Homer, Translated by Samuel Butler - The Iliad, Book XVIII, Lines 1-77 lyrics

The entire text of Butler's translation can be found here: http://cla**ics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html This excerpt from The Iliad by Homer comes from book XVIII. The Greeks and the Trojans are fighting the Trojan War just outside of Troy. The Greek soldier Patroclus has just been k**ed by the great Trojan soldier Hector. Tragically, Patroclus went into battle wearing his half-brother Achilles' armor. Achilles, the greatest of the Greek warriors, has been refusing to go to battle after a breach of honor by the leader of the Greeks, Agamemnon. Agamemnon took Achilles' war prize, a women named Briseis, when his own war prize, Chryseis, was forcibly returned to her father. Achilles' vindictive retreat from battle has been tough on his army, but a blessing for the Trojans. Patroclus donned Achilles' armor in an attempt to terrify the Trojans by tricking them into believing that Achilles was back and they were all in great danger. Instead, the armor made him a target. It is in the following pa**age that Antilochus bring the news of his half-brother's d**h to Achilles. He is overcome with grief; indeed, he cries so loudly that his mother hears him from under the sea. She is the goddess of the water, Thetis, and she brings with her all of her sea nymph sisters. Thetis questions her son about his grief. “Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. Meanwhile the fleet runner Antilochus, who had been sent as messenger, reached Achilles, and found him sitting by his tall ships and boding that which was indeed too surely true. "Alas," said he to himself in the heaviness of his heart, "why are the Achaeans again scouring the plain and flocking towards the ships? Heaven grant the gods be not now bringing that sorrow upon me of which my mother Thetis spoke, saying that while I was yet alive the bravest of the Myrmidons should fall before the Trojans, and see the light of the sun no longer. I fear the brave son of Menoetius has fallen through his own daring and yet I bade him return to the ships as soon as he had driven back those that were bringing fire against them, and not join battle with Hector." As he was thus pondering, the son of Nestor came up to him and told his sad tale, weeping bitterly the while. "Alas," he cried, "son of noble Peleus, I bring you bad tidings, would indeed that they were untrue. Patroclus has fallen, and a fight is raging about his naked body- for Hector holds his armour." A dark cloud of grief fell upon Achilles as he listened. He filled both hands with dust from off the ground, and poured it over his head, disfiguring his comely face, and letting the refuse settle over his shirt so fair and new. He flung himself down all huge and hugely at full length, and tore his hair with his hands. The bondswomen whom Achilles and Patroclus had taken captive screamed aloud for grief, beating their breasts, and with their limbs failing them for sorrow. Antilochus bent over him the while, weeping and holding both his hands as he lay groaning for he feared that he might plunge a knife into his own throat. Then Achilles gave a loud cry and his mother heard him as she was sitting in the depths of the sea by the old man her father, whereon she screamed, and all the goddesses daughters of Nereus that dwelt at the bottom of the sea, came gathering round her. There were Glauce, Thalia and Cymodoce, Nesaia, Speo, thoe and dark-eyed Halie, Cymothoe, Actaea and Limnorea, Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe and Agave, Doto and Proto, Pherusa and Dynamene, Dexamene, Amphinome and Callianeira, Doris, Panope, and the famous sea-nymph Galatea, Nemertes, Apseudes and Calliana**a. There were also Clymene, Ianeira and Iana**a, Maera, Oreithuia and Amatheia of the lovely locks, with other Nereids who dwell in the depths of the sea. The crystal cave was filled with their multitude and they all beat their breasts while Thetis led them in their lament. "Listen," she cried, "sisters, daughters of Nereus, that you may hear the burden of my sorrows. Alas, woe is me, woe in that I have borne the most glorious of offspring. I bore him fair and strong, hero among heroes, and he shot up as a sapling; I tended him as a plant in a goodly garden, and sent him with his ships to Ilius to fight the Trojans, but never shall I welcome him back to the house of Peleus. So long as he lives to look upon the light of the sun he is in heaviness, and though I go to him I cannot help him. Nevertheless I will go, that I may see my dear son and learn what sorrow has befallen him though he is still holding aloof from battle." She left the cave as she spoke, while the others followed weeping after, and the waves opened a path before them. When they reached the rich plain of Troy, they came up out of the sea in a long line on to the sands, at the place where the ships of the Myrmidons were drawn up in close order round the tents of Achilles. His mother went up to him as he lay groaning; she laid her hand upon his head and spoke piteously, saying, "My son, why are you thus weeping? What sorrow has now befallen you? Tell me; hide it not from me. Surely Jove has granted you the prayer you made him, when you lifted up your hands and besought him that the Achaeans might all of them be pent up at their ships, and rue it bitterly in that you were no longer with them." Works Cited Achilles Tending to Patroclus. 500 B.C.E. Painting on pottery. Staatliche Museum, Berlin. N.S. Gill. About Education. Web. September 19. 2014. Bernholc, Eric D. “The Value of Family in Ancient Greek Literature.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. 7 October. 2011. Web. 20 September. 2014. Gill, N.S. “Patroclus.” About Education. n.d. Web. 19 September. 2014. Gill, N.S. “Myrmidons.” About Education. n.d. Web. 19 September. 2014. Hunter, James. “Thetis.” Encyclopedia Mythica. 3 March. 1997. Web. 19 September. 2014. Mansfield, Harvey. “Yes, Sort Of…” In Character. n.d. Web. 20 September. 2014. Price, Sarah. “Homer and Oral Poetry.” Yale University Online. n.d. Web. 19 September. 2014. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Jupiter.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 17 March. 2014. Web. 20 September. 2014. Wheeler, K. “Literary Terms and Definitions.” Carson-Newman University Online. 3 September. 2014. Web. 21 September. 2014.