Reading by heart literary texts is an important part of professional philological training, especially for a future teacher of literature. In correct, expressive reading, both an understanding of the content and form of a work is manifested, as well as the ability to convey them to listeners. Recommended verses and fragments are selected in such a way as to give the student the opportunity to maximize these qualities. It is necessary to ensure that reading by heart is conscious, and not formal. One must be able to give at least a brief commentary on the text read, its content and features of the form, to determine poetic size, explain the mythological images, show the originality of the author, his poetic devices. Exemplary comments of this kind accompany some of the recommended poems or passages.
1. Homer. An excerpt from the Iliad or Odyssey.
2. Archilochus. “Heart, heart!”
3. Tyrtaeus. "Militant elegy" or "Embatery".
4. Alkay. “Understand who can…”
5. Sappho. “Hymn to Aphrodite” or “It seems to me that God is equal in happiness ...”
6. Anacreon. “Thinned, turned white ...” or “Young mare ...”
7. Aeschylus. Monologue of Prometheus from the tragedy "Prometheus Chained".
8. Sophocles. Stasim I or III from the tragedy Antigone.
9. Euripides. Monologue of Medea from the tragedy "Medea".
10. Catullus. One of the poems to choose from.
11. Long. Excerpt from Daphnis and Chloe.
12. Virgil. Fragment from the poem "Aeneid".
13. Horace. Ode to Pompey Varus.
14. Ovid. An excerpt from the poem "Metamorphoses".
15. Apuleius. An excerpt from the novel "Metamorphoses, or the Golden Ass".
About some verses and passages to memorize
Homer. From the poem "Iliad"
Translation by N. I. Gnedich
Just as ivory, dyed purple by a woman,
Kars [i] or Meon, for lush horse-cheeks,
In the house lies with the owner: many horsemen passionately
They yearn to gain; but precious royal utensils lie,
Should be both a decoration for a horse and glory for a horseman, -
So you, Menelaus, are stained with purple blood
Hips are steep, beautiful legs and the most eye-catching.
(Canto 4, lines 141-147).
Here we have an example of a detailed Homeric comparison, combined with his characteristic admiration for beautiful things. Comparing the blood from the wound of Menelaus with purple paint applied to ivory, Homer for some time is distracted from the subject of comparison and draws an independent genre scene in which a woman (Kara or Meon) appears, and horsemen coming to her house, wishing receive this “precious royal utensils”, and information that this purple ivory is intended “for magnificent cheek-pieces”, which not only adorn the horse, but also bring glory to its owner. Only having told about all this, the author returns to the starting point of comparison - the wound of Menelaus.
Archilochus. “Heart, heart!…”
Translation by V.V.Veresaev
Heart, heart! Troubles arose in front of you in a formidable formation.
Cheer up and meet them with your chest, and hit the enemies!
Let there be ambushes everywhere - stand firm, do not tremble.
If you win, don't flaunt your victory,
They will win - do not be upset, locking yourself in the house, do not cry.
Rejoice in good luck in moderation, grieve in moderation in disasters.
Know the rhythm that is hidden in human life.
This poem expresses not only the personal point of view of Archilochus, but also one of the main moral standards ancient Greeks: observe a sense of proportion in everything. Direct and open look the world with its light and dark sides manifested itself especially brightly in the lyrics of Archilochus, who, serving as a hired warrior, was accustomed to relying only on himself in everything. The peculiarity of this poem lies in the fact that the poet reveals the general theme on the material familiar to him. He perceives human life as a battlefield, and joys and sorrows as victories and defeats. He considers the alternation of both to be a manifestation of the general pattern underlying life. He calls this pattern rhythm, and where there is rhythm, there is harmony, there is beauty. Hence the courageous readiness of the poet to accept life as it is. The poem was written by a trochee (trochee), a kind of iambic, one of the founders of which was Archilochus. Each line of the poem contains eight feet, which make up four metric units (four meters) of two feet each. Such a trocheic verse was called a tetrameter (“four-dimensional”) and was one of the most common. Tetrameter scheme: -u-u /-u-u /-u-u /-u- , where "-" means stressed syllable, and "u" is unstressed.
Tirtaeus. [Embaterium]
Translation by V. V. Latyshev .
Forward, O sons of fathers, citizens
Men of the illustrious Sparta!
Hold up the shield with your left hand,
Shake your spear bravely
And do not spare your life:
After all, it is not in the customs of Sparta.
Embatery is a marching song. Unlike the elegy, which is based on a three-syllable foot with an accent on the first syllable (dactyl), here we see an anapaest - a three-syllable foot with an accent on the last syllable. The beginning and end stops of each line are truncated, making them more energetic, suitable for marching. These verses of Tirteus are addressed to the public feeling of a person, calling him not to disgrace the customs of the Motherland and boldly come out in defense of it. The images of the poem are extremely specific. The poet uses only the most necessary words and the most important concepts: Sparta, citizens, life, glory, customs, shield, spear, forward, bravely.
Alkey. [Storm]
Translation of Vyach. Ivanova
Understand who can, the furious riot of the winds!
Shafts roll - this one from here, that one
From there ... In their rebellious dump
We rush with a tarred ship,
Barely resisting the onslaught of evil waves.
Already the deck was completely flooded with water;
The sail is already shining through
All perforated. The fasteners loosened.
In this poem, Alcaeus depicts a ship overtaken by a storm. But through this specific image shines through another figurative sense: this is a city-state, engulfed in turmoil, social struggle. Storm in nature and society, instability human destiny especially clearly expressed by the rhythm of the poem (written by the so-called “Alcaean stanza”). It combines seemingly incompatible rhythmic units: on the one hand, these are two-syllable iambs, on the other, three-syllable dactyls. Contradicting each other, colliding, they physically transmit both the shocks of the waves from both sides, and the pitching, and, as it were, the hanging of the ship, ready to break on the crest of the wave.
Sappho. “Luckily it seems to me that God is equal”
Translation by V. V. Veresaev
God equal seems to me fortunately
The person who is so close
Before you sits, your sounding gentle
And a lovely laugh. At the same time I have
The heart would stop beating immediately.
I can only see you, I can't
Say the words.
But immediately the tongue goes numb, under the skin
Quickly, a light heat runs through, they look,
Seeing nothing, eyes, in the ears -
The ringing is continuous.
Then I get hot, trembling
Members all covered, greener
I become grass, and just about as if
I will say goodbye to life.
But be patient, be patient: too far
In ancient times, storytellers lived in Greece, who knew many legends about gods and heroes. They wandered through the cities and at feasts chanted ancient myths to the sounds of the lyre. Such a narrator was Homer, the author of two poems - the Iliad and the Odyssey. There is no reliable information about the life of Homer. The Greeks themselves did not know where and when he lived. Seven cities argued among themselves for the honor of being called the birthplace of Homer. Most likely, Homer lived in the 8th century BC. e. There was a legend that Homer was blind. He collected and processed information about the Trojan War, which was recorded in the VI century BC. e. In today's lesson, you will meet the characters Trojan War, the image of which Homer captured for centuries in his immortal poem "Iliad" (Ilion was called Troy in ancient times).
"The Homeric Question"
In the literature, quite often the question arises about the authorship of one or another literary work, however, there are two most famous questions - these are the "Homeric" and "Shakespearean" questions. We do not know whether Homer actually existed, there is no documentary evidence of the reality of his existence, the name of the narrator has been brought to our days by the tradition of attributing these texts to him. The question of the authorship of Homer and his existence in general arose in the 18th century, it was then that the researchers of the Iliad and the Odyssey were divided into two camps - unitarians and pluralists. The former believed that both texts were compiled by the same author; the second believed that the text belonged to the oral tradition, and at some point it was recorded, which, for example, happened with the "Song of Roland" in Europe. The evidence from both sides seems to be quite convincing: the Unitarians wrote a number of works devoted to the integral composition of these two texts, which indicates that they belong to one author, in the extreme case, the Iliad was written by one author, and the Odyssey by another. Pluralists drew attention to the plot inconsistencies in the poems and their obvious similarities with the oral tradition. Researchers have made a breakthrough in this controversy parry And Lord, they proved that the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" bear the imprints of folklore epic tradition, they were passed from mouth to mouth for many generations, but they came down to us in the processing of several brilliant aeds (performer epic poetry). Despite the significance of the findings of Parry and Lord's research, the "Homeric" question is still unresolved. Given the theories of these two scientists, completely different and often opposite theories are now put forward regarding the version of the existence of Homer, "Homers" or their complete absence.
The Trojan War lasted ten years. The events described are already taking place in the tenth, last, year of the siege of Troy. The reason for the war was that the Trojan prince Paris stole the wife of the king of Sparta Menelaus, the beautiful Helen. Menelaus turned to his older brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. He gathered a huge army, which is described in detail in the "List of ships" in the second song.
The war went on for nine years without much success for either side. But the besieging Achaean Greeks were already ready to retreat. The greatest of the Greek warriors, Achilles, was inactive because of his resentment against Agamemnon, so the Achaeans lost heart. Then his friend Patroclus went into battle, wearing the armor of Achilles himself. The Trojans faltered, but Patroclus was killed. Achilles decided to join the battle, but he was left without armor, then the goddess Thetis ordered Hephaestus to forge new ones for him, including the famous shield, which depicts the whole world. The next day, Achilles and the entire Greek army rushed into battle, Zeus removed all prohibitions, and now the gods could fight each other. The Trojans suffered a crushing defeat, Hector (the eldest son of King Priam, heir to Troy) covered their retreat, but due to the intervention of the gods, he had to fight with Achilles, from whose hand he died. Achilles brought the body of the fallen Hector around Troy, in a chariot. King Priam and Hector's widow, Andromache, wept on the walls of the city. At night, King Priam came to Achilles with gifts, he reminded the killer of his son of his old father, and Achilles wept, Priam wept with him. Achilles eventually gave Hector's body to Priam. A solemn funeral was held in Troy.
This ends the Iliad.
End of the Trojan War
We know about the end of the Trojan War from Virgil's Aeneid. Troy was taken, but not by force, but by cunning, since Achilles died during the storming of the city from the arrow of Paris, which hit him in the heel. The cunning Odysseus came up with the idea of giving the Trojans a wooden horse, inside of which the Achaeans hid, and opened the gate. So Troy was taken. The city was plundered and destroyed, only Aeneas managed to save.
