the iliad(伊利亚特)-第61部分

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his　armour；　and　was　dragging　him　away　to　cut　off　his　head　and　take　the
body　to　fling　before　the　dogs　of　Troy。　But　Ajax　came　up　with　his
shield　like　wall　before　him；　on　which　Hector　withdrew　under　shelter　of
his　men；　and　sprang　on　to　his　chariot；　giving　the　armour　over　to　the
Trojans　to　take　to　the　city；　as　a　great　trophy　for　himself；　Ajax；
therefore；　covered　the　body　of　Patroclus　with　his　broad　shield　and
bestrode　him；　as　a　lion　stands　over　his　whelps　if　hunters　have　come
upon　him　in　a　forest　when　he　is　with　his　little　ones…　in　the　pride　and
fierceness　of　his　strength　he　draws　his　knit　brows　down　till　they
cover　his　eyes…　even　so　did　Ajax　bestride　the　body　of　Patroclus；　and
by　his　side　stood　Menelaus　son　of　Atreus；　nursing　great　sorrow　in
his　heart。
　　Then　Glaucus　son　of　Hippolochus　looked　fiercely　at　Hector　and
rebuked　him　sternly。　〃Hector；〃　said　he；　〃you　make　a　brave　show；　but　in
fight　you　are　sadly　wanting。　A　runaway　like　yourself　has　no　claim　to
so　great　a　reputation。　Think　how　you　may　now　save　your　town　and
citadel　by　the　hands　of　your　own　people　born　in　Ilius；　for　you　will
get　no　Lycians　to　fight　for　you；　seeing　what　thanks　they　have　had
for　their　incessant　hardships。　Are　you　likely；　sir；　to　do　anything
to　help　a　man　of　less　note；　after　leaving　Sarpedon；　who　was　at　once
your　guest　and　comrade　in　arms；　to　be　the　spoil　and　prey　of　the
Danaans？　So　long　as　he　lived　he　did　good　service　both　to　your　city　and
yourself；　yet　you　had　no　stomach　to　save　his　body　from　the　dogs。　If
the　Lycians　will　listen　to　me；　they　will　go　home　and　leave　Troy　to　its
fate。　If　the　Trojans　had　any　of　that　daring　fearless　spirit　which　lays
hold　of　men　who　are　fighting　for　their　country　and　harassing　those　who
would　attack　it；　we　should　soon　bear　off　Patroclus　into　Ilius。　Could
we　get　this　dead　man　away　and　bring　him　into　the　city　of　Priam；　the
Argives　would　readily　give　up　the　armour　of　Sarpedon；　and　we　should
get　his　body　to　boot。　For　he　whose　squire　has　been　now　killed　is　the
foremost　man　at　the　ships　of　the　Achaeans…　he　and　his　close…fighting
followers。　Nevertheless　you　dared　not　make　a　stand　against　Ajax；　nor
face　him；　eye　to　eye；　with　battle　all　round　you；　for　he　is　a　braver
man　than　you　are。〃
　　Hector　scowled　at　him　and　answered；　〃Glaucus；　you　should　know
better。　I　have　held　you　so　far　as　a　man　of　more　understanding　than　any
in　all　Lycia；　but　now　I　despise　you　for　saying　that　I　am　afraid　of
Ajax。　I　fear　neither　battle　nor　the　din　of　chariots；　but　Jove's　will
is　stronger　than　ours；　Jove　at　one　time　makes　even　a　strong　man　draw
back　and　snatches　victory　from　his　grasp；　while　at　another　he　will　set
him　on　to　fight。　Come　hither　then；　my　friend；　stand　by　me　and　see
indeed　whether　I　shall　play　the　coward　the　whole　day　through　as　you
say；　or　whether　I　shall　not　stay　some　even　of　the　boldest　Danaans　from
fighting　round　the　body　of　Patroclus。〃
　　As　he　spoke　he　called　loudly　on　the　Trojans　saying；　〃Trojans；
Lycians；　and　Dardanians；　fighters　in　close　combat；　be　men；　my　friends；
