Neptune

Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 23 Sep 2011 07:56 and updated at 23 Sep 2011 07:56

ILIAD NOUN

ild.01 Ofttimes in my father s house have I heard you glory in that you alone of the immortals saved the son of Saturn from ruin, when the others, with Juno, Neptune, and Pallas Minerva would have put him in bonds.
ild.02 The chiefs disposed their men this way and that before the fight began, drafting them out as easily as Goat herds draft their flocks when they have got mixed while feeding; and among them went King Agamemnon, with a head and face like Jove the lord of thunder, a waist like Mars, and a chest like that of Neptune.
ild.02 They also held Harma, Eilesium, and Erythrae; and they had Eleon, Hyle, and Peteon; Ocalea and the strong fortress of Medeon; Copae, Eutresis, and Thisbe the haunt of doves; Coronea, and the pastures of Haliartus; Plataea and Glisas; the fortress of Thebes the less; holy Onchestus with its famous grove of Neptune; Arne rich in vineyards; Midea, sacred Nisa, and Anthedon upon the sea.
ild.07 Thus did the Achaeans toil, and the Gods, seated by the side of Jove the lord of lightning, marvelled at their great work; but Neptune, lord of the earthquake, spoke, saying, Father" Jove, what mortal in the whole world will again take the Gods into his counsel? See you not how the Achaeans have built a wall about their ships and driven a trench all round it, without offering Hecatombs to the Gods? The The fame of this wall will reach as far as dawn itself, and men will no longer think anything of the one which Phoebus Apollo and myself built with so much labour for Laomedon.
ild.08 Then said she to the mighty God of Neptune, "What now, wide ruling lord of the earthquake? Can you find no compassion in your heart for the dying Danaans, who bring you many a welcome offering to Helice and to Aegae? Wish them well then.
ild.08 King Neptune was greatly troubled and answered, Juno", rash of tongue, what are you talking about? We other gods must not set ourselves against Jove, for he is far stronger than we are.
ild.09 They went their way by the shore of the sounding sea, and prayed earnestly to earth encircling Neptune that the high spirit of the son of Aeacus might incline favourably towards them.
ild.09 If great Neptune vouchsafes me a fair passage, in three days I shall be in Phthia.
ild.11 Thence in full panoply and equipment we came towards noon to the sacred waters of the Alpheus, and there we offered victims to almighty Jove, with a Bull to Alpheus, another to Neptune, and a herd heifer to Minerva.
ild.11 I should have even killed the two Moliones sons of Actor, unless their real father, Neptune lord of the earthquake, had hidden them in a thick mist and borne them out of the fight.
ild.12 So long as Hector lived and Achilles nursed his anger, and so long as the city of Priam remained untaken, the great wall of the Achaeans stood firm; but when the bravest of the Trojans were no more, and many also of the Argives, though some were yet left alive when, moreover, the city was sacked in the tenth year, and the Argives had gone back with their ships to their own country then Neptune and Apollo took counsel to destroy the wall, and they turned on to it the streams of all the rivers from Mount Ida into the sea, Rhesus, Heptaporus, Caresus, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly Scamander, with Simois, where many a shield and helm had fallen, and many a hero of the race of demigods had bitten the dust.
ild.12 Neptune himself, trident in hand, surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place where it had been.
ild.12 This was what Neptune and Apollo were to do in after time; but as yet battle and turmoil were still raging round the wall till its timbers rang under the blows that rained upon them.
ild.13 But King Neptune had kept no blind look out; he had been looking admiringly on the battle from his seat on the topmost crests of wooded Samothrace, whence he could see all Ida, with the city of Priam and the ships of the Achaeans.
ild.13 Now there is a certain huge cavern in the depths of the sea midway between Tenedos and rocky Imbrus; here Neptune lord of the earthquake stayed his Horses, unyoked them, and set before them their ambrosial forage.
ild.13 Meanwhile earth encircling Neptune lord of the earthquake cheered on the Argives, for he had come up out of the sea and had assumed the form and voice of Calchas.
ild.13 Then, as the soaring falcon poises on the wing high above some sheer rock, and presently swoops down to chase some bird over the plain, even so did Neptune lord of the earthquake wing his flight into the air and leave them.
ild.13 Neptune was exceedingly angry that his grandson Amphimachus should have fallen; he therefore went to the tents and ships of the Achaeans to urge the Danaans still further, and to devise evil for the Trojans.
ild.13 Neptune spoke in the likeness and with the voice of Thoas son of Andraemon who ruled the Aetolians of all Pleuron and high Calydon, and was honoured among his people as though he were a God.
ild.13 To this Neptune lord of the earthquake made answer, Idomeneus", may he never return from Troy, but remain here for Dogs to batten upon, who is this day wilfully slack in fighting.