In ancient times, storytellers lived in Greece, who knew many legends about gods and heroes. They wandered through the cities and at feasts chanted ancient myths to the sounds of the lyre. Such a storyteller was Homer (Fig. 1), the author of two poems - the Iliad and the Odyssey. There is no reliable information about the life of Homer. The Greeks themselves did not know where and when he lived. Seven cities argued among themselves for the honor of being called the birthplace of Homer. Most likely, Homer lived in the 8th century BC. e. There was a legend that Homer was blind. He collected and processed information about the Trojan War, which was recorded in the VI century BC. e. In today's lesson, you will get acquainted with the heroes of the Trojan War, whose image Homer captured for centuries in his immortal poem "The Iliad" (Ilion was called Troy in ancient times).
The causes and course of the war are not described in the poem. The poem describes the last - the tenth year of the war.
“Anger, goddess, sing to Achilles, the son of Peleus” - this is how the Iliad begins. The leader of the Greek army, King Agamemnon, took away his young captive from Achilles. Angry at Agamemnon, Achilles left the army. The news of this delighted the defenders of Troy, as it was predicted that the Greeks would not be victorious without Achilles. The Trojans began to push the Greeks. Fearless Hector - the son of King Priam of Troy - led his soldiers to the camp of the Greeks. He broke the gate with a huge stone, and the Trojans poured into the camp. The Greeks, driven back to the sea, defended themselves fiercely. Paris - the culprit of the beginning of the Trojan War - entered into combat with Menelaus - her husband beautiful Elena, and only thanks to the help of Aphrodite did not die in this battle. But Achilles and his warriors never took part in the battle.
Then his beloved friend Patroclus turned to Achilles: “Give me permission to put on your beautiful armor. Maybe, in the battle, taking you for me, the Trojans will stop the fight ... ". Achilles heeded his friend's request and allowed him to change into his armor. Patroclus brought fresh reinforcements in time. The Greeks managed to push the Trojans back to the walls of Troy. Only Hector guessed that Achilles was not in front of him. Apollo himself came to the aid of Hector, and with a spear the Trojan hero pierced Patroclus.
The news of the death of a friend led Achilles to despair. Thetis heard his moans and cries. At her request, the blacksmith god Hephaestus forged new armor for her son.
Mighty Hector, the defender of Troy, returned briefly to his city to say goodbye to his wife and baby son. Hector knew that he was destined to die, but he was faithful to his duty. “I would be ashamed of Trojans and long-clothed Trojans if I stayed away like a coward, evading battle,” he said to his wife Andromache (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Hector's farewell to Andromache ()
At the impregnable walls of Troy, two mighty heroes met. The goddess Athena herself helped Achilles. She gave a spear, with which Achilles dealt a mortal blow to Hector. The Achaean tied the body of the killed enemy to the chariot, hit the horses, "and they flew." Dust rose like a cloud over Hector's body, "black hair was tousled, the whole head, so beautiful before, beat in the dust" (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. The death of Hector ()
No one could keep the old king Priam. He went to the enemy camp, threw himself at the feet of Achilles, begging to give the body of Hector for burial (Fig. 4). Achilles gave Priam his dead son. At the time of the funeral, a truce was concluded. The body of the brave Hector was burned by the Trojans on a large fire. His bones were laid in a grave and a mound was poured.
Rice. 4. Priam asking Achilles for the body of the murdered Hector ()
“So they buried the body of the horse-riding Hector” - this verse ends Homer’s poem “The Iliad”.
Bibliography
- A.A. Vigasin, G.I. Goder, I.S. Sventsitskaya. Ancient world history. Grade 5 - M .: Education, 2006.
- Nemirovsky A.I. A book to read on the history of the ancient world. - M.: Enlightenment, 1991.
- To-name.ru ()
- Izbakurnog.historic.ru ()
- mifirima.ru ()
Homework
- Why in modern science the question of the authorship of the poems remains debatable?
- What actions of the heroes of the poem "Iliad" cause you a sense of respect?
- Which idioms related to the history of the Trojan War, in what cases do we use them?
[i] Achilles was the son of King Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. The mother gave her son immortality, but only the hero's heel remained vulnerable - the "Achilles heel", for which Thetis held the baby, dipping into the waters of the sacred river.
The first is dedicated to Helen's story about her meeting with Odysseus in Troy. This plot was used by Haggard in his novel The Dream of the World, which I recently wrote about. The second passage is dedicated to Penelope's recognition of Odysseus, who returned after a 20-year separation. Many people think that everything was like in Konchalovsky's film: Penelope recognizes Odysseus right away. But it wasn't like that. Penelope did not recognize Odysseus at first, she was afraid of deception, she was afraid that he was not the one she was waiting for. Only the bed put everything in its place :)
"Odyssey" Song 4:
Throwing the drug into the wine and ordering the wine to spread,
Thus began Helen, born of Zeus, to speak:
235 "King Menelaus Atreid, pet of Zeus, and all of you,
Children of brave men! At will, Zeus sends
People are both evil and good, for everything is possible for Kronid.
Sitting here in the high hall, feast in fun, conversation
Amuse yourself, and I would like to tell you the right one.
240 Feats of all Odysseus, in the suffering of a strong spirit,
I can't tell or list them in detail.
But I will tell you what act he dared to fearlessly
In the distant Trojan region, where you, the Achaeans, suffered like that.
Having beaten his body in the most shameful way,
245 With a miserable rag, like a slave, dressing his shoulders,
In the wide-street city of hostile husbands, he made his way.
Hiding himself like that, he was completely like a husband to another -
The beggar, as never before, was seen near the courts.
Having taken the image, he went to Ilion, suspicious
250 Not arousing in anyone. I just recognized him right away.
She began to ask, but he cunningly evaded the answers.
Only when I washed it and rubbed it with oil,
She put on a dress and swore a great oath to him,
That only then will I give Odysseus to the Trojans when he
255 He will return to the camp to himself, to the fleeting Achaean ships, -
Only then did he reveal to me the whole plan of the cunning Achaeans.
There are many Trojans in the city, having beaten them with long-bladed brass,
He returned to the Achaeans, bringing them knowledge of many things.
The other Trojan women sobbed loudly. But full of joy
260 It was my heart: for a long time I was eager to leave
Home again and grieved for the blindness
Aphrodite sent me, taking me away from my homeland,
Throw forcing both the daughter, and the marriage bedroom, and the husband,
Who could compete with everyone in spirit and appearance.
"Odyssey" Song 23:
The generous son of Laertes meanwhile Eurynomus,
The housekeeper washed it in the house and rubbed it with shiny oil.
155 Shoulders dressed him with a beautiful cloak and tunic.
The head of the maiden Athena lit up with great beauty,
Made him taller and fuller, thicker from the head
She let her curls down, like hyacinth flowers in appearance.
As silver is covered with brilliant gilding by a skillful
160 Master who was trained by Hephaestus and the virgin Athena
Every kind of arts and lovely things does,
So the head of Odysseus and shoulders shone with beauty.
Looking like immortal gods, he came out of the bath,
After that, he sat down in the chair that he had left earlier,
165 Against his wife and with such a speech addressed her:
"Strange woman! The gods who live in the houses of Olympus,
A strong heart has been put into you among the wives of the weak!
It is unlikely that another wife would stand at a distance from her husband.
So indifferent when, having endured suffering without counting,
170 At last, in his twentieth year, he would return to his homeland.
Here's what, mother: bed, bed me! What to do, I'm alone
I'll lie down. This woman, apparently, has an iron heart!
So the Queen Penelope said to him:
"You are strange! I am not at all proud, I do not harbor contempt
175 And I'm not angry with you. I remember how you are
Was, leaving Ithaca in his long-boat ship.
OK then! Bed, Euryclea, on his bed,
Just outside, not in the bedroom he built himself.
Put a strong bed out of the bedroom, and on it you will lay
180 Soft sheepskins, cover with a blanket, put pillows.
So she said, putting him to the test.
In anger, Odysseus turned to his rational wife:
“With your speech, wife, you cruelly wounded my heart!
Who is on another place made a bed? It's difficult
185 It would be very skillful to do. Would it only
God, at will, easily transferred her from place to place!
But among the living people, not one, even young strong,
I would not easily move that bed of skillful work from its place.
There is a special sign in it. No one else, I made it myself.
190 The olive grew luxuriantly, long-leaved, very large,
In our backyard. She had a trunk, like a column.
Surrounding it with a dense stone wall, I began to build
Bedroom until finished. And covered it with a roof from above.
He hung strong doors, fitting the wings to each other.
195 After that I cut down the top of a long-leafed olive,
He cut down a beam on the remaining stump, chipped it with copper
Exactly, quite well, checking the cord all the time,
I made the foot of the bed and drilled everything with a drill.
Having started with this, I began to make a bed until I finished,
200 He adorned everything with gold, with silver and ivory,
Then he pulled the purple-dyed belt over the bed.
Here are the signs of this bed, wife! I don't know,
Is she still standing in that place, or in another place,
Having cut off the trunk of an olive, someone rearranged it.
205 So he said. Her knees and heart weakened, -
He described all the signs to her in such detail and precisely.
Penelope walked over to him quickly. Hugging his neck
Sobbing, she began to kiss his head ...
Translation by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky
Bringing a sacrifice to the gods, let them send salvation to Ilion,
Hector hurried down the beautifully arranged haystacks;
The lofty castle of Pergamon having passed, at last he reached
Skeian gate leading out of the city into a wide field.
There Goetheon's daughter Andromache, wife, he met;
She had a son with her. On the nurse's chest is a tender baby
He lay quietly: like a radiant star, he was beautiful,
Hector named him Scamandreus; from others he was nicknamed
Astyanax (before only Hector was the protection of the hail).
Gently shaking his hand, Andromache said:
“Relentless, courage will destroy you. Do not regret
You are neither about your son in swaddling clothes, nor about a poor wife,
Soon to the desolate widow; Achaeans you inevitably
Having attacked with all their might, they will kill. For me it would be better
To hide in the ground, having lost you: what will happen to me,
If you, taken away by mighty fate, will not be?
Woe! I no longer have a father or a tender mother;
My father was put to death by the divine Achilles; Thebes,
City of Cilicians, destroying the gates with shining gold,
He himself killed Goetheon, but did not take weapons; alien
Thoughts like this, he betrayed the burning together with weapons
The bones of the parent, in honor of him he poured a funeral
A hill, and mountain nymphs planted that hill with plane trees.
