1 So they fought like blazing fire, but Antilochus, swift of foot, came to bear tidings to Achilles. Him he found in front of his ships with upright horns, foreboding in his heart the thing that even now had been brought to pass; 5 and deeply troubled he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit: “Ah, woe is me, how is it that again the long-haired Achaeans are being driven toward the ships in rout over the plain? Let it not be that the gods have brought to pass grievous woes for my soul, even as my mother once declared to me, and said that 10 while I still lived the best man of the Myrmidons would leave the light of the sun beneath the hands of the Trojans! In truth the valiant son of Menoetius must now be dead, foolhardy one. Surely I told him to come back again to the ships when he had thrust off the consuming fire, and not to fight with all his might against Hector.” 15 While he pondered this in mind and heart, the son of lordly Nestor drew near to him, shedding hot tears, and spoke the grievous tidings: “Woe is me, you son of wise-hearted Peleus, very grievous are the tidings you must hear, such as I wish had never been. 20 Low lies Patroclus, and around his corpse they are fighting—his naked corpse; but his armour is held by Hector of the flashing helm.” So he spoke, and a black cloud of grief enveloped Achilles, and with both his hands he took the dark dust 25 and strewed it over his head and defiled his fair face, and on his fragrant tunic the black ashes fell. And he himself lay outstretched in the dust, mighty in his mightiness, and with his own hands he tore and marred his hair. And the handmaidens, whom Achilles and Patroclus had taken as booty, shrieked aloud in anguish of heart, 30 and ran out around wise-hearted Achilles, and all beat their breasts with their hands, and the knees of each one were loosened beneath her. And opposite them Antilochus wailed and shed tears, holding the hands of Achilles, who was moaning mightily in his noble heart; for he feared lest he should cut his throat with the knife. 35 Then terribly did Achilles groan aloud, and his queenly mother heard him as she sat in the depths of the sea beside the old man her father. At this she uttered a shrill cry, and the goddesses thronged about her, all the daughters of Nereus that were in the deep of the sea. There were Glauce and Thaleia and Cymodoce, 40 Nesaea and Speio and Thoë and ox-eyed Halië, and Cymothoë and Actaeä and Limnoreia, and Melite and Iaera and Amphithoe and Agave, Doto and Proto and Pherousa and Dynamene, and Dexamene and Amphinone and Callianeira, 45 Doris and Pynope and glorious Galatea, Nemertes and Apseudes and Callianassa, and there were Clymene and Ianeira and Ianassa, Maera and Orithyia and fair-tressed Amatheia, and other Nereids that were in the deep of the sea. 50 With these the bright cave was filled, and they all alike beat their breasts, and Thetis was leader in their lamenting: “Listen, sister Nereids, so that one and all you may hear and know all the sorrows that are in my heart. Ah, woe is me unhappy, woe is me that bore to my sorrow the best of men, 55 for after I had borne a son peerless and stalwart, pre-eminent among warriors, and he shot up like a sapling; then when I had reared him like a tree in a rich orchard plot, I sent him forth in the beaked ships to Ilios to war with the Trojans; but never again shall I welcome him 60 back to his home, to the house of Peleus. And while he still lives and beholds the light of the sun, he has sorrow, nor can I help him in any way, though I go to him. But go I will, that I may behold my dear child, and hear what grief has come upon him while he still stays aloof from the war.” 65 So saying she left the cave, and the nymphs went with her weeping, and around them the waves of the sea were split apart. And when they had come to the deep-soiled land of Troy they stepped out upon the beach, one after the other, where the ships of the Myrmidons were drawn up in close lines around swift Achilles. 