ild.13 Neptune on the other hand went about among the Argives to incite them, having come up from the grey sea in secret, for he was grieved at seeing them vanquished by the Trojans, and was furiously angry with Jove.
ild.13 Both were of the same race and country, but Jove was elder born and knew more, therefore Neptune feared to defend the Argives openly, but in the likeness of man, he kept on encouraging them throughout their host.
ild.13 Then fell Alcathous son of noble Aesyetes: he was son in law to Anchises, having married his eldest daughter Hippodameia who was the darling of her father and mother, and excelled all her generation in beauty, accomplishments, and understanding, wherefore the bravest man in all Troy had taken her to wife him did Neptune lay low by the hand of Idomeneus, blinding his bright eyes and binding his strong limbs in fetters so that he could neither go back nor to one side, but stood stock still like pillar or lofty tree when Idomeneus struck him with a spear in the middle of his chest.
ild.13 The Trojans came about him on every side and struck his broad and gleaming shield, but could not wound his body, for Neptune stood guard over the son of Nestor, though the darts fell thickly round him.
ild.13 As he was thus aiming among the crowd, he was seen by Adamas son of Asius, who rushed towards him and struck him with a spear in the middle of his shield, but Neptune made its point without effect, for he grudged him the life of Antilochus.
ild.13 But Hector had not yet heard, and did not know that the Argives were making havoc of his men on the left wing of the battle, where the Achaeans ere long would have triumphed over them, so vigorously did Neptune cheer them on and help them.
ild.14 Meanwhile Neptune had kept no blind look out, and came up to them in the semblance of an old man.
ild.14 Meanwhile Sleep made off to the ships of the Achaeans, to tell earth encircling Neptune, lord of the earthquake.
ild.14 When he had found him he said, "Now, Neptune, you can help the Danaans with a will, and give them victory though it be only for a short time while Jove is still sleeping.
ild.14 Sleep now departed and went his ways to and fro among mankind, leaving Neptune more eager than ever to help the Danaans.
ild.14 When they had donned their Bronze armour they marched on with Neptune at their head.
ild.14 Thereon Neptune and Hector waged fierce war on one another Hector on the Trojan and Neptune on the Argive side.
ild.14 Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the Argives to bear away blood stained spoils after Neptune lord of the earthquake had turned the fortune of war.
ild.15 Jove now woke on the crests of Ida, where he was lying with Golden throned Juno by his side, and starting to his feet he saw the Trojans and Achaeans, the one thrown into confusion, and the others driving them pell mell before them with King Neptune in their midst.
ild.15 Juno trembled as he spoke, and said, "May heaven above and earth below be my witnesses, with the waters of the river Styx and this is the most solemn oath that a blessed God can take nay, I swear also by your own almighty head and by our bridal bed things over which I could never possibly perjure myself that Neptune is not punishing Hector and the Trojans and helping the Achaeans through any doing of mine; it is all of his own mere motion because he was sorry to see the Achaeans hard pressed at their ships: if I were advising him, I should tell him to do as you bid him.
ild.15 The sire of Gods and men smiled and answered, "If you, Juno, were always to support me when we sit in council of the Gods, Neptune, like it or no, would soon come round to your and my way of thinking.
ild.15 If, then, you are speaking the truth and mean what you say, go among the rank and file of the Gods, and tell Iris and Apollo lord of the bow, that I want them Iris, that she may go to the Achaean host and tell Neptune to leave off fighting and go home, and Apollo, that he may send Hector again into battle and give him fresh strength; he will thus forget his present sufferings, and drive the Achaeans back in confusion till they fall among the ships of Achilles son of Peleus.
ild.15 "Go," said he, "fleet Iris, tell King Neptune what I now bid you and tell him true.
ild.15 Neptune was very angry and said, "Great heavens! strong as Jove may be, he has said more than he can do if he has threatened violence against me, who am of like honour with himself.
ild.15 Iris fleet as the wind then answered, "Am I really, Neptune, to take this daring and unyielding message to Jove, or will you reconsider your answer? Sensible people are open to argument, and you know that the Erinyes always range themselves on the side of the older person.
ild.15 Neptune answered, Goddess" Iris, your words have been spoken in season.
ild.15 Neptune now left the field to go down under the sea, and sorely did the Achaeans miss him.
ild.15 Then Jove said to Apollo, "Go, dear Phoebus, to Hector, for Neptune who holds the earth in his embrace has now gone down under the sea to avoid the severity of my displeasure.
