Page 370 - the-iliad

women wring tears from their tender cheeks with both their
hands in the grievousness of their great sorrow; thus shall
they know that he who has held aloof so long will hold aloof
no longer. Hold me not back, therefore, in the love you bear
me, for you shall not move me.’
Then silver-footed Thetis answered, ‘My son, what you
have said is true. It is well to save your comrades from de-
struction, but your armour is in the hands of the Trojans;
Hector bears it in triumph upon his own shoulders. Full
well I know that his vaunt shall not be lasting, for his end
is close at hand; go not, however, into the press of battle till
you see me return hither; to-morrow at break of day I shall
be here, and will bring you goodly armour from King Vul-
can.’
On this she left her brave son, and as she turned away she
said to the sea-nymphs her sisters, ‘Dive into the bosom of
the sea and go to the house of the old sea-god my father. Tell
him everything; as for me, I will go to the cunning work-
man Vulcan on high Olympus, and ask him to provide my
son with a suit of splendid armour.’
When she had so said, they dived forthwith beneath
the waves, while silver-footed Thetis went her way that she
might bring the armour for her son.
Thus, then, did her feet bear the goddess to Olympus,
and meanwhile the Achaeans were flying with loud cries
before murderous Hector till they reached the ships and
the Hellespont, and they could not draw the body of Mars’s
servant Patroclus out of reach of the weapons that were
showered upon him, for Hector son of Priam with his host