Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
alive, hiding them in his mighty eddies. The great and terrible
wave gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and beating on his
shield, so that he could not keep his feet; he caught hold of a great
elm-tree, but it came up by the roots, and tore away the bank,
damming the stream with its thick branches and bridging it all
across; whereby Achilles struggled out of the stream, and fled full
speed over the plain, for he was afraid.
But the mighty god ceased not in his pursuit, and sprang upon him
with a dark-crested wave, to stay his hands and save the Trojans
from destruction. The son of Peleus darted away a spear’s throw
from him; swift as the swoop of a black hunter-eagle which is the
strongest and fleetest of all birds, even so did he spring forward,
and the armour rang loudly about his breast. He fled on in front,
but the river with a loud roar came tearing after. As one who would
water his garden leads a stream from some fountain over his
plants, and all his ground-spade in hand he clears away the dams
to free the channels, and the little stones run rolling round and
round with the water as it goes merrily down the bank faster than
the man can follow- even so did the river keep catching up with
Achilles albeit he was a fleet runner, for the gods are stronger than
men. As often as he would strive to stand his ground, and see
whether or no all the gods in heaven were in league against him, so
often would the mighty wave come beating down upon his
shoulders, and be would have to keep flying on and on in great
dismay; for the angry flood was tiring him out as it flowed past
him and ate the ground from under his feet.
Then the son of Peleus lifted up his voice to heaven saying, “Father
Jove, is there none of the gods who will take pity upon me, and
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