70 Then to his side, as he groaned heavily, came his queenly mother, and with a shrill cry she clasped the head of her son, and with wailing spoke to him winged words: “My child, why do you weep? What sorrow has come upon your heart? Speak out; do not hide it. Your wish has indeed been brought to pass for you 75 by Zeus, as you once prayed, stretching out your hands, that one and all the sons of the Achaeans should be huddled at the sterns of the ships in dire need of you, and should suffer cruel things.” Then groaning heavily swift-footed Achilles answered her: “My mother, these prayers the Olympian has indeed brought to pass for me, 80 but what pleasure do I have in it, since my dear comrade is dead, Patroclus, whom I honoured above all my comrades, even as my own self? Him I have lost, and his armour Hector who slew him has stripped from him, that fair armour, huge in size, a wonder to behold, that the gods gave as a glorious gift to Peleus 85 on the day when they laid you in the bed of a mortal man. I wish you had remained where you were among the immortal maidens of the sea, and that Peleus had taken to his home a mortal bride. But now—it was so that you too might have measureless grief at heart for your dead son, whom you shall never again welcome 90 to his home; for my own heart does not bid me live on and remain among men, unless Hector first, struck by my spear, loses his life, and pays back the price for making spoil of Patroclus, son of Menoetius.” Then Thetis spoke to him again, shedding tears all the while: 95 “Doomed then to a speedy death, my child, you shall be, since you speak this way; for immediately after Hector your own death is ready at hand.” Then, mightily moved, swift-footed Achilles spoke to her: “At once may I die, since I was not to bring aid to my comrade at his slaying. Far, far from his own land 100 he has fallen, and had need of me to ward off ruin. Now therefore, since I do not return to my dear native land, nor proved in any way a light of deliverance to Patroclus or to my other comrades, those many that have been slain by noble Hector, but remain here by the ships. A profitless burden upon the earth— 105 I that in war am such as is no other of the brazen-coated Achaeans, though in council there are others better— so may strife perish from among gods and men, and anger that sets a man on to grow angry, however wise he may be, and that sweeter far than trickling honey 110 grows like smoke in the breasts of men; just as now the king of men, Agamemnon, moved me to wrath. But these things we will let be as past and done, for all our pain, curbing the heart in our breasts, because we must. But now I will go out that I may come upon the slayer of the man I loved, 115 Hector himself; for my fate, I will accept it whenever Zeus wills to bring it to pass, and the other immortal gods. For not even the mighty Heracles escaped death, though he was most dear to Zeus, son of Cronos, the king, but fate overcame him, and the dread wrath of Hera. 120 So also shall I, if a like fate has been fashioned for me, lie low when I am dead. But now let me win glorious renown, and set many a one among the deep-bosomed Trojan or Dardanian women to wipe with both hands the tears from her tender cheeks, and to moan ceaselessly; 125 and let them know that truly I have long kept apart from the war. Do not seek then to hold me back from battle, for all that you love me; you shall not persuade me.” Then answered him the goddess, silver-footed Thetis: “Yes, truly, as you say, my child, it is in truth no ill thing to ward off utter destruction from your comrades, who are hard beset. 130 But your fine armour is held among the Trojans, your armour of bronze, all gleaming-bright. This Hector of the flashing helm wears on his own shoulders, and exults in it. Yet I think that not for long shall he glory in it, since his own death is near at hand. But do not enter into the turmoil of Ares 135 until your eyes behold me coming here again. For in the morning I will return at the rising of the sun, bearing fair armour from the lord Hephaestus.” So saying she turned to go back from her son, and having turned she spoke among her sisters of the sea: 140 “Plunge now beneath the broad bosom of the deep, to visit the old man of the sea, and the halls of our father, and tell him all. But I will go to high Olympus to the house of Hephaestus, the famed craftsman, in the hope that he will give my son glorious shining armour.” 145 So she spoke, and they at once plunged beneath the surge of the sea, while she, the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, went her way to Olympus, that she might bring glorious armour for her dear son. Her then were her feet bearing to Olympus, but the Achaeans fled with wondrous shouting from before man-slaying Hector, 150 and came to the ships and the Hellespont. But Patroclus, the squire of Achilles, the well-greaved Achaeans could not draw forth from amid the darts; for now again the host and the chariots of Troy overtook him, and Hector, son of Priam, in might like a flame. 