I still had seven brothers in my homeland -
All of them on a single day are cast into the abyss of Hades:
Fleet-footed Achilles killed everyone with a merciless hand.
Mother queen from the pastures of the densely wooded Plak
He carried him into slavery with the booty of war, but for a great ransom
Soon he gave her freedom to fall from the arrows of Artemis.
Hector, you are everything to me now: both father and tender mother;
You are my only brother, O Hector, my blossoming husband.
Be compassionate to me, stay here on the tower;
Don't let your son be an orphan, don't let your wife be a widow;
There, on the hill of the fig tree, set up an army: an attack
It is easier from there to hail; the walls are open there.
From the other side, they have already attempted on us three times
Both Ajax, Idomeneo, Diomedes and Atris.
Hector adorned with a maned helmet meekly answers:
“O Andromache, I also grieve about the same; but shame on me
It will then be from the Trojan men and from the wives of Ilion,
If, like a timid one, I retire here, evading the battle;
That also forbids the heart; until now I'm used to calmly
Stay awake in spirit and fight ahead of everyone, guarding
Troy, the great glory of the father and mine; but foresees
The prophetic heart secretly tells me an anxious feeling:
Once this day will come - sacred Troy will fall,
With her, Priam and the people of the spear-bearing king are cheerful.
But not Troy's coming grief, not the fate of Hecuba,
Neither Priam's death, nor so many, so brave
My brothers extermination, then inevitably falling
In the dust under the hand of the enemy, crush now so much
My soul is like the thought of you, Andromache, when you
Following the Achaean man clad in copper armor,
Crying, you will go from here, deprived of the light of freedom,
Or in Argos you will weave with slaves for the queen,
Ile, weary, with a heavy vessel in the Hyperean key
Scooping up water, you will remember Pergamon in tears.
Maybe, seeing how you cry in your loneliness, they will say:
“Here is the widow of the famous Hector, who was the first
In the Trojan army in those days when they fought at the walls of Ilion.
When you hear it, you will remember with a new longing that in the world
There is no one who would be reliable protection from slavery.
No! I'd rather be hidden, lifeless
To the ground than to hear about your weeping and crushing captivity.
Thus answered Hector, and he stretched out his hands to his son;
He timidly deviated from them and to the nurse's bosom with a cry
The cute baby rushed, daring father, frightened
With a bright gleam of armor and a shaggy mane of a helmet,
It rustled menacingly above him from a huge copper comb.
Both mother and father looked at their son with a sad smile.
Hastily, brilliant Hector removes the helmet from his head;
He puts a swearing garment on the ground and, taking it in his hands
Son, kisses him with tenderness and tenderly cherishes.
Then he loudly calls out to the immortal gods and Zeus:
"King Zeus! you gods of Olympus! I beg you, yes it will
Once my son, like me, was the first among the people with charity,
The same amount of muscle is strong and powerfully dominates Troy.
Let them say in time: He has surpassed his Father!
Seeing him from the battle walking with magnificent armor,
Taken from the enemy - and such praise will please the mother.
So saying, he put into the arms of his tender wife
Son. She, smiling through her tears, fragrant cover
Perseus dressed him; and, full of deep sadness,
Hector, caressing her with his hand, said to her in a friendly way:
“Poor woman, you must not grieve so much for me;
Against fate, I will not be prematurely exiled by anyone
In dark Hades; but not a single one has yet escaped fate
A mortal born once on earth, neither brave nor timid.
In peace, go to your house: take care of the order of the economy,
Yarn, weaving; see that slaves and slaves at work
Were diligent of their own; to have care about the war -
The case of the Trojan men and mine is the most of all.
Having finished, the brilliant Hector raises his maned helmet.
Slow step and often looking back and tears
Bitter silence, Andromache went and reached
Soon the abode of Hector; there were many servants
Collected there at work; all were afflicted with her;
Hector was mourned alive in his house. "Inevitably, -
They thought he would die; we won't see him forever."
The prophetic grief foretold them the truth; the time has come
To come true what was destined for a long time: but before
The mighty defender of Pergamon was covered with great glory.
Patroclus fell at the hands of the noble Hector; in vain
Achilles' helmet and shield covered him; inevitable
The hour of fate has come - and from Patroklov's cold corpse
Hector took off his Achilles armor and the slash ignited
Around the lifeless youth, formerly so vigorous in battle.
“I sent to the ships of Antilochus to announce to Achilles
The death of Patroclus; but I know that he will not come to our aid,
No matter how angry he boils at Hector ... He is unarmed.
We alone protect a dead friend. Persistently
We will stand for him; let's save the lifeless body." -
Thus spoke Menelaus to Telamon's son Ajax.
“True, Atrid is famous,” Ajax answered Menelaus, “
You and Merion protect Patroclus; bend over and body,
Taking it on your shoulders, carry it out of the battle. Well, we are both Ajax,
Hearts equal in courage, always inseparable in battle,
Let us aspire to the Trojans and the great Hector together
Reflect with your chest, guarding your departure.
King Menelaus with Merion raise the body of Patroclus
With a strong hand from the ground: the Trojans were horrified when they saw
The body is in the power of the Achaeans, and they rushed with a cry after them.
As if like dogs, preempting the young hunters, on the forest
A boar, when he is wounded, rushes suddenly, but only
Furious, he, bristling, turns to them, in fright
Everyone crumbles - so the Trojans first strive
Cheerfully forward, raising swords and two-pointed spears;
But as soon as the Ajaxes in their face turn their faces -
Everyone turns pale and no one dares to start a fight.
King Menelaus with Merion fearlessly, with a slow step,
They go forward, carrying away the body of Patroclus from the battle;
They are protected by the Ajaxes; brilliant Hector with Aeneas
They rush like furious lions, trying to steal their prey;
A noisy battle is approaching the ships like a terrible thunderstorm.
Timidly, meanwhile, Antilochus approaches the Achilles headquarters.
He sat in front of the ships near the sea,
Gloomy, disturbed by the thought of what has already happened.
Woe! he thought. - Why are they crowding to the ships in disorder
Achaeans again, leaving the battle? I'm afraid what's wrong with me
What my mother predicted to me long ago will come true: what should
Before me, the bravest Myrmidon will die from the Trojans.
The heart is trembling; Hasn't the son of Menetius fallen? Inflexible
Friend! and I begged to go to the ships, reflecting
An enemy fire and by no means experience strength with Hector.
So thought Achilles - and before him with a devastating message
The son of the aged Nestor, shedding tears, appeared.
"Woe is me! noble son of Peleus, you must o terrible
Hear trouble that should never happen!
Patroclus fell: now for his lifeless body
fight; he is naked - Hector the mighty stole the weapon.
A gloomy cloud of sorrow covered the face of Achilles.
He filled both handfuls with ashes, showered them on their heads;
The young face turned black, the clothes turned black, and he himself,
Covering great space with a great body, in dust
He was stretched out, and tore his hair, and beat on the ground.
Virgins, they are captivated with Patroclus, in fear from the headquarters
Running out, they screamed loudly over him and tormented the Persians.
Antilochus groaned with them; bursting into tears, with all the strength
He held Achilles' hands, so that in the madness of grief
He himself did not pierce his chest with a sophisticated weapon.
With a terrible cry he wept. His mother heard
In the house of a gray-haired father, at the bottom of the deep sea.
Loudly she sobbed, and Nereids gathered to her,
Young sisters, golden-haired maidens of the deep sea.
The underwater silver house was full of them, they amazed
They are all Persian, grieving with their sister. Thetis said to them:
“Dear sisters, Nereus immortal daughters, many,
Much sadness in my heart; Oh, woe to me poor!
Me, great mother Achilles! born to me
Son, so noble in soul, so glorious in courage, in heroes
The first ... it bloomed like a young beautiful tree; with love
Gentle educated, grew up and, finally, I went to Ilion
Sent, sailed there in sharp-breasted ships ... and forever
I can’t see him in Peleus’s father’s house;
But as long as he lives, illuminated by the radiance of the day,
He is condemned to suffering, and his mother will not help him.
Dear sisters, let us leave the deep sea; I owe.
I must see my son, I must find out which
A new grief befell him, who did not enter the battle.
Having said this, Thetis comes out of the cave, and with her
Sisters, daughters of Nereus, shedding tears. Waves
The seas around them rustle, separating. Reaching Troy
They come ashore one after another in the place where they matured
All the ships of the Myrmidons are around the Achilles headquarters.
His mother came up to him, sobbed over him, and, embracing
With a gentle hand, the bowed head of her son, she said:
“Why are you crying? What crushed your cheerful soul?
Be frank with me! Zeus the Thunderer performed
Everything you prayed for, raising your hands here. Achaeans
We suffered a lot of shame, having lost you, and, we are oppressed
By the force of enemies to the ships, you were hopelessly called.
With a heavy sigh, swift-footed Achilles answered:
“Mother, I prayed not in vain, Zeus the Thunderer performed
All; but what good is it when I lose Patroclus,
A most tender friend, dear to me, how is the radiance of day?
He died, and Hector the killer stole the weapon,
Strong, marvelous, a gift from the Olympic gods to Peleus
On that day, how you were combined, immortal, with a mortal.
It would be better if you remained the goddess of the sea,
It's better when a simple, non-immortal spouse spouse
There was Peleus: endless longing for the lost son
Will you now collapse; you won't see him forever
In the father's house. Yes, and my heart forbids me to share
Here among the living to wander; but first Hector will pay
I am for Patroklov's life, dying under my foot.
The mother, shedding tears, answers: "What you said,
It announces to me that the end of your life is near:
You yourself must inevitably die after Hector -
So fate decreed. Achilles objected to her sullenly:
"Let me die now! What in life if Patroclus
Am I not allowed to protect? Far from my beloved homeland
He fell, but I did not come to reflect the hated death.
What am I? I am destined not to see the peaceful fields of my parents;
I could not save the life of Patroclus; could not be a defense
So many noble friends, from the strong Hector to the fallen.
Here I sit, behind the ships, a useless burden
Light, I, Achilles, of all copper-plated Achaeans
In battle, he is the bravest, although on the advice of others I yield.
ABOUT! let enmity and anger perish, darkening often
Wise mind! at first it is sweeter than honey, but soon
The consuming flame in the heart that has tasted it kindles.
So I was irritated by Agamemnon, the lord of kings.
