Latest / Metamorphoses / 037 - Book 13 Part 2
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- 0:01Speaker 1: Book thirteen, Part two of Avid's Metamorphoses. This is a
- 0:08Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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- 0:21Speaker 1: Recording by Dennis Sayers. Metamorphoses by Publius Ovidius Nasso, translated
- 0:30Speaker 1: by Brooks Moore, Book thirteen, Part two, if my desire
- 0:38Speaker 1: and yours could have prevailed, Oh noble Greeks, the man
- 0:43Speaker 1: who should receive a prize so valued would not be
- 0:49Speaker 1: in doubt, and you would now enjoy your arms, and
- 0:53Speaker 1: we enjoy you, Great Achilles, since unjust fate has denied him,
- 1:00Speaker 1: both to me and you. And here he wiped his
- 1:04Speaker 1: eyes dry with his hands, as though then shedding tears.
- 1:10Speaker 1: Who could succeed the Great Achilles better than the one
- 1:15Speaker 1: through whom the Great Achilles joined the Greeks. Let ajax
- 1:20Speaker 1: when no votes, because he seems to be as stupid
- 1:25Speaker 1: as the truth declares. Let not my talents, which were
- 1:30Speaker 1: always used for service of the Greeks, increase my harm.
- 1:34Speaker 1: And let this eloquence of mine, if such we call it,
- 1:39Speaker 1: which is pleading now for me, as it has pleaded
- 1:43Speaker 1: many times for you, awake no envy. Let each man
- 1:50Speaker 1: show his best. Now. As for ancestors and noble birth
- 1:56Speaker 1: and deeds, we have not done ourselves. All these I
- 2:01Speaker 1: hardly call them ours. But if he boasts because he
- 2:07Speaker 1: is the great grandson of Jove, the founder of my family,
- 2:12Speaker 1: you know, is Jupiter by birth, I am just the
- 2:18Speaker 1: same degree removed from Jupiter as he. Laertes is my father.
- 2:25Speaker 1: My grandsire is Arsiesius, and my great grandsire is Jove,
- 2:33Speaker 1: and my line has no banished criminal. My mother's grandsire
- 2:40Speaker 1: Mercury would give me further claims of birth on either
- 2:45Speaker 1: side a god. But not because my mother's line is better,
- 2:51Speaker 1: and not because my father certainly is innocent of his
- 2:55Speaker 1: own brother's blood. Have I advanced my claim to own
- 3:00Speaker 1: those arms. Let personal merit weigh the cause alone. Let
- 3:06Speaker 1: Ajax when no credit from the fact that Telemann was
- 3:11Speaker 1: brother unto Pelius, Let not his merit be that he
- 3:18Speaker 1: is near by blood. May honor of manhood weigh and
- 3:23Speaker 1: your award. But if you seek the heir and next
- 3:27Speaker 1: of kin. Pelias is father, and Pierus is the son
- 3:32Speaker 1: of Great Achilles, where is Ajax? Then these arms might
- 3:39Speaker 1: go to Pythia or to Scyrus. Tu Sir might claim
- 3:44Speaker 1: the prize because he is achilles cousin? Does he seek
- 3:49Speaker 1: these arms? And if he did, would you allow his claim?
- 3:55Speaker 1: Since then the contest lies in deeds alone. Though I
- 4:00Speaker 1: have done more than may be well told, I will
- 4:04Speaker 1: recall them as they have occurred. Achilles' narid mother, who
- 4:11Speaker 1: foresaw his death, concealed her son by change of dress.
- 4:16Speaker 1: By that disguise, Ajax, among the rest, was well deceived.
- 4:21Speaker 1: I showed, with women's wares, arms that might win the
- 4:26Speaker 1: spirit of a man. The hero still wore clothing of
- 4:31Speaker 1: a girl. When as he held a shield and spear,
- 4:35Speaker 1: I said, son of a goddess Pergama, but waits to
- 4:40Speaker 1: fall by you? Why do you hesitate to assure the
- 4:44Speaker 1: overthrow of mighty Troy? With these bold words, I laid
- 4:50Speaker 1: my hand on him, and two brave actions I sent
- 4:55Speaker 1: forth the brave. His deeds of bravery are therefore mine.