155 Three times from behind did glorious Hector seize him by the feet, eager to drag him away, and called mightily upon the Trojans, and three times did the two Aiantes, clothed in furious valour, hurl him back from the corpse. But he, ever trusting in his might, would now charge upon them in the fray, and would now stand 160 and shout aloud; but backward he would never give a whit. And as shepherds of the farmstead are in no way able to drive from a carcass a tawny lion when he is ravenously hungry, even so the two warrior Aiantes were not able to frighten Hector, Priam's son, away from the corpse. 165 And now he would have dragged away the body, and have won glory unspeakable, had not wind-footed, swift Iris, speeding from Olympus with a message that he array himself for battle, come to the son of Peleus, all unknown to Zeus and the other gods, for Hera sent her forth. And she drew near, and spoke to him winged words: 170 “Rouse yourself, son of Peleus, of all men most dread. Bring aid to Patroclus, for whose sake a dread strife is afoot before the ships. And men are slaying one another, these seeking to defend the corpse of the dead, while the Trojans charge on to drag him to windy Ilios; and above all glorious Hector 175 is eager to drag him away; and his heart bids him sever the head from the tender neck, and fix it on the stakes of the wall. No, up then, lie here no more! Let awe come upon your soul that Patroclus should become the sport of the dogs of Troy. 180 Yours would be the shame, if in any way he comes, a corpse shamefully mistreated.” Then swift-footed noble Achilles answered her: “Goddess Iris, who of the gods sent you as a messenger to me?” And to him again spoke wind-footed, swift Iris: “Hera sent me forth, the glorious wife of Zeus; 185 and the son of Cronos, throned on high, knows nothing of it, nor any other of the immortals that dwell upon snowy Olympus.” Then in answer to her spoke Achilles, swift of foot: “But how shall I enter the fray? Those over there hold my battle-gear; and my dear mother forbade me to array myself for the fight 190 until my eyes should behold her coming here again; for she pledged to bring fine armour from Hephaestus. No other man do I know whose glorious armour I might put on, except it were the shield of Aias, son of Telamon. But he himself, I think, is busy amid the foremost fighters, 195 as he makes havoc with his spear in defence of dead Patroclus.” And to him again spoke wind-footed, swift Iris: “Well do we know ourselves that your glorious armour is held by them; but just as you are, go to the trench, and show yourself to the men of Troy, in the hope that, seized with fear of you, 200 the Trojans may desist from battle, and the warlike sons of the Achaeans may take breath, wearied as they are; for scant is the breathing-space in war.” When she had spoken thus swift-footed Iris departed; but Achilles, dear to Zeus, roused himself, and around his mighty shoulders Athene flung her tasselled aegis, 205 and around his head the fair goddess set thick a golden cloud, and from the man she made a gleaming fire blaze forth. And as when smoke goes up from a city and reaches to heaven from afar, from an island that foes besiege, and its men contend the whole day through in hateful war 210 from their city's walls, and then at sunset the beacon-fires flame forth one after another and high aloft their glare darts for those who dwell round about to behold, in the hope that they may come in their ships to ward off ruin; even so from the head of Achilles the gleam went up toward heaven. 215 Then he strode from the wall to the trench, and there took his stand, yet did not join the company of the Achaeans, for he had regard for his mother's wise command. There he stood and shouted, and from afar Pallas Athene uttered her voice; but among the Trojans he roused confusion unspeakable. Clear as the trumpet's voice when it sounds aloud 220 beneath the press of murderous foemen that besiege a city, so clear then was the voice of the son of Aeacus. And when they heard the brazen voice of the son of Aeacus the hearts of all were dismayed; and the fair-maned horses 225 turned their chariots backward, for their spirits foreboded ruin. And the charioteers were stricken with terror when they saw the unwearied fire blaze fearsomely above the head of the great-souled son of Peleus; for the goddess, flashing-eyed Athene, made it blaze. Three times over the trench noble Achilles shouted mightily, and three times the Trojans and their famed allies were confounded. 