and　fight　might　and　main；　while　I　put　on　the　goodly　armour　of
Achilles；　which　I　took　when　I　killed　Patroclus。〃
　　With　this　Hector　left　the　fight；　and　ran　full　speed　after　his　men
who　were　taking　the　armour　of　Achilles　to　Troy；　but　had　not　yet　got
far。　Standing　for　a　while　apart　from　the　woeful　fight；　he　changed
his　armour。　His　own　he　sent　to　the　strong　city　of　Ilius　and　to　the
Trojans；　while　he　put　on　the　immortal　armour　of　the　son　of　Peleus；
which　the　gods　had　given　to　Peleus；　who　in　his　age　gave　it　to　his　son；
but　the　son　did　not　grow　old　in　his　father's　armour。
　　When　Jove；　lord　of　the　storm…cloud；　saw　Hector　standing　aloof　and
arming　himself　in　the　armour　of　the　son　of　Peleus；　he　wagged　his
head　and　muttered　to　himself　saying；　〃A！　poor　wretch；　you　arm　in　the
armour　of　a　hero；　before　whom　many　another　trembles；　and　you　reck
nothing　of　the　doom　that　is　already　close　upon　you。　You　have　killed
his　comrade　so　brave　and　strong；　but　it　was　not　well　that　you　should
strip　the　armour　from　his　head　and　shoulders。　I　do　indeed　endow　you
with　great　might　now；　but　as　against　this　you　shall　not　return　from
battle　to　lay　the　armour　of　the　son　of　Peleus　before　Andromache。〃
　　The　son　of　Saturn　bowed　his　portentous　brows；　and　Hector　fitted
the　armour　to　his　body；　while　terrible　Mars　entered　into　him；　and
filled　his　whole　body　with　might　and　valour。　With　a　shout　he　strode　in
among　the　allies；　and　his　armour　flashed　about　him　so　that　he　seemed
to　all　of　them　like　the　great　son　of　Peleus　himself。　He　went　about
among　them　and　cheered　them　on…　Mesthles；　Glaucus；　Medon；
Thersilochus；　Asteropaeus；　Deisenor　and　Hippothous；　Phorcys；
Chromius　and　Ennomus　the　augur。　All　these　did　he　exhort　saying；
〃Hear　me；　allies　from　other　cities　who　are　here　in　your　thousands；
it　was　not　in　order　to　have　a　crowd　about　me　that　I　called　you
hither　each　from　his　several　city；　but　that　with　heart　and　soul　you
might　defend　the　wives　and　little　ones　of　the　Trojans　from　the
fierce　Achaeans。　For　this　do　I　oppress　my　people　with　your　food　and
the　presents　that　make　you　rich。　Therefore　turn；　and　charge　at　the
foe；　to　stand　or　fall　as　is　the　game　of　war；　whoever　shall　bring
Patroclus；　dead　though　he　be；　into　the　hands　of　the　Trojans；　and　shall
make　Ajax　give　way　before　him；　I　will　give　him　one　half　of　the
spoils　while　I　keep　the　other。　He　will　thus　share　like　honour　with
myself。〃
　　When　he　had　thus　spoken　they　charged　full　weight　upon　the　Danaans
with　their　spears　held　out　before　them；　and　the　hopes　of　each　ran　high
that　he　should　force　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　to　yield　up　the　body…　fools
that　they　were；　for　he　was　about　to　take　the　lives　of　many。　Then
Ajax　said　to　Menelaus；　〃My　good　friend　Menelaus；　you　and　I　shall
hardly　come　out　of　this　fight　alive。　I　am　less　concerned　for　the
body　of　Patroclus；　who　will　shortly　become　meat　for　the　dogs　and
vultures　of　Troy；　than　for　the　safety　of　my　own　head　and　yours。　Hector
has　wrapped　us　round　in　a　storm　of　battle　from　every　quarter；　and
our　destruction　seems　now　certain。　Call　then　upon　the　princes　of　the
Danaans　if　there　is　any　who　can　hear　us。〃
