The Battle in the River Scamander
Flight of the Trojans before Achilles, some toward Troy, and the rest toward the river Scamander—Twelve Trojan youths made captive in the river, to be butchered at the funeral pile of Patroclus—Insult offered by Achilles to the god of the river, who causes his waters to rush against him, and forces him to flee for his life—Interference of Vulcan, who is summoned by Juno to the aid of Achilles, and who, by drying up the waters of the river, compels it to submit—Combat of Mars and Minerva, and of the other gods—Achilles decoyed away from the gates of Troy by Apollo disguised in the form of Agenor, while the Trojans enter the city.
Now when they reached the pleasant banks The eddying Xanthus runs, the river sprung From deathless Jove, Achilles drave his foes through which Asunder. Part he chased across the plain Townward, along the way by which the Greek In terror fled the day before, pursued By glorious Hector. Panic-struck they ran Along that way, while, to restrain their flight, Before them Juno hung a veil of cloud And darkness. Meanwhile half the flying crowd Leaped down to that deep stream and rolled among Its silver eddies. With a mighty noise They plunged; the torrent dashed; the banks around Remurmured shrilly to the cries of those Who floated struggling in the current’s whirl, As when before the fierce, devouring flames A swarm of locusts, springing into air, Fly toward a river, while the fire behind Crackles with sudden fierceness, and in fright They fall into the waves, the roaring stream Of the deep-eddied Xanthus thus was filled Before Achilles with a mingled crowd Of steeds and men. The Jove-descended man Left leaning on the tamarisks his spear Upon the river’s border, and leaped in, Armed only with his sword, intent to deal Death on the fugitives; on every side He smote, and from the smitten by the