around him, on account of gifts to a woman:[1] him certainly I beheld as the most beautiful, after divine Memnon. But when we, the chieftains of the Grecians, ascended into the horse, which Epeus made, and all things were committed to me, [both to open the thick ambush and to shut it,] there the other leaders and rulers of the Greeks both wiped away their tears, and the limbs of each trembled under them; but him I never saw at all with my eyes, either turning pale as to his beauteous complexion, or wiping away the tears from his cheeks; but he implored me very much to go out of the horse; and grasped the hilt of his sword, and his brass-heavy spear, and he meditated evils against the Trojans. But when we had sacked the lofty city of Priam, having his share and excellent reward, he embarked unhurt on a ship, neither stricken with the sharp brass, nor wounded [in fighting] hand to hand, as oftentimes happens in war; for Mars confusedly raves.'
"Thus I spoke; but the soul of the swift-footed son of Æacus went away, taking mighty steps through the meadow of asphodel, in joyfulness, because I had said that his son was very illustrious. But the other souls of the deceased dead stood sorrowing, and each related their griefs. But the soul of Ajax, son of Telamon, stood afar off, angry on account of the victory, in which I conquered him, contending in trial at the ships concerning the arms of Achilles; for his venerable mother[2] proposed[3] them: [but the sons of the Trojans[4] and Pallas Minerva adjudged them.] How I wish that I had not conquered in such a contest; for the earth contained such
- ↑ Priam, had either promised Eurypylus one of his daughters in marriage; or Priam had given presents to his wife, in order that she might persuade him to come to the war: in this case it would be, he was slain on account of the presents which had been given his wife, which appears to me the best way of translating it. Old Transl. from the Scholiast. Hesychius, who has not always met with due attention from the editors of Homer, interprets this, διὰ γυναικῶν δωροδοκίαν. So also Apollon. Lex. Hom. διὰ δωροδοκίαν, clearly confirming the latter interpretation, which I have accordingly followed.
- ↑ Thetis.
- ↑ Observe that τίθημι is properly used of laying down a prize to be contested for.
- ↑ In order that the arms might be adjudged fairly, the captive Trojans were summoned before the Grecian chiefs, and asked which of the two, Ajax or Ulysses, had done most harm to the Trojans: they said Ulysses, upon which the arms were given to him, as having been of most use to the Greeks. Old Transl.
