iliad10-第90章

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themselves　upon　you。　You　will　lie　naked；　although　in　your　house
you　have　fine　and　goodly　raiment　made　by　hands　of　women。　This
will　I　now　burn；　it　is　of　no　use　to　you；　for　you　can　never　again
wear　it；　and　thus　you　will　have　respect　shown　you　by　the　Trojans
both　men　and　women。〃

In　such　wise　did　she　cry　aloud　amid　her　tears；　and　the　women
joined　in　her　lament。



BOOK　XXIII

　　The　funeral　of　Patroclus；　and　the　funeral　games。

Thus　did　they　make　their　moan　throughout　the　city；　while　the
Achaeans　when　they　reached　the　Hellespont　went　back　every　man　to
his　own　ship。　But　Achilles　would　not　let　the　Myrmidons　go；　and
spoke　to　his　brave　rades　saying；　〃Myrmidons；　famed　horsemen
and　my　own　trusted　friends；　not　yet；　forsooth；　let　us　unyoke；　but
with　horse　and　chariot　draw　near　to　the　body　and　mourn　Patroclus；
in　due　honour　to　the　dead。　When　we　have　had　full　fort　of
lamentation　we　will　unyoke　our　horses　and　take　supper　all　of　us
here。〃

On　this　they　all　joined　in　a　cry　of　wailing　and　Achilles　led　them
in　their　lament。　Thrice　did　they　drive　their　chariots　all
sorrowing　round　the　body；　and　Thetis　stirred　within　them　a　still
deeper　yearning。　The　sands　of　the　seashore　and　the　men's　armour
were　wet　with　their　weeping；　so　great　a　minister　of　fear　was　he
whom　they　had　lost。　Chief　in　all　their　mourning　was　the　son　of
Peleus：　he　laid　his　bloodstained　hand　on　the　breast　of　his
friend。　〃Fare　well；〃　he　cried；　〃Patroclus；　even　in　the　house　of
Hades。　I　will　now　do　all　that　I　erewhile　promised　you；　I　will
drag　Hector　hither　and　let　dogs　devour　him　raw；　twelve　noble　sons
of　Trojans　will　I　also　slay　before　your　pyre　to　avenge　you。〃

As　he　spoke　he　treated　the　body　of　noble　Hector　with　contumely；
laying　it　at　full　length　in　the　dust　beside　the　bier　of
Patroclus。　The　others　then　put　off　every　man　his　armour；　took　the
horses　from　their　chariots；　and　seated　themselves　in　great
multitude　by　the　ship　of　the　fleet　descendant　of　Aeacus；　who
thereon　feasted　them　with　an　abundant　funeral　banquet。　Many　a
goodly　ox；　with　many　a　sheep　and　bleating　goat　did　they　butcher
and　cut　up；　many　a　tusked　boar　moreover；　fat　and　well…fed；　did
they　singe　and　set　to　roast　in　the　flames　of　Vulcan；　and　rivulets
of　blood　flowed　all　round　the　place　where　the　body　was　lying。

Then　the　princes　of　the　Achaeans　took　the　son　of　Peleus　to
Agamemnon；　but　hardly　could　they　persuade　him　to　e　with　them；
so　wroth　was　he　for　the　death　of　his　rade。　As　soon　as　they
reached　Agamemnon's　tent　they　told　the　serving…men　to　set　a　large
tripod　over　the　fire　in　case　they　might　persuade　the　son　of
Peleus　to　wash　the　clotted　gore　from　this　body；　but　he　denied
them　sternly；　and　swore　it　with　a　solemn　oath；　saying；　〃Nay；　by
King　Jove；　first　and　mightiest　of　all　gods；　it　is　not　meet　that
water　should　touch　my　body；　till　I　have　laid　Patroclus　on　the
flames；　have　built　him　a　barrow；　and　shaved　my　headfor　so　long
as　I　live　no　such　second　sorrow　shall　ever　draw　nigh　me。　Now；
therefore；　let　us　do　all　that　this　sad　festival　demands；　but　at
break　of　day；　King　Agamemnon；　bid　your　men　bring　wood；　and
provide　all　else　that　the　dead　may　duly　take　into　the　realm　of
darkness；　the　fire　shall　thus　burn　him　out　of　our　sight　the
sooner；　and　the　people　shall　turn　again　to　their　own　labours。〃

Thus　did　he　speak；　and　they　did　even　as　he　had　said。　They　made
haste　to　prepare　the　meal；　they　ate；　and　every　man　had　his　full
share　so　that　all　were　satisfied。　As　soon　as　they　had　had　enough
to　eat　and　drink；　the　others　went　to　their　rest　each　in　his　own
tent；　but　the　son　of　Peleus　lay　grieving　among　his　Myrmidons　by
the　shore　of　the　sounding　sea；　in　an　open　place　where　the　waves
came　surging　in　one　after　another。　Here　a　very　deep　slumber　took
hold　upon　him　and　eased　the　burden　of　his　sorrows；　for　his　limbs
were　weary　with　chasing　Hector　round　windy　Ilius。　Presently　the
sad　spirit　of　Patroclus　drew　near　him；　like　what　he　had　been　in
stature；　voice；　and　the　light　of　his　beaming　eyes；　clad；　too；　as
he　had　been　clad　in　life。　The　spirit　hovered　over　his　head　and
said