- 5:02Speaker 1: It was my power that conquered Telephus, as he fought
- 5:07Speaker 1: with his lance. It was through me that vanquish'd and suppliant,
- 5:13Speaker 1: he at last was healed. I caused the fall of thebes.
- 5:19Speaker 1: Believe me, I took Lesbos, Tenedos, Chrysa, and Scylla, and
- 5:24Speaker 1: the cities of Apollo. And I took Scyrous. Think two
- 5:29Speaker 1: of the Learnescian wall as shaken by my hand, destroyed
- 5:35Speaker 1: and thrown down level with the ground. Let this suffice.
- 5:41Speaker 1: I found the man who caused fierce Hector's death through me.
- 5:47Speaker 1: The famous Hector now lies low. And for those arms
- 5:52Speaker 1: which made Achilles known, I now demand these arms to
- 5:59Speaker 1: him alive. I gave them at his death. They should
- 6:04Speaker 1: be mine. After the grief of one had reached all
- 6:09Speaker 1: grief and ships a thousand filled yobian aulis, the breezes,
- 6:17Speaker 1: long expected would not blow or adverse held the helpless
- 6:22Speaker 1: fleet ashore. Then ruthless oracles gave their command that Agamemnon
- 6:29Speaker 1: should make sacrifice of his loved daughter, And so satisfied
- 6:34Speaker 1: Dianna's cruel heart. The father stood up resolute, enraged against
- 6:40Speaker 1: the gods. A parent, even though a king, I turned,
- 6:46Speaker 1: by tactful words a father's tender heart to the great
- 6:51Speaker 1: issue of the public wheel. I will confess it. And
- 6:56Speaker 1: when I have confessed, made the son of a tree pardon.
- 7:01Speaker 1: I had to plead a difficult case before a partial judge,
- 7:06Speaker 1: the people's good, his brother's and stern duty that followed
- 7:11Speaker 1: his great office won his ear till royal honor outweighed
- 7:18Speaker 1: claims of blood. I sought the Mother, who could not
- 7:23Speaker 1: be won by pleading, but must be deceived by craft.
- 7:28Speaker 1: Had Ajax gone to her, our thousand sails would still
- 7:34Speaker 1: droop waiting for the favoring breeze. As a bold envoy,
- 7:40Speaker 1: I was even sent off to the towers of Ilium.
- 7:43Speaker 1: And there I saw the Senate House of lofty Troy,
- 7:48Speaker 1: and fearless entered it while it was full of heroes. There,
- 7:54Speaker 1: undaunted I spoke for the cause which all the Greeks
- 7:59Speaker 1: had given me. Me. Accusing Paris, I demanded back the
- 8:04Speaker 1: gold and stolen Helen, and I moved both Priam and Atenore,
- 8:11Speaker 1: all the while Paris, his brothers and their robber crew
- 8:15Speaker 1: could scarce withhold their wicked hands from me and all
- 8:20Speaker 1: this menelas is well known to you. That was the
- 8:24Speaker 1: first danger I shared with you. I need not linger
- 8:28Speaker 1: over the many things which, by my counsel and my bravery,
- 8:33Speaker 1: I have accomplished through this long drawn war. A long
- 8:37Speaker 1: time after the first battle clash, the foe lay quiet
- 8:41Speaker 1: within city walls, giving no challenge for an open fight.
- 8:46Speaker 1: He stood nine years of siege before we fought. What
- 8:51Speaker 1: were you doing all that tedious time? What use were
- 8:56Speaker 1: you good? Only in a fight, if you will make
- 9:00Speaker 1: inquiry of my deeds, I fashion and buscades for enemies,
- 9:05Speaker 1: and circled our defenses with the trench. I cheer'd allies
- 9:10Speaker 1: so that they might all endure with patient minds a
- 9:14Speaker 1: long protracted war. I showed how our own army might subsist,
- 9:20Speaker 1: and how it could be armed, And I was sent
- 9:23Speaker 1: wherever the necessity requir'd. Then, at the wish of Jove,
- 9:31Speaker 1: our king deceive by a false dream, bids us give
- 9:37Speaker 1: up the war. He could excuse his order by the cause.
