An Iliad by Alessandro Baricco Read Free Book Online

Orsilochus, they picked them up and laid them in the arms of their companions, and again rushed into the fray. I saw them attack Pylaemenes: he fought from his chariot while his charioteer, Mydon, guided the horses. Menelaus ran him through with his spear and killed him. Mydon tried to drive the chariot away, but Antilochus hit him in the elbow with a rock, and the white reins, adorned with ivory, slipped from his hands, intothe dust. Rushing at him with his sword, Antilochus stabbed him in the temple. Mydon staggered, the horses flung him out of the chariot.
    Then came Hector, leading all the Trojans. The Achaeans saw him approaching and began to retreat, frightened. Hector killed Menesthes and Anchialus, but he couldn’t carry off their bodies. And Ajax killed Amphius, but he couldn’t get his armor. Sarpedon, lord of the Lycians, and noble Tlepolemus, the son of Herakles, faced each other. The spears left their hands at the same moment. Tlepolemus was hit in the neck: the bitter point passed through him, and dark night descended over the hero’s eyes. Sarpedon was hit in one thigh, and the eager bronze penetrated to the bone. His companions seized him, without even pulling out the spear. The long spear was heavy, but they carried him off, like that. And Odysseus, seeing his companion Tlepolemus die, rushed to finish off Sarpedon. He killed Coeranus and Alastor and Chromius, and Alcander and Halius and Noëmon and Prytanis. He would have gone on killing if Hector hadn’t suddenly appeared, clothed in shining bronze, terrifying.
    “Hector,” Sarpedon cried, lying wounded on the ground, “do not abandon me to the hands of the Achaeans. Save me. Let me die, if I must die, in your city.” Hector said nothing; he went on driving his enemies away. Seeing him, the Achaeans began to retreat, not turning to flee but no longer fighting. And Hector, advancing, killed Teuthras and Orestes, and Trechus, and Oenomaus and Helenus and Oresbius. “Shame on you, Achaeans!” Diomedes cried. “When glorious Achilles was taking part in the war, then the Trojans were terrified, they didn’t even dare to leave their city; now instead you let them get all the way to your ships!” Thus he cried. And the battle extended everywhere, throughout the plain: everywherebetween the waters of Xanthus and those of Simois men were pointing their bronze spears at one another. Ajax was the first to rush forward and break the Trojan ranks. He struck Aca-mas, the most valiant among the peoples of Thrace. The point of the spear entered his forehead and penetrated the bone. Darkness descended over his eyes.
    Diomedes, with a powerful cry, killed Axylus, the son of Teuthras, who was rich and beloved of men. He welcomed all to his house, which was right along the road, but no one, that day, came to defend him from bitter death. Diomedes took his life away and that of his driver: both descended underground.
    Euryalus killed Aesepus and Pedasus, the twin sons of Bucolion. He cut off life and vigor from their handsome bodies; from their shoulders he took their weapons.
    Polypoetes killed Astyalus, Odysseus killed Pidytes, Teucer killed Aretaon, Eurypylus killed Melanthius, Antilochus killed Ablerus. Agamemnon, lord of peoples, killed Elatus.
    I saw all the Trojans running back, desperately, toward their city. I remember Adrastus, whose horses, mad with fear, stumbled on a tamarisk bush, throwing him to the ground; and immediately Menelaus was on him. Adrastus embraced his knees and begged him, “Don’t kill me, Menelaus. My father will pay any ransom for my life, bronze, gold, well-wrought iron, whatever you want.” Menelaus was persuaded and was about to leave him to one of his men to be led, a prisoner, to the ship when Agamemnon rushed over to him and cried, “Menelaus, you’re a weakling. What do you care for these people? Don’t you remember what the Trojans did in your house? None of them must escape our hands and the abyss of death, none, not