Book I

When godlike Hector by Peleides slainPassed, and the pyre had ravined up his flesh,And earth had veiled his bones, the Trojans thenTarried in Priam's city, sore afraidBefore the might of stout-heart Aeacus' son:As kine they were, that midst the copses shrinkFrom faring forth to meet a lion grim,But in dense thickets terror-huddled cower;So in their fortress shivered these to seeThat mighty man. Of those already deadThey thought of all whose lives he reft awayAs by Scamander's outfall on he rushed,And all that in mid-flight to that high wallHe slew, how he quelled Hector, how he haledHis corse round Troy;--yea, and of all besideLaid low by him since that first day whereonO'er restless seas he brought the Trojans doom.Ay, all these they remembered, while they stayedThus in their town, and o'er them anguished griefHovered dark-winged, as though that very dayAll Troy with shrieks were crumbling down in fire.

Then from Thermodon, from broad-sweeping streams,Came, clothed upon with beauty of Goddesses,Penthesileia--came athirst indeedFor groan-resounding battle, but yet moreFleeing abhorred reproach and evil fame,Lest they of her own folk should rail on herBecause of her own sister's death, for whomEver her sorrows waxed, Hippolyte,Whom she had struck dead with her mighty spear,Not of her will--'twas at a stag she hurled.So came she to the far-famed land of Troy.Yea, and her warrior spirit pricked her on,Of murder's dread pollution thus to cleanseHer soul, and with such sacrifice to appeaseThe Awful Ones, the Erinnyes, who in wrathFor her slain sister straightway haunted herUnseen: for ever round the sinner's stepsThey hover; none may 'scape those Goddesses.And with her followed twelve beside, each oneA princess, hot for war and battle grim,Far-famous each, yet handmaids unto her:Penthesileia far outshone them all.As when in the broad sky amidst the starsThe moon rides over all pre-eminent,When through the thunderclouds the cleaving heavensOpen, when sleep the fury-breathing winds;So peerless was she mid that charging host.Clonie was there, Polemusa, Derinoe,Evandre, and Antandre, and Bremusa,Hippothoe, dark-eyed Harmothoe,Alcibie, Derimacheia, Antibrote,And Thermodosa glorying with the spear.All these to battle fared with warrior-souledPenthesileia: even as when descendsDawn from Olympus' crest of adamant,Dawn, heart-exultant in her radiant steedsAmidst the bright-haired Hours; and o'er them all,How flawless-fair soever these may be,Her splendour of beauty glows pre-eminent;So peerless amid all the Amazons UntoTroy-town Penthesileia came.To right, to left, from all sides hurrying throngedThe Trojans, greatly marvelling, when they sawThe tireless War-god's child, the mailed maid,Like to the Blessed Gods; for in her faceGlowed beauty glorious and terrible.Her smile was ravishing: beneath her browsHer love-enkindling eyes shone like to stars,And with the crimson rose of shamefastnessBright were her cheeks, and mantled over themUnearthly grace with battle-prowess clad.

Then joyed Troy's folk, despite past agonies,As when, far-gazing from a height, the hindsBehold a rainbow spanning the wide sea,When they be yearning for the heaven-sent shower,When the parched fields be craving for the rain;Then the great sky at last is overgloomed,And men see that fair sign of coming windAnd imminent rain, and seeing, they are glad,Who for their corn-fields' plight sore sighed before;Even so the sons of Troy when they beheldThere in their land Penthesileia dreadAfire for battle, were exceeding glad;For when the heart is thrilled with hope of good,All smart of evils past is wiped away:So, after all his sighing and his pain,Gladdened a little while was Priam's soul.As when a man who hath suffered many a pangFrom blinded eyes, sore longing to beholdThe light, and, if he may not, fain would die,Then at the last, by a cunning leech's skill,Or by a God's grace, sees the dawn-rose flush,Sees the mist rolled back from before his eyes,--Yea, though clear vision come not as of old,Yet, after all his anguish, joys to haveSome small relief, albeit the stings of painPrick sharply yet beneath his eyelids;--soJoyed the old king to see that terrible queen--The shadowy joy of one in anguish whelmedFor slain sons. Into his halls he led the Maid,And with glad welcome honoured her, as oneWho greets a daughter to her home returnedFrom a far country in the twentieth year;And set a feast before her, sumptuousAs battle-glorious kings, who have brought lowNations of foes, array in splendour of pomp,With hearts in pride of victory triumphing.And gifts he gave her costly and fair to see,And pledged him to give many more, so sheWould save the Trojans from the imminent doom.And she such deeds she promised as no manHad hoped for, even to lay Achilles low,To smite the wide host of the Argive men,And cast the brands red-flaming on the ships.Ah fool!--but little knew she him, the lordOf ashen spears, how far Achilles' mightIn warrior-wasting strife o'erpassed her own!

But when Andromache, the stately childOf king Eetion, heard the wild queen's vaunt,Low to her own soul bitterly murmured she:"Ah hapless! why with arrogant heart dost thouSpeak such great swelling words? No strength is thineTo grapple in fight with Peleus' aweless son.Nay, doom and swift death shall he deal to thee.Alas for thee! What madness thrills thy soul?Fate and the end of death stand hard by thee!Hector was mightier far to wield the spearThan thou, yet was for all his prowess slain,Slain for the bitter grief of Troy, whose folkThe city through looked on him as a God.My glory and his noble parents' gloryWas he while yet he lived--O that the earthOver my dead face had been mounded high,Or ever through his throat the breath of lifeFollowed the cleaving spear! But now have ILooked--woe is me!--on grief unutterable,When round the city those fleet-footed steedsHaled him, steeds of Achilles, who had madeMe widowed of mine hero-husband, madeMy portion bitterness through all my days."