But let the past be the past; no matter how sad
It is an irritated heart that must submit to the heart.
I am going - you will not escape me, Patroclus the murderer,
Hector. I am ready to accept my lot, when they appoint
Eternal Zeus and the immortal gods of Olympus; and do I
Now to grumble at fate, when Alkid is noble,
Beloved son of the Thunderer, was she once comprehended?
If a similar fate awaits me, let me lie down
Into the ground, breathless; but great glory before
Here I will collect, fleeting life in return; there are many
I will force the full-breasted Dardanian maidens to collapse and tears
From the young cheeks to wipe, covering with hands
Faces and sighs spiral in a chest torn by grief.
Soon they will know that I have rested. And don't you hope
Mother, keep me: I will never be subdued.
“You speak the truth,” answered Thetis, “it is commendable
To be for friends from trouble and from death protection. But Troy
Now owns your shiny armor; predatory
Hector, adorned with them, rejoices - though not for long
In them to be magnified to him: the appointed hour is not far off;
But unarmed, my son, do not rush into the anxiety of Ares;
Wait here until you see me again.
Tomorrow here at dawn, as soon as the sun rises,
With magnificent armor, forged by the god Ifest, I will come.
So the goddess spoke and said goodbye to her mighty son.
To young sisters, silver-footed goddesses, then turning,
“Dear sisters,” she said, “now dive into the sea,
Return to the house of Nereus and the elder of the gray abyss
Announce everything. And I'm on top of Olympus to Ifest
I’ll fly straight from here to beg him to give us weapons.”
finished; the young goddesses plunged into the bosom of the swells.
Thetis flew quickly to the top of Olympus from them.
Sometimes the Achaeans oh formidable Hector with a loud
With a cry they fled to their ships, to the shores of Ellispont,
Trying in vain to wrest the body of Patroclus from the battle;
Hector, like a stormy flame, pursued him; already thrice
He grabbed the dead man's leg from behind, ready for prey
To snatch from the hands of the Achaeans, and called the Trojans, and thrice
With all the strength of Ajax, he was reflected from the corpse.
Furious, fiery, he overthrew everything; then running fast
Fought in the crowd; then, standing motionless, called loudly
Into the battle of his own and rushed relentlessly against the cold body.
So over the torn doe, hungry, sparkling eyes,
The space-legged lion sits, not disturbed by the shepherds' cry.
In vain the brave Ajaxes fight him; would have mastered
He inevitably Patroclus with great glory, whenever
Ira from heaven did not send Irida to Peleev's son:
“Son of Peleus, run, run to the aid of Patroclus;
The battle has already approached the ships. Look: kill
Scary of each other, some - fighting off, others - striving
Grab the body; the Trojans will overcome; brilliant Hector
Soon he will kidnap Patroclus, and rush off to Troy, and on the tower
He will expose his head, taken from his shoulders in shame of the Achaeans.
It is full of delay: or the dogs will feed on the body of Patroclus.
Arise, unarmed, run up to the roll; show yourself to the Trojans;
The image of your horror will overtake them; the Achaeans will take heart."
So the goddess Irida told Achilles and disappeared.
Achilles jumped up excited by her voice. And Athena
Powerful shoulders she clothed him with a terrible aegis,
She wrapped her head in a fiery cloud, and from it shone
Terrible rays, illuminating the surroundings. Like smoke, writhing
Rises far on the island, surrounded by an army of enemies
(The besieged fight cheerfully all day, but only the sun will set,
Everywhere bonfires are lit, and flames with bright sparks
It rises in a great pillar and, reflected around the sea,
It shines so that the ships that bring help can see the way),
Thus, from the head of Achilles, a shimmer rose into the ether.
He ran up the roar and, standing in front of the Achaeans,
Shouted ... a piercing cry was repeated by Pallas Athena
A loud response: the Trojan was seized with indescribable horror.
So the deafening thunder of the battle trumpets, heralding
An attack suddenly stirs up the besieged. Barely Achilles
A voice was heard, everyone's heart trembled; all horses,
Sensing death, they raised their manes and with a loud clatter
The chariots were carried back; their rulers are in a frenzy,
With a pale face, turning back, they looked motionless
An eye on the formidable face of Achilles' brilliance. three times
He shouted from the shaft at them - three times, broken by fear,
Trojan and allied troops rushed back in disarray.
Here from their chariots and from their own spears twelve
The brave Dardanians perished. The Achaeans, having kidnapped Patroclus,
At headquarters they stretched him out on a bed, and his friends surrounded
Body. Achilles has arrived. He burst into tears when he saw
Friend, in front of him on a bed motionless lying, sharp
Copper pierced: he himself recently fought him,
Clothed with his armor, he sent: but he did not come back.
That sometimes, constant during Helios, the will
Having completed the Ides, he descended reluctantly to the waters of the Ocean,
The drowned sun disappeared in them, and the army of the Achaeans
After a disastrous battle, he plunged into deep peace.
But the Trojans could not taste either peace or food,
Dimly they gathered in council. Leaning on spears
Everyone stood, and not a single one dared to sit down, and all of them
My heart was disturbed by the thought of Achilles appearing in battle.
Polidamant, sympathetic, Hector's cautious friend,
The first gave advice: leaving the battlefield,
Enter Troy. “Now the fragrant night is favorable to us. -
So he said. She is holding Achilles. But in the morning
When he sees us in the field, he will go out into battle. Then inevitably
Many will be the prey of dogs. Let us retire to Troy, while
Time, let's spend the night in the market place under the open sky;
With the first brilliance of the morning star, let's gather on the walls; let him
Fight to taste will approach them; only in vain mighty
He will tire his horses; but he will not break into Troy.
Gloomy, brow furrowed, fiery Hector answered:
“Polydamante, your cautious advice is now useless;
Shall we, as timid ones, flee to the towered Troy?
Aren't we tired yet, crowding behind the walls, hiding?
Once the city of Priam, glorious among all nations,
He was famous on earth for the abundance of copper and gold;
But long ago abundance disappeared from sad dwellings.
We annoyed Zeus: in Phrygia, in the allied land
Lush Maeonia, our best utensils are sold.
Now, when the mighty Kronion, Zeus the Almighty,
He sent Slava to reflect to the ships of the copper-plated Achaeans,
Am I hiding in Troy? What advice are you giving?
Which of the Trojans will submit to him? Here I am the master.
Hear my word and do my will:
Let the food be divided among the squads; be satisfied, but each
Be careful, and the guard does not sleep on guard. Tomorrow
With the first radiance of the morning star, taking a copper weapon,
We will run to the ships for a decisive attack. And if
It is true that Achilles got up, he chose a bad time;
I am not afraid of him, merciless, to meet; bravely
I will stand before him, not caring whether he will adorn me or decorate him
Glory to the battle ... Ares is incorruptible, and he smashes the smashers.
Hector said, and the Trojans who agreed with him answered
Noisy splashing... blind people! Pallas eclipsed their minds:
They preferred evil to good and remained in the field.
In sorrow and weeping that night over the body of Patroclus, the Achaeans,
Eyes without closing, all spent. Achilles, putting
Powerful hands on the chest motionless friend, with a groan
I cried. So the formidable lioness roars when the hunter
He stole her young lion cub from a deep ravine:
Angered, she prowls through the gorges with a plaintive roar.
So Achilles cried out, surrounded by a crowd of Myrmidons:
"Gods! how foolish were my hopes when I
Trying to quench the contrition of Menetius, he made a promise
Together with Patroclus, adorned with glory, to return to Opunt,
Destroying Troy and amassing a lot of rich booty.
A mortal will plan one thing, but Zeus does another!
We both nourish the earth with our blood
Here, in the distant Troyan region. And they won't see me
Forever in the dwelling of the fathers nor Peleus, my parent
Decrepit, nor the mother of Thetis. Here I will lie down, covered with a grave.
But if after Patroclus it is appointed for me to descend into the earth,
Oh my Patroclus! I will make your burial, throwing down
Hector's head with his armor before you and twelve
The youths of the captives, the sons of the noblest Troy, having slain
In honor of your and offended shadow of your consolation!
Sleep in peace by my ships in anticipation of vengeance;
Let the Trojan women, captivated by us, day and night
Until now they weep over your body and torment Persians.
With these words noble Achilles commanded his friends,
Filling a huge tripod cauldron with pure water,
Wash off the ashes with gore from Patroclus's body.
They put the tripod on a bright fire, and with a noisy stream
Spring water is poured into it and brushwood is thrown
Into the flame: it engulfed the cauldron, and the water boiled
In a copper jingle vessel. bathed in warm moisture,
The body was anointed with fat oil; later, fragrant
Filling the wounds with a nine-year-old ointment, stretched
Quietly on his bed and, covering with a precious cloth,
They dressed both the body and the bed with a shiny cloth.
Eos young in scarlet clothes, immortal and mortal
The bringer of the day has risen from the waters of the Ocean. Thetis
With the marvelous, Ifesto gave her armor, she came to Achilles;
He lay prostrate over the soulless Patroclus and loudly
Cried; around the Myrmidons sat in gloomy silence.
Quietly between them passed the silver-legged mother goddess
To her son and, taking him by the hand, said tenderly:
“My son, let us leave the dead to rest, how much we
They did not break in their hearts: they would comprehend it by the power of the immortals.
I brought unharmed armor from the god Ifest,
A miracle of beauty: none of the people had anything like it.
So saying, she laid Thetis at the feet of Achilles
armor; loud weapon sound issued: myrmidons
Horror penetrated: not a single goddess dared to look
Right in the face, and everyone trembled. But with the strongest anger,
Seeing the armor, Achilles boiled; eyes sparkled
Sparks, flashing under the shadow of the eyelashes, like a terrible flame;
With a greedy hand, he grabbed the armor and, with a miraculous gift
God Ifesta captivated, he began to admire; but soon
He became gloomy again; then, turning to Thetis,
“Mother,” he said, “your weapons are wonderful, and immediately
I will go to battle. But my heart is restless; he will
Here lifeless lie; greedy insects can
Fly into the wounds, the worm will settle in them and may rot,
Penetrating into the body, disgrace its beautiful image.
“Be carefree, my beloved son,” said Thetis,
Inseparable from him, I myself will disperse insects,
Greedily eating the body of the murdered husband; at least
Slow years over it took flight, I'm incorruptible
I will keep his body, and he will be even more beautiful.
