Page 156 - the-iliad

welcome and thrice prayed for did darkness fall upon the
Achaeans.
Then Hector led the Trojans back from the ships, and
held a council on the open space near the river, where there
was a spot clear of corpses. They left their chariots and sat
down on the ground to hear the speech he made them. He
grasped a spear eleven cubits long, the bronze point of
which gleamed in front of it, while the ring round the spear-
head was of gold. Spear in hand he spoke. ‘Hear me,’ said
he, ‘Trojans, Dardanians, and allies. I deemed but now that
I should destroy the ships and all the Achaeans with them
ere I went back to Ilius, but darkness came on too soon. It
was this alone that saved them and their ships upon the sea-
shore. Now, therefore, let us obey the behests of night, and
prepare our suppers. Take your horses out of their chari-
ots and give them their feeds of corn; then make speed to
bring sheep and cattle from the city; bring wine also and
corn for your horses and gather much wood, that from dark
till dawn we may burn watchfires whose flare may reach to
heaven. For the Achaeans may try to fly beyond the sea by
night, and they must not embark scatheless and unmolest-
ed; many a man among them must take a dart with him to
nurse at home, hit with spear or arrow as he is leaping on
board his ship, that others may fear to bring war and weep-
ing upon the Trojans. Moreover let the heralds tell it about
the city that the growing youths and grey-bearded men are
to camp upon its heaven-built walls. Let the women each of
them light a great fire in her house, and let watch be safely
kept lest the town be entered by surprise while the host is

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