So spake Eetion's lovely-ankled childLow to her own soul, thinking on her lord.So evermore the faithful-hearted wifeNurseth for her lost love undying grief.

Then in swift revolution sweeping roundInto the Ocean's deep stream sank the sun,And daylight died. So when the banquetersCeased from the wine-cup and the goodly feast,Then did the handmaids spread in Priam's hallsFor Penthesileia dauntless-souled the couchHeart-cheering, and she laid her down to rest;And slumber mist-like overveiled her eyesLike sweet dew dropping round. From heavens' blue depthsSlid down the might of a deceitful dreamAt Pallas' hest, that so the warrior-maidMight see it, and become a curse to TroyAnd to herself, when strained her soul to meet;The whirlwind of the battle. In this wiseThe Trito-born, the subtle-souled, contrived:Stood o'er the maiden's head that baleful dreamIn likeness of her father, kindling herFearlessly front to front to meet in fightFleetfoot Achilles. And she heard the voice,And all her heart exulted, for she weenedThat she should on that dawning day achieveA mighty deed in battle's deadly toilAh, fool, who trusted for her sorrow a dreamOut of the sunless land, such as beguilesFull oft the travail-burdened tribes of men,Whispering mocking lies in sleeping ears,And to the battle's travail lured her then!

But when the Dawn, the rosy-ankled, leaptUp from her bed, then, clad in mighty strengthOf spirit, suddenly from her couch uprosePenthesileia. Then did she arrayHer shoulders in those wondrous-fashioned armsGiven her of the War-god. First she laidBeneath her silver-gleaming knees the greavesFashioned of gold, close-clipping the strong limbs.Her rainbow-radiant corslet clasped she thenAbout her, and around her shoulders slung,With glory in her heart, the massy brandWhose shining length was in a scabbard sheathedOf ivory and silver. Next, her shieldUnearthly splendid, caught she up, whose rimSwelled like the young moon's arching chariot-railWhen high o'er Ocean's fathomless-flowing streamShe rises, with the space half filled with lightBetwixt her bowing horns. So did it shineUnutterably fair. Then on her headShe settled the bright helmet overstreamedWith a wild mane of golden-glistering hairs.So stood she, lapped about with flaming mail,In semblance like the lightning, which the might,The never-wearied might of Zeus, to earthHurleth, what time he showeth forth to menFury of thunderous-roaring rain, or swoopResistless of his shouting host of winds.Then in hot haste forth of her bower to passCaught she two javelins in the hand that graspedHer shield-band; but her strong right hand laid holdOn a huge halberd, sharp of either blade,Which terrible Eris gave to Ares' childTo be her Titan weapon in the strifeThat raveneth souls of men. Laughing for gleeThereover, swiftly flashed she forth the ringOf towers. Her coming kindled all the sonsOf Troy to rush into the battle forthWhich crowneth men with glory. Swiftly allHearkened her gathering-ery, and thronging came,Champions, yea, even such as theretoforeShrank back from standing in the ranks of warAgainst Achilles the all-ravager.But she in pride of triumph on she rodeThroned on a goodly steed and fleet, the giftOf Oreithyia, the wild North-wind's bride,Given to her guest the warrior-maid, what timeShe came to Thrace, a steed whose flying feetCould match the Harpies' wings. Riding thereonPenthesileia in her goodliheadLeft the tall palaces of Troy behind.And ever were the ghastly-visaged FatesThrusting her on into the battle, doomedTo be her first against the Greeks--and last!To right, to left, with unreturning feetThe Trojan thousands followed to the fray,The pitiless fray, that death-doomed warrior-maid,Followed in throngs, as follow sheep the ramThat by the shepherd's art strides before all.So followed they, with battle-fury filled,Strong Trojans and wild-hearted Amazons.And like Tritonis seemed she, as she wentTo meet the Giants, or as flasheth farThrough war-hosts Eris, waker of onset-shouts.So mighty in the Trojans' midst she seemed,Penthesileia of the flying feet.

Then unto Cronos' Son Laomedon's childUpraised his hands, his sorrow-burdened hands,Turning him toward the sky-encountering faneOf Zeus of Ida, who with sleepless eyesLooks ever down on Ilium; and he prayed:"Father, give ear! Vouchsafe that on this dayAchaea's host may fall before the handsOf this our warrior-queen, the War-god's child;And do thou bring her back unscathed againUnto mine halls: we pray thee by the loveThou bear'st to Ares of the fiery heartThy son, yea, to her also! is she notMost wondrous like the heavenly Goddesses?And is she not the child of thine own seed?Pity my stricken heart withal! Thou know'stAll agonies I have suffered in the deathsOf dear sons whom the Fates have torn from meBy Argive hands in the devouring fight.Compassionate us, while a remnant yetRemains of noble Dardanus' blood, while yetThis city stands unwasted! Let us knowFrom ghastly slaughter and strife one breathing-space!"

In passionate prayer he spake:--lo, with shrill screamSwiftly to left an eagle darted byAnd in his talons bare a gasping dove.Then round the heart of Priam all the bloodWas chilled with fear. Low to his soul he said:"Ne'er shall I see return alive from warPenthesileia!" On that selfsame dayThe Fates prepared his boding to fulfil;And his heart brake with anguish of despair.

Marvelled the Argives, far across the plainSeeing the hosts of Troy charge down on them,And midst them Penthesileia, Ares' child.These seemed like ravening beasts that mid the hillsBring grimly slaughter to the fleecy flocks;And she, as a rushing blast of flame she seemedThat maddeneth through the copses summer-scorched,When the wind drives it on; and in this wiseSpake one to other in their mustering host:"Who shall this be who thus can rouse to warThe Trojans, now that Hector hath been slain--These who, we said, would never more find heartTo stand against us? Lo now, suddenlyForth are they rushing, madly afire for fight!Sure, in their midst some great one kindleth themTo battle's toil! Thou verily wouldst sayThis were a God, of such great deeds he dreams!Go to, with aweless courage let us armOur own breasts: let us summon up our mightIn battle-fury. We shall lack not helpOf Gods this day to close in fight with Troy."

