Fall of Troy

Smyrnaeus Quintus

• Publisher: pubOne.info
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN: 9782819928188
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. Way, A. S. (Ed.& Trans. ): "e;Quintus Smyrnaeus: The Fall of Troy"e; (Loeb Classics #19; Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1913). Greek text with side-by-side English translation.

BOOK I:

How died for Troy the Queen of the Amazons, Penthesileia.

When godlike Hector by Peleides slain

Passed, and the pyre had ravined up his flesh,

And earth had veiled his bones, the Trojans then

Tarried in Priam's city, sore afraid

Before the might of stout-heart Aeacus' son:

As kine they were, that midst the copses shrink

From faring forth to meet a lion grim,

But in dense thickets terror-huddled cower;

So in their fortress shivered these to see

That mighty man. Of those already dead

They thought of all whose lives he reft away

As by Scamander's outfall on he rushed,

And all that in mid-flight to that high wall

He slew, how he quelled Hector, how he haled

His corse round Troy; — yea, and of all beside

Laid low by him since that first day whereon

O'er restless seas he brought the Trojans doom.

Ay, all these they remembered, while they stayed

Thus in their town, and o'er them anguished grief

Hovered dark-winged, as though that very day

All Troy with shrieks were crumbling down in fire.

Then from Thermodon, from broad-sweeping streams,

Came, clothed upon with beauty of Goddesses,

Penthesileia— came athirst indeed

For groan-resounding battle, but yet more

Fleeing abhorred reproach and evil fame,

Lest they of her own folk should rail on her

Because of her own sister's death, for whom

Ever her sorrows waxed, Hippolyte,

Whom she had struck dead with her mighty spear,

Not of her will— 'twas at a stag she hurled.

So came she to the far-famed land of Troy.

Yea, and her warrior spirit pricked her on,

Of murder's dread pollution thus to cleanse

Her soul, and with such sacrifice to appease

The Awful Ones, the Erinnyes, who in wrath

For her slain sister straightway haunted her

Unseen: for ever round the sinner's steps

They hover; none may 'scape those Goddesses.

And with her followed twelve beside, each one

A princess, hot for war and battle grim,

Far-famous each, yet handmaids unto her:

Penthesileia far outshone them all.

As when in the broad sky amidst the stars

The moon rides over all pre-eminent,

When through the thunderclouds the cleaving heavens

Open, when sleep the fury-breathing winds;

So peerless was she mid that charging host.

Clonie was there, Polemusa, Derinoe,

Evandre, and Antandre, and Bremusa,

Hippothoe, dark-eyed Harmothoe,

Alcibie, Derimacheia, Antibrote,

And Thermodosa glorying with the spear.

All these to battle fared with warrior-souled

Penthesileia: even as when descends

Dawn from Olympus' crest of adamant,

Dawn, heart-exultant in her radiant steeds

Amidst the bright-haired Hours; and o'er them all,

How flawless-fair soever these may be,

Her splendour of beauty glows pre-eminent;

So peerless amid all the Amazons Unto

Troy-town Penthesileia came.

To right, to left, from all sides hurrying thronged

The Trojans, greatly marvelling, when they saw

The tireless War-god's child, the mailed maid,

Like to the Blessed Gods; for in her face

Glowed beauty glorious and terrible.

Her smile was ravishing: beneath her brows

Her love-enkindling eyes shone like to stars,

And with the crimson rose of shamefastness

Bright were her cheeks, and mantled over them

Unearthly grace with battle-prowess clad.

Then joyed Troy's folk, despite past agonies,

As when, far-gazing from a height, the hinds

Behold a rainbow spanning the wide sea,

When they be yearning for the heaven-sent shower,

When the parched fields be craving for the rain;

Then the great sky at last is overgloomed,

And men see that fair sign of coming wind

And imminent rain, and seeing, they are glad,

Who for their corn-fields' plight sore sighed before;

Even so the sons of Troy when they beheld

There in their land Penthesileia dread

Afire for battle, were exceeding glad;

For when the heart is thrilled with hope of good,

All smart of evils past is wiped away:

So, after all his sighing and his pain,

Gladdened a little while was Priam's soul.

As when a man who hath suffered many a pang

From blinded eyes, sore longing to behold

The light, and, if he may not, fain would die,

Then at the last, by a cunning leech's skill,

Or by a God's grace, sees the dawn-rose flush,

Sees the mist rolled back from before his eyes, —

Yea, though clear vision come not as of old,

Yet, after all his anguish, joys to have

Some small relief, albeit the stings of pain

Prick sharply yet beneath his eyelids; — so

Joyed the old king to see that terrible queen—

The shadowy joy of one in anguish whelmed

For slain sons. Into his halls he led the Maid,

And with glad welcome honoured her, as one

Who greets a daughter to her home returned

From a far country in the twentieth year;

And set a feast before her, sumptuous

As battle-glorious kings, who have brought low

Nations of foes, array in splendour of pomp,

With hearts in pride of victory triumphing.

And gifts he gave her costly and fair to see,

And pledged him to gi...

Table of contents

• SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• OTHER TRANSLATIONS—
• RECOMMENDED READING—
• INTRODUCTION
• BOOK
• BOOK I:
• BOOK II
• BOOK III
• BOOK IV
• ((LACUNA))
• BOOK V
• BOOK VI
• BOOK VII
• BOOK VIII
• BOOK IX
• BOOK X
• BOOK XI
• BOOK XII
• BOOK XIII
• BOOK XIV.
• Copyright