Page 460 - the-iliad

sons of noble Trojans to the sword and laid them with the
rest, for he was full of bitterness and fury. Then he commit-
ted all to the resistless and devouring might of the fire; he
groaned aloud and called on his dead comrade by name.
‘Fare well,’ he cried, ‘Patroclus, even in the house of Hades;
I am now doing all that I have promised you. Twelve brave
sons of noble Trojans shall the flames consume along with
yourself, but dogs, not fire, shall devour the flesh of Hector
son of Priam.’
Thus did he vaunt, but the dogs came not about the
body of Hector, for Jove’s daughter Venus kept them off
him night and day, and anointed him with ambrosial oil
of roses that his flesh might not be torn when Achilles was
dragging him about. Phoebus Apollo moreover sent a dark
cloud from heaven to earth, which gave shade to the whole
place where Hector lay, that the heat of the sun might not
parch his body.
Now the pyre about dead Patroclus would not kindle.
Achilles therefore bethought him of another matter; he
went apart and prayed to the two winds Boreas and Zeph-
yrus vowing them goodly offerings. He made them many
drink-offerings from the golden cup and besought them to
come and help him that the wood might make haste to kin-
dle and the dead bodies be consumed. Fleet Iris heard him
praying and started off to fetch the winds. They were hold-
ing high feast in the house of boisterous Zephyrus when
Iris came running up to the stone threshold of the house
and stood there, but as soon as they set eyes on her they all
came towards her and each of them called her to him, but