So cried they; and their flashing battle-gearCast they about them: forth the ships they pouredClad in the rage of fight as with a cloak.Then front to front their battles closed, like beastsOf ravin, locked in tangle of gory strife.Clanged their bright mail together, clashed the spears,The corslets, and the stubborn-welded shieldsAnd adamant helms. Each stabbed at other's fleshWith the fierce brass: was neither ruth nor rest,And all the Trojan soil was crimson-red.

Then first Penthesileia smote and slewMolion; now Persinous falls, and nowEilissus; reeled Antitheus 'neath her spearThe pride of Lernus quelled she: down she boreHippalmus 'neath her horse-hoofs; Haemon's sonDied; withered stalwart Elasippus' strength.And Derinoe laid low Laogonus,And Clonie Menippus, him who sailedLong since from Phylace, led by his lordProtesilaus to the war with Troy.Then was Podarces, son of Iphiclus,Heart-wrung with ruth and wrath to see him lieDead, of all battle-comrades best-beloved.Swiftly at Clonie he hurled, the maidFair as a Goddess: plunged the unswerving lance'Twixt hip and hip, and rushed the dark blood forthAfter the spear, and all her bowels gushed out.Then wroth was Penthesileia; through the brawnOf his right arm she drave the long spear's point,She shore atwain the great blood-brimming veins,And through the wide gash of the wound the goreSpirted, a crimson fountain. With a groanBackward he sprang, his courage wholly quelledBy bitter pain; and sorrow and dismayThrilled, as he fled, his men of Phylace.A short way from the fight he reeled aside,And in his friends' arms died in little space.Then with his lance Idomeneus thrust out,And by the right breast stabbed Bremusa. StilledFor ever was the beating of her heart.She fell, as falls a graceful-shafted pineHewn mid the hills by woodmen: heavily,Sighing through all its boughs, it crashes down.So with a wailing shriek she fell, and deathUnstrung her every limb: her breathing soulMingled with multitudinous-sighing winds.Then, as Evandre through the murderous frayWith Thermodosa rushed, stood Meriones,A lion in the path, and slew: his spearRight to the heart of one he drave, and oneStabbed with a lightning sword-thrust 'twixt the hips:Leapt through the wounds the life, and fled away.Oileus' fiery son smote Derinoe'Twixt throat and shoulder with his ruthless spear;And on Alcibie Tydeus' terrible sonSwooped, and on Derimacheia: head with neckClean from the shoulders of these twain he shoreWith ruin-wreaking brand. Together downFell they, as young calves by the massy axeOf brawny flesher felled, that, shearing throughThe sinews of the neck, lops life away.So, by the hands of Tydeus' son laid lowUpon the Trojan plain, far, far awayFrom their own highland-home, they fell. Nor theseAlone died; for the might of SthenelusDown on them hurled Cabeirus' corse, who cameFrom Sestos, keen to fight the Argive foe,But never saw his fatherland again.Then was the heart of Paris filled with wrathFor a friend slain. Full upon SthenelusAimed he a shaft death-winged, yet touched him not,Despite his thirst for vengeance: otherwhereThe arrow glanced aside, and carried deathWhither the stern Fates guided its fierce wing,And slew Evenor brazen-tasleted,Who from Dulichium came to war with Troy.For his death fury-kindled was the sonOf haughty Phyleus: as a lion leapsUpon the flock, so swiftly rushed he: allShrank huddling back before that terrible man.Itymoneus he slew, and Hippasus' sonAgelaus: from Miletus brought they warAgainst the Danaan men by Nastes led,The god-like, and Amphimachus mighty-souled.On Mycale they dwelt; beside their homeRose Latmus' snowy crests, stretched the long glensOf Branchus, and Panormus' water-meads.Maeander's flood deep-rolling swept thereby,Which from the Phrygian uplands, pastured o'erBy myriad flocks, around a thousand forelandsCurls, swirls, and drives his hurrying ripples onDown to the vine-clad land of Carian menThese mid the storm of battle Meges slew,Nor these alone, but whomsoe'er his lanceBlack-shafted touched, were dead men; for his breastThe glorious Trito-born with courage thrilledTo bring to all his foes the day of doom.And Polypoetes, dear to Ares, slewDresaeus, whom the Nymph Neaera bareTo passing-wise Theiodamas for theseSpread was the bed of love beside the footOf Sipylus the Mountain, where the GodsMade Niobe a stony rock, wherefromTears ever stream: high up, the rugged cragBows as one weeping, weeping, waterfallsCry from far-echoing Hermus, wailing moanOf sympathy: the sky-encountering crestsOf Sipylus, where alway floats a mistHated of shepherds, echo back the cry.Weird marvel seems that Rock of NiobeTo men that pass with feet fear-goaded: thereThey see the likeness of a woman bowed,In depths of anguish sobbing, and her tearsDrop, as she mourns grief-stricken, endlessly.Yea, thou wouldst say that verily so it was,Viewing it from afar; but when hard byThou standest, all the illusion vanishes;And lo, a steep-browed rock, a fragment rentFrom Sipylus--yet Niobe is there,Dreeing her weird, the debt of wrath divine,A broken heart in guise of shattered stone.

