How the sons of Troy for the last time fought from her walls and her towers.
Troy's daughters mourned within her walls; might none Go forth to Paris' tomb, for far away From high-built Troy it lay. But the young men Without the city toiled unceasingly In fight wherein from slaughter rest was none, Though dead was Paris; for the Achaeans pressed Hard on the Trojans even unto Troy.
Yet these charged forth -- they could not choose but so, For Strife and deadly Enyo in their midst Stalked, like the fell Erinyes to behold, Breathing destruction from their lips like flame.
Beside them raged the ruthless-hearted Fates Fiercely: here Panic-fear and Ares there Stirred up the hosts: hard after followed Dread With slaughter's gore besprent, that in one host Might men see, and be strong, in the other fear;
And all around were javelins, spears, and darts Murder-athirst from this side, that side, showered.
Aye, as they hurled together, armour clashed, As foe with foe grappled in murderous fight.
There Neoptolemus slew Laodamas, Whom Lycia nurtured by fair Xanthus' stream, The stream revealed to men by Leto, bride Of Thunderer Zeus, when Lycia's stony plain Was by her hands uptorn mid agonies Of travail-throes wherein she brought to light Mid bitter pangs those babes of birth divine.
Nirus upon him laid he dead; the spear Crashed through his jaw, and clear through mouth and tongue Passed: on the lance's irresistible point Shrieking was he impaled: flooded with gore His mouth was as he cried. The cruel shaft, Sped on by that strong hand, dashed him to earth In throes of death. Evenor next he smote Above the flank, and onward drave the spear Into his liver: swiftly anguished death Came upon him. Iphition next he slew:
He quelled Hippomedon, Hippasus' bold son, Whom Ocyone the Nymph had borne beside Sangarius' river-flow. Ne'er welcomed she Her son's returning face, but ruthless Fate With anguish thrilled her of her child bereaved.
Bremon Aeneas slew, and Andromachus, Of Cnossus this, of hallowed Lyctus that:
On one spot both from their swift chariots fell;
This gasped for breath, his throat by the long spear Transfixed; that other, by a massy stone, Sped from a strong hand, on the temple struck, Breathed out his life, and black doom shrouded him.
The startled steeds, bereft of charioteers, Fleeing, mid all those corpses were confused, And princely Aeneas' henchmen seized on them With hearts exulting in the goodly spoil.
There Philoctetes with his deadly shaft Smote Peirasus in act to flee the war:
The tendons twain behind the knee it snapped, And palsied all his speed. A Danaan marked, And leapt on that maimed man with sweep of sword Shearing his neck through. On the breast of earth The headless body fell: the head far flung Went rolling with lips parted as to shriek;
And swiftly fleeted thence the homeless soul.
Polydamas struck down Eurymachus And Cleon with his spear. From Syme came With Nireus' following these: cunning were both In craft of fisher-folk to east the hook Baited with guile, to drop into the sea The net, from the boat's prow with deftest hands Swiftly and straight to plunge the three-forked spear.
But not from bane their sea-craft saved them now.
Eurypylus battle-staunch laid Hellus low, Whom Cleito bare beside Gygaea's mere, Cleito the fair-cheeked. Face-down in the dust Outstretched he lay: shorn by the cruel sword From his strong shoulder fell the arm that held His long spear. Still its muscles twitched, as though Fain to uplift the lance for fight in vain;
For the man's will no longer stirred therein, But aimlessly it quivered, even as leaps The severed tail of a snake malignant-eyed, Which cannot chase the man who dealt the wound;
So the right hand of that strong-hearted man With impotent grip still clutched the spear for fight.
Aenus and Polydorus Odysseus slew, Ceteians both; this perished by his spear, That by his sword death-dealing. Sthenelus Smote godlike Abas with a javelin-cast:
On through his throat and shuddering nape it rushed:
Stopped were his heart-beats, all his limbs collapsed.
Tydeides slew Laodocus; Melius fell By Agamemnon's hand; Deiphobus Smote Alcimus and Dryas: Hippasus, How war-renowned soe'er, Agenor slew Far from Peneius' river. Crushed by fate, Love's nursing-debt to parents ne'er he paid.
Lamus and stalwart Lyncus Thoas smote, And Meriones slew Lycon; Menelaus Laid low Archelochus. Upon his home Looked down Corycia's ridge, and that great rock Of the wise Fire-god, marvellous in men's eyes;
For thereon, nightlong, daylong, unto him Fire blazes, tireless and unquenchable.
Laden with fruit around it palm-trees grow, While mid the stones fire plays about their roots.
Gods' work is this, a wonder to all time.
By Teucer princely Hippomedon's son was slain, Menoetes: as the archer drew on him, Rushed he to smite him; but already hand And eye, and bow-craft keen were aiming straight On the arching horn the shaft. Swiftly released It leapt on the hapless man, while sang the string.
Stricken full front he heaved one choking gasp, Because the fates on the arrow riding flew Right to his heart, the throne of thought and strength For men, whence short the path is unto death.
Far from his brawny hand Euryalus hurled A massy stone, and shook the ranks of Troy.
As when in anger against long-screaming cranes A watcher of the field leaps from the ground, In swift hand whirling round his head the sling, And speeds the stone against them, scattering Before its hum their ranks far down the wind Outspread, and they in huddled panic dart With wild cries this way and that, who theretofore Swept on in ordered lines; so shrank the foe To right and left from that dread bolt of doom Hurled of Euryalus. Not in vain it flew Fate-winged; it shattered Meles' helm and head Down to the eyes: so met him ghastly death.