- 9:42Speaker 1: Let Ajax tell him Troy must be laid low, or
- 9:47Speaker 1: let him fight at least he can do that. Why
- 9:51Speaker 1: does he fail to stop the fugitives? Why not take
- 9:54Speaker 1: arms and tell the wavering crowd to rally round him?
- 10:00Speaker 1: Would that be too much for one who never speaks
- 10:04Speaker 1: except to boast? But now words fail me? Ajex turns
- 10:13Speaker 1: and flees. I witnessed it, and was ashamed to see
- 10:19Speaker 1: you turn disgraced, preparing sails for flight with exclamations and
- 10:29Speaker 1: without delay, I said, what are you doing, oh, my friends?
- 10:33Speaker 1: Has madness seized you that you will quit Troy, which
- 10:38Speaker 1: is as good as taken? What can you bear home
- 10:42Speaker 1: after ten years? But your disgrace? With these commanding words
- 10:50Speaker 1: which grief itself gave eloquence, I brought resisting Greeks back
- 10:56Speaker 1: from their purposed flight, called together his allies, all terror struck.
- 11:05Speaker 1: Even then Ajax, the son of Telemann, dared not vouchsafe
- 11:11Speaker 1: one word, but impudent their sights, hurled vile words against
- 11:18Speaker 1: the kings, and thanks to me he did not miss reproof.
- 11:23Speaker 1: I rose and spoke to my disheartened friends, reviving their
- 11:28Speaker 1: lost courage with my words. From that time forth, whatever
- 11:33Speaker 1: deeds this man, my rival, may have done, belonged to me,
- 11:39Speaker 1: twas I who stayed his flight and brought him back.
- 11:44Speaker 1: Which of the noble Greeks has given you praise or
- 11:48Speaker 1: sought your company? Yet Diomed has shared his deeds with
- 11:52Speaker 1: me and praises me. And while Ulysses is with him,
- 11:58Speaker 1: is brave and confide tis worthy of regard. When out
- 12:03Speaker 1: of many thousands of the Greeks, a man becomes the
- 12:07Speaker 1: choice of Diomed, it was not Lot that ordered me
- 12:11Speaker 1: to go, And yet, despising dangers of the night, despising
- 12:16Speaker 1: dangers of the enemy, I slew one dolan of the
- 12:22Speaker 1: Phrygian race, who dared to do the very things we dared.
- 12:27Speaker 1: But not before I had prevailed on him to tell
- 12:30Speaker 1: me everything by which I learned perfidious actions which Troy
- 12:36Speaker 1: had designed of such things. Now I had discovered all
- 12:41Speaker 1: that should be found out, and I might have then
- 12:44Speaker 1: returned to enjoy the praise I had preserved. But not
- 12:49Speaker 1: content with that, I sought the tent of Rhesus, and
- 12:54Speaker 1: within his camp I slew him and his provid attendants.
- 13:00Speaker 1: Having thus gained as a conqueror my own desires, I
- 13:05Speaker 1: drove back in a capturer chariot, a joyous triumph. Well
- 13:10Speaker 1: deny me then the arms of him whose steeds the
- 13:14Speaker 1: enemy demanded as the price of one night's aid. Ajax
- 13:19Speaker 1: himself has been more generous. Why should I name Sarpadon's
- 13:25Speaker 1: Lycian troops among whom I made havoc with my sword.
