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Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

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<strong>Homer</strong>’s <strong>Iliad</strong><br />

fight, that this day he may take no hurt at the hands of the Trojans.<br />

Hereafter let him suffer whatever fate may have spun out for him<br />

when he was begotten and his mother bore him. If Achilles be not<br />

thus assured <strong>by</strong> the voice of a god, he may come to fear presently<br />

when one of us meets him in battle, for the gods are terrible if they<br />

are seen face to face.”<br />

Neptune lord of the earthquake answered her saying, “Juno,<br />

restrain your fury; it is not well; I am not in favour of forcing the<br />

other gods to fight us, for the advantage is too greatly on our own<br />

side; let us take our places on some hill out of the beaten track, and<br />

let mortals fight it out among themselves. If Mars or Phoebus<br />

Apollo begin fighting, or keep Achilles in check so that he cannot<br />

fight, we too, will at once raise the cry of battle, and in that case<br />

they will soon leave the field and go back vanquished to Olympus<br />

among the other gods.”<br />

With these words the dark-haired god led the way to the high<br />

earth-barrow of Hercules, built round solid masonry, and made <strong>by</strong><br />

the Trojans and Pallas Minerva for him fly to when the sea-monster<br />

was chasing him from the shore on to the plain. Here Neptune and<br />

those that were with him took their seats, wrapped in a thick cloud<br />

of darkness; but the other gods seated themselves on the brow of<br />

Callicolone round you, O Phoebus, and Mars the waster of cities.<br />

Thus did the gods sit apart and form their plans, but neither side<br />

was willing to begin battle with the other, and Jove from his seat on<br />

high was in command over them all. Meanwhile the whole plain<br />

was alive with men and horses, and blazing with the gleam of<br />

armour. The earth rang again under the tramp of their feet as they<br />

395

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