Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ILIAD: BOOK 15. AJAX ON THE DECKS, by HOMER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ILIAD: BOOK 15. AJAX ON THE DECKS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Nor yet did it please the spirit of high-hearted aias
Last Line: Host along with him.
Subject(s): Mythology - Classical; Trojan War


NOR yet did it please the spirit of high-hearted Aias, to stand in the place
whereto the other sons of the Achaians had withdrawn, but he kept faring with
long strides, up and down the decks of the ships, and he wielded in his hands a
great pike for sea-battles, jointed with rings, two and twenty cubits in length.
And even as a man right well skilled in horsemanship that couples four horses
out of many, and hurrying them from the plain towards a great city, drives along
the public way, many men and women marvelling on him, and firmly ever he leaps,
and changes his stand from horse to horse, while they fly along, even so Aias
went with long strides, over many a deck of the swift ships, and his voice went
up to heaven. And always with terrible cries he summoned the Danaans to defend
the ships and the huts. Nor did Hector abide in the throng of well-armed
Trojans, but even as a tawny eagle rushes on a flock of winged fowl, that are
feeding by a riverside, a flock of geese, or cranes, or long-necked swans, even
so Hector made straight for a black-beaked ship, rushing right on it, and
mightily Zeus urged him on from behind with his strong hand, and roused on the
host along with him.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net