All through the tangle of that desperate frayStalked slaughter and doom. The incarnate Onset-shoutRaved through the rolling battle; at her sidePaced Death the ruthless, and the Fearful Faces,The Fates, beside them strode, and in red handsBare murder and the groans of dying men.That day the beating of full many a heart,Trojan and Argive, was for ever stilled,While roared the battle round them, while the furyOf Penthesileia fainted not nor failed;But as amid long ridges of lone hillsA lioness, stealing down a deep ravine,Springs on the kine with lightning leap, athirstFor blood wherein her fierce heart revelleth;So on the Danaans leapt that warrior-maid.And they, their souls were cowed: backward they shrank,And fast she followed, as a towering surgeChases across the thunder-booming seaA flying bark, whose white sails strain beneathThe wind's wild buffering, and all the airMaddens with roaring, as the rollers crashOn a black foreland looming on the leeWhere long reefs fringe the surf-tormented shores.So chased she, and so dashed the ranks asunderTriumphant-souled, and hurled fierce threats before:"Ye dogs, this day for evil outrage doneTo Priam shall ye pay! No man of youShall from mine hands deliver his own life,And win back home, to gladden parents eyes,Or comfort wife or children. Ye shall lieDead, ravined on by vultures and by wolves,And none shall heap the earth-mound o'er your clay.Where skulketh now the strength of Tydeus' son,And where the might of Aeacus' scion?Where is Aias' bulk? Ye vaunt them mightiest menOf all your rabble. Ha! they will not dareWith me to close in battle, lest I dragForth from their fainting frames their craven souls!"

Then heart-uplifted leapt she on the foe,Resistless as a tigress, crashing throughRanks upon ranks of Argives, smiting nowWith that huge halberd massy-headed, nowHurling the keen dart, while her battle-horseFlashed through the fight, and on his shoulder bareQuiver and bow death-speeding, close to her hand,If mid that revel of blood she willed to speedThe bitter-biting shaft. Behind her sweptThe charging lines of men fleet-footed, friendsAnd brethren of the man who never flinchedFrom close death-grapple, Hector, panting allThe hot breath of the War-god from their breasts,All slaying Danaans with the ashen spear,Who fell as frost-touched leaves in autumn fallOne after other, or as drops of rain.And aye went up a moaning from earth's breastAll blood-bedrenched, and heaped with corse on corse.Horses pierced through with arrows, or impaledOn spears, were snorting forth their last of strengthWith screaming neighings. Men, with gnashing teethBiting the dust, lay gasping, while the steedsOf Trojan charioteers stormed in pursuit,Trampling the dying mingled with the deadAs oxen trample corn in threshing-floors.

Then one exulting boasted mid the hostOf Troy, beholding Penthesileia rushOn through the foes' array, like the black stormThat maddens o'er the sea, what time the sunAllies his might with winter's Goat-horned Star;And thus, puffed up with vain hope, shouted he:"O friends, in manifest presence down from heavenOne of the deathless Gods this day hath comeTo fight the Argives, all of love for us,Yea, and with sanction of almighty Zeus,He whose compassion now rememberethHaply strong-hearted Priam, who may boastFor his a lineage of immortal blood.For this, I trow, no mortal woman seems,Who is so aweless-daring, who is cladIn splendour-flashing arms: nay, surely sheShall be Athene, or the mighty-souledEnyo--haply Eris, or the ChildOf Leto world-renowned. O yea, I lookTo see her hurl amid yon Argive menMad-shrieking slaughter, see her set aflameYon ships wherein they came long years agoneBringing us many sorrows, yea, they cameBringing us woes of war intolerable.Ha! to the home-land Hellas ne'er shall theseWith joy return, since Gods on our side fight."

In overweening exultation soVaunted a Trojan. Fool!--he had no visionOf ruin onward rushing upon himselfAnd Troy, and Penthesileia's self withal.For not as yet had any tidings comeOf that wild fray to Aias stormy-souled,Nor to Achilles, waster of tower and town.But on the grave-mound of Menoetius' sonThey twain were lying, with sad memoriesOf a dear comrade crushed, and echoingEach one the other's groaning. One it wasOf the Blest Gods who still was holding backThese from the battle-tumult far away,Till many Greeks should fill the measure upOf woeful havoc, slain by Trojan foesAnd glorious Penthesileia, who pursuedWith murderous intent their rifled ranks,While ever waxed her valour more and more,And waxed her might within her: never in vainShe aimed the unswerving spear-thrust: aye she piercedThe backs of them that fled, the breasts of suchAs charged to meet her. All the long shaft drippedWith steaming blood. Swift were her feet as windAs down she swooped. Her aweless spirit failedFor weariness nor fainted, but her mightWas adamantine. The impending Doom,Which roused unto the terrible strife not yetAchilles, clothed her still with glory; stillAloof the dread Power stood, and still would shedSplendour of triumph o'er the death-ordainedBut for a little space, ere it should quellThat Maiden 'neath the hands of Aeaeus' son.In darkness ambushed, with invisible handEver it thrust her on, and drew her feetDestruction-ward, and lit her path to deathWith glory, while she slew foe after foe.As when within a dewy garden-close,Longing for its green springtide freshness, leapsA heifer, and there rangeth to and fro,When none is by to stay her, treading downAll its green herbs, and all its wealth of bloom,Devouring greedily this, and marring thatWith trampling feet; so ranged she, Ares' child,Through reeling squadrons of Achaea's sons,Slew these, and hunted those in panic rout.

