Husminan

trojan_war_406

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)

Manin

John Flaxman, Ajax defending the Greek Ships against the Trojans
John Flaxman, Ajax defending the Greek Ships against the Trojans

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

Τῶν υἷας ἀερσιμάχας
ταχύν τ’ Ἀχιλλέα
εὐειδέος τ’ Ἐριβοίας
παῖδ’ ὑπέρθυμον βοάσω
Αἴαντα σακεσφόρον ἥρω,
ὅστ’ ἐπὶ πρύμνᾳ σταθεὶς
ἔσχεν θρασυκάρδιον ὁρ-
μαίνοντα νᾶας
θεσπεσίῳ πυρὶ καῦσαι
Ἕκτορα χαλκοκορυστάν,
ὁππότε Πηλεΐδας
τραχεῖαν ἐν στήθεσσι μᾶνιν

ὠρίνατο, Δαρδανίδας
τ’ ἔλυσεν ἄτας·
οἳ πρὶν μὲν πολύπυργον
Ἰλίου θαητὸν ἄστυ
οὐ λεῖπον, ἀτυζόμενοι δέ
πτᾶσσον ὀξεῖαν μάχαν,
εὖτ’ ἐν πεδίῳ κλονέων
μαίνοιτ’ Ἀχιλλεύς,
λαοφόνον δόρυ σείον·
ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ πολέμοιο
λῆξεν ἰοστεφάνου
Νηρῆϊδος ἀτρόμητος υὶός,

ὥστ’ ἐν κυανανθέϊ θυμὸν ἀνέρων
πόντῳ Βορέας ὑπὸ κύ-
μασιν δαΐζει,
νυκτὸς ἀντάσας ἀνατελλομένας,
λῆξεν δὲ σὺν φαεσιμβρότῳ
Ἀοῖ, στόρεσεν δέ τε πόντον
οὐρία· Νότου δὲ κόλπωσαν πνοᾷ
ἱστίον ἁρπαλέως τ’ ἄ-
ελπτον ἐξίκοντο χέρσον·
(Bacchylides, Epin. 13.100-132)

Of their battle-shouldering sons I shall shout aloud, swift Achilles and the high-spirited child of fair Eriboea, Ajax, shield-bearing hero, who stood on the stern and kept off bold-hearted bronze-helmeted Hector as he strove to burn the ships anger (in his breast) and freed the Dardanids from their bewilderment: previously they would not leave from the marvellous (many-towered) city of Ilium, but in bewilderment cowered in fear of the keen fighting, whenever Achilles went on his furious rampage in the plain, brandishing his murderous spear; but when the fearless son of the violet-crowned Nereid* ceased from the fight,—as on a dark-blossoming sea Boreas rends men’s hearts with the billows, coming face to face with them as night rises up, but ceases on the arrival of Dawn who gives light to mortals, and a gentle breeze levels the sea, and they belly out their sail before the south wind’s breath and eagerly reach the dry land which they had despaired of seeing again;…

* Thetis, mother of Achilles.

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

 

Pheugonta

Εἰ δ’ ὑγιείας
θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν,
ζώειν τ’ ἀπ’ οἰκείων ἔχει,
πρώτοις ἐρίζει· παντί τοι
τέρψις ἀνθρώπων βίῳ
ἕπεται νόσφιν γε νόσων
πενίας τ’ ἀμαχάνου.
ἶσον ὅ τ’ ἀφνεὸς ἱ-
μείρει μεγάλων ὅ τε μείων
παυροτέρων· τὸ δὲ πάν-
των εὐμαρεῖν οὐδὲν γλυκὺ
θνατοῖσιν, ἀλλ’ αἰεὶ τὰ φεύ-
γοντα δίζηνται κιχεῖν.
(Bacchylides, Epinikia 1.165-177)

If a mortal is blessed with health, and can live on his own substance, he vies with the most fortunate. Joy attends on every state of life, if only disease and helpless poverty be not there. The rich man yearns for great things, as the poorer for less; mortals find no sweetness in opulence, but are ever pursuing visions that flee before them. (tr. Richard C. Jebb)