Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
save me from the river? I do not care what may happen to me
afterwards. I blame none of the other dwellers on Olympus so
severely as I do my dear mother, who has beguiled and tricked me.
She told me I was to fall under the walls of Troy by the flying
arrows of Apollo; would that Hector, the best man among the
Trojans, might there slay me; then should I fall a hero by the hand
of a hero; whereas now it seems that I shall come to a most pitiable
end, trapped in this river as though I were some swineherd’s boy,
who gets carried down a torrent while trying to cross it during a
storm.”
As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and Minerva came up to
him in the likeness of two men, and took him by the hand to
reassure him. Neptune spoke first. “Son of Peleus,” said he, “be
not so exceeding fearful; we are two gods, come with Jove’s
sanction to assist you, I, and Pallas Minerva. It is not your fate to
perish in this river; he will abate presently as you will see;
moreover we strongly advise you, if you will be guided by us, not
to stay your hand from fighting till you have pent the Trojan host
within the famed walls of Ilius- as many of them as may escape.
Then kill Hector and go back to the ships, for we will vouchsafe
you a triumph over him.”
When they had so said they went back to the other immortals, but
Achilles strove onward over the plain, encouraged by the charge
the gods had laid upon him. All was now covered with the flood of
waters, and much goodly armour of the youths that had been slain
was rifting about, as also many corpses, but he forced his way
against the stream, speeding right onwards, nor could the broad
waters stay him, for Minerva had endowed him with great strength.
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