,

Bold hussy,

Do not provoke me.

If you do,

I shall leave you for your fate,

And hate you as much as I have loved you.

I will stir up fierce hatred between Trojans and Achaeans,

And you shall come to a bad end.

At this Helen was frightened.

She wrapped her mantle about her and went in silence,

Following the goddess,

And unnoticed by the Trojan women.

When they came to the house of Alexandros,

The maidservants set about their work.

But Helen went into her own room,

And the laughter-loving goddess took a seat and set it for her facing Alexandros.

On this Helen,

Daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove,

Sat down,

And with eyes askance began to upbraid her husband.

So you are come from the fight,

Said she.

But that you had fallen rather by the hand of that brave man who was my husband.

You used to brag that you were a better man with hands and spear than men allow.

Go and challenge him again,

But I should advise you not to do so,

For if you are foolish enough to meet him in single combat,

You will soon all buy his spear.

And Paris answered,

Wife,

Do not vex me with your reproaches.

This time,

With the help of Minerva,

Men allow has vanquished me.

Another time I may myself be victor,

For I too have gods that will stand by me.

Come,

Let us lie down together and make friends.

Never yet was I so passionately enamored of you as this moment,

Not even when I first carried you off from Lacedaemon and sailed away with you.

Not even when I had conversed with you upon the couch of love in the island of Crennae was I so enthralled by desire of you as now.

On this he led her towards the bed,

And his wife went with him.

Thus they laid themselves on the bed together,

But the son of Atreus strode among the throng looking everywhere for Alexandros.

And no man,

Neither of the Trojans nor of the allies,

Could find him.

If they had seen him,

They were in no mind to hide him,

For they all of them hated him,

As they did death itself.

Then Agamemnon,

King of men,

Spoke,

Saying,

Hear me,

Trojans,

Dardanians,

And allies.

The victory has been with Menelaus.

Therefore give back Helen with all her wealth,

And pay such fine as shall be agreed upon,

And testimony among them that shall be born hereafter.

Thus spoke the son of Atreus,

And the Achaeans shouted in applause.

Reviews

Loved it thanks hey when will the next one be out because it’s getting really good thanks