Seba.Health

The Iliad 12.277–291

The Iliad 12.277–291
bestirreth him to snow, shewing forth to men these arrows of his, and he lulleth the winds and sheddeth the flakes continually, until he hath covered the peaks of the lofty mountains and the high headlands, and the grassy plains, and the rich tillage of men; aye, and over the harbours and shores of the grey sea is the snow strewn, albeit the wave as it beateth against it keepeth it off, but all things beside are wrapped therein, when the storm of Zeus driveth it on: even so from both sides their stones flew thick, some upon the Trojans, and some from the Trojans upon the Achaeans, as they cast at one another; and over all the wall the din arose. Yet not even then would the Trojans and glorious Hector have broken the gates of the wall and the long bar, had not Zeus the counsellor roused his own son, Sarpedon, against the Argives, as a lion against sleek kine. Forthwith he held before him his shield that was well balanced upon every side,
ὣς τώ γε προβοῶντε μάχην ὄτρυνον Ἀχαιῶν. τῶν δʼ, ὥς τε νιφάδες χιόνος πίπτωσι θαμειαὶ ἤματι χειμερίῳ, ὅτε τʼ ὤρετο μητίετα Ζεὺς νιφέμεν ἀνθρώποισι πιφαυσκόμενος τὰ κῆλα· κοιμήσας δʼ ἀνέμους χέει ἔμπεδον, ὄφρα καλύψῃ ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων κορυφὰς καὶ πρώονας ἄκρους καὶ πεδία λωτοῦντα καὶ ἀνδρῶν πίονα ἔργα, καί τʼ ἐφʼ ἁλὸς πολιῆς κέχυται λιμέσιν τε καὶ ἀκταῖς, κῦμα δέ μιν προσπλάζον ἐρύκεται· ἄλλά τε πάντα εἴλυται καθύπερθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπιβρίσῃ Διὸς ὄμβρος· ὣς τῶν ἀμφοτέρωσε λίθοι πωτῶντο θαμειαί, αἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐς Τρῶας, αἱ δʼ ἐκ Τρώων ἐς Ἀχαιούς, βαλλομένων· τὸ δὲ τεῖχος ὕπερ πᾶν δοῦπος ὀρώρει. οὐδʼ ἄν πω τότε γε Τρῶες καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ τείχεος ἐρρήξαντο πύλας καὶ μακρὸν ὀχῆα,
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