Seba.Health

The Iliad 6.16–30

The Iliad 6.16–30
Then Euryalus slew Dresus and Opheltius, and went on after Aesepus and Pedasus, whom on a time the fountain-nymph Abarbarea bare to peerless Bucolion. Now Bucolion was son of lordly Laomedon, his eldest born, though the mother that bare him was unwed; he while shepherding his flocks lay with the nymph in love, and she conceived and bare twin sons. Of these did the son of Mecisteus loose the might and the glorious limbs and strip the armour from their shoulders. And Polypoetes staunch in fight slew Astyalus, and Odysseus with his spear of bronze laid low Pidytes of Percote, and Teucer goodly Aretaon. And Antilochus, son of Nestor, slew Ablerus with his bright spear, and the king of men, Agamemnon, slew Elatus that dwelt in steep Pedasus by the banks of fair-flowing Satnioeis.
ἀλλά οἱ οὔ τις τῶν γε τότʼ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον πρόσθεν ὑπαντιάσας, ἀλλʼ ἄμφω θυμὸν ἀπηύρα αὐτὸν καὶ θεράποντα Καλήσιον, ὅς ῥα τόθʼ ἵππων ἔσκεν ὑφηνίοχος· τὼ δʼ ἄμφω γαῖαν ἐδύτην. Δρῆσον δʼ Εὐρύαλος καὶ Ὀφέλτιον ἐξενάριξε· βῆ δὲ μετʼ Αἴσηπον καὶ Πήδασον, οὕς ποτε νύμφη νηῒς Ἀβαρβαρέη τέκʼ ἀμύμονι Βουκολίωνι. Βουκολίων δʼ ἦν υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ Λαομέδοντος πρεσβύτατος γενεῇ, σκότιον δέ γείνατο μήτηρ· ποιμαίνων δʼ ἐπʼ ὄεσσι μίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ, δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη διδυμάονε γείνατο παῖδε. καὶ μὲν τῶν ὑπέλυσε μένος καὶ φαίδιμα γυῖα Μηκιστηϊάδης καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα. Ἀστύαλον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης· Πιδύτην δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς Περκώσιον ἐξενάριξεν
Lattimore commentary
The motif of friends or equipment being powerless to save one in battle punctuates the poem: cf. 2.873, 15.530. Naiads are one of several nymph varieties, oreads (of mountains) and dryads (of trees) being the other main groups, along with sea nymphs called Okeanids or Nereids (daughters of Nereus, like Thetis). The naiad dwells in a lake, spring, or river. The flashback to a bucolic scene, as occurs in similes as well, makes for a jarring contrast with the ongoing battle.
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