From Troy afar the women marvelling gazedAt the Maid's battle-prowess. SuddenlyA fiery passion for the fray hath seizedAntimachus' daughter, Meneptolemus' wife,Tisiphone. Her heart waxed strong, and filledWith lust of fight she cried to her fellows all,With desperate-daring words, to spur them onTo woeful war, by recklessness made strong."Friends, let a heart of valour in our breastsAwake! Let us be like our lords, who fightWith foes for fatherland, for babes, for us,And never pause for breath in that stern strife!Let us too throne war's spirit in our hearts!Let us too face the fight which favoureth none!For we, we women, be not creatures castIn diverse mould from men: to us is givenSuch energy of life as stirs in them.Eyes have we like to theirs, and limbs: throughoutFashioned we are alike: one common lightWe look on, and one common air we breathe:With like food are we nourished--nay, whereinHave we been dowered of God more niggardlyThan men? Then let us shrink not from the fraySee ye not yonder a woman far excellingMen in the grapple of fight? Yet is her bloodNowise akin to ours, nor fighteth sheFor her own city. For an alien kingShe warreth of her own heart's prompting, fearsThe face of no man; for her soul is thrilledWith valour and with spirit invincible.But we--to right, to left, lie woes on woesAbout our feet: this mourns beloved sons,And that a husband who for hearth and homeHath died; some wail for fathers now no more;Some grieve for brethren and for kinsmen lost.Not one but hath some share in sorrow's cup.Behind all this a fearful shadow looms,The day of bondage! Therefore flinch not yeFrom war, O sorrow-laden! Better farTo die in battle now, than afterwardsHence to be haled into captivityTo alien folk, we and our little ones,In the stern grip of fate leaving behindA burning city, and our husbands' graves."

So cried she, and with passion for stern warThrilled all those women; and with eager speedThey hasted to go forth without the wallMail-clad, afire to battle for their townAnd people: all their spirit was aflame.As when within a hive, when winter-tideIs over and gone, loud hum the swarming beesWhat time they make them ready forth to fareTo bright flower-pastures, and no more endureTo linger therewithin, but each to otherCrieth the challenge-cry to sally forth;Even so bestirred themselves the women of Troy,And kindled each her sister to the fray.The weaving-wool, the distaff far they flung,And to grim weapons stretched their eager hands.

And now without the city these had diedIn that wild battle, as their husbands diedAnd the strong Amazons died, had not one voiceOf wisdom cried to stay their maddened feet,When with dissuading words Theano spake:"Wherefore, ah wherefore for the toil and strainOf battle's fearful tumult do ye yearn,Infatuate ones? Never your limbs have toiledIn conflict yet. In utter ignorancePanting for labour unendurable,Ye rush on all-unthinking; for your strengthCan never be as that of Danaan men,Men trained in daily battle. AmazonsHave joyed in ruthless fight, in charging steeds,From the beginning: all the toil of menDo they endure; and therefore evermoreThe spirit of the War-god thrills them through.'They fall not short of men in anything:Their labour-hardened frames make great their heartsFor all achievement: never faint their kneesNor tremble. Rumour speaks their queen to beA daughter of the mighty Lord of War.Therefore no woman may compare with herIn prowess--if she be a woman, notA God come down in answer to our prayers.Yea, of one blood be all the race of men,Yet unto diverse labours still they turn;And that for each is evermore the bestWhereto he bringeth skill of use and wont.Therefore do ye from tumult of the frayHold you aloof, and in your women's bowersBefore the loom still pace ye to and fro;And war shall be the business of our lords.Lo, of fair issue is there hope: we seeThe Achaeans falling fast: we see the mightOf our men waxing ever: fear is noneOf evil issue now: the pitiless foeBeleaguer not the town: no desperate needThere is that women should go forth to war."

So cried she, and they hearkened to the wordsOf her who had garnered wisdom from the years;So from afar they watched the fight. But stillPenthesileia brake the ranks, and stillBefore her quailed the Achaeans: still they foundNor screen nor hiding-place from imminent death.As bleating goats are by the blood-stained jawsOf a grim panther torn, so slain were they.In each man's heart all lust of battle died,And fear alone lived. This way, that way fledThe panic-stricken: some to earth had flungThe armour from their shoulders; some in dustGrovelled in terror 'neath their shields: the steedsFled through the rout unreined of charioteers.In rapture of triumph charged the Amazons,With groan and scream of agony died the Greeks.Withered their manhood was in that sore strait;Brief was the span of all whom that fierce maidMid the grim jaws of battle overtook.As when with mighty roaring bursteth downA storm upon the forest-trees, and someUprendeth by the roots, and on the earthDashes them down, the tail stems blossom-crowned,And snappeth some athwart the trunk, and highWhirls them through air, till all confused they lieA ruin of splintered stems and shattered sprays;So the great Danaan host lay, dashed to dustBy doom of Fate, by Penthesileia's spear.

But when the very ships were now at pointTo be by hands of Trojans set aflame,Then battle-bider Aias heard afarThe panic-cries, and spake to Aeacus' son:"Achilles, all the air about mine earsIs full of multitudinous eries, is fullOf thunder of battle rolling nearer aye.Let us go forth then, ere the Trojans winUnto the ships, and make great slaughter thereOf Argive men, and set the ships aflame.Foulest reproach such thing on thee and meShould bring; for it beseems not that the seedOf mighty Zeus should shame the sacred bloodOf hero-fathers, who themselves of oldWith Hercules the battle-eager sailedTo Troy, and smote her even at her heightOf glory, when Laomedon was king.Ay, and I ween that our hands even nowShall do the like: we too are mighty men."

He spake: the aweless strength of Aeacus' sonHearkened thereto, for also to his earsBy this the roar of bitter battle came.Then hasted both, and donned their warrior-gearAll splendour-gleaming: now, in these arrayedFacing that stormy-tossing rout they stand.Loud clashed their glorious armour: in their soulsA battle-fury like the War-god's wrathMaddened; such might was breathed into these twainBy Atrytone, Shaker of the Shield,As on they pressed. With joy the Argives sawThe coming of that mighty twain: they seemedIn semblance like Aloeus' giant sonsWho in the old time made that haughty vauntOf piling on Olympus' brow the heightOf Ossa steeply-towering, and the crestOf sky-encountering Pelion, so to rearA mountain-stair for their rebellious rageTo scale the highest heaven. Huge as theseThe sons of Aeacus seemed, as forth they strodeTo stem the tide of war. A gladsome sightTo friends who have fainted for their coming, nowOnward they press to crush triumphant foes.Many they slew with their resistless spears;As when two herd-destroying lions comeOn sheep amid the copses feeding, farFrom help of shepherds, and in heaps on heapsSlay them, till they have drunken to the fullOf blood, and filled their maws insatiateWith flesh, so those destroyers twain slew on,Spreading wide havoc through the hosts of Troy.