ild.20 Neptune also, lord of the earthquake, obeyed the call of the Goddess, and came up out of the sea to join them.
ild.20 Juno, Pallas Minerva, earth encircling Neptune, Mercury bringer of good luck and excellent in all cunning all these joined the host that came from the ships; with them also came Vulcan in all his glory, limping, but yet with his thin legs plying lustily under him.
ild.20 The sire of gods and men thundered from heaven above, while from beneath Neptune shook the vast earth, and bade the high hills tremble.
ild.20 Hades, king of the realms below, was struck with fear; he sprang panic stricken from his throne and cried aloud in terror lest Neptune, lord of the earthquake, should crack the ground over his head, and lay bare his mouldy mansions to the sight of mortals and immortals mansions so ghastly grim that even the Gods shudder to think of them.
ild.20 Apollo with his arrows took his stand to face King Neptune, while Minerva took hers against the God of war; the archer goddess Diana with her Golden arrows, sister of far darting Apollo, stood to face Juno; Mercury the lusty bringer of good luck faced Leto, while the mighty eddying river whom men can Scamander, but Gods Xanthus, matched himself against Vulcan.
ild.20 She called the Gods about her, and said, "Look to it, you two, Neptune and Minerva, and consider how this shall be; Phoebus Apollo has been sending Aeneas clad in full armour to fight Achilles.
ild.20 Neptune lord of the earthquake answered her saying, Juno", restrain your fury; it is not well; I am not in favour of forcing the other Gods to fight us, for the advantage is too greatly on our own side; let us take our places on some hill out of the beaten track, and let mortals fight it out among themselves.
ild.20 Here Neptune and those that were with him took their seats, wrapped in a thick cloud of darkness; but the other Gods seated themselves on the brow of Callicolone round you, O Phoebus, and Mars the waster of cities.
ild.20 Aeneas would then have struck Achilles as he was springing towards him, either on the helmet, or on the shield that covered him, and Achilles would have closed with him and despatched him with his sword, had not Neptune lord of the earthquake been quick to mark, and said forthwith to the immortals, "Alas, I am sorry for great Aeneas, who will now go down to the house of Hades, vanquished by the son of Peleus.
ild.20 When earth encircling Neptune heard this he went into the battle amid the clash of spears, and came to the place where Achilles and Aeneas were.
ild.20 Neptune, shaker of the earth, then came near to him and said, Aeneas, what God has egged you on to this folly in fighting the son of Peleus, who is both a mightier man of valour and more beloved of heaven than you are? Give way before him whensoever you meet him, lest you go down to the house of Hades even though fate would have it otherwise.
ild.21 As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and Minerva came up to him in the likeness of two men, and took him by the hand to reassure him.
ild.21 Neptune spoke first.
ild.21 Meanwhile King Neptune turned to Apollo saying, Phoebus", why should we keep each other at arm s length? it is not well, now that the others have begun fighting; it will be disgraceful to us if we return to Jove s Bronze floored mansion on Olympus without having fought each other; therefore come on, you are the younger of the two, and I ought not to attack you, for I am older and have had more experience.
ild.21 But his sister the huntress Diana, patroness of wild beasts, was very angry with him and said, "So you would fly, Far Darter, and hand victory over to Neptune with a cheap vaunt to boot.
ild.21 Baby, why keep your bow thus idle? Never let me again hear you bragging in my father s house, as you have often done in the presence of the immortals, that you would stand up and fight with Neptune.
ild.23 At any other time I should carry off the first prize and take it to my own tent; you know how far my steeds excel all others for they are immortal; Neptune gave them to my father Peleus, who in his turn gave them to myself; but I shall hold aloof, I and my steeds that have lost their brave and kind driver, who many a time has washed them in clear water and anointed their manes with oil.
ild.23 Antilochus"," said Nestor, "you are young, but Jove and Neptune have loved you well, and have made you an excellent Horseman.
ild.23 Come here, Antilochus, and stand, as our custom is, whip in hand before your Chariot and Horses; lay your hand on your steeds, and swear by earth encircling Neptune that you did not purposely and guilefully get in the way of my Horses.
ild.24 All were of this mind save only Juno, Neptune, and Jove s grey eyed daughter, who persisted in the hate which they had ever borne towards Ilius with Priam and his people; for they forgave not the wrong done them by Alexandrus in disdaining the Goddesses who came to him when he was in his Sheepyards, and preferring her who had offered him a wanton to his ruin.

Arise Greece! from thy silent sleep, 2000 years long it is! Forget not, thy ancient culture, beautiful and marvelous it is!

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