Metamorphoses XIII.140-279
Ulysses counters Ajax, claiming he is an inferior warrior and undeserving of Achilles' armor.
‘Nam genus et proavos et quae non fecimus ipsi, 140
vix ea nostra voco, sed enim, quia rettulit Aiax
esse Iovis pronepos, nostri quoque sanguinis auctor
Iuppiter est, totidemque gradus distamus ab illo:
nam mihi Laertes pater est, Arcesius illi,
Iuppiter huic, neque in his quisquam damnatus et exul; 145
est quoque per matrem Cyllenius addita nobis
altera nobilitas: deus est in utroque parente.
sed neque materno quod sum generosior ortu,
nec mihi quod pater est fraterni sanguinis insons,
proposita arma peto: meritis expendite causam, 150
dummodo, quod fratres Telamon Peleusque fuerunt,
Aiacis meritum non sit nec sanguinis ordo,
sed virtutis honor spoliis quaeratur in istis!
aut si proximitas primusque requiritur heres,
est genitor Peleus, est Pyrrhus filius illi: 155
quis locus Aiaci? Pthiam haec Scyrumve ferantur!
nec minus est isto Teucer patruelis Achilli:
num petit ille tamen? num, si petat, auferat illa?
ergo, operum quoniam nudum certamen habetur,
plura quidem feci, quam quae conprendere dictis 160
in promptu mihi sit, rerum tamen ordine ducar.
‘Praescia venturi genetrix Nereia leti
dissimulat cultu natum, et deceperat omnes,
in quibus Aiacem, sumptae fallacia vestis:
arma ego femineis animum motura virilem 165
mercibus inserui, neque adhuc proiecerat heros
virgineos habitus, cum parmam hastamque tenenti
“nate dea,” dixi “tibi se peritura reservant
Pergama! quid dubitas ingentem evertere Troiam?”
iniecique manum fortemque ad fortia misi. 170
ergo opera illius mea sunt: ego Telephon hasta
pugnantem domui, victum orantemque refeci;
quod Thebae cecidere, meum est; me credite Lesbon,
me Tenedon Chrysenque et Cillan, Apollinis urbes,
et Scyrum cepisse; mea concussa putate 175
procubuisse solo Lyrnesia moenia dextra,
utque alios taceam, qui saevum perdere posset
Hectora, nempe dedi: per me iacet inclitus Hector!
illis haec armis, quibus est inventus Achilles,
arma peto: vivo dederam, post fata reposco. 180
‘Ut dolor unius Danaos pervenit ad omnes,
Aulidaque Euboicam conplerunt mille carinae,
exspectata diu, nulla aut contraria classi
flamina erant, duraeque iubent Agamemnona sortes
inmeritam saevae natam mactare Dianae. 185
denegat hoc genitor divisque irascitur ipsis
atque in rege tamen pater est, ego mite parentis
ingenium verbis ad publica commoda verti:
hanc equidem (fateor, fassoque ignoscat Atrides)
difficilem tenui sub iniquo iudice causam. 190
hunc tamen utilitas populi fraterque datique
summa movet sceptri, laudem ut cum sanguine penset;
mittor et ad matrem, quae non hortanda, sed astu
decipienda fuit, quo si Telamonius isset,
orba suis essent etiam nunc lintea ventis. 195
‘Mittor et Iliacas audax orator ad arces,
visaque et intrata est altae mihi curia Troiae,
plenaque adhuc erat illa viris; interritus egi
quam mihi mandarat communem Graecia causam
accusoque Parin praedamque Helenamque reposco 200
et moveo Priamum Priamoque Antenora iunctum;
at Paris et fratres et qui rapuere sub illo,
vix tenuere manus (scis hoc, Menelae) nefandas,
primaque lux nostri tecum fuit illa pericli.
‘Longa referre mora est, quae consilioque manuque 205
utiliter feci spatiosi tempore belli.
post acies primas urbis se moenibus hostes
continuere diu, nec aperti copia Martis
ulla fuit; decimo demum pugnavimus anno:
quid facis interea, qui nil nisi proelia nosti? 210
quis tuus usus erat? nam si mea facta requiris,
hostibus insidior, fossa munimina cingo,
consolor socios, ut longi taedia belli
mente ferant placida, doceo, quo simus alendi
armandique modo, mittor, quo postulat usus. 215
‘Ecce Iovis monitu deceptus imagine somni
rex iubet incepti curam dimittere belli;
ille potest auctore suam defendere vocem:
non sinat hoc Aiax delendaque Pergama poscat,
quodque potest, pugnet! cur non remoratur ituros? 220
cur non arma capit, dat, quod vaga turba sequatur?
non erat hoc nimium numquam nisi magna loquenti.
quid, quod et ipse fugit? vidi, puduitque videre,
cum tu terga dares inhonestaque vela parares;
nec mora, “quid facitis? quae vos dementia” dixi 225
“concitat, o socii, captam dimittere Troiam,
quidque domum fertis decimo, nisi dedecus, anno?”
talibus atque aliis, in quae dolor ipse disertum
fecerat, aversos profuga de classe reduxi.
convocat Atrides socios terrore paventes: 230
nec Telamoniades etiamnunc hiscere quicquam
audet, at ausus erat reges incessere dictis
Thersites etiam, per me haut inpune protervis!
erigor et trepidos cives exhortor in hostem
amissamque mea virtutem voce repono. 235
tempore ab hoc, quodcumque potest fecisse videri
fortiter iste, meum est, qui dantem terga retraxi.