There Deiochus and gallant Hyllus fellBy Alas slain, and fell EurynomusLover of war, and goodly Enyeus died.But Peleus' son burst on the AmazonsSmiting Antandre, Polemusa then,Antibrote, fierce-souled Hippothoe,Hurling Harmothoe down on sisters slain.Then hard on all their-reeling ranks he pressedWith Telamon's mighty-hearted son; and nowBefore their hands battalions dense and strongCrumbled as weakly and as suddenlyAs when in mountain-folds the forest-brakesShrivel before a tempest-driven fire.

When battle-eager Penthesileia sawThese twain, as through the scourging storm of warLike ravening beasts they rushed, to meet them thereShe sped, as when a leopard grim, whose moodIs deadly, leaps from forest-coverts forth,Lashing her tail, on hunters closing round,While these, in armour clad, and putting trustIn their long spears, await her lightning leap;So did those warriors twain with spears upswungWait Penthesileia. Clanged the brazen platesAbout their shoulders as they moved. And firstLeapt the long-shafted lance sped from the handOf goodly Penthesileia. Straight it flewTo the shield of Aeacus' son, but glancing thenceThis way and that the shivered fragments sprangAs from a rock-face: of such temper wereThe cunning-hearted Fire-god's gifts divine.Then in her hand the warrior-maid swung upA second javelin fury-winged, againstAias, and with fierce words defied the twain:"Ha, from mine hand in vain one lance hath leapt!But with this second look I suddenlyTo quell the strength and courage of two foes,--Ay, though ye vaunt you mighty men of warAmid your Danaans! Die ye shall, and soLighter shall be the load of war's afflictionThat lies upon the Trojan chariot-lords.Draw nigh, come through the press to grips with me,So shall ye learn what might wells up in breastsOf Amazons. With my blood is mingled war!No mortal man begat me, but the LordOf War, insatiate of the battle-cry.Therefore my might is more than any man's."

With scornful laughter spake she: then she hurledHer second lance; but they in utter scornLaughed now, as swiftly flew the shaft, and smoteThe silver greave of Aias, and was foiledThereby, and all its fury could not scarThe flesh within; for fate had ordered notThat any blade of foes should taste the bloodOf Aias in the bitter war. But heRecked of the Amazon naught, but turned him thenceTo rush upon the Trojan host, and leftPenthesileia unto Peleus' sonAlone, for well he knew his heart withinThat she, for all her prowess, none the lessWould cost Achilles battle-toil as light,As effortless, as doth the dove the hawk.

Then groaned she an angry groan that she had spedHer shafts in vain; and now with scoffing speechTo her in turn the son of Peleus spake:"Woman, with what vain vauntings triumphingHast thou come forth against us, all athirstTo battle with us, who be mightier farThan earthborn heroes? We from Cronos' Son,The Thunder-roller, boast our high descent.Ay, even Hector quailed, the battle-swift,Before us, e'en though far away he sawOur onrush to grim battle. Yea, my spearSlew him, for all his might. But thou--thine heartIs utterly mad, that thou hast greatly daredTo threaten us with death this day! On theeThy latest hour shall swiftly come--is come!Thee not thy sire the War-god now shall pluckOut of mine hand, but thou the debt shalt payOf a dark doom, as when mid mountain-foldsA pricket meets a lion, waster of herds.What, woman, hast thou heard not of the heapsOf slain, that into Xanthus' rushing streamWere thrust by these mine hands?--or hast thou heardIn vain, because the Blessed Ones have stol'nWit and discretion from thee, to the endThat Doom's relentless gulf might gape for thee?"

He spake; he swung up in his mighty handAnd sped the long spear warrior-slaying, wroughtBy Chiron, and above the right breast piercedThe battle-eager maid. The red blood leaptForth, as a fountain wells, and all at onceFainted the strength of Penthesileia's limbs;Dropped the great battle-axe from her nerveless hand;A mist of darkness overveiled her eyes,And anguish thrilled her soul. Yet even soStill drew she difficult breath, still dimly sawThe hero, even now in act to dragHer from the swift steed's back. ConfusedlyShe thought: "Or shall I draw my mighty sword,And bide Achilles' fiery onrush, orHastily cast me from my fleet horse downTo earth, and kneel unto this godlike man,And with wild breath promise for ransomingGreat heaps of brass and gold, which pacifyThe hearts of victors never so athirstFor blood, if haply so the murderous mightOf Aeacus' son may hearken and may spare,Or peradventure may compassionateMy youth, and so vouchsafe me to beholdMine home again?--for O, I long to live!"

So surged the wild thoughts in her; but the GodsOrdained it otherwise. Even now rushed onIn terrible anger Peleus' son: he thrustWith sudden spear, and on its shaft impaledThe body of her tempest-footed steed,Even as a man in haste to sup might pierceFlesh with the spit, above the glowing hearthTo roast it, or as in a mountain-gladeA hunter sends the shaft of death clear throughThe body of a stag with such winged speedThat the fierce dart leaps forth beyond, to plungeInto the tall stem of an oak or pine.So that death-ravening spear of Peleus' sonClear through the goodly steed rushed on, and piercedPenthesileia. Straightway fell she downInto the dust of earth, the arms of death,In grace and comeliness fell, for naught of shameDishonoured her fair form. Face down she layOn the long spear outgasping her last breath,Stretched upon that fleet horse as on a couch;Like some tall pine snapped by the icy maceOf Boreas, earth's forest-fosterlingReared by a spring to stately height, amidstLong mountain-glens, a glory of mother earth;So from the once fleet steed low fallen layPenthesileia, all her shattered strengthBrought down to this, and all her loveliness.

