Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/357

23—58. And him the soul of the son of Peleus addressed first: "O Atrides, we thought that thou wast all thy days beloved above heroes by thunder-rejoicing Jove, because thou didst rule over many and illustrious men, in the people of the Trojans, where we Grecians suffered griefs. But of a surety pernicious fate was destined to come upon thee first of all, [fate] which no one avoids, whoever is born. Now oughtest thou, enjoying the honour, over which thou didst rule, to have drawn on death and fate amongst the people of the Trojans: then would all the Grecians have made a tomb for thee, and thou wouldst have obtained great glory for thy son hereafter; but now it was destined for thee to be overcome by a most miserable death."

And him the soul of the son of Atreus addressed in turn: "Happy son of Peleus, O Achilles, like unto the gods! thou who didst fall at Troy, far from Argos: and around thee the other most excellent sons of the Trojans and Grecians were slain, fighting for thee: and thou didst lay mighty, and mightily extended in a whirlwind of dust, forgetful of horsemanship. But we fought during the whole day: nor should we at all have ceased from war, if Jove had not made us stop with a whirlwind. And when we had brought thee off from the war to the ships, we laid thee on a couch, cleansing thy beautiful body with lukewarm water and ointment: and around thee the Grecians shed many warm tears, and cut their hair. And thy mother, hearing the news, came from the sea with the immortal Sea-nymphs; and a divine clamour arose over the sea: and a trembling seized upon all the Grecians: and now rushing forth they would have gone to the hollow ships, had not a man detained them, who knew both ancient and many things, Nestor, whose counsel before also appeared the best: who thinking well harangued and addressed them: 'Stop, O Argives, fly not, ye youths of the Grecians; this his mother comes from the sea with the immortal Nymphs of the sea, to meet her dead son.' Thus he spoke; and the magnanimous Grecians were restrained in their fear. And around thee stood the daughters of the old man of the sea,