With these words she sheds on the wounds of Patroclus
Ambrose fragrant juice with light purple nectar.
The noble Achilles hastily flowed along the seashore;
The Achaeans gathered at his sonorous voice. unfortunate
He gave his hand to Atrid, and was a conciliatory victim
The late union between them is approved. Agamemnon the mighty
He gave the command to take the gifts to Achilles. Immediately
King Odysseus with the sons of the venerable Nestor, with the glorious
The son of Philius Megith, with Foant and with them Creon
Son Lycomedes, Merion, Melanippus to Agamemnon at stake
They go and, choosing seven precious tripods, twenty
Light vessels, twelve horses and seven needlework
Captives with the eighth Briseis, depart to the tent of Achilles,
King Odysseus is ahead with ten talents of gold.
All then, having surrounded Achilles, he is invited
Dining with them, but, sighing heavily, he answered:
“O friends! I beg you, if at least a little I am dear
To your heart, do not now demand that I enjoy
Your food: grief tears my whole soul.
No, I won't touch anything until late at night."
All the commanders then said goodbye to Achilles; remained
Both Atris, Idomeneo, noble Odysseus,
Nestor and Elder Phoenix. Clear the darkened soul
They tried to make a friend with a cheerful conversation; but in vain.
He was gloomy, only battles of a single hunger, incessantly
He thought about the dead, he talked about only one thing incessantly:
“Oh, how often it happened that you yourself carefully, poor,
He ran to my headquarters with refreshing morning food,
Announcing to me that the army of the Achaeans left their tents,
Again with the Trojans ready to go into battle: and now
Here you lie, lifeless! My pleasure cannot
The heart is neither food nor sweet wine without you. I'm only strong
I would not be stricken with grief, and hearing about the death of Peleus,
Shedding tears in his Phthia for me distant,
Fighting in a foreign land for the insult of Helena despicable,
Not the sad news received about the son, in Skyros
To me flourishing, god-like Neoptolemus,
If he's alive! - Until now, I have always been a secret hope
He comforted his heart that I would die alone, separated
With glorious horses Argos, in the Trojan land, which, within
Phthi native returning, you yourself in the white-winged ships
You will take your son in Skyros and show him in your homeland
All my wealth, slaves and royal palaces.
I felt that then Peleus or in the ground, lifeless,
Will lie, or, perhaps, sadly living his life,
Will be bent from sadness and years, all afraid that from Troy
The messenger will come and tell him: "Achilles is gone."
So he spoke and wept. Those who sat with him sighed,
Everyone is thinking about what he left in a distant house.
The gaze of the compassionate Zeus from the sky on the sad bowed,
Quickly turns to the goddess Pallas a winged speech:
“Or, Pallas, will noble Achilles leave you?
You see how he is on the shore, near his black-chested ships,
Weeping for the dead Patroclus, he sits alone. Other
They strengthen themselves with morning food; but he won't accept
food. Fly and into the chest of Achilles sweet ambrosia
Pour it with nectar so that it does not lose its strength from hunger.
So Zeus spoke, anticipating the desire of Athena.
She is fast - like an eagle with immense wings, with a sonorous
With a cry, she flew to the tents from heaven. Already the Achaeans crowded
Taking up arms in battle. In the chest of Achilles sweet ambrosia
With nectar, Athena secretly poured, so that from hunger strength
He did not lose, and then returned to the monastery again
Zeus. The Achaeans flowed in waves, leaving the ships.
As if like frequent, tufted snow, carried away
North, quickly ether clearing wind, out of stakes
Countless helmets rained down, swarm after sparkling swarm,
Strongly bent armor, of hard spear ash,
Shields with a sharp badge; a radiance ascended to heaven;
In the brilliance of weapons, the earth laughed; under the feet of those who run
The shore thundered. In the midst of them, Achilles was armored.
His teeth gnashed, and his eyes, like a swift flame,
Rdeli, sparkling; but his heart with unbearable sadness
It was filled. Anger seething, enraged at the Trojan,
He took armor, a wonderful creation of the god Ifest;
Legs in bright, smooth leggings before clothed,
He pulled each tightly with a silver buckle; huge
Armor overlaid a powerful chest; precious on the shoulder
He hung a sword with a silver handle, with a copper blade.
After putting on an immense, heavy, like a brilliance
Full moon shield: like a distant beacon to sailors
Shines in the darkness, blazing alone on the top of the cliff -
The storm carries them far from their friends along the noisy sea -
So radiant shone the divine shield of Achilles,
Miracle of art. Then he pulled a heavy
Maned helmet; he shone like a star, and thick golden-haired
A raised crest was adorned with a horse's tail.
Clothed with armor, Achilles tests his strength:
He moved freely in it, and the members embraced the armor
The wing seemed lighter and seemed to lift it.
Then he took out his father's spear from the beautiful ark,
Heavy and huge - in the host of the Achaeans it is not a single
He could not move, but the hand of Achilles easily played with them:
Mighty ash from the proud head of Pelion cut down,
Chiron created that spear for Peleus, enemies to death.
Automedon and Alkim were hastily placed on the horses
A light harness and a bit were forced into their teeth by force;
Tightly then pulling the reins, ahead of the chariot
They were fortified. Automedon in a chariot with brilliant
He spun with a whip. Achilles, preparing for a bloody battle,
He stood behind, like Helios shining with marvelous armor.
Then he loudly exclaimed to Peleev's vigorous horses:
“Xanthus and Valius, glorious children of Podarga, or rather,
Good horses, now be your ruler;
Fed up with battle, return him to the ships; not dead
Leave it in the field, like Patroclus." That's light-footed,
Flame-breathing Xanthus answered, bowing his hooves to
Proud head - lush mane fell to the ground;
Ida with a lily hand allowed her tongue - he said:
“So, we will still bring you alive, son of Peleus;
But your destined day is near. Not our
By will, but by the power of God and strict fate, it happened;
No, we are not slowing down with our untimely laziness
They gave the Trojans to steal Patroklov's strong armor;
The son of thick-haired Lita, the inevitable God comprehended
In the battle, he and Hector decorated with the honor of victory.
Let us on the run anticipate Zephyr's flight, from the lungs
Winds of the lightest breath of fragrant wings - but know:
You will perish from a mighty god and a mortal husband.”
He spoke, and the power of Erinnes silenced his tongue.
Gloomy in face, swift-footed Achilles answered him:
“Xanth, why do you prophesy death to me in vain? And myself
I know that I, far from my father and mother, should
Here, according to the law of fate, to die. But I won't stop
Fight and torment the Trojans with an insatiable battle."
He shouted loudly, and with a loud clatter the horses rushed off;
Following him, the Achaeans ran from the barriers. Trojans
They were waiting for them in the field, in dense crowds lining up on a hill.
Eternal Zeus from the many-headed peak of Olympus Themis
All the gods invite to the council sends. Goddess
They were commanded to gather in the abodes of heaven. appeared
All, and the very gods of streams and in shady groves,
In dark valleys, in secret springs, nymphs live;
The ancient one Ocean did not appear. In the halls, Ifest
Created with wondrous art by the will of Zeus, on thrones
The gods sat around the Thunderer. Call of Themis
Posidon himself submitted. He came out of the waters and with others
Sat down for advice. Finally he asked Lord Zeus:
“God of thunder, why did you call us to the halls of Olympus?
Or decide whether you are plotting the fate of the Trojans and Achaeans,
Out in the field and again filled with the fury of battle?
In the clouds thundering Zeus, answering, said to Posidon:
"God, shaker of the earth, you know my thoughts,
Do you know what this advice is about? And my mind cares about the perishing.
Here I will sit, on the highest rock of Olympus,
Delighting yourself with the spectacle of battle. But I allow you
Go to the troops of the Trojans and Achaeans, and you can help
Serve to the side that your heart will incline you to.
If one Achilles attacks a Trojan - not a moment
In the field they will not hold out against Pelid's strength;
Awe struck them all at his single appearance.
Now, when he is so angry at the death of a friend,
I am afraid that, contrary to fate, I will not destroy Troy.
Thus spoke Zeus, and the immortals flared up in battle.
From the sky, they, divided, flew to the warring armies.
Powerful Ira went to the ships with Pallas Athena;
With her Posidon, hugging the earth, and Ermius, abundant
Intrigues, a generous giver of wealth, and slowly-heavy,
Flaming-eyed Ifest, through the power of attracting the lame
Leg. But with a helmet, the brilliant Ares turned to the Trojans,
With him full-haired Phoebus and the accuracy of arrows Artemis
Proud, Leto, and Xanthus, and Cyprida with a welcoming smile.
The Achaeans were arrogant until the gods intervened
In battle - Achilles with his appearance, but a long rest,
He encouraged them, and the Trojans, at the sight of Peleus' son,
By the brilliance of armor similar to Ares, everyone trembled, -
But as soon as the Olympians descended to mortals, Erinnis
She suddenly began to rage terribly. Then standing on the shaft,
Near a deep ditch, then on the shore of a noisy sea
Athena screamed with a mighty voice. And like black
Storm, Ares howled, then from the mountain peaks of Pergamum
Calling the Trojans, then running back and forth at the high
Calicolons, outside the walls, not far off the Simois shore.
So the Olympic gods excited the army to the army.
Soon a destructive battle of extermination flared up everywhere.
The almighty father of men and immortals thundered terribly
From the sky; below, Posidon shook the vast earth;
The mountains shook; from the foot of the rich streams of Ida
Everything to the top of it and Pergamon with the ships trembled.
In the realm of deep underground darkness, Aidoneus was indignant;
Pale from the throne, he fled and shouted, fearing that from above
Posidon the Destroyer did not pierce the solid earth, so that the eye
Mortal people and gods impregnable Hades did not open,
Terrible, hazy, empty and hated by immortals themselves.
Current page: 1 (total book has 1 pages)
Homer
Iliad (excerpts)
Translation by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky
Bringing a sacrifice to the gods, let them send salvation to Ilion,
Hector hurried down the beautifully arranged haystacks;
The lofty castle of Pergamon having passed, at last he reached
Skeian gate leading out of the city into a wide field.
There Goetheon's daughter Andromache, wife, he met;
She had a son with her. On the nurse's chest is a tender baby
He lay quietly: like a radiant star, he was beautiful,
Hector named him Scamandreus; from others he was nicknamed
Astyanax (before only Hector was the protection of the hail).
