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The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; Now First Collected and Edited by Sir William Molesworth, Bart., (London: Bohn, 1839-45). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Author: Homer
Translator: Thomas Hobbes
Editor: Sir William Molesworth

Part of: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, 11 vols.

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LIB. XIX.

Achilles reconciled to Agamemnon goes forth to battle.

No sooner in her saffron robe was seen
Aurora, holding light above the ground,
Than at the ships the silver-footed queen
Achilles by Patroclus weeping found,
5And with him many of his friends dismay’d.

Then in, into the midst of them she went,
And laid her hand on his, and to him said:
My son, why do you thus in vain lament?
Come, since the Gods have slain him, leave him here,
10And take the arms which I from Vulcan bring,

Such as yet mortal man did never wear;
Which, as she lays them down before him, ring.
The Myrmidons were troubled at the sight,
And turn’d their backs, affrighted at the show.
15Achilles’ wrath was more enflamed by’t,

His eyes a-fire, and bended was his brow;
Yet when he had them in his hands was glad,
And with great admiration them survey’d.
And when enough beholden them he had,
20Unto his mother he replied, and said:

Mother, I see such arms from Vulcan here,
As none but an immortal could have made,
And presently will put them on, but fear
Lest flies the body should meanwhile invade,
25And in the wounds some filthy vermin breed.

And Thetis then replied: Son, do not fear,
For I myself to that will take such heed,
As, that although it should lie here a year,
It shall no worse, but rather better be.
30Go you, and th’ Argive lords to council call,

And with king Agamemnon there agree,
And put your anger off before them all;
And spend your choler boldly on your foes.
This said, she to Patroclus mov’d her feet,
35And dropp’d ambrosia into his nose,

To keep his body incorrupt and sweet.
Achilles then went down unto the shore,
And there the heroes did to council call
By name, though they were ready there before.
40But thither at the news came th’ Argives all,

Steers-men and stewards of provision,
And all the rest to th’ council thronging in,
Though but to see the face of Thetis’ son,
So long they thought he absent now had been.
45Tydides also, and Ulysses came,

Though of their wounds they yet not cured were,
Both halting, leaning on their spears, and lame.
The last of all was Agamemnon there,
Wounded by Coon, nor recovered yet;
50But th’ heroes for his coming not long staid.

And when they were together all and set,
Achilles rose, and t’ Agamemnon said:
Atrides, what great profit got we by
This our unlucky strife about a maid?
55I would it had her fortune been to die,

Before I siege unto Lyrnessus laid.
To Hector and the Trojans comes the gain;
The Greeks with grief will think on’t while they live.
But since it is too late now to complain,
60Go forth, and orders for the battle give;

That I may to them go again, and see
If at the ships they mean to stay all night.
I think they will much rather wish to be
Within the walls of Troy than stay and fight.
65This said, the Greeks were glad and courage take,

Assured that Achilles would them aid,
And Agamemnon, sitting, to them spake,
(Which he excus’d), and thus unto them said:
’Twere fitter, Argive princes, I stood out,
70That so my words you might the better hear;

But such a number standing are about,
My voice, though greater, would not reach your ear.
Nor were it fit for me to go about,
And tell my mind to each man in his ear.
75T’ Achilles therefore only I’ll speak out,

But so, if you attend, that all may hear.
I often have, said he, been blamed by
The Greeks for taking from you your fair prize,
When not in me, but Jove the fault did lie,
80And in Erinnys and the Destinies,

That did me of my wits that day bereave.
For what can I do when the Gods do all?
Jove’s daughter Atè did me then deceive,
From whom, on men and Gods great troubles fall.
85Her feet are soft, because she never treads

On th’ earth; but when she mischief has to do
Walks in the air, and puts it in men’s heads,
And sometimes does shrewd turns t’ immortals too.
For Juno, though but of th’ female sex,
90That day that Hercules was to be born,

Was able Jove, the best o’ th’ Gods, to vex,
And labour of Alcmena to adjourn.
For Jove before th’ immortals having said
That he a man that day to light would bring,
95By whom his race in Greece should all be sway’d.

