Page 427 - the-iliad

On this Vulcan kindled a fierce fire, which broke out first
upon the plain and burned the many dead whom Achilles
had killed and whose bodies were lying about in great num-
bers; by this means the plain was dried and the flood stayed.
As the north wind, blowing on an orchard that has been
sodden with autumn rain, soon dries it, and the heart of
the owner is glad—even so the whole plain was dried and
the dead bodies were consumed. Then he turned tongues of
fire on to the river. He burned the elms the willows and the
tamarisks, the lotus also, with the rushes and marshy herb-
age that grew abundantly by the banks of the river. The eels
and fishes that go darting about everywhere in the water,
these, too, were sorely harassed by the flames that cunning
Vulcan had kindled, and the river himself was scalded, so
that he spoke saying, ‘Vulcan, there is no god can hold his
own against you. I cannot fight you when you flare out your
flames in this way; strive with me no longer. Let Achilles
drive the Trojans out of city immediately. What have I to do
with quarrelling and helping people?’
He was boiling as he spoke, and all his waters were seeth-
ing. As a cauldron upon a large fire boils when it is melting
the lard of some fatted hog, and the lard keeps bubbling up
all over when the dry faggots blaze under it—even so were
the goodly waters of Xanthus heated with the fire till they
were boiling. He could flow no longer but stayed his stream,
so afflicted was he by the blasts of fire which cunning Vul-
can had raised. Then he prayed to Juno and besought her
saying, ‘Juno, why should your son vex my stream with
such especial fury? I am not so much to blame as all the oth-

The Iliad