Gently shaking his hand, Andromache said:
“Relentless, courage will destroy you. Do not regret
You are neither about your son in swaddling clothes, nor about a poor wife,
Soon to the desolate widow; Achaeans you inevitably
Having attacked with all their might, they will kill. For me it would be better
To hide in the ground, having lost you: what will happen to me,
If you, taken away by mighty fate, will not be?
Woe! I no longer have a father or a tender mother;
My father was put to death by the divine Achilles; Thebes,
City of Cilicians, destroying the gates with shining gold,
He himself killed Goetheon, but did not take weapons; alien
Thoughts like this, he betrayed the burning together with weapons
The bones of the parent, in honor of him he poured a funeral
A hill, and mountain nymphs planted that hill with plane trees.
I still had seven brothers in my homeland -
All of them on a single day are cast into the abyss of Hades:
Fleet-footed Achilles killed everyone with a merciless hand.
Mother queen from the pastures of the densely wooded Plak
He carried him into slavery with the booty of war, but for a great ransom
Soon he gave her freedom to fall from the arrows of Artemis.
Hector, you are everything to me now: both father and tender mother;
You are my only brother, O Hector, my blossoming husband.
Be compassionate to me, stay here on the tower;
Don't let your son be an orphan, don't let your wife be a widow;
There, on the hill of the fig tree, set up an army: an attack
It is easier from there to hail; the walls are open there.
From the other side, they have already attempted on us three times
Both Ajax, Idomeneo, Diomedes and Atris.
Hector adorned with a maned helmet meekly answers:
“O Andromache, I also grieve about the same; but shame on me
It will then be from the Trojan men and from the wives of Ilion,
If, like a timid one, I retire here, evading the battle;
That also forbids the heart; until now I'm used to calmly
Stay awake in spirit and fight ahead of everyone, guarding
Troy, the great glory of the father and mine; but foresees
The prophetic heart secretly tells me an anxious feeling:
Once this day will come - sacred Troy will fall,
With her, Priam and the people of the spear-bearing king are cheerful.
But not Troy's coming grief, not the fate of Hecuba,
Neither Priam's death, nor so many, so brave
My brothers extermination, then inevitably falling
In the dust under the hand of the enemy, crush now so much
My soul is like the thought of you, Andromache, when you
Following the Achaean man clad in copper armor,
Crying, you will go from here, deprived of the light of freedom,
Or in Argos you will weave with slaves for the queen,
Ile, weary, with a heavy vessel in the Hyperean key
Scooping up water, you will remember Pergamon in tears.
Maybe, seeing how you cry in your loneliness, they will say:
“Here is the widow of the famous Hector, who was the first
In the Trojan army in those days when they fought at the walls of Ilion.
When you hear it, you will remember with a new longing that in the world
There is no one who would be reliable protection from slavery.
No! I'd rather be hidden, lifeless
To the ground than to hear about your weeping and crushing captivity.
Thus answered Hector, and he stretched out his hands to his son;
He timidly deviated from them and to the nurse's bosom with a cry
The cute baby rushed, daring father, frightened
With a bright gleam of armor and a shaggy mane of a helmet,
It rustled menacingly above him from a huge copper comb.
Both mother and father looked at their son with a sad smile.
Hastily, brilliant Hector removes the helmet from his head;
He puts a swearing garment on the ground and, taking it in his hands
Son, kisses him with tenderness and tenderly cherishes.
Then he loudly calls out to the immortal gods and Zeus:
"King Zeus! you gods of Olympus! I beg you, yes it will
Once my son, like me, was the first among the people with charity,
The same amount of muscle is strong and powerfully dominates Troy.
Let them say in time: He has surpassed his Father!
Seeing him from the battle walking with magnificent armor,
Taken from the enemy - and such praise will please the mother.
So saying, he put into the arms of his tender wife
Son. She, smiling through her tears, fragrant cover
Perseus dressed him; and, full of deep sadness,
Hector, caressing her with his hand, said to her in a friendly way:
“Poor woman, you must not grieve so much for me;
Against fate, I will not be prematurely exiled by anyone
In dark Hades; but not a single one has yet escaped fate
A mortal born once on earth, neither brave nor timid.
In peace, go to your house: take care of the order of the economy,
Yarn, weaving; see that slaves and slaves at work
Were diligent of their own; to have care about the war -
The case of the Trojan men and mine is the most of all.
Having finished, the brilliant Hector raises his maned helmet.
Slow step and often looking back and tears
Bitter silence, Andromache went and reached
Soon the abode of Hector; there were many servants
Collected there at work; all were afflicted with her;
Hector was mourned alive in his house. "Inevitably, -
They thought he would die; we won't see him forever."
The prophetic grief foretold them the truth; the time has come
To come true what was destined for a long time: but before
The mighty defender of Pergamon was covered with great glory.
Patroclus fell at the hands of the noble Hector; in vain
Achilles' helmet and shield covered him; inevitable
The hour of fate has come - and from Patroklov's cold corpse
Hector took off his Achilles armor and the slash ignited
Around the lifeless youth, formerly so vigorous in battle.
“I sent to the ships of Antilochus to announce to Achilles
The death of Patroclus; but I know that he will not come to our aid,
No matter how angry he boils at Hector ... He is unarmed.
We alone protect a dead friend. Persistently
We will stand for him; let's save the lifeless body." -
Thus spoke Menelaus to Telamon's son Ajax.
“True, Atrid is famous,” Ajax answered Menelaus, “
You and Merion protect Patroclus; bend over and body,
Taking it on your shoulders, carry it out of the battle. Well, we are both Ajax,
Hearts equal in courage, always inseparable in battle,
Let us aspire to the Trojans and the great Hector together
Reflect with your chest, guarding your departure.
King Menelaus with Merion raise the body of Patroclus
With a strong hand from the ground: the Trojans were horrified when they saw
The body is in the power of the Achaeans, and they rushed with a cry after them.
As if like dogs, preempting the young hunters, on the forest
A boar, when he is wounded, rushes suddenly, but only
Furious, he, bristling, turns to them, in fright
Everyone crumbles - so the Trojans first strive
Cheerfully forward, raising swords and two-pointed spears;
But as soon as the Ajaxes in their face turn their faces -
Everyone turns pale and no one dares to start a fight.
King Menelaus with Merion fearlessly, with a slow step,
They go forward, carrying away the body of Patroclus from the battle;
They are protected by the Ajaxes; brilliant Hector with Aeneas
They rush like furious lions, trying to steal their prey;
A noisy battle is approaching the ships like a terrible thunderstorm.
Timidly, meanwhile, Antilochus approaches the Achilles headquarters.
He sat in front of the ships near the sea,
Gloomy, disturbed by the thought of what has already happened.
Woe! he thought. - Why are they crowding to the ships in disorder
Achaeans again, leaving the battle? I'm afraid what's wrong with me
What my mother predicted to me long ago will come true: what should
Before me, the bravest Myrmidon will die from the Trojans.
The heart is trembling; Hasn't the son of Menetius fallen? Inflexible
Friend! and I begged to go to the ships, reflecting
An enemy fire and by no means experience strength with Hector.
So thought Achilles - and before him with a devastating message
The son of the aged Nestor, shedding tears, appeared.
"Woe is me! noble son of Peleus, you must o terrible
Hear trouble that should never happen!
Patroclus fell: now for his lifeless body
fight; he is naked - Hector the mighty stole the weapon.
A gloomy cloud of sorrow covered the face of Achilles.
He filled both handfuls with ashes, showered them on their heads;
The young face turned black, the clothes turned black, and he himself,
Covering great space with a great body, in dust
He was stretched out, and tore his hair, and beat on the ground.
Virgins, they are captivated with Patroclus, in fear from the headquarters
Running out, they screamed loudly over him and tormented the Persians.
Antilochus groaned with them; bursting into tears, with all the strength
He held Achilles' hands, so that in the madness of grief
He himself did not pierce his chest with a sophisticated weapon.
With a terrible cry he wept. His mother heard
In the house of a gray-haired father, at the bottom of the deep sea.
Loudly she sobbed, and Nereids gathered to her,
Young sisters, golden-haired maidens of the deep sea.
The underwater silver house was full of them, they amazed
They are all Persian, grieving with their sister. Thetis said to them:
“Dear sisters, Nereus immortal daughters, many,
Much sadness in my heart; Oh, woe to me poor!
Me, great mother Achilles! born to me
Son, so noble in soul, so glorious in courage, in heroes
The first ... it bloomed like a young beautiful tree; with love
Gentle educated, grew up and, finally, I went to Ilion
Sent, sailed there in sharp-breasted ships ... and forever
I can’t see him in Peleus’s father’s house;
But as long as he lives, illuminated by the radiance of the day,
He is condemned to suffering, and his mother will not help him.
Dear sisters, let us leave the deep sea; I owe.
I must see my son, I must find out which
A new grief befell him, who did not enter the battle.
Having said this, Thetis comes out of the cave, and with her
Sisters, daughters of Nereus, shedding tears. Waves
The seas around them rustle, separating. Reaching Troy
They come ashore one after another in the place where they matured
All the ships of the Myrmidons are around the Achilles headquarters.
His mother came up to him, sobbed over him, and, embracing
With a gentle hand, the bowed head of her son, she said:
“Why are you crying? What crushed your cheerful soul?
Be frank with me! Zeus the Thunderer performed
Everything you prayed for, raising your hands here. Achaeans
We suffered a lot of shame, having lost you, and, we are oppressed
By the force of enemies to the ships, you were hopelessly called.
With a heavy sigh, swift-footed Achilles answered:
“Mother, I prayed not in vain, Zeus the Thunderer performed
All; but what good is it when I lose Patroclus,
A most tender friend, dear to me, how is the radiance of day?
He died, and Hector the killer stole the weapon,
Strong, marvelous, a gift from the Olympic gods to Peleus
On that day, how you were combined, immortal, with a mortal.
It would be better if you remained the goddess of the sea,
It's better when a simple, non-immortal spouse spouse
There was Peleus: endless longing for the lost son
Will you now collapse; you won't see him forever
In the father's house. Yes, and my heart forbids me to share
Here among the living to wander; but first Hector will pay
I am for Patroklov's life, dying under my foot.
The mother, shedding tears, answers: "What you said,
It announces to me that the end of your life is near:
You yourself must inevitably die after Hector -
So fate decreed. Achilles objected to her sullenly:
"Let me die now! What in life if Patroclus
Am I not allowed to protect? Far from my beloved homeland
He fell, but I did not come to reflect the hated death.