You jest, said Juno, you mean no such thing.
I’ll not believe’t, unless you first be sworn
That he shall of your seed in Greece be king,
That of a woman shall this day be born.
100This said, straight Jove, no fraud imagining,

The great oath took. But after did repent.
And Juno from Olympus’ lofty head
Leapt down, and t’ Argos of Achaia went,
And brought the wife of Sthenelus to bed.
105And there was she deliver’d of a son,

That was by Perseus of Jove’s descent,
Though she but seven months had of him gone.
And then to Thebes she to Alcmena went,
And hinder’d her that day from bringing forth.
110Then up to Jupiter she came again,

And said, This day is born a man of worth,
Eurysteus, in Argos fit to reign,
And of your seed. And Jove in choler then
Took Atè by the head and swung her round,
115And swore she ne’er to heav’n should come again.

And having said it, threw her to the ground;
And always after sigh’d to see the pain
To which Eurysteus did put his son;
As I do, when I see the Argives slain
120By Hector, grieve to think what I have done.

But since that Jove has made me to offend,
I for my error willing am to pay.
Come, then, and your assistance to us lend,
And quickly bring your Myrmidons away.
125And all that by Ulysses yesterday

I to you promis’d shall performed be.
Or presently, if you will for it stay,
That you th’ atoning gifts yourself may see.
Achilles then unto him thus replies.
130As for your gifts, to give them me or no,

Yet only in your choice, Atrides, lies.
But now ’tis time we to the Trojans go,
To make fine speeches here is but delay.
But let your men o’ th’ field Achilles see
135Through squadrons of the Trojans making way,

The Argives then encouraged will be.
Ulysses then t’ Achilles answered:
Godlike Achilles, mighty as you are,
Urge not the Greeks to fight till they be fed;
140They fasting cannot long endure the war,

And likely ’tis the battle will be long,
Especially if Gods both sides assist;
And bread and wine is that which makes men strong.
Let therefore now the Argives be dismiss’d.
145Who can, d’ye think, the toil of battle bear

From morning unto night, unless he first
With food his heart and feeble limbs do cheer?
He would be heavy, hungry, and athirst.
But he that is with food well satisfied,
150Courageous is, and fight will all the day;

His heart and limbs are strong, and will abide
As long as any on the field dare stay.
Come, let the people now to breakfast go.
And Agamemnon send the presents in
155Into th’ assembly where we sit, that so

By the Achæans all they may be seen;
And let him take an oath before us, that
Briseis’ bed he never went unto,
Nor all this while has done unto her what
160A husband to his wife is us’d to do.

And you your anger henceforth bridle must.
And you, Atrides, feast him like a friend,
And for hereafter learn to be more just,
Nor think’t a shame for men their faults to mend.
165Ulysses, said Atrides, I am joy’d

The counsel you have given us to hear,
For ’tis but reason all that you have said,
And I with all my heart the oath will swear.
And let Achilles, though in haste, stay here
170With all the rest, that they my gifts may see,

And witnesses be to the oath I swear.
And for the gifts, Ulysses, presently
Go you yourself with good men, whom you will,
And bring them from my tent and set them here,
175For what they are, you well remember still;

The same that by you promis’d from me were.
And you, Talthybius, provide a swine,
That we may offer up a sacrifice
To Jove, the Sun, and other pow’rs divine.
180This said, Achilles to him thus replies:

Renowned Agamemnon, I think yet
Another time for feast had better been,
As when in war a pause we intermit.
And whilst yet unabated is my spleen,
185We see our friends lie torn upon the ground,

The Greeks to battle and revenge I prompt.
You think my counsel therein is not sound,
And seek with feasting to divert them from’t.
But let us fasting to the battle go,
190And make good cheer when we come back again,

And have reveng’d ourselves upon the foe;
For I will neither eat nor drink till then.
For whilst Patroclus mangled lieth here,
And they that love him stand lamenting by,
195There nothing is that I can think good cheer

But slaughter, blood, and groans of men that die.
To this Ulysses did again reply:
Achilles, you have not in Greece your peer
For martial worth; yet elder much am I,
200And more have seen; I pray you therefore hear.

