the iliad(伊利亚特)-第47章

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fold　till　he　has　had　a　try　for　it；　he　will　either　spring　on　a　sheep
and　carry　it　off；　or　be　hit　by　a　spear　from　strong　hand…　even　so　was
Sarpedon　fain　to　attack　the　wall　and　break　down　its　battlements。
Then　he　said　to　Glaucus　son　of　Hippolochus；　〃Glaucus；　why　in　Lycia
do　we　receive　especial　honour　as　regards　our　place　at　table？　Why　are
the　choicest　portions　served　us　and　our　cups　kept　brimming；　and　why　do
men　look　up　to　us　as　though　we　were　gods？　Moreover　we　hold　a　large
estate　by　the　banks　of　the　river　Xanthus；　fair　with　orchard　lawns
and　wheat…growing　land；　it　becomes　us；　therefore；　to　take　our　stand　at
the　head　of　all　the　Lycians　and　bear　the　brunt　of　the　fight；　that
one　may　say　to　another；　Our　princes　in　Lycia　eat　the　fat　of　the　land
and　drink　best　of　wine；　but　they　are　fine　fellows；　they　fight　well　and
are　ever　at　the　front　in　battle。'　My　good　friend；　if；　when　we　were
once　out　of　this　fight；　we　could　escape　old　age　and　death
thenceforward　and　for　ever；　I　should　neither　press　forward　myself
nor　bid　you　do　so；　but　death　in　ten　thousand　shapes　hangs　ever　over
our　heads；　and　no　man　can　elude　him；　therefore　let　us　go　forward　and
either　win　glory　for　ourselves；　or　yield　it　to　another。〃
　　Glaucus　heeded　his　saying；　and　the　pair　forthwith　led　on　the　host　of
Lycians。　Menestheus　son　of　Peteos　was　dismayed　when　he　saw　them；　for
it　was　against　his　part　of　the　wall　that　they　came…　bringing
destruction　with　them；　he　looked　along　the　wall　for　some　chieftain
to　support　his　comrades　and　saw　the　two　Ajaxes；　men　ever　eager　for　the
fray；　and　Teucer；　who　had　just　come　from　his　tent；　standing　near　them；
but　he　could　not　make　his　voice　heard　by　shouting　to　them；　so　great　an
uproar　was　there　from　crashing　shields　and　helmets　and　the　battering
of　gates　with　a　din　which　reached　the　skies。　For　all　the　gates　had
been　closed；　and　the　Trojans　were　hammering　at　them　to　try　and　break
their　way　through　them。　Menestheus；　therefore；　sent　Thootes　with　a
message　to　Ajax。　〃Run；　good　Thootes；〃　said　and　call　Ajax；　or　better
still　bid　both　come；　for　it　will　be　all　over　with　us　here　directly；
the　leaders　of　the　Lycians　are　upon　us；　men　who　have　ever　fought
desperately　heretofore。　But　if　the　have　too　much　on　their　hands　to　let
them　come；　at　any　rate　let　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　do　so；　and　let　Teucer
the　famous　bowman　come　with　him。〃
　　The　messenger　did　as　he　was　told；　and　set　off　running　along　the　wall
of　the　Achaeans。　When　he　reached　the　Ajaxes　he　said　to　them；　〃Sirs；
princes　of　the　Argives；　the　son　of　noble　Peteos　bids　you　come　to　him
for　a　while　and　help　him。　You　had　better　both　come　if　you　can；　or　it
will　be　all　over　with　him　directly；　the　leaders　of　the　Lycians　are
upon　him；　men　who　have　ever　fought　desperately　heretofore；　if　you　have
too　much　on　your　hands　to　let　both　come；　at　any　rate　let　Ajax　son　of
Telamon　do　so；　and　let　Teucer　the　famous　bowman　come　with　him。〃
　　Great　Ajax；　son　of　Telamon；　heeded　the　message；　and　at　once　spoke　to
the　son　of　Oileus。　〃Ajax；〃　said　he；　〃do　you　two；　yourself　and　brave
Lycomedes；　stay　here　and　keep　the　Danaans　in　heart　to　fight　their
hardest。　I　will　go　over　yonder；　and　bear　my　part　in　the　fray；　but　I
will　come　back　here　at　once　as　soon　as　I　have　given　them　the　help　they
need。〃
　　With　this；　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　set　off；　and　Teucer　his　brother　by
the　same　father　went　also；　with　Pandion　to　carry　Teucer's　bow。　They
went　along　inside　the　wall；　and　when　they　came　to　the　tower　where
Menestheus　was　（and　hard　pressed　indeed　did　they　find　him）　the　brave
captains　and　leaders　of　the　Lycians　were　storming　the　battlements　as
it　were　a　thick　dark　cloud；　fighting　in　close　quarters；　and　raising
the　battle…cry　aloud。
　　First；　Ajax　son　of　Telamon　killed　brave　Epicles；　a　comrade　of
Sarpedon；　hitting　him　with　a　jagged　stone　that　lay　by　the
battlements　at　the　very　top　of　the　wall。　As　men　now　are；　even　one
who　is　in　the　bloom　of　youth　could　hardly　lift　it　with　his　two
hands；　but　Ajax　raised　it　high　aloft　and　flung　it　down；　smashing
Epicles'　four…crested　helmet　so　that　the　bones　of　his　head　were
