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第5章

iliad10-第5章

小说: iliad10 字数: 每页4000字

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He bids you get the Achaeans instantly under arms; for you shall
take Troy。 There are no longer divided counsels among the gods;
Juno has brought them over to her own mind; and woe betides the
Trojans at the hands of Jove。 Remember this; and when you wake
see that it does not escape you。〃

The dream then left him; and he thought of things that were;
surely not to be acplished。 He thought that on that same day
he was to take the city of Priam; but he little knew what was in
the mind of Jove; who had many another hard…fought fight in store
alike for Danaans and Trojans。 Then presently he woke; with the
divine message still ringing in his ears; so he sat upright; and
put on his soft shirt so fair and new; and over this his heavy
cloak。 He bound his sandals on to his ely feet; and slung his
silver…studded sword about his shoulders; then he took the
imperishable staff of his father; and sallied forth to the ships
of the Achaeans。

The goddess Dawn now wended her way to vast Olympus that she
might herald day to Jove and to the other immortals; and
Agamemnon sent the criers round to call the people in assembly;
so they called them and the people gathered thereon。 But first he
summoned a meeting of the elders at the ship of Nestor king of
Pylos; and when they were assembled he laid a cunning counsel
before them。

〃My friends;〃 said he; 〃I have had a dream from heaven in the
dead of night; and its face and figure resembled none but
Nestor's。 It hovered over my head and said; 'You are sleeping;
son of Atreus; one who has the welfare of his host and so much
other care upon his shoulders should dock his sleep。 Hear me at
once; for I am a messenger from Jove; who; though he be not near;
yet takes thought for you and pities you。 He bids you get the
Achaeans instantly under arms; for you shall take Troy。 There are
no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them
over to her own mind; and woe betides the Trojans at the hands of
Jove。 Remember this。' The dream then vanished and I awoke。 Let us
now; therefore; arm the sons of the Achaeans。 But it will be well
that I should first sound them; and to this end I will tell them
to fly with their ships; but do you others go about among the
host and prevent their doing so。〃

He then sat down; and Nestor the prince of Pylos with all
sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus: 〃My friends;〃 said
he; 〃princes and councillors of the Argives; if any other man of
the Achaeans had told us of this dream we should have declared it
false; and would have had nothing to do with it。 But he who has
seen it is the foremost man among us; we must therefore set about
getting the people under arms。〃

With this he led the way from the assembly; and the other
sceptred kings rose with him in obedience to the word of
Agamemnon; but the people pressed forward to hear。 They swarmed
like bees that sally from some hollow cave and flit in countless
throng among the spring flowers; bunched in knots and clusters;
even so did the mighty multitude pour from ships and tents to the
assembly; and range themselves upon the wide…watered shore; while
among them ran Wildfire Rumour; messenger of Jove; urging them
ever to the fore。 Thus they gathered in a pell…mell of mad
confusion; and the earth groaned under the tramp of men as the
people sought their places。 Nine heralds went crying about among
them to stay their tumult and bid them listen to the kings; till
at last they were got into their several places and ceased their
clamour。 Then King Agamemnon rose; holding his sceptre。 This was
the work of Vulcan; who gave it to Jove the son of Saturn。 Jove
gave it to Mercury; slayer of Argus; guide and guardian。 King
Mercury gave it to Pelops; the mighty charioteer; and Pelops to
Atreus; shepherd of his people。 Atreus; when he died; left it to
Thyestes; rich in flocks; and Thyestes in his turn left it to be
borne by Agamemnon; that he might be lord of all Argos and of the
isles。 Leaning; then; on his sceptre; he addressed the Argives。

〃My friends;〃 he said; 〃heroes; servants of Mars; the hand of
heaven has been laid heavily upon me。 Cruel Jove gave me his
solemn promise that I should sack the city of Priam before
returning; but he has played me false; and is now bidding me go
ingloriously back to Argos with the loss of much people。 Such is
the will of Jove; who has laid many a proud city in the dust; as
he will yet lay others; for his power is above all。 It will be a
sorry tale hereafter that an Achaean host; at once so great and
valiant; battled in vain against men fewer in number than
themselves; but as yet the end is not in sight。 Think that the
Achaeans and Trojans have sworn to a solemn covenant; and that
they have each been numberedthe Trojans by the roll of their
householders; and we by panies of ten; think further that each
of our panies desired to have a Trojan householder to pour out
their wine; we are so greatly more in number that full many a
pany would have to go without its cup…bearer。 But they have in
the town allies from other places; and it is these that hinder me
from being able to sack the rich city of Ilius。 Nine of Jove's
years are gone; the timbers of our ships have rotted; their
tackling is sound no longer。 Our wives and little ones at home
look anxiously for our ing; but the work that we came hither
to do has not been done。 Now; therefore; let us all do as I say:
let us sail back to our own land; for we shall not take Troy。〃

With these words he moved the hearts of the multitude; so many of
them as knew not the cunning counsel of Agamemnon。 They surged to
and fro like the waves of the Icarian Sea; when the east and
south winds break from heaven's clouds to lash them; or as when
the west wind sweeps over a field of corn and the ears bow
beneath the blast; even so were they swayed as they flew with
loud cries towards the ships; and the dust from under their feet
rose heavenward。 They cheered each other on to draw the ships
into the sea; they cleared the channels in front of them; they
began taking away the stays from underneath them; and the welkin
rang with their glad cries; so eager were they to return。

Then surely the Argives would have returned after a fashion that
was not fated。 But Juno said to Minerva; 〃Alas; daughter of
aegis…bearing Jove; unweariable; shall the Argives fly home to
their own land over the broad sea; and leave Priam and the
Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen; for whose sake so many
of the Achaeans have died at Troy; far from their homes? Go about
at once among the host; and speak fairly to them; man by man;
that they draw not their ships into the sea。〃

Minerva was not slack to do her bidding。 Down she darted from the
topmost summits of Olympus; and in a moment she was at the ships
of the Achaeans。 There she found Ulysses; peer of Jove in
counsel; standing alone。 He had not as yet laid a hand upon his
ship; for he was grieved and sorry; so she went close up to him
and said; 〃Ulysses; noble son of Laertes; are you going to fling
yourselves into your ships and be off home to your own land in
this way? Will you leave Priam and the Trojans the glory of still
keeping Helen; for whose sake so many of the Achaeans have died
at Troy; far from their homes? Go about at once among the host;
and speak fairly to them; man by man; that they draw not their
ships into the sea。〃

Ulysses knew the voice as that of the goddess: he flung his cloak
from him and set off to run。 His servant Eurybates; a man of
Ithaca; who waited on him; took charge of the cloak; whereon
Ulysses went straight up to Agamemnon and received from him his
ancestral; imperishable staff。 With this he went about among the
ships of the Achaeans。

Whenever he met a king or chieftain; he stood by him and spoke
him fairly。 〃Sir;〃 said he; 〃this flight is cowardly and
unworthy。 Stand to your post; and bid your people also keep their
places。 You do not yet know the full mind of Agamemnon; he was
sounding us; and ere long will visit the Achaeans with his
displeasure。 We were not all of us at the council to hear what he
then said; see to it lest he be angry and do us a mischief; for
the pride of kin

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