Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
On this Vulcan kindled a fierce fire, which broke out first upon the
plain and burned the many dead whom Achilles had killed and
whose bodies were lying about in great numbers; by this means the
plain was dried and the flood stayed. As the north wind, blowing
on an orchard that has been sodden with autumn rain, soon dries it,
and the heart of the owner is glad- even so the whole plan was
dried and the dead bodies were consumed. Then he turned
tongues of fire on to the river. He burned the elms the willows and
the tamarisks, the lotus also, with the rushes and marshy herbage
that grew abundantly by the banks of the river. The eels and fishes
that go darting about everywhere in the water, these, too, were
sorely harassed by the flames that cunning Vulcan had kindled,
and the river himself was scalded, so that he spoke saying,
“Vulcan, there is no god can hold his own against you. I cannot
fight you when you flare out your flames in this way; strive with
me no longer. Let Achilles drive the Trojans out of city
immediately. What have I to do with quarrelling and helping
people?”
He was boiling as he spoke, and all his waters were seething. As a
cauldron upon ‘a large fire boils when it is melting the lard of some
fatted hog, and the lard keeps bubbling up all over when the dry
faggots blaze under it- even so were the goodly waters of Xanthus
heated with the fire till they were boiling. He could flow no longer
but stayed his stream, so afflicted was he by the blasts of fire which
cunning Vulcan had raised. Then he prayed to Juno and besought
her saying, “Juno, why should your son vex my stream with such
especial fury? I am not so much to blame as all the others are who
have been helping the Trojans. I will leave off, since you so desire
it, and let son leave off also. Furthermore I swear never again will I
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