crushed　to　pieces；　and　he　fell　from　the　high　wall　as　though　he　were
diving；　with　no　more　life　left　in　him。　Then　Teucer　wounded　Glaucus　the
brave　son　of　Hippolochus　as　he　was　coming　on　to　attack　the　wall。　He
saw　his　shoulder　bare　and　aimed　an　arrow　at　it；　which　made　Glaucus
leave　off　fighting。　Thereon　he　sprang　covertly　down　for　fear　some　of
the　Achaeans　might　see　that　he　was　wounded　and　taunt　him。　Sarpedon　was
stung　with　grief　when　he　saw　Glaucus　leave　him；　still　he　did　not　leave
off　fighting；　but　aimed　his　spear　at　Alcmaon　the　son　of　Thestor　and
hit　him。　He　drew　his　spear　back　again　Alcmaon　came　down　headlong　after
it　with　his　bronzed　armour　rattling　round　him。　Then　Sarpedon　seized
the　battlement　in　his　strong　hands；　and　tugged　at　it　till　it　an　gave
way　together；　and　a　breach　was　made　through　which　many　might　pass。
　　Ajax　and　Teucer　then　both　of　them　attacked　him。　Teucer　hit　him
with　an　arrow　on　the　band　that　bore　the　shield　which　covered　his　body；
but　Jove　saved　his　son　from　destruction　that　he　might　not　fall　by
the　ships'　sterns。　Meanwhile　Ajax　sprang　on　him　and　pierced　his
shield；　but　the　spear　did　not　go　clean　through；　though　it　hustled
him　back　that　he　could　come　on　no　further。　He　therefore　retired　a
little　space　from　the　battlement；　yet　without　losing　all　his　ground；
for　he　still　thought　to　cover　himself　with　glory。　Then　he　turned　round
and　shouted　to　the　brave　Lycians　saying；　〃Lycians；　why　do　you　thus
fail　me？　For　all　my　prowess　I　cannot　break　through　the　wall　and　open　a
way　to　the　ships　single…handed。　Come　close　on　behind　me；　for　the
more　there　are　of　us　the　better。〃
　　The　Lycians；　shamed　by　his　rebuke；　pressed　closer　round　him　who
was　their　counsellor　their　king。　The　Argives　on　their　part　got　their
men　in　fighting　order　within　the　wall；　and　there　was　a　deadly　struggle
between　them。　The　Lycians　could　not　break　through　the　wall　and　force
their　way　to　the　ships；　nor　could　the　Danaans　drive　the　Lycians　from
the　wall　now　that　they　had　once　reached　it。　As　two　men；　measuring…rods
in　hand；　quarrel　about　their　boundaries　in　a　field　that　they　own　in
common；　and　stickle　for　their　rights　though　they　be　but　in　a　mere
strip；　even　so　did　the　battlements　now　serve　as　a　bone　of
contention；　and　they　beat　one　another's　round　shields　for　their
possession。　Many　a　man's　body　was　wounded　with　the　pitiless　bronze；　as
he　turned　round　and　bared　his　back　to　the　foe；　and　many　were　struck
clean　through　their　shields；　the　wall　and　battlements　were
everywhere　deluged　with　the　blood　alike　of　Trojans　and　of　Achaeans。
But　even　so　the　Trojans　could　not　rout　the　Achaeans；　who　still　held
on；　and　as　some　honest　hard…working　woman　weighs　wool　in　her　balance
and　sees　that　the　scales　be　true；　for　she　would　gain　some　pitiful
earnings　for　her　little　ones；　even　so　was　the　fight　balanced　evenly
between　them　till　the　time　came　when　Jove　gave　the　greater　glory　to
Hector　son　of　Priam；　who　was　first　to　spring　towards　the　wall　of　the
Achaeans。　As　he　did　so；　he　cried　aloud　to　the　Trojans；　〃Up；　Trojans；
break　the　wall　of　the　Argives；　and　fling　fire　upon　their　ships。〃
　　Thus　did　he　hound　them　on；　and　in　one　body　they　rushed　straight　at
the　wall　as　he　had　bidden　them；　and　scaled　the　battlements　with
sharp　spears　in　their　hands。　Hector　laid　hold　of　a　stone　that　lay　just
outside　the　gates　and　was　thick　at　one　end　but　pointed　at　the　other；
two　of　the　best　men　in　a　town；　as　men　now　are；　could　hardly　raise　it
from　the　ground　and　put　it　on　to　a　waggon；　but　Hector　lifted　it
quite　easily　by　himself；　for　the　son　of　scheming　Saturn　made　it
light　for　him。　As　a　shepherd　picks　up　a　ram's　fleece　with　one　hand　and
finds　it　no　burden；　so　easily　did　Hector　lift　the　great　stone　and
drive　it　right　at　the　doors　that　closed　the　gates　so　strong　and　so
firmly　set。　These　doors　were　double　and　high；　and　were　kept　closed
by　two　cross…bars　to　which　there　was　but　one　key。　When　he　had　got
close　up　to　them；　Hector　strode　towards　them　that　his　blow　might
gain　in　force　and　struck　them　in　the　middle；　leaning　his　whole
weight　against　them。　He　broke　both　hinges；　and　the　stone　fell　inside
by　reason　of　its　great　weight。　The　portals