Bellum Trōiānum II

 

postquam Patroclum interfēcit, Hector arma Achillis ā corpore cēpit. Hector nunc habuit arma optima et nunc erat hērōs optimus in bellō.

 

necesse erat Achillī nova arma invenīre atque Achillēs suam mātrem, Thetidem, vocāvit.

 

Thetis voluit suum fīlium adiuvāre et ad Vulcānum iter fēcit. Vulcānus erat faber maximus.

 

Thetis dīxit: "Vulcāne, meus fīlius, Achillēs, nova arma requīrit. potesne nova arma facere? adiuvā Achillem!"Thetis and attendants bring armor she had prepared for him to Achilles, an Attic black-figure hydria, c. 575–550 BC, Louvre.

 

Vulcānus respondit: "ita vērō, Thetis, possum nova arma facere." Vulcānus statim malleum suum cēpit et incēpit nova arma facere. deus clipeum novum fēcit et nunc Achillēs arma optima habuit. hic clipeus erat gravissimus clipeus in tōtō mundō. modo Achillēs hunc clipeum tollere poterat. Achillēs erat nunc parātus ad bellum revenīre.

 

Trōiānī, ubi Achillem vīdērunt, erant territī. Achillēs statim multōs Trōiānōs interfēcit et Hectorem petīvit. Achillēs et flūmen strangulāvit! Hector, ubi Achillem vīdit, sē vertit et ad urbem fūgit. omnēs Trōiānī quoque in urbem fūgērunt. Hector autem sē vertit iterum et contrā Achillem pugnāvit.

 

rēx Priamus, in mūrīs Trōiae, ad Hectorem exclāmāvit: "Hector, nōn dēbēs contrā Achillem pugnāre. nōn potes eum superāre!" māter Hectoris, Hecubē, quoque ad fīlium suum exclāmāvit sed Hector nōn audīvit. Hector, sōlus, sine sodālibus, Achillem exspectābat.

 

Achillēs ad Hectorem celeriter currit sed Hector subitō Achillem timēbat. Hector temptāvit ab Achille fugere sed Trōiānī iam portās urbis clausērant. Hector extrā mūrōs urbis manēbat.

 

Hector ter circum mūrōs cucurrit sed tandem contrā Achillem pugnāvit. Achillēs nunc erat īrātissimus quod Hector fugere temptāvit.

Pottery: red-figured volute-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water) with figure scenes on confined to a narrow, frieze-like band that encircles the lower element of the neck. (a) Combat of Achilles and Hector in the presence of Athena and Apollo. On the left, Achilles (youthful) presses forward with shield advanced and spear shortened to deal a finishing stroke to Hector (bearded), who, bleeding from wounds in the chest and left thigh, sinks helplessly backwards, with shield extended to right and point of spear dropped; each has a helmet with raised cheek-pieces, and a sword at side attached to his cross-belt.

Achillēs Hectorem īnsultāvit et hastam suam iēcit. Hector hastam ēvītāvit et tunc ad Achillem hastam suam iēcit. ecce! hasta Hectoris in clipeō Achillis haesit.

 

eheu! Hector autem Achillem nōn vulnerāvit.

 

Achillēs hastam dētrāxit et fortiter hastam per caelum ad Hectorem iēcit. hasta sonum magnum fēcit et Hectorem trānsfīxit. Hector ad terram cecidit. Hector erat mortuus et omnēs Trōiānī in mūrīs lacrimābant.Triumphant Achilles dragging Hector's lifeless body in Troy. (A fresco in the Achilleion, Corfu)

 

Achillēs autem adhūc erat īrātus. Achillēs corpus Hectoris cēpit et corpus ad currum ligāvit. ille hērōs tunc currum agēbat et corpus ter circum mūrōs Trōiae trāxit. Hecubē, māter Hectoris, in dolōre exclāmāvit: "Achillēs, nōbīs corpus Hectoris! necesse est nōbīs fīlium nostrum in terrā pōnere!"

 

Priam asks Achilles to return Hector's body by Alexander IvanovAchillēs tamen illam fēminam nōn audīvit; ad nāvēs cum corpore Hectoris revēnit. ūnā nocte, rēx Priamus per castra Graeca clam ambulābat et tentōrium Achillis intrāvit. salūtāvit Achillem et statim ad terram cecidit. Priamus tunc Achillem supplicāvit hīs verbīs: "ō Achillēs, nunc nōn sum tuus inimīcus. sum pater et ego dēsīderō corpus fīliī quod necesse est Hectorem in terrā pōnere. putā dē patre tuō. remitte corpus mihi. sine mē Hectorem in terrā pōnere. sine mē sacrificia facere. sine mē Hectorem Charontī dāre. dēsiste ab īrā, tē ōrō."

 

Achillēs erat stupefactus. Achillēs dē patre suō putābat et ad Priamum spectābat. ille hērōs corpus Hectoris Priamō dedit et tunc Priamus ad urbem Trōiam revēnit. illā nocte, Priamus et Achillēs nōn iam erant inimīcī.

 

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