29.03.2013 Views

Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

him in the face. Achilles cut his head off with a blow from his sword<br />

and flung it helmet and all away from him, and the marrow came oozing<br />

out of his backbone as he lay. He then went in pursuit of Rhigmus,<br />

noble son of Peires, who had come from fertile Thrace, and struck<br />

him through the middle with a spear which fixed itself in his belly,<br />

so that he fell headlong from his chariot. He also speared Areithous<br />

squire to Rhigmus in the back as he was turning his horses in flight,<br />

and thrust him from his chariot, while the horses were struck with<br />

panic.<br />

As a fire raging in some mountain glen after long drought-­‐ and the<br />

dense <strong>for</strong>est is in a blaze, while the wind carries great tongues of<br />

fire in every direction-­‐ even so furiously did Achilles rage, wielding<br />

his spear as though he were a god, and giving chase to those whom<br />

he would slay, till the dark earth ran with blood. Or as one who yokes<br />

broad-­‐browed oxen that they may tread barley in a threshing-­‐floor-­‐<br />

and it is soon bruised small under the feet of the lowing cattle-­‐<br />

even so did the horses of Achilles trample on the shields and bodies<br />

of the slain. <strong>The</strong> axle underneath and the railing that ran round the<br />

car were bespattered with clots of blood thrown up <strong>by</strong> the horses'<br />

hoofs, and from the tyres of the wheels; but the son of Peleus pressed<br />

on to win still further glory, and his hands were bedrabbled with<br />

gore.<br />

-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐<br />

BOOK XXI

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!