‘Denique de Danais quis te laudatve petitve?
at sua Tydides mecum communicat acta,
me probat et socio semper confidit Ulixe. 240
est aliquid, de tot Graiorum milibus unum
a Diomede legi! nec me sors ire iubebat:
sic tamen et spreto noctisque hostisque periclo
ausum eadem, quae nos, Phrygia de gente Dolona
interimo, non ante tamen, quam cuncta coegi 245
prodere et edidici, quid perfida Troia pararet.
omnia cognoram nec, quod specularer, habebam
et iam promissa poteram cum laude reverti:
haut contentus eo petii tentoria Rhesi
inque suis ipsum castris comitesque peremi 250
atque ita captivo, victor votisque potitus,
ingredior curru laetos imitante triumphos;
cuius equos pretium pro nocte poposcerat hostis,
arma negate mihi, fueritque benignior Aiax.
quid Lycii referam Sarpedonis agmina ferro 255
devastata meo? cum multo sanguine fudi
Coeranon Iphitiden et Alastoraque Chromiumque
Alcandrumque Haliumque Noemonaque Prytaninque
exitioque dedi cum Chersidamante Thoona
et Charopem fatisque inmitibus Ennomon actum 260
quique minus celebres nostra sub moenibus urbis
procubuere manu. sunt et mihi vulnera, cives,
ipso pulchra loco; nec vanis credite verbis,
aspicite! en’ vestemque manu diduxit et ‘haec sunt
pectora semper’ ait ‘vestris exercita rebus! 265
at nihil inpendit per tot Telamonius annos
sanguinis in socios et habet sine vulnere corpus!
‘Quid tamen hoc refert, si se pro classe Pelasga
arma tulisse refert contra Troasque Iovemque?
confiteorque, tulit (neque enim benefacta maligne 270
detractare meum est), sed ne communia solus
occupet atque aliquem vobis quoque reddat honorem,
reppulit Actorides sub imagine tutus Achillis
Troas ab arsuris cum defensore carinis.
ausum etiam Hectoreis solum concurrere telis 275
se putat, oblitus regisque ducumque meique,
nonus in officio et praelatus munere sortis.
sed tamen eventus vestrae, fortissime, pugnae
quis fuit? Hector abit violatus vulnere nullo!
“For as to race and ancestry and the deeds that others than ourselves have done, I call those in no true sense our own. But the truth is, since Ajax claims to be great-grandson of Jove, Jove is the founder of my race as well, and I am just as many steps removed from him. For Laërtes is my father, Arcesius, his, and he, the son of Jupiter; nor in this line is there any exiled criminal. I have also on my mother’s side another claim to noble birth, Cyllenius.1 Through both my parents have I divine descent. But, neither because through my mother I am more nobly born, nor because my father is guiltless of his brother’s blood, do I seek the armour that lies there. Weigh the cause on desert alone. Only count it not any desert of Ajax that Telamon and Peleus were brothers, and let not strains of blood, but the honour of manhood be considered in the award. Or, if you seek for next of kin and lawful heir, Peleus is Achilles’ father, Pyrrhus his son. What room is there for Ajax? Bear the armour hence to Phthia2 or to Scyrus.3 And Teucer is no less Achilles’ cousin than he. Yet does he seek the arms, and if he did seek would he gain them? So then, since ’tis a sheer strife of deeds, I have done more deeds than I can well enumerate. Still I will tell them in their order.
“Achilles’ Nereid mother, foreseeing her son’s destruction, had disguised him, and the trick of the clothing that he wore deceived them all, Ajax among the rest. But I placed among women’s wares some arms such as would attract a man. The hero still wore girl’s clothing when, as he laid hands on shield and spear, I said to him: ‘O son of Thetis, Pergama, doomed to perish, is keeping herself for you! Why do you delay the fall of mighty Troy?’ And I laid my hand on him and sent the brave fellow forth to do brave deeds. So then, all that he did is mine. ’Twas I who conquered the warring Telephus with my spear and healed him, vanquished and begging aid. That Thebes fell is my deed; credit Lesbos to me, to me Tenedos, Chryse and Cilla, cities of Apollo, and Scyrus too. Consider that by my hand the walls of Lyrnesus were battered to the ground. And, not to mention others, ’twas I, indeed, who gave the man who could destroy the warlike Hector. Through me illustrious Hector lies low! These arms I seek in return for those by which Achilles was discovered. Arms I gave the living; after his death I ask them back.
