Homer, Iliad

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[245] So spake he, and the Father had pity on him as he wept, and vouchsafed him that his folk should be saved and not perish. Forthwith he sent an eagle, surest of omens among winged birds, holding in his talons a fawn, the young of a swift hind. Beside the fair altar of Zeus he let fall the fawn, [250] even where the Achaeans were wont to offer sacrifice to Zeus from whom all omens come. So they, when they saw that it was from Zeus that the bird was come, leapt the more upon the Trojans and bethought them of battle. Then might no man of the Danaans, for all they were so many, vaunt that he before the son of Tydeus guided his swift horses [255] to drive them forth across the trench and to fight man to man; nay he was first by far to slay a mailed warrior of the Trojans, even Agelaus, Phradraon's son. He in sooth had turned his horses to flee, but as he wheeled about Diomedes fixed his spear in his back between the shoulders, and drave it through his breast; [260] so he fell from out the car, and upon him his armour clanged. And after him came the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus, and after them the Aiantes, clothed in furious valour, and after them Idomeneus and Idomeneus' comrade, Meriones, peer of Enyalius, slayer of men, [265] and after them Eurypylus, the glorious son of Euaemon; and Teucer came as the ninth, stretching his back-bent bow, and took his stand beneath the shield of Aias, son of Telamon. Then would Aias move his shield aside from over him, and the warrior would spy his chance; and when he had shot his bolt and had smitten one in the throng, [270] then would that man fall where he was and give up his life, and Teucer would hie him back, and as a child beneath his mother, so betake him for shelter to Aias; and Aias would ever hide him with his shining shield. Whom first then of the Trojans did peerless Teucer slay? Orsilochus first and Ormenus and Ophelestes and [275] Daetor and Chromius and godlike Lycophontes and Amopaon, Polyaemon's son, and Melanippus. All these, one after another, he brought down to the bounteous earth. And at sight of him Agamemnon, king of men, waxed glad, as with his mighty bow he made havoc of the battalions of the Trojans; [280] and he came and stood by his side and spake to him, saying:Teucer, beloved, son of Telamon, captain of hosts, shoot on in this wise, if so be thou mayest prove a light of deliverance to the Danaans and a glory to thy father Telamon, who reared thee when thou wast a babe, and for all thou wast a bastard cherished thee in his own house; [285] him, far away though he be, do thou bring to honour. Moreover, I will declare to thee as it verily shall be brought to pass. If Zeus that beareth the aegis, and Athene shall vouchsafe me to lay waste the well-built citadel of Ilios, in thy hand first after mine own self will I place a meed of honour, [290] either a tripod or two horses with their car, or a woman that shall go up into thy bed.

Further comments from Walter Leaf, Commentary on the Iliad (1900):
book 8, card 245 (general note)
book 8, card 245: apolesthai
book 8, card 245: teleiotaton
book 8, card 245: panomphaiôi
book 8, card 245: proteros
book 8, card 245: Tudeïdao
book 8, card 245: schemen
book 8, card 245: exelasai
book 8, card 245: prôtos
book 8, card 245: ton de met'
book 8, card 245: palintona
book 8, card 245: beblêkoi
book 8, card 245: olessen
book 8, card 245: kruptaske
book 8, card 245: apo
book 8, card 245: philê kephalê
book 8, card 245: phoôs
book 8, card 245: komissato
book 8, card 245: epibêson
book 8, card 245: presbêïon
book 8, card 245: eisanabainoi

This text is based on the following book(s):
Homer. The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
OCLC: 38101377
ISBN: 0674991885, 0674991893

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