　　Menelaus　did　as　he　said；　and　shouted　to　the　Danaans　for　help　at
the　top　of　his　voice。　〃My　friends；〃　he　cried；　〃princes　and　counsellors
of　the　Argives；　all　you　who　with　Agamemnon　and　Menelaus　drink　at　the
public　cost；　and　give　orders　each　to　his　own　people　as　Jove　vouchsafes
him　power　and　glory；　the　fight　is　so　thick　about　me　that　I　cannot
distinguish　you　severally；　come　on；　therefore；　every　man　unbidden；　and
think　it　shame　that　Patroclus　should　become　meat　and　morsel　for　Trojan
hounds。〃
　　Fleet　Ajax　son　of　Oileus　heard　him　and　was　first　to　force　his　way
through　the　fight　and　run　to　help　him。　Next　came　Idomeneus　and
Meriones　his　esquire；　peer　of　murderous　Mars。　As　for　the　others　that
came　into　the　fight　after　these；　who　of　his　own　self　could　name　them？
　　The　Trojans　with　Hector　at　their　head　charged　in　a　body。　As　a
great　wave　that　comes　thundering　in　at　the　mouth　of　some　heaven…born
river；　and　the　rocks　that　jut　into　the　sea　ring　with　the　roar　of　the
breakers　that　beat　and　buffet　them…　even　with　such　a　roar　did　the
Trojans　come　on；　but　the　Achaeans　in　singleness　of　heart　stood　firm
about　the　son　of　Menoetius；　and　fenced　him　with　their　bronze
shields。　Jove；　moreover；　hid　the　brightness　of　their　helmets　in　a
thick　cloud；　for　he　had　borne　no　grudge　against　the　son　of　Menoetius
while　he　was　still　alive　and　squire　to　the　descendant　of　Aeacus；
therefore　he　was　loth　to　let　him　fall　a　prey　to　the　dogs　of　his　foes
the　Trojans；　and　urged　his　comrades　on　to　defend　him。
　　At　first　the　Trojans　drove　the　Achaeans　back；　and　they　withdrew　from
the　dead　man　daunted。　The　Trojans　did　not　succeed　in　killing　any
one；　nevertheless　they　drew　the　body　away。　But　the　Achaeans　did　not
lose　it　long；　for　Ajax；　foremost　of　all　the　Danaans　after　the　son　of
Peleus　alike　in　stature　and　prowess；　quickly　rallied　them　and　made
towards　the　front　like　a　wild　boar　upon　the　mountains　when　he　stands
at　bay　in　the　forest　glades　and　routs　the　hounds　and　lusty　youths　that
have　attacked　him…　even　so　did　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　passing　easily　in
among　the　phalanxes　of　the　Trojans；　disperse　those　who　had
bestridden　Patroclus　and　were　most　bent　on　winning　glory　by　dragging
him　off　to　their　city。　At　this　moment　Hippothous　brave　son　of　the
Pelasgian　Lethus；　in　his　zeal　for　Hector　and　the　Trojans；　was　dragging
the　body　off　by　the　foot　through　the　press　of　the　fight；　having
bound　a　strap　round　the　sinews　near　the　ancle；　but　a　mischief　soon
befell　him　from　which　none　of　those　could　save　him　who　would　have
gladly　done　so；　for　the　son　of　Telamon　sprang　forward　and　smote　him　on
his　bronze…cheeked　helmet。　The　plumed　headpiece　broke　about　the
point　of　the　weapon；　struck　at　once　by　the　spear　and　by　the　strong
hand　of　Ajax；　so　that　the　bloody　brain　came　oozing　out　through　the
crest…socket。　His　strength　then　failed　him　and　he　let　Patroclus'
foot　drop　from　his　hand；　as　he　fell　full　length　dead　upon　the　body；
thus　he　died　far　from　the　fertile　land　of　Larissa；　and　never　repaid
his　parents　the　cost　of　bringing　him　up；　for　his　life　was　cut　short
early　by　the　spear　of　mighty　Ajax。　Hector　then　took　ai