CHAPTER XXII

THE BURNING OF PATROCLUS

While the Trojans mourned for Hector in the city, the Greeks went back to the camp. All the others were scattered, each to his own ship, but Achilles spake to the Myrmidons, saying, "Loose not your horses from the yoke, but let us do honour to Patroclus, driving our chariots round the dead, and making lamentation the while."

Then the Myrmidons did as he had bidden them; thrice round the dead they drave their chariots, and made lamentation; and Achilles led the mourning. Also he laid the body of Hector in the dust beside the dead. After that he made a funeral feast for his people. He himself was brought by the chiefs, much against his will, to King Agamemnon, who had made a great feast for the leaders of the Greeks. But when the heralds heated water in a caldron, and would have had him wash off the blood, he refused, saying; "Nay; water shall not come nigh me till I have laid Patroclus on the fire, and heaped a mound over him. Now let us eat our meal, though it be in sorrow; to-morrow we will pay due honour to the dead."

So they ate and drank; and when they had had enough, the others lay down to sleep, each in his own tent, but Achilles lay groaning heavily amidst the Myrmidons in an open place by the sea.

The next day they made a great pile of wood, and laid the dead man thereon. Nine dogs had the Prince, and Achilles slew two of them on the pile, and four horses he slew, and also the twelve youths of Troy whom he had taken at the river. Then he set fire to the pile, saying: "Hear, Patroclus; twelve of the sons of Troy doth the fire devour with thee; but Hector will I give to the dogs."

And when the burning was well-nigh ended, Achilles spake, saying: "Quench ye the fire that yet remains with wine, and gather the bones of Patroclus together where they lie apart in the midst of the pile, and put them in an urn of gold against the day of my death. And make over them a tomb not over large; but when I am dead also, then shall ye that are left make it higher, as is meet."

And when all these things were ended, Achilles, willing to do all honour to the dead man, would have games, wherein the chiefs should contend one with the other. So, having called the people together, he brought forth out of his ships many things that should be for prizes,--caldrons, kettles of bronze, and horses and mules, and fair women-slaves, and iron.

First, he would have a contest of chariots and horses, for which he set forth prizes: for the first, a woman-slave, skilled in all the works of the loom, and with her a kettle of bronze; and for the second, a mare of six years old; and for the third, a kettle of bronze, fair and new; and for the fourth, two talents of gold; and for the fifth, a double cup. Then he stood up in the midst, and spake: "Ye men of Greece, behold these prizes, which I have set in the midst for a race of chariots. Now know ye that if we were doing honour to another than Patroclus, I myself should carry the first prize to my tent, for there are not in the camp horses such as mine; and, indeed, they are not of mortal breed, but Poseidon gave them to Peleus, my father. But from this race I stand apart, and they also; for he that drave them is dead, whom they loved; therefore they stand grieving sore, and their manes droop to the ground." Then stood up five chiefs; first of all, Eumelus, and next to him Diomed, having horses of Troy, which he took from Æneas; and third, Menelaus, driving his horse Whitefoot, and a mare, Flash-of-Fire. Fourth came Antilochus, son of Nestor, and after him Meriones.

Eu-me'-lus.

After this they drew lots for their places. And the first lot fell to Antilochus, and after him came Eumelus, and Menelaus, and Meriones, and Diomed, in this order. Then Achilles marked the course, making old Phœnix the judge. After this the race began, and the men lifted their whips and smote their horses, and shouted also. And the dust rose up beneath the horses' breasts, and their manes were blown by the wind, and the chariots were seen now low upon the earth and now high in the air. But when they were come near to the end of the course at the turning-point, it might be seen which steeds were the better. For the horses of Eumelus were foremost, and next to these the horses of King Diomed, very close, so that they seemed about to step upon the chariot that was before them, and the back and broad shoulders of Eumelus were hot with their breath. And Diomed would now have passed him, or been equal in the race, but Apollo grudged him the victory,--for the god loved him not,--and struck the whip out of his hand. Very wroth was Diomed, and his eyes were filled with tears, that his horses should thus lack control. But Athene saw the thing and had pity on him, and gave him back the whip, and put strength into his horses. Also she went near to Eumelus, and brake the yoke of his chariot, so that the pole smote upon the ground, and the man himself was thrown down, having his elbows and mouth and nostrils sorely bruised, and a wound on his forehead over the eyebrows. Then did Diomed take the first place with his chariot, and next to him came Menelaus. But Antilochus cried to his horses, saying: "Now speed ye as best ye can. I bid you not strive with the horses of King Diomed, for Athene giveth them swiftness and strength; but the horses of Menelaus ye can overtake. It were a shame to you that Flame-of-Fire, being a mare, should surpass you."

And the horses feared the fury of the Prince, and leapt forward. Now Antilochus had spied a narrow place in the way, where it had been broken by the floods in the winter; and as Menelaus drove his chariot thereby, Antilochus, turning a little out of the way, sought to pass at the same time. Now there was not space sufficient for two chariots, and Menelaus feared, and cried: "Why drivest thou so madly, Antilochus? Stay awhile, and thou canst pass me if thou wilt, where the way is broader; but now thou wilt hurt thy chariot and mine." But Antilochus drave the more furiously, making as though he heard not. And for the space of a quoit's throw the chariots were abreast, but then Menelaus held back, fearing lest they should clash together. But he cried to Antilochus: "Was there ever man so evil-minded as thou? Yet shalt thou not win this prize unless thou shalt forswear thyself that thou hast dealt fairly." And to his horses cried: "Speed ye! Stand not still; ye shall overtake them, for they will grow weary before you."