230 And there in that hour twelve men of their best perished amid their own chariots and their own spears. But the Achaeans with gladness drew Patroclus out from the darts and laid him on a bier, and his dear comrades thronged about him weeping; and among them followed swift-footed Achilles, 235 shedding hot tears, because he saw his trusty comrade lying on the bier, mangled by the sharp bronze. Him indeed he had sent out with horses and chariot into the war, but never again did he welcome him home. Then the unwearying sun was sent by ox-eyed, queenly Hera 240 to go his way, much against his will, to the stream of Ocean. So the sun set and the noble Achaeans ceased from the fierce strife and the evil war. And on their side, the Trojans, when they had come back from the fierce conflict, loosed their swift horses from beneath their chariots, 245 and gathered in assembly before they thought of supper. On their feet they stood while the gathering was held, nor did any man have heart to sit; for they were all held by fear, since Achilles had come out, though he had long kept himself aloof from grievous battle. Then among them wise Polydamas was first to speak, 250 the son of Panthous; for he alone looked both before and after. He was a comrade of Hector, and in the one night they were born: but one was far the best in speech, the other with the spear. He with good intent addressed their gathering, and spoke among them: “Consider well on both sides, my friends. For my own part I bid you 255 return even now to the city, and not on the plain beside the ships await bright Dawn, for far from the wall are we. As long as this man continued in wrath against noble Agamemnon, so long were the Achaeans easier to fight against; yes, and I too was glad, when close by the swift ships I spent the night, 260 in hope that we should take the curved ships. But now I terribly fear the swift-footed son of Peleus; so masterful is his spirit, he will not be minded to remain in the plain, where in the midst both Trojans and Achaeans share in the fury of Ares; 265 but it is for our city that he will fight, and for our wives. No, let us go to the city; listen to me, for this is how it shall be. For the present immortal night has stayed the swift-footed son of Peleus, but if tomorrow he comes forth in armour and comes upon us still remaining here, very well shall many a one come to know him; for with joy shall he that escapes make his way to sacred Ilios, 270 and many of the Trojans shall the dogs and vultures devour—far from my ear be the tale of it. But if we listen to my words, for all our reluctance, this night we shall keep our forces in the place of gathering, and the city shall be guarded by the walls 275 and high gates and by the tall well-polished doors that are set in them, bolted fast. But in the morning at the coming of Dawn, arrayed in our armour, we will make our stand upon the walls; and the worse will it be for him, if he is minded to come forth from the ships and fight with us to win the wall. 280 Back again to his ships he shall go, when he has given his horses, with high-arched necks, their fill of coursing to and fro, as he drives vainly beneath the city. But to force his way within his heart will not allow him, nor shall he lay it waste; before that the swift dogs shall devour him.” Then with an angry glance from beneath his brows Hector of the flashing helm spoke to him: 285 “Polydamas, what you say is no longer to my pleasure, since you bid us go back and be penned within the city. In truth, have you not yet had your fill of being penned within the walls? Of old all mortal men were accustomed to tell of Priam's city, for its wealth of gold, its wealth of bronze; 290 but now its fine treasures have perished from its homes, and indeed very many possessions have been sold away to Phrygia and lovely Maeonia, since great Zeus grew angry. But now, when the son of crooked-counselling Cronos has granted me to win glory at the ships, and to pen the Achaeans, beside the sea, 295 no longer, you fool, show forth counsels such as these among the folk. For not a man of the Trojans will listen to you; I will not allow it. No, come; as I shall bid, let us all obey: for the present take your supper throughout the host by companies, and take heed to keep watch, and be wakeful every man. 300 And of the Trojans whoever is distressed beyond measure for his goods, let him gather them together and give them to the folk to feast on in common; better would it be that they have profit of them than the Achaeans. But in the morning, at the coming of Dawn, arrayed in our armour, let us arouse sharp battle at the hollow ships. But if in deed and in truth noble Achilles has risen up by the ships, the worse shall it be for him, if he so wills it. I truly will not flee from him out of grievous war, but face to face will I stand against him, whether he shall win great victory, or perhaps I. Alike to all is the god of war, and indeed he slays him that would slay.” So Hector addressed their gathering, and