The fare of war soon breeds satiety.
Much straw there is, but harvest none, or small.
If Jove once hold the scales unevenly,
Innumerable are the men that fall.
205When then an end of weeping shall we see?

The bellies of the Argives must not mourn.
They that go to the war must patient be,
And let the dead unto their graves be borne,
And not weep over them above a day.
210And we that safe from fight are come again,

When we are fed can all day fighting stay.
All other exhortation is vain.
Let therefore now the Greeks to breakfast go,
Which is the soldier’s best encouragement,
215Then all together fall upon the foe.

And when he this had said, away he went,
And with him took Meges, Meriones,
Theas, Antilochus, and Thrasymed,
And Menalippus, and added unto these
220The martial son of Creon, Lycomed,

And brought the presents from Atrides’ tent.
Sev’n tripods great, and twenty cauldrons bright,
Twelve horses, and sev’n women with them went,
And, fair’st of all, Briseis made them eight.
225Talents of gold Ulysses weigh’d out ten,

And took the pains himself to carry that;
The rest was carri’d by the younger men,
And laid before the princes as they sat.
Then Agamemnon rose, and by him near
230Talthybius attended with a swine,

From which Atrides clipt a lock of hair,
And lifts his hands unto the pow’rs divine.
O Jove, said he, the chiefest of the Gods,
O Sun, and Earth, and Furies underground,
235That in your hands carry th’ eternal rods

To punish such as perjur’d shall be found,
My hand I on Briseis never laid,
Neither for bed, nor any other cause;
But always in my tent untouch’d she staid,
240Nor ever by me once attempted was.

And if herein I told you have a lie,
Let all the dreadful torments that are due
To such as guilty are of perjury
Upon me fall. This said, the swine he slew.
245Then out the stomach of the swine did cut,

And that Talthybius took in his hands.
And threw’t into the sea the fish to glut.
That done, Achilles up amongst them stands.
’Tis thou, O Jove, said he, that spoilest all.
250Briseis at my tent had stayed still,

Nor had her going from me mov’d my gall,
But that thou hadst a mind the Greeks to kill.
This said, the council he dissolv’d, and sent
Th’ Achæans to their ships to break their fast.
255Then ev’ry man unto his own ship went,

And busy were about their short repast.
Meanwhile the Myrmidons the presents bear
T’ Achilles’ ships, and laid them in his tent,
And thither also brought the women were.
260But th’ horses to the field his servants sent.

Briseis, when she saw Patroclus lie
With many ghastly wounds dead on the bier,
She flung her arms about him and did cry,
And her white neck, and face, and breast did tear,
265And weeping over him did thus complain.

O dear Patroclus, whom alive I left,
Now when I to you am return’d again,
Ah me, I find you of your life bereft.
How fast my woes on one another fall!
270The husband which my parents made me wed,

And three good brothers of one mother all,
I saw before Lyrnessus massacred.
And then, Patroclus, you to comfort me,
Told me that I should be Achilles’ wife,
275And to him married in Pthia be.

But now since you have also lost your life,
I never of my woe shall see an end.
And then the other women wept and roar’d,
All for Patroclus, as they did pretend,
280But inwardly their own fate they deplor’d.

The Greeks again about Achilles stood,
And urged him, ere he to battle went,
Himself to strengthen with a little food,
But could by no means get him to consent.
285My friends, said he, importune me no more

To eat or drink before we go to fight.
My heart within me now is vexed sore;
Fear not, I shall endure from morn to night.
This said, the other princes from him went.
290The two Atrides and Ulysses stay,

And Phœnix and old Nestor at his tent,
And King Idomeneus, his grief t’ allay,
But nothing they could say did any good,
So fiercely he was set upon the fight.
295And looking on Patroclus’ body stood,

And then afresh lamented at the sight.
Sweet friend, said he, you wont were to provide
Good breakfast for me when I was to fight,
But since that comfort now I am denied,
300In meat and drink I take no more delight.