〃You　sleep；　Achilles；　and　have　forgotten　me；　you　loved　me　living；
but　now　that　I　am　dead　you　think　for　me　no　further。　Bury　me　with
all　speed　that　I　may　pass　the　gates　of　Hades；　the　ghosts；　vain
shadows　of　men　that　can　labour　no　more；　drive　me　away　from　them；
they　will　not　yet　suffer　me　to　join　those　that　are　beyond　the
river；　and　I　wander　all　desolate　by　the　wide　gates　of　the　house
of　Hades。　Give　me　now　your　hand　I　pray　you；　for　when　you　have
once　given　me　my　dues　of　fire；　never　shall　I　again　e　forth　out
of　the　house　of　Hades。　Nevermore　shall　we　sit　apart　and　take
sweet　counsel　among　the　living；　the　cruel　fate　which　was　my
birth…right　has　yawned　its　wide　jaws　around　menay；　you　too
Achilles；　peer　of　gods；　are　doomed　to　die　beneath　the　wall　of　the
noble　Trojans。

〃One　prayer　more　will　I　make　you；　if　you　will　grant　it；　let　not
my　bones　be　laid　apart　from　yours；　Achilles；　but　with　them；　even
as　we　were　brought　up　together　in　your　own　home；　what　time
Menoetius　brought　me　to　you　as　a　child　from　Opoeis　because　by　a
sad　spite　I　had　killed　the　son　of　Amphidamasnot　of　set　purpose；
but　in　childish　quarrel　over　the　dice。　The　knight　Peleus　took　me
into　his　house；　entreated　me　kindly；　and　named　me　to　be　your
squire；　therefore　let　our　bones　lie　in　but　a　single　urn；　the
two…handled　golden　vase　given　to　you　by　your　mother。〃

And　Achilles　answered；　〃Why；　true　heart；　are　you　e　hither　to
lay　these　charges　upon　me？　will　of　my　own　self　do　all　as　you　have
bidden　me。　Draw　closer　to　me；　let　us　once　more　throw　our　arms
around　one　another；　and　find　sad　fort　in　the　sharing　of　our
sorrows。〃

He　opened　his　arms　towards　him　as　he　spoke　and　would　have　clasped
him　in　them；　but　there　was　nothing；　and　the　spirit　vanished　as　a
vapour；　gibbering　and　whining　into　the　earth。　Achilles　sprang　to
his　feet；　smote　his　two　hands；　and　made　lamentation　saying；　〃Of　a
truth　even　in　the　house　of　Hades　there　are　ghosts　and　phantoms
that　have　no　life　in　them；　all　night　long　the　sad　spirit　of
Patroclus　has　hovered　over　head　making　piteous　moan；　telling　me
what　I　am　to　do　for　him；　and　looking　wondrously　like　himself。〃

Thus　did　he　speak　and　his　words　set　them　all　weeping　and　mourning
about　the　poor　dumb　dead；　till　rosy…fingered　morn　appeared。　Then
King　Agamemnon　sent　men　and　mules　from　all　parts　of　the　camp；　to
bring　wood；　and　Meriones；　squire　to　Idomeneus；　was　in　charge　over
them。　They　went　out　with　woodmen's　axes　and　strong　ropes　in　their
hands；　and　before　them　went　the　mules。　Up　hill　and　down　dale　did
they　go；　by　straight　ways　and　crooked；　and　when　they　reached　the
heights　of　many…fountained　Ida；　they　laid　their　axes　to　the　roots
of　many　a　tall　branching　oak　that　came　thundering　down　as　they
felled　it。　They　split　the　trees　and　bound　them　behind　the　mules；
which　then　wended　their　way　as　they　best　could　through　the　thick
brushwood　on　to　the　plain。　All　who　had　been　cutting　wood　bore
logs；　for　so　Meriones　squire　to　Idomeneus　had　bidden　them；　and
they　threw　them　down　in　a　line　upon　the　seashore　at　the　place
where　Achilles　would　make　a　mighty　monument　for　Patroclus　and　for
himself。

When　they　had　thrown　down　their　great　logs　of　wood　over　the　whole
ground；　they　stayed　all　of　them　where　they　were；　but　Achilles
ordered　his　brave　Myrmidons　to　gird　on　their　armour；　and　to　yoke
each　man　his　horses；　they　therefore　rose；　girded　on　their　armour
and　mounted　each　his　chariotthey　and　their　charioteers　with
them。　The　chariots　went　before；　and　they　that　were　on　foot
followed　as　a　cloud　in　their　tens　of　thousands　after。　In　the
midst　of　them　his　rades　bore　Patroclus　and　covered　him　with
the　locks　of　their　hair　which　they　cut　off　and　threw　upon　his
body。　Last　came　Achilles　with　his　head　bowed　for　sorrow；　so　noble
a　rade　was　he　taking　to　the　house　of　Hades。

When　they　came　to　the　place　of　which　Achilles　had　told　them　they
laid　the　body　down　and　built　up　the　wood。　Achilles　then　bethought
him　of　another　matter。　He　went　a　space　away　from　the　pyre；　and
cut　off　the　yellow　lock　which　he　had　let　grow　for　the　river
Spercheius。　He　looked　all　sorrowfully　out　upon　the　dark　sea；　and
said；　〃Spercheius；　in　vain　did　my　father　Pe