at this the Trojans shouted aloud, fools that they were! for from them Pallas Athene took away their wits. To Hector they all gave praise in his ill advising, but Polydamas no man praised, though he devised counsel that was good. So then they took supper throughout the host; but the Achaeans 315 the whole night through made moan in lamentation for Patroclus. And among them the son of Peleus began the vehement lamentation, laying his man-slaying hands upon the breast of his comrade and uttering many a groan, even as a bearded lion whose whelps some hunter of stags has snatched away 320 out of the thick wood; and the lion, coming back afterward, grieves deeply, and through many a glen he ranges on the track of the man's footsteps, in the hope that he may find him somewhere; for exceedingly grim anger lays hold of him. Even so with heavy groaning Achilles spoke among the Myrmidons: “Alas! Vain in truth was the word I uttered on that day, 325 when I sought to hearten the warrior Menoetius in our halls; and said that when I had sacked Ilios I would bring back to him at Opoeis his glorious son with the share of the spoil that should fall to his lot. But Zeus does not fulfil for men all their purposes; for both of us are fated to redden the same earth with our blood 330 here in the land of Troy; since neither shall I come back to be welcomed by the old knight Peleus in his halls, nor by my mother Thetis, but even here shall the earth hold me fast. But now, Patroclus, since I shall pass beneath the earth after you, I will not give you burial until I have brought here the armour and the head of Hector, 335 your slayer, O great-souled one; and of twelve glorious sons of the Trojans I will cut the throats before your pyre in my wrath at your slaying. Until then beside the beaked ships you shall lie, just as you are, and around you shall deep-bosomed Trojan and Dardanian women 340 make lament night and day with shedding of tears, those whom we two won by toil, by our might and our long spears, when we laid waste rich cities of mortal men.” So saying, noble Achilles ordered his comrades to set upon the fire a great cauldron, that with speed 345 they might wash from Patroclus the bloody gore. And they set upon the blazing fire the cauldron for filling the bath, and poured in water, and took billets of wood and kindled them beneath it. Then the fire played about the belly of the cauldron, and the water grew warm. But when the water boiled in the bright bronze, 350 then they washed him and anointed him richly with oil, filling his wounds with ointment nine years old; and they laid him upon his bed, and covered him with a soft linen cloth from head to foot, and over that with a white robe. So the whole night through around Achilles, swift of foot, 355 the Myrmidons made moan in lamentation for Patroclus; but Zeus spoke to Hera, his sister and his wife: “You have had your way then, O ox-eyed, queenly Hera; you have aroused Achilles, swift of foot. In truth the long-haired Achaeans must be children of your own womb.” 360 Then the ox-eyed, queenly Hera answered him: “Most dread son of Cronos, what a word you have said. Surely even a man, I think, is likely to accomplish what he can for another man, one who is but mortal, and does not know all the wisdom that is mine. How then was I, who declare myself to be highest of goddesses 365 on two counts, because I am eldest and am called your wife, and you are king among all the immortals—how was I not in my wrath against the Trojans to devise evil against them?” In this way they spoke to one another; but silver-footed Thetis came to the house of Hephaestus, 370 imperishable, decked with stars, preeminent among the houses of immortals, wrought all of bronze, that the crook-foot god himself had built for himself. Him she found sweating with toil as he moved to and fro about his bellows in eager haste; for he was fashioning tripods, twenty in all, to stand around the wall of his well-built hall, 375 and golden wheels he had set beneath the base of each, so that of themselves they might enter the gathering of the gods at his wish and again return to his house, a wonder to behold. They were finished thus far, that the cunningly fashioned handles were not yet set on them; these he was making ready, and was forging the rivets. 