Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ILIAD: BOOK 12. SARPEDON AND GLAUCUS, by HOMER


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THE ILIAD: BOOK 12. SARPEDON AND GLAUCUS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Not then / withal had doughty hektor and his men
Last Line: Nor disregard.
Subject(s): Mythology - Classical; Trojan War


Not then
Withal had doughty Hektor and his men
Broke down the gates thereof and the long bar,
If Counsellor Zeus had not sent forth his son
Sarpedon, like some lion at a herd
Of crook-horn'd cattle. With his shield uplift,
A fair round shield of hammer'd bronze, by smith
Well hammer'd, and within of many hides
Stitcht with gold wire about the rim; with this
Upheld before, and shaking in his hand
Two spears, he went his way out, like a lion
Bred in the hills which by long lack of meat
Urges his lordly spirit to assay
The flock or fall upon the guarded bield;
Nor if he find the shepherds there on watch,
Keeping with dogs and spears their flocks, not so
Will he be headed off without a rush
Upon the steading; with a bound he'll snatch
A prey, or with a dart from ready hand
Himself be smitten in front. Thus did his heart
Urge good Sarpedon to assail the wall
And break the parapet. Thereon he spake
Glaukos, son of Hippolochos, saying, 'Why,
Glaukos, have we most honour among men
In Lykia, the chief seats, best portions, cups
Fullest, with all men taking us for Gods?
Why should we hold so goodly a demesne
Upon the banks of Xanthos, orchard-ground,
And plowland heavy in corn? On all these counts
It lies on us to take our stand the first
Of Lykians, and meet the burning brunt
Of battle, so some Lykian man may say,
"Not without glory go our native lords,
What though they feed full fat and drink full sweet --
Nay, they are mighty men, who hold the van
Of our array!" Comrade, if you and I,
Safe out of this, should live, and never die,
Nor yet grow old, then would I lead the van
No more, nor send you out to win renown
In battle. Yet tho' death in thousand shapes
Stand over us, 'tis not for us to avoid
Nor yet to flee. Let us go on, we two,
And yield renown, or win it for ourselves.'
He said that, nor did Glaukos turn away,
Nor disregard.





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