Book XXIII

BOOK XXIII

THUS did they make their moan throughout the city, while the

Achaeans when they reached the Hellespont went back every man to

his own ship. But Achilles would not let the Myrmidons go, and

spoke to his brave comrades saying, "Myrmidons, famed horsemen

and my own trusted friends, not yet, forsooth, let us unyoke, but

with horse and chariot draw near to the body and mourn Patroclus,

in due honour to the dead. When we have had full comfort of

lamentation we will unyoke our horses and take supper all of us

here."

On this they all joined in a cry of wailing and Achilles led them

in their lament. Thrice did they drive their chariots all

sorrowing round the body, and Thetis stirred within them a still

deeper yearning. The sands of the seashore and the men's armour

were wet with their weeping, so great a minister of fear was he

whom they had lost. Chief in all their mourning was the son of

Peleus: he laid his bloodstained hand on the breast of his

friend. "Fare well," he cried, "Patroclus, even in the house of

Hades. I will now do all that I erewhile promised you; I will

drag Hector hither and let dogs devour him raw; twelve noble sons

of Trojans will I also slay before your pyre to avenge you."

As he spoke he treated the body of noble Hector with contumely,

laying it at full length in the dust beside the bier of

Patroclus. The others then put off every man his armour, took the

horses from their chariots, and seated themselves in great

multitude by the ship of the fleet descendant of Aeacus, who

thereon feasted them with an abundant funeral banquet. Many a

goodly ox, with many a sheep and bleating goat did they butcher

and cut up; many a tusked boar moreover, fat and well-fed, did

they singe and set to roast in the flames of Vulcan; and rivulets

of blood flowed all round the place where the body was lying.

Then the princes of the Achaeans took the son of Peleus to

Agamemnon, but hardly could they persuade him to come with them,

so wroth was he for the death of his comrade. As soon as they

reached Agamemnon's tent they told the serving-men to set a large

tripod over the fire in case they might persuade the son of

Peleus to wash the clotted gore from this body, but he denied

them sternly, and swore it with a solemn oath, saying, "Nay, by

King Jove, first and mightiest of all gods, it is not meet that

water should touch my body, till I have laid Patroclus on the

flames, have built him a barrow, and shaved my head--for so long

as I live no such second sorrow shall ever draw nigh me. Now,