Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
comrades, for so Nestor had ordered when he sent them from the
ships into battle.
Thus through the livelong day did they wage fierce war, and the
sweat of their toil rained ever on their legs under them, and on
their hands and eyes, as they fought over the squire of the fleet son
of Peleus. It was as when a man gives a great ox-hide all drenched
in fat to his men, and bids them stretch it; whereon they stand
round it in a ring and tug till the moisture leaves it, and the fat
soaks in for the many that pull at it, and it is well stretched- even so
did the two sides tug the dead body hither and thither within the
compass of but a little space- the Trojans steadfastly set on drag ing
it into Ilius, while the Achaeans were no less so on taking it to their
ships; and fierce was the fight between them. Not Mars himself the
lord of hosts, nor yet Minerva, even in their fullest fury could make
light of such a battle.
Such fearful turmoil of men and horses did Jove on that day ordain
round the body of Patroclus. Meanwhile Achilles did not know that
he had fallen, for the fight was under the wall of Troy a long way
off the ships. He had no idea, therefore, that Patroclus was dead,
and deemed that he would return alive as soon as he had gone
close up to the gates. He knew that he was not to sack the city
neither with nor without himself, for his mother had often told him
this when he had sat alone with her, and she had informed him of
the counsels of great Jove. Now, however, she had not told him
how great a disaster had befallen him in the death of the one who
was far dearest to him of all his comrades.
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