For greater hurt cannot upon me fall,
Although for want of me my father die,
While absent from him at the Trojan wall,
For this accursed Helen’s sake I lie;
305Nor though my son Neptolemus should die,

Whom I in Scyros isle left to be bred,
Nor thinking then that here both you and I
Should lose our lives; but that when I was dead
He should by you be to my house convey’d,
310And made to know my servants and estate.

For Peleus now is very much decay’d,
If quite he have not finished his fate.
When this Achilles, weeping, spoken had,
The good old men, that also had their fears
315For those they left at home, were very sad.

And Jove had pity on Achilles’ tears,
And speaking to Athena, Child, said he,
Your love to valiant men, I see, is gone.
Achilles must no more remember’d be.
320Behold how for his friend he maketh moan,

And takes no food, though th’ other princes feast,
Let not his strength by hunger be decay’d;
Distil ambrosia into his breast,
And nectar. Straight Athena him obey’d.
325And swift as any harpy came away,

And arming of themselves she found the rest;
But that Achilles’ strength might not decay,
She dropt ambrosia into his breast,
And nectar sweet, and out the Argives went.
330As when from Jove descendeth a thick snow,

Which Boreas bloweth through the element;
Such of the armed Argives was the show;
So bright their burnish’d arms and helmets were,
The lustre up to heaven did rebound,
335And smiling all about the fields appear,

And at the moving of their feet resound.
Achilles then his mighty arms puts on,
And grinds his teeth, and fire was in his eyes,
And hasted to the battle to be gone;
340So much his heart did at the Trojans rise.

First to his legs the leg pieces he tied
With buckles of fine silver all along,
And next his breast-plate to his breast applied,
And on his shoulder then his sword he hung;
345Then up into his hands his shield he took,

Large, strong, and mighty; radiant was the same,
And from afar it like the moon did look,
Or, as to seamen, on the wolds a flame,
That sure are of a storm when that they see,
350And from their friends to scatter’d be by wind

To places where they not desire to be;
So then the buckler of Achilles’ shin’d.
And next he puts his helmet on his head,
Which shined like a comet in the air,
355So finely Vulcan had it polished,

And made it seem to blaze with golden hair.
And then to try his arms if fit they were,
He walk’d about, and thought he wings had worn.
And last from out a tub he took his spear
360(Which by his father formerly was borne,

And made by Chiron in Mount Pelion)
Which no man but Achilles now could wield,
Since Peleus’ strength decayed was and gone.
A fatal spear to heroes in the field.
365And Alcimus then and Automedon,

The horses to the chariot made fast,
And harness’d them and put their bridles on,
And back unto the seat the reins they cast.
With whip in hand then mounts Automedon,
370And after him Achilles not long staid,

Yclad in armour shining like the sun,
And roughly to his horses speaking said,
Xanthus and Balius take heed I pray,
A little better of your char’oteer,
375Than of Patroclus you did yesterday,

Whom dead and stript you left behind you here.
This said, his sprightly head low Xanthus hung,
Till on the ground his golden mane was laid.
And Juno human speech gave to his tongue.
380And to Achilles then he spake and said,

Yes, great Achilles, we will save you now:
But know ye, that your utmost day is nigh;
Not by our faults; the Gods will have it so,
And, which cannot be shunn’d, your destiny.
385And that Patroclus is disarm’d and slain,

’Twas not because we lazy were or slow,
But that Priamides might honour gain,
Apollo slew him with his silver bow.
For we could have gone faster than the wind,
390If that could to him any good have done.

The thread of life which for him was design’d
Was by the Destinies drawn out and spun.
This then said Xanthus, but could not proceed.
His speech the Furies from him took again.
395Xanthus, replied Achilles, there’s no need

For you to prophecy my death in vain.
I know already that I here must die,
Far from my parents; yet I mean to stay
Till I have made the Trojans hence to fly.
400This said, his Myrmidons he led away.

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LIB. XIX. - Homer, The English Works, vol. X (Iliad and Odyssey) [1839]

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Part of: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, 11 vols.

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LIB. XIX.