- 13:30Speaker 1: I left Coranus dead and streaming blood. With the sword
- 13:35Speaker 1: I kill'd Elaster, Chromius, Alcander, Pritanus, Helius, Noemon thone and
- 13:44Speaker 1: Charro with Chersidamus and a nomus, all driven by cruel fate,
- 13:51Speaker 1: not reckoning humbler men whom I laid low, battling beneath
- 13:56Speaker 1: the shadows of the city walls. And fellow citizens, I
- 14:01Speaker 1: have my wounds honorable in the front. Do not believe
- 14:07Speaker 1: my word alone. Look for yourselves and see. Then with
- 14:11Speaker 1: one hand, he drew his robe aside. Here is a
- 14:16Speaker 1: breast he cried that bled for you. But Ajax never
- 14:22Speaker 1: shed a drop of blood to aid his friends in
- 14:26Speaker 1: all these many years, and has a body free of
- 14:30Speaker 1: any wound. What does it prove if he declares that
- 14:35Speaker 1: he fought for our ships against both Troy and Jove.
- 14:40Speaker 1: I grant he did, for it is not my wont
- 14:43Speaker 1: with malice to be little another's deeds. But let him
- 14:48Speaker 1: not claim for himself alone an honor in which all
- 14:53Speaker 1: may have a share. Let him concede some credit due
- 14:57Speaker 1: to you. Disguised within the fear inspiring arms of Great Achilles,
- 15:04Speaker 1: Actor's son drove back the host of Trojans from our
- 15:09Speaker 1: threatened fleet, or ships and Ajax would have burned together
- 15:15Speaker 1: unmindful of the King, the chiefs, and me. He dreams
- 15:21Speaker 1: that he alone dared to engage in a single fight
- 15:25Speaker 1: with Hector. He the ninth to volunteer, and chosen just
- 15:31Speaker 1: by lot. But yet, o brave chief, what availed the fight?
- 15:38Speaker 1: Hector returned not injured by a wound. Ah bitter fate,
- 15:45Speaker 1: with how much grief I am compelled to recollect the
- 15:48Speaker 1: time when brave Achilles, bulwark of the Greeks, was slain.
- 15:55Speaker 1: Nor tears, nor grief nor fear could hinder me. I
- 15:59Speaker 1: carried his dead body from the ground. Uplifted on these shoulders.
- 16:04Speaker 1: I repeat, upon these shoulders from that ground I bore
- 16:09Speaker 1: off dead Achilles. And those arms which now I want
- 16:14Speaker 1: to bear away again. I have the strength to walk
- 16:18Speaker 1: beneath their weight. I have a mind to understand their worth.
- 16:24Speaker 1: Did the hero's mother, Goddess of the sea, when for
- 16:28Speaker 1: her son these arms made by a god, a work
- 16:32Speaker 1: of wondrous art, to have them clothe a rude soldier
- 16:37Speaker 1: which has no mind at all? He never could be
- 16:41Speaker 1: made to understand the rich engravings pictured on the shield,
- 16:45Speaker 1: the ocean, earth and stars in lofty skies, the plaides
- 16:51Speaker 1: and Hyades, the bear which touches not the ocean. Far
- 16:56Speaker 1: beyond the varied planets and the fire bright sword of
- 17:01Speaker 1: high Orion. He demands a prize, which, if he had
- 17:07Speaker 1: it would be lost on him. What of his taunting
- 17:12Speaker 1: me because I shrank from hardships of this war and
- 17:16Speaker 1: I was slow to join the expedition. Does he not
- 17:19Speaker 1: see that he reviles the great Achilles too? Was my
- 17:25Speaker 1: pretense a crime? Then so was his? Was our delay
- 17:30Speaker 1: a fault? Mine was the less, For I came sooner, me,
- 17:36Speaker 1: a loving wife detained from war, a loving mother him
- 17:41Speaker 1: some hours we gave to them the rest to you?
- 17:45Speaker 1: Why should I be alarmed if now I am unable
- 17:49Speaker 1: to defend myself against this accusation, which is just the
- 17:53Speaker 1: same as you have brought against so great a man.
- 17:58Speaker 1: Yet he was found by the desterity of me Ulysses,
- 18:03Speaker 1: and Ulysses was not found by the dexterity of Ajax.