What am I? I am destined not to see the peaceful fields of my parents;
I could not save the life of Patroclus; could not be a defense
So many noble friends, from the strong Hector to the fallen.
Here I sit, behind the ships, a useless burden
Light, I, Achilles, of all copper-plated Achaeans
In battle, he is the bravest, although on the advice of others I yield.
ABOUT! let enmity and anger perish, darkening often
Wise mind! at first it is sweeter than honey, but soon
The consuming flame in the heart that has tasted it kindles.
So I was irritated by Agamemnon, the lord of kings.
But let the past be the past; no matter how sad
It is an irritated heart that must submit to the heart.
I am going - you will not escape me, Patroclus the murderer,
Hector. I am ready to accept my lot, when they appoint
Eternal Zeus and the immortal gods of Olympus; and do I
Now to grumble at fate, when Alkid is noble,
Beloved son of the Thunderer, was she once comprehended?
If a similar fate awaits me, let me lie down
Into the ground, breathless; but great glory before
Here I will collect, fleeting life in return; there are many
I will force the full-breasted Dardanian maidens to collapse and tears
From the young cheeks to wipe, covering with hands
Faces and sighs spiral in a chest torn by grief.
Soon they will know that I have rested. And don't you hope
Mother, keep me: I will never be subdued.
“You speak the truth,” answered Thetis, “it is commendable
To be for friends from trouble and from death protection. But Troy
Now owns your shiny armor; predatory
Hector, adorned with them, rejoices - though not for long
In them to be magnified to him: the appointed hour is not far off;
But unarmed, my son, do not rush into the anxiety of Ares;
Wait here until you see me again.
Tomorrow here at dawn, as soon as the sun rises,
With magnificent armor, forged by the god Ifest, I will come.
So the goddess spoke and said goodbye to her mighty son.
To young sisters, silver-footed goddesses, then turning,
“Dear sisters,” she said, “now dive into the sea,
Return to the house of Nereus and the elder of the gray abyss
Announce everything. And I'm on top of Olympus to Ifest
I’ll fly straight from here to beg him to give us weapons.”
finished; the young goddesses plunged into the bosom of the swells.
Thetis flew quickly to the top of Olympus from them.
Sometimes the Achaeans oh formidable Hector with a loud
With a cry they fled to their ships, to the shores of Ellispont,
Trying in vain to wrest the body of Patroclus from the battle;
Hector, like a stormy flame, pursued him; already thrice
He grabbed the dead man's leg from behind, ready for prey
To snatch from the hands of the Achaeans, and called the Trojans, and thrice
With all the strength of Ajax, he was reflected from the corpse.
Furious, fiery, he overthrew everything; then running fast
Fought in the crowd; then, standing motionless, called loudly
Into the battle of his own and rushed relentlessly against the cold body.
So over the torn doe, hungry, sparkling eyes,
The space-legged lion sits, not disturbed by the shepherds' cry.
In vain the brave Ajaxes fight him; would have mastered
He is inevitably Patroclus with great glory, whenever
Ira from heaven did not send Irida to Peleev's son:
“Son of Peleus, run, run to the aid of Patroclus;
The battle has already approached the ships. Look: kill
Scary of each other, some - fighting off, others - striving
Grab the body; the Trojans will overcome; brilliant Hector
Soon he will kidnap Patroclus, and rush off to Troy, and on the tower
He will expose his head, taken from his shoulders in shame of the Achaeans.
It is full of delay: or the dogs will feed on the body of Patroclus.
Arise, unarmed, run up to the roll; show yourself to the Trojans;
The image of your horror will overtake them; the Achaeans will take heart."
So the goddess Irida told Achilles and disappeared.
Achilles jumped up excited by her voice. And Athena
Powerful shoulders she clothed him with a terrible aegis,
She wrapped her head in a fiery cloud, and from it shone
Terrible rays, illuminating the surroundings. Like smoke, writhing
Rises far on the island, surrounded by an army of enemies
(The besieged fight cheerfully all day, but only the sun will set,
Everywhere bonfires are lit, and flames with bright sparks
It rises in a great pillar and, reflected around the sea,
It shines so that the ships that bring help can see the way),
Thus, from the head of Achilles, a shimmer rose into the ether.
He ran up the roar and, standing in front of the Achaeans,
Shouted ... a piercing cry was repeated by Pallas Athena
A loud response: the Trojan was seized with indescribable horror.
So the deafening thunder of the battle trumpets, heralding
An attack suddenly stirs up the besieged. Barely Achilles
A voice was heard, everyone's heart trembled; all horses,
Sensing death, they raised their manes and with a loud clatter
The chariots were carried back; their rulers are in a frenzy,
With a pale face, turning back, they looked motionless
An eye on the formidable face of Achilles' brilliance. three times
He shouted from the shaft at them - three times, broken by fear,
Trojan and allied troops rushed back in disarray.
Here from their chariots and from their own spears twelve
The brave Dardanians perished. The Achaeans, having kidnapped Patroclus,
At headquarters they stretched him out on a bed, and his friends surrounded
Body. Achilles has arrived. He burst into tears when he saw
Friend, in front of him on a bed motionless lying, sharp
Copper pierced: he himself recently fought him,
Clothed with his armor, he sent: but he did not come back.
That sometimes, constant during Helios, the will
Having completed the Ides, he descended reluctantly to the waters of the Ocean,
The drowned sun disappeared in them, and the army of the Achaeans
After a disastrous battle, he plunged into deep peace.
But the Trojans could not taste either peace or food,
Dimly they gathered in council. Leaning on spears
Everyone stood, and not a single one dared to sit down, and all of them
My heart was disturbed by the thought of Achilles appearing in battle.
Polidamant, sympathetic, Hector's cautious friend,
The first gave advice: leaving the battlefield,
Enter Troy. “Now the fragrant night is favorable to us. -
So he said. She is holding Achilles. But in the morning
When he sees us in the field, he will go out into battle. Then inevitably
Many will be the prey of dogs. Let us retire to Troy, while
Time, let's spend the night in the market place under the open sky;
With the first brilliance of the morning star, let's gather on the walls; let him
Fight to taste will approach them; only in vain mighty
He will tire his horses; but he will not break into Troy.
Gloomy, brow furrowed, fiery Hector answered:
“Polydamante, your cautious advice is now useless;
Shall we, as timid ones, flee to the towered Troy?
Aren't we tired yet, crowding behind the walls, hiding?
Once the city of Priam, glorious among all nations,
He was famous on earth for the abundance of copper and gold;
But long ago abundance disappeared from sad dwellings.
We annoyed Zeus: in Phrygia, in the allied land
Lush Maeonia, our best utensils are sold.
Now, when the mighty Kronion, Zeus the Almighty,
He sent Slava to reflect to the ships of the copper-plated Achaeans,
Am I hiding in Troy? What advice are you giving?
Which of the Trojans will submit to him? Here I am the master.
Hear my word and do my will:
Let the food be divided among the squads; be satisfied, but each
Be careful, and the guard does not sleep on guard. Tomorrow
With the first radiance of the morning star, taking a copper weapon,
We will run to the ships for a decisive attack. And if
It is true that Achilles got up, he chose a bad time;
I am not afraid of him, merciless, to meet; bravely
I will stand before him, not caring whether he will adorn me or decorate him
Glory to the battle ... Ares is incorruptible, and he smashes the smashers.
Hector said, and the Trojans who agreed with him answered
Noisy splashing... blind people! Pallas eclipsed their minds:
They preferred evil to good and remained in the field.
In sorrow and weeping that night over the body of Patroclus, the Achaeans,
Eyes without closing, all spent. Achilles, putting
Powerful hands on the chest motionless friend, with a groan
I cried. So the formidable lioness roars when the hunter
He stole her young lion cub from a deep ravine:
Angered, she prowls through the gorges with a plaintive roar.
So Achilles cried out, surrounded by a crowd of Myrmidons:
"Gods! how foolish were my hopes when I
Trying to quench the contrition of Menetius, he made a promise
Together with Patroclus, adorned with glory, to return to Opunt,
Destroying Troy and amassing a lot of rich booty.
A mortal will plan one thing, but Zeus does another!
We both nourish the earth with our blood
Here, in the distant Troyan region. And they won't see me
Forever in the dwelling of the fathers nor Peleus, my parent
Decrepit, nor the mother of Thetis. Here I will lie down, covered with a grave.
But if after Patroclus it is appointed for me to descend into the earth,
Oh my Patroclus! I will make your burial, throwing down
Hector's head with his armor before you and twelve
The youths of the captives, the sons of the noblest Troy, having slain
In honor of your and offended shadow of your consolation!
Sleep in peace by my ships in anticipation of vengeance;
Let the Trojan women, captivated by us, day and night
Until now they weep over your body and torment Persians.
With these words noble Achilles commanded his friends,
Filling a huge tripod cauldron with pure water,
Wash off the ashes with gore from Patroclus's body.
They put the tripod on a bright fire, and with a noisy stream
Spring water is poured into it and brushwood is thrown
Into the flame: it engulfed the cauldron, and the water boiled
In a copper jingle vessel. bathed in warm moisture,
The body was anointed with fat oil; later, fragrant
Filling the wounds with a nine-year-old ointment, stretched
Quietly on his bed and, covering with a precious cloth,
They dressed both the body and the bed with a shiny cloth.
Eos young in scarlet clothes, immortal and mortal
The bringer of the day has risen from the waters of the Ocean. Thetis
With the marvelous, Ifesto gave her armor, she came to Achilles;
He lay prostrate over the soulless Patroclus and loudly
Cried; around the Myrmidons sat in gloomy silence.
Quietly between them passed the silver-legged mother goddess
To her son and, taking him by the hand, said tenderly:
“My son, let us leave the dead to rest, how much we
They did not break in their hearts: they would comprehend it by the power of the immortals.
I brought unharmed armor from the god Ifest,
A miracle of beauty: none of the people had anything like it.
So saying, she laid Thetis at the feet of Achilles
armor; loud weapon sound issued: myrmidons
Horror penetrated: not a single goddess dared to look
Right in the face, and everyone trembled. But with the strongest anger,
Seeing the armor, Achilles boiled; eyes sparkled
Sparks, flashing under the shadow of the eyelashes, like a terrible flame;
With a greedy hand, he grabbed the armor and, with a miraculous gift
God Ifesta captivated, he began to admire; but soon
He became gloomy again; then, turning to Thetis,
“Mother,” he said, “your weapons are wonderful, and immediately
I will go to battle. But my heart is restless; he will
Here lifeless lie; greedy insects can
Fly into the wounds, the worm will settle in them and may rot,
Penetrating into the body, disgrace its beautiful image.
