Him then his steed unconquer’d in
the race, 490
Xanthus answer’d from beneath his
yoke,
But, hanging low his head, and with his
mane
Dishevell’d all, and streaming to
the ground.
Him Juno vocal made, Goddess white-arm’d.
And doubtless so we will.
This day at least 495
We bear thee safe from battle, stormy
Chief!
But thee the hour of thy destruction swift
Approaches, hasten’d by no fault
of ours,
But by the force of fate and power divine.
For not through sloth or tardiness on
us 500
Aught chargeable, have Ilium’s sons
thine arms
Stript from Patroclus’ shoulders,
but a God
Matchless in battle, offspring of bright-hair’d
Latona, him contending in the van
Slew, for the glory of the Chief of Troy.
505
We, Zephyrus himself, though by report
Swiftest of all the winds of heaven, in
speed
Could equal, but the Fates thee also doom
By human hands to fall, and hands divine.
The interposing Furies at
that word 510
Suppress’d his utterance,[12] and
indignant, thus,
Achilles, swiftest of the swift, replied.
Why, Xanthus, propheciest
thou my death?
It ill beseems thee. I already know
That from my parents far remote my doom
515
Appoints me here to die; yet not the more
Cease I from feats if arms, till Ilium’s
host
Shall have received, at length, their
fill of war.
He said, and with a shout
drove forth to battle.
THE ILIAD.
ARGUMENT OF THE
TWENTIETH BOOK.
By permission of Jupiter the Gods descend into the
battle, and range themselves on either side respectively.
Neptune rescues AEneas from death by the hand of Achilles,
from whom Apollo, soon after, rescues Hector.
Achilles slays many Trojans.
The Grecians, thus, before their lofty
ships
Stood arm’d around Achilles, glorious Chief
Insatiable with war, and opposite
The Trojans on the rising-ground appear’d.[1]
Meantime, Jove order’d Themis, from the head
5
Of the deep-fork’d Olympian to convene
The Gods in council. She to every part
Proceeding, bade them to the courts of Jove.[2]
Nor of the Floods was any absent thence
Oceanus except, or of the Nymphs
10
Who haunt the pleasant groves, or dwell beside
Stream-feeding fountains, or in meadows green.
Within the courts of cloud-assembler Jove
Arrived, on pillar’d thrones radiant they
sat,
With ingenuity divine contrived
15
By Vulcan for the mighty Sire of all.
Thus they within the Thunderer’s palace sat
Assembled; nor was Neptune slow to hear
