swarmed around the corpse The combatants; nor once did Jove withdraw His bright eyes from the stubborn fray, but still Gazed, planning how Patroclus should be slain. Uncertain whether, in the desperate strife Over the great Sarpedon, to permit Illustrious Hector with his spear to lay The hero dead, and make his arms a spoil, Or spare him yet a while, to make the war More bloody. As he pondered, this seemed best: That the brave comrade of Achilles first Should put to flight the Trojans and their chief, Hector the brazen-mailed, pursuing them Toward Troy with slaughter. To this end he sent Into the heart of Hector panic fear, Who climbed his car and fled, and bade the rest Flee also, for he saw how Jove had weighed The fortunes of the day. Now none remained, Not even the gallant Lycians, when they saw Their monarch lying wounded to the heart Among a heap of slain; for Saturn’s son In that day’s strife had caused a multitude To fall in death. Now when the Greeks had stripped Sarpedon of the glittering brazen mail, The brave son of Menoetius bade his friends Convey it to the hollow ships. Meanwhile The Cloud-compeller spake to Phoebus thus:—
“Go now, beloved Phoebus, and withdraw Sarpedon from the weapons of the foe; Cleanse him from the dark blood, and bear him thence, And lave him in the river-stream, and shed Ambrosia o’er him. Clothe him then in robes Of heaven, consigning him to Sleep and Death, Twin brothers, and swift bearers of the dead, And they shall lay him down in Lycia’s fields, That broad and opulent realm. There shall his friends And kinsmen give him burial, and shall rear His tomb and column—honors due the dead.”
He spake: Apollo instantly obeyed His father, leaving Ida’s mountain height, And sought the field of battle, and bore off Noble Sarpedon from the enemy’s spears, And laved him in the river-stream, and shed Ambrosia o’er him. Then in robes of heaven He clothed him, giving him to Sleep and Death, Twin brothers, and swift bearers of the dead, And they, with speed conveying it, laid down The corpse in Lycia’s broad and opulent realm.