Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 13

Page 20

But Pisander went direct against glorious Menelaus, because evil Fate led him towards the end of death, to be subdued by thee, O Menelaus, in the dire battle. When therefore they were near, advancing against each other, the son of Atreus indeed missed, and his spear was turned aside from him; but Pisander smote the shield of glorious Menelaus, nor could he drive the spear quite through; because the broad shield kept it off, and the spear was broken at the extremity: still he rejoiced in his mind, and hoped for victory. The son of Atreus, however, drawing his silver-studded sword, sprang upon Pisander; but he drew from beneath his shield a handsome battle-axe of well-wrought brass, fixed upon either side of an olive handle, long, well-polished; and at once they struck each other. Then he (Pisander) cut away the cone of the helmet, thick with horse-hair, under the very crest, but (Menelaus smote) him, approaching, upon the forehead, above the root of the nose. And the bones crashed, and his blood-stained eyes fell at his feet upon the ground in the dust: and falling, he writhed. Then he (Menelaus) placing his heel upon his breast, despoiled him of his armour, and boasting, spoke [this] speech:

"Thus,[438] then, shall ye abandon the ships of the Greeks, who possess swift steeds, ye treaty-breaking Trojans, insatiate of dire battle. Of other injury and disgrace ye indeed lack nothing with which ye have injured me, vile dogs, nor have ye at all dreaded in your minds the heavy wrath of high-thundering, hospitable Jove, who will yet destroy for you your lofty city; ye who unprovoked departed, carrying off my virgin spouse, and much wealth, after ye had been hospitably received by her. Now again do ye eagerly desire to hurl destructive fire upon the sea-traversing ships, and to slay the Grecian heroes. But ye shall yet be restrained, impetuous as ye be, from war. O father Jove, assuredly they say that thou excellest all others, men and gods, in prudence, yet from thee do all these things proceed. How much dost thou gratify these insolent Trojan men, whose violence is ever pernicious, and who cannot be satisfied with war, equally destructive to all! Of all things is there satiety,--of sleep, of love, of sweet singing, and of faultless dancing, with which one would much more readily satisfy his desire, than with war; but the Trojans are insatiate of battle."

[Footnote 438: I.e. by being slain one after another.]

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