- 18:09Speaker 1: It is no wonder that he pours on me reproaches
- 18:13Speaker 1: of his silly tongue, because he charges you with what
- 18:17Speaker 1: is worthy? Shame? Am I depraved? Because this Palamedes has
- 18:24Speaker 1: improperly been charged with crime by me? Then was it
- 18:29Speaker 1: honorable for all of you if you condemned him? Only
- 18:33Speaker 1: think that he the son of Naplius made no defense
- 18:38Speaker 1: against the crime so great, so manifest. Nor did you
- 18:44Speaker 1: only hear the charges brought against him, But you saw
- 18:48Speaker 1: the proof yourself, and in the gold his villainy was shown.
- 18:55Speaker 1: Nor am I to be blamed. If Vulcan's isle of
- 18:58Speaker 1: Limnus has become the residence of Philoctitis, Greeks, defend yourselves,
- 19:06Speaker 1: for you agreed to it. Yes, I admit I urged
- 19:09Speaker 1: him to withdraw from toils of war and those of travel,
- 19:13Speaker 1: and attempt by rest to ease his cruel pain. He
- 19:18Speaker 1: took my advice and lives. The advice was not alone
- 19:23Speaker 1: well meant that would have been enough, But it was wise,
- 19:29Speaker 1: because our prophets have declared he must lead us if
- 19:33Speaker 1: we may still maintain our hope for Troy's destruction. Therefore,
- 19:39Speaker 1: you must not intrust that work to me. Much better,
- 19:44Speaker 1: send the son of Telemann. His eloquence will overcome the
- 19:49Speaker 1: hero's rage most fierce from his disease and anger, or
- 19:55Speaker 1: else his invention of some while will skillfully deliver to us.
- 20:01Speaker 1: The Samois will first flow backward, Ida stand without its foliage,
- 20:07Speaker 1: and Akia promise aid to Troy itself. Heir lacking aid
- 20:13Speaker 1: from me, the craft of stupid Ajax will avail. Though philotitis.
- 20:20Speaker 1: You should be enraged against your friends, against the King
- 20:24Speaker 1: and me, although you curse and everlastingly devote my head
- 20:29Speaker 1: to harm, although you wish to ease your anguish, that
- 20:34Speaker 1: I may be given into your power, that you may
- 20:37Speaker 1: shed my blood. And though you wait your turn and
- 20:41Speaker 1: chance at me, still I will undertake the quest and
- 20:46Speaker 1: will try all my skill to bring you back with me.
- 20:50Speaker 1: If my good fortune then will favor me, I shall
- 20:53Speaker 1: obtain your arrows. As I made the trojan Seer my captive,
- 20:58Speaker 1: as I learned the heavenly oracles and fate of Troy,
- 21:02Speaker 1: and as I brought back, through a host of foes
- 21:06Speaker 1: Minerva's image from the citadel. And is it possible Ajax
- 21:12Speaker 1: may now compare himself with me? Truly, the fates will
- 21:17Speaker 1: hold Troy from our capture if we leave the statue.
- 21:21Speaker 1: Where is valiant Ajax? Now? Where are the boasts of
- 21:25Speaker 1: that tremendous man? Why are you trembling? While Ulysses dares
- 21:32Speaker 1: to go beyond our guards and brave the Knight in
- 21:36Speaker 1: spite of hostile swords, he goes within. Not only the
- 21:40Speaker 1: strong walls of Troy. But even the citadel lifts up
- 21:45Speaker 1: the Goddess from her shrine and takes her through the enemy.
- 21:50Speaker 1: If I had not done this, Telemann's son would bear
- 21:54Speaker 1: his shield of seven bull hides in vain. That night
- 21:59Speaker 1: I gained the victory over Troy. Twas then I won
- 22:03Speaker 1: our war with Pragama, because I made it possible to win.
