Husminan

This is part 2 of 2. Part 1 is here.

Ὣς Τρῶες, ἐπεὶ κλύον αἰ-
χματὰν Ἀχιλλέα
μίμνοντ’ ἐν κλισίαισιν
εἵνεκεν ξανθᾶς γυναικός,
Βρισηΐδος ἱμερογυίου,
θεοῖσιν ἄντειναν χέρας,
φοιβὰν ἐσιδόντες ὑπαὶ
χειμῶνος αἴγλαν·
πασσυδίᾳ δὲ λιπόντες
τείχεα Λαομέδοντος
ἐς πεδίον κρατερὰν
ἄϊξαν ὑσμίναν φέροντες·

ὦρσάν τε φόβον Δαναοῖς·
ὤτρυνε δ’ Ἄρης
εὐεγχής, Λυκίων τε
Λοξίας ἄναξ Ἀπόλλων·
ἷξόν τ’ ἐπὶ θῖνα θαλάσσας·
ναυσὶ δ’ εὐπρύμνοις παραὶ
μάρναντ’, ἐναριζομένων
δ’ ἔρευθε φώτων
αἵματι γαῖα μέλαινα
Ἑκτορέας ὑπὸ χειρός,
ἦν δὲ μέγ’ ἡμιθέοις
ὄνααρ ἰσόθεον δι’ ὁρμάν.

ἆ δύσφρονες, ἦ μεγάλαισιν ἐλπίσιν
πνείοντες ὑπερφίαλόν
θ’ ἱέντες αὐδὰν
Τρῶες ἱππευταὶ κυανώπιδας ἐκ-
πέρσαντες ᾤσθεν νέας
νεῖσθαι πάλιν εἰλαπίνας τ’ ἐν
λαοφόροις ἕξειν θεόδματον πόλιν.
μέλλον ἄρα πρότερον δι-
νᾶντα φοινίξειν Σκάμανδρον,
θνᾴσκοντες ὑπ’ Αἰακίδαις
ἐρειψιπύργοις.
(Bacchylides, Epin. 13.133-169)

So when the Trojans heard that the spearman Achilles was remaining in his tent on account of the blonde woman, lovely-limbed Briseis, they stretched up their hands to the gods, since they saw the bright gleam under the stormcloud; leaving Laomedon’s walls* with all speed they rushed into the plain bringing violent battle, and they roused fear in the Danaans: Ares of the mighty spear urged them on, and Loxias Apollo, lord of the Lycians, and they reached the shore of the sea; and by the strong-sterned ships they fought, and the black earth grew red with the blood of men slain by Hector’s hand, for he was a great (boon) to the demi-gods in his godlike charge. Misguided ones! High-spirited in their great hopes and uttering arrogant shouts those Trojan horsemen (thought that they would lay waste) the dark-eyed ships (and return home again) and that their god-built city would hold feasts in (its streets?). In truth they were destined first to crimson the eddying Scamander as they died at the hands of the tower-wrecking Aeacidae**.

* Troy: Laomedon was Priam’s father.
** Achilles and Ajax.

(tr. David A. Campbell, with his notes)