Now when the Trojans saw the Warrior-queenStruck down in battle, ran through all their linesA shiver of panic. Straightway to their wallsTurned they in flight, heart-agonized with grief.As when on the wide sea, 'neath buffetingsOf storm-blasts, castaways whose ship is wreckedEscape, a remnant of a crew, forspentWith desperate conflict with the cruel sea:Late and at last appears the land hard by,Appears a city: faint and weary-limbedWith that grim struggle, through the surf they strainTo land, sore grieving for the good ship lost,And shipmates whom the terrible surge dragged downTo nether gloom; so, Troyward as they fledFrom battle, all those Trojans wept for her,The Child of the resistless War-god, weptFor friends who died in groan-resounding fight.

Then over her with scornful laugh the sonOf Peleus vaunted: "In the dust lie thereA prey to teeth of dogs, to ravens' beaks,Thou wretched thing! Who cozened thee to comeForth against me? And thoughtest thou to fareHome from the war alive, to bear with theeRight royal gifts from Priam the old king,Thy guerdon for slain Argives? Ha, 'twas notThe Immortals who inspired thee with this thought,Who know that I of heroes mightiest am,The Danaans' light of safety, but a woeTo Trojans and to thee, O evil-starred!Nay, but it was the darkness-shrouded FatesAnd thine own folly of soul that pricked thee onTo leave the works of women, and to fareTo war, from which strong men shrink shuddering back."

So spake he, and his ashen spear the sonOf Peleus drew from that swift horse, and fromPenthesileia in death's agony.Then steed and rider gasped their lives awaySlain by one spear. Now from her head he pluckedThe helmet splendour-flashing like the beamsOf the great sun, or Zeus' own glory-light.Then, there as fallen in dust and blood she lay,Rose, like the breaking of the dawn, to view'Neath dainty-pencilled brows a lovely face,Lovely in death. The Argives thronged around,And all they saw and marvelled, for she seemedLike an Immortal. In her armour thereUpon the earth she lay, and seemed the ChildOf Zeus, the tireless Huntress ArtemisSleeping, what time her feet forwearied areWith following lions with her flying shaftsOver the hills far-stretching. She was madeA wonder of beauty even in her deathBy Aphrodite glorious-crowned, the BrideOf the strong War-god, to the end that he,The son of noble Peleus, might be piercedWith the sharp arrow of repentant love.The warriors gazed, and in their hearts they prayedThat fair and sweet like her their wives might seem,Laid on the bed of love, when home they won.Yea, and Achilles' very heart was wrungWith love's remorse to have slain a thing so sweet,Who might have borne her home, his queenly bride,To chariot-glorious Phthia; for she wasFlawless, a very daughter of the Gods,Divinely tall, and most divinely fair.

Then Ares' heart was thrilled with grief and rageFor his child slain. Straight from Olympus downHe darted, swift and bright as thunderboltTerribly flashing from the mighty hand OfZeus, far leaping o'er the trackless sea,Or flaming o'er the land, while shudderethAll wide Olympus as it passeth by.So through the quivering air with heart aflameSwooped Ares armour-clad, soon as he heardThe dread doom of his daughter. For the Gales,The North-wind's fleet-winged daughters, bare to him,As through the wide halls of the sky he strode,The tidings of the maiden's woeful end.Soon as he heard it, like a tempest-blastDown to the ridges of Ida leapt he: quakedUnder his feet the long glens and ravinesDeep-scored, all Ida's torrent-beds, and allFar-stretching foot-hills. Now had Ares broughtA day of mourning on the Myrmidons,But Zeus himself from far Olympus sentMid shattering thunders terror of levin-boltsWhich thick and fast leapt through the welkin downBefore his feet, blazing with fearful flames.And Ares saw, and knew the stormy threatOf the mighty-thundering Father, and he stayedHis eager feet, now on the very brinkOf battle's turmoil. As when some huge cragThrust from a beetling cliff-brow by the windsAnd torrent rains, or lightning-lance of Zeus,Leaps like a wild beast, and the mountain-glensFling back their crashing echoes as it rollsIn mad speed on, as with resistless swoopOf bound on bound it rushes down, untilIt cometh to the levels of the plain,And there perforce its stormy flight is stayed;

So Ares, battle-eager Son of Zeus,Was stayed, how loth soe'er; for all the GodsTo the Ruler of the Blessed needs must yield,Seeing he sits high-throned above them all,Clothed in his might unspeakable. Yet stillMany a wild thought surged through Ares' soul,Urging him now to dread the terrible threatOf Cronos' wrathful Son, and to returnHeavenward, and now to reck not of his Sire,But with Achilles' blood to stain those hands,The battle-tireless. At the last his heartRemembered how that many and many a sonOf Zeus himself in many a war had died,Nor in their fall had Zeus availed them aught.Therefore he turned him from the Argives--else,Down smitten by the blasting thunderbolt,With Titans in the nether gloom he had lain,Who dared defy the eternal will of Zeus.

Then did the warrior sons of Argos stripWith eager haste from corpses strown all roundThe blood-stained spoils. But ever Peleus' sonGazed, wild with all regret, still gazed on her,The strong, the beautiful, laid in the dust;And all his heart was wrung, was broken downWith sorrowing love, deep, strong as he had knownWhen that beloved friend Patroclus died.