- 22:09Speaker 1: Stop hinting by your look and muttered words that Diamid
- 22:13Speaker 1: was my partner in the deed. The praise he won
- 22:17Speaker 1: is his. You certainly fought not alone when you held
- 22:21Speaker 1: up your shield to save the Allied fleet. A multitude
- 22:26Speaker 1: was with you, But a single man gave me his
- 22:29Speaker 1: valued help. And if he did not know a fighting
- 22:33Speaker 1: man cannot gain victory, so surely as the wise man
- 22:38Speaker 1: that the victory is given to something rarer than a
- 22:41Speaker 1: brave right hand, he would himself be a contender now
- 22:46Speaker 1: for these illustrious arms. Ajax the Less would have come
- 22:51Speaker 1: forward too, So would the fierce Europylus, So would andreeman Son.
- 22:57Speaker 1: Nor would I Dominius withhold his claim aim, nor would
- 23:01Speaker 1: his countrymen Miriones, yes Menelaus too would seek the prize.
- 23:07Speaker 1: All these brave men my equals in the field have
- 23:11Speaker 1: yielded to my wisdom. Your right hand is valuable in war.
- 23:16Speaker 1: Your temper stands in need of my direction. You have
- 23:21Speaker 1: strength without intelligence. I look out for the future. You
- 23:27Speaker 1: are able in the fight. I help our king to
- 23:30Speaker 1: find the proper time. Your body may give service, and
- 23:35Speaker 1: my mind must point the way. And just as much
- 23:39Speaker 1: as he who guides the ship must be superior to
- 23:43Speaker 1: him who rows it. And we all agree the general
- 23:47Speaker 1: is greater than the soldier. So do I excel you
- 23:52Speaker 1: in the body lives and intellect much rarer than a hand.
- 23:57Speaker 1: By that we measure human excellence. O chieftains recompense my
- 24:04Speaker 1: vigilance for all these years of anxious care. Award this
- 24:09Speaker 1: honor to my many services. Our victory is in sight.
- 24:14Speaker 1: I have removed the opposing fates and opening wide the
- 24:17Speaker 1: way to capture Prigamma. Have captured it now by our
- 24:22Speaker 1: common hopes, by Troy's high walls, already tottering and about
- 24:27Speaker 1: to fall, and by the gods that I won from
- 24:31Speaker 1: the foe. By what remains for wisdom to devise, or
- 24:35Speaker 1: what may call for bold and fearless deeds. If you
- 24:40Speaker 1: think any hope is left for Troy, remember me, or
- 24:46Speaker 1: if you do not give these arms to me, then
- 24:50Speaker 1: give them all to her. And he pointed to Minerva's
- 24:55Speaker 1: fateful head. The assembled body of the chiefs was moved,
- 25:00Speaker 1: and then appeared the power of eloquence. The fluent man received,
- 25:05Speaker 1: amid applause, the arms of the brave man, his rival,
- 25:11Speaker 1: who so often, when alone, stood firm against great hector
- 25:16Speaker 1: and the sword and flames and jove, stood not against
- 25:21Speaker 1: a single passion wrath. The unconquerable was conquered by his grief.
- 25:29Speaker 1: He drew his sword and said, this is at least
- 25:33Speaker 1: my own, or will Ulysses also claim this for himself.
- 25:38Speaker 1: I must use this against myself. The blade, which often
- 25:44Speaker 1: has been wet, dripping with blood of Phrygians I have slain,
- 25:49Speaker 1: will drip with his own master's blood. Lest any man
- 25:54Speaker 1: but Ajax vanquish Ajax. Saying this, he turned toward the
- 26:02Speaker 1: vital spot in his own breast, which never had felt
- 26:05Speaker 1: a wound, the fated sword and plunged it deeply in.
- 26:11Speaker 1: Though many sought to aid, no hand had strength to
- 26:15Speaker 1: draw that steel deep driven the blood itself unaided, drove
- 26:22Speaker 1: it out the ensanguine earth. Sprouted from her green turf,
- 26:28Speaker 1: that purple flower which grew of old from hyacinthine blood.
- 26:34Speaker 1: Its petals now are charged with double freight. The warrior's
- 26:39Speaker 1: name Apollo's cry of woe. End of Book thirteen, Part two,
- 26:49Speaker 1: read by Denisayer's in Modesto, California, for LibriVox