380 And while he laboured at this with cunning skill, meanwhile the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, drew near to him. And Charis of the gleaming veil came forward and noticed her—fair Charis, whom the famed god of the two strong arms had wedded. And she clasped her by the hand, and spoke, and addressed her: 385 “Why, long-robed Thetis, have you come to our house, an honoured guest, and a welcome one? Before now you have not been accustomed to come. But follow me further, that I may set before you entertainment.” So saying the bright goddess led her on. Then she made her sit on a silver-studded chair, 390 a beautiful chair, richly-wrought, and beneath was a footstool for the feet; and she called to Hephaestus, the famed craftsman, and spoke to him, saying: “Hephaestus, come out here; Thetis has need of you.” And the famous god of the two strong arms answered her: “Truly then a dread and honoured goddess is within my halls, 395 she who saved me when pain had come upon me after I had fallen far through the will of my shameless mother, who wished to hide me away because of my lameness. Then I would have suffered woes in heart, had not Eurynome and Thetis received me into their bosom—Eurynome, daughter of backward-flowing Oceanus. 400 With them then for nine years I forged much cunning handiwork, brooches, and spiral arm-bands, and rosettes and necklaces, within their hollow cave; and around me flowed, murmuring with foam, the stream of Oceanus, a flood unspeakable. Nor did any other know of it, either of gods or of mortal men, 405 but Thetis knew and Eurynome, they who saved me. And now Thetis has come to my house; therefore it is indeed right for me to pay to fair-tressed Thetis the full price for the saving of my life. But set before her fair entertainment, while I put aside my bellows and all my tools.” 410 He spoke, and from the anvil rose, a huge, panting bulk, limping all the while, but beneath him his slender legs moved nimbly. The bellows he set away from the fire, and gathered all the tools with which he worked into a silver chest; and with a sponge he wiped his face and his two hands as well, 415 and his mighty neck and shaggy breast, and put on a tunic, and grasped a stout staff, and went out limping; but there moved swiftly to support their lord handmaidens wrought of gold in the semblance of living maids. In them is understanding in their hearts, and in them speech 420 and strength, and they know cunning handiwork by gift of the immortal gods. These busily moved to support their lord, and he, limping near to where Thetis was, sat down upon a shining chair; and he clasped her by the hand, and spoke, and addressed her: “Why, long-robed Thetis, have you come to our house, 425 an honoured guest and a welcome one? Before now you have not been accustomed to come. Speak what is in your mind; my heart bids me fulfill it, if fulfill it I can, and if it is a thing that can be fulfilled.” And Thetis answered him, shedding tears all the while: “Hephaestus, is there now any goddess, of all those that are in Olympus, 430 that has endured so many grievous woes in her heart as are the sorrows that Zeus, son of Cronos, has given me beyond all others? Of all the daughters of the sea he subdued me alone to a mortal, Peleus, son of Aeacus, and I endured the bed of a mortal though greatly against my will. And now he lies 435 in his halls worn out with grievous old age, but now other griefs are mine. A son he gave me to bear and to rear, pre-eminent among warriors, and he shot up like a sapling; then when I had reared him like a tree in a rich orchard plot, I sent him forth in the beaked ships to Ilios 440 to war with the Trojans; but never again shall I welcome him back to his home, to the house of Peleus. And while he still lives and beholds the light of the sun, he has sorrow, nor can I help him in any way, though I go to him. The girl that the sons of the Achaeans chose out for him as a prize, 445 her the lord Agamemnon has taken back out of his arms. Truly in grief for her he was wasting his heart; but the Trojans were penning the Achaeans at the sterns of the ships, and would not allow them to go forth. And to him the elders of the Argives made prayer, and named many glorious gifts. 450 Then though he himself refused to ward off ruin from them, yet he clad Patroclus in his own armour and sent him into the war, and sent many men with him besides. All day long they fought around the Scaean gates, and on that same day would have laid the city waste, but that, 455 after the valiant son of Menoetius had done great harm, Apollo slew him amid the foremost fighters and gave glory to Hector. Therefore I have now come to your knees, in the hope that you will be willing to give my son, who is doomed to a speedy death, shield and helmet, and fine greaves fitted with ankle-pieces, 460 and corselet. For the armour that was his before, his trusty comrade lost, when he was slain by the Trojans; and my son lies on the ground in anguish of heart.” Then the famous