“Be carefree, my beloved son,” said Thetis,
Inseparable from him, I myself will disperse insects,
Greedily eating the body of the murdered husband; at least
Slow years over it took flight, I'm incorruptible
I will keep his body, and he will be even more beautiful.
With these words she sheds on the wounds of Patroclus
Ambrose fragrant juice with light purple nectar.
The noble Achilles hastily flowed along the seashore;
The Achaeans gathered at his sonorous voice. unfortunate
He gave his hand to Atrid, and was a conciliatory victim
The late union between them is approved. Agamemnon the mighty
He gave the command to take the gifts to Achilles. Immediately
King Odysseus with the sons of the venerable Nestor, with the glorious
The son of Philius Megith, with Foant and with them Creon
Son Lycomedes, Merion, Melanippus to Agamemnon at stake
They go and, choosing seven precious tripods, twenty
Light vessels, twelve horses and seven needlework
Captives with the eighth Briseis, depart to the tent of Achilles,
King Odysseus is ahead with ten talents of gold.
All then, having surrounded Achilles, he is invited
Dining with them, but, sighing heavily, he answered:
“O friends! I beg you, if at least a little I am dear
To your heart, do not now demand that I enjoy
Your food: grief tears my whole soul.
No, I won't touch anything until late at night."
All the commanders then said goodbye to Achilles; remained
Both Atris, Idomeneo, noble Odysseus,
Nestor and Elder Phoenix. Clear the darkened soul
They tried to make a friend with a cheerful conversation; but in vain.
He was gloomy, only battles of a single hunger, incessantly
He thought about the dead, he talked about only one thing incessantly:
“Oh, how often it happened that you yourself carefully, poor,
He ran to my headquarters with refreshing morning food,
Announcing to me that the army of the Achaeans left their tents,
Again with the Trojans ready to go into battle: and now
Here you lie, lifeless! My pleasure cannot
The heart is neither food nor sweet wine without you. I'm only strong
I would not be stricken with grief, and hearing about the death of Peleus,
Shedding tears in his Phthia for me distant,
Fighting in a foreign land for the insult of Helena despicable,
Not the sad news received about the son, in Skyros
To me flourishing, god-like Neoptolemus,
If he's alive! - Until now, I have always been a secret hope
He comforted his heart that I would die alone, separated
With glorious horses Argos, in the Trojan land, which, within
Phthi native returning, you yourself in the white-winged ships
You will take your son in Skyros and show him in your homeland
All my wealth, slaves and royal palaces.
I felt that then Peleus or in the ground, lifeless,
Will lie, or, perhaps, sadly living his life,
Will be bent from sadness and years, all afraid that from Troy
The messenger will come and tell him: "Achilles is gone."
So he spoke and wept. Those who sat with him sighed,
Everyone is thinking about what he left in a distant house.
The gaze of the compassionate Zeus from the sky on the sad bowed,
Quickly turns to the goddess Pallas a winged speech:
“Or, Pallas, will noble Achilles leave you?
You see how he is on the shore, near his black-chested ships,
Weeping for the dead Patroclus, he sits alone. Other
They strengthen themselves with morning food; but he won't accept
food. Fly and into the chest of Achilles sweet ambrosia
Pour it with nectar so that it does not lose its strength from hunger.
So Zeus spoke, anticipating the desire of Athena.
She is fast - like an eagle with immense wings, with a sonorous
With a cry, she flew to the tents from heaven. Already the Achaeans crowded
Taking up arms in battle. In the chest of Achilles sweet ambrosia
With nectar, Athena secretly poured, so that from hunger strength
He did not lose, and then returned to the monastery again
Zeus. The Achaeans flowed in waves, leaving the ships.
As if like frequent, tufted snow, carried away
North, quickly ether clearing wind, out of stakes
Countless helmets rained down, swarm after sparkling swarm,
Strongly bent armor, of hard spear ash,
Shields with a sharp badge; a radiance ascended to heaven;
In the brilliance of weapons, the earth laughed; under the feet of those who run
The shore thundered. In the midst of them, Achilles was armored.
His teeth gnashed, and his eyes, like a swift flame,
Rdeli, sparkling; but his heart with unbearable sadness
It was filled. Anger seething, enraged at the Trojan,
He took armor, a wonderful creation of the god Ifest;
Legs in bright, smooth leggings before clothed,
He pulled each tightly with a silver buckle; huge
Armor overlaid a powerful chest; precious on the shoulder
He hung a sword with a silver handle, with a copper blade.
After putting on an immense, heavy, like a brilliance
Full moon shield: like a distant beacon to sailors
Shines in the darkness, blazing alone on the top of the cliff -
The storm carries them far from their friends along the noisy sea -
So radiant shone the divine shield of Achilles,
Miracle of art. Then he pulled a heavy
Maned helmet; he shone like a star, and thick golden-haired
A raised crest was adorned with a horse's tail.
Clothed with armor, Achilles tests his strength:
He moved freely in it, and the members embraced the armor
The wing seemed lighter and seemed to lift it.
Then he took out his father's spear from the beautiful ark,
Heavy and huge - in the host of the Achaeans it is not a single
He could not move, but the hand of Achilles easily played with them:
Mighty ash from the proud head of Pelion cut down,
Chiron created that spear for Peleus, enemies to death.
Automedon and Alkim were hastily placed on the horses
A light harness and a bit were forced into their teeth by force;
Tightly then pulling the reins, ahead of the chariot
They were fortified. Automedon in a chariot with brilliant
He spun with a whip. Achilles, preparing for a bloody battle,
He stood behind, like Helios shining with marvelous armor.
Then he loudly exclaimed to Peleev's vigorous horses:
“Xanthus and Valius, glorious children of Podarga, or rather,
Good horses, now be your ruler;
Fed up with battle, return him to the ships; not dead
Leave it in the field, like Patroclus." That's light-footed,
Flame-breathing Xanthus answered, bowing his hooves to
Proud head - lush mane fell to the ground;
Ida with a lily hand allowed her tongue - he said:
“So, we will still bring you alive, son of Peleus;
But your destined day is near. Not our
By will, but by the power of God and strict fate, it happened;
No, we are not slowing down with our untimely laziness
They gave the Trojans to steal Patroklov's strong armor;
The son of thick-haired Lita, the inevitable God comprehended
In the battle, he and Hector decorated with the honor of victory.
Let us on the run anticipate Zephyr's flight, from the lungs
Winds of the lightest breath of fragrant wings - but know:
You will perish from a mighty god and a mortal husband.”
He spoke, and the power of Erinnes silenced his tongue.
Gloomy in face, swift-footed Achilles answered him:
“Xanth, why do you prophesy death to me in vain? And myself
I know that I, far from my father and mother, should
Here, according to the law of fate, to die. But I won't stop
Fight and torment the Trojans with an insatiable battle."
He shouted loudly, and with a loud clatter the horses rushed off;
Following him, the Achaeans ran from the barriers. Trojans
They were waiting for them in the field, in dense crowds lining up on a hill.
Eternal Zeus from the many-headed peak of Olympus Themis
All the gods invite to the council sends. Goddess
They were commanded to gather in the abodes of heaven. appeared
All, and the very gods of streams and in shady groves,
In dark valleys, in secret springs, nymphs live;
The ancient one Ocean did not appear. In the halls, Ifest
Created with wondrous art by the will of Zeus, on thrones
The gods sat around the Thunderer. Call of Themis
Posidon himself submitted. He came out of the waters and with others
Sat down for advice. Finally he asked Lord Zeus:
“God of thunder, why did you call us to the halls of Olympus?
Or decide whether you are plotting the fate of the Trojans and Achaeans,
Out in the field and again filled with the fury of battle?
In the clouds thundering Zeus, answering, said to Posidon:
"God, shaker of the earth, you know my thoughts,
Do you know what this advice is about? And my mind cares about the perishing.
Here I will sit, on the highest rock of Olympus,
Delighting yourself with the spectacle of battle. But I allow you
Go to the troops of the Trojans and Achaeans, and you can help
Serve to the side that your heart will incline you to.
If one Achilles attacks a Trojan - not a moment
In the field they will not hold out against Pelid's strength;
Awe struck them all at his single appearance.
Now, when he is so angry at the death of a friend,
I am afraid that, contrary to fate, I will not destroy Troy.
Thus spoke Zeus, and the immortals flared up in battle.
From the sky, they, divided, flew to the warring armies.
Powerful Ira went to the ships with Pallas Athena;
With her Posidon, hugging the earth, and Ermius, abundant
Intrigues, a generous giver of wealth, and slowly-heavy,
Flaming-eyed Ifest, through the power of attracting the lame
Leg. But with a helmet, the brilliant Ares turned to the Trojans,
With him full-haired Phoebus and the accuracy of arrows Artemis
Proud, Leto, and Xanthus, and Cyprida with a welcoming smile.
The Achaeans were arrogant until the gods intervened
In battle - Achilles with his appearance, but a long rest,
He encouraged them, and the Trojans, at the sight of Peleus' son,
By the brilliance of armor similar to Ares, everyone trembled, -
But as soon as the Olympians descended to mortals, Erinnis
She suddenly began to rage terribly. Then standing on the shaft,
Near a deep ditch, then on the shore of a noisy sea
Athena screamed with a mighty voice. And like black
Storm, Ares howled, then from the mountain peaks of Pergamum
Calling the Trojans, then running back and forth at the high
Calicolons, outside the walls, not far off the Simois shore.
So the Olympic gods excited the army to the army.
Soon a destructive battle of extermination flared up everywhere.
The almighty father of men and immortals thundered terribly
From the sky; below, Posidon shook the vast earth;
The mountains shook; from the foot of the rich streams of Ida
Everything to the top of it and Pergamon with the ships trembled.
In the realm of deep underground darkness, Aidoneus was indignant;
Pale from the throne, he fled and shouted, fearing that from above
Posidon the Destroyer did not pierce the solid earth, so that the eye
Mortal people and gods impregnable Hades did not open,
Terrible, hazy, empty and hated by immortals themselves.
