sword Rose lamentable cries; the waves around Grew crimson with their blood. As when before A dolphin of huge bulk the fishes flee In fear, and crowd the creeks that lie around The sheltered haven—for their foe devours All that he overtakes—the Trojans thus Hid from his sight among the hollow rocks Beside the rushing river. When his hand Was weary with the work of death, he took Twelve youths alive, whose blood was yet to pay The penalty for Menoetiades, His slaughtered friend. He led them from the stream, Passive with fear like fawns, and tied their hands Behind them with the well-twined cords that bound Their tunics. Then he gave them to his friends, Who led the captives to the roomy ships.
Again Achilles rushed upon the foe Intent on slaughter. One he met who climbed The river’s bank, Dardanian Priam’s son, Lycaon, whom in former days he made His captive, by surprise, when in the night He found him lopping with an axe the boughs Of a wild fig-tree, that the trunk might form The circle of a wheel. Achilles came, An unexpected foe, and bore him off To sea, and sold him in the populous isle Of Lemnos. He was bought by Jason’s son, The Imbrian prince, Eëtion, who had been His host, and now redeemed him with large gifts, And sent him to Arisba’s noble town. Yet thence he stole, and reached his father’s house Again, and there made merry with his friends Eleven days, but on the twelfth a god Delivered him again into the hands Of Peleus’ son, who now would send his soul Repining down to Hades. When the chief, The swift of foot, beheld him stand unarmed, With neither helm nor shield nor spear—for these He had thrown down—faint with the sweaty toil Of clambering up the bank, and every limb Unstrung with weariness, then wrathfully Thus said Achilles to his mighty soul:—
“O strange! My eyes behold a miracle. Sure, the brave sons of Troy whom I have slain Will rise up from the nether darkness yet, Since this man, whom I once reprieved from death And sold in Lemnos the divine, comes back. Nor could the ocean’s gray abyss of brine, Beyond which