god of the two strong arms answered her: “Be of good cheer, and do not let these things distress your heart. I wish that I might as surely be able to hide him far away from grievous death, 465 when dread fate comes upon him, as surely fine armour shall be his, such that in time to come many a one among the multitude of men shall marvel, whoever shall behold it.” So saying he left her there and went to his bellows, and he turned these toward the fire and ordered them to work. 470 And the bellows, twenty in all, blew upon the melting-vats, sending out a ready blast of every force, now to aid him as he laboured hard, and again in whatever way Hephaestus might wish and his work go on. And on the fire he put stubborn bronze and tin 475 and precious gold and silver; and then he set on the anvil-block a great anvil, and took in one hand a massive hammer, and in the other he took the tongs. First he fashioned a shield, great and sturdy, adorning it cunningly in every part, and around it set a bright rim, 480 threefold and glittering, and from it made fast a silver baldric. Five were the layers of the shield itself; and on it he wrought many intricate designs with cunning skill. On it he wrought the earth, on it the heavens, on it the sea, and the unwearied sun, and the moon at the full, 485 and on it all the constellations with which heaven is crowned—the Pleiades, and the Hyades and the mighty Orion, and the Bear,⁠a that men also call the Wain, that circles ever in her place, and watches Orion, and alone has no part in the baths of Ocean. 490 On it he also fashioned two cities of mortal men, very fair. In the one there were marriages and feastings, and by the light of the blazing torches they were leading the brides from their chambers through the city, and loud rose the bridal song. And young men were whirling in the dance, and in their midst 495 flutes and lyres sounded continually; and there the women stood each before her door and marvelled. But the folk were gathered in the place of assembly; for there a strife had arisen, and two men were striving about the blood-price of a man slain; the one avowed that he had paid all, 500 declaring his cause to the people, but the other refused to accept anything; and each was eager to win the issue on the word of an arbiter. Moreover, the folk were cheering both, showing favour to this side and to that. And heralds held back the folk, and the elders were sitting upon polished stones in the sacred circle, 505 holding in their hands the staves of the loud-voiced heralds. With these then they would spring up and give judgment, each in turn. And in the midst lay two talents of gold, to be given to whoever among them should utter the most righteous judgment. But around the other city lay in siege two hosts of warriors 510 gleaming in armour. And two plans found favour with them, either to lay waste the town or to divide in two portions all the substance that the lovely city contained within. But the besieged would in no way listen to this, but were arming to meet the foe in an ambush. The wall their dear wives and little children were guarding, 515 as they stood on it, and with them the men who were held by old age; but the rest were going forth, led by Ares and Pallas Athene, both fashioned in gold, and of gold were the garments in which they were clad. Fair were they and tall in their armour, as befits gods, clear to view amid the rest, and the folk at their feet were smaller. 520 But when they had come to the place where it seemed good to them to set their ambush, in a river-bed where there was a watering-place for all herds alike, there they sat down, clothed about with flaming bronze. Then two scouts were set by them apart from the host, waiting until they should have sight of the sheep and sleek cattle. 525 And these soon came, and two herdsmen followed with them playing upon pipes; and of the trick they knew nothing at all. But the men in ambush, when they saw these coming on, rushed out against them and speedily cut off the herds of cattle and fair flocks of white-fleeced sheep, and slew the herdsmen as well. 530 But the besiegers, as they sat before the places of gathering and heard much tumult among the cattle, mounted at once behind their high-stepping horses, and set out toward it, and speedily came upon them. Then they set their battle in array and fought beside the river banks, and were ever striking one another with bronze-tipped spears. 