Iliad, Book 24

Homer - Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, 2015 - JSTOR
Homer
Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, 2015JSTOR
Then the assembly broke up. The troops now scattered, each man off to his own swift ship,
their minds on the evening meal and the joy of a full night's sleep. But Achilles wept and
wept, thinking of his dear comrade, so that sleep the all-subduing got no hold on him: he
kept tossing this way and that, 5 missing Patroklos—his manhood, his splendid strength, all
he'd been through with him, all the hardships he'd suffered, facing men in battle and the
waves of the cruel sea. Recalling these things he shed large tears, lying now stretched out …
Then the assembly broke up. The troops now scattered, each man off to his own swift ship, their minds on the evening meal and the joy of a full night’s sleep. But Achilles wept and wept, thinking of his dear comrade, so that sleep the all-subduing got no hold on him: he kept tossing this way and that, 5 missing Patroklos—his manhood, his splendid strength, all he’d been through with him, all the hardships he’d suffered, facing men in battle and the waves of the cruel sea. Recalling these things he shed large tears, lying now stretched out on his side, but, restless, sometimes again 10 on his back, or prone. Then again he’d rise to his feet and wander, distraught, by the seashore: the rising dawn never brought light to sea and to beaches but he was there. Then he would yoke his swift horses to the chariot, and tie on Hektôr behind it, to be dragged; and when 15 he’d trailed him three times about Menoitios’ dead son’s mound he’d go back and rest in his hut, leaving Hektôr’s body stretched out prone in the dust. But Apollo, pitying Hektôr, preserved his flesh, though mortal, from all unseemly decay even in death, wrapped the golden aegis round his whole body 20 to save the dragged corpse from disfigurement by Achilles.
So Achilles in his fury aimed to mutilate noble Hektôr; but the sight of him stirred compassion among the blessed gods, and they urged Argos’ sharpsighted slayer, Hermês, to steal the corpse. This plan pleased the rest of them, but neither Hêrê 25 nor Poseidôn liked it, nor the grey-eyed virgin goddess, 1 who still nursed the hatred they’d conceived for sacred Ilion, and Priam, and Priam’s people, through Aléxandros’ blind delusion: for when these goddesses came to his courtyard he despised them, but had praise for the one who furthered his fatal lust. 30 So now, on the twelfth morning after Hektôr’s death,
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