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Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

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

quarter, and sold beyond the sea many of those whom I had taken<br />

alive; but now not a man shall live of those whom heaven delivers<br />

into my hands before the city of Ilius- and of all Trojans it shall fare<br />

hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore, my friend, you too shall<br />

die. Why should you whine in this way? Patroclus fell, and he was<br />

a better man than you are. I too- see you not how I am great and<br />

goodly? I am son to a noble father, and have a goddess for my<br />

mother, but the hands of doom and death overshadow me all as<br />

surely. The day will come, either at dawn or dark, or at the<br />

noontide, when one shall take my life also in battle, either with his<br />

spear, or with an arrow sped from his bow.”<br />

Thus did he speak, and Lycaon’s heart sank within him. He loosed<br />

his hold of the spear, and held out both hands before him; but<br />

Achilles drew his keen blade, and struck him <strong>by</strong> the collar-bone on<br />

his neck; he plunged his two-edged sword into him to the very hilt,<br />

whereon he lay at full length on the ground, with the dark blood<br />

welling from him till the earth was soaked. Then Achilles caught<br />

him <strong>by</strong> the foot and flung him into the river to go down stream,<br />

vaunting over him the while, and saying, “Lie there among the<br />

fishes, who will lick the blood from your wound and gloat over it;<br />

your mother shall not lay you on any bier to mourn you, but the<br />

eddies of Scamander shall bear you into the broad bosom of the<br />

sea. There shall the fishes feed on the fat of Lycaon as they dart<br />

under the dark ripple of the waters- so perish all of you till we<br />

reach the citadel of strong Ilius- you in flight, and I following after<br />

to destroy you. The river with its broad silver stream shall serve<br />

you in no stead, for all the bulls you offered him and all the horses<br />

that you flung living into his waters. None the less miserably shall<br />

you perish till there is not a man of you but has paid in full for the<br />

410

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