In the meantime the Greeks sat waiting till the chariots should come back.

Then came in Diomed first of all, and leapt from the chariot; and next to him Antilochus, having surpassed Menelaus by craft and not by speed; nor, indeed, was Menelaus far behind, being as near to him as a chariot is near to the horse which draweth it, so swift was the mare Flame-of-Fire, for at the first he had been a whole quoit's throw behind. But Meriones was vanquished by the flight of a spear, for his horses were the slowest, and he himself less skilled to drive. Last of all came Eumelus, drawing his chariot, and driving his horses before him. And Achilles pitied him and said: "The most skilful cometh last. Surely he shall have the second prize."

And the Greeks gave consent; but Antilochus cried aloud: "Wilt thou take away this prize from me because his chariot was broken? Had he prayed to the gods, this had not happened. But if thou pitiest him, give him somewhat of thine own. As for this prize, no man taketh it from me but by arms."

And Achilles laughed and said: "'Tis well said, Antilochus. I will give him of mine own, even a breastplate which Asteropæus wore."

Then stood up Menelaus, in great wrath, and said: "What is this that thou hast done, Antilochus? For thou hast shamed me and my horses, putting thine own in front, which are, of a truth, much worse than they. Judge, therefore, between us, ye chiefs of the Greeks. And thou, Antilochus, stand before thy chariot and thy horses, as the custom is, holding in one hand thy whip, and laying the other hand on thine horses, and swear by Poseidon that thou didst not hinder my chariot by fraud."

To him Antilochus made reply: "Bear with me, Menelaus, for I am younger than thou, and thou knowest how young men go astray, for their judgment is hasty and their wit small. And as for the mare, I give it thee, and aught else that thou desirest, rather than that I should be at strife with thee or sin against the gods."

And the soul of Menelaus was glad, as the corn is glad when the dew falleth upon it; and he said: "This is well said, son of Nestor. And now--for thy father and thy brother have borne much for my sake--I give thee this mare."

And he himself took the kettle of bronze, and the fourth prize Meriones had; but the double cup Achilles gave to old Nestor, saying: "Take this to be a memorial of the burial of Patroclus, whom thou wilt not see any more. For I know that old age hinders thee, that thou canst not contend in wrestling or boxing with the rest."

After this Achilles set forth two prizes for boxers: for the conqueror a mule, and for him that should be vanquished a cup with two mouths. Then stood up Epeius and spake: "Who desireth to take this cup? for the mule no man but I shall have. In battle I am weak--for what man can do all things?--but whosoever shall stand against me to-day, verily, I will tear his flesh and break his bones, so that his friends had best be at hand to carry him away."

E-pei'-us.

Then there rose up against him Euryalus. King Diomed stood by him, wishing much that he might prevail, and brought him his girdle that he might gird himself, and gave him the great gloves of bull's hide. Then the two stood together in the midst. Many blows did they deal to each other, so that the noise was dreadful to hear, and the sweat ran down from them. But after awhile Epeius sprang forward and smote Euryalus on the jaw, even through his guard, and Euryalus could not stand against him; but even as a fish is dashed by the north wind against the shore, so was he dashed to the earth. But Epeius raised him up, and his companions led him away, sorely wounded and amazed.

Eu-ry'-a-lus.

After this Achilles would have a match of wrestling, saying that the conqueror should have a great kettle of bronze, of twelve oxen's worth, and the vanquished a woman-slave, skilful at the loom, worth four oxen. Then stood up Ajax the Greater and Ulysses, and took hold of one another with their hands, and strove together for the mastery. But after a while, when neither could prevail, and the people were weary with looking, Ajax spake, saying: "Come, Ulysses; thou shalt lift me from the ground if thou canst, and I thee. So shall we finish this matter." Then Ajax laid hold of Ulysses to lift him; and this he had done, but Ulysses used craft, as was his wont, and put forth his leg and smote Ajax on the sinew behind the knee, so that he fell, and Ulysses also above him. Then Ulysses would have lifted Ajax from the ground; a little space he moved him, but lifted him not, and his knee yielded beneath him, and they fell to the ground, both of them. But when they would have striven the third time, Achilles hindered them, saying: "Hold! it is enough. Ye are conquerors both, and your prizes shall be equal."

Next to this was a trial of racers on foot, in which three contended, Ajax the Less, and Ulysses, and Antilochus. In a short space Ajax the Less was foremost, with Ulysses close upon him, close as is the shuttle to the breast of a woman who stands at the loom and weaves. Hard behind him he ran, treading in his steps before the dust could rise from them. And when they were now drawing to the end of the course Ulysses prayed to Athene that she should help him, and Athene heard him, and made his knees and feet right nimble, and even at the very end she caused that Ajax slipped in the filth where certain oxen had been slain, so that his mouth and nostrils were filled with it. So Ulysses gained the mixing-bowl; but Ajax stood and spat the filth from his mouth, and laid his hand on the head of the ox, and cried, "Surely the goddess caused my feet to slip, for she ever standeth by Ulysses, and helpeth him as a mother helpeth a child."

So he spake, and all men laughed to hear him; and last of all came Antilochus, taking the third prize. And he said: "Ye know well, my friends, that the immortal gods ever help the aged. As for Ajax, he is but a little older than I, but Ulysses is of another generation. Yet is his verily a green old age; hardly may any of the Greeks strive with him, but only Achilles himself."

So the Games of Patroclus were ended; and the people were scattered to the ships, and sat down to eat and drink; and afterwards they slept. But Achilles slept not, for he remembered his dear Patroclus, and all that the two had done and endured together, journeying over sea and land, and standing against the enemy in the day of battle.