“When the sorrow of one man came to all the Greeks, and a thousand ships were gathered at Euboean Aulis, there were no winds, though they waited for them long, or they blew contrary to the fleet. Then a cruel oracle bade Agamemnon sacrifice his innocent daughter to pitiless Diana. This the father refused to do and was angry at the gods themselves, having a father’s feelings though he was a king. It was I that turned the kind father-heart to a consideration of the public weal; I indeed (I confess it, and may Atrides pardon as I confess) had a difficult cause to plead, and that, too, before a partial judge; still the people’s good, his brother, and the chief place of command assigned to him, all moved upon him to balance praise with blood. Then I was sent to the mother, who was not to be exhorted, but deceived by craft. But if the son of Telamon had gone to her, our sails would even now be destitute of their winds.
“I was sent also as a bold ambassador to Ilium’s stronghold and visited and entered the senate-house of lofty Troy. It was still full of heroes. Undaunted, I pleaded the common cause which Greece had entrusted to me, I denounced Paris, demanded the return of Helen and the booty, and I prevailed on Priam and Antenor who sided with Priam. But Paris and his brothers and his companions in the robbery scarce restrained their impious hands from me (you know that, Menelaüs). That was the first day of my dangers shared with you.
“It would take a long time to tell the things I accomplished for your good both with thought and deed during the long-drawn war. After the first battles the enemy kept himself for a long time within his city’s walls and there was no chance for open conflict. At last in the tenth year we fought. What were you doing in the meantime, you whose only knowledge is of battles? Of what service were you then? If you ask what I was doing, I laid snares for the enemy, I surrounded the fortifications with a trench, I encouraged our allies so that they might bear patiently the tedium of the long war, I advised as to how we should be fed and armed, I was sent on missions where circumstance demanded.
“Behold, at Jove’s command, being deceived by a vision of the night, the king bids us give up the burden of the war we have undertaken. He can defend his order by quoting the source of it. Now let Ajax prevent this movement; let him demand that Pergama be destroyed and, what he can do, let him fight! Why does he not stay those who are starting home? Why does he not take arms and give something for the straggling mob to rally round? This was not too much for one who never speaks except in boasting. But what of the fact that he himself fled also? I saw you, and I was ashamed to see, when you turned your back and were for spreading your dishonoured sails. Instantly I cried: ‘What are you doing? What madness, my friends, is driving you to abandon Troy, which is already captured? What are you taking home after ten years of war except disgrace?’ With such and other words, to which my very grief had made me eloquent, I turned them from their intended flight and led them back. Atrides assembled the allies still perturbed and fearful; and even then the son of Telamon did not dare utter a single syllable. But Thersites dared, indeed, and chid the kings with insubordinate words, but, thanks to me, not without punishment! I arose and urged my faint-hearted comrades against the enemy, and by my words I restored their lost courage. From that time on, whatever brave deed my rival here can claim to have accomplished belongs to me who brought him back from flight.
“Finally, who of the Greeks praises you or seeks your company? But Diomede shares his deeds with me, approves me, and is ever confident with Ulysses at his side. Surely, ’tis something, alone out of the many thousand Greeks, to be picked out by Diomede! And it was not the casting of lots that bade me go. Still, spurning all perils of night and of the enemy, I went forth and slew Phrygian Dolon, who was on the same perilous errand with ourselves. And yet I did not slay him till I had forced him to tell all he knew and had learned what treacherous Troy was planning. I had found out all and had no further cause for spying, and I could now go back with the praise which I had striven for; but not content with this, I turned to Rhesus’ tents and in his very camp I slew the captain and his comrades too. And so, victorious and with my prayers accomplished, I went on my way in my captured chariot in manner of a joyful triumph. Now refuse his arms to me, whose horses my enemy had demanded as the price of his night’s work, and let Ajax be the kinder!4 Why should I mention the Lycian Sarpedon’s ranks which my sword cut to pieces? I laid low in bloody slaughter Coeranos, the son of Iphitus, Alastor and Chromius, Alcander, Halius, Noëmon, Prytanis, slew Thoön and Chersidamas, Charopes, Ennomos, driven by the pitiless fates; and others less renowned fell by my hand beneath their city’s walls. I also have wounds, my comrades, noble for the very place of them. And trust no empty words of mine for that. See here!” and he threw open his garment with his hand; “here is my breast which has ever suffered for your cause! But the son of Telamon in all these years has lost no blood in his friends’ behalf and his body can show no wound at all.
“And what matters it if he says that he stood up in arms for the Greek fleet against the Trojans and the power of Jove? I grant he did; for it is not my way maliciously to belittle the good that he has done. But let not him alone claim the honour that belongs to all, and let him give some credit to you also. ’Twas the son of Actor,5 safe’ neath the semblance of Achilles, who drove off the Trojans from the fleet, which else had burned together with its defender. He thinks that he alone dared to stand up against Hector’s spear, ignoring the king, the chieftains, and myself, he but the ninth in proffered service and by the lot’s grace preferred to us. But what was the outcome of your battle, bravest of men? Hector retired without a wound.
Mercury.
The home of Peleus.
The home of Pyrrhus.
This is a reference to Ajax’ ironical proposition in 1. 102, to divide the armour between Ulysses and Diomede.
Patroclus.