535 And among them Strife and Tumult joined in the fray, and deadly Fate, grasping one man alive, fresh-wounded, another without a wound, and another she dragged dead through the melee by the feet; and the garment that she had about her shoulders was red with the blood of men. Even as living mortals they joined in the fray and fought; 540 and they were hauling away each the bodies of the others' slain. On it he set also soft fallow-land, rich tilled soil and wide, that was ploughed three times; and ploughmen in great number on it were wheeling their yokes and driving them this way and that. And whenever after turning they came to the headland of the field, 545 then a man would come out to each and give into his hands a cup of honey-sweet wine; and the ploughmen would turn in the furrows, eager to reach the headland of the deep soil. And the field grew black behind and seemed truly as if it had been ploughed, for all that it was of gold; in this was the great marvel of the work. 550 On it he set also a king's estate, where labourers were reaping, bearing sharp sickles in their hands. Some handfuls were falling in rows to the ground along the swathe, while others the binders of sheaves were binding with twisted ropes of straw. Three binders stood close by them, while behind them 555 boys would gather the handfuls, and bearing them in their arms would busily give them to the binders; and among them the king, staff in hand, was standing in silence at the swathe, rejoicing in his heart. And heralds apart beneath an oak were making ready a feast, and were dressing a great ox they had slain for sacrifice; and the women 560 sprinkled the flesh with white barley in abundance, for the workers' mid-day meal. On it he set also a vineyard heavily laden with clusters, a vineyard fair and wrought of gold; black were the grapes, and the vines were set up throughout on silver poles. And around it he drove a trench of cyanus, and about that a fence of tin; 565 and one single path led to it, by which the vintagers went and came, whenever they gathered the vintage. And maidens and youths in childish glee were bearing the honey-sweet fruit in wicker baskets. And in their midst a boy made pleasant music with a clear-toned lyre, 570 and to it sang sweetly the Linos-song with his delicate voice; and his fellows beating the earth in unison with it followed on with bounding feet amid dance and shouts. And on it he wrought a herd of straight-horned cattle: the cattle were fashioned of gold and tin, 575 and with lowing they hurried out from stall to pasture beside the sounding river, beside the waving reed. And golden were the herdsmen that walked beside the cattle, four in number, and nine dogs swift of foot followed after them. But two dread lions amid the foremost cattle 580 were holding a loud-lowing bull, and he, bellowing mightily, was dragged off by them, while after him pursued the dogs and young men. The two lions had rent the hide of the great bull, and were devouring the inner parts and the black blood, while the herdsmen vainly sought to frighten them, urging on the swift hounds. 585 These, however, shrank from fastening on the lions, but stood close by and barked and sprang aside. On it also the famed god of the two strong arms wrought a pasture in a fair dell, a great pasture of white-fleeced sheep, and folds, and roofed huts, and pens. 590 On it furthermore the famed god of the two strong arms cunningly wrought a dancing-floor like that which in wide Cnosus Daedalus fashioned of old for fair-tressed Ariadne. There were youths dancing and maidens worth many cattle, holding their hands upon one another's wrists. 595 Of these the maidens were clad in fine linen, while the youths wore well-woven tunics faintly glistening with oil; and the maidens had fair garlands, and the youths had daggers of gold hanging from silver baldrics. Now they would run round with cunning feet 600 very lightly, as when a potter sits by his wheel that is fitted between his hands and tries it to see whether it will run; and now again they would run in rows toward each other. And a great company stood around the lovely dance, taking joy in it; 605 and two tumblers whirled up and down through the midst of them as leaders in the dance. On it he set also the great might of the river Oceanus, around the outermost rim of the strongly-wrought shield. But when he had wrought the shield, great and sturdy, 610 then he wrought for him a corselet brighter than the blaze of fire, and he wrought for him a heavy helmet, fitted to his temples, a fair helm, richly adorned, and set on it a crest of gold; and he wrought him greaves of pliant tin. But when the glorious god of the two strong arms had fashioned all the armour, 615 he took and laid it before the mother of Achilles. And like a falcon she sprang down from snowy Olympus, bearing the flashing armour from Hephaestus.