Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
hand fight. They had no bronze helmets with plumes of horse-hair,
neither had they shields nor ashen spears, but they had come to
Troy armed with bows, and with slings of twisted wool from which
they showered their missiles to break the ranks of the Trojans. The
others, therefore, with their heavy armour bore the brunt of the
fight with the Trojans and with Hector, while the Locrians shot from
behind, under their cover; and thus the Trojans began to lose heart,
for the arrows threw them into confusion.
The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from the
ships and tents back to windy Ilius, had not Polydamas presently
said to Hector, “Hector, there is no persuading you to take advice.
Because heaven has so richly endowed you with the arts of war,
you think that you must therefore excel others in counsel; but you
cannot thus claim preeminence in all things. Heaven has made one
man an excellent soldier; of another it has made a dancer or a
singer and player on the lyre; while yet in another Jove has
implanted a wise understanding of which men reap fruit to the
saving of many, and he himself knows more about it than any one;
therefore I will say what I think will be best. The fight has hemmed
you in as with a circle of fire, and even now that the Trojans are
within the wall some of them stand aloof in full armour, while
others are fighting scattered and outnumbered near the ships.
Draw back, therefore, and call your chieftains round you, that we
may advise together whether to fall now upon the ships in the
hope that heaven may vouchsafe us victory, or to beat a retreat
while we can yet safely do so. I greatly fear that the Achaeans will
pay us their debt of yesterday in full, for there is one abiding at
their ships who is never weary of battle, and who will not hold
aloof much longer.”
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