Loud jeered Thersites, mocking to his face:"Thou sorry-souled Achilles! art not shamedTo let some evil Power beguile thine heartTo pity of a pitiful AmazonWhose furious spirit purposed naught but illTo us and ours? Ha, woman-mad art thou,And thy soul lusts for this thing, as she wereSome lady wise in household ways, with giftsAnd pure intent for honoured wedlock wooed!Good had it been had her spear reached thine heart,The heart that sighs for woman-creatures still!Thou carest not, unmanly-souled, not thou,For valour's glorious path, when once thine eyeLights on a woman! Sorry wretch, where nowIs all thy goodly prowess? where thy wit?And where the might that should beseem a kingAll-stainless? Dost not know what miseryThis self-same woman-madness wrought for Troy?Nothing there is to men more ruinousThan lust for woman's beauty; it maketh foolsOf wise men. But the toil of war attainsRenown. To him that is a hero indeedGlory of victory and the War-god's worksAre sweet. 'Tis but the battle-blencher cravesThe beauty and the bed of such as she!"

So railed he long and loud: the mighty heartOf Peleus' son leapt into flame of wrath.A sudden buffet of his resistless handSmote 'neath the railer's ear, and all his teethWere dashed to the earth: he fell upon his face:Forth of his lips the blood in torrent gushed:Swift from his body fled the dastard soulOf that vile niddering. Achaea's sonsRejoiced thereat, for aye he wont to railOn each and all with venomous gibes, himselfA scandal and the shame of all the host.Then mid the warrior Argives cried a voice:"Not good it is for baser men to railOn kings, or secretly or openly;For wrathful retribution swiftly comes.The Lady of Justice sits on high; and sheWho heapeth woe on woe on humankind,Even Ate, punisheth the shameless tongue."

So mid the Danaans cried a voice: nor yetWithin the mighty soul of Peleus' sonLulled was the storm of wrath, but fiercely he spake:"Lie there in dust, thy follies all forgot!'Tis not for knaves to beard their betters: onceThou didst provoke Odysseus' steadfast soul,Babbling with venomous tongue a thousand gibes,And didst escape with life; but thou hast foundThe son of Peleus not so patient-souled,Who with one only buffet from his handUnkennels thy dog's soul! A bitter doomHath swallowed thee: by thine own rascalryThy life is sped. Hence from Achaean men,And mouth out thy revilings midst the dead!"

So spake the valiant-hearted aweless sonOf Aeacus. But Tydeus' son aloneOf all the Argives was with anger stirredAgainst Achilles for Thersites slain,Seeing these twain were of the self-same blood,The one, proud Tydeus' battle-eager son,The other, seed of godlike Agrius:Brother of noble Oeneus Agrius was;And Oeneus in the Danaan land begatTydeus the battle-eager, son to whomWas stalwart Diomedes. Therefore wrothWas he for slain Thersites, yea, had raisedAgainst the son of Peleus vengeful hands,Except the noblest of Aehaea's sonsHad thronged around him, and besought him sore,And held him back therefrom. With Peleus' sonAlso they pleaded; else those mighty twain,The mightiest of all Argives, were at pointTo close with clash of swords, so stung were theyWith bitter wrath; yet hearkened they at lastTo prayers of comrades, and were reconciled.

Then of their pity did the Atreid kings--For these too at the imperial lovelinessOf Penthesileia marvelled--render upHer body to the men of Troy, to bearUnto the burg of Ilus far-renownedWith all her armour. For a herald cameAsking this boon for Priam; for the kingLonged with deep yearning of the heart to layThat battle-eager maiden, with her arms,And with her war-horse, in the great earth-moundOf old Laomedon. And so he heapedA high broad pyre without the city wall:Upon the height thereof that warrior-queenThey laid, and costly treasures did they heapAround her, all that well beseems to burnAround a mighty queen in battle slain.And so the Fire-god's swift-upleaping might,The ravening flame, consumed her. All aroundThe people stood on every hand, and quenchedThe pyre with odorous wine. Then gathered theyThe bones, and poured sweet ointment over them,And laid them in a casket: over allShed they the rich fat of a heifer, chiefAmong the herds that grazed on Ida's slope.And, as for a beloved daughter, rangAll round the Trojan men's heart-stricken wail,As by the stately wall they buried herOn an outstanding tower, beside the bonesOf old Laomedon, a queen besideA king. This honour for the War-god's sakeThey rendered, and for Penthesileia's own.And in the plain beside her buried theyThe Amazons, even all that followed herTo battle, and by Argive spears were slain.For Atreus' sons begrudged not these the boonOf tear-besprinkled graves, but let their friends,The warrior Trojans, draw their corpses forth,Yea, and their own slain also, from amidstThe swath of darts o'er that grim harvest-field.Wrath strikes not at the dead: pitied are foesWhen life has fled, and left them foes no more.

Far off across the plain the while uproseSmoke from the pyres whereon the Argives laidThe many heroes overthrown and slainBy Trojan hands what time the sword devoured;And multitudinous lamentation wailedOver the perished. But above the restMourned they o'er brave Podarces, who in fightWas no less mighty than his hero-brotherProtesilaus, he who long agoFell, slain of Hector: so Podarces now,Struck down by Penthesileia's spear, hath castOver all Argive hearts the pall of grief.Wherefore apart from him they laid in clayThe common throng of slain; but over himToiling they heaped an earth-mound far-descriedIn memory of a warrior aweless-souled.And in a several pit withal they thrustThe niddering Thersites' wretched corse.Then to the ships, acclaiming Aeacus' son,Returned they all. But when the radiant dayHad plunged beneath the Ocean-stream, and night,The holy, overspread the face of earth,Then in the rich king Agamemnon's tentFeasted the might of Peleus' son, and thereSat at the